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Hey Mary Gardner, I heard you are getting into Twitter July 19, 2008

Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Career, Friends, Twitter, Orlando Business Journal , 2 comments

Shout-outs to Mary Gardner, who happens to be my manager’s wife. She is a very cool lady and someone you should all get to know. Here’s an excerpt of her blog where she recounts our meeting over lunch today with most of the PHP Team and a couple of project managers:

The Charisma Coach!: Hanging out with the Techies

They’re programmers who have a personal interest in social media as well as doing it for their jobs.

For me, it was so much easier hanging with them for an hour than reading a techie magazine, and easier to pick up on the language. They gave me content for an upcoming business article and ideas for others.

Hanging with those outside your own industry can give your own creativity a boost and sharpen your own knowledge about something that might be out of your comfort zone but that is interesting.

I told her she MUST go to BlogOrlando and add me on twitter as well as Eric and the other twitter folks at the table. For her it makes lots of sense, she is in the life coaching and professional speaking fields, and she wants to build a personal brand around celebrities with causes. I think she will find some great resources and utility through twitter, so Mary, hoping you have Google Alerts turned on, sign up; or if you saw the “new blog post” link in Twitter, good for you!

Either way, welcome to the Dark Side, Mary. I look forward to your update in my daily (OMG, they mean daily) Orlando Business Journal update.

Luck is where Preparation Meets Opportunity: CMU’s Randy Pausch July 12, 2008

Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Career, Video, Trends, floridacreatives, Disney, Teaching, Storytelling, Love , 1 comment so far

So many great things in this video - it’s an hour and fifteen minutes, but you really should watch this.

Not only did Randy achieve his childhood dreams, but he has taken his process for doing so and boiled it down to this talk, which we can now pass on to others. This guy is dying, yet he is so positive. I love it and I love this talk. Thanks @supaben34 for bringing up my day (actually, my whole year).

Some key points:

Florida Creatives Jobs Group July 2, 2008

Posted by Ryan in : Career, Orlando, Web Sites, floridacreatives, miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, Brevard, Gainesville , add a comment

Re-posted from New Group: Jobs on FloridaCreatives.com

Since the beginning of Florida Creatives, the people have always clambered for a place to post and seek jobs. In the past, I have used the FLCreatives blog for this purpose, or some folks have used the Google Groups list: those days are over.

Florida Creatives Jobs

The ground rules:

Use this space to post job availabilities, or say that you are looking for work. Please understand that joining this list will (by default) sign you up to receive email for every post or comment in this group; you can always unsubscribe and re-subscribe any time you like.

NOTE: if you are posting jobs, please do not post the jobs to other groups, such as regional groups, without permission from the group’s moderator. Dozens of people receive emails for each of the groups on our site, and we do not want to be labeled as spam.

Any comments should be directed to the complaints department at 1 /dev/null Ln, Peoria, IL 31337.

Post and seek as needed within the network.

Thanks @danielrsmith for being the final catalyst to set this up.

Petentials on Fox News April 11, 2008

Posted by Ryan in : News, Site News, Career, Markteting, TV, Petentials, Social Networking , 2 comments

Petentials on Fox 35 | Petentials Park

Also, here’s an email Darren sent out to friends and advisors.

As some of you know, the Fox reporter, David Martin, informed me today that the feature on Petentials was picked up by Fox national news. I think what this means is that it’ll be aired on local news shows throughout the country over the next several days…or weeks.

We’ve had about 50 new accounts created in the last 24 hrs. In fact, 4 have been added in the last 2 minutes. There are 20 people on the site right now.

It looks like we’re now getting some Tennessee traffic, so my guess is that we were on the early news in Tampa tonight and the late news in/around Cleveland, Tennessee. Exciting stuff!

Now it’s hit Minneapolis/St. Paul (and maybe others). 123 people currently on the site…and rising with every refresh! At least 20 new registered users in the last 20 minutes. Plus, we have someone who wants to be our community ambassador for Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Update: Detroit Free Press Article

I’m in Axis Magazine talking about Internet Video April 9, 2008

Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Career, Video, Trends, Newspaper, floridacreatives, Magazine , 3 comments

Axis Mag April 2008
No, that’s not me in the white suit and glasses.

I was interviewed this month by John Theisen, who runs the Enzian FilmSLAM, the FMF Indie Film Jam, and works for United Arts.

Go pick up the magazine, on Newstands all over Orlando, but here’s a teaser:
Axis Mag April 2008
Yes, that’s a picture of a network cable next to a planet. I think I was supposed to get John some pics or logos… sorry!

“Ryan Price, producer of OrlandoScene.TV and FloridaCreatives.com has been making his mark in Central Florida’s web forums and has tried to add his own quality content to its ever-shifting environment.”

Welcome Back, Old Media March 13, 2008

Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Site News, Career, Markteting, Blogging, Podcasts, Reviews, Trends, Web Sites, PopSci, Magazine , add a comment

Here’s a quick follow-up to last night’s post.

Earlier today, Ryan Block asked:

Why should I be concerned? People aren’t coming to Engadget to read about gadgets from 2006, or 1996, or 1896 — they’re coming to read about what’s going on today. Still, I love that PopSci, so this is gravy!

Ryan is absolutely right. In fact, he’s pointed out to me that Engadget does not fill the same void as PopSci. People aren’t going to his site for the archive, but rather, the very latest and greatest, and so much so that most of the content on Engadget is exclusive and they are the first ones to post about it. They could probably delete all of their archives older than 3 years and nobody would be able to tell.

Mr. Block also loves that PopSci gravy, which means that it’s likely the audience can see those two sites as separate flavors and sample a little of column A, and a little… well, you get it.

I also like how Ryan responded to my post within 9 hours of my writing it. Maybe if I drop Megan Miller’s name in here a few times, she will notice it in her Google Alerts too and come check out the blog.

Actually, I really like what Megan Miller of PopSci has been doing with the 5-minute projects on the site. There is certainly some room for improvement, but she mentioned in this week’s podcast that PopSci is working with Instructables on these videos, though she didn’t say in what capacity.

Mmmm, meta-journalism, hot and fresh! I really feel like I’ve been writing a story about the story of PopSci these last few days. Both in my Twitter stream with Etan asking about the particulars of my new job, and Jeremy direct messaging me as I drove to the office this morning, and now these past few days on my blog. I’m not the story here, the magazine is, and Megan Miller is, and Jonathan Coulton, and Bonnier, a family company. As are Eric and Seth and Sway, and also the folks over at PingVision. I haven’t told the whole story, nor is it in the scope of these blogs to attempt to tell that whole story, just a story around the story.

Old Media, Welcome to New Media Land

Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Site News, Career, Markteting, Blogging, Podcasts, Reviews, Trends, Web Sites, PopSci, Magazine , 4 comments

OR “How the battle became a collaboration”.

To the Editors of Popular Science:

You win.

Actually, I’m not a quitter, so I’ll say this: I’ve decided that instead of being “versus” each other, some of you Old Media types (can I say Traditional Media? thanks) actually care about your audience. Therefore, we are actually on the same side, you and me. That’s why today, I changed the name of my blog to “Ryan Price and the Media”. The arc of my story is changing, Act II is beginning (but please wait until the pops are two seconds apart).

Aside, to blog readers: Yes, I now work for a big media company: Bonnier Corporation. Dozens of magazines, or more accurately now Brands or Communities, and that’s just in the US. Potential for the big nasty side of media to show itself. However, as our Director of eMedia Howard was pointed out, “Bonnier is a family company, very different from a publicly traded business”. He was quick to point out the differences, and I was quick to believe him.

Back to you PopSci. You have been around for hundreds of years, and if you continue on your current path, you’ll be around for hundreds more. You’ve got a great formula working for you, and I have faith you’ve got the chemistry know-how to achieve the always-coveted, yet rarely achieved Activated Complex state. (sorry, that’s the only thing I remember from Chem I).

Let’s take a look at your assets:

First, and most importantly, you’ve got you’re audience. Not only your current subscribers to the print edition, or the folks that pick up a glossy when they’re traveling or when a pretty picture catches their eyes, but your modern-day audience. RSS subscribers, Google searchers, Diggers, Podcast listeners, Makers, Engineers and people who just want to sound smart at cocktail parties. You understand them all, and your understanding is only getting better as you experiment with new media (the content types, not the buzzword) and use your hundreds of years of publishing experience to deliver an experience that the smaller publications used to dream about (and in many cases you’re still eating their lunch).

That’s right. You’re a contender on the Internet, but you’ve got a hidden advantage. You’ve announced that some time soon, you will be opening your entire back catalog of Popular Science archives to the public (it is to the public, right?). Either way, no Engadget or even the castle-dwellers in Massachussets can claim over a hundred years of back catalog. Hell, few entities on the planet have such a rich offering.

Ryan Block and Chris Anderson should be very very concerned.

If you can continue taking advantage of modern advances in Media distribution (and I have to say you’re maybe one of the most advanced magazines I’ve seen in this area), your Coliseum will never fall into ruin, your Pompeii never covered with ashes.

Smart moves you’ve made include hiring Jonathan Coulton to be your Troubador, creating a podcast that both captivates and informs me and countless others every week, hiring bloggers to keep fresh hot steamy Science articles on your home page, having great SEO, and hiring me to maintain it all, ha ha! (I work for Popular Science, but I promise you this blog post is completely unsolicited, I only started three days ago)

Really, your organization is one to be looked up to in this time of transition, when many print publications are stopping the presses and hoping for bluer skies. I’ve been following my former enemy The Media very closely for the last several years, and I must say that you and I are enemies no longer, in more than one way.

I wish you the best, and I hope that I can ride your coattails to a new and exciting Land called New Media. I am honored to bask in your wizened glow.

Peace,
Ryan Price
New Hire, Drupal Developer
Bonnier Corp. and PopSci.com

Steve Jobs Never Finished College, Speaks at Graduation January 27, 2008

Posted by Ryan in : Career, Links, Video, Trends, Entrepreneurship, Storytelling, Twitter , 2 comments

via johl’s ramen soup

Several of my teachers at UCF used to say “Fail early and often”. Failing early and often requires you to stay hungry and foolish like the back of the Whole Earth Catalog said. Both statements belong someplace where you can see them, like in your cubicle or near the door to your house. Maybe that’s a good use for the “Hello, Dolly” plugin that comes with every Wordpress install. Now you can share those quotes with yourself and your blog readers. Also check out @iheartquotes on twitter. I think I found that because of Alex’s fun and useful Twitterholic.

Also about the video:
As always, Steve has prepared every moment of this presentation to the exact second when people will clap and he takes a sip from his water. I also really like how they show the graduates who have no respect for what they’re wearing at all, because it’s just gotten ridiculous to wear a gown to a party anymore, and they know it. The final message “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish” is not how I would put it, but if you know what’s behind it, then it works.

Johl (whose tumbalog I nabbed this from) is friends with Johannes from monochrom, and I’ll believe those kids are all hungry and foolish, and they’ve certainly found what they love to do.

Turning Over January 25, 2008

Posted by Ryan in : Career , add a comment

I’ve now been working with Petentials (yes, it’s live) for…

drumroll please…

375 DAYS!

I feel no need to say anything else about the matter, but this is the longest job I’ve ever had, and the longest contiguous amount of time working with a client. We are way past the “client” stage.

Drupal Easy January 23, 2008

Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Site News, Career, Podcasts, HowTo, Drupal, Video, Liberatr, Web Sites, Facebook, Teaching, open source, Branding , add a comment

A while ago, Charlie and I were talking about how we could share our love of Drupal with the rest of the world. Our natural desires to create original content and extend the reach Cervo Systems helped us develop the idea for a website, a podcast and a community around making Drupal accessible to people with no knowledge of programming.

Welcome Drupal Easy to our family.

Today, I answered the first question on the site, about pathauto aliases and XML Sitemaps. I hope we keep getting some mid-level questions like this, but also some much simpler questions.

I have a screencast planned for the near future that compares Drupal against industry standards for security. This will hopefully be the sort of thing PHP haters and team leads will be able to use to understand that Drupal is awesome.

One day in the future, I’d also like to come up with a coherent set of lessons we can sell in a video book format.

I also have a Facebook page which currently has 8 random fans attached, and that’s actually how I got the first question.

I think this is going to be lots of fun, and maybe help us make a little cash once we get that part of it going. Who knows?