"Maybe that will sway Anna... just fwd'd your comment to her :) We primarily communicate via GMail's integration with Voice now since our iPhones are becoming worse and worse at actually allowing for voice/txt communications. I took her to the local Vz store the day the Droid came out and have been pushing hard since... will keep you posted!"
- Sam Harrelson
"Maybe that will sway Anna... just fwd'd your comment to her :) We primarily communicate via GMail's integration with Voice now since our iPhones are becoming worse and worse at actually allowing for voice/txt communications. I took her to the local Vz store the day the Droid came out and have been pushing hard since... will keep you posted!"
- Sam Harrelson
"I'm so jealous. I've been trying to talk Anna into going (back) to Verizon and just eat the cancellation fee for our craptastic ATT coverage here in Western North Carolina (which might as well be Timbuktu on an ATT coverage map since we barely have EDGE and 3G is in perpetual "3-6 months away"). Regardless, keep the posts coming."
- Sam Harrelson
"Of course I know lists can/will be gamed. That's why I put "at the moment" and "that will change and evolve." More importantly, the only folks wringing their hands over this issue are people over-obsessed with vanity and perceived influence. As I said above, "Enjoy the feature for what it can be for you.""
- Sam Harrelson
"You've been reading too much Chris Brogan. The follower count has always been a dubious way to gauge whether someone has influence or is worth following. We all know it's incredibly easy to manipulate those follower counts and 75% of the "followers" are either bots or folks who don't give attention anyway. Lists solves that problem in my book. Am I inclined to think that someone is more authoritative on a topic or in a community because they are on a number of different lists? Yes, because it's a more organic way (at the moment) of issuing something like pagerank or quality score. Of course that will change and evolve just as Twitter continues to change and evolve. Don't forget, following someone is an exclusionary act itself. So, having that number of followers and followings can be seen as trying to prop up the strawman of an A List if you go down that path. So, stop worrying and love the bomb. Enjoy the feature for what it can be for you."
- Sam Harrelson
Can't please everyone," isn't just an aphorism, it's the secret of being remarkable. via sethgodin.typepad.com The older I get, the more I agree with this sentiment. Permalink | Leave a comment »
- Sam Harrelson
Strange family tradition we Harrelson's have is to gorge on pickeled peppers with every meal. Obviously, Anna hates this... but yum! Sent from my iPhone Permalink | Leave a comment »
- Sam Harrelson
Haha, yeah, probably not. Except maybe Debate team. I did that in HS, and track too, I guess. On second thought, of course I can. I am, after all, a Renaissance Man.
- Thomas Whitley
I'm dead serious about this! If you don't go off to PhD work next year, you're working for AHS (or Asheville Classical... I can't decide).
- Sam Harrelson
from email
How long would a project like this actually take to get under way for real? Don't you need space, investors, students, etc?
- Thomas Whitley
I'm hearing 18 months until things can open in a leased space and around 5-10 years after for a building.
- Sam Harrelson
from email
What prompted this idea? Just wondering. I love it. Seriously, let me know how I can help. And hey, as soon as my ever-elusive Google Wave invite gets to me we can collaborate on there about all of this, with logo ideas, etc.
- Thomas Whitley
I've always had this (I thought out-of-reach) dream. I never realized folks would actually encourage it. Anna literally started crying when I asked for her thoughts b/c she said it was perfect for me/us.
- Sam Harrelson
from email
That's a huge vote of confidence. Well, I do really like the idea. Is there anything like it in the Asheville area currently?
- Thomas Whitley
nope... there's Art Space Charter for grades 1-6 but nothing in the 8-12 Upper School market.
- Sam Harrelson
from email
I love the social web and the incredible apps that have come along these last five years. However, I also love my independence. There’s something to the “Coral Reef” idea that Dave Winer spoke of in regards to Twitter a couple of years back that appeals to me in terms of net identity. I like to think of samharrelson.com as my digital coral reef that provides the biosphere and anchor for all the species of web apps that make up my online content ecosystem. That’s the hope here. via samharrelson.com I got the two confused for a while. My blog and home is at samharrelson.com. This space is for other purposes (more on that soon). There's a fine, but definite, line to be observed. Permalink | Leave a comment »
- Sam Harrelson
We're sorry, access to http://twitter.com/samharr... has been blocked by the site owner via robots.txt. via web.archive.org Boo. Permalink | Leave a comment »
- Sam Harrelson
Last week I traveled to Washington D.C. with my 8th grade students for the annual class trip. Of course, we had an amazing time and learned a little on the way. However, the fascinating part for me was a little experiment I held with the folks we left behind on our trip. Throughout the four days of our trip, I sent out status updates, pictures and information to our class blog's Twitter and Facebook accounts. It was (I think and have heard) a great success. Here's to hoping that this paves the way for better usage and understanding of how these social media tools can aid in classroom curriculum enrichment and engagement at our little Kingdom of the Just in Spartanburg, SC. Permalink | Leave a comment »
- Sam Harrelson
Credit: NASA History Gallery Circling the Earth every 96- 98 minutes, Sputnik sent a “beep-beep” radio signal which was picked up by scientists and ham radio operators all over the Earth. Sputnik transmitted until October 26, 1957, when it went silent, having depleted its battery power. It re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere January 4, 1958, and was destroyed in the atmosphere. via tomsastroblog.com And my new ringtone is the Sputnik signal. Permalink | Leave a comment »
- Sam Harrelson
I feel so bad I don't have enough Google Wave invites for everyone I'd love to spread them to... hopefully the invites will roll out quickly. Meanwhile, thanks to Google for making the interwebs fun again :) Permalink | Leave a comment »
- Sam Harrelson
Per Steve Rubel and developer Jesse Grosjean's suggestions, I've been giving WriteRoom on the iPhone a try this afternoon for my rapid mobile note taking needs. First, I take lots of notes and need an app that loads quickly, syncs to the cloud and is stable. WriteRoom seems to do all that and more. I had been using Simplenote for this capability but after a few hours, I'm sold. Not to mention, WriteRoom syncs incredibly well with TextExpander (haven't tried it yet on the iPhone?... you're missing out). As someone who spends an inordinate and overwhelming amount of time using the iPhone as a primary computing device for high intensity needs (like being a paperless teacher), I have to say that WriteRoom is my new fav app. I can't wait to see how well it works on our class field trip to Washington D.C. next week! Permalink | Leave a comment »
- Sam Harrelson
I've been using Simplenote more and more after first flirting with the service in July. However, I always have my iPhone on my person while at school and I'm constantly needing to "scribble" down notes and information from students or other teachers and Simplenote has been a great addition to my sanity arsenal. However, I keep hearing great things about WriteRoom from folks like Steve Rubel. Anyone have a preference? I'm needing: - Hassle free note taking - Web sync - Ease of Use Simplenote solves those issues for me, but I want to make sure I'm not missing out by not using WriteRoom. Permalink | Leave a comment »
- Sam Harrelson
I believe this truth—that people want to learn about scientific discoveries, the systematic exploration of our material world—carries with it an opportunity for journalism to improve itself and in some sense to remake itself. An opportunity for journalism? I hear some of you ask. Who cares about opportunities for journalism? Well, I think we should all care about the future health and quality of this particular business. It is, like it or not, the disposable addition to our education that either lands on the doorstep, or pops up on the computer screen, every day. via theamericanscholar.org Head over and read the entire essay... good thoughts. Permalink | Leave a comment »
- Sam Harrelson