racoma.com.phJ. Angelo Racoma on technology, economics, writing, problogging, and getting things done

My readers must think I’m a lazy blogger. Most of the time, you would see Twitter updates filling the front page of the J Spot. It’s because of the twitter tools plugin I’ve installed. It allows me to automatically publish tweets anywhere on the site (currently at the bottom bar, for instance), and publish daily summaries of tweets.

But the lazy blogger I am, I usually just get to update the site with _real_ blog posts every other day or so. The rest of the time, it’s just the twitter updates. This made me think. If I keep the twitter updates, I benefit from the added keywords I post via Twitter. The updates also make for substitutes to blog posts, since I wrote them, anyway, and a collection of tweets are actually micro-blog entries.

But then again, I’m in doubt whether the tweets I post make for good substitutes to actual blog posts.

So an alternative I’m thinking of now is reviving my personal blog, the J Spotter (which has gone offline for some reason) just for the purpose of hosting my daily twitter summaries. I would then retain the current updates on the footer of this blog.

What do you think?

In the Digital Filipino event which I attended as resource person yesterday (that deserves a whole new blog post altogether, but I’m too tired to post about that right now), fellow presenter Sacha Chua talked about social computing and networking. One of the things she really digs is upcoming.org, which she thinks is great for checking out upcoming events in Toronto, where she’s currently based. I’ve known about upcoming.org since 2005 when we were looking for features to integrate into i.PH. However, it didn’t really click here in Metro Manila simply because there isn’t much you can see.

The concept

Upcoming.org is yet another Web 2.0 application. It’s collaborative and it’s user-generated. People who are based in a certain location can post about events to be held in their localities (whether they are running it or know about it), and users can discuss. Users can even indicate whether they’re attending, or if they’re just watching discussions online.

What’s great is that this web app lets people learn about upcoming events in their own city or locality, and see whom among their contacts are coming. It’s a great way to organize get-togethers and meet-ups.

Unfortunately, the list for Metro Manila (or the Philippines, for that matter) is quite bare. So it’s quite disappointing since the application can be a really useful tool, especially since it gives the users power to add content, and to exchange information based on content. However, without anything meaningful, then the app would be worthless.

There are a handful of sites around that cater to local events (like clickthecity.com ). However, content is still mostly centraliezed or at least editorialized, and there is no true collaboration. I’m of the feeling that being listed is also a premium service (meaning companies have to pay to get listed), so there is no freedom to just add relevant events or listings if you’re not part of their circle.

Let’s populate the list!

So let’s see if we can make use of upcoming as a tool for highlighting events in Metro Manila (and also other metropolitan areas in the country). Maybe this can better facilitate parties and other gatherings. The important thing is that we set up an initial list of events we’re each personally interested in. From there, I’m hoping things would grow and become sustainable.

Note: Toronto has 200+ upcoming events in the succeeding couple of weeks (as of this posting). Metro Manila has 2. Let’s make it more exciting!

Another note: Upcoming.org was the brainchild of a single developer–Andy Baio of waxy.org–and the site was done in his spare time. Late 2005, Yahoo! acquired the service (for millions?). Isn’t that a good business model for Web 2.0 apps?

See you on upcoming.org !

My articles and blog posts here and on the other blogs I manage/contribute to have been DUGG several times now, and I’ve posted some of my observations on ForeverGeek:

I’ve a handful of articles and blog posts that have been DUGG to frontpage, and I can say that I’ve had different experiences from each of them. But the few times my stuff had been voted up to front page, one can draw conclusions about the way the DIGG crowd thinks.

Here’s a brief rundown of my DUGG postings:

* On ForeverGeek, my beginner’s guide to podcasting (DIGG link here).
* On the J Spot, my guide to getting free US and UK incoming telephone numbers from anywhere in the world (DIGG link here)–reached frontpage, but was buried and marked “inaccurate” because the server hiccupped due to the sheer rise in traffic during the time at front page.
* My article on VPNs at bLaptops–nearly frontpaged (DIGG link here), but again it was buried and marked “inaccurate” because a glitch in the blog’s layout caused the content to be hidden in IE (stupid IE).
* On ForeverGeek, my post about the Windows vs Mac OS X issue being about the “maximize” button (DIGG link here).
* Several other places, I’d rather not disclose.

And what have I learned from this? Well, to get DUGG, you have to know what interests the DIGG crowd. Notable among these are:

* People love to argue – e.g., Windows vs. OS X.
* People love free stuff – e.g., free calls, free software, etc.
* People love new stuff – e.g., new gadgets, new ways to do things.
* People love how-to’s – e.g., hacks, tutorials.
* It pays to have a lot of friends. Even better, it pays to have influential friends – Bring on the DIGG army!

Check it out at ForeverGeek. Please feel free to comment either here or there.

I just arrived home from the (first) Philippine BlogCon 2006 and I’m dog tired. Working out at the gym this afternoon was probably not such a good idea. My legs hurt–probably because I used an ill-fitting old pair of shoes to work out. And I had to walk a mile (almost?) across three shopping malls from the Ayala MRT station to Greenbelt 3, where the National Sports Grill is located. (Reminder to self: get a car. Soon.)

But it was worth it. I got to meet up with old friends and former colleagues from dotPH (you know who you are), the usual suspects (the bloggers and probloggers I always get to meet during blogging events), the sponsors (the Globe Innove people from the last Globe-sponsored blogger meetup) and new faces.

I wasn’t able to listen much to the presentations since I came in a bit late, and my group was holed up in this corner table, hence the low visibility, and–yes–higher propensity for side-discussions. My mother actually asked me, earlier this evening when I picked up the calling cards I asked her to print (more about this later), why I wasn’t speaking this time. I told her that in events like these, it’s usually best to stay in the sidelines and get to meet the people. That’s where the real stuff happens.

Networking

The primary reason for my attendance is to network with people, and possibly look out for new business prospects, and I consider this blogger meet-and-greet to be successful in that regard. This time around, I got several inquiries on the problogging/writing jobs I had written about. I met with some very capable game writers, and I’m hoping we can get to talk soon, and that our discussions turn out to be fruitful. I also had inquiries on whether I had other requirements that weren’t game-related, and for this I would have to refer them to my other contacts in need of bloggers for other niches.

Of course, people asked me about the PayPal for the Philippines campaign and we got to exchange ideas about the need for payment gateways in the country. I also got wind that PayPal is actually on its way to setting up here. Of course, those are still unconfirmed info tidbits, but it’s good to hear something is happening, whether influenced by the campaign or not.

One Big Community

What’s great about meet-and-greet events like these is that the people seem to be familiar with almost everyone else, even if it’s usually their first time to meet. Here’s where the virtual community extends to the real world. In the blogsphere, we usually know people by the ideas they communicate and the opinions they make on their blogs. In the real world, you see a new face or hear a familiar name, and you get to connect that face with the person’s online persona.

You see your online correspondents in the flesh, and it feels great!

Handing Out Calling Cards

I wrote before (a long time ago) that blogs are the new digital handshake, that one doesn’t usually need calling cards anymore these days. It turns out that calling cards are important, after all. No matter how digital we get, and even if most–or even all–of our clients are online, one still needs something tangible to hand out to people one meets.

And here’s where the calling card comes in. Weeks, months, and even years after, when emails get archived, blog links get buried deep in blogrolls, and text messages get deleted, calling cards will be there to stay. Even if the contact details, companies (or businesses) and interests change, physical cards are likely to remind the recpient of the person who gave it, and the circumstances of their meeting. That’s why it’s a good idea to note down on the business/calling card the date, venue, and event where you met the giver.

Speaking of calling cards, here’s my latest one, designed and expertly cut by myself (concept blatantly stolen borrowed from Abe’s “kickass Web2.0 calling card” idea).

The card says problogger / tech evangelist / new media consultant. Wow, what does that mean?

Photos

I wasn’t able to get many shots, since I was busy with my primary objective–that is, getting to talk to people. But here are a few photos I was able to squeeze in.

Pinoy Big Blogger Retz, in the flesh!

Fellow man-blogger, Noisy Noisy Man Ade Magnaye

i.ph webmaster Randy (right)

Dash-Media and fellow Man Bloggers people Marco “The Site Guy” and Peter

Abe Olandres, thinking of his blog-derived millions

Jayvee of b5media/m|ph and Peter

Check out my Flickr photoset for larger versions.

Linklove!

Here are a few of the people I got to meet. Sorry if I can’t post a complete list of names and links for now (I tend to be forgetful). Please do post a comment so I can add you.

* Abe Olandres
* Peter Juan
* Randy Nivales
* Kevin Codamon
* Jayvee Fernandez
* Juned Sonido
* Noemi Lardizabal-Dado
* Sonnie Santos
* Jennifer Velasco (Globe Innove)
* “Retz Ruiz”:http://retzwerx.com
* Marco “The Site Guy” Palinar
* “Ade Magnaye”:http://blog.ademagnaye.com
* Noel Bautista
* “Mike Abundo”:http://mikeabundo.com
* “Jun Asis”:http://www.intourpreneur.com/

‘Til next year, or next time. Now, back to work …

Things sure happen fast. After my post about higher resolution satellite imagery available for Metro Manila, I got in touch with my colleague, j4s0n, to brainstorm on what we could possibly do with such a development. Just a few days later (about half a day’s worth of work perhaps), he announces his latest Web app, Pinoy Locator.

The concept is simple. Find where you are on the map (or satellite imagery, in the case of the Philippines) and post your shout-out. These are then collected and presented as those cutesy push-pins on Google Maps that pop up messages when you click them.

It’s still a very basic means of using Google Maps to pinpoint one’s location, or even geo-tagging establishments and landmarks, but it’s a good start. As I wrote on PinoyTechBlog,

If you ask me, this could be a good precursor to a contributor-driven directory of places in the Philippines. For now, such geo-data is available, but commercially (meaning you can have it but you have to pay for it). Of course, there’s the issue of accuracy and filtering mechanisms. One problem with Web 2.0 is having too much trust on the user (even if systems can be gamed, after all). But hey, for a country that Google forgot when it put up vector and geo data online with Google Maps, something like pinoylocator is a good start.

So do try it out. Here’s where I live–approximately, at least (lest I get pestered by stalkers). People have been tagging establishments and other landmarks such as malls, rivers, and the like, and it’s great to see the map being filled up with useful stuff. Please feel free to tag your location, too, and even your favorite places.

Maybe we can build up a database of geo-tagged places this way so we can start with a true iBegin or LocalBrit type of Web app. I’ve really been itching to have a more usable and functional version of Clickthecity–I mean, it has good content and comprehensive information on a lot of places but I can’t see them on the map! And what about mapcentral? It has lots of information, too, but the interface leaves much to be desired.

Hey, does anyone have vector or geo-data you would like to share (or perhaps even sell)?