I agree. In no way am I trying to rip on Scoble, I just agree that it is difficult to launch a startup and that you can't just group a bunch together and say they suck. Especially when you are Robert Scoble. Tons of people read what he says and just believe it's true without actually checking. Not that he is wrong all the time. but in this instance, what he says goes a long way and can hurt the companies that are actually good. Maybe I'm off base here, just my two cents as well. :) - Niall Connellan
I think Robert made a big mistake here. He should not have done this. Judging startups that have not even launched yet by their websites in one minute... come on! - Loic Le Meur
I don't get it -- if their websites suck (in Scoble's opinion) why shouldn't he say so. (And I have been through it Loic, many times.) People said my websites sucked, sometimes they were right, and sometimes not, but what the fuck, people have opinions, that's just the way it goes. In your world everyone hides what they think, I'd rather live in a world where people are expected to say what they think. We'd solve problems faster. Esp startups who have websites that suck. Maybe they'll fix them and succeed. - Dave "Maverick" Winer
hey Dave, yes, people have the right to say startups suck before they even launched and by spending a minute on their website, sure. I also have the right to say my friend Scoble sucks for saying that, right? - Loic Le Meur
I love your face in the thumbnail for this video, Loic! - Zach Landes
From what I gather, Scoble was saying the websites suck, not that the actual startups are bad, wasn't he? - Derrick Kwa
here is the real truth: Opinion never caused a startup to fail. Let Robert say what he will. Let others say what they want. I hope those startups at DEMO bust ass and succeed through effort. I hope the startups at TC50 do the same. Those that allow the stones to break the glass houses deserve to fail epically. - Micah Baldwin
you are wrong Scoble said they suck, not only the websites: "I just visited every one of these companies. Boy do they almost all suck (at least their Web sites and if their sites suck, I can’t believe their products are going to do much better)" from http://scobleizer.com/2008/09/... - Loic Le Meur
Loic: I know you're French, but read that again, now read it again, but slower. It implies that I visited the sites, and that the sites suck. I then infer that if your Website sucks, it might infer that your product sucks, but I don't quite cross that line. I'm going to answer you next. :-) - Robert Scoble
Agree with Zach about the pic, Loic. It's priceless! - Michelle Trent
Robert, what got me started is this shortcut you made "I can’t believe their products are going to do much better". How can you judge a product not even launched by a crappy website? WHO GIVES A SHIT ABOUT A COMPANY WEBSITE anyway? I don't even have one for Seesmic. In fact, we're building one, I will ask your advice. - Loic Le Meur
Loic: my point is that first impressions matter. A lot. My first impression of Seesmic still stands today. My first impression was seeing this really cool conversational video site that was different from any other I had seen previously. Now THAT was a launch. These? Well, OK, let's rejudge them on Friday. See ya then! - Robert Scoble
Wow, this is getting crazy, I think that people need to understand that everyone comes from a different perspective, Robert Scoble didn't understand the effect this would have on everyone because he has never actually been an entrepreneur. It is not his fault that he has different life experiences than others because everyone takes a different life path and Robert's is as a blogger. - Andrew Fielding
Loic, everyone cares about a startup's website. It's the first thing most people see when checking out a new product & it has a huge impact on the visitors attitude & vision for what the startup will be - surely you don't disagree with that? - Zee from WeDoCreative
By the way, Kevin Rose, founder of Digg, in a separate post here on FriendFeed, said the same thing that these sites really sucked. So did Andrew Baron, founder of Rocketboom. I'm not alone here. - Robert Scoble
The fact is Robert made a statement about the quality of the landing pages of these soon to launch products and thought most of them sucked - and frankly I agree. Where he screwed up was he then implied that their actual products/companies sucked too and that's where the uproar lies..it's as simple as that. If Robert was writing for TIME Magazine, this story would be have been reviewed by a half a dozen people before going to publication & that critical error would have been pointed out.... - Zee from WeDoCreative
however this is his blog and in the tech/web industry carries almost as much weight at a TIME magazine article and so it's understandable why so many people are pissed off. - Zee from WeDoCreative
Robert, the more you comment, the more I disagree. Nobody gives a shit about a company website. Does Friendfeed have a company website? here is my video comment with more about this http://seesmic.com/video/Pfxjt... - Loic Le Meur
Zee: if I worked at Time the story would have gotten killed because their editors don't care about startups. Oh, and if it were run it would be in four weeks in a back of the magazine where it wouldn't have gotten noticed anyway. But, you are right, it would have been fact checked and edited and all that. That's what happens to my FastCompany magazine column. - Robert Scoble
Friendfeed does have a company website Loic & it actually looks pretty damn inviting. - Zee from WeDoCreative
Robert thanks for the compliments on Seesmic, really, but this is not a company site, it is our product, that is the whole difference. The startups you are talking about have not even started yet - Loic Le Meur
Loic: I think we're talking past each other. Let's remeet on Friday and then we'll compare the actual website and product (if they are different -- I don't think they are. Unless you think that Zoho is different from the spreadsheet inside). - Robert Scoble
Look, Robert do have the same rights than any other one in a free world. He may tell you his opinion about topic. If people do rate the opinion of one person, in this case scoble's, it's not a problem of Robert, but of the people who think an opinion by a specific person is more worth, than any other one. - Ryo
Nice to stand-up for the lil' ones trying to be "the little engines that could". Until Scoble comes up with a brand new idea and forks his own dime down for the start-up...then @loiclemeur it appears we've all been *had* by @scobleizer. Scoble just needed another article. plain and simple. yet it's the good fight to stand-up and help the little ones. - Jes Tu
I think scoble's post will make me and others put more effort into out sites. It's a positive influence on the web. Needed to be said. - Andrew Warner
Loic, I appreciate you standing up for these start-ups here, and I agree with you...being in the middle of the whole startup thing myself, I've found myself to be a real believer in 'get something out there' -- even if its not perfect, polished, and with all that marketing jazz around...I think even Scoble deep down agrees with that - Michael Broukhim @TotSpot
And before you guys start insisting that sartups can't look any better before they launch, checkout how causecast.org setup their landing page. Quick and easy to create, but it's also a good representaion of the company. - Andrew Warner
Jes Tu: in my career I have worked at four startups and a fifth small company. I've put my own sweat into these things, which, for me, IS money. - Robert Scoble
Loic: would you allow a site you were about to launch look like some of these sites? - Andrew Warner
Michael, surely if you were going to go & spend $18000!!! on a product launch at DEMO. And you knew that your company was going to be mentioned before the actual event...you would create a really well designed intriguing, inviting, impressive landing page which made potential journalists & bloggers think "woah, this look interesting & impressive...i'll look out for these guys". - Zee from WeDoCreative
i gotta say, i'm pissed off Loic has just jacked the debate & discussion...what happened to listening to your community Loic? - Zee from WeDoCreative
Zee: I think there's something to that...I think it's a stretch to extrapolate from suboptimal PR strategies to products and the companies behind them 'sucking' ...there's limited time/$ and a lot of things to do... - Michael Broukhim @TotSpot
I think its inevitable that we judge a product by the company website - first impressions. In this case -the products haven't even launched yet. If they haven't launched yet, there is nothing for the website to do - they are just place holders at the moment. Will Scoble say they are great if the real website do some utterly neat AJAX? And maybe do some neat SAAS tricks as well? Both Loic and Scoble have valid points. - Roberto "Maverick" Bonini
@Scoble “Loic: I know you're French, [. . .]” OK: that was offensively condescending. There is no grammar ambiguity in what you wrote, and you did cross that line. Cultural hint: apologies would be welcome. - Bertil Hatt
Loic: I would love to know how the meeting went between you and Robert? - Thomas Cook
Loic: I agree with your point of view. When it comes to companies that are just launching a new product, you need to look further than just a website. Of course, if the company has a well designed website loaded with good content it's a bonus point for them. But serioulsy, you cannot judge a company just by their website! (Not even say they suck or looks like they suck). Not all companies in a "rush" have the time to polish their websites for several reasons. As an entrepreneur, Robert should look/think further. It's like a house. The entrancedoor may not look as welcoming as the neighbor's entrance door but inside the house (product) they can be very different. --Also, I did not really appreciate Scoble's comment about you being a French that can't understand correctly what he meant. Reading your blog posts, you write in a good English, and I haven't noticed any errors. As a French (from Montreal, QC) I don't appreciate it either. - Alain Edouard
" I did not really appreciate Scoble's comment about you being a French" I had missed this one but I know Robert this one is clearly a joke. Where is it? On this page? - Loic Le Meur
Yes it's on this page, it's the 10th comment. --It's just the fact of mentioning that you're French.. I mean, come on... I do not personally know Robert, it might have been a joke. It's alright. - Alain Edouard
Darnell: I might be wrong, but DEMO was set to run first. Then TC50 picked the same dates. If I were running DEMO I would have done anything to have different dates than TC50. The head-to-head competition isn't going to turn out well for them. - Robert Scoble
that doesn't make much sense to me - DEMO is supposed to move its dates because TC50 couldn't find another time to run its conference? DEMO announced its dates long before TC. I think TC should have switched to a different date once they noticed this, but instead, everybody is stuck in Kindergarten and in the end the companies suffer because nobody can cover that many start-ups in that little time. I don't care about the conferences, but making the companies suffer because of this is stupid. - Frederic
Frederic: TC50 picked the same dates to attack DEMO. They are taking DEMO's best companies away from it because of this strategic decision to go head-to-head. If I were running DEMO I would have fought back and picked dates a week earlier. That would really have messed with TC50. TechCrunch is forcing entrepreneurs to pick and is winning based on the strength of its blog. It's not kindergarten. This is a direct attack on DEMO and TC50 is winning in the marketplace big time based on my conversations. - Robert Scoble
I dunno...sounds like Kindergarten to me as well. - Andru Edwards
Andru: I don't remember millions of dollars of business as well as control of the high tech PR industry happening in Kindergarten, but you might have attended a bit more high-level school than I did. ;-) - Robert Scoble
I just mean the whole, oh they picked these dates, so we should pick the same dates to attack them, that will get us some PR! And we can make the companies choose! I mean seriously, why try to tear each other down instead of build each other up? That's what I'm all about at least. ;) - Andru Edwards
BTW - Im sure both events will be fantastic. I just mean the behind-the-scenes garbage. - Andru Edwards
but TC seems to want dominance, and building up the competition doesn't provide that. it's not *nice*, certainly, but (correct me if i'm wrong, because i really don't know much about these things) i don't think business is a *nice* sport. - idnan
Andru: it's easy. By making companies choose you position yourself. TC50 is going to be the winner at this game. Idnan is right. Business is akin to war and you've gotta think like that or be squished. Anyone remember Bill Gates? Mona: I'll be at Gnomedex tomorrow evening. - Robert Scoble
Yeah, I'm at Gnomedex, Mona ;) Anyway, I get what you are saying Robert, but it seems so...so Valleywaggish. Business doesn't always have to be war. Like I said, you can tear each other down, or you can build each other up. There can be winners in both business models. Want an example of a businessman who I dont think tears others down? Look up a dude named Robert Scoble. - Andru Edwards
Andru: being nice has gotten me a long ways in life, but then I don't have the world's tech PR firms wrapped around my finger at the moment like Arrington does. He didn't get that by being nice. - Robert Scoble
Robert: do you think that a week would have made a difference? Startups would still have had to choose. I think that TC is doing a good job creating a startup-friendly environment (good coaching, no fee for the startups and inviting a lot of VCs). DEMO needs to do more than changing the date, they need to re-invent themselves. - Edwin Khodabakchian
Edwin: a week would have made a HUGE difference, yes. First of all, the press and VCs wouldn't have had to choose. Which would have made the entrepreneur's choices much more even. Second of all it would have doubled the PR available. Right now, how many companies are really going to get any oxygen on that week? I'd guess five. From both conferences. If they were a week apart that would have been double. - Robert Scoble
Robert: good points. you are right. It would have not solved all the demo problems but it would have gotten them a huge boost on the VC and PR side. Question: if you were DEMO, what else would you have done to get a couple of the better start-ups? - Edwin Khodabakchian
Edwin: had a bigger prize. Had a guarantee of funding, or a guarantee of PR (like Walt Mossberg saying he'll write a column about the winner). But DEMO messed up by not understanding the growing power of blogs and social media earlier. They should have gotten on that much earlier and joined in the conversation. Even now I don't see anyone from Demo really making a presence here or on Twitter or on Facebook. - Robert Scoble
That lack of visibility is why I go with TC50. Since my future is in this community I'm far more likely to support the one with the majority of visibility here. - Robert Scoble
TC50 seems to be a better event overall. It has the backing of better sponsors and the backing of the best startup blog there is. For these reason I don't think there is anything Demo can do to combat this affront by TC50 - Andrew Fielding
Makes sense. Hopefully someone at DEMO or someone who cares about DEMO is looking at the situation in a more nimble way (or they will when TechCrunch wins that first head to head). - Edwin Khodabakchian
Robert: you made a good point on situation and DEMO should've listen to you. If this conversation made available in your blog and also covered by tech media, you help TC by reducing the negative opinion echos of TC as Tyrant. :-) - Pico Seno
As I said, I don´t care which conference reigns supreme in the end - but for the sake of the companies presenting at these events, I think TC should just have picked a date a week or two later (or earlier) - at least most of us bloggers would have had a chance to somewhat keep up with all the new stuff. But why blame DEMO? It was TC that moved in on their date. - Frederic
I'm surprised at how many people commenting don't get that a) TC50 chose the date as a direct challenge, which they are winning, in order to achieve dominance in that arena, b) Robert is merely suggesting that DEMO could've foiled that easily by moving their dates but instead are losing b/c they took a 'we don't have to move we were scheduled first' attitude, c) this is business, not socialistic benevolence - TC didn't get where they are by being the guys who made everyone else feel okay about themselves... - Lucretia Pruitt
Look - you *can* get ahead by being nice. Scoble has a definite conflict of interests here in his commentary (as do I, and it'll reflect in my next sentence)... you know who else got ahead by being nice and not going to war with everyone? Pete Cashmore. We're not number one in everything, but I know a lot of folks in our business that might switch places with us if they had the chance. - Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins
I thought Cashmore just went to parties? - Leather Donut
Competition makes everybody stronger...but it reminds me of high school, when the insecure people would attack other people so they would feel better about themselves...not too be touchy feely, but wouldn't TC have done better for everybody by just being themselves and giving Demo the space to be successful...it is strangely insulting and short term. It should be about creating an environment by which the industry (whatever that is) grows together. - Jamie Ginsberg
Mark Hopkins: generally i think Pete is a super-nice guy too, and i have other friends who blog at Mashable... HOWever, there are several bloggers out there (not just Arrington) who think Mashable re-hashes other posts w/o linking or attribution... some might call that war. your take? - dave mcclure
I take it then, from this little tidbit thatn the Seagate logo on Scobleizer will soon be changed to a TechCrunch one? Let's all be honest here... the majority of the companies that come out of any launch even (yes, even DEMO) will have about the same effect as launching the Titanic. Only because TC scheduled on top of DEMO, all the companies will get even less attention. The dumbest thing any start-up can do is launch in this mess this fall. - Cyndy
Cyndy: it might be dumb to me and you but several really great new companies are coming out at TC50 and several pretty good new companies are coming out at Demo that I've seen. Agree with you, though, if your goals are PR it's going to be hard to break through at either of these shows. - Robert Scoble
And I'm not paid by TC50 nor do I have any financial consideration for talking about them or being on their panel. Seagate sponsors me and I appreciate that very much because it lets me do a range of things outside of Silicon Valley (we're heading to Seattle tonight and Berlin tomorrow). - Robert Scoble
@dave: my 'take' is we always attribute. it's our editorial policy (and I should know, as an editor). any time we don't link or attribute to another blog means we received the tip or story from our editorial inbox. that's been the policy since long before I came on board. some may disagree with the methods we used in the past on *how* we attribute, and that method was updated many months ago (we ridded ourselves of the [via] link in favor of in-line linking). - Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins
Cyndy: I think that's well off. There's so many investors and influential individuals at these events that getting a few of them on board or interested is worth their time. A few will get the PR boost too, but that's not always the goal...This week isn't a mess. Hell, the competition is going to shine a bigger spotlight on both conferences, especially TC50, since it will win. - Ben Parr
@leather: before pete was a rock-star, he was a blogger. :-) - Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins
@robert: I understand you're not paid by TC, but you're on the judging panel, chosen by Mike, presumably. That doesn't make you particularly impartial in the TC50 v Demo debate. - Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins
scoble - not sure how you can declare TC the winner when neither conference has announced companies yet, much less occurred.. Seems to me the best way to pick a "winner" is to wait for the conferences to actually take place. Attendees and press at both events can make their own determinations - Carla Thompson
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Robert your reasoning makes my head hurt. TC50 picked the same dates "to attack DEMO," so DEMO should have changed their dates? If DEMO had moved their dates up to avoid a conflict, isn't TC50's next logical move to change their dates again to force a conflict? I understand it's business, but there *is* a difference between a fair fight and attempted murder, between healthy competition and global thermonuclear war, between being tough and being a complete asshole. If TC50 is as wonderful as you say it is, surely a few days difference doesn't determine whether it lives or dies. - Karim
How can you expect someone with a limited intellect like Scoble to put together a rational argument? - Leather Donut
Oi, google shares seem to have the most amount of poster/author identity confusion. - Hao Chen
@Cathryn I beleive the post is by David Griner - Shey
ask chris brogan, and countless evangelists .. :-) - Gregory Lent
"This question isn’t an academic one for me. As of yesterday, I am officially the Social Media Strategist for ... " ... yikes, strategy no less. in capital letters. means assaults, campaigns, all the war vocabulary that leads to what? casualties? victims? targets? god save us from people trying to save us via social media. - Gregory Lent
I'm lovin' this .... News later this week :) - Charlie Anzman
"Early stage venture firm Y Combinator, which has funded over a 102 young startups, has “open sourced” the legal documents that they provide to their startups to use as they seek additional funding. The documents were created with their law firm, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati" - Paul Buchheit
via Bookmarklet
Paul Graham is doing a terrific job. FEw days ago, for thr first time, they published a document showing what kind of startup ideas they particularly look for, and now this!!! Cool. - Hayk Hakobyan
Somehow that number doesn't pass the smell test - Brian Sullivan
It's not the 50,000 falls while he was learning I worry about. It's the 500 he will take now that he is big, fast and clumsy. He seems more so near walls and large posts in the ground. - Sean Brady
"Why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up again." - Dr. Thomas Wayne - Craig Ritchie
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Brian, if a baby learns to stand up and walk well over a 9 month period or approx 270 days, this would yield about 185 falls per day on average. I bet there's a logarithmic drop off of falls, however, but oh well. I've seen babies do a pop up and down thing early on which could easily skew the average. Anyway, 185 drops on ave does sound a little high, but it may be at the right magnitude. 18 drops a day on average sounds a little low, but who knows. What's interesting is to think about all the learning that's going on. - Loren Heiny
i think you could replace the word "babies" with "entrepreneurs" or "startups" and the 50,000 number would be just about right. - dave mcclure
I had problems, but they have been very quickly fixed, and now works a charm. - Chris Nixon
Read a bit about it, seems like it could be something to try out now, why not... - Zu aka ElijahBailey
There was basically no documentation at first. Got through the install, then brought WordPress comments into Disqus. Nothing seemed to happen. a few hours later, they started showing in the moderation queue. I think it's all there now: excellent - Chris Baskind
Yeah, just finished a basic setup, its effective and simple, well integrated. The 'generic' code looks good too. I think this will be nice to integrate syncing a local WordPress with the online storage as the ultimate painless processing. Wow. - Zu aka ElijahBailey
Bayscan list got wind of it by way of someone in Sacramento who heard Santa Clara County Fire Dispatch. I got IM'd and saw it covered on KPIX (live feed and a report from 20 minutes prior). Posted to Twitter + FF. - Eric Rice
Whoa! Glad to hear no injuries reported. Hope the damage isn't too bad. Some people's lives are going to suck for the next little while... - Josh Bancroft
oh no. Cupertino rarely has fires. My hometown :( - Akshay Dodeja
SJFD is also responding-- not sure about the Mutual Aid borders - Eric Rice
So now people are chasing fires on FriendFeed and Twitter? - Rob Safuto
@Rob. I think its the 'I want to be first with news' syndrome that blogging and web2.0 has created! - Steve 'Chippy' Paine
We could certainly report everything via Twitter given the ability to send updates SMS web. The question is this. Should everything we see or hear about be rebroadcast via the web? Where is the line drawn? - Rob Safuto
Yeah I dunno about that LAFD twittering... it's like a weird false sense of security. Feels good, looks good-- useless. I will defer my opinion to those much more qualified than me to weigh in on it. - Eric Rice
i like the LAFD tweets, they helped me on my metblog post on a local fire. especially since the contact at the firehouse never got back to me. - Faboo Mama
From the article: "I completely believe the accounts that claim he’s a pervert, and seeing as he’s from San Francisco, I find it highly surprising he was taking pictures of girls instead of guys." - Chris Baskind
stupid thing. It was an hilarious rebuttal and it came up with a dupe so I agreed to the dupe, and it didn't link back to the article. - Cyndy
All fixed and un-dugg. Sorry for the interruption... back to teeth in herring cans. :D - Cyndy
Wait, *this* guy? I just saw thirty seconds of his "I hate the military and don't support the troops" speech. Uhm... - Pete Delucchi
oh gods... Crook? Shock net ass who tried to make all Gulf War Syndrome sufferers(you remember us peeps from the first GW, right?) seem crazy for having a bunch of diagnosable and undiagnosed symptoms, syndromes, conditions, and ailments. Michael Crook can kiss my sweaty ass. Don't believe a word he prints, says, or posts. Some of it may be true by accident, but don't make the mistake of citing him or giving him credit for anything but bullshit /rant - Michael W. May
This is also the guy who abused the DMCA (not that it's a hard thing to do). The EFF handed his ass to him in court. - flammable
Incidentally, this shows how much damage SF MoMA is doing to itself by delaying its official response. The longer they wait, the more opportunities for "friends" like this guy to fill the void. - Ontario Emperor
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Apparently he doesn't like being linked to, either. Schadenfreude, anyone? - Mavericks of Troy, NV!
On top of that, I have to say, I went poking around his website, what a vile, vile little man. - Mavericks of Troy, NV!
Attempts to go to the article are now redirected. It's actually a pity; I'd like for SF MoMA to know who is coming to its defense as it remains silent itself. I don't think they want Michael Crook filling the vacuum. - Ontario Emperor
Thats even better news! Fresh Air FTW! How did you do it? - Akshay Dodeja
I'm spamming FF & Twitter, so I can't go back on my word LOL - Mona N.
Good stuff - congrats! I quit two and half years ago. One of the best things I ever did. Just kept chanting to myself "stinky-smelly-not-attractive" - Patricia Hanrahan
Thank you! I'm armed with TONS of bubble gum. Patricia: BEST ADVICE EVER - Mona N.
i never smoked a normal cigarette in my life. Only joints and shisha ! Congrats Mona on that decision, although my personal perspective is somewhat different in that regard! - Hayk Hakobyan
good luck, I hope you warned your friends how grumpy you will be in three days. - Bjorn Stromberg
Me? Grumpy? No way. I think, therefore, I am. I'm happy... therefore, I will be...? Or Jedi Mind tricks. Anyone know Jedi Mind tricks?? - Mona N.
:) Also sounds trite but take it one week at a time. It becomes a bit of a goal then. 'I've been 2 wks without one, I *will* make it to three' - it was when I figured out, hey, its been six wks since I've had a smoke I knew I'd made it. Still had to keep chanting though! - Patricia Hanrahan
I already set up a Google calendar... LOVE the internet! - Mona N.
i like to joke telling to those who wanna quit smoking, "your body is going to disappear one way or another. now, why deprive your body and mind of pleasures of life for something as transient as health? it would be pity to die healthy!" - Hayk Hakobyan
Now that I PSA'd it, I can't go back on my word! I'm excited :D. Thanks, Mitch! - Mona N.
I quit and started running to physically torture myself, so I could psychologically tell myself that if I started smoking again, it would be harder. - Pokai
As in, jogging? Oh wow. Exercise... that's something else I need to work on. Babysteps.... - Mona N.
yes, jogging. if not jogging, just insert something to preoccupy your mind (maybe not chocolate malt balls) - Pokai
And Mona :) start reading "Will to Power" of Nietzsche in case you didnt!! will give you all mental food for keeping on "torturing" yourself! - Hayk Hakobyan
Pokai & Hayk: Noted. I'm going to need all the support I can get. So tahnk you, for the advice! - Mona N.
Cold Turkey? The first 72hrs are the worst! All easy after that. Stick with it. I did it last Oct and never looked back! Good luck to you! - Jay Martin
Mona, best of luck to you. May ask what brand you've been smoking? It may seem irrelevant, but many national brands have additional additives that make withdrawal even worse. Gum will help, but also find something to do for 5 minutes each time you get a craving (as that's about how long they last): make tea, take a walk, round of stretching. Something to keep you busy that 5 minutes. - Stupid Blogger (aka Tina)
Welcome to the club LOSERFACE!! The first 48 hours was the hardest for me. That was only because I went to a party in that time, and traditionally drinking = smoking. I was fine after that though. I still have yet to take a single drag. I hope you stick with it and don't end up like my other friends, who have quit at least 4 times within the time that I've quit. LOL - Louie
frankly, i was so taken with my work and books that olympics was totally out of my head, i only had a link in my mind for 2010 for olympics. I was only reminded of it when i read news that Olympics Coke Ad campaign will be designed by a 25-year old Israeli. - Hayk Hakobyan
OH SH*T! I'm getting a cramp in my right index finger. I don't know if I can make it, gang... I just don't know. - l0ckergn0me
Shame, it has been great so far. GB getting our first gold in the cycling was a real thriller. Looked like Cook had lost it but pulled it back in the final stages. Swimming records being smashed all over the shop, some great finals coming up. Found the synchronized diving unexpectedly enjoyable to watch! Plenty more treats on the way. Must admit im not a big athletics fan though. You must be a real couch potato to not find even one sport of interest - maybe one day they'll have a competitive computing title ;)! GL with the record :) - Winston
I'm boycotting them, too. Although I should've stocked up on Coca-Cola beforehand. - Chris Kim A
While I'm not boycotting, I'm just not interested. Let's face it, if I were interested, others may be too, and then there'd be professional versions of these sports. For amateur baseball I can go to any little league field, and for soccer I can um, I suppose find somewhere to play because I cannot bear to watch it on television. - Jay Wiegmann
I'm going for the gold for the most watched Olympic coverage. And loving every minute of it! - RaAusar Powers
I vote fail for twittering about the Olympics. No acknowledgment of the Olympics would have been mightier. - Darian Rawson
you've got to watch Phelps. It's the law. - john conroy
Forget Phelps, cheer on the women's soccer, softball, volleyball and field hockey teams that they only air between midnight and 7am here. Why is it only women's gymnastics gets any 'team' love? The girls need more love than the 'redeem' team that makes millions and we see on TV all the time. - Jen Kuiper
that was too funny. I hope your training was good enough to hold you strong. - Gaje Master
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