Man In A Panic

Plug Me In

One of my best mates in this city is technology. HA HAA! Yes, I DID just write that and now I shall go and mate vigorously with my USB port.

Seriously though, it makes life so much easier.  It’s obviously not SF specific, even though this city is at the heart of all things computery, but it’s the first time it’s worked for me.  And yes, Dave, I know I’m way behind the curve.

Good nerdy things:

1. The entire city is wi-fi enabled so I’m writing this outside a café in North Beach, not a cable in sight.  At the BBC, the office kettle was cordless but otherwise you were chained to your desk.

2. Every morning, my Ipod downloads the BBC news and Today programme which I listen to on my way to work….

3. At work, everyone’s Ipods are networked, so we have a library of 50,000 songs.  (although this does create a ‘Tragedy Of The Commons’ scenario, whereby everyone is waiting for everyone else to buy that good new album)

4. Skype  means I can talk to people all over the world for free….download it at once.

Dull, I know.  I was going to write something about how this city feels like a huge University campus, the technology holding it together - Craigslist as the notice board, Flickr as photo album, ITunes as the jukebox, different gangs on different blocks....but then I had to go to the laundrette to wash my socks and I decided I couldn't be arsed to write that essay after all.

I just think it’s great and the sociological impact of all this stuff will be enormous.  Like, er, imagine if we went to war again and our PM had access to Garage Band and a ZZ Top album….Download winston.m4a

Maybe Baby

I'd never encountered 'Evite' in the UK, but it's the de facto social tool over here.  If you're organising a tea party/guitar-and-bongo-beach-outing/whooping sesh, the website helps facilitate the guestlist....so everyone can see who's said 'yes', 'no' or 'maybe' to some proposed fun.

This is not a good thing.

We all know that there're people who can make or break parties.  So if Ferris Bueller immediately tells the world that he's NOT going to your birthday party, you can expect to be all alone, weeping into a cake by 9pm. 

'Maybe' is, of course, the 'fuck-you' response.  It perfectly describes the all pervasive 'yeah-i'll-come-if-nothing-better-comes-along' social strategy of the mobile age.  More to the point, it renders Evite entirely pointless.  'Ah I see....all my friends might be going.....thanks Worldwide Interweb...I'd best wire them a telegram to check'.

I also suspect that Eviters take a register when you arrive at the 'event'. 

"Isaac?"
"Here!"
"Good...now get whooping"

Still, if you know the entire cast of the party before you arrive, at least you can pre-prepare witty 'chat-lite'.  I met a girl on Friday night with a tattooed face and a pet tarantula who had almost no interest in The Ashes at all.

To Blog Or Not To Blog

I'm having second thoughts about this thing.

With apologies to Dave and his Triforce mates, the Wright Brothers of all things interweb, I'm something of a blogging pioneer in my social whirlpool. 

Well now that a number of you have had a quick read (along with 39 strangers), your responses fall into three broad categories.

1. Nice one fella - good to know what you're up to in San Francisco.  (Have you turned gay yet? etc etc...)

2. Oooo mate - that's all a bit weird innit.  I feel like I'm hotwired into your sock drawer.  Stop staring at the computer and go and make some friends, you freak.  Have you turned gay or something?

3. I don't understand - what am i meant to do?  What do you mean 'click on it'?  HOLY SHIT - what's this thing that looks like a telly with a typewriter attached?  Nanu nanu....can you hear me?  Can you SEE me?!

but my favourite so far reads:

'Hey Jon!

Lovely to hear from you.  Enjoyed the link you sent me.  So what have you been up to out there?  Any stories to tell yet?

XXXXX xx'

(that's 5 X's to preserve anonymity and two kisses, not 5 big kisses and 2 pecks on the cheek)

I do agree that there's something awkward about individual blogs - the 'too-much-information' syndrome.  It's like I've just started cheerily wearing leather chaps in polite company. 

Perhaps it's because a clear social etiquette is yet to emerge around blogging technology?  Some of you recoil because you feel like diary snoopers....but this isn't a personal diary, it's an evolving public postcard.  Relax - I'm not going to talk about feelings or anything.

The World Wide Interweb - where anyone can be famous..not for 15 minutes but for 15 people.

Any thoughts?

Caught In A Web

You can't do anything in San Francisco without using Craigslist, the global listings site that was born here.  If you're looking for a flat, piano lessons, a ping pong partner or...er....an exchange of services, then everyone points you to the same place.

Inevitably, someone's now made a documentary about it, thrillingly entitled 24 Hours On Craigslist.  I can't be arsed to go and see it because the reviews aren't great and, besides, the ads are entertaining enough on their own.  Which begs the question - what does it mean that thousands of people now read classified ads for entertainment?  Does it create a sense of possibility or disappointment, the nagging sense that you should be doing more with your life than you actually are?  Personally I think it's great because I get into hobbies for about a week at a time - so I'm currently half-heartedly investigating flying lessons, vietnamese cooking courses and second hand hammond organs. 

I'm actually slightly bitter because we had a similar idea during my time at the BBC, before the powers-that-be decided to invest the money instead in strangling the 'Home Makeover' concept further...before beating it to death, plucking out its eyes, setting fire to it and burying it under a new patio (with decking).