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The Twitter Diaries: 2009-08-09: CO

August 9, 2009 Deirdre Straughan Leave a comment

^ This would be overdone even in Switzerland – but it’s in Vail.

slept til 9 am – that is so unlike me! #
ah, now this is more like summer. I’d better go for a walk before temp hits the 90s today. #
@nonstick LOL! Sometimes the only answer is “Because that would have messed up the story the author wanted to tell.” in reply to nonstick #
Ross tells me that Indian culture is penetrating Italy: Jai Ho! is popular at dance clubs #
@bklein34 TEDIndia would be my ideal occasion! Hmm. Chris Anderson, distinguished Woodstock alum, hmm… <plotting> in reply to bklein34 #
RT @KathySierra: How do cos justify $$$ on marketing/ads while product/svc on life-support? Isn’t great prod/svc/support the BEST marketing? #
putting together a wine cork board is tricker than it looks. #
just to add to my communications overload, I’m back on IRC for the first time in years. Gotta be where (more of) my peeps are! #
I have yet to reach the point where exercise feels good, but at least it feels better than no exercise. A walk in the Colorado twilight. #
damn, this Strengths Finder assessment is better than a horoscope #
argh. it’s midnight and tomorrow is Monday. Must. Stop. Now. #
RT @guardiantech: Can the web save Italy’s artisanal food producers? http://bit.ly/1SduaG #
@nonstick my major non-strength is ironing. Tho not too crazy about housecleaning, either. in reply to nonstick #
nothing like starting my day feeling stupid thanks to technology #
from the not-so-evil empire: Sara Ford’s Weblog : OSCON 2009: One of the greatest weeks in my Microsoft Career http://bit.ly/182bWU #
this performance map business is hard. Can’t we just say I do stuff superbly and leave it at that? #
item on FakeSteveJobs reminded me that somone had recently told me about this very funny video: http://bit.ly/1dLtW0 #
ooookkkkayyy… that is not the result I was expecting for that particular search. Apparently Google is omniscient. #
when a community (even of friends) is based around one personality, and that personality goes rogue, the whole community hurts #
@zephoria I hope that doesn’t translate into automatically assuming that older=rigid, in adaptable, etc. That’s not always the case in reply to zephoria #
@Roam2Rome enjoy your paleness now – 20 years from now people will be complimenting you on your youthful complexion. in reply to Roam2Rome #
@gpelz I’ve seen them fail twice at crucial moments, and been told that htey are not at all discriminating in the sound they pick up. in reply to gpelz #
@trine crazy. Life’s too short for conservative hair. in reply to trine #
…and I’m still looking for a sufficiently non-conservative hairdresser in Boulder/Denver area… #
@Kimbirly can”t DM if you’re not following me in reply to Kimbirly #
UStream doesn’t save chat streams for you. FAIL #
@lbridenne76 it’s really bad when you don’t know about that limitation in advance… #Ustream in reply to lbridenne76 #
@Roam2Rome worked for me: rarely tanned (just not capable), never smoked, drink lots of water. in reply to Roam2Rome #
two nights of inadequate sleep are catching up. But overall mood is… happy, actually. #
whoever invented various & noisy forms of motorized transport for the underage set should be shot. Forthwith. #
@DavidStrauss having trouble finding one as creative as the one I like in Austin. I came out looking like Hilary Clinton last time. in reply to DavidStrauss #
(nothing against Hilary, but her hairstyle is not for me) #
@msgilligan Anyone who thinks Hilary is a little old lady has another think coming. in reply to msgilligan #
Wow, slept the night through, which almost never happens naturally. Something new in my environment appears to be good for me. #
@briansolis your reference to “Deirdre and I” threw me there for a minute. I’m pretty sure the book I wrote wasn’t with you. ; ) in reply to briansolis #
@ThinGuy seems reasonable to me. Haven’t you ever wondered what the inside of a washing machine would feel like? in reply to ThinGuy #
like mother, like daughter: Ross is thinking seriously about going to Australia next (northern) winter, to work with horses. #
listening to a preso on career transition #
relieved to hear that the old “send your resume around” is out of style – it never worked for me #
what on this MacBook is snorting at me? #
oh, damn, the elevator pitch. My career/job doesn’t condense that well #
Req for feedback: I made up “social media producer” as part of my title. Is that instantly understandable? #
@bklein34 wrote: @DeirdreS It does: I tell stories with video. I tell them in a human way that makes tech come alive to broad audiences. And I innovate.
@bklein34 wow, thanks, I love that! Can I quote you? ; ) in reply to bklein34 #
@bklein34 wrote: @DeirdreS Of course! I think what you do is so amazing!
“keep your online presence professional”. Okay, as long as you don’t consider the Italian slang dictionary unprofessional… #
@c_bright “content” clarifies but also restricts. I’m both producing the content and managing/strategizing the whole, um, performance in reply to c_bright #
@bklein34 thanks! I do love it, so am working on getting to keep on doing it. in reply to bklein34 #
despite major life complications, feeling optimistic, even giddy. #
@c_bright Done right, social media can require quite a lot of production! What Iâ€™m Doing in Brisbane http://bit.ly/DdzAt #
@ethang don’t think I have a photo unless you’re in here somewhere, may have video – editing that soon http://bit.ly/19izB3 #
@ethang sorry, I only seem to have vid of you from the neck down… Vid of me would be great – it’s rare! in reply to ethang #
finally working on drafts of the FISL interviews (all in Br. Portugese) #
FT.com / Europe – “…the â€œsystemâ€ in Italy, where businessmen pay women to entertain politicians.” http://bit.ly/FCytt #
guaranteed to raise a smile: http://bit.ly/1fg4zd – the music is Dhoom Tana from “Om Shanti Om” #
blog post: Reflections on My Career http://bit.ly/U8jWP #
@mjabali Thanks. If you find the model helpful, let me see what you do with it – I’d be curious to compare others. in reply to mjabali #
I would almost have to let this spammer slip by for being smart. #
weird. OGB meeting call kept getting “hello? hello?” interruptions in Spanish or Portugese. Who did they think they were calling? #
short on sleep again. It’s Thursday. #
trying to figure out how to get last.fm to actually play the song I want. The stuff they’re suggesting is good, but why be a tease about it? #
it’s Friday and things are a little weird. But I’m on vacation. That’s plus. #
it is so unlike me to lose things when I travel, but it’s been happening a lot lately. Damn. Gonna miss those Steve Madden gel flats. #
@jtroyer re UStream this might help, and there are a couple of other notes about UStream on my blog – Un Posto al Sole http://bit.ly/3W3VL #
@jeffreytaylor Can I just marry you? Oh, wait, I think you’re already taken. in reply to jeffreytaylor #
hitting the road that points west. Dillon CO tonight, after that no precise plans. Except to be largely offline. Ciao, tweeps! #
Picnic lunch before a hike on Dillon lake #

2 hr hike, HP6 (E hadn’t seen it), now dinner, soon sleep. Because that’s enough activity for a vac day! #
Damn. All the neighbors in Dillon sure are stingy with their wifi #
Vaca reading choices: the Penguin historyof the US, or The Virgin’s Lover (another Philippa Gregory Tudor potboiler). Hmm. #
Ross also saw HP6 this aft, says it was awesome in 3D Imax. I admit I spent most of my 2nd viewing thinking about other things. #
Both slept badly, maybe due to altitude and dryness. At least with jetlag E wakes up as early as I do so we’ll hit the road soon. #
Vail looks enough like Cortina that I don’t need to see any more. Not that I’ve spent a lot of time in Cortina. #
At 12095 ft Independence pass was too high for me – dizzy! #
Now in Aspen, another place for people with more money than sense, apparently. Must get a photo of Snark St – too appropriate for my mood. #

@familyonbikes I wasn’t on a bike, fortunately. Doubt I’ll ever be on that kind if shape in reply to familyonbikes #
“you’re holding up better than any other 46 year old I know” is not the romantic compliment I was looking for. #

US travel

Arches National Park

August 9, 2009 Deirdre Straughan Leave a comment

^ top: Underside of Turret Arch

travel in India, Woodstock School

Woodstock Nostalgia: 1980

August 6, 2009 Deirdre Straughan Leave a comment

Deirdre at the Taj – several sets of tourists took photos of me sitting there, much to my puzzlement.

Winter Tour gang at a railway station somewhere.

Getting ready to board a boat on the Ganga at dawn.

what I do

My Career Strengths

August 5, 2009 Deirdre Straughan Leave a comment

What are some qualities about myself that are important/useful in my working life?

I thrive on interacting with people, especially from a wide range of cultures. NB: I speak fluent Italian (I can understand a lot of Spanish and French as well), used to be fluent in Hindi. I have spent significant portions of my life in Italy and India. Love to travel, anywhere and everywhere.

I think in terms of cultures, and am good at interpreting different cultures to each other (this applies to corporate / workgroup cultures as well as national ones).

I believe that everyone has an interesting story, and I love to help them tell it. This genuine interest in people makes me a great customer advocate. Having listened carefully, I bring their concerns and needs back to those who can act on them.

I connect people to each other. When someone tells me about a problem or challenge they are dealing with, or a skill or asset they have, I think: “What can I do, who do I know, to help this person achieve their goal?” Or: “How can this skill / asset be applied to a problem I’m aware of?” If I don’t have an immediate answer, I soon start noticing new things / people that could fit. Finding such solutions, e.g. putting the right bunch of people together to tackle a problem, thrills me. It feels like amazing luck sometimes, but it’s really about knowing many people, and being awake to the possibilities that each represents.

I’m constantly thinking about how things could be made better: products, processes, communications, organizations. I find new ways to solve problems.

I embrace and enjoy change.

I’m self-winding: I don’t have a problem with taking direction, but I go along fine without it; I will always think of something to do that’s useful and to the point.

I get along well with geeks. (I am one!)

What tasks have I enjoyed most in my various jobs?

Communicating. This has taken various forms: technical writing, web content, web applications, training, video. I constantly try new tools and methods to see how they answer different communications problems. Social media is simply another set of tools, and I’m an active user. On Twitter I’m @deirdres.

Translating. Not so much translating from one language to another, as translating from one culture or mind-set to another, e.g. helping explain user requirements to engineers, and helping engineers design or document their work so that users can better understand it.

Designing / improving user interfaces, including the interface between customers and companies. Everything a company does that touches a customer is part of their user experience, and I love opportunities to improve that.

Explaining / teaching, whether through documentation, presentation, teaching, or simply sharing what I know individually – I enjoy using my knowledge to help others.

Event planning. I like designing events for specific technical communities, from the overarching vision through speaker list and session flow to the nitty-gritty details, making it all come together, and ensuring that it runs smoothly on the day(s).

Measuring. I analyze, getting at real numbers (as far as possible) to help me understand what’s working and what isn’t. I’m not afraid to change my ideas when the numbers prove me wrong.

What should I avoid?

Routine. As soon as something is routine to me, I’m ready for a change. I get interested in something, see how it could be usefully applied in my life / work, learn it, do it. Then I document it, share it, teach it, hand if off – and I’m ready to learn something new. This cycle can take years, depending on the material, but once I have mastered a thing, I want to do something different.

For a more standard resume with the details of where I’ve done all this stuff, go here.

The original impetus for this (when I wrote it in August, 2009):

As someone who may be seeking a new job soon, it behooves me to prepare myself for a possible job search. Which is something I’m really, really bad at. I’m very good at doing jobs once I get them, but clueless and inept when it comes to seeking them.

The process would be easier if my experience included anything that fit neatly into established categories, but I’ve always stretched my jobs well beyond their initial descriptions. Those bosses who let me out of the box (I’ve been lucky – most have) were happy with the results. But it makes explaining what I do in my current job, or imagining what I’d like to do in future jobs, a bit tricky.

Instead of trying to identify a specific job or category to try to fit into, I might more productively reflect on the strengths and skills I’ve brought to and taken from my jobs to date, to help potential future employers picture me as part of their organizations.

bio

The Twitter Diaries: 2009-08-02: TN, CO

August 2, 2009 Deirdre Straughan Leave a comment

Offline all wkd at a woodstock school reunion on a lake in tennesee. Fantastic time. We’ve gone in so many directions, yet are so much alike #
Arrived Denver after 5 weeks away. I can has sleep now? #
Vishal’s new film isn’t quite out yet, but the music’s great (and a friend is in it) Dhan Te Nan Aaja Aaja http://bit.ly/VrOwf #
reunion weekend was great, but bummed that my new O’Reilly t-shirt got lost (probably blew off the boat). I love that aye-aye critter. #
@lbridenne76 would those be my videos? in reply to lbridenne76 #
RT @Fassbinder: listening to “Squallor – Usa For Italy (1985)” â™« http://blip.fm/~apfot ROTFL – translating now! #
“welcome home – now leave so we can show the house to a prospective buyer” – argh! #
@llcrowe and tomorrow I can look forward to REdoing the expense report from hell because IT was absolutely no help with the corrupted file in reply to llcrowe #
@timbray The condescending articles about Twitter seem to be written by people who have hardly used it. That kids don’t Tweet is not news. in reply to timbray #
airplane reading this last trip was “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.” Weird, gorey, funny – but it probably helps to be a huge Austen fan. #
my neighbors on Wisteria Lane wake me with their chat (and yappy dog) as they pass the house on their early-morning jog. Ah, suburbia… #
@LusciousPear re hosting video, maybe Kaltura? they were sponsors, should have an interest in #oscon material in reply to LusciousPear #
reduced to doing my expense report in sections – US$ first because that doesn’t involve an exchange rate, which would upset our system #
@monkchips and probably a few atheists, too… ; ) in reply to monkchips #
@Kaltura it’s @LusciousPear who needs help hosting a 1.3 Gb video of his #OSCON preso – thanks! in reply to Kaltura #
finally have time to see which of the 1300 items in each of my emails boxes (work and personal) actually requires action #
it’s very hard to make decisions about the future when you are wallowing in regrets about the past #
RT @mtuckerb: The SETI Institute is looking for a rare individual to support us as OSS Community Manager and Evangelist http://bit.ly/erux3 #
Way to split the country! Italy’s Lega Nord wd require teachers to test in “dialect & traditions” where they teach – http://bit.ly/11RxWN #
@llcrowe I should have specified that it’s not me doing the wallowing! in reply to llcrowe #
@llcrowe only in hot tubs or Calistoga springs mud! in reply to llcrowe #
any Italian history scholar care to respond to this comment? Â» Apologia del Fascismo, in Flagrante http://bit.ly/14yH2p #
good thing I wasn’t planning on sleeping late. Some noisy construction going on nearby. #suburbia #
finishing up the last of the expense report(s) from hell – it’s taken 5 separate reports to get it all through. Now ripping 33 videotapes… #
ANSA.it – News in English – League in school dialect row http://bit.ly/SYj7V #
@italylogue you can file me under “bitching about Italian politics tweeps” #Italy in reply to italylogue #
@juliebenz OTOH, Darla was pretty damned dangerous herself. Hers was the first kill of the entire series. in reply to juliebenz #
apparently Denver is having Portland’s weather, and vice-versa. #
Whoâ€™s afraid of Silvio Berlusconi? | open Democracy News Analysis http://bit.ly/f9VD9 #
See comments: http://bit.ly/153ckc – I begin to wonder if poor English teaching in Italy is yet another semi-planned form of oppression #
What’s really sad in this article http://bit.ly/153ckc are the comments by Italians – begging to be invaded and liberated! #
not having a good night here. #
How to decide how much to reveal about yourself | Penelope Trunk’s Brazen Careerist http://bit.ly/18VKws – okay, now I understand. Whoa. #
“… the Globe and Mail compares Italy to “a military regime,” while the Economist likens it to Colombia. ” http://bit.ly/dsUfc #
@davewiner I LOVED Hypercard, have several times sought and failed to find a replacement. in reply to davewiner #
@Roam2Rome – there is lots to compliment in Italy, but the waste (of human capital and everything else) is appalling. in reply to Roam2Rome #
my video kit has just come back from Australia, with the remaining tapes. 4 more hours of Brendan? didn’t know he talked that much #
RT @DeirdreS: New blog post: Who’s a Guy? http://bit.ly/3FgNIU @jonobacon – you’ll enjoy the irony here #
@jonobacon it usually does… in reply to jonobacon #
trying to figure out what to do for vacation with Enrico, exploring the USA. Suggestions welcome, starting from CO, no planes! #
@markingegno I’m married to a nice, smart Italian mathematician! in reply to markingegno #
@thepartycow re “How are you?” , it’s funny how people freak out if you give anything other than the expected “Oh, fine” answer. in reply to thepartycow #
@plasticbagUK I first ran across you years ago when I found your UI design for collaborative TV watching. Guess I follow you out of habit. in reply to plasticbagUK #
Microsoft @saraford and Sun @bubbva Guitar Heroes at OSCON 2009 Exhibit Hall. http://bit.ly/vFaxy #
This is why Sun gives away so many t-shirts http://bit.ly/3qzxfc #
RT @chrisfaron: Watching: YouTube – #Twitter Cops lol.. ( http://bit.ly/ajAPj ) – HUGE LOL, thanks! #
@ben I realized upon looking at the schedule that there’s 1.25 hours of DTrace alone – I wasn’t there that day, had gone to CA for OSCON in reply to ben #
@adambusch you men do have curious ways of bonding in reply to adambusch #
going to film FROSUG tonight – students presenting on how to do an installer during a 6 week internship #
@Slowfinger quando Ferrara sara’ in grado di diventare incinto (oppore renderlo qualcuno), la sua opinione in merito mi potrebbe interessare in reply to Slowfinger #
want to do something very, very cool this weekend? Project Bandaloop: Workshop Aug. 1-5th http://bit.ly/11wSt7 #
okay, not streaming FROSUG because UStream crashes both Firefox and Safari. WTF? #
I enjoy hearing from people who are clearly reading my (Sun) blog and asking for help with video. #
OTOH, ?s from my personal site like “How much money do I need for a week in Italy?” are getting old. #
@italylogue weird sort of spam. Are you sure it’s not just one confused individual trying to get help? in reply to italylogue #
one highlight of this weekend’s Woodstock School reunion: t-shirts saying “Om Schooled” #
@saraford unattractive? Something wrong with their eyes? Or is it the scary fact that you could kick their butts? ; ) in reply to saraford #
@llcrowe I was the source. We tried it on a different Mac and it still crashed. in reply to llcrowe #
@italylogue Weird way to fill a site, but whatever… in reply to italylogue #
@llcrowe Clay has seen this with changes to Flash – UStream may not test on Macs as quickly as on Windows (it worked on a Lenovo) in reply to llcrowe #
RT @jeffhuber: Happy SysAdminDay. “Thank you for all that you do to keep Corp America and the Internets flowing.” Amen to that! #
@debworks how are they handling the “didn’t want to go to church” part? in reply to debworks #
finally upgraded my iPhone, in hopes of curing a “calls don’t ring” problem #
@BeckyKnightly you are spamming up the wrong tree – I’m a married atheist, and heaven forbid Christians should date each other! ; ) in reply to BeckyKnightly #
@debworks I don’t think this is going to make him like church any better in reply to debworks #
@Shamu gee, I wish I was a celebrity so I could meet the stars at SeaWorld in reply to Shamu #
taking it easy this morning – coffee in bed, finishing a blog post, snarking on Twitter #
@jeffreytaylor “doom porn” – love it! Exactly captures what I’ve been feeling about media coverage of “the current crisis” in reply to jeffreytaylor #
Countries Beginning with I Â» Woodstockers Afloat: Class of â€˜79 Reunion http://bit.ly/2qE9jR #
oh, it’s lunchtime. That would explain why I’m ravenous. #
editing video of a beatnik engineer… puppet #
@ajkeen why shouldn’t a girl want to be a geek? in reply to ajkeen #
@Slowfinger credo di essere su FF, ma non ho ancora capito come utilizzarlo in reply to Slowfinger #
I go thru cycles of repeating meals I like. Right now it’s Indian-style omelets (with onions and cilantro), served Indian style on a bun. #
@nonstick dead easy, too. Fry onions til soft (brown if you prefer) in a little butter, add beaten eggs + a little milk, add fresh cilantro in reply to nonstick #
@nonstick finely chopped hot green pepper if you like as well. Make the omlette thin; when cooked, fold into quarters and put on toasted bun in reply to nonstick #
@nonstick nb – good with ketchup. in reply to nonstick #
@Smokeeater37 the Indians I’ve seen eating them are usually sitting on chairs in a tea shop. Best served with sweet, milky tea. in reply to Smokeeater37 #
pool party today with people who torture fruit flies for a living (CU bio lab). Want to make a summer pasta, can’t find little mozzarella #
Sexist bosses in Italy could face jail: http://bit.ly/fj9Zy – prob w/maternity policy is cos. then don’t hire fertile married women #
RU-486 made legal in Italy – but will it really be possible to get it? based on previous experience… http://bit.ly/8N7U9 #
RT @ringae: Not your father’s javascript: http://bit.ly/mQT5N – funny! #
I really shouldn’t start the weekend reading news about Italy. That just raises my blood pressure. #
planning some actual vacation, starting soon – yay! I adore my job, but admit to being a little burned out right at the moment. #
RT @Britopian: Companies want applicants with social-media skills – Atlanta Journal Constitution http://bit.ly/sCvVe <raising hand> #
did find the mozz – why is cheese in 4 different parts of my local supermarket? grape tomatoes marinated in olive oil, salt & pepper #
tomatoes added to fresh-cooked fusilli, will put fresh basil and mozz in closer to eating time. Also bringing fresh peaches in Merlot #
reminiscences about last weekend’s reunion include: “I always tell people that when I think of home I think of Mussorie.” True for so many. #
@dave_enz LOL! Didn’t mean to catch you out that way. in reply to dave_enz #
the peaches in Merlot were a big hit with the 6-year-old. I DID warn his parents. #
the kid’s name is Logan, apparently popular these days. His parents had not figured out the Wolverine/Hugh Jackman reason for this. #
@reiger up to @macsun Mark, I believe. Out of my hands, I’m afraid. in reply to reiger #
tsk, tsk – these Aussies are so disrespectful
http://bit.ly/T1enY #
cool things Woodstockers are doing: Necessary Angels â€” National Geographic Magazine http://bit.ly/wkdE5 (Shobha Arole) #
Cool things Woodstockers are doing: Joe Pilaar – Bhutan Adventure Guide – National Geographic Adventure Magazine http://bit.ly/HYsen #
cool things Woodstockers are doing: YouTube – project bandaloop http://bit.ly/6a5ZF #
cool things Woodstockers are doing: Chris Anderson shares his vision for TED | Video on TED.com http://bit.ly/JiYa #
@bklein34 I always want to go /back/ to India. <wistfully> in reply to bklein34 #
the relaxing Italian vacation starts with a 30 km traffic jam on a beach-going highway http://bit.ly/7rGII – what’s Italian for “lemming”? #
a man living apart from his wife is pitied and invited to dinners. a woman living apart from her husband eats a lot of meals alone. #

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Deirdré Straughan on Italy, India, the Internet, the world, and now Australia