Kerfuffle

Just how much of my user-created content does the world want, anyway?

In the most general sense, I guess the answer to that question is: Hardly fucking any.

It's been bugging me that the last Kerfuffle post I put up was almost a month ago, and it was one that took a month for me to write (with a few lay-ups tossed in as filler).  While I was wondering what to put up next, I happened to notice that I started this blog in March of 2007... nearly five years ago.  Activity has run hot and cold.  Sometimes it's been more thoughtful, and other times it's been goofy.

The fact is, though, I am posting stuff all over the place all the time.  It gets posted on sites and platforms and apps that didn't exist when I began Kerfuffle (at least in their current forms).  I'm dropping stuff on Facebook every day, and on Twitter even more frequently than that.  Many of those posts are link-driven, but usually with some kind of added intellectual contribution.  Well, perhaps the contribution isn't all that chocked full of intellect.  But it is a contribution none the less.  Add to those the activity I frequently post on sites sites that are more visual, such as my Tumblr page (called Wait, What?) and Instagram feed. 

I can post on any of these from my iPhone, but not all from my laptop (Instagram is totally iOS-based).  Maybe that's one reason why Kerfuffle doesn't see as much activity as it once did.  Posting is so often an in-the-moment thing, and the phone is always with me.  Sure, the laptop isn't usually too far away and wifi is all but ubiquitous these days.  But the phone is so damn easy and, well, now.  That explains why the first two screens on my phone contain a combined five social networking apps.

   Further into the screens are more apps that feed these platforms with even more content.  Music apps like Spotify, Shazam and SoundHound; rating apps like Yelp, Where, and urbanspoon; and travel apps like Expedia an d Travelocity all are willing to push content if I enable them.  Same for YouTube, of course. Hell, I have  whole screen of nothing but Google apps, another with all the social networks that I rarely use like FourSquare and LinkedIn, and still another with a bunch of Twitter clients I don't even use. I don't lack for channel space.

Sometimes -- often, actually -- I cheat.  Most of these apps/sites cross-post content to each other.  Anything that goes on Instagram is likely to show up on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.  But hardly any of that stuff makes it to Kerfuffle unless it flies through the Twitter feed. (That's it, up in the upper left column.)

It's kind of funny to me that I use all these, and yet I freely admit that most of the content would hardly be missed by anyone at all.  So what does that mean?  I have to try this shit out, since I am studying social media as part of my research at UW, right?  At least that's what I tell myself (and others).  But how does that explain my driving need to live-tweet any Badger hockey game I attend?  I have no idea.  I guess I do it because (a) I'm a techno-geek, (b) I'm a media nerd and (c) because its fun.  Oh, right, and (d), of course: research.  Yes.  Research. 

So, for research of course, why do you read this stuff?  You can tell me in the comments... which I will probably access and read from my phone.

At first, I thought I was being asked a totally different question

To be a member of a college fraternity is to have a bunch of friends with weird, stupid, embarrassing, meaningless or otherwise odd nicknames.  Some are drug-oriented (Pheno).    Some are trait-based ("O" as in obnoxious).  Some are just abbreviations (Goldy). Two others attached to my Sig Ep brothers include "The Narl" and "Toast."

Knowing that, maybe you will understand my confusion when offered either Narly head or Toasted head.  Whaaaaaaaat?

Oh, we're talking about wine.  Like the red stuff in a bottle.  Wow.  That's totally different.

My bad.

Either way, I'll pass. 

[h/t to The Narl for the photo!]

Never underestimate the potential of web sites dedicated to making fun of others: PeopleOfWalMart.com

Skip on past if this is old news to you, or if you think making fun of other people just for the way they look is uncouth and improper.  But sneak a peak at some of the pictures first, just for laughs.

I first heard about PeopleOfWalMart.com shortly after it launched in August.  Pretty simple concept, as outlined by the site's authors/editors/laughmakers...

People of Walmart was founded in August of 2009 by three friends and roommates after an inspirational trip to Walmart.

Let’s face it; we all have seen the people who obviously don’t have mirrors and/or family and friends to lock them in a basement, and they all seem to congregate at Walmart. It’s not everywhere that you can shop for milk at 10 a.m. next to a 400lb mother of 6 wearing a pink tube top, leopard tights, and hooker heels. Where else can one go to pick up underwear at 3 O’clock in the afternoon and spot the greatest mullet of all time paired with a mustard stained wife beater (which only accents the extreme amount of body hair) and camo pants that were actually used in Vietnam.

The site has its fans (over 46,000 on a FaceBook fan page), and the guys who run it post some of their fan email, like this one from "Jackie"...

I (unfortunately) work at a Wal-Mart in Ohio, and heard about the site from one of my co-workers. It is so funny, and sadly true. We get some real winners in there, but you already know that! lol Keep up the good work, and maybe my co-workers and I can get some good pics for you. Summer is over though, so no more short shorts. Thanks for the laughs! [Note: smiley face provided by Jackie.  I try never to do that here.]

On the flip side, some don't se the humor at all, like Tracy, who feels "icky" after visiting...

I’m only one regretful reader, but your website is not sharply witty or clever, just cruel and childish. i hope you don’t consider yourselves edgy underground internet comedians because you’re not. who knows what you’re really like, but from reading your site, you sound like a bunch of sexist, arrogant meatheads. no offense. i just feel kinda icky after visiting it.

To their credit, the site operators do have limits...

...we do not wish to poke fun at people who, through no fault of their own, are handicapped. Absolutely NO pictures of someone mentally or physically handicapped will be added to the site…we aren’t complete dicks.

I especially like the disclaimer...

We would also like to stress that we are in no way liable if you get your ass beat by Bubba when he catches you taking his picture.

Is it wrong to laugh, out loud, while looking at this site?  Maybe.  But, honestly, at least half of these photos beg the response:  "WTF were you thinking when you left the house?"  It's not a matter of trying to see oneself as an elitist looking at the great unwashed masses (although it may boost one's own self esteem knowing these folks are out there).  It's just fucking funny.  I'm sorry.  Yes, I think it's funny.  The captioning is often the best part.

Need some visual proof?  OK then.

Caption:  How cute and cuddly are those stuffed...OH MY GOD!

Caption:  It’s like those shorts are managing to cover nothing and everything at the same time.

Caption: Well the bleach from earlier obviously didn’t do the trick because I still see this…. I’m switching to Drano.

I am so going to hell, if there was one which I am betting there is not.  Meanwhile, i have to go pour bleach in my eyes.

Hotdogs! Get your hotdogs! OK, who's ready?

I've been pretty busy, so haven't had much time to post.  But I am glad we have that hotdog cart on the campus library mall for a quick lunch.  I like mine plain.

[h/t @radioguychris]

Going meta for a moment: Time to rethink this Twitter=Facebook=Kerfuffle=LinkedIn simulcast thing.

I am either amazed or amused -- probably both --at how in recent years my life has centered around digital communication... using it, researching it, playing with it, and teaching it. 

I fondly remember the days where I thought it was kind of cool to be able to shoot comments across a large meeting room or across the country using an alpha-numeric SkyPager.  Remember SkyPagers?  It wasn't that long ago.  Mine had the full qwerty keyboard before they called them qwerty keyboards.  Cool little gadget that I had no real need for, yet I was still able to get the agency to pay it's monthly charge.

As recently as maybe three years ago, I all but ignored social networking for myself, even though as an ad agency media director I maintained a working knowledge of it so the agency could pretend to know what we were talking about if clients asked.  (We didn't know what we were talking about.)  I only came to really learn the ins and outs of these new technologies and platforms because I hadn't a lot to do at work.  I decided to use that idle time to learn all I could about blogs, search marketing and social networks.  And learn I did, for probably three hours every day.  (Business was slow.)

The real move for me came when I bought a MacBook.  My agency laptop was a hand-me-down that would no longer run on battery power, so it was hardly mobile.  With the new laptop, one that was separate from work and therefore not hindered by all the security blocks and stuff, I went wild.  I became an active "trusted user" on Daily Kos.  I started my own blog, ditched it, and began another one (Kerfuffle).  By the time I decided to migrate away from the agency business and into grad school, I knew I would be focusing on social networks and, likely, politics.  Once I went to the Yearly Kos convention, there was no turning back.  I was totally taken by social networking and the new Internet media.

About a year and a half ago I set up a Facebook page.  After first making fun of Twitter, I eventually saw the real utility in micro-blogging and set myself up and began tweeting away.  I already was on LinkedIn, but at this point started to actually use it.  Eventually, I tied all these platforms together.  I could access any of them from my iPhone, and became proficient at uploading pictures and entire blog entries from that incredible device.  A post to one was a post to all.

Because this was now a single feed, as it were, my political views -- the subject of maybe half of my Kerfuffle content and all of my Daily Kos postings -- were dropping in with much lighter Facebook musings.  The distant and rather superficial nature of Facebook meant that some of my "friendships" weren't mixing well with my relentless mocking of Republicans, links to controversial articles, and teabagging mirth.

Today I decided to break up the network.  I've enjoyed reconnecting with people on Facebook, but have come to realize that Facebook is a lot more fun when it is not politically charged.  And in nearly every case, I was the one politically charging things.  A split is in order.

I'll still pimp the occasional Kerfuffle post on Facebook, but leave the political shit to Twitter. That's kind of how those two competing status forums have shaken out for me anyway.  My Twitter feeds come mostly from journalists, bloggers, activists and academics; and my followers are mostly the same or are like-minded friends.  Facebook is much more a "y'all come" kind of thing.  Twitter is my MSNBC; Facebook is my regular old NBC.

It will be interesting (for me, but not anyone else) to see what happens to traffic here at Kerfuffle.  Since using Facebook to promote new posts, I've seen daily page views spike often.  Given different audiences (that's the media strategist in me), I think Twitter is  better suited for promoting the political stuff.  More importantly, Twitter is very much an opt-in/in-the-moment form of digital thought exchange.  Facebook is more or less a pleasant diversion (and quite the addicting time-waster as well).

Do you care?  Of course you don't.  Nor should you.  Nevertheless, I am building an academic career around this general area of interpersonal and mass communication.  It's been the focus of my work toward a masters degree, and will remain my focus as I begin work toward a PhD in the fall.  I appreciate your being part of my ongoing lab work.

If you've manged to press on this far in this totally meta post, you are probably a regular.  Thanks for reading!

In an odd way, this place-based ad for Silk Soft toilet tissue is both hilarious and disturbing.

Oh, those clever Danes.

I have to hand it to the agency.  The creative does have a way of driving home the fact that product is 100% recycled.  Of course, if you have a twisted mind like I do, it may leave you wondering if it's recycled as in "someone else used it once already."

Brief: Promote the fact that Silk soft is 100% recycled and generate awareness on a low budget.

Idea: To communicate that Silk soft is truly 100% recycled we put
stickers on standard toilet tissue dispensers on selected public
toilets around Copenhagen.

Advertising Agency: By Far, Denmark
Creative Director / Art Director: Benjamin Bidstrup
Copywriter: Michael Jacobsen
Photographer: Hans Nygaard
Released: January 2009

I absolutely love the fact that there is a credited photographer for this.  What a fun photo shoot this must have been.  "OK, can you give me more brown-eye?  Hike the pants up a bit.  I'm getting some glare; can one of you powder his left cheek?"  Kudos, Hans Nygaard, where ever you are.  I hope this is a crown jewel in your portfolio.

[h/t Scary Ideas]

I am sooooooo sorry. I didn't see him. He just ran right out in front of me.

(Yeah, it's a rerun, but it's one of my favorites.  I'm a sick f***.)

Are college students multi-tasking, disengaging, or maybe a little of both? Texting and Facebooking seems commonplace in the classroom

Yesterday I had the pleasure of speaking to a class of seniors at UW Madison.  The class, an elective course in the advertising program, deals with media strategy... a subject near and dear to my heart.  Giving guest lectures is good practice for me, given that I plan on teaching once I get the degrees I am chasing.

Something that one can't help but notice when teaching a class is the texting, web-surfing and emailing that seems to be going on.  I see it as a student as well, most often in classes that include undergraduates.  Now, I'm not slagging undergraduates... just pointing out that it is, in my opinion, a generational thing. 

In yesterday's lecture, I tried not to let it bug me.  Maybe I was boring.  That's certainly a likely cause for a student to seek a diversion.  But the thing that remains most surprising to me is how blatant the texting and surfing is.  I mean, c'mon.  I can see the phone in your lap and see your fingers moving! 

Admittedly, I take a little pleasure in calling students on it.  Being that I am talking about the competition for people's attention, it's easy to say something like, " A lot of times people are doing multiple things, like watching TV and texting... like you are."  Then I pause and look right at the offender.  Boy, did I get a dirty look from one student yesterday. 

I've learned from making lots of presentations in my career that it's best to work the room... walk around a lot to better engage the audience.  It's also a good way to get to see the laptops screens of students who are trying to appear to be taking notes.  Taking notes on a guest lecture?  Uh huh.  I positioned myself by one student who was Facebooking away, until she realized I was essentially reading over her shoulder.  Yeah, I was being a dick, but I was having a little fun.  Since I was doing the lecture for free, I figured I was entitled.

Funny thing, though.  As I left the campus and was thinking about this subject, I found myself recalling a class way back in my own undergraduate experience.  I've long forgotten the professor's name, but he was a nice enough guy who was teaching a physical science elective about the technology and physics particular to energy.  The class was held in one of those big lecture rooms with theater-like seating.  At the end of class one day, he wrapped it up, then said he would like to "speak with Mr. Wilcox."  Uh oh.

When I went up to see what the professor wanted, I figured it must be something about a quiz or paper or whatever.  I was wrong.  "I would like to know why you were reading a newspaper during my class," he said plainly.  Shit.  I gave him a brutally honest yet highly inappropriate response:  "I was bored."  I still remember the look on his face when he simply replied, "Oh.  O.K."

I immediately felt like a total asshole, and that's because that's exactly how I acted.  I was  blatantly reading the newspaper, in plain sight, during his lecture.  That's every bit as bad as blatantly texting or web-surfing in class. 

As I thought about this, the thing I realized was that I was no better then than some students are now.  In some ways I was worse, since I more or less offended the professor to his face... something I have never forgotten.  I hope that professor has, but I was still an ass that day.

Technology is so commonplace now that I guess this is just the way of the world.  I've watched clients tap away at their Blackberries while we were presenting work to them, and I've seen people casually answer their phones and leave a meeting with no apparent guilt, regret or apology.  And, myself, I have an app on my iPhone that deliver's a bogus call complete with convincing screen graphics... just in case I need to bail.  Rude?  Yes.  Of occasional helpful utility?  You bet.

I have become what I have ridiculed... again.

Local boy makes good: Cambridge WI native Matt Kenseth wins 2009 Daytona 500. Local taverns look at immediate increase in beer sales

When we moved to Cambridge in 2004, I had to ask someone why there was a huge 17 on the local fire station's tower. 

"Well, duh!  That's Matt's number!"

OK.  Who the f*** is Matt?

"Matt Kenseth, the NASCAR driver.  He's from here!"

Well, what do you know.  I thought all those NASCAR drivers were from states like Alabama and North Carolina.

And, damn if Mr. Kenseth didn't win the Daytona 500 today, as the AP reports via Madison's Capital Times...

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Matt Kenseth drove from the back of the field to take the Daytona 500 lead minutes before the sky opened up, handing the former series champion his first victory in NASCAR's version of the Super Bowl.

Coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, the Cambridge native's bad luck followed him into Daytona International Speedway. He wrecked his primary car, had to go to a backup and started Sunday's race in last place.

I guess it was actually the Daytona 370, since they had to call the race early due to rain.  Still, nice job, Matt.  Now how's about giving a nice big chunk (or all) of that prize money to the fund to build Cambridge a new library.  As library board president, I am offering you naming rights for $1 million.  Dude... call me.

The local part-time deputy is off tonight, and I hope things don't get out of control.  I hear last time Kenseth won a big race, some of the boys went over to the Piggy Wiggly and damn if they didn't tip over the Coke machine.

Of college libraries, cell phones, and feeling both old and young at the same time

Not that I didn't know this already, but I am fucking old.  All I need to do to be reminded of this is go to the UW Whitewater library on any given day.  There are constant reminders, all of them walking around, hunched over computers, and generally flaunting their youngness.  At times I actually have to actively concentrate on not overtly acting old.

Earlier today I was sitting at a table, trying to read a rather dry journal article that we would be discussing in class later in the evening.  A girl (I use that word rather than "woman" since at 49 I could easily be her father) answers her cell phone.  That happens a lot, but usually people make an effort to quickly end the call. Not this time.  She proceeded to go on and on, reading passages of a paper she was writing to the person on the phone.  I had to fight the urge to go tell her to shut up, all the while realizing that only a cranky old person would be bothered by this.  Looking around, no one else seemed to even take notice.  Of course, they all had headphones on... including the blabbermouth on the phone.  (That might explain why she was talking so loud.)  Whatever happened to the thing about being quiet in a library?

I got to thinking about this, after I relocated to a relatively quietly, more remote part of the library.  My god, I am turning into an old guy.  I'm getting all kinds of pissed of, albeit quietly, over a cell phone conversation.  Welcome to the 21st century.  People think nothing -- nothing -- of taking calls where ever and when ever they feel like doing so.  Most people, OK some people, make an attempt to respect others in close proximity, but for the most part cell phone yammering is just a part of life.

After class, I went back to the library.  Just as I had settled down and unpacked my stuff to study, my phone rang.  I was not going to take the call, of course, but I thought I'd look to see who it was.  Oh, shit; it's my dad.  My 82-year-old dad, and he is calling past 10pm his time.  I have to answer, if only to tell him I can't talk.  I hit the answer button and utter a barely-audible "hi."  David?  "I'm in the library, Dad; I can't talk now.  What?  David?  Now a little louder, and drawing a few looks, "Dad, I am in the school library.  I can't use my phone right now."  I can't hear you.  What?  (sigh) "Dad, is something wrong?  I'm going to have to call you back."  When? I have a dilemma.  "Nothing's wrong then?"  I thought you said you can't talk.  "I can't."  Well call me back in a few minutes.

So I pack up my shit and head for the exit.  As it turns out, the dilemma is that he is supposed to fly to North Carolina in the morning, but over in southwest Michigan they are getting a foot of lake effect snow.  His ride to the airport is stuck in Chicago, and no neighbor in his little retirement village is going to drive him to Grand Rapids to catch his flight.  Why the hell is he calling me... in Wisconsin... when my brother and sister both live within a half hour of him?  Fact is, he was calling because he didn't know what to do.  He said he wasn't sure he wanted to make this trip anyway, and has been thinking that for a week.  It's a trip he has made for the past ten years, flying to Raleigh and then driving down with old friends to spend Thanksgiving in Florida.  He just doesn't feel like going, and he's all worked up over it.  I talk him through his options, and he says he'd rather just stay home.  By the end of the 15 minutes on the phone, that's what he decides to do.

Having this conversation with my dad reminds me that while I may feel kind of old, he really is old.  He gets a little confused and forgetful, and he needs to call one of us, usually me, to help get things figured out.

So I turned out being one of those people who answered a call on my cell phone in the library.  Oddly, it made me feel kind of young.