Surfing for Fun, Not Profit

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Surfing for Fun, Not Profit

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Hopefuly if my boss every reads this she take the time to read through all your raving to get to the little after thought you put in about a little surfing being okay because of the uncompensated other hours. However, looks like you could find something more interesting or productive for us to read about instead of writing about something that will cause us greif. Thanks a lot.

[J.Klebanoff]

Surfing for Fun, Not Profit

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rickydan wrote:

Thanks a lot.

You're welcome. Anytime.

However, looks like you could find something more interesting or productive for us to read about instead of writing about something that will cause us greif.

I don't know if you read to the paragraph after my bio. (Victoria, the editor worried that people wouldn't.) But, to summarize it here, if you have any suggestions on what you'd like me to rant about, please let me know. I'm always looking for a good tirade topic.

[H.Boldt]

Surfing for Fun, Not Profit

** This thread discusses the article: Surfing for Fun, Not Profit **
Joel's editor wrote: "As Joel said, it's difficult for him to come up with a fresh tirade topic every week. ..." Thanks for confirming what some of us have suspected for some time - that Joel is running out of ideas. Here are some of my thoughts. First, Joel has mentioned once or twice that he has no time for television. Perhaps asking for a weekly column is simply too much. Perhaps Joel can offer better quality rants in a bi-weekly column. I'm sure the additional quality of each article would be worth, say, double the rate of a weekly column, and so Joel would be no worse off financially than before. Second, perhaps Joel should watch television! It's been said that truth is stranger than fiction, and TV has its share of both. Watching TV for only a few hours a week should provide inspiration for dozens of columns. Third, here's some practical advice from my own personal experience. Back in the stone age when I was in school learning computer science, I would spend a lot of time in the basement of Jeffery Hall working on my computer assignments. When I reached an impasse, I would pack up my stuff and head to the other side of the campus to the Biology library, a nice quiet place with a view of the outside. Most of the time, I would solve my problem even before I reached Theological Hall. Sometimes the solution would pop into my head even before Grant Hall! The lesson here is that when writer's block hits, take a walk outside. Joel said he works in downtown Toronto, which is a great place for walking. Head south to Harbourfront. Or west to the U of T campus, or further west to the Kensington Market. Or north to the Toronto Reference Library, another great place to relax. Or east to ... (well forgot about the east end!). Anyways, I hope this helps. Cheers! Hans

[J.Klebanoff]

Surfing for Fun, Not Profit

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Joel's editor wrote: "As Joel...

Just for clarification, I write everything in my column, including the text written in third-person in and after my bio (although Victoria, the editor, does a great job of cleaning up my mistakes). As to your suggestions, thanks, I think. All of the places you mentioned are on my regular walking routes (I do a lot of walking). I doubt that MC Press will go for the idea of paying me the same dollars per month to write half the number of columns. Then again, if most readers agree with you that I'm getting stale, then I'm sure MC would be happy to cut the frequency of my columns regardless of what I think. What's the consensus about the frequency of my columns?

[H.Boldt]

Surfing for Fun, Not Profit

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Joel wrote: "All of the places you mentioned are on my regular walking routes (I do a lot of walking)." In that case, maybe you need to find some new places to take your walks. How about Regent Park or Lawrence Heights, at 2AM? That should give you something to write about. ;-) Cheers! Hans

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Surfing for Fun, Not Profit

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Joel, It's not that you are performing your weekly duties weakly or your ideas are no longer fresh. Instead, I think you should bump up the frequency of your tirades. How about "The Daily Klebanoff" or you could stream your thoughts through RSS 2.0 hourly (recall that the first 2 letters stand for "Really Simple" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_(protocol)). It would be really something to get your most minute thoughts minutely. Every thought you have could be RSS'd to us, your adoring fans. Just imagine!! In seriousness (sort of): I actually look forward to your columns and if I'm the only one, that fine. The world revolves around me anyway. The "others" don't HAVE to read your column. Your column has some important societal benefits: 1. Its economical as well as comical (ecocomical?). The cost has remained constant so you're not contributing to inflation. 2. It's funny and puts a smile on your face so you're in a better mood when you go home from work and don't kick the dog. Pet abuse may be non-existent among your fans. In light of your tirade, though, maybe I should stop reading your column at work! 3. It's great for one's sex life. The happier you are, the more likely your partner will accept romance. Keep up the tirades. Awaiting your every thought. Tom.

[J.Klebanoff]

Surfing for Fun, Not Profit

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maybe you need to find some new places to take your walks. How about Regent Park or Lawrence Heights, at 2AM? That should give you something to write about.

Hans, I got the sense from your previous post that you aren't my biggest fan, but jeez, I had absolutely no idea of the extent of what you thought of me. Regent Park and Lawrence Heights at 2:00 am? Yeah, that would certainly give me something to write about ... if I survive the bullet wounds long enough to write it. (For the benefit, or lack thereof, of people unfamiliar with Toronto, let's just say that those two areas rarely get listed as cultural points of interest in Toronto tour books.)

Cheers! Hans

Cheers, indeed.

[J.Klebanoff]

Surfing for Fun, Not Profit

** This thread discusses the article: Surfing for Fun, Not Profit **
Tom, Thanks so much for that. Your kind words are greatly appreciated, but don't count on that streaming thoughts thing. Trust me when I say that you don't want any greater insight into my mind than you already get. I've just one question about your comments.

3. It's great for one's sex life. The happier you are, the more likely your partner will accept romance.

Could you please explain that one to me in a little more detail? These columns haven't done a thing for my sex life. I'd greatly appreciate it if they had improved my sex life or, better yet, given me one. Much to my surprise and disappointment, my writing has not brought me any groupies. Enough said. I can't tell you how much trouble I think this forum posting is going to get me in with MC Press, so I better stop now.

[R.Daugherty]

Surfing for Fun, Not Profit

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now, if you could only rant through a happy go lucky grin. rd

[H.Boldt]

Surfing for Fun, Not Profit

** This thread discusses the article: Surfing for Fun, Not Profit **
Joel wrote: "... Yeah, that would certainly give me something to write about ... if I survive the bullet wounds long enough to write it. ..." You think I'm serious about visiting Regent Park at 2AM? Was the smiley at the end not enough of a hint? Or do I need to put a big bold flashing "SARCASM" sign on my posts? I did have a serious metaphorical point, though. You wrote that you're having trouble coming up with ideas. If strolling through the safe parts of the city isn't providing you inspiration, then my point is that you should try some of the unsafe areas. Maybe Regent Park at 2AM is a bad idea. But Regent Park at 2PM isn't too bad. Yeah, maybe I'm not your biggest fan. But my main criticism of your writing is that it's too safe and predictable. Joel, I think you're capable of better. I think you're holding back on us. But then again, maybe safe and predictable is what a management consultant does best. And maybe that's exactly what your client (MCPressOnline) is looking for. (Or maybe I'm just a jaded cynic.) Cheers! Hans

[H.Boldt]

Surfing for Fun, Not Profit

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Anyhoo, Joel, I don't want you to think I'm only capable of offering criticism. Here are some web sites that might offer some inspiration: The Register can always be counted on to provide some quirky news in the high-tech field. crank dot net is a great storehouse of links to some of the weirdest nutcases on the net. Metafilter | Community Weblog always offers up some good though-provoking content. Oh yeah, if you want real rants, check out Ed Anger's column in the Weekly World News! Cheers! Hans

[J.Klebanoff]

Surfing for Fun, Not Profit

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Hans, Thanks. I'll add those sites to my regular surfing list. Greatly appreciated. Joel

[H.Boldt]

Surfing for Fun, Not Profit

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Here's another great web site I came across just this week: The Daily WTF. As they say, truth is indeed stranger than fiction! Cheers! Hans

[Guest.Visitor]

Surfing for Fun, Not Profit

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Its been a couple of years or so since Hans last wrote on tbe RPG forum of iSeries Network, as he is not in the IBM RPG compiler team. However it is still a pleasure reading whatever Hans write and wherever he writes. He is a net picker and would correct my typos and the smallest of detail proving how critical his eye is. He would also take personal interest in peoples careers and help them out. He helped me do my C++ assignment when I was back to school doing my diploma in eCommerce. In short, his advice and help was not limited to RPG. He earned his respect. Maybe he should think that this is not the right forum to speak his mind like he did on RPG forum? Joe and his readers are smart people but then maybe they dont know him so much and may take offence? I dont know. I am as much a fan of Joe. Joe. I used to write short stories when I was a student, and got some pocket money. I was never able to write anything when my publisher expected a certain number of pages or a certain date. Sometimes I wrote two stories in a month and sometimes I was dry for many months. Some stories were a page long, and some 20+. The pressure just dried me of ideas and I ended up writing junk that only my die hard fans would like. My advice, go for the inspiration instead of deadlines and volume. It is not programming. Go to weird places and meet weird people. Read werid literature and watch weird movie, especially scifi. Personally I would not recommend TV unless they are discussion groups of genuine participants. I personally miss the Canadian show "Counterspin". I like PBS and C-Span the most. I was just listening to a Senate debate on "Net Neutrality". Its a law trying to bring internet to common people. I am sure you could have got a lot of inspiration.