Google Is Evil, Bloglines, Free Pass To SMX Local

Google Is Evil. Again. Yawn.

Cory Doctorow had all the conspiracy theorists worked up today with Scroogled, a fiction piece he wrote for Radar Online about the Google of the future. In the story (and that’s all it is, people, a story), Cory writes about what the world would look like if Google was nefariously working with the DHS and in control of your entire life. Muahaha!

To honest, the whole story is kind of frightening. It shows a world in which citizens disappear for no reason and the security people at the airport can question you about the things you’ve searched for online and the contents of your email. They can’t actually see your search data or read your emails, of course (that would be illegal), but they do have access to the ads you were shown. It’s up to you to explain why Google thought you would be interested in ads for model rocketry. And you better be able to…

I read Cory’s story and giggled, but of course there were others who read more into it and got out the tin foil. To that I say: We’ve already had this discussion! Google is not evil. They’re not too powerful. They are not Big Brother. Michael Gray just needs more hobbies.

Bloglines Takes The Morning Off

So how did you spend your Monday morning, the morning that’s arguably the busiest of the whole week? I spent mine visiting each one of my blog feeds individually. Fun, right? Actually, no, it’s not, but I had no other choice since Bloglines decided to take the morning off, as it does periodically. I’m sorry, guys, but this is really unacceptable.

I think I’ve been pretty vocal about my Bloglines love. I have not switched over to Google Reader like Susan, Barry Schwartz and other sane people have. I heart Bloglines and I’m sticking with it. For me, the UI is better, the shortcuts are better and it just feels like home. But then it dies and makes me want to hurt it. Hard.

Bloglines, I live and breathe on my ability to access my RSS feeds. Being informed is my job. When you go down, my morning pretty much stops because it means I have to navigate to each of my blogs individually. That takes A. Lot. Of. Time. Time, that on a Monday morning, I don’t have. Your new beta version is great. It’s probably a little more than I need, but others love it, so I can forgive all the new features that I’ll never use. There are, however, two things that I absolutely must have from you if we’re going to be BFFs.

1. I need Bloglines to work. Always.
2. I need it to be quick to update.

They are the only two things that I need and yet they’re the two things Bloglines seems to have the most trouble with. Sort it out, guys. I’m begging you.

[/end rant]

FREE Pass to SMX Local and Mobile!

Pat Sexton is offering up a free pass to next month’s SMX Local and Mobile show in Denver, Colorado. All you have to do is leave a comment or drop him an email explaining why you deserve the ticket more than anyone else in the whole entire world. Your answer can be humorous, clever, and/or serious, just make sure it’s compelling. And, since we’re talking about Pat, I’d say that mentioning alcohol or alluding to how much alcohol you’re going to enjoy while in Denver may not hurt your chances, it may actually help. Good luck!

And while we’re talking about SMX shows, it’s worth noting that SMX Social Media Marketing is taking place in NYC on Oct. 16-17 and tickets are going fast. There are some great speakers in line for this one so you better act soon!

Fun Finds

TechCrunch shows you how to follow the TechCrunch40 conference online if you’re not lucky enough to be there in person.

Muhammed Saleem authored 4 Reasons To Write On The Weekend and 4 Posts To Do It With in case you’re not blog-obsessed enough.

And bloggers should also check out Performancing’s 27 Tips for Building a Kick-Ass blog.

Lisa Barone is a writer, content marketer & VP of strategy at Overit Media. She's also a very active Twitterer, much to the dismay of the rest of the world.

See Lisa's author page for links to connect on social media.