If I can't get an Iphone 3G in a reasonable amount of time I'm just gonna say to hell with it and get a N96 in August, which I want more anyways - Bjorn Tipling
"Well, because FriendFeed’ers care about learning something new about the industry and not just getting entertained by the latest sensationalism." amen brother :-) - Duncan Riley
I left a comment on your blog, Robert. Feel free to move it here? - Andrew Feinberg
I am also getting a lot more of my information off of the Friendfeed, and have dropped some of my feeds - Kim Landwehr
This is precisely why you're so popular on FF. I think it's all about 'the news will find me' philosophy - Cains
@simon Thanks for that, I hadn't seen that before. Sadly it lacks the functions I'd want to use but it's a good starting point, cheers - Cains
When will everyone start to realize that Google is taking over the entire web and it's time for everyone to stop kissing their ass, I mean really enuff already. They are going to kill everyone. Should we all just give up and buy GOOG stock? - Donovan Slennon
@Donovan Is google acting in a way that is harmful to the "entire web"? Are they taking steps to reduce competition or innovation? It seems to me, and I use many google services, that they are innovating and encouraging other innovation. The nice thing about the web is the choices - I think you can ignore google if you want - although, I haven't tried. I mostly like their services. - Sean
Agree they are brilliant and innovative but Google are mowing down all competition in every related field one by one - have you seen their media server - pow, another few markets decimated in a matter of years; health - pow, lets just kill off health players; are we all just going to plug into the beast - i know i haven't expressed it succinctly or even well but if you can't see that Google is all powerful and is all about profit then we all need help. Someone needs to look at some antitrust law and save us - Donovan Slennon
@Donovan - ok, thanks, that is what I wanted to know, where they have been anti-competitive. However, in their defense (and I don't know why), there is a difference between anti-competitive and better than everyone else. I will be watching more carefully in the future. - Sean
Cool; I don't know my antitrust law but when you use your market power in one market to squash competition in another then you are abusing your power - key is the definition of the market - but helen keller could see that they are the standard oil of the 1900's. The extent to which the leading market commentators are silent on this is reminiscent of the free ride given by the media to Bush's Iraq invasion - no one stopped to look around until after the mess; so we desparately need some dialogue - Donovan Slennon
Donovan, Google has not killed the health field; there are a number of competitive products (HealthVault just to pick one), so if people gravitate to the GOOG (whether its good or bad), unless they took some specific anti-competitive actions, what's the problem? Outside of search and search advertising where is the field where they have more than even 30% market share? Ok feed readers perhaps :). I use their services if I like them. If not I don't. - Deepak
Respect your opinion but I don't think you're smelling the roses b/c of all the lovely scented sht that google has emeshed us in; just ask anyone with a web or web related business what the #1 issue/risk in their business is and it's those 'do gooders' from mountain view - one of the greatest pr machines of all time - Donovan Slennon
Since I am quite sure I have never bought into any PR, lets agree to disagree. I use what I like. A decent chunk happens to be from Google, and that's what it happens to be. YMMV of course - Deepak
I have a difficult time calling Google anything other than a 'good' company considering that I use a ton of their products and I don't pay a dime for any of them. Yes, they are a threat and competion for many companies which means those companies need to try harder for my paid business - it's pro-sumer. My message to those who don't like Google: Be better. - Vince DeGeorge
Haven't been in a Blockbuster (or similar) for nearly 4 years (during baby run-up) and still feel good about the time I save. Time - our most precious resource these days. - AJ Kohn
ive heard of people hunkering down but never bunkering in! 9 movies - i hope you got the weekly rental :) - Allen Stern
Mr Arrington, you're a good looking guy with a job. Please don't take this the wrong way, sir, but you have no business renting 9 movies at the local blockbuster and sitting at home alone with your dog. Jesus, you were on the top 100 of Time magazine. I think you should be getting the chicks, bro. I'm seriously. Ride this wave while it lasts. get the chicks! - Richard
@Michael Tefft: I have a Roku and it's terrible. Not the device - the selection at Netflix. It's really really bad. My wife and I haven't found anything to watch on it yet. :( AppleTV, and to a lesser extent, Unbox on TiVo and movies on Xbox 360 ftw. - Don MacAskill
Have fun! I love the unlimited monthly plan at Blockbuster for watching 18-hrs TV/day when I'm sick... - Mitchell Tsai
@richard some people chill better alone .. when you deal with deadlines and people in your face all the time , the last thing you want to do is go to a busy crowded club . Im a fulltime firefighter in canada , after being couped up inside with 4 guys for 10hrs , I look forward to "alone" time . - fotographic
One of those movies better star Steve McQueen....partial credit for Paul Newman - Cains
Michael: too bad, I was gonna invite you to Half Moon Bay for a drink at the Ritz! The weather here is stunning. - Robert Scoble
i want my copy of legally blonde back. you can't keep it forever mike. - Calley Nye
Me two, need a rest, rented a bunch of movies too - Jeremiah Owyang
Mike, that sounds like an awesome time. If anyone deserves some time off it is you! Let us know how the movies went. Take Care. - Shannon Coolican
Hangin' at home with no cell, IM, twitter, etc. and watching movies sounds like a good day to me. Hell, I should do that this weekend and catch up on all the movies I haven't seen. - Miiko Mentz
combined with Starbucks stores closing and Nick Denton cutting blogger pay what do we all think? Is this going to get really bad or really, really bad? - Jason Calacanis via Bookmarklet
jason, i think starbucks was a victim of it's own success and american airlines a victim of declining ticket sales and higher fuel costs. two totally different reasons for the cutbacks. starbucks will continue to brew the coffee we love on every 'other' corner now, while the outlook for american airlines might not be so hot. - Matt Musgrave
really really bad. Its already bad for working folks out there, Jason. Just spent a week in Vegas for my wedding, and I can't tell you how many times I heard folks say how thankful they were to even have a job. It was a bit unnerving to meet so many people from around the country all feeling the same pressure. Especially scary being that I'm building a home. - Richard
Agreed on Starbucks, but I think the airlines have made it so difficult to fly, along with the TSA restrictions, that peoplenow only fly when they absolutely HAVE to. Pretty sad that a country that once felt free to move about the country is now stuck in their own neighborhood, whether they like it or not. - Douglas E. Welch via twhirl
US Savings levels have been at record lows for a long time. With a weak dollar, overextended credit market, rising engery costs and a huge budget deficit, you're looking at a lasting recession. As an outsider, there will be plenty of good investment opportunities. Case in point, I've been doing 5% daytrades this week on solid blue chips. In a few months, the market wil open up for long term players. - Cains
Airlines have been asphyxiating for years, fuel $$ just accelerate the trend, whereas $tarbux is a victim of its own excess. - Dean Barnett
@Douglas It is far easier to fly today than it was the day before 9/11. The security lines are more efficient and getting your boarding pass from a machine -- even when checking bags -- is far far better. Maybe your airport isn't any good, I don't know, but I've travelled around the major ones and it is better not worse. As for number of flights, it is still increasing, though the growth rate is slowing. http://www.traveldailynews.com... - Sam Pullara
what specifically is sucking for you right now? just for interest :) - h1ro
Twitter is really good. The problem is..all of the issues that aren't being fixed. - Candace Holly
I know the team claim to be trying very hard but I just can't believe problems like this can happen without poor management...wonder how their investors feel - Cains
is this a new bumper sticker you spotted? - gfurry
I completely agree, I am currently writing a blog post about demanding a greater level of service from Twitter. - pcnerd37
Of course Twitter's down, Mike, you hurt its feelings! (plays world's tiniest violin just for Twitter) - Mark Dykeman
If Twitter's the Bible, then FriendFeed's the Talmud. - Akiva Moskovitz
@pcnerd37 how do you "demand" anything from a free service? - Jeff Quinton
At this point, only Jesus (or your divinity of choice) could probably help them. - brian junyor via twhirl
The curse of popularity - what a nice problem to have! - Now they have money to rebuild.... - Craig Thomler
Twitter is only good because it was there first and has a nice userbase. I'd prefer FF or Pownce over Twitter. It's just a matter of time before Twitter sucks even more and everyone realizes the power of FriendFeed. - Michael Narciso
I wonder if anyone will be buying twitteriffic for iphone come july. - shaun mclane
I am following Jesus of Nazareth on Twitter. Scared to un-friend him. - Kreg Steppe
@shaun mclane - no one will be buying it for the iPhone because that app equally sucks as much as twitter. I always see an error message on it. - Michael Narciso
follow this dude: TweetJeebus he can get you out of your dependance on the other Jeebus. - JMac of Earth
FriendFeed will not dethrone Twitter. Twitter wins the simplicity battle, hands down. FriendFeed is only relevant for us geeks. - Spam
@Spam are you seriously saying Twitter isn't for geeks?? I think Twitter is for the ADD-tolerant, FF is for those who prefer coherent conversations. - Brian Carter
No one is on there anymore either - I used to get tons of responses, now it's trickles - Sarah Perez
Jesus was supposed to have come back from the dead. Not so sure about Twitter. Beginning to think that the same guys who do infrastructure and capacity planning at Twitter were the same ones who did the planning and occupation of Iraq in 2003. - Paul Denlinger
As an outsider, my only problem with Obama is his anti-free trade stance. This will impact alot of exporters around the world and could lead to higher tariffs on US imports in retaliation. With a weak US dollar, it doesn't seem a smart move. *NB I'm a staunch free trade advocate - Cains
Count me in as well. Our 2005 Hybrid is serving us well and I'm hypermiling to get about 15% higher than EPA estimates, but I'm all for alternatives like this. - Kevin C. Tofel
Dude. If you can afford it, then I want a job working for FastCompany, too. :) - l0ckergn0me
Robert -- Is there a pre-order site up yet for Tesla S? I sent them an RFI on how to get on the wait list, but I have not yet heard back. - Jerry Chacon
Chris: you shouldn't talk. You and Ponzi always have the coolest cars. :-) - Robert Scoble
I fear that by supporting Tesla we're only contributing to the West's endless dependence on electricity. - Dan Kaplan
Awesome car. I'd buy one if I could afford $60K. Wonder how much your home electric bill will go up? - Josh Bancroft
Are you planning to generate your own electricity with small scale wind/solar/etc? Otherwise the savings you'll make on gas prices won't be great (as oil goes, energy follows). But electric cars are a step in the right direction, Congrats - Cains
"I like keeping my money in the state" ? Come on Robert... :-) - directeur via NoiseRiver
Does anyone know how the Tesla cars handle heating? My dad is really interested in electric cars, but he always worries about how they will generate heat. - Tracy Hurley
Tracy - I believe the battery pack has a giant aluminum heat sink attached to it, and luckily since the car drives around, there's lots of air cooling ;) - J. Phil
We'll be in the market for a new car in about 2 years as well. I hope these things materialize. - Jeremy Brooks
It is a shame the price is so high. They have probably priced out the people who would most like to get one. - Rob Diana
Josh: Elon Musk, chairman of the board of Tesla, told me you can go about 225 miles for about $3 worth of electricity in California (at today's rates). Compare to nearly $5 gas for our BMW, which goes 24 miles on just $5. Rob: if these are successful, they say there will be a $30,000 model out within four years. - Robert Scoble
I always find Americans talking about motoring hilarious. In America, 30 MPG is some sort of impossible Holy Grail. If you're not doing that in Europe, and I mean ina big vehicle, then either you're driving a Bentley or you've got a hole in your petrol tank. Far as I'm concerned, car technology begins with the Japs and ends with the Germans. I wouldn't spend $50 on a car from any other nation. - john conroy
For electric cars to truly take off we need to find ways to lower the prices sooner, whether by subsidies or whatever. Lower income families are the ones most affected by energy costs and are more likely the ones driving energy inefficient vehicles. - m.0
If I were old enough to drive, I would want one. Then I wouldn't have to pay those outrageous gas prices - Grant
John: I have a two-year-old BMW and it only gets 25 mpg average. And it's the smallest BMW they sell (with the least power possible). - Robert Scoble
[Warning! European High-Horse alert in my comment above] - john conroy
John: US uses a lower RON rated petrol making MPG comparisons difficult - Cains
I just came back from a short spin with a friend of mine (in Ireland). He drives a 1.4l, 2008 Honda Civic. A modest but beautiful car. His display shows the MPG, and we were talking about MPG in general. It was doing 44.5, and he reckons he gets 46 as the norm. Over here, 1.4l is the typical engine displacement for family saloon/hatchback. 1.1 - 1.3l for a small town car. - john conroy
They also announced a 30k model coming in 4(I think) years today. - Jason Massie
apologies-- no more noise from me -- but @Cains -- this I did not know (about the RON rating). This changes things... - john conroy
John: also, most cars in Europe are diesels which supposedly pollute more, but get much better mileage. California, for instance, has much stricter smog laws than most places (just head to China to see how bad it can get). - Robert Scoble
Robert: John's pretty accurate on the average engine size. While diesels are popular here I don't think they're over 30% market share. The main reason for the Us Vs Euro discrepancies is the differing octane rating and problems associated with that (larger fuel tank/etc). For example, BMW's start at 2.8L in the US Vs 1.8L in Europe - Cains
Robert: I'm not sure if modern diesels do pollute more. They are more efficient but, in the recent crisis (in the UK at least) the price of diesel has risen more than that of unleaded so the efficiency advantage has been eroded. - Fraser Smith
John: it's not just the RON ratings that affect the mileage - the engines are dreadfully inefficient too. In Europe 45mpg is the norm, I really notice it in hire cars when I go back home. Americans should demand the fuel efficient engines too, they make a huge difference to consumption. - Sally Church
Sally: good point. Americans have not cared about gas efficiency until now. They like their powerful engines and big SUVs. Marketing of cars is often about how fast they can go, not how fuel efficient they are (Prius and gas prices are changing that). - Robert Scoble
ok, call me an 'old guy' (cue will smith), but the tesla is listing at more than i paid for my first house! [sheesh]. i think i'll keep riding the bus to work. - MikeAmundsen
The whole concept of a $60k automobile being a "no brainer" purchase puts you all in a very different tax bracket than many of us. The payback on this kind of purchase will take a long time and no one can predict the maintenance costs. - Dave Ploch
110k for a car that I don't really like that much, I don't think so. It's like buying a Prius: it makes a statement, but that's about it. Until I can drive it cross-country I really couldn't care. But someone has to buy them to get the idea started, so good for your Robert! - xero
xero: the sedan is $60,000. Expensive for most people, but not unusual in Silicon Valley. - Robert Scoble
Robert: they are paying you too much. ;) - ron k jeffries
“Safe to say that Twitter is NOT having a good day today? I get the feeling that they're going to have to pull Replies again... the site is crawling at best, and timing out completely often ”
I guess I'm not the only one wondering if they're even trying anymore - Cains
Well, I know full well they're busting their collective asses to get the thing stable, and I have full sympathy for that... but from the user perspective, it's getting very frustrating. And you have to believe that the twitter peoples are agonizing over the switch-to-friendfeed talk. - Eric Berlin
Um. Okay, I understand his annoyance... but honestly? There's no "right way" to use a service. By this logic, those who are using Twitter to do anything other than alert the world to "what they are doing" are poseurs. - Lucretia Pruitt
NO ONE IS DOING FRIENDFEED *WRONG* UNLESS THEY ARE SPAMMING. Sorry, but this is the fourth time I've seen this post come up in my feed here and I'm just getting bent. Stop telling people how they can use things. - Cyndy
agreed, robert. and also agreed with lucretia and cyndy and erin. - edythe
I really don't see the big deal about how people use anything. Free world and all that. - JMS
Let me chime in. Okay, I agree with most of the comments here, there's no "Right Way" to use a service such as this. You can't use FF or twitter or pownce or whatever...wrong. That's obvious, I think. But there is an interesting point about "not listening" that is causing me to think about how I use FF. - vidsaw
I can't believe that post is generating as much conversation as it is. How a person chooses to use a service is up to them. Calling them a "poser" is childish. - David Risley
Robert, I'm a fan, but I gotta agree with most of the folks here. People will use a service to however it suits their needs. Nothing "poseur" about it. I've also had my accout for over 2 months now, but I haven't really gotten into reading my subs/fiends, primarily because I haven't gotten around to / had time to figure out the filtering options. It's just a lifesstream rss feed for me to use on my other sites. Would this make me a poseur? A narcissist, perhaps. A poseur, no. - Helen via twhirl
Isn't it possible to make the same point without pointing fingers? - Ro (Lilyhill)
I am a Poser. I use FF to aggregate services. - Jay Cruz
I use it. I only use Twitter to spread my friendfeed-RSS via Twitterfeed. - Ryo
I use it but am still learning it's real value. - David Ward
I'm getting into it as a sort of Facebook-except-you-use-your-own-services-and-not-be-locked-into-ours with a lot of nice extras (imaginary friends, FF comments, etc). I only wish there was a proper way to access FriendFeed via mobile platforms (client, or a proper site. FFtoGo.com is crap). It's not easy to use FriendFeed when your laptop is in the shop. - Ivan
I like the simplicity of Twitter, but the added features of Friendfeed. Trying to get used to their layout though... - bryan broughton
What if I'm neither a FF user, nor a poser and I just want to see if it brings me any value (to be read filter out the noise)? What if I just like to see new apps and just play? Is there something wrong? - Alexandru Popescu via twhirl
Uh. I'm just going to nope this whole thing and move along. - Akiva Moskovitz
FF works for me, I'm a passive twitterer/blogger. I just can't see the value in alerting everyone of every small detail in my daily life so I rarely post. But FF gives me a platform to comment on a subject to a larger audience, and slowly but surely my own audience builds up. A far more organic social network growth curve - Cains
Sorry I missed all the discussion over here. To Robert, since you didn't reply on my blog: Are you tired of MY attacks on 'people' or on negativity surrounding FriendFeed and Twitter in general? Because if it is the former, let me ask you.. how many articles have I written that are negative about FriendFeed OR Twitter? To everyone who says it is wrong to criticize how you use FriendFeed: Where in my article did I say there is a right way to use FriendFeed? All I said is that I think that, in my example, influential people (whom I picked on one in particular) who just use FriendFeed as a vehicle to increase their personal brand without having any interest in the service for the community, are not right. - J. Phil
I promise this is my last comment about this whole thing: to David, I can't believe how much discussion my post has generated too, both on my site and on FriendFeed. Frankly, this is my first brush with finding a powder keg, and it's been an interesting experience. I think if people were truly over the echo chamber, my post would have been mostly ignored. - J. Phil
J. Phil, my comment was mostly directed at Scoble, but why is that not right? Why is that not okay? People set up imaginary friends here for people they want to follow who aren't even signed up on FF, so why shouldn't people do it and save others the work? It's not spamming, and no one is forced to subscribe to them, so why should anyone say they aren't "right" in their use of FF as an extention of a brand? - Cyndy
Cyndy - Honestly, what annoyed me when I was writing the article, was that there were long, great conversations that were happening as a result of single-sentence tweets from Steve. People started following him because of his name or the recommendation page (he's on the first page), and all this great dialog was happening, and he was missing it. But, now, 48 hours later, I guess I'm no longer annoyed -- I see now the value was gained in the conversation, no matter what the seed was originally. - J. Phil
I feel as though some people are good at comments, others are good at providing good content. Just cause someone doesn't use the service to its full potential doesn't mean that they are a "poser". It just means they choose to use the service in question in a manner that best fits their needs. - Andy Breeding
I only use friendfeed to follow a few select and mainly to get all my activity on my facebook page. I think because someone uses friendfeed just for distrobution thats not necessarily making them a poser. If anything they are just helping users who wish to follow them without having to keeping track of all their different services. - MattRandles via twhirl
Like Napoleon's army after the defeat in Moscow, straggling west, fleeing the hideous frozen hell, we are moving into the (for me, at least) unknown... - Dave LaFontaine
Ok, trying FF as well. Still like twitter and will be sad if I have to leave it - Lide Winburn
Ive been following you for awhile but I dont think youve been following me because Ive replied back and you never answered and it said you wasnt following... :) but im still following you!!!!! - Christopher
It seems to me this is kind of a moot point. You draw those who follow you into your convesation and if someone makes a comment that continually intriques you all you have to do is simply subscribe to their ff. No need to wage a big dick contest with numbers of followers here. Its all about the conversation. Just an observation at this point.. I'm just now starting the migration from twitter to FF myself;-) - Curtis Cross via twhirl
Just subscribed to you, feel free to follow back! - Kyle McEachern
