What I wish you’d do in your blog
This entry was posted on January 31, 2008
I read a lot of blogs. I’m not that picky about what I read, but I do like techy blogs and personal blogs. However, recently a lot of blogs seem to be a bit stale, my own included. We seem to be re-hashing the same stuff with different words. What we need is some “oomph”, so, here’s my list of things I wish you do with your blog.
Educate me
I’m a fairly intelligent person, but I always love an opportunity to expand my knowledge. So, educate me with your blog! Tell me something I didn’t know already. Show me a new CSS technique. Teach me about PHP security risks. Englighten me!
Give me advice
I tend to offer a fair amount of helpful advice in my blog. As I learn stuff and overcome problems, I share those solutions with people in case they’re having the same problem. Beat me to it! Offer advice on choosing a colour scheme for my next layout. Tell me about why I should care what screen resolution my visitors are using. Help me out with making my site more compatible for mobile phone browsers.
Challenge me
Tell me everything I know is wrong. Show me why I should stop caring about IE6 users. Tell me why I need to keep my code up to scratch and why it’s important to validate my markup. Challenge my thoughts on usability. Force me to think differently about the way I do things.
Ask me a question
I don’t often comment on a lot of blogs; I tend to me more of a lurker than a commenter. This is usually because I’m not sure what to say in response to an entry. I find it a lot easier to comment if I’m asked a direct question as a visitor. So, ask me a question! Ask for my opinion, ask me for advice, ask me for anything.
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Email forwards - do I hate them?
This entry was posted on January 30, 2008
I seem to hate a lot of stuff recently (flash and social networks to name but two). I’m currently undecided about whether or not I hate email forwards. Granted, there are a lot of things to hate about them.
- “Forward this to fifteen people and you’ll have luck.”
- “Try this - it really works.”
- Appalling grammar and spelling.
- Average 7 screens worth of email addresses and “this message has been checked for viruses” footer messages.
- Usually are repeats.
- Usually aren’t even funny.
However, once every couple of months or so, a genuinely funny email will arrive in my inbox. One such email arrived this morning, and it was in fact so funny that I’d like to share it with you. Don’t worry, though, I’ve taken out the list of email address, all the extra “>” at the beginnings of lines, and the fifteen “this message has been checked for viruses” footer messages.
Wife: What would you do if I died? Would you get married again?
Husband: Definitely not!
Wife: Why not - don’t you like being married?
Husband: Of course I do.
Wife: Then why wouldn’t you remarry?
Husband: Okay, I’d get married again.
Wife: You would? (with a hurtful look on her face).
Husband: (makes audible groan).
Wife: Would you live in our house?
Husband: Sure, it’s a great house.
Wife: Would you sleep with her in our bed?
Husband: Where else would we sleep?
Wife: Would you let her drive my car?
Husband: Probably, it is almost new
Wife: Would you replace my pictures with hers?
Husband: That would seem like the proper thing to do.
Wife: Would she use my golf clubs?
Husband: No, she’s left-handed.
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3 gigs. 1 day. I was there.
This entry was posted on January 28, 2008
Simple Plan is my favourite band of all time. I’ve been a fan for nearly three years and it’s been two years since I last saw them play a live show. Sunday, January 27th was their “Camden Takeover” where they played three separate shows in one day.
I was there for the second two of them. Tickets for the first of the three shows all sold out before they were officially on sale (Doom on you, ticket people!).
Long hours of queuing were avoided for the first show I went to, which is good because it was a really cold day in London! The doors opened fifteen minutes late but we eventually made it in. Thanks to being at the front of the queue, I was right in front of the front of the stage (there was no barrier, so it literally was right in front) albeit to the side slightly and hugged up against a pillar.
Chuck (the drummer) wasn’t present for this show - it was an accoustic set and the only percussion was Pierre (lead singer - pictured right) and his tambourine. Seb (rhythm guitar - pictured left) described the show as “part music show / part comedy act” and Pierre was impressed that there was an “accoustic moshpit” going on. They played accoustic versions of songs from their second album, and their upcoming third album.
The funniest part to the show was the fact that no one on stage seemed to know the playlist.
“What are we playing next?”
“I have no idea, you’re asking the wrong person.”
“Does anyone know what we’re playing?”
Seb gave away all of his guitar picks at the end of the set. Despite being right in front of him, I was squashed up against the pillar and wasn’t fortunate enough to get a pick. However, Cassie’s gorgeous other half ended up with two picks, and through either generosity or pity, she gave one to me. (Thank you!)
It was dark by the time we came out of the show, and it was an adventure trying to find the next venue. Luckily, the several hundred strong line of people made it about as obvious as possible. The doors for the last show opened even later, and after a frankly terrible support act, Simple Plan finally came on stage.
Simple Plan have a lot of fans, and a lot of “haters”. Whether you love them or loathe them, it’s impossible to deny that they put on a good performance. They have so much energy on stage and they thrive on the energy from their crowd. It’s a big vicious circle, but in a good way, and the crowd were really enthusiastic for the whole 90-minute performance, jumping around to new songs and old songs alike.
After the show was over and we battled our way out of the venue (through several hundred hot and sweaty people) we said goodbye to the friends we’d made in the queue, offered words of encouragement to a young man called Pete who’d been abandoned by his family, and made our way around to the back of the venue with the hope of meeting the band.
Our hopes turned out to be true, and soon enough, all five members of the band came out and spent twenty minutes talking to fans, taking pictures, and signing autographs. I’m not the most outgoing of people so I didn’t talk to all of them. I did however manage to get my picture taken with David (bassist - pictured left with me), and I did get a hug from Jeff (lead guitarist). That was definitely the best part of the night. When you’re as passionate about a band as I am about Simple Plan, it really means something to be able to congratulate them for a good show and have them give you a hug and say thank you.
