Sam E. Lawrence

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Yesterday, I had a back & forth on Twitter with Sam SM (a developer) and Jeff Pierce (a recruiter) about the recruitment industry, and I wasn't shy about my thoughts that most recruiters are going to burn in hell along with lawyers and most people in marketing and advertising. While we can roast those industries later, here are my thoughts on why recruiters are an annoying, intrusive, disruptive, and ultimately necessary bunch.

One of the refreshing things about working in technology is that, with rare exception, you are either good at what you do, or you aren't. Even though we love arguing about Ruby vs. PHP vs. Whatever; at the end of the day, we all know that almost anything can be done in one of a seemingly infinite number of ways. That is one of the luxuries of our trade. If your stuff works, it works. If it doesn't, it's your fault. I, for example, am not a good developer, and anyone who reads my code knows that. This is my motivation to keep learning... and why I love my developer friends, because they're the one crowd that I can't sneak anything past by being charming or smooth talk (I'm looking at you, Social Media experts). In recruiting, there's not really a gold standard that I've found yet.

Recruiters are also a challenge facing Startups. A young company might attend an event, possibly looking to attract talent, but now they have to compete against recruiters, who, ironically, are going to try to sell the talent they find... back to the startup. It's like being in a drug war with your own dealer. This of course, is a temporary problem, mostly caused by the ridiculous amounts of money injected into the Startup world right now, and once the bubble bursts, recruiters will go back to chasing the IBMs of yesteryear (whoever they may be tomorrow), and startups will be forced back into hiring through relationships.

So, recruiters... we need you. We actually want you, because you do a good thing, but get your act together. It's not up to us to call out your peers when they overstep the bounds of privacy and courtesy. Apply pressure on your coworkers and competitors to not just be headhunters and sharks. Educate your junior recruiters (especially the pretty girls you drag around to all the conferences). Please, have some in-house training on what life is really like in IT, software development, product management, and sales. Understand what makes us tick, so when you come looking for us, you're not just another shotgun in our inbox. And, above all, obey Wheaton's Law.

And, hey, if you are a recruiter, take a moment to help out some of my friends: Justin Gorski, Cassie Syfrett

If you'd like to buy me a beer, or think I'm talking out of my ass and want to stab me, I'm on Twitter.

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Yes, that's right. I've started writing a book. Who knows, maybe I'll get it done this year. Maybe, this decade... maybe never. I don't really care. I want something to write and the idea isn't going to go away. I've been wanting to put down this story on paper for a while now, so I finally took my first stab. I've got my basic premise, my plot, my character(s)... I haven't really finished my scene in my mind... but I'm working on it. I also haven't really nailed down my conflict or resolution, but you know, those are just details.

I've begun writing on my iPad, using iCloud to sync to my phone. Since I'm not running Lion yet, I'm missing out on this on my computer, which is a shame, and makes me think it's time for me to get a bluetooth keyboard for the iPad (although I'm quite speedy on it).

Anyway, with no working title or solid game plan, we can now add "author" to my list of projects that I take on. Hopefully this will be one of the ones I finish.

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Yes, I know it's Jan. 31st. I don't care.

1. Learn a programming language and build a few projects that use it. I'm starting with JavaScript and using CodeAcademy to learn. I really like it so far.

2. Travel more. At the end of 2011, I was fortunate enough to be able to visit California for my first time, and New York City for the second time. I really want to keep this trend going and try to take a couple flights this year.

3. Turn more of my online friendships IRL. I've met some amazing people online and formed friendships that have lasted years. Every time I get the chance to meet one of these people in real life, I am reminded that the world is full of beautiful, amazing people and that the internet allows us to choose relationships based on our interests rather than just finding people near us.

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The #occupy movement in the United States is only a mirror of a larger struggle for intellectual, financial, and civil freedom taking place around the world. The incidences of police brutality that have taken place here in the United States should shock us as they do, but they are nothing compared to what our friends in other countries are facing. It appears that giving someone a uniform and a baton does not instantly impart a sense of universal law and justice upon them.

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Rendering Synthetic Objects into Legacy Photographs from Kevin Karsch on Vimeo.

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It's here. It's finally here. An official announcement from Apple that an iPhone-related press conference will be held on Apple's main campus in Cupertino, October 4th, 2001. I realize I'm not the first one to notice this, but my take on the poster is that, as usual, Apple has hidden some clues inside. First, the tagline, "Let's talk iPhone", is almost certainly an indicator that we will see Assistant in iOS 5. This is the technology that will allow us to use our phone as a true personal assistant and perform even highly complex actions with voice commands. As someone who drives a lot for my work, I can't wait to be able to send text messages and get directions by voice rather than having to constantly risk my life by looking down and typing.

Also of note, is the singular badge on the phone icon. There has been lots of speculation that Apple would be releasing two phones, the iPhone 5, and a lower-cose iPhone "4S" to enter the lower-end market and possibly serve as a prepaid option. It looks like that's not the case, and we'll only be seeing one phone, at least, if we're reading Apple's thinly veiled hints correctly.

The iPhone 4 will probably continue to be sold and meet this market, and we will only see one new phone from Apple. I may not be a radical departure from the iPhone 4 in physical format, but with the new software, plus a rumoured 1GB of RAM and the dual-core A5 processor from the iPad 2, this phone is sure to be amazing. I just can't wait until the 4th to find out!

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Ok, really this is just for @mike_ftw to read.

No, I'm not saying he time travelled. No, I'm not saying he's intentionally pretending to be a brand (he's clearly not). The guy just got lucky.

I'm saying Quikster *can't* buy the handle, even if they wanted to, it's a violation of Twitter's policies.

However, if you have the twitter handle of a brand, and attempt in any way to imitate them that is also a violation of policy, and if you attempt to sell said account, same thing. I'm guessing this guy doesn't know that, and once he realizes his newfound fame, he'll try both.

At that point, some Twitter admin will swoop in, and declare him in violation of policy and suspend his account. Then, they'll just transfer it over to the "real" Quikster, and homeboy will have to get a new Twitter account.

And I really don't think it's illegal to post pictures of Harry Potter. I think we can fair use that stuff.

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Just made this playlist on Rdio. I guess I'll embed it here so y'all can give it a listen. Did this after someone in a bar said there weren't any good female artists left around. I feel differently.

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Most of my friends laugh at me when I say I'm trying to lose weight, but that's mostly because I wear my excess pounds well. It certainly helps being almost 6'3", and my arms are pretty slim... but really all that means is that I'm skinny and fat at the same time, which makes me feel like Watto when I get out of the shower. So, I've been searching for a tool that would make me actually go to the gym and do something about how I feel. I've been trying to find something like this for years. Over the years, I've used Google Health, Weightbot by Tapbots, and even thought about doing the whole Nike+ thing, but I don't believe in having to buy special shoes.

Finally, I think I've found what works for me, and that is Fitocracy. 

They understand that people like me will trade away our time in exchange for meaningless karma and badges that nobody else will ever care about. But I don't mind. I accept the mind games, and will bend myself to whatever silly reasons are getting my butt in the gym. If you're like me, and looking for something to motivate you with points, badges, and challenges to get in shape, go check it out!

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This is really interesting, not only because it marks the further encroachment into MS Office territory by the more beautiful and affordable iWork suite, but also because this is clearly a response to MS Office integration on WP7 devices. Apple knows that as long as Microsoft can dangle Outlook and Excel support in front of business-class users, they will hold a competitive advantage. Realistically, I can't imagine ever needing to update a spreadsheet so desperately that I needed it on my phone, but, at least psychologically, that need is there for many businesses in America. Hopefully, this new update and extension to small-format mobile devices will allow Apple to gain further traction inside businesses and with professional users as a whole.

Now it's a waiting game until we see MS Office for iOS. The latest update of Office for the Mac has brought Outlook to Mac users, and while it's still chock full of bugs, Microsoft is clearly trying to win back the hearts of some of its lost users to Exchange support and at the very least, an integrated lifestyle using both Windows and OS X.

Apple, by contrast, will *never* ship iWork for Windows.

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And by "Killer"... I mean, of course, terrible.

Assuming Apple advances Game Center (GC) to directly compete with Microsoft's Xbox Live (XBL) system, some interesting apps will develop out of that ecosystem. Here is an idea for an app that is not only a total dick move, but would also probably get rejected in a heartbeat. I'm calling it now, though. Someone's going to try.

First, let us examine what sets GC apart from XBL and why it is not a direct carbon copy. One significant difference is that XBL is highly score focused with online play with friends often being a competitive forum. GC appears to be a more casual environment, with friends scores being listed for "All-Time", "This Week", and "Today". To me, this is designed more to update a user on what his/her friends are playing and bring in a low-pressure, fun-focused level of competitive play in which a user can reach the Daily Leaderboard, without having to worry about beating the All-Time score.

Microsoft has done amazing things with XBL and set the standard for what an online gaming community should feel like. One way they've managed to do that is by setting controls on their developers. All Game Upgrades must be purchased with XBL Points (Apple is set up to compete via In-App Purchase) and developers are restricted concerning Achievement Points. Typically, a feature title has 1,000 XBL Achievement Points to unlock, with DLC usually clocking in at around 250. XBL Arcade games range in point assignment, but most are under 300 total. GC Achievements, by contrast don't even show up in a user's profile, and a user's total score can only be calculated manually by totaling up all the individual achievements earned. Games have a budget of 1,000 GC Points, and no single Achievement can be worth more than 100 points.

However... this will all change as GC evolves, and certainly if they open up an API that allows a developer to create apps that promote a user's score and achievement tracking. I'm expecting this to happen within a year, especially as GC moves back to the Mac in Lion (and hopefully the Apple TV someday soon). With this accesiblity and userbase will come real competetive players.

So, since app publishing is so simple, and GC integration is so easy, I'm sure developers out there will make games for $0.99 (or ad supported) that allow a user to boost their score by 1,000 with some easy (like... click this button, easy) achievements... and the crazy thing is, an app like that would sell like crazy if GC scores were as public as XBL scores are. I know people who will spend weeks working away on a game they don't even enjoy anymore simply to unlock all the achievements, and as we all know, cheating for scores totally counts.

Just like the "Flashlight" apps that quickly become known for doing other secret things like tethering, it would be easy for these "Jackpot" apps to get known and talked about, and I think they'd actually do really well. The missing piece of the puzzle is getting them approved by Apple, so they'd actually have to provide some real value to the user other than just boosting scores. I can't wait for the tantrums.

### [[EDIT]] --- This will also get interesting as games for Windows Phone 7 also can contribute to a user's Xbox Gamerscore. I'm less familiar with app publishing for Microsoft's platform, but I imagine since they're hungry to get apps in, they're pretty lax right now on what constitutes "unique and valuable".

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Because I'm a nerd, and feel a compulsion to tweak everything I touch, I'm currently doing battle with Typekit to alter the fonts on this site. I realize that everything looks like the battlefield in Avatar with boring sans-serif and ridiculous fantasy fonts being used together, and I'm still figuring out what went wrong. Bear with me, and hopefully this will soon be a much more beautiful place to read my thoughts. This is what staging environments are for.

It's hard out here for a craftsman.

### Edit: WHOA!! Everything just changed again! WTF, Typekit!?!

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I'm looking for a job right now. I have a couple options open at the moment, but I'm still knocking on doors so I can take the best possible next step in my career. I've always found it's better to seek help by helping others, so as I polish my resume and seek employment, I'm putting out the offer to help anyone else in the same position. I believe it will ultimately open doors for me to live this way.

I've polished resumes dozens of times in my life for students, friends, and even strangers on the internet, so if you'd like someone to take a second look at it, send it my way. I'll spend half an hour looking at it, making my suggestions, and passing it back to you.

Also, I know tons of people, particularly in Atlanta, and am aware of lots of job openings that I either don't want or am not qualified for. If you are looking for work, let me know, and I'll do my best to make a connection that leads to something good.

That's it. An open offer.

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I've finally done something I've been wanting to do for a long time now. I've had an old PC lying around that I built in high school and haven't really used properly since college. A year ago, I tried to bring it back to live as a music-only machine, but the aging copy of Vista was too much to battle against. I finally decided it was time to break my long relationship with Windows and erase it completely in favor of a fresh Ubuntu install. Originally, I tried the 10.04.1 Lucid Lynx distro, but the software updater quickly started breaking, so I had to manually upgrade to 10.10 Maverick Meerkat, which doen't have full support, but I don't care cos I'm edgy that way.

I'm loving it so far, with only a few hiccups. If any of you have aging PC hardware and want a fresh lease on your computer's life, I strongly recommend you take a look at Ubuntu. My computer feels like a brand new machine again, and I haven't touched the hardware since 2005, so I'm impressed to say the least.

Big thanks to Paul Temple for helping me get everything set up.

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It's pretty amazing how much power one man can have. When it comes to movers and shakers in world history, the list is, like... Jesus, Gutenberg, and Steve Jobs. Something like that.

Seriously, the guy has major pull. To show exactly how much pull, I wanted to demonstrate the influence he has over the *details* of every company he touches.

Here are some screen shots of the Coca-Cola Facebook Page, rendered in Safari (1) and Firefox (2).

Now let's take a look at the Disney Facebook Page, rendered again in Safari (1) and Firefox (2) respectively.

There's a slight pixel misalign on the "No Background" effect that both of these brands are attempting to use. Coke has optimized their page for Firefox while Disney has optimized for Safari. It may be pure coincidence, but I can't help but think that Steve has something to do with this. (For those who don't know, Steve sits on Disney's Board of Directors).

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I'm in a room full of laptops, Coke cans, wires, and plates with half-eaten sandwiches. We're building a company in 3 days.

We probably won't make much money, and might not even get everything done this weekend that we wanted to, but we're all learning a lot and having a great time building something cool with other entrepreneurs. I've already been doing some API research, marketing materials, legal stuff, design, roadmapping, and some basic project management stuff. I'm the least skilled in the room as far as actual development, but I'm managing to stay busy helping out with little things.

Okay, back to work.

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Thanks to @_Everaldo, I learned that the new Twitter for Mac does, in fact, have a "secret" alternate icon in the Resources folder.

If you would like to switch to this secondary icon you will need to go to quit Twitter.app > Remove Twitter from the Dock > Go to your Applications Directory > Right-click (Option + Select) the Twitter app and select Show Package Contents.

Navigate to Contents > Resources. In this directory, you will find files called "Icon.icns" and "Icon_2.icns".

Drag both these files out to your desktop and delete the originals. Rename "Icon.icns" to "Icon_x.icns" or whatever you want, then rename "Icon_2.icns" to "Icon.icns". Drag the newly renamed alternate icon back into the Resources folder and enter your computer's Password when prompted.

Go to the Force Quit menu (found in the  drop-down in the Menubar) and Relaunch Finder. Relaunch Twitter.app. Your new icon should be the alternate icon. 

I would recommend keeping the original in case you ever want to switch back.

Update: Found another alternate icon for Twitter for Mac on Dribbble.

Also, here's another really sweet little hidden feature of Twitter for Mac!

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