My reply to Martine Pagé’s post about her transition to Mac OS X.

Funnily enough, I moved in the other direction (I needed a dirt-cheap computer), back in late December. Still miss my 2001 iBook (500MHz, 384MB RAM) and Mac OS X.

One thing I noticed (and was mentioned by others, elsewhere) is that Flock is much less of a resource hog on Mac OS X than on XP. No idea why. Though I never had issues with Firefox on OSX, I had switched to Flock and this made my transition to XP less fun. Safari can be a great tool, especially if you use one of OSX’s best-kept secrets: Services.

Ah, Services! The best tools for compulsive writers. You know, those menu items like "Summarize," available in pretty much all Cocoa apps and several Carbon apps. They also include support for the system-wide multi-lingual spellchecker (a fantastic tool for us, bilingual writers). Be sure to check out some of these, especially WordService. And once you start using Nisus Thesaurus, you’ll wonder how you did without it.

Perhaps the main trick with the Mac, mentioned in several comments here, is to only use the mouse when you really have to. Especially if you use the Mac to write, at any length. Use keyboard shortcuts as much as possible. Luckily, they’re very consistent across the system so you’ll be used to them in no time. When you’re writing, shortcuts are much more efficient than any kind of mouse movement. And you can usually apply shortcuts to any menu item. Menus are there to find out about features or to reach some of the lesser used features of an app.

Writing, on the Mac, is really pleasurable with the right tools. My favourite writing tools overall are outliners. Yes, there are outliners on any platform. But Mac OS X users arguably have a much better selection than anybody else. (What is widely recognized as the best outliner on Windows has been discontinued a number of years ago and doesn’t support any XML format.) If you’re interested in outlining, be sure to check ATPO. If you’re not yet into outlining, you might want to give OmniOutliner a try (IIRC, it comes preinstalled on new Macs as a trial version).

Another thing you might want to do is check out the wealth of FLOSS (Free/Libre Open-Source Software) on Mac OS X. Not only are most Linux projects also available on OSX but there are very high-quality projects made especially for Mac OS X. These tend to be über-productivity apps (i.e., efficient software for actual work) like the TeXShop TeX editor and the BibDesk bibliography manager. Or academic apps like TAMS Analyzer. But there are more "mainstream" apps like the Camino browser (mentioned here) and the TextWrangler text editor. To be honest, I almost never bought software for Mac OS X because so much of what I needed was already available for free.

Mac OS X is also a very cool geek platform. While the Mac OS turned us long-time users away from CLIs, Mac OS X integrates GUI and CLI elements extremely well. More often than not, I had a Terminal window open to do quick manipulations on files and processes. As any Unix geek knows, the shell is often the best place to accomplish real work.

I guess I’m writing this more out of nostalgia for my days working on Macs than to give you specific advice. There’s clearly a lot to say about Mac OS X.

Tags: Mac OS X, Windows-to-Mac, Camino, TextWrangler, BibDesk, TeXShop, OmniOutliner, Firefox, Safari.app, Mac OS X Services, keyboard-centric, writing tools, productivity, efficient computing, CLI, GUI, blog comments, Martine Pagé, compulsive writers

They got me. Not hooked, but interested again.

When you download Qumana, you’re expected to fill in your email address. It’s not required and the use of the email address is explained on the download page. For those of us with good filters against unsolicited emails, it’s not too scary. Didn’t think too much of it.

Tried Qumana a little while ago, along with other blogging tools. Can’t remember what it was that didn’t really convince me at that point, but there must have been something. Been blogging in my blogging system‘s Web editor since then. And wasn’t really thinking about other solutions.

Just got an email from Qumana telling us about a new beta version of their blog editor. Though the new features don’t sound that compelling to me, it got me interested again. And here I am, trying Qumana again.

And, you know, it’s not bad at all. Quite comparable to ecto. But free.

What would be really, really nice is a del.icio.us-like way to add tags, labels, and categories. Qumana does have an "insert tags" button which lets you add comma-separated tags. But these are, AFAIK, not connected with WordPress categories or Blogger beta labels. And it’s not exactly as useful as it could be. First, it could be a field in the editing window instead of a button. And it could work like del.icio.us in providing you with a context-sensitive list of possibly-relevant tags. This might have been the deal-breaker with Qumana for me before. You can use your WordPress categories, but you can’t add any.

Qumana’s strategy, of sending a reminder email to those who downloaded the program, is pretty much what it should be. It’s not sneaky, it’s not pressure-selling, and it’s not begging. But it’s a good way to connect with users. These guys got a clue.

Tags: Qumana, ecto, blogging tools, email reminder, cluetrain, marketing, respect users, categories, labels, tags, del.icio.us, WordPress, Blogger beta

LE PLUS BEAU VOYAGE:
J’avais trente-trois ans. Et ma vie.

Tiki Bar TV – Watch Tiki Bar – Forbidden Cocktails In A Swank Pad

One of my favourite podcasts…

Rupert Murdoch speech to newspaper editors
Some actual insight from Murdoch on the many problems plaguing newspapers and “old media” generally. So, he acknowledges there’s a problem and he actually sees where some things are going. The first step to recovery is to acknowledge you have a problem.

Yet, Murdoch launches into this:

And we in this room – newspaper editors and journalists – are uniquely positioned to deliver that news. We have the experience, the brands, the resources, and the know-how to get it done. We have unique content to differentiate ourselves in a world where news is becoming increasingly commoditized. And most importantly, we have a great new partner to help us reach this new consumer – the internet.

And later says that:

Our job now is to bring this content profitably into the broadband world – to marry our video to our publishing assets, and to garner our fair share – hopefully more than our fair share — of the advertising dollars that will come from successfully converging these media.

Myopia caused by greed? Pretty common these days as people seek short-term gains (“Make Money Quick!”) rather than riding the wave in major social changes (at a time when technological and scientific breakthroughs are rare).

Similarly, the “recording industry” is ready to acknowledge that the world is changing but is reluctant to do anything about it. Contrary to Murdoch, who apparently understands that embracing change is the most appropriate solution, they seem to see change as a problem they are committed to fight. The “recording industry” just wants things to stay the same. And they keep on dismissing music lovers as “petty thieves” because they can’t gouge consumers in the same way anymore. Even when told that music lovers want to pay for the privilege of easy access to music, record industry executives raise “the stick.”

So, the “big corporations” that are being hit by social changes might say things that range from somewhat insightful to utterly clueless. Not surprising but still. Why don’t they understand? Maybe it’s because they’re unwilling to take risks. Successes in many domains such as art, science, and technology often come out of experimentation. Trial and error. These corporations “can’t afford” to err, according to their investors? So they will fail, eventually. Not because the world is changing so much. The changes have been minute so far. But because they fail to see the big picture and “go with the flow” without knowing where the flow is leading.
«Qui n’essaie rien n’a rien», as we say. “They” will be left with nothing.

The beautiful ones are not yet born. And this revolution will not be televised.

Playlist: Interview: KGO radio’s Karel
At least, it’s not condescending. Like the part about looking at what younger people are doing and following those trends. Some interesting things are happening with younger generations.
The world’s changing, as always.

Les étudiants africains dans le doute
Le mouvement de grève des étudiants québécois trouve sa place dans une publication camerounaise… Intéressant, comme concept.
Et dommage pour les étudiants africains, victimes, comme les autres d’une situation de tension sociale.

D’ailleurs, puisque les blogues sont souvent bourrés d’opinion… Comme beaucoup d’autres, je suis en faveur des étudiants grévistes. Pas que j’aie l’impression que la grève soit le meilleur moyen d’obtenir un changement politique important. Mais les étudiants ont le droit de s’indigner du fait qu’ils se sont fait flouer.
En fait, j’ai grand espoir en ces étudiants. Pas nécessairement parce qu’ils risquent de faire bouger le gouvernement. Mais parce qu’ils sont réveillés, «conscientisés». Et solidaires. Rien de plus important, pour moi. En tant qu’étudiant québécois (vivant à l’étranger), «j’ai jamais été aussi fier d’être Québécois». Bon, c’est peut-être un peu exagéré et j’ai pas toutes les données en main. Mais je vois les choses d’un bon œil.

Pour les Africains, eh bien, c’est bien entendu une situation difficile. L’Université de Bamako et d’autres ont longtemps été en grève, ce qui a nui à beaucoup de Maliens. Mais, bon, [voix personnage="Caliméro"]la vie est injuste[/voix]…

Excellent principe. Ça aide, pour attendre. Par exemple, des réponses à des demandes d’emploi, de bourse, etc.
Ça va venir!

Pour les Francophones qui lisent ce blogue (on sait jamais, il peut y en avoir), excusez-moi d’y mettre tant de choses en anglais. Je
travaille et écrit en anglais ces temps-ci alors ça marche mieux comme ça.
Désolé!

Was talking about the social effects of multilinked nodes with a friend last night. Followed it up today in a private email. Had to blog it.

Simply put, someone who has links with many people is likely to get some wheels moving, socially. Especially if that person’s network is sparse (people in it don’t know each other directly) and not too multiplex (not having many nodes with multiple links between them, like two people doing many things together). Simple enough.
The spark/trigger action on the wheel-moving/domino effect is not oriented (the person doesn’t have an agenda). If there are many such individuals connecting so many links (commonly known as “social butterflies” as they go from one flower to the next), the effect is pseudo-chaotic. To play on a silly pun, let’s call it the “social butterfly effect.” As things go, it’s quite likely that somebody else has had the exact same idea for the phrase (too lazy to google the phrase, though). It’s certainly a well-known effect. And there’s probably a less cheesy name for it somewhere in sociology textbooks. Too lazy to look it up.

Now, as it turns out, I see myself as that kind of social butterfly who does have an effect on some wheels starting to turn. But it’s really not presumptuous on my part. I’m not saying that I’m such a cool guy because I know so many people or that I have such an influence on people. In fact, it’s kind of the opposite of charisma and attraction. I’m the kind of guy who’s relatively insignificant to enough people that what I do or say may just activate the right process at the right moment. And nobody in their right mind would credit me with having done anything in the process. Yeah! Power!

The example I used in communication with my friend was coffee. More on that later. But it does depend on not having a specific agenda. And an incredibly large number of “failures” or errors (in the sense of “trial and error”).
If I mention homeroasting coffee beans to 200 people, chances are that at least 195 of them will be utterly disinterested with the notion, three might be mildly interested, one might think about taking up the “hobby,” and one might get an idea for something completely unrelated to homeroasting but nonetheless incredibly cool. If I did that transmission by “reaching out and touching” all of these people, that’d be an abysmally depressing success rate. (Especially if the measure is new converts to homeroasting.) But if I do it with minimal effort like by mentioning it in passing during a public discussion (say, in class, on a mailing-listl, or, well, on a “buh-lawg”), my effort to success ratio is quite good. The first thing to notice is that the most important effect here isn’t to have turned one person to homeroasting. It might be cool to interact with this person based on our newly shared interest. We might even start exchanging tips and samples. Maybe it’ll develop into some type of genuine friendship. Which might in turn lead to a new network.
All great. But what I appreciate the most here is there might be one person who heard about homeroasting and started to let her mind wonder about coffee prices, World System Theory, the effects of Globalisation, and student strikes. She might end up as a “mover and shaker” character in a grassroots movement to link students internationally. Who knows? I’m not one to spoon-feed conceptual links to people…

So, I see my role (whether or not I’m good at it) as a social butterfly getting things moving by being just “a guy in the crowd.” Fair enough.

The problem with that role is that because it’s based on lack of recognition, it runs counter to a few things which are socially important. The two social measures I think about most directly are “Intellectual Property” and job prospects. The first is definitional, in a way: I want many of my ideas to be “stolen” by those who receive them. Academia is based on that type of generalized exchange where we give it all to everyone else and we receive everything from everybody else. Those who are trying to restrict IP too much are hindering “innovation.” Which might in fact be the effect the want to achieve. In the social “tug o’ war” giving us balance, they have their own rope to pull on.

Job prospects are more problematic for me, personally. At least, I see them as more problematic. I happen to think that my own prospects aren’t too bad but, sadly, academic appointments (as opposed to academic work) are based on recognition and exclusive expertise. I make a point of not being recognized too often and I derive great joy from helping someone achieve a pleasurable state without being credited. Being a pawn is cool. [Just realized that "peon" had another denotation. "Pion" means pawn in French] But academic hiring committees don’t really like pawns. As for expertise, I do have some but it’s disparate enough that it doesn’t play so well in the mono-disciplinary thing. Too bad!
Some of it is a huge cult of personality in Academia. And the whole (ugh!) “Publish or Perish” game. But it’ll all change. It has to. Hopefully, it’ll change soon enough to edge me in.

Always sad that a great one would pass away.
He apparently collapsed while teaching. There’s something strong about this. Lasting legacy.