Tech consultant for Olympia, Lacey, And Tumwater
Tuesday, August 24th, 2010
by Mark Carras
Here is my interview with Matt Inman of The Oatmeal. Please spread this video to as many places as you can. Feel free to embed it into your site and post a link in the comments.
The interview was conducted at Gnomedex 2010.
For info on the cancer benefit please CLICK HERE
Sunday, August 22nd, 2010
by Mark Carras
Seattle Marriott Waterfront Hotel review
Marriott Chef delivering bun
So another weekend of Gnomedex and another weekend at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront Hotel. This may have been the last year of Gnomedex but another tech conference had it’s first year at the exact same conference center. For some reason they thought PII was a good name despite everyone already pronouncing it like Pee. So even though I won’t be going up for Gnomedex next year, I do hope to go up for Seattle Geek week and Pee…er, I mean Pii. So I figured why not review this years stay at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront Hotel?
The staff as always was great. I’ve never seen a group of people work so hard to make little ol’ me feel as comfortable as possible. It was nice to see Nicole (I’m starting to learn names, how sad is that?) at the front desk again. She has a pleasant laugh and a relaxing smile. Even though I know she is paid to have that laugh and smile she does it so well I am led to believe there is some sincerity to it. I’m as cynical as it gets, but she seems to actually give a crap and have fun with her job.
The chef made me laugh this year though. Last year Ciabatta buns were all the rage, so I understood why they had one of those nasty things on the burger I ordered. This year however it was a freakin’ pancake! No joke. I was told it was some sort of flat bread, but if it looked like a pancake, smelled like a pancake, and sure as heck tasted like a pancake, I think it is safe to say that was a damn pancake! It reminded me of those images of a rabbit with a pancake on it’s head. “I have no idea what you are saying so here’s a bunny with a pancake on it’s head.” So I felt like the chef was telling me, “I have no idea what you are saying, so here’s a burger with a pancake on it’s head.” To be clear, the burger tasted great otherwise. It would have been better with a real (traditional) bun, but the pancake made me laugh more than anything. It was more goofy and silly than anything that would have ruined the meal. The omelet I had on Sunday morning was way better than the one I had on the Sunday morning last year. Not sure why. Maybe it was cooked more thoroughly? Maybe I ordered different ingredients? Maybe they changed cooks, methods, recipes, equipment, or something else. All I know is that It was pretty packed with awesome.
The maid service was great of course. I think the maids got used to me leaving at 8 am for the conference. So when I slept in until about ten and was still getting stuff ready for check out at 11:00 a very polite and apologetic lady came in to change the bed sheets. If I was forced to find one complaint it would be that they kept moving the program schedule and remote to the tv. Who needs it there? I need it on the nightstand! But if that is the biggest complaint I can think of, that is some awesome work! Let me also say the guys out in front are always jumping on any excuse they can to serve you. It kind of threw a guy like me for a loop to be honest. I’m just not used to that sort of thing. I heard that the hotel was packed all weekend, but yet it just didn’t seem like it. Everything was nice and quiet. Sure there was people, but it still maintained a very relaxing vibe to me. I have heard about hotels that are about half the price just a block or two up the street, but the staff at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront Hotel treat me so well that I am afraid to try anywhere else next year. Now everyone, let me hear you scream, “Pee, Pee, Pee, Pee, Pee!” Oh, right. It’s Pii. Sorry, I keep forgetting.
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010
by Mark Carras
Sponsor My Droid 2 Hunt And Unboxing!
Droid 2
So Thursday morning I will be at my local Verizon store banging on the door demanding my brand spanking Droid 2. I will be posting videos of the hunt, the unboxing, and the initial playing of this new product. This will be an all day event with between 5 to ten videos being posted within that first 24 hours. I need something to plug! If you know me, you know I have no problem to sucking up to the sponsors of the things I do. So sponsor me already! Anyone who is willing to spread this to a potential sponsor it would be very much appreciated. Don’t worry about asking for permission to give out the email for this auction. It’s all over this website and will be killed off on Friday.
How Do We Bid?
I’m doing this by email simply because the auction sites out there both suck and blow. I will be posting through my Twitter account only what the bids are up to whenever an update is needed. I will monitor this as often as I can over the next 24 hours. The names of who bid what will be kept secret though. How do you bid? Real easy send an email to Droid2@MarkCarras.com Don’t bother sending this email around to spammers or storing it in your lists. It will be killed after the auction. If I don’t get back to you it means that you lost the auction. Watch my Twitter if you want a chance to re-bid. Bid as often as you feel you need to. It takes me one second to hit delete if you’re too low.
Who Can Bid?
It’s pretty open. No porn. Nothing racist. It has to be an actual product of some kind. Website, food, drink, band, cd, dvd, movie, service, etc. So pretty much anything. If you have a website for me to plug you will get more out of it, but that is your choice. I’m here to promote your thing. Email me a bid and let’s do this thing!
How Much Of A Deal Will You Make?
Well I am getting the phone to prepare for my trip to Gnomedex next week. Gnomedex is part of Seattle Geek Week. So once I get it, I will be trying to figure out what I can do with it, how to use the tools it has, figuring out which apps I need, and figuring out how to use those apps. This will be the subject of most of the videos I will be promoting my sponsor…who ever that is.
Again, email your bid to Droid2@MarkCarras.com and watch my Twitter feed for the results.
My Twitter Feed is at http://twitter.com/MarkCarras
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010
by Mark Carras
R2-D2 Droid: Verizon Why Must You Torture Me!
Droid 2
So more official news is finally coming out about the Droid 2. Anyone who has been paying any attention at all to my social networks is probably sick of me talking about it. I know my wife is. She’s told me as much. So now it is pretty much official that the Droid 2 may be ordered online on Wednesday and may be ordered in store on Thursday of this week. So not only is my waiting over, but I will now be able to have a new phone in time for Gnomedex. So I’m happy right? Oh hell no!
At the same time as they announce that I can get my Droid 2 in time for Gnomedex, they also announce that if I wait just a few weeks more I can get an R2-D2 version of the phone. With me being a major Star Wars nerd from way back before most of you were born, this is pure torture! There is no way I can wait any longer for a new phone, so I am going to get the regular Droid 2. However, I may have to put up with insane amounts of flack from my wife for switching up to the R2D2 version when it comes out just a few weeks later. Would I pay an extra couple hundred dollars to have a Star Wars version of a phone I purchased just weeks prior? Yes, I am THAT pathetic!
Now of course Verizon has a 30 day return policy, but I’m willing to bet they will release the R2D2 Droid 2 just over one month after the regular Droid 2. So either those poor clerks will have to deal with a flood of excited nerds exchanging their phones or they will deal with really pissed off nerds wanting to exchange their phones, but not being able to. Of course one could just wait an extra couple weeks before buying the regular Droid 2, so they fit into that return policy window, but I’m an American and so I’m more impatient than an Apple fanboy waiting for a chance to sniff Steve Jobs boxers.
No worries people. I hear that there will be a Verizon representative at Gnomedex, so I will do my best to get an interview with them. Maybe I can find out a way to get upgraded to the R2D2 phone from the regular Droid 2 without paying a few extra hundred dollars? So to my fellow nerds please keep watching this page for updates next weekend for further updates on this insanity. Before then I should be blogging daily about my adventures trying to get a Droid 2 phone on Thursday morning. Anyone want to go hunting with me?
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
by Mark Carras
I guess I don’t get the point of Reunions
Reunions
So since I went to two high schools, I get invites from two separate reunion committees. It’s gotten to the point where it’s kind of starting to bug me. Not the invites themselves, but the reasons I am given for going.
They send an invite, I say “I’m not interested”. They reply, “But you can catch up with all your old friends in high school.” I went last time and I left after 45 minutes because I was bored out of my mind. I knew one person. I see that person outside of the reunions all the time. Why do I need to go to a reunion then?
Just a few minutes ago I had someone tell me (with LOL marks for some reason that is beyond me) that one of my high school’s reunions was open bar. That’s supposed to make a difference? What can be said about a person that will go to an event only because there is an open bar? I think we call that person an alcoholic. I have no interest in getting drunk with a bunch of people I have nothing in common with. Not just because I’m not a heavy drinker, but because hanging out with strangers I have nothing in common with is kind of a bummer.
I have also been “challenged” with “Well I guess you don’t know how to be the life of the party.” Hmmm? Let’s think about his. The person who thinks they are the life of the party is also probably the same person who would go to a reunion simply because it has an open bar. That annoying drunk who is telling everyone he (or she) loves them…no, they really mean it. This is the person who when you are trying to have a conversation with someone, they are trying to get you on the dance floor. Since you are in the middle of a conversation, hate dancing, and find this drunk annoying, you are labeled a “party pooper”. Wow, that sounds like fun!
I have also been told that I can make new friends. With who? People I have nothing in common with? Why would I want to do that when I have tons of friends I actually want to hang out with? Seriously think about this. If you were one of those “popular kids” in one of the two high schools I went to, want to go to the Slayer show coming up? You could meet new friends? Oh, you don’t like Slayer and have nothing in common with Slayer fans? You would be bored eh? Welcome to my world. How about you come to this tech conference called Gnomedex with me? It’s a bunch of geeks and nerds talking about social networking. You’re on Facebook so you must care about social networking, right? No on that on too eh? Interesting that you are thinking of the same reasons that I have no interest in my high school reunion. Just because you are on a social network doesn’t mean you are passionate about social networking. Just because I went to that high school, doesn’t mean I am passionate about your high school reunion. Get it? Hell, at least you don’t look back at your time on Facebook as pure hell. At least your time with social networking isn’t something you are forced to do. That’s how people who don’t want to go to their high school reunions look back at high school. You are asking us to return to hell that we probably are just now getting over.
I’m trying to be nice about this. So please understand that I’m not going because I have zero interest. It’s not because I am afraid, can’t make friends, or some other lame reason. I just don’t care. Just because we have nothing in common doesn’t mean I have a negative attitude. Do you have a negative attitude about the events I mentioned above? It’s just not my thing. I have plenty of friends that I have things in common with. I don’t have time for people that offer me nothing. If we have nothing in common we have nothing to talk about and we are a waste of each others time.
Now I want to make it clear that I am not rejecting the reunion without giving it some thought. I went last time and left due to boredom. I went the time before that and spent many hours being bored and looking at my watch. The third time is not a charm. Not everyone needs to go to the reunion. Reunions are for the popular kids. I wasn’t popular. So you are wanting to stick me in a room with a bunch of people I never wanted to hang out with, avoided like the plague, made fun of many times (yes, we made fun of you. Sorry about that.) in those four years, and still have nothing in common with. Good luck with that. If I hung out with you in high school, please by all means get a hold of me. Let’s go have a beer. I’ll buy the first round. If I didn’t hang out with you, please go away. Not trying to be rude, but I have shit to do.
Sunday, August 23rd, 2009
by Mark Carras
Is Gnomedex more like cheese or fine wine?
So nerd camp is over for this year, but why do I get the impression that I got more out of this year than I did last year? A few have said that the conference was better this year, but I think my personal gain in value might have had more to do with this being my second year. Now don’t get me wrong, I had fun last year. Last year was so good that it convinced me I should go this year. But I sincerely feel like this year I got way more value than I did last year. This is despite the schwag not being near as cool (gold water bottle anyone). Heck, there was even a communication error between the company that printed the official Gnomedex shirts and the Gnomedex staff, and they ended up with a massive shortage of shirts for us heavier set geeks. (Chris said that he will take care of us left without a shirt) So way less schwag, and no shirts that fit me, but yet it was better?
Some people that I met in very quick passing last year, ended up being great contacts this year. This has less to do with how the conference is run and more about it just being my second time. So Gnomedex is something that grows in value with each year you come! If it is just ok your first year, it will be great the next, and even better on the third I have been told. So get your tickets now because they are already going quickly!
Another thing that added value for me was when one of the speakers that gave a talk on something I am extremely passionate about. I passionately disagree with one of his points and that opened up a great debate between the two of us. It is not only growing into a mutual respect but also a friendship (despite one person being offended). Maybe not something most Gnomedexers will experience, but it made things better for me. Of course there was also the hotel situation that I already talked about in another post that made things better for me as well.
The final thing that added value to the conference for me was not ending so early on a Saturday night. Last year it was kind of annoying to be somewhat stuck in Seattle with nothing to do. It was so much better to end the conference with this great open bar party. It let us all say goodbye to Gnomedex for the year, increased the chances for face to face interaction (the real value of the conference), let things basically end on a Sunday morning where it’s less stressful to leave Seattle, and just gave the event more proper closure. This way I just added another day of hotel and left more relaxed. Last year my wife had to come pick up my stuff at 8 in the morning, hang out for 10 hours, and then leave the most insane part of Seattle on a Saturday night! This year was way better and I hope the plans are to continue this for Gnomedex 10. Much improved I say, open bar or not.
So what made the conference better for you? Does Gnomedex get better with each visit? My wife knows more about cheese and wine, but I know it got better for me. Now to keep this thing from getting too long, I am going to continue my review of Gnomedex with a second post later. see you all next year?
Get your tickets for Gnomedex 10 NOW! Click here for more info.
Sunday, August 23rd, 2009
by Mark Carras
Why Gnomedex attendees should stay at the Marriott instead of Edgewater
So this was my second time going to Gnomedex. Last year I stayed at Edgewater and this year I stayed at Marriott. Most people going to Gnomedex stay at one or the other because they are the two hotels within a 2 minute walk from the Bell Conference Center. Well I now want to strongly recommend that if you are going to Gnomedex (which all my readers should do) that you should just stay at Marriott.
What does Edgewater have going for it? They are a historical hotel where the Beatles took a very famous photo. They are also on the same street as the conference center. Well, those two things also go against the hotel. It was a great hotel back in the 60’s I’m sure. Times have changed and people expect a little bigger room. Those rooms are freakin’ tiny! The rooms at the Marriott are way bigger and more comfortable. The Edgewater being on the same side of the street go against it as well. Sure it’s the same side, but it’s way further (or it at least seemed to me). The street is very easy to cross and it is way quicker to go from Marriott to the conference center. The staff of Marriott have a much better attitude and seem to have a mental condition that makes them way to happy to serve their guests. I have never been treated so well as I was when I stayed at Marriott.
Edgewater seemed desperate. They seem more interested in packing their tiny rooms with things to rack up charges than making their guests comfortable. Both provide a fridge, but the one at Marriott was nice and empty. So I could bring the comforts of home more easy and not be worried about getting charged for something I brought. It’s not about me being cheap, but their are things that I enjoy that a hotel can’t be expected to provide. Having an empty fridge welcome me was a really nice thing I thought. It also made Marriott seem less desperate. Because of that I stayed an extra night and even had my first “room Service” experience. The food was great and even my dinner the night before was good. The night before I wanted to make sure I went to the open bar party with a full stomach. SO I had a burger and fries at the Marriott restaurant. I thought the bun was a little strange. What is so wrong with the traditional bun? Am I too white trash for wanting a traditional bun? The fries however were pure awesome! Too many times restaurants force me to eat these tiny shoestring things. I want nice think fries with the skins still on them dammit! Marriott did it right!
The shower head at Edgewater left me paranoid that I wasn’t getting all the soap out of my hair. I’m not sure if there wasn’t enough holes in the shower head, the holes were not big enough, or whatever else but it sucked. At Marriott the water pressure was better and it made me feel like I was actually getting a good shower. An extra thanks to the valet for helping me with my first big city taxi cab experience. I thought Eddie was going out of his way to help me, but I soon figured out that that is just the Marriott way…at least in the Seattle location. Screw Edgewater if you are going to Gnomedex people. Just stay at Marriott. I know I will. See ya at Gnomedex 10!
Get your Gnomedex 10 tix now at http://gnomedex10.eventbrite.com/
Friday, August 21st, 2009
by Mark Carras
So I just saw a very frustrating speaker at Gnomedex. You know the people that cross the line from confidence and into arrogance? This guy came very close to the line. He was talking about the art of the interview. The one thing that he said that got under my skin is that you should not prepare questions. I even called him on that. He told me I lacked confidence. At this point I think I proved that he lacks listening skills. Which is pretty scary for a person that does a lot of interviews.
Now I have not only done a ton of interviews but I have also of course watched a ton of interviews. Now if you want to make sure you go in depth, you need to do a ton of research and prepare about 20 questions. Why not just be spontaneous like Warren Etheredge thinks you should be? Well because every interview is it’s own creature. I have went through 20 questions just to get the artist to open up. One time I interviewed an artist named Anathema that just kept replying with “Don’t worry about that”. After getting through those 20 questions that proved to him that I had done my research and knew something about his band, he started to open up. If I didn’t have 20 questions I would have has a 30 second interview. Either that or I would have ended up asking him stupid crap like “What’s your favorite Pizza topping?” It was that framework that got the real meat of the interview going. About a month ago I was interviewing Raymond Herrera of Arkaea (ex-Fear Factory) and ended up with some info that shocked me. When doing my research I saw a banner for the energy drink Cocaine on his personal site. So I asked him what he was doing with them and how he hooked up with them. This was one of those prepared questions that Warren Etheredge tells you not to have remember. Well Raymond tells me that he is a co-owner! This ends up with a 20 minute conversation about the company, the name, the controversy the name brings, and how he benefits from it. It was a total “get” that would not have happened without that prepared question.
So was Warren Etheredge totally wrong? No. I think he made some great points in his minutes on stage at Gnomedex 9.0. Anyone who does as many interviews as someone like him or I end up doing, that person is going to know a little about doing interviews. However, he showed his weakness as a listener and interviewer. When doing an interview you have to understand that not only is every subject going to be a different beast, but every person doing interviews is going to be a different as well. We are human and unique within that. You need to prepare for that. Of course you should always do your best to listen to your subject and be able to “Tarzan” questions from what they say. Never zone out or you risk asking about their most comical moment right after they explain how a song off their new cd was about dealing with the death or their mother a few months ago. So listen yes, but prepare as well. Have that framework ready. Maybe Warren Etheredge was never a boyscout, but I was always taught to “be prepared”.
Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
by Mark Carras
Why Metalheads need to flood Gnomedex this year!
As a metal loving geek, I am always asked what Gnomedex is and what bands are playing. Ok, first off Gnomedex is not a festival and no bands are playing. So why do I care? Because I am also a geek. Gnomedex is an annual tech conference in Seattle Washington (USA). It’s main focus is the social aspect of the internet. More then anything it helps put a real face to social networking. They have speakers get up and talk about things that social networking geeks are interested in, but where I learn the most from is just from talking with the other people there. The attendees always teach me more than any speaker could.
So why should Metalheads go? Because if you are in a band, work at a label, are an online music journalist, or just a fan that wants to help promote your favorite bands, this conference will tech you how to use sites like Facebook, Twitter, and FriendFeed smarter. It will show you how to get the word out on what ever it is you are trying to push. I have found that people in the music industry are either frighteningly behind the times or horridly misguided. Going to this conference will teach you how to do things right and stop spinning your wheels. Do you like wasting time? I don’t. So I go to this conference so I can learn from people way smarter than I am.
The biggest reason you should go this year is because they have greatly reduced the costs. For $300 you can get a full pass for both days. This includes includes two very classy lunches, seating in the main Auditorium, and access to your very own power outlet to keep that laptop running all day (internet connection included). If you feel cheap you can do just one day for $100, but once you pay to get there you might as well do the full experience. Plus that $100 only gets you the conversation in the lobby. Sure that is (in my opinion) the most important part of the conference, but there is not a ton of people to talk to when we are all in the main auditorium. So get the full access pass. It’s well worth it.
Who will be there? Well last year I met people from CNN, Google, Microsoft, and a ton of very high profile bloggers that are a hundred times more powerful than I am. The face time with these people combined with being able to pick their brains for knowledge was priceless. This year I notice that there will be people there from Intel, Jeff Barr from Amazon, Verizon Wireless, Network Solutions, CNN, Microsoft, RealNetworks, T-Mobile, Expedia, University of Washington, Go Daddy, Discover Magazine, Eric Schmidt, and tons more. Most of those are not speakers, but they are still there to talk to and learn from. Many of the people there you have not heard of, but are full of information that can help you.
My wish has always been that people in the music industry would get more tech savvy. I think this would be the best start. Plus it would really freak out all those Radiohead loving geeks if a bunch of us rivet heads showed up. I bought my tickets months ago, so who is going to meet me?