Rearview Podcamp Pittsburgh 4

These humans just don't get it. They try to get together in their little podcamp sessions to "Learn. Interact. Apply." but what are they really accomplishing?

I'd like to know of just 5 new things to have come out of Podcamp Pittsburgh 4. Can you tell me? Leave a comment or send email to houseforlorn[at]gmail[dot]com.

..HF.

A Beautiful Sunny Fall Day

Yesterday was a beautiful fall day on my hillside.

The grass needs to be cut...

...but I think he's at some human event...

...something called Podcamp Pittsburgh 3...

The following moving pictures might help to describe.

..HF.

Click To Play

logos.blip.tv

Before You Post That Blog Entry...

...make sure you've set up a Google Analytics account.

Why? Well, suppose you have tons of lurking audience members, who aren't sending you e-mails or leaving comments...how do you know they've even been to your site?

When I decided to start House Forlorn, the blog, I consulted with other houses who have websites (there aren't too many of us), and they each have their methods... but they did agree that having some sort of analytic service is a must if you're interested in seeing what sort of community impact you're creating. Remember, a lot of houses out there just don't want other denizens of the net to know that they're just a house, or an apartment, a flat, a bungalow, a penthouse, or some other form of human habitation or accommodation.

The following picture shows a recent shot of my Google Analytics stats.... can you tell when Podcamp Pittsburgh 3 folks starting finding and looking at houseforlorn.blogspot.com? :-)



..HF.

Should I Go to a Podcamp?

Suppose you've heard of a Podcamp in your locale, but just aren't sure if it's right for you.

Is a newspaper right for you?

Is a glass of water right for you?

Is talking to your neighbor right for you?

Then, may I submit, Podcamp is right for you.

How do my three questions relate? Look, I'm a house, so it's unlikely that I'll attend Podcamp Pittsburgh, but my owner (now there's a strange bird) will be in attendance. In fact, he helped out, in a few small ways, with the organizing of Podcamp Pittsburgh...and he'll be presenting on something called podcasting.

If you like what you see in a newspaper, and how it makes you think; if you like what you get out of a glass of water (refreshment, lubrication, renewed outlook on life); if you like talking to folks and learning from them...then learning a bit more about today's mass-communications methods via the internet might be the sort of thing you'd like.

Give it a shot. It'll be in Pittsburgh's Art Institute from 9 am to 4 pm this coming Saturday and Sunday. Its an unconference. What could be more appealing?



..HF.

House Forlorn Podcast Upcoming???

I don't believe it. He was up late last night finding music on the Podsafe Music Network, then playing with it in his music program, and scheming what to do the podcast about.

Me, probably.

But how do you podcast about a forlorn old house, sitting on a hill, waiting for someone to see the faded "For Sale by Owner" sign, actually call the number, and...well, you get the idea. What's to podcast about? Is it just because of the comic I starred in for him last night?



Well, lets see what he does...here's a pic of his music software:



..HF.

PCPGH3 "Friday 5" round 1

Like most American houses connected to the internet, I try to stay up with the times, though the pace of human society sometimes blows me away. I remember, way back in 1929, my fellow houses in the neighborhood...

...but, I digress. A particularly keen human, Ms. Dawn Papuga, is keeping her fellow local bloggers, podcasters and video producers on their social media toes. As I tap into the maelstrom, I've found the following questions she asked of her fellow social media PCPGH3 pals:

1. What brought you to Social Media and what keeps you hanging around?

2. Which social networking tool gives you the shakes when it’s not updated or is experiencing down time? (Podcasts, Blogs, Micro-blogging, etc)

3. What kind of insight could you offer to others on a topic at PCPGH3? If none, then what do you most want to hear more about?

These are really good questions...but does a house really have a right to chime in on human affairs? Alright, I guess I did a wee bit of chiming in yesterday with this lamentation of a particular friend to houses...but really folks, what can I say?

Well, let me at least try.

For the first question, I call on a friend who is comic-stripping these days, down at Pittsburgh's own www.chogger.com:



As for question #2, I have a somewhat unexpected answer: finance.yahoo.com.

We houses have to stick together and keep track of our livelihood. Our stock in trade, so to speak, is our individual and collective valuations, and some of that valuation is tied up in the bank loans that you humans give to each other to buy us. I like to keep up on the human companies who grant these loans, see who might be loaning to fellow humans in my neighborhood, etc...and chat with my fellow houses behind the geise of internet screen-names, etc. After all, on the 'net, as the saying goes, no one really knows that your just a house surfing the 'net.

So, Yahoo!'s finance site is where I like to go for information and community...and it irks me when the site is down (admittedly seldom) or when information on a company's recent SEC filings have not yet made onto the company's Finance set of pages.

As for the third question, what can I offer attendee's of PCPGH3?

Although I'm just a lonely human-built structure up high on a hill, and really cannot attend these events, I suggest you (I presume that my readers are human...if you're another house, lurking behind a computer screen [or tapping in through the packets on those networking cables that humans string through us], drop me a line at houseforlorn[at]gmail[dot]com) make use of these functions to get out and meet with your fellow humans, learn what technologies they're using to communicate with, and become facile with those technologies. This CDO-inspired recession will end sometime, and when it does, these technologies will take the world by storm...or may do so sooner, as they're cheaper to use than a Gulfstream V for gettin' around (not that I could fit on such a small jet...I'd need something a bit bigger, perhaps a Galaxy-class row-boat).

:-)

..HF.

Weekend Work for You

Owner, it's the weekend.

Podcamp Pittsburgh 3 is still a month away, and the Introduction to Social Media sessions at Northland Public Library can wait another 7 days.

You, there, owner. You had fun on the shores of the rivers yesterday, and you're not at work servicing clients, drafting documents and padding the company's bottom line with sales and service fees. You're at home, so do some work on me!

I like the changes to my cover page at houseforlorn.com, but it's time to get off the computer, down on your hands and knees, or up on a ladder and work on me! Clean my windows, scrub my floors, vacuum my floors and carpets, pick up those newspapers (where do they all come from???), pick up those clothes and throw them into the washer! Clean, clean, clean! Quick, while the kid is with the grandparents, while you don't have social media obligations, while the sun is shining and the clouds are at bay!

Get out there and cut the grass. No, it needs no fertilizer or other lawn-care products...just a little T.L.C. Cut the grass, trim the hedges, clean up the pre-fall leaves, sweep the walks...anything to work up a sweat!

In other words, enjoy the weekend. Fortunately, I know you're not a sports nut, so you won't be facing the boob-tube all weekend...but get out there and clean me!

..HF.