MiramarMike: Blog

The famous Nat has stepped down from his role as Councillor at InternetNZ and therefore a space for YOU is now open. YOU, if you're a member - if you're not, WTF! I assume that the Kiwis that come to this blog are in some way working in IT and probably something to do with "the cloud". If that's YOU then why on earth aren't you an active member of the New Zealand organisation looking after the pipes you work on? Not being a member is like operating a haulage company and not caring about the roads or being a member of the Roads Association (if there is such a thing). Join here: https://internetnz.net.nz/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=1 If you are a member then let me know if you need to be nominated . Here's the role you'd be taking on: https://internetnz.net.nz/content/councillor-role-description

I'm going to this year's NetHui ( tickets are available and, for $40, it is a absolute bargain) The programme is chock full of awesomeness and I love how some of the session facilitators have been, through proper and right channels, promoting their particular sessions. Right, my plan of attack will be: Monday ( G+ event ) Be Registered and Welcomed Be very active in the Wellington Workshop – Making Digital Visible Eat lunch Hmmm, not sure what to do here as I will be joining halfway in to other workshops - might pop back to the Pikselin office for a bit Sip afternoon tea Listen to Russell Pop briefly to the Digital Inclusion meetup Tuesday ( G+ event ) Listen to Jordan and Amy Quaff morning tea Listen to Quinn Learn at  Issues, Issues, Issues Enjoy lunch Be active in  NZ Inc and the Internet Delight in afternoon tea Listen to the "Faster Broadband" panel Be wrapped-up Meet up at the Creative Commons do Solve X with Google X Wednesd

Finally got Twitter archive to download ( here's how ) and have unzipped, popped it into Google Drive so I can run it through any browser ( here's how AND how to keep your archive up to date ). Fascinating stuff, in a narcissistic way. Twitter, born July 2006. I appeared on March 15th, 2007 with, wait for it, ... "Um ... now what?". Well at least it wasn't hello but it was damned close. I recall it had been talked about on the Wellingtonista (or maybe on the internal email list that used to constantly fly around for those of us that were regular posters at the time) and thinking, "I MUST be on that". As is regulation I signed up and then had no idea what to do next. It seemed empty, quiet, pointless. I came back in November 2007 with, "Trying to get twitter and Facebook to work ... failing", ah such naive and silly days. Have no fear, I am not going to go through ever damned tweet - a few highlights First tweet reply was to 

I agree with Marissa Mayer, we should never set out to have teams working apart from each other and, if I had the experience that she has had via Google I would have sent the same "memo" to all Yahoo! staff as well. When Marissa Mayer sent out the email (well, more accurately when it was leakd and I saw it reported) my initial reaction was, "Duh, of course she'd say that, it's what they do at Google!" ... no, really, the worlds largest, most successful "cloud" company operates very strictly on a "work next to your colleagues" principle as outlined by Eric Schmidt way back when: Pack them in. Almost every project: at Google is a team project, and teams have to communicate. The best way to make communication easy is to put team members within a few feet of each other. The result is that virtually everyone at Google shares an office. This way, when a programmer needs to confer with a colleague, there is immediate access: no telephone tag

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What struck me straight between the eyes when I saw Xero's "What is cloud computing?" explanatory diagram is just how lonely the cloud could seem: Look at all those old fashioned, drab ways involving other people vs the modern, new and very much in colour way using the awesome cloud :-) Do I really believe the cloud is a lonely place - no. I daily experience how the cloud allows me to connect to many more. However, I do think that an over reliance on placing a computer between us (me) and the "many more" can, at times, lead to feeling lonely in a crowd. Let's be honest, the best way to connect is face-to-face in the same physical space. Next is face-to-face using video followed by a voice call (heck, pick up the phone). Of course if you're already connected and have a strong relationship you will pick and chose the most relevant, there's nothing wrong with txt'ing, "On my way". If, however, this is a new connection then pl