Go as in AWAY from Gowalla

For those of you that don’t know I have been an avid user of Gowalla (and Foursquare) for well over a year. I first started with checkin apps when I discovered Foursquare, I loved the concept of being able to track where I had gone for my personal benefit but also I enjoyed sharing cool places I went to with others that I socialized with. When I discovered Gowalla I was impressed and felt they took the Foursquare concept to the next level with the addition of pins and really nice looking stamps and badges that you could collect for your Gowalla page. Sure these weren’t real tangible but I still thought it was neat. For a months I would check in on both Gowalla and Foursquare. Then Gowalla came out with what I thought was the killer app they incorporated a way to checkin to both them and other sites at the same time, I no longer had to spend time checking into two applications. Since then I’ve been almost exclusively a Gowalla user (except when I checked on Foursquare to make sure I got checked in).

Unfortunately today my use of Gowalla ends. It appears with the next version of Gowalla 4.0 they have transitioned their business away from the checkin application and decided to become a travel guide. Now when I log into Gowalla and attempt to checkin to where I am the first list of 20 or so places I see are “Recommended places”. Which is Gowalla speak for places that have paid us money to make sure you see them instead of where you actually are. That’s great Gowalla, good for you! You have discovered a business model that has completely alienated they majority of your userbase, the locals. If I wanted to use Gowalla as a travel guide I shouldn’t be forced to use it that way because although I love Disneyland I don’t need to see every Disneyland location near me instead of the places I am actually next to.

Why did you fuck up so bad? Because you didn’t actually try it out with your CORE users before you screwed it all up. Changes like this are something you test out with users that are willing to try out new things, you don’t just change it and tell your users to deal with it. Wait that isn’t exactly what you said. You told the users reading your blog that there has been a “Fabulous response”, I don’t think you are reading the same response I’m reading, because the majority of the responses on your blog have been negative. You have completely alienated the userbase that created the database you now use as your travelguide. More power to you for taking advantage to our two years of patronage to create yourself a business model that will be the end of you.

Bye Gowalla.

Related articles

• Gowalla Updated To Version 4.0 – Removes Features, Adds Force Closes (androidpolice.com)
• Gowalla 4.0, Their Bold Revamp Towards Travel And Stories Goes Live (techcrunch.com)
• Gowalla flips its check-in service to be a social atlas for the world (thenextweb.com)
• Gowalla removes its defining features: Items and Notes (thenextweb.com)

• YouTube – 取精機(男士專用)..笑爆咀 – OMG Japan has sperm collectors!
• BARNSTORMERS.COM eFLYER – Under the Net – First I’ve ever heard of or see this.
• ESPN’s Web Gem Scoreboard – Points leaders for ESPN Baseball Tonight.
• Review: Barnes & Nobles’ Nook Color goes Android Tablet | ZDNet – Wow, this is big. Now you don’t have to root it to do it, it’s official!
• SETI Institute to shut down alien-seeking radio dishes – San Jose Mercury News – This is unfortunate.
• Big Ben (big_ben_clock) on Twitter – Haha, Big Ben has a Twitter, and all it does it Bong!

• Oatmeal in Jars: Make a Week of Breakfast in 5 Minutes | Apartment Therapy The Kitchn – Great idea for having oatmeal every day!
• The Always Up-To-Date Guide to Rooting Any Android Phone [Video] – In case you are into this sort of thing.
• Page Speed Online – Very cool way to check and see if your sites are running efficient.
• The Complete Guide to Ribs of the World | Serious Eats – Everything you want to know about ribs all around the world (Cooking)
• Sign Up for Boxes of Tech Parts You Can Upcycle – Pretty cool sounding if you are into DIY gadget projects.

I know I didn’t mention this yesterday but it’s been pouring here in Southern California all week, some of the worst rains I’ve seen since 2005. Fortunately the house has held up well. Now on to the continuation of the Weekly Cool Links #21.

Cool Tech
For the last couple years I’ve used XBMC installed on my old Xbox as my be all media player for our living room, but with news from the most recent CES I just might look into replacing it sooner than later. Here are the devices I’m looking into.

Patriot Box Office Media Player
HDX BD-1
Asus O!Play HDP-R1
Popbox
Boxee Box (by D-Link)

The Boxee Box would be the one that is most like my current setup, since it’s based off the XBMC, but I’m not very happy with D-Link after various issues with some of their devices I’ve had in 2009. Right now it’s a wait and see approach, the Patriot Box Office is at Fry’s now for $130, but it seems a bit under whelming.

Cool Stuff
I know you thought I was done with 2009 lists after 21.1 but I had to share the Top 10 Everything of 2009 by Time. And the last mention of 2009 in this post, Gamasutra’s 99 Best Free games of 2009. Last week I watched this awesome video from TED about the intelligence of crows, it’s really eye-opening and will get you to look at crows in a whole different way. Of course this picture of search terms might make you wish you were a crow (women want their men to propose, and men want their women to give them head). If all that has made you feel a little less smart, check out this periodic table of elements with pictures!

Cool Advertising
Companies aren’t happy with just names, now they want to own colors… This is just plain wrong.

Cool Food
Kelly and I have done our best to start eating in more often, and it’s sites like No Takeout that help me plan our meals, they give a complete menu, shopping list, and game plan to get your meal done and on the table. Of if I’m just looking for a recipe based off of items I have there is Supercook or a new site I found call Cooking By Numbers.

Cool Videos
How online gamers play games in real life…

British comedy skits based on PBS like shows (this on is on Water there are others)

More PG Porn! This time with the lovely Jenna Haze!

Superhuman tape measure skills

Realistic Hollywood Sex-Scene

For those of you that didn’t see the pictures I posted 2 weeks ago, we put up our Christmas lights, we also got our tree decorated (pictures will be posted at the end of the month).  The past couple weeks we have been taking care of our Christmas shopping and also prepping the house for the first of what will be many Christmas parties our house will be the host of.  This Sunday is my dad’s side of the family’s Christmas party, we should have about 20-30 relatives in attendance.  And then on Christmas day we will have a party for my mom’s side of the family, which will be a bit smaller but will also include Kelly’s family (actually both parties will include Kelly’s family) and any friends that want to come over.  Work is winding down for the year as goals have been met and projects have been completed, I’m happy to say I still have a job that I enjoy although this year was a lot different from the previous two years due to the lack of new hires our department had to train.  Kelly’s business is doing well, although we did have a decrease in business compared to 2008, but we are in good standing.  All the animals are happy and healthy and we are all looking forward to the new year.  I’m proud of myself for keeping up with my Weekly Cool Links project, even though it’s not quite as ‘weekly’ as it claims to be, I hope someone out there finds some entertainment in me sharing what I find interesting.  Lastly my Eat in OC project has been doing great, I typically have around 5000 visits a month and I’ve made some major inroads with gaining new readers.  I’ve been linked to on a number of local websites, and high-profile local blogs, and in addition my articles are routinely linked to in the Orange County Register’s Community Blogs section which is only 5 links deep from their front page, how many others can say something like that?  I’ll probably post one more time before the year ends, but for now let’s move on to the rather large links section!

Food
Lifehacker had a great article on maximizing Thanksgiving leftovers that will also prove useful with Christmas leftovers.  While over at Slashfood they had 4 fast recipes for making great Tomato sauces.

Tiger Woods’ Women, er I mean Chicks
Some of these links may not be safe for work, or family friendly.  But this is my blog so if you don’t want to see possibly scantily clad women don’t look at the links in this section.  If you are related to me and offended, oh well, I’m sure you have something else you can be proud of me for, get over it… ;)
Twitter is a wonderful tool for communication and for people to share pictures with, some pictures are more interesting than others as you can see from this collection of Hot Chicks that use Twitter for the powers of good.  I do not approve or disapprove of their use of Twitter…  Maybe Twitter chicks aren’t your thing?  How about Chicks dressed in various NFL Team Jerseys?  What’s that?  You like farm girls?  How about German farm girls that model to help German agriculture?  Here you go.  Personally I like my girls a little different from the norm.  Lastly there is the Internet’s Girlfriend…  Funny how I’ve been on the internet for 15 years yet hadn’t heard of her till recently.  One suggestion for her site, more pictures like this and less like the one on the top of her website…

Sports
It got so bad at Notre Dame this year that after they fired Charlie Weis they went straight to the big man in the sky and offered him the head coaching job.  The Onion reports that Jesus Christ himself turned down a 3 year multimillion dollar offer to coach the Fightin’ Irish.  Maybe he was just holding out for the right job?  Such as this Head Coaching position with the Lingerie Football League!

Cool
Virgin Galactic has launched their official site for the space travel, complete with Spaceship Two pictures and information on the roll out.  Never would have thought space travel (even of this kind) would be available to the general public in my lifetime.  Lifehacker had a number of cool informative posts the past couple weeks, including Fixing Your Relatives Computer, Guide to Avoiding Online Scams, and the Most Popular Top 10s’ of 2009.

Funny
I read three comics online; Order of the Stick, Dilbert, and xkcd.  I’m particularly fond on one of the Dilbert comics from this week, because it’s how I feel at my job sometimes.
Another one from this week that really hits the mark is this one regarding the use of FAX machines.  As for xkcd I have to give some love to ‘Daylight Saving Time‘.  Looking for a last-minute gift for a friend or loved one?  How about, How to Date a White Woman or the Gangsta Rap Coloring Book?  All these and more really do exist!  If you are single and looking for a Russian Mail Order bride one of the companies involved has started to compare them to celebrities!  Now you too can date a girl that sort of looks like Jessica Beil!  Just make sure you ask them these 10 questions from Deadspin before you ask her to marry you, it will save you a lot of heartache.  And lastly, now that you got your celebrity look a like wife, it might be a good time to reflect upon those stupid things you did when you were young and might regret someday…

Videos
My website is currently sponsored by Bitch Slap The Movie!, in theaters: January 8th, 2010!

If you know anything about the movie, commercial, or TV show business you might find some humor in this.

I love reading Maximum PC and listing to their podcast, I love this video someone put together from Gordon’s rant of the week regarding the Apple Tablet.

And last but not least at all, the Space Shuttle is awesome and this high quality video of the STS-129 launch is worth spending 15 minutes to watch.

STS-129 Ascent Video Highlights from mike interbartolo on Vimeo.

Oh and Merry Christmas!

Well I got an email from Netflix today that said the following…

Dear Daniel,

Your free instant streaming disc for PS3 should arrive by Friday, Nov 06, 2009.

Meanwhile, add TV episodes & movies to your instant Queue now so you’re ready to watch instantly when your instant streaming disc arrives.

-Your friends at Netflix

So it looks like the rumors of Netflix waiting till late 2010 to enable instant streaming on the PS3 to appease Microsoft were just rumors.

I’ve been on the Internet for about 14 years now.  I remember using the Mosaic browser, and even Lynx.  I’ve seen lots of trends come and go.  I’ve usually been close to the cutting edge when it comes to the “next big thing” on the Internet.  One of the biggest trends on the Internet lately is the number of people who claim they are Social Media Experts.  If there was ever a completely overused term for the 2009 version of the Internet it is this term.  From my observation those that claim to be social media experts are so just because they make the claim.  I’ve been on the Internet, interacting socially with others for years.  I’ve had various forms of blogs for 9+ years, used messengers, chat rooms, MMORPG, and etc. for years, thus my experience has to count for something, especially when compared to these people who all of the sudden claim they are the experts.

From my observation of the users of Twitter, just about 10% of its population claim to be a social media expert.  I find it humorous that so many people are claiming to be experts in social media.  First let us look at what Social Media is.  According to Wikipedia.

Social media is media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. Social media supports the human need for social interaction, using Internet- and web-based technologies to transform broadcast media monologues (one to many) into social media dialogues (many to many). It supports the democratization of knowledge and information, transforming people from content consumers into content producers.

What you are reading right now (my blog) is a social interaction, it’s highly accessible at a domain that I’ve owned for 9+  years, and it’s scalable since I can easily expand upon it.  I allow social interaction, by the way of comments, which allows others to add their input to the information I share, and I’ve become a content producer because of this.  So if I read this definition correctly, I’ve done everything “social media” is for nearly 9 years, which in turn would probably make me an expert in the field.  How many other social media experts can claim this much experience?  Don’t answer that question it’s not really important.  I guess my main point is what makes someone an expert in their field?  In most fields it comes down to experience (hands on actually doing it day in day out experience) or certifications (book knowledge but no actual usage).  I don’t know of a Social Media Expert certification so it comes down to experience.  Experience isn’t having a couple thousand followers on Twitter, anyone can honestly do that, with a couple minutes of work a day.  I have only 160 followers on Twitter because I’ve chosen the path of not automatically following everyone that follows me.  This is an active decision I’ve made because I like to communicate personally with the people who follow me.  The creation of lists on Twitter appears to be my chance to finally expand my followers-base.  I can no separate people I follow into those that I want to personally communicate on a whatever my time frame is basis, and those that I just want to disseminate content to.

I wasn’t looking to actual make a point, just share my thoughts on the current state of Web 2.0 and the Social Media Expert explosion.  This is Daniel Schoonover Social Media Expert extraordinaire saying, don’t sell yourself short, but also don’t oversell yourself.

I’m not the only one to have ever said this.  Open Press Wire has a great article about it as well.

Now, on to the links!

TV Stuff
If you have ever wanted to know more about the themes that make TV writing then I highly suggest to take a couple hours to browse and read around TV Tropes.  It’s especially a great read for anyone that’s ever wanted to learn the tricks of the trade for writing anything from Comics to TV.

Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, what’s the difference?

Music Stuff
Looking for music like the music you like?  Check out Musicovery, a music discovery service.  Doing a search for Jimmy Eat World on there actually links me to a number of other bands I’ve also enjoyed throughout the years.  Pretty impressive.

Here is a funny music video

Chicks Man
If you are interested in attractive philologists, check out Hot for Words.  She’s not really my type, but hey I know there are a lot of you out there that like big boobed blondes.

Check out these chicks melting ice.

Food Stuff
Lifehacker had an article this week on 10 Simple Freeze Tricks to Save You Time and Money.  Info and links about what can be frozen (Broccoli yes, Onions No) to how to make your freeze more efficient.  It’s a good starting place for many people.

Windows 7 Stuff (Tech Stuff)
So yesterday Windows 7 was released.  I’ve already been using it for 3 weeks and think it’s pretty great, especially the 64bit version because nothing beats using 8 gigs of RAM on a computer (except 16 gigs).  A number of websites had guides for Windows 7, but Lifehacker’s Complete Guide to Windows 7 is the most comprehensive, plus it links to lots of other great starting points to learn more.  If you are looking for a more historical look at Windows, you have to check out Maximum PC’s 50 Best (and Worst) Moment’s in Windows History.

Funny Stuff
Check out Life’s pictorial on 30 Dumb Inventions, how about those screaming tomatoes, and to think people follow that crackpots “religion”.  I only read Maxim magazine for the articles, that’s why I’m sharing the 10 People in Every Office article they recently posted.  Lastly check out Stuff White People Life and Photobomb for some more funnies.

Oh no the Pixar lamp killed the letter I!

Politics / Funny
2010 CA Protection of Marriage Act, someone has decided to take protecting marriage one step further by trying to get a bill on the ballot to ban marriage.  Sure it’s to poke at the Prop 8 people, but honestly, divorce ruins marriage and hurts more children then any gay marriage ever would.

Cool Stuff
Comparisons of Inaugural Addresses, this is a pretty cool diagram of every presidential inauguration speech that compares the words used against all the other presidential inauguration speeches.
Handwriting Tips Penmanship – NYTimes.com, I’ve always been fascinated with handwriting and really liked this article about how the human mind sees it, and the best forms of handwriting to use so people can understand it.  I’m glad the writing I use is already considered the most efficient.
Online Dating Advice: Exactly What To Say In A First Message « OkTrends, for all my single friends out there, looking to score online, this is a must read.  They analyzed a number of 1st messages sent on a dating site and found the words to use or not use to get the most responses back.
Swingvine shows you what’s popular on the web, right now.

Tech / Funny
Penn & Teller, this iPhone application will trick your friends into thinking you have Penn & Teller on your speed dial to help you do magic tricks.

Funny Stuff
Hot Chicks Picking Up Dog Shit, Taking hot chicks with douchebags another direction.  Also don’t forget to check out their sister site, Hot Chicks with Dogs with Boners…  Sadly I’m not kidding.
Probably Bad News: News fails, because journalism isn’t dying fast enough., I’ve been criticized for my writing abilities, but these guys get paid to write…
What Stormtroopers do on Their Day Off | WildAmmo.com, Who hasn’t wondered what they do?

Food Stuff
Food In Real Life, Great site that compares what’s on the box, to what’s in it.

Videos

Amazing San Francisco Blue Angels Flybys!

Maxim Magazines Campus Cuties 2009.

First off with the start of the NCAA College Football Season I have to kick off my links with this awesome video.

USC opens their quest for the Division 1 championship on Saturday at 12:30 PM (pacific).  Talking about college football anyone that loves college football should really check out my friend Brian’s website, In the Bleachers, the #1 College Football blog and podcast in the world!

Food

Tactical Bacon, there for you when you need it!

I already know how to cook a whole chicken, but I’ve never cooked a whole one in a slow cooker, it’s a great way to get it done with minimal effort.  I’d also suggest checking out the main $5 dinner site, she does a great job sharing the wealth on the ways she’s able to make good cheap family diners.  Bacon is the coolest thing on the internet since sliced bread, and now you can make sure you are able to enjoy the salty smokey goodness of bacon during the next natural disaster with Tactical Bacon!  (thanks to my friend Dippy for the link).  And while you are eating your bacon, why don’t you learn how to cook up a bunch of hard boiled eggs in the oven… Wait are those oven cooked eggs?!

Interesting
According to Carnegie Mellon‘s Death Risk Rankings, the chances of a age 30-39, white, male, from California dying in the next year is 1,537 out of 1,000,000 (wait I fit that description!).  In addition here at the top 5 and the number out of 1,000,000.

Cause of Death – MicroMort
Total – 1,537
Accidents – 408
Circulatory system diseases – 187
Suicide – 173
Cancers – 143
Infectious and parasitic diseases – 141
Homicide – 101

Geeky Stuff

Time Travel!

I love this travel time-line that someone put together based on popular TV shows and movies (I’ve included to the left for those too lazy to visit the site.)  If you’ve ever wanted to check if your favorite user name is available at 130 websites all at one time, then namechk is the site to go.  Warning it could be used for both good and evil!  Good in the fact that you can find 130 websites to register your user name at, bad for the fact that you can find 130 websites to register someone elses user name at so they can’t!

Funny Stuff
Kelly and I are thinking about having a child…  Actually no we aren’t but what better way to bullshit your way out of work and responsibilities than the Office Kid, complete with pictures and drawings!  If having a fake kid isn’t your idea of funny then check out the People of Walmart a place to see pictures of those interesting individuals that shop the crappiest store on earth.

Tech Stuff
Just an FYI for those that keep sending me MMS messages to my iPhone, Sept. 25th is the big day that I will actually be able to see them from my phone!  About damn time AT&T!

And lastly I leave with you a couple more videos.

Pretty cool Old Spice commercial (I really enjoy their advertising and commercials)

College Humors modern take on West Side Story with Web Site Story!   I highly recommend checking it out!  You got to go to their site I can’t embed it.