Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in lord_bron's LiveJournal:

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Tuesday, February 14th, 2006
12:09 pm	User Optimization Take a look at this. How sad that must be for the peeps in the search groups at MSN and Yahoo. You can just hear the announcement now. "So, team, we appreciate your hard work but, um, we're going down a different path towards product acceptance. Some may call it bribing, but we prefer to call it 'User Optimization'." For those nerdy couple out there in the valley, here's a perfect date for tonight. (Comment on this)
Thursday, February 2nd, 2006
11:46 am	Library 1.5 (No, not 2.0 quite yet) A couple of American professors did a new study on auction bidding behavior. The data used was collected from a Korea auction site and the auction style is different than eBay’s, but it’s an interesting read nonetheless. While the data used in the study was all publicly available data, the neat thing is that the data was provided to the professors by the auction company. This helped the professors by letting them jumpstart into the nitty-gritty, rather than wasting time trying to collect data. All the megaNet companies (eBay, Google, Yahoo!, Amazon) have tons of this data. Being walled communities, privacy concerns, etc., yada-yada, they keep this information under lock and key in some dark closet. (Not really, because internal employees must be analyzing the hell out of the data, but we’re talking about the view from outside the company.) This leaves researchers/professors to fend for themselves in data collecting. Knowing how uppity sites are about their data, they probably wouldn’t take too kindly to researchers “collecting” what the company’s consider their data and would probably urge the researchers to stop. So, what are the academics to do? It’s time we bring a bit of the Old World into the New World. When you wanted to (or were forced to, I should say) do research for a school assignment when you were younger, what did you do? You went to the library. In the library, there were sections that had reference books that never left the building. You were free to use them all you wanted while at the library, but you couldn’t take them with you. This was a hassle because you had to leave your house, go to the library and look like a nerd. Sometimes though, things worked out and you’d find or bring a friend and things would move faster as you split up tasks. Soon enough, without trying, you’d be having fun and have a better project because of the interaction. If needed, you could copy the pages of info you needed and take that to go with you so you could continue the research until the wee hours of morning. What if these megaNet companies created their own in-house libraries? Places where academia could come and share a common space and perform research on this fat collection of data. Before you all go off on a rant about the infeasibility to do such things due to privacy issues, corporate espionage, etc, hear me out. Let’s tackle the obvious issues and agree on solutions. 1. The workspace – Lots of talking goes on at companies, not to mention other visible evidence of what’s coming but not out yet. Besides, the obvious NDA, you could put all the academia in a single room. This would prevent wandering eyes, fly on the wall eavesdropping, etc. I’m not saying the rooms have to be windowless, single door jail cells, just setup where nothing big and secretive is easily viewed. 2. The Information – The data these peeps will be after is full of personal information. We can’t possibly allow them access to this stuff and not be sued. Sure we can. We can put a DBA, network security and SOX compliance cop in the room with them. The DBA can be setting up temp tables and views into whatever data the researchers want, while carefully stripping personal data. The network security person can be setting up shared drives for the researchers and monitoring their net usage. The SOX cop can insure all’s okay from the legal standpoint. (Sure, this isn’t really SOX related, but SOX peeps are good at freaking out about the smallest bit of security and info breaching, so they’re a good fit.) 3. The Computers & Networks – The biggest fear is that these researchers are not going to be able to control themselves and start emailing troves of data out of the company and into the public. No problem. Have two networks in the room: one with access to the corporate network (that the employees are monitoring) and one with a direct connect to the internet only. This way, the researcher can query like mad on the corporate computer and then just manually type his results to the other computer. Now, each library would be different. Some would be more aesthetically pleasing, while another more intellectually pleasing. Each library would in essence be a miniature version of the host company themselves. Eventually, the companies would see the good work these researchers are doing for their line of business. They would ask the researchers to assist on projects and begin interacting with employees. Heck, I’m sure some companies will even begin to hire the researchers. The point is that the data we’re holing up needs to come out somehow. I can think of no better way than having the academia go in there and help us understand what we do on these sites we practically live on. I know I’m curious, aren’t you? (Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 10th, 2006
1:09 pm	Steve Jobs Aura I've been watching Steve Jobs keynotes for years now. I've marveled at his ability to ahh and wow the audience during his keynotes. I'm not one for public talking and therefore, it's nice to admire those that do it well. For years, I've wanted to see the man in action. I've heard stories of how he enthralls the room, of how all attendees are sucked into the Steve Jobs reality vortex and transported to Jobsian Nirvana for the 90 minute talk. I wanted to take this little trip with him just once. Today, I finally did. My impression: It ain't all that. Now, before all the members of the Steve Jobs Fan Club jump all over me, hear me out. I too am a member, remember? I think the man is a genius! I love the output of both of his companies, Apple and Pixar. However, the Keynote wasn't as hypnotic as I thought it would be. Now, granted, I had two distractions. One the guy in front of me who had to keep standing up to take pictures. It wouldn't have been too bad if each shot didn't take 10 minutes to take. Then there was the idiot behind me who couldn't be bothered to either turn down his cell phone's ringer or just turn it off. You'd think after one call, he'd do something about it. No, instead he was too busy feeling important and wanted, "I'm in the keynote, can you just call back later? [hang up] Geeze, some people." Yeah, buddy, some people. Now, without those two distractions, would I have been mystified? I doubt it. Before I rag on Steve, let me comment on his better points: 1. He can relate to the common man. He makes you think he's just an ordinary schmoe who just happened to be picked to talk about all this new "stuff". He even calls it "stuff" too, not some technical term, just like Joe Neighbor would call it "stuff". 2. He's relaxed in front of the rabid Mac-fans, press, VIPs and countless cameras. I've seen very few people who seem generally relaxed in front of crowds. Watching him, you sort of forget how hard it is to public speak, until some other speaker comes on during the show, then it's obvious. 3. He's humble...now. I know that wasn't always the case, but the Steve Jobs of today (literally) gave all the credit for these brilliant products to the engineers that made them a reality. He even made them stand so they could receive their proper accolades from the crowd. And boy did we heap it on them. =) Here's a little more even: Great job, guys! You rock! Okay, so there's some good points for you; Now, onto the criticisms. A lot of you people will think the following, "Well, of course, he's human, you know." But that's my precise point, Steve is not supposed to be human during a keynote, he's the world's closest thing to a demi-god to his worshippers in attendance. 1. You don't know when to clap. A good speaker leads you in the interaction. You should know when to clap and know when you shouldn't but feel the need to do it anyways. Today's biggest awkward clap moment was during the .Mac talk. He said, "I'm happy to announce that we now have 1 million subscribers." He paused...which I suppose was a cue for us to clap so one or two people did. However, since the response wasn't enthusiastic, he quickly added, "And we expect continued growth in the future." Another pause. By this time, we all had a clue and applauded. It was just a weird moment and there were several of those. 2. He misspeaks often. The funniest instance of this was when he said "Webshite" instead of "Website". =) He also seems to get lost in thought sometimes. He never loses focus, but you can tell he tripped over a word or phrase and has to find his way back. 3. The "stuff" is the true magic. What is captivating about his keynotes are the demos and the ads. Now, I know he has a lot of input into those things, so you could say that's part of his charm. Not really though, it's the material that knocks your socks off. Whether the material is a new piece of hardware, software or advertisement, Apple has solid "Oh I gotta have that products." Heck, I even get emotionally misty-eyed during the iLife demos because it usually deals with family themes and I'm a family man. There you have it. This newbie's impression of his first Steve Jobs keynote. Maybe he was just off this year. Don't worry, I'll give him another chance in June. I'm going to try to make it to the WWDC! =) (Comment on this)
Thursday, January 5th, 2006
10:14 pm	Big Plastic's Online Challenger I read this piece the other day. It's about the new payment method set out to kill credit cards. I'm thinking, what? PayPal? (Now, I am a bit biased because I work for eBay and PayPal is one of our companies. However, I've been using paypal for years, whereas I've only been at eBay for a little more than a month. In fact, I just had a run in with the patheticness of paper checks and the drudgery it entails. If everyone used paypal [employers, banks, rental offices], life would be easy.) The article isn't about PayPal though. It's about this new fandangled Bill Me Later payment plan. Quick and dirty: Old Credit Card playa tires of the game. (Hate the game, not the playa!) He starts an alternative to credit cards for online payments. With just you birthday, last 4 digits of you social security number, and address, they approve you for the purchase amount. You then receive a bill in the mail and pay at your leisure, however you see fit. I'm thinking, "Big deal. What's so special about this?" Those that use it, love it, and tend to spend more. It's that tend to spend more part retailers like. Plus, these guys charge the merchants 1.5% vs. credit cards 2%. It's pretty much a no brainer for businesses. Business is all about 2 things: Making money and keeping as much of it as you can. There's an article I read in HBR awhile back. It said that change in conditions creates a change in productivity. The change could be for the better or for the worse, that didn't matter. Just that fact that something changed spurred activity. I think that's what's going on here. To quote one of the users, "If you have good credit, you have got to try Bill Me Later. I have quite a few credit cards, and every time I use it(sic) over the Internet I am afraid someone is going to steal my account numbers and use my credit line fraudulently. But with the Bill Me Later option, I feel secure." Now, I'm missing something here. Those same theives who are after her credit card numbers aren't after this info? Heck, I'm no expert but with one credit card number stolen that card can be maxed. With all this info stolen, unlimited purchases can be made in your name. Yeah, it sounds *much* safer to me. What about fraudulent activity though? To quote Bill Me Later, "Does Bill Me Later® protect me from unauthorized charges? Yes, Bill Me Later® provides 'zero fraud liability' protection; the same protection provided by most major credit cards. This means you are not responsible for unauthorized charges." Therefore, even if that girl's credit card number was stolen, she wouldn't be responsible. Once again, what's the point? People are funny in how they don't think things though. You place a new thought/method in front of them, and they think, "Oh, this is new. It must be better." My biggest gripe with Bill Me Later is that it's one way. From what I can tell, it's not two way. In other words, they're taking the beauty of online, instantaneous payment processing and taking us back in time to before credit cards where only in-store credit existed. I buy something online and the paper trail begins. One of my favorite quotes from the article is from Forrester analyst Sucharita Mulpuru: "It has the potential to open online retail to a whole new segment of customers that wouldn't have shopped otherwise." Like who? My grandparents (or sadly enough, my parents who fear the stolen credit card thievery too). No offense, but literally, that segment is a dying breed. Today's youth couldn't be bothered about putting every bit of information online, much less a stinkin' credit card number. This company is growing and will most likely be bought for lots of cash. Really though, I don't think they have a lasting business model. Here's why: - Who wants a new "credit line" for every single purchase made? (i.e. every $20 order) Hence, this will be a big purchase option only. - How long can people be fooled? Sure, it's a new way, but eventually, people have to realize it's no safer than Credit Cards. - One way only? Why use a service like this that's only one way, when PayPal lets you send AND receive money. - But customers spend more! That's only because of the "90 day no payment" for purchases over $250. That's a retail ploy, not a lasting business model. Well, those are my thoughts. Now, when someone runs up to you and says, "Hey, I just heard of this cool feature called Bill Me Later." You can tell them, "Thanks, but no thanks. I prefer Bill Me Now, i.e. PayPal." (Comment on this)
Wednesday, December 28th, 2005
2:55 pm	Loving work burns calories? Go figure. So, at my last job. I worked out for several months, lost some weight, then slowly gained it back. That job didn't require much brainpower though, mostly upkeep and boring stuff. I didn't really like the job much, but loved the people. Start eBay a month ago, worked out maybe 6 times for the month and ate healthy for two of the four weeks. This job has me thinking, learning new things, and loving coming to work. The work is fun and the people are cool. The amazing thing is...I lost 12 pounds are so since I started eBay. Granted, some was water weight (since I weighed in post workout) and I usually have shoes and an iPod on (didn't this time), but still. Shows what loving your job can do for you. I'm also on my own during the week though. Missing the Mrs. and the baby may be wearing me down too. =( I do miss them very much. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, December 20th, 2005
11:43 am	eBay's Offline Brand Tiffany has the blue box, Nordstrom has the bags, Amazon has the smiley boxes and eBay has? Nuttin'. I was walking the halls of eBay this morning and noticed a fellow employee walking with her Nordstrom bag, advertising for all to see where she shops. eBay doesn't have that. We have absolutely friggin' nothing. How are we going to expand our offline presence, when we have nothing to offer? Now, it would hurt our bottom line to provide anything to the sellers/buyers, i.e. bags, boxes, etc. However, the average seller doesn't have a world-class marketing department to help it design something as important as that, but eBay does. Why not offer help where we can? We can present, display, offer for download, etc. the designs for tons of these products (boxes, cards, brochures, bags, etc.) These could all be unified in appearance, but still leave room for personalization by the seller. The seller could then take the product to a manufacturer/printer and buy the supplies of their choice. Imagine the smiles of pleasure that would appear on people's faces when they looked on their porch or into their mail boxes and saw something wrapped up in eBay branded materials. They'll immediately know it's something good and something they wanted. I think there's an opportunity here that eBay is squandering. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
11:17 am	Google's Gains from AOL Everyone keeps talking about how bad Google made out in the AOL deal, but I think they're missing some key points. Granted most of my points and opinions are derived from the NY Times article. Regardless, here are my thoughts. Google has agreed to give AOL ads special placement on its site, something it has not done before. Until now, Google prided itself on its auction system for ads, which treated small businesses on an equal footing with its largest customers. It doesn't say that others can't follow in AOL's footsteps. Knowing Google, this will become an option for anyone. Kinda like eBay's " Promote Your Listing on eBay". Give us some more cash, and we'll help it stand out. However, I hardly call the bottom right hand corner as "special" placement. They will also carry AOL's logo, the first time Google has agreed to place graphic ads on its search result pages. They probably wanted to try this on a global scale anyway, as an experiment to see how it works out. There's nothing wrong with making a little money with their experiment. Google will also provide technical assistance so AOL can create Web pages that will appear more prominently in the search results list. The flip side is that Google is then going to have a cached copy of every piece of content the TW empire has ever created. Not a bad deal considering they only have to offer up advice that is freely available. I can only imagine that in the days to come, we'll find out that the technical assistance wasn't anything special. You can picture the discussion now between Dick and Eric: Dick: "I want you guys to also help us show up in your results more. I know we have relevant content, but it hardly shows up in searches." Eric: [Thinking to himself: Well, the information to help them is freely available on the internet, but if we help them, then we'll be sure to have all their content in our DB and earn some brownie points.] "Sure, if that will help push the deal further, we'll help you." Dick: [Sucker, we just got help that is worth untold millions] Eric: [Sucker, we just scored points by offering a few entry-level SEOs.] Google will also make a special effort to incorporate AOL video programming in its expanding video search section and it will feature links to AOL videos on the video search home page. These links will not be marked as advertising. Easy access to some of the "best" (read: popular) content for free? How is this not good for the Google average user base? Remember, most of the population isn't geeks. They read People and US magazine, and they like it! =) An executive involved in the talks said that as recently as two weeks ago, Mr. Parsons told Microsoft executives that he preferred their bid. Still, that executive said, Microsoft had the impression that executives in the AOL unit preferred to work with Google. Yesterday, several AOL executives said that was true. A source close to Mr. Parsons said his only goal was to do the best deal for AOL's future. I think that Mr. Parsons non-stated stated stance was a bunch of crap. Dick probably said that to hopefully garner what he wanted from Google, which furthered "his only goal". Of course AOL preferred Google, Microsoft was their enemy for so long. It's hard to put that aside. "Yeah, I know we tried to kill you once, but my have we told you lately how beautiful you look?" I don't think so. AOL executives are attracted to the idea of offering marketers a full range of Internet advertisements, from splashy ads on the home page of AOL.com to text ads. Once again, Google gets first hand view of "beefier" ads and the results they garner on a huge scale. I think they're hoping to justify text ads. "We've seen the stats between flash ads, image ads, and text ads. There is no benefit, and actually a hindrance, to using non-text ads." Or if they find out the opposite then it's "Oh crap, banner ads do work better than text ads. Let's use AOL to figure out how best to technically work them out." Either way, they win. (Comment on this)
Monday, December 19th, 2005
3:13 pm	eBay! We'll, it's been a few weeks since I've started at eBay. I'm loving it so far. Coming from a 5 year stint at a mortgage company, eBay is definitely a breath of fresh air. While I admit, I'm fascinated with Google as much as the next person, I think eBay's not getting enough press. I think it's because of what Batelle said: Experimenting. I know I'm ready to step up and help out. It's time to show Google what's up. (Although, they do got free food. Not much I can do about that one though.) (Comment on this)
Saturday, July 3rd, 2004
6:52 am	Being a leader is quite hard to do. Being a feeder of what things to do. A leader must guide the rest of the team, to help them decide on what is their dream. I learned the hard way that once in the role you are forced to stay and maintain control. You cannot possess procrastination, but rather obssess determination. For it is your zeal that feeds the big dream and makes people feel they're a winning team. (Comment on this)
Friday, July 2nd, 2004
1:28 pm	The Beast So last night, I tried my new lawnmower. Both my eardrums cried due to engine roar. The beast is quite wild; it's appetite big. The engine was riled, just like a big rig. The engine pulled me both forwards and back. It was subversively trying to attack. Many hours passed, before I was done. Twas not very fast nor was it much fun. The grass is now cut and I did not crack. The front yard's done, but I still have the back. (Comment on this)
12:00 pm	Missed my Boy Yesterday, I ran around town, picking up speed, slowing it down. Saw Spidey 2 with good ole James; Man, that boy truly is deranged. Next up, I picked up Brother Weeks to hang with Cottage Meeting Peeps. We all took the first discussion in English, not in Russian. Lots of things happened yesterday, many of which brightened my day. I thought the day went pretty well, everything seemed to be just swell. It wasn't until I went to be bed, and kissed our baby's little head, then it became a sad ole day cuz me and T.J. didn't play. =( (Comment on this)
Thursday, March 18th, 2004
7:30 am	Artichokie I used to gag and practically choke whenever I tasted an artichoke. But since I'm on a diet, things have changed. My love affair with fat is now estranged. A new interest has stolen my stomach, an interest that for years would make me sick. Yes, the rumors are indeed very true: I eat right and even exercise too. Now, I face the Nutrition Constable, who ensures my meal has a vegetable. How my good friends can make the vegan choice and proclaim "Eat Veggies!" in a loud voice, will perplex me until the day I die. For when I eat them, I ask myself "Why?" "Why would you eat something that tastes so bad, when there's In-N-Out out there to be had?" But, alas, that's a mystery of life: Why health and diet are in constant strife. (Comment on this)
Thursday, March 11th, 2004
8:50 am	Diets Diets sure are strange thing, as far as I can tell. You eat some healthy crap, in hopes of feeling well. It's not as bad as I thought, since I'm a big eater. 'Though, I prefer egg yolk over an egg beater. The diet is working; Please, please, don't get me wrong. It's the goal weight timeframe that seems so very long. Soon enough, I'll be fit at some healthy new weight. Then perhaps I can eat fatty things, I can't wait! (Comment on this)
Thursday, May 29th, 2003
11:24 am	I often... I often find myself in some way next to you. It is one of the few things that I love to do. I often ask myself just what it was I did, that was the winning bid to open your heart's lid. I often tell myself "You're such a lucky man. Do ev'rything you can to adore this woman." I often see myself growing old with the years, when ole parenthood nears and we shed happy tears. I often do these things, you're unaware I do; Now, I share them with you to prove my love is true. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, April 28th, 2003
8:32 am	In Your Arms Warning: This could be considered corny! =) You've been warned. =P I snuggle up close, as close as I can, so your body will warm up this old man. I give you kisses all over your face, and sometimes sneak some to that special place. I feel love and warmth flow through my body, which at times makes me feel a bit naughty. But more oft than not, as giddiness swarms, I lose myself by laying in your arms. (Comment on this)
Thursday, April 17th, 2003
8:01 am	ShortE Poem Eternity, just me and you. Eternally, my love is true. Every way that I stay true, every day is just for you. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 25th, 2003
9:52 am	We interrupt our regularly scheduled sappiness... Growing It took a lot to help me see: I need to live my life for me. I must try hard to understand that moving on cannot be planned. It's not a thing which can be bought, and I'm afraid cannot be fought. Moving forward, I must now see I need to live my life for me. (Comment on this)
Monday, March 17th, 2003
3:03 pm	Today's Ditty Communication It takes two, that's me and you, to open up communication. If you're blue, then I am too, just pass along the information. It's not right, but we do fight to release some pent up frustration. But at night, ev'rything's right, much to both of our hearts' elation. It's so hard, when we bombard our feelings with misinformation. Like a shard, it cuts in hard, adding to our consternation. We may cry, but never lie, about the state of our love nation. Know that I, honestly try to keep open communication. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 11th, 2003
8:34 am	Blast from the Past - March 11, 2001 What to Be Sometimes I wonder what I want to be. Just what exactly is the job for me? Some days I think that I just want to write and use that special unique, inner sight. Some nights I dream that I will create all these great places that no one will hate. Perhaps I don't know what it is quite yet. Some grand idea, I will one day get. All I know, for now, is that I don't know. I can only wait and, with each day, grow. (Comment on this)
8:20 am	Two Belated, not Beelighted! Ba-dum-tish! =P Sometimes, I get a wee wrapped up in the world. Sometimes, I actually work so hard at work, I don't get much free time. It is during these times that my wife's poems are in my head, but lack the transference to paper (or keyboard, I suppose). Anywhoo, I usually catch up after a couple of days. Hence today's presentation of 2 poems, one for Friday and one for Saturday that just passed. You'll note some things about these poems. They're usually about events that took place the day before or that day (if the poem comes to me late in the day). This serves a couple of purposes. One I can explain myself to my wife, a thing every good husband should do. I am a man and she a woman, so complete understanding simply is not possible the first time through. We need to follow up to clarify. =) The second reason is a sort of running biography. Some people like pictures to remember things, well I like words. Another interesting note is the pattern. They take on many shapes and forms, but they're all for the most part, rhyming poems. Call me old fashion, but if a poem don't rhyme, it just don't feel like a poem to me. NOTE: This is only in regards to my own poetry, I'm down with peeps like Bukowski not rhyming. I hope you enjoy these! (Friday's poem) BBQ Fishicken I threw some fish on the ole barbeque, and boy I wish that I knew what to do. I've seen my peeps slap sea life on the grill. As the fire creeps, they maintain focus still. I was eager, as far as I could tell; My skills...meager and not honed very well. What dish emerged felt more like chicken. With juices perged, the flesh had to thicken. I swear next round, I'll do a bit better. The fleshy mound will stay a bit wetter. (Saturday's Poem) Why you hate going to the bathroom at the Brewery While at the local brewerey, I engage in tomfoolery. I tend to meet the strangest folks, who share weird viewpoints and odd jokes. You wonder why I seek advice from peeps you wouldn't look at twice. The truth is ev'ryone is smart, either in their brain or their heart. You simply need to step on back, to see that things aren't white and black. While their advice may be tainted, observe the way it is painted. A patch here and a small speck there, in colorful thoughts that they share, may help us see things differently than if it was just you and me. (1 Comment |Comment on this)