February 2009 – Page 2

Blog Stuff – On posting

I feel a little guilty about not posting as much here lately. I’ve fallen into the habbit of Twitter-style “share and comment” with my Google Reader page now, whereas before I would compose a full post and try to write a bit more on the subject. Part of it may be that I don’t have much to say (try not to laugh at that one) or that I just am too irritated about the story to say much at all (more likely). I’m also adverse to the idea of making this blog a simple link collection with the occasional commentary – although that seems to have worked well for Instapundit, among others.

I think I’ll try to find a happy medium of some sort. I’ve been enjoying the off-politics posts at several of my usual blog-stops, as well, so I may try to put a little more of that in here too…

Another thing I am curious about is to how many of you read this via the website versus an RSS feed. I don’t really have any way of tracking views from RSS readers that I’m aware of, but I know at least several people visit this through Google Reader or Bloglines.

How do you primarily read this site?

I come directly to the website. (80%, 4 Votes)
I use an RSS reader. (20%, 1 Votes)
I use both about equally. (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 5

Loading ...

Another successful “pay what you want” experiment

In the vein of Radiohead’s famous “pay whatever you want” distribution of its last album, a restaurant in the UK has decided to ask diners to pay whatever they feel their food is worth during the month of February. And surprise surprise – it’s working:

“Anything between a penny and 50 pounds ($70) will make me happy, it’s entirely up to the customer to decide,” Ilic said on Tuesday, sounding confident about the prospects as he sat on a purple couch is his brightly colored, arty restaurant, known for its bistro-style Mediterranean cuisine.

…

If people like something, they’ll pay for it, the idea goes, and already Ilic has seen evidence that it works.

“Customers have already paid 20 percent more than the original price,” he said, confident that he will more than cover his expenses for the month. “People want to be polite and would be embarrassed not to pay enough.”

I’m glad to hear it. Here’s hoping the experiment is a great success and that others try the same thing.

In support of Patterico

Patterico is doing a “pledge drive” of sorts over at his blog, asking people to send links instead of money, specifically to his brilliant Los Angeles Times Dog Trainer year in review post as a starting point. I’m more than happy to do so, and let me add that Patterico is in general a great read, and one of a few blogs that I will check routinely throughout the day for updates. You could do much worse with your time than perusing his archives.

In addition, I think it’s great that he’s asking people to send links instead of money. I wish more bloggers would do this, for three reasons. First, it’s sustainable – the same principle as “give a man a fish” versus “teach a man to fish.” As a blog making money off advertising, the more (consistent) visitors he gets, the more impressions and clicks he gets, which will in the long run likely be more profitable than a one-time donation – especially links in high-traffic places.

Second, it’s educational – many people do not realize the importance of the link trading that blogs do in regard to the health and growth of the blogosphere at large. Trading and spreading links does not just make more advertising money, it also creates a greater base of influence for the blogs that are linked – without links from other websites, you may as well not exist on the modern web. In addition, Google (which is, for all intents and purposes, the search engine) weighs links from other sites heavily in its algorithm used to place you on its search results page.

Third, it’s easy – how easy is it to drop a link in an email, or a Facebook post, or a blog entry? It takes 30 seconds of time and shows a little support for someone who provides you with a useful resource – or just plain ol’ entertainment – while costing you nothing. By asking for links instead of cash, Patterico is offering a sincere, meaningful way to support him without breaking open your wallet. Now this isn’t to say that money donations aren’t helpful – they are. But links to his site give him a boost to his traffic, which in turn provides him with more ad profits, more mindshare, and greater incentive to keep writing.

So go take a look, and browse around for a while. And if you like what you see, pass it along.

Obama made me late for work.

No seriously, the guy’s whole motorcade drove right by me, within about fifty feet of my car. As a result of his passing, the intersection I was at was closed off by cops from right when I got there til about 10 minutes later when he had driven by. It’s like he’s out to get me for voting McCain.

Those presidential limos are pretty cool though.

Edit: here are some photos and news tidbits about the protestors at Obama’s speech that took place just up the street from me today.

Not in Kansas anymore

So I was reading the Rott today and I stumbled across the following:

Russian Prime Minister Vladamir Putin has said the US should take a lesson from the pages of Russian history and not exercise “excessive intervention in economic activity and blind faith in the state’s omnipotence”.

“In the 20th century, the Soviet Union made the state’s role absolute,” Putin said during a speech at the opening ceremony of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “In the long run, this made the Soviet economy totally uncompetitive. This lesson cost us dearly. I am sure nobody wants to see it repeated.”

Uh, what? What kind of bizarro world is this when we have former KGB head Vladamir Putin warning us that we’re getting a little “too socialist?!” How much worse can this “Obamination” get?

Wait, don’t answer that, Mr. Obama. Please?