Category: Via Geek

I delight in many things geek, like science fiction, things Star Wars and Star Trek, comics, comicons, anime, technology and science. Seattle is a great place to live with those interests.

Seattle’s Vlogger Fair | November 12 & 13

Carl Setzer

I’m playing with taking my aspiring vlogger son to these events, but not sure about the price tag. Though not horribly expensive, I need to be thoughtful of my investments in time and money.

So, any of you going? Who’s been the past ones? Are they worth the investment in time and energy? Should my son and I go to one, or the other…or both?

Let me know in the comments.

 

Star Wars Rebels Season 3 Coming Sept. 24

Carl Setzer

I’m pretty excited about the upcoming Season 3 of Star Wars Rebels. Well crafted and nicely executed, I really enjoy the show. So, I hopped online to learn when I’ll be able to buy the series on iTunes. Most of my Google search, though, reminded me of Disney’s PR snafu last year.

As a long-time cord-cutter, I bought each season on iTunes. Last season’s dividing the season into two payment opportunities annoyed me greatly. Not as much as some people (like these folks), and not enough that I said “screw it”. I paid the dough. But I wonder how often this money grabbing technique will be tolerated. I don’t know how I feel, personally.

Anyway, I’m not sure when season three will be on iTunes, but will be watching closely.

These characters have amazing potential, and I’m really excited to see what the creators have crafted. It’ll be a great couple of months.

Happy 50th Birthday Star Trek

Carl Setzer

So, today is the 50th anniversary of Star Trek’s premier back in 1966. I have no memory of life without Star Trek because, well, there wasn’t a life before Star Trek…for me at least. My 50th anniversary of being ex post utero isn’t for a few more weeks. So, Star Trek has been not just part, but a significant, perhaps the most significant part of my entire memory.

One of my earliest memories is watching the Apollo 11 lunar landing on TV. From that moment on, I was a space nut. All things space, then aircraft delighted me.

With that, my father loved Star Trek. When the programming gods deemed it appropriate to beam the show, our tv was turned to it. Pretty much without fail. Though MASH was a close second.

I don’t remember a first episode. Star Trek was always there. After falling in love with space, though, I would plop down when my dad had the show on. Trying to be non-obtrusive.

Getting older, I connected more and more with the show. The cartoon show helped, but only some. Even the passion that erupted in me for Star Wars didn’t dilute Star Trek. Maybe pushed it to the back for a spell. Battlestar Gallactica, Buck Rogers, no other show displaced it. I remember being asked, when I worked at Microsoft, “Star Wars or Star Trek”. I, in my style, answered “behold my gom jabbar!” I refused to choose one element of sci-fi geekdom. I love them all. But Trek has been there the longest.

After movies, Next Generations, Deep Space stations, journeys of the Enterprise and voyages with Voyager, my delight with the now universe of Star Trek grew deeper and richer. I adore them all.

Science Fiction forms the core of my personal mythology. Both Star Wars and Star Trek exist within the core, the deepest kernel. Delighting in the Jedi way, but also dreaming of attending the Vulcan Science Academy. Deep challenges will always be Kobaysi Maru, and not Jedi Trials.

So, a thanks to Mr. Roddenberry for bringing this whole thing to life. Also, the cast and crew of TOS, and all that followed. My life is unimaginable without you.

Mailchimp Issue: Solved

Carl Setzer

While trying to send out an email this morning I got stuck with this error message.

“Your list has an email type option, so the text part is required”

Mailchimp has settings for each list and the issue is buried in there.

  1. Go to “Lists”
  2. Select the list in question
  3. Then “settings”
  4. Then “List Name and Defaults”
  5. Uncheck “let users pick plain text or html”

That fixed the problem for me and let me send the email.

A Vlog Update: Thankfulness

Carl Setzer1 Comment

One of the challenges I was given recently: capture what you’re thankful for. Deliberately thinking through this really helps build a positive attitude.

A YouTube Video Featuring Me

Carl Setzer

So, my Real Estate team made a video a little while ago and I got some good coverage. I really like the video, crafted by a top quality company. Those are always fun! I love this sort of stuff.

In this video, my team discusses our philosophy around listing, marketing and selling homes, for both sides of the transaction. I think we’re a pretty awesome group!

So, if  you’re thinking about buying, selling or investing in real estate, give us a call. Our team phone number is 360-474-5128, or send us an email. I’m proud of this group and know we’ll treat you the best.

 

I do not mind ads / Just make them work on mobile / Do not break the website

Carl Setzer

First, a quick note about the subject line. A friend challenged me to post on Twitter only in haiku for a day. I thought these subject lines would be fun, too.

Anyway, ads. As I’ve focused the past few years on marketing, I have no issue with web ads. Currently, they’re the way many web personalities and other sites pay their bills. Family feeding is a fun, fantastic feeling.

However, web designers need to build advertising around mobile. Too often advertising either destroys the user experience, or critically hampers it. Pop ups that can’t be cleared are big issues. Several times this week I’ve struggled with sites where the “close” button was off the screen, AND clicking on the ad took you to a new website. (Sidenote: web devs and designers, use the target attribute on anchor tags. Don’t build ads that push your readers away from your site!)

These things make your site unusable on mobile. And, let me reiterate what’s been stated myriad times: the web’s future is mobile. If your mobile experience sucks, you’re are already behind. Perhaps you’re ahead of the curve on being an anachronism. It’s hardly ideal.

Last year’s whole Google mobile-gedon thing should have pivoted sites over, but, well, nope. But then folks still build auto-play videos on their sites. Thought that went out with MySpace. Since I’m simply griping now, let me add popups asking me to subscribe upon page load. Let them learn what you’re about first. I’ve neverr subscribed to a site BEFORE I’VE READ ANYTHING! NEVER!!!! Build the pop-up to launch towards the end, if you must use them at all. I’d put the ask in the post body, personally.

Developers, build sites for positive experiences. Delight your readers, inspire them to come back again. Don’t give in to greed or desperation. They’re ugly.

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