EricDobson.com

Over 40,000 YouTube Views

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:28:23 -0700

I’m not sure how this happened, but my YouTube channel has passed 40,000 views. Combined with a motorcycle video on my old account, that brings the total to nearly 54,000.

For all the times I try to make something happen, the spontaneous successes are always the most interesting.

So it’s high time I revive the channel.

What would you like to see?

What's the Big Idea?

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:19:05 -0700

From Getting Real by 37signals:

This vision will guide your decisions and keep you on a consistent path. Whenever there’s a sticking point, ask, “Are we staying true to the vision?”

How much of our lives would be better if we lived by these words?

Fund Yourself

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:18:05 -0700

From Getting Real by 37signals:

…do what you can with the cash on hand. Think hard and determine what’s really essential and what you can do without. What can you do with three people instead of ten? What can you do with $20k instead of $100k? What can you do in three months instead of six? What can you do if you keep your day job and build your app on the side?

Now that my main project has become my side project, this is going to be more important than ever.

Some guys in a fishing boat (that probably seemed bigger when...

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:12:27 -0700

Some guys in a fishing boat (that probably seemed bigger when they left) are circled by an 18 foot Great White.

Design In Decline

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:49:15 -0700

It used to take a single click to manage subscriptions in Google Reader. Now it takes three.

Small improvements are good. Small regressions can be annoying as hell.

Please think harder about your design.

Google Maps Coming Indoors

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:47:07 -0700

Google Maps Coming Indoors:

Won’t be long until you don’t need to stop and check the airport or mall directory. It’ll be on your phone.

Not that I ever check a mall directory, since I’m hardly ever in a mall… but you get the idea.

Whatever Works For You

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:35:54 -0700

Whatever Works For You:

…as I approach 30…

Marco isn’t even 30 yet? Damn. I need to get busy and accomplish something notable.

Great post by the way. It’s a lesson I’m still learning.

How can you post a photo like this and not tell me where it...

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:15:13 -0700

How can you post a photo like this and not tell me where it is??

Amazing.

DaisyDisk 50% Off

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:25:14 -0700

DaisyDisk 50% Off:

If you don’t have this great Mac app, it’s the best possible way to find your biggest disk hogs and clear some extra space.

"I figured, if I’m going to have a hobby, why not have it be making money?"

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:46:00 -0700

“I figured, if I’m going to have a hobby, why not have it be making money?”

- Me since the age of 12.

The Cultural Night Closes In

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 02:33:00 -0600

The Cultural Night Closes In:

The things that have forever constituted civilization – respect for learning whether one had it or not, wide reading, careful use of language, manners, such notions as “lady” and “gentleman” – these are held in contempt.

Microsoft's Productivity Future Vision

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:23:44 -0600

Microsoft's Productivity Future Vision:

John Gruber at Daring Fireball:

This video encapsulates everything wrong with Microsoft. […] Imagine if they instead spent the effort that went into this movie on making something, you know, real, that you could actually go out and buy and use today.

I just hope the future isn’t filled with so many white walls.

Plain Text Bookmarks

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 23:01:00 -0600

Brent Simmons at inessential.com:

I’ve not yet found a bookmarking service that I love, but this new Kippt could be it. It’s attractive and simple — and, best of all, has no social aspect.

Last year I gave up saving my bookmarks in a web browser. I realized it had just become the place where links go to die. I’d save things of interest, but hardly ever reference them again. If I switched browsers I’d either start from scratch or end up transferring dozens (hundreds?) of unused links. I needed one, permanent place to store my bookmarks. I also wanted to include notes, clearly displayed next to each link, which provide order and relevance.

Bookmarking services, especially Pinboard, seemed like the way to go. But I ended up settling on a different solution: plain text.

I keep plain text notes in Notational Velocity, on every conceivable topic that I have any interest in. For each topic I keep any links, comments, or ideas that I may later find useful.

This makes my ‘bookmarks’:

simple
comprehensive
creative
ubiquitous (see simplenote)
permanent

That last one is the most important to me. Whatever appeal there may be to the latest bookmarking service, I’m not willing to bet it will still be around in 20 years. I guarantee my plain text files will still be here, though I’m not taking bets on what hardware or software I’ll be using to maintain them.

That’s some tree.

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 22:18:00 -0600

That’s some tree.

Nest — The Learning Thermostat

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:24:00 -0600

Nest — The Learning Thermostat:

Turns out you change the temperature in your house 1500 times a year. 1500! Our thermostat learns what temperatures you like so it can program itself.

I’ve never been excited about a thermostat. That’s the power of good design.

The Sins of the Flash

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:03:00 -0600

The Sins of the Flash:

Just in case you needed another reason to stop using Flash.

It just keeps getting better.

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:58:21 -0600

It just keeps getting better.

Ask For Help! Whether you see it as the golden rule, or being...

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 22:00:00 -0700

Ask For Help!

Whether you see it as the golden rule, or being the change you wish to see in the world, sometimes you have to do the thing you’d most like to see others doing.

If you wish more people would ask your advice and seek your help, maybe it’s time to give that gift to others and ask for their help instead.

What Is The Best Way To Use Twitter? If you find yourself asking...

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 22:00:00 -0700

What Is The Best Way To Use Twitter?

If you find yourself asking questions such as: What is the best way to use Twitter? How can I get more followers on Twitter? How can I get better results for my business on Twitter? …then you are asking the wrong questions!

In today’s video I talk about the single, correct question you should be asking about Twitter or any other tool you’re using.

Getting Things Done: One Habit To Rule Them All It’s easy...

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 22:00:00 -0700

Getting Things Done: One Habit To Rule Them All

It’s easy to become discouraged when thinking about all the new habits you’d like to form. Knowing that it can take many weeks to solidify even a single new habit, you quickly realize how long it will take to form several at once.

I’ve found that a great alternative is to focus on forming, mastering, and maintaining just one habit. By finding your own way to implement the Getting Things Done methods, you can, by default, accomplish all of the rest without having to focus on forming many habits at once.

UPDATE: It’s even crazier than I thought. The last time I looked at the book Getting Things Done on Amazon, it was selling for about nine dollars. Right now it’s only $6.49! If you don’t own this book, it’s crazy not to buy a copy at that price!