Fri, 28 Feb 2014
Schedule something with me
If you want to set up an evening hang out with me, or anything else where you'd like to meet up, here's the best strategy if you use Google Calendar:
- Create an event on your calendar with the time and date. In the name of the event, summarize it (for example: "Alice and Asheesh catch up re: fundraising" or "Bob and Asheesh hang out at El Rio bar").
- "Edit" the event, and add asheesh@asheesh.org as a person to invite.
- Click "Save" and send me an invitation.
To do an amazing job, here are some extra rules:
- Always give me 24 hours or more lead-time.
- Give me two options, one labeled "(backup)" -- for example. "Bob and Asheesh hang out at El Rio bar" and "Bob and Asheesh hang out at El Rio bar (backup)".
- Then I'll click confirm on one of them, and I will click "No" on the other one. And that'll be that!
If you're too impatient for that (which is fine)
- Submit two proposed times
- Wait for me to eamil you saying yes (I'll also GCal invite you back)
Rationale
This may seem bizarrely bureaucratic and impersonal, but since I often drop the ball on scheduling social or professional catch-up time, I wanted to create a system where successful results are easily achieved. In return for dealing with this automated interaction, you'll get a happy, relaxed, attentive Asheesh.
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Mon, 23 May 2011
Another Waffle (alter ego)
I've noticed that I've been using asheesh.org lately to write positive things and announcements, but I don't have a good outlet for sharing criticism of the projects that I like.
I have used asheesh.org for writing critical pieces sometimes, like last year's note about some FSF activism. For all the small ways that projects I like could be improved, I don't want to write a blog post that implies that I only have negative things to say. If I did that, when new readers come to asheesh.org, they'll see a big long complaint and think that I don't like the project as a whole.
I'm going to try something new, then: when I want to write a bit of criticism for a project I generally like, I will stash it in the comments section: I will write up a blog post explaining something positive about the effort, and then my alter ego will leave a comment taking a more critical perspective. (His name will be Another Waffle, a punny reference to my etymologies course at CTY in 2000.)
I will also apply this to my own projects, like on the recent note about the Boston Python meetup's gender diversity. I think it's especially useful on notes about my own work; when I write announcements that mention the positive, I sometimes feel a bit hollow about not mentioning my nagging doubts. This way, I can still share my mixed feelings while retaining the announcement format.
Constructive criticism is important, I believe, as is context.
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Thu, 05 May 2011
On pedantry
Sometimes, I get annoyed when I feel that other people are being pedantic and wasting people's time with an issue that, in my opinion, doesn't matter. "There are more important things to think about! We have work to do, saving the world!" I think.
Sometimes I add, "This conversation is surely alienating to new people on the list, which makes it hard for our movement to grow."
Sometimes I think that I do a reasonably okay job with this, like a recent OpenHatch devel list post, where I explained my feelings and the standard I hold myself to.
But I just spent too much of the past 20 minutes arguing about if it's important to call it GNU MediaGoblin, or if it should be okay to call it just MediaGoblin casually sometimes.
I was trying to argue that the GNU MediaGoblin folks should fiercely resist to chastize people when they forget the "GNU".
In my passionate arguing, I became a naming pedant (rather, a backwards anti-naming-pedant pedant).
That's the same trap.
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Wed, 21 Jul 2010
Thumbs up
Chris has a penchant for the terse. When agreeing with me online, he would find himself writing "OK" or "Sounds good." But really he didn't have anything to say; he just wanted to say he agreed.
So now we say:
b
This means "thumbs up."
p
This means "thumbs down."
(Why "b" and "p"? They look like thumbs-up and thumbs-down.)
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Wed, 09 Jun 2010
Libraries Do Gaga
In a video called Libraries Do Gaga, the University of Washington Information School gives some tips for finding information. They've gone Gaga, tying their own lyrics to recent pop music. For example, they sing:
Look, your naive searching just ain't gonna get it done,
'Cause when it comes to search, if it's not tough it isn't fun (fun).
My favorite part is the sliding shelf between 3:24 and 3:29. Don't skip to it; wait for it.
Karen remarks:
<karenrustad_> I don't understand why library school people are always hot.
<<karenrustad_> Like, seriously.
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Tue, 15 Dec 2009
Two questions
A few weeks ago, I was listening to an R.E.M. album. All I knew about the song I was hearing was that R.E.M. recorded it, and I liked hearing it.
Raffi's ears perked up. He asked, "Is this R.E.M. covering the Velvet Underground?"
I asked, "Is that true? I didn't know that."
Now Raffi knows what I knew, and I know what he knew.
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Sat, 31 May 2008
Venkatesh clarifies
Mar 07 18:49:41 <venkatesh> often, your flames lack flame
I guess that's a good quality to have....
