Successful Blog

Jon Symons Is a B.A.D. Blogger!

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Blogger A Day Call: Hello is Jon there?

Jon Symons isn’t the typical blogger. He didn’t start out on a on Blogger or free WordPress. He coded his own blog from scratch.
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When Jon and I talked, yesterday via Skype, his mellow voice told me he used to be a Systems Analyst — a job most in his profession would die for. He said that fact made it hard to walk away from it. On other hand, Jon knew his heart wasn’t in it. He felt he was only an average coder. “I was interested in business, not in the perfect subroutine.”

He walked away to follow a dream.

Jon and I talked the blogging business he’s starting. He told me how the night before, Sean Wise, the guy behind the b5 funding deal, was in Edmonton giving a talk to entrepreneurs. Jon had braved the cold to see him. Then in an uncharacteristic turn of events, Jon braved the crowd when he described his business plan to a roomful of folks who hardly understood the Internet. It’s not Jon’s usual nature to stand up in crowds.

Soon we were discussing how how blogging changes people. Jon said he couldn’t imagine announcing his business plan publicly that way just a few years ago, but how natural it seemed, and how it helped things become more real in his mind.

I mentioned my nonblogging friend who calls blogging the “ultimate self-therapy.” Jon spoke of a study of bloggers he read that described us as intelligent, curious people — “Fits my experience of the blogger I know,” is what I replied.

We waxed philosophical on following your bliss. The practical side of having support from people, such as significant others, came up and was underlined. We even worked on what the next steps might be in filling out the people needs he has for his blog network. I passed a few names along to him. We promised to talk more as things progress.

It’s the excitement of watching something being born. It’s the fun of hearing a guy, named Jon, talk about his dream.

B.A.D. Blogger Quote

When you leverage your passion it grows so much faster, and it grows so much more real. —Jon Symons

Stop by Jon’s Blog, Art of Money, and say hi!

Thanks, Jon, you B.A.D. Blogger!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Want to be a B.A.D. Blogger see the. . . a B.A.D. Blogger? page in the sidebar.

Net Neutrality 11-29-2006

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Net Neutrality Links

I’m adding this link to the Net Neutrality Page.

There Is A Utopia For Net Neutrality

In this case, we’re talking about a real UTOPIA, the clever acronym for the Utah Telecommunication Open Infrastructure Agency, a group of 14 cities which banded together to build a fiber-to-the-home network that will eventually provide 100 mbps service.

[ . . . ]

From the start, UTOPIA’s developers thought through the public policy issues, particularly the competitive ones. Their answer was not to compete with private-sector companies, but to provide a platform for them.

UTOPIA said in its background materials it solves the competitive issue very simply, “by offering a network that is open to a variety of competitors that vie for customers based on the price, quality, and innovativeness of their services rather than on the basis that the customer has no other choice.”
[Keith Wilson, president of DynamicCity, the network’s operator] said the wholesale model eliminates the Net Neutrality objection right from the start because any service provider can get access to the UTOPIA network. That’s where the “Net Neutrality on steroids” description comes from. The fact that any provider can get on the network “takes the wind out of the sails of the incumbents,” Wilson said.

[ . . . ]

The individual service providers aren’t bound by the Net Neutrality, Wilson said, “The [Net Neutrality] problem exists when the network owner is wielding influence. When the owner is inherently open to all providers, then they [the providers on the network] can shoot themselves in the foot. They have to take the risk with their users who might be offended [by violations of Net Neutrality] and go to someone else.”

There are so far five service providers using the UTOPIA network. Four are local, MStar, Sisna, Veracity and XMission. AT&T is also offering service. MStar is the only one offering data, phone and TV.

How do customers make out with UTOPIA? Here’s a brief comparison. Comcast charges $68 per month for 3 mbps service. Qwest charges $54.99 for 3 mbps or $44.99 for 1.5 mbps.

On the other hand, MStar charges $39.95 for 10 mbps, XMission charges $40 for 15 mbps, and even AT&T can charge $39.95 for 15 mpbs.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

The Mic Is On: Will I Be Successful? Tell My Fortune!

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It’s Like Open Mic Only Different

Here’s how it works.

open mike night

It’s like any rambling conversation. Don’t try to read it all. Jump in whenever you get here. Just go to the end and start talking. EVERYONE is WELCOME
The rules are simple — be nice.

There are always first timers and new things to talk about. It’s sort of half “Cheers” part “Friends” and part video game. You don’t know how much fun it is until you try it.

Tonight we’re telling the future!

We might also talk about

  • experiences with fortune telling
  • tarot cards, Ouija boards, crystal balls
  • past lives, ESP, telekinesis
  • paranormal experiences

AND THE EVER POPULAR,
Basil the code-writing donkey, and Milton the Moose.

Crystal Ball

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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The Mic Is On and It’s a Thank-You Party!

Open Mic 7pm Chgo Time: Tell My Fortune!

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Look into My Crystal Ball

Personal Branding logo

YES, the mic will be open again tonight. So start collecting your thoughts. Remember, you get to bring what you want to talk about.

The rules are simple — be nice.

There are always first timers and new things to talk about. It’s sort of half “Cheers” part “Friends” and part video game. You don’t know how much fun it is until you try it.

Tonight we’re telling the future!

We might also talk about

  • experiences with fortune telling
  • tarot cards, Ouija boards, crystal balls
  • past lives, ESP, telekinesis
  • paranormal experiences

AND THE EVER POPULAR,
Basil the code-writing donkey, and Milton the Moose.

It’s like any rambling conversation. Don’t try to read it all. Jump in whenever you get here. Just go to the end and start talking. EVERYONE is WELCOME.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related articles
The Mic Is On and It’s a Thank-You Party!

Tony Hung Is a B.A.D. Blogger!

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Blogger A Day Call: Hello is Tony there?

When you meet Tony Hung you might not realize how soon, or how often, you’re going to be seeing him. He would need time to tell you about all of the places you might find him. Beyond his own blog, a few of his regular stops include the Blog Herald, Bloggertalks, Tuesday Night Comments, and events and conversations about the MESH conference. Soon there will be even more.

When Tony and I met via headphones and our computers, he shared his background — years of websites and playing with web design. We talked about how he came into blogging. Tony goes deep on any subject he’s interested in. It shows in the fact that his first blog was on WordPress with a theme of his own design.

I asked how Tony connected with the Blog Herald — he said he suggested some topics and shortly thereafter, Matt read Tony’s blog and invited Tony to write for them. The Blog Herald connection prompted Thord, another Herald writer, to invite Tony to be part of Bloggertalks, the hot new interview blog.

When I asked Tony what he did when he wasn’t blogging or talking to bloggers, I found out that he had another name, Dr. Tony Hung. He said he’s a final-year resident doctor in Internal Medicine. So we talked about doctors. I mentioned that I finally found a neurologist without a gargantuan ego. He replied that more than one specialty fell victim to that condition.

I think Tony’d be glad I didn’t share my favorite doctor joke.

Tony explained how he chose Internal Medicine. He said he had started in Family Medicine, but found that he wanted to help really sick people. We discussed how some folks don’t get better, but instead have to move on to other care. Tony mentioned the thought that goes into talking to family members who are also involved. You have to admire someone who does that work.

Dr. Tony Hung added one more name 9 weeks ago — Daddy. Tony Hung is the father of a baby boy.

B.A.D. Blogger Quote

I got into it so that I could learn about what people are doing. I wasn’t prepared for how much fun it is. —Tony Hung

Stop by Tony’s Blog, deep jive interests, and say hi!

Thanks, Tony, you B.A.D. Blogger!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Want to be a B.A.D. Blogger see the. . . a B.A.D. Blogger? page in the sidebar.