Disqus - Latest Comments for Darren

Re: Why Magpie’s Advertising System Is Self-Diminishing

Darren — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:38:38 -0000

Skimming the negative responses, they sound just like how people reacted to advertising on blogs five years ago. People got over that, seemingly. I'm not particularly keen on ads in Twitter streams, but it was (and probably is) inevitable.

I assume somebody will soon make a Greasemonkey extension or Twitter desktop app that filters out all of the ads.

Re: How to get me to blog about you

Darren — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:25:37 -0000

Joan: Joking about Jeremiah's name makes it compelling. Sure, it's a little risky, but I find that 'safe' is less compelling, and thus less successful.

The worst case scenario isn't that Jeremiah posts, angry and indignant about us abusing his good name. The worst case is that he doesn't post at all. It's that old truism about wanting people to love you or hate you, just not ignore you.

Plus, it's a calculated risk. Well, it would have been if I'd thought about it a lot. I didn't, but obviously I figured Jeremiah was big enough to not get upset about my lame bullfrog joke.

And you're absolutely right on the video pitch thing. I'd be surprised if it lasts through 2008. These things are a moving target, and always will be.

Re: How to get me to blog about you

Darren — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 08:33:28 -0000

Lucy: Wahoo, our first negative review. What, in particular, did you think was "less than average"? I'd love to get your specific feedback so that we can address your concerns in version 2.0 of the book.

As for the video, our goal wasn't utter slickness. If it was, I wouldn't have used the dodgy camera on our MacBook. It's supposed to be personal and informal (the handwritten pink cards were the same way). I think we would have gotten worse results if we'd been too polished in our approach. As you've read the book, you know we emphasize honest, forthright engagement. But maybe you disagree with that?

Re: How to get me to blog about you

Darren — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 10:02:51 -0000

Ginny: The book is really targeted at marketers. If you've got 71 seconds, check out this video, as it discusses the target audience and content of the book in more detail:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsZSbsigtb8

I must get around to posting the table of contents--I suspect that would help as well.

Re: How to get me to blog about you

Darren — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 06:22:59 -0000

Beth: Actually, that's not us. We hired a couple of local actors to...just kidding. Thanks for the kind words.

Re: Common Craft gets brand-jacked by Kommon Kraft

Darren — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:38:04 -0000

Having made my own, gentler satire of Lee and Sachi's videos, I can relate. These are reasonably amusing, but there does seem to be an underlying hint of something nefarious. Venomous jealousy of Common Craft, maybe?

Re: Roach Motel

Darren — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 18:12:21 -0000

Thanks for the linkage there, dude.

Re: There’s something going down on Facebook. Pay attention.

Darren — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 18:32:20 -0000

Just an FYI. We're including a short case study and a quote from you on this story in our forthcoming social media marketing book. It'll be published in June, 2009 by No Starch Press, with distribution through O'Reilly Books. I wish I had a title to share, but we haven't decided on one yet.

Re: New iPhone 3G Pricing Plans from Rogers

Darren — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:10:32 -0000

Early adopters win, for a change.

Re: Work From Home

Darren — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:20:21 -0000

Thanks for the write-up!

Re: How Many Zones To YVR On The Canada Line?

Darren — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:32:04 -0000

Very little time on my hands at the moment, but I did want to disagree that the Canada Line is 'a tourist line". I'm not sure what your definition for this would be, but that thing has been packed out with locals during rush hours when I've ridden it.

Yes, it goes out to the airport, but that implies that a ton of locals will use it to leave and return to the city as well.

While I'm pretty ambivalent on the whole turnstiles thing, I'm not sure justifying it with a 'tourist line' argument is particularly sound.

Re: What Would You Do?

Darren — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:32:27 -0000

Sorry to hear about your news. That said, 16 years is a remarkably long time at one job. So, you know, embrace the change.

I try to travel where the tourists aren't, so I'd pick a destination that was less traveled:

* Patagonia - the southern tip of South America
* Nicaragua - I've enjoyed my trips to Costa Rica and Panama a lot, so that seems like a natural next step.
* Havana - See it before Castro dies and things change dramatically
* Laos & Bali - I've never been, but they seem remarkably exotic
* Malta - I had a great time there.
* Morocco (or Tunisia or Libya) - See above

Re: 2008 Canadian Election Campaign: Why I Voted Liberal

Darren — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:28:34 -0000

Roger: It's pretty specious to sing the praises of Alberta's brilliant governance. They've enjoyed an enormous windfall in the past decade, and that makes governing a whole lot easier.

More generally, the nice thing about Canada is that the elected government always has to move to the middle. The Conservatives aren't really that conservative, and the Liberals aren't really that liberal. I take comfort in that reality.

Re: Team Diabetes Easter Island: Dream Bank

Darren — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:59:40 -0000

Dude, you've been around. Thanks for the write-up, and good luck with the running.

Re: Is Charisma an Election Issue?

Darren — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 05:47:01 -0000

I'm for Mike Gravel, apparently, with a second place for Barack Obama. Thanks for the pointer to that site--that's a really simple, elegant implementation.

I would like to check out an analysis of the different positions between Obama and Clinton, because I've read in multiple places that, platform-wise, there's very little to choose between them.

Re: Nofollow | SEO & Dynamic Linking | Disclosure

Darren — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 13:09:20 -0000

Do I need to disclose my primary motivation on every post? And do I actually have to use the phrase 'primary motivation'? As I've mentioned, my reasons for posting are manifold.

The fact is that you've drawn these conclusions about my posting ethics based on speculation and assumption. Despite my best efforts to clarify your misrepresentation, you've refused to accept anything that doesn't jibe with your initial inaccurate impressions.

When you wrote the initial post, instead of speculating on what I thought, you should have just asked me.

Your implication was (and continues to be) that I'm unwilling or unable to be discriminating when cash is waved in front of my face. That's both offensive and inaccurate.

It also suggests, curiously, that the entire publishing world is corrupt, as they take advertising dollars from the same companies they write about.

And let me ask again, which of Darren Rowseâ€™s guidelines would I reply â€˜maybeâ€™ to, exactly? After all, you indicated that there was a â€œa very clear difference" between what I wrote, and the guidelines Darren Rowse suggested. If the difference is so striking, then it ought to be a simple matter to point out.

Re: Nofollow | SEO & Dynamic Linking | Disclosure

Darren — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 13:09:20 -0000

Re: Nofollow | SEO & Dynamic Linking | Disclosure

Darren — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 15:44:18 -0000

(I replied, but I believe my reponse got spam-blocked).

Re: Nofollow | SEO & Dynamic Linking | Disclosure

Darren — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 15:44:18 -0000

(I replied, but I believe my reponse got spam-blocked).

Re: Nofollow | SEO & Dynamic Linking | Disclosure

Darren — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 23:20:45 -0000

We've both spent too much time on this nerd fight, so in light of your esclating length, let me declare a truce.

We're not going to change each other's minds. I think you've misrepresented my approach, you don't. I think you're seeing a nuanced question in black and white. You don't, or are comfortable with that perspective. Fair enough on all fronts.

As with most nerd fights, the topic of this conversation is largely moot. I've done far more ethically dubious things on my blog, plugging all sorts of groups and organizations for all sorts of motivations, with disclosure, and my readership has only grown. It's clear to me that the occasional (and it may be very occasional) ReviewMe.com review isn't going to send my readers away in droves.

Thanks for the debate.

Re: Nofollow | SEO & Dynamic Linking | Disclosure

Darren — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 23:20:45 -0000

Re: A Marketing Hodge-Podge Of Good Karma

Darren — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 16:12:54 -0000

Thanks for the mention, Andy. No worries on the lack of a full review--I always find them pretty intensive to write, myself.

Re: A Marketing Hodge-Podge Of Good Karma

Darren — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 16:12:54 -0000

Thanks for the mention, Andy. No worries on the lack of a full review--I always find them pretty intensive to write, myself.

Re: What Click-Through Rate Can You Expect From Twitter?

Darren — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:00:44 -0000

Dude, easy there. I think I framed it as sufficiently unscientific. Not only did I point out that the number of data points was insufficient and that I'm not a statistician, but I also highlighted the mitigating factors that I perceived.

Anybody who takes this article as unassailable or even authoritative is misreading it. I'd love to see a peer-reviewed study executed by experts. I couldn't find one--that's why I tried this approach.

Re: What Click-Through Rate Can You Expect From Twitter?

Darren — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:03:00 -0000

Indeed, I'd really like to see a survey that incorporates retweets (maybe via the Twitter API) in a more authoritative and clinical way.

Re: Improving the world, social media style, on socialbrite

Darren — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:25:37 -0000

About 40% of our work these days is with charities and non-profits. In my experience, the social media marketing strategies are pretty similar whether you're selling Caribbean real estate or trying to save the rain forest.

In fact, I've found it easier going in the non-profit space. People are much more willing to demonstrate their affinity for a cause than they are for a brand, so that can help spread your message more easily.

Fundraising, of course, is a different can of worms. We hear from a lot of charities that while they're raising more money online, it's not necessarily replacing the cheques they get in the snail mail every month. That's the big challenge, and a thorny issue.

Re: My First Review

Darren — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 04:27:29 -0000

Thanks for the great write-up! And cool new blog template, by the way.

Re: http://www.drbethsnow.com/2008/01/27/606/

Darren — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:44:54 -0000

"I am Jack's raging bile duct."

How could you discuss an addiction meeting, mention a guy named Jack and not reference "Fight Club"? Turn in your Project Mayhem ID card at the door.

Re: http://www.drbethsnow.com/2008/02/01/614/

Darren — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 08:45:48 -0000

Several points:

1. Did you get pitched on “Why Do Beautiful People Have More Daughters", or did I point the PR person in your direction, or did you acquire it all on your own?

2. Ms. Steinem is, deservedly, an intellectual and political giant, and deserves all the plaudits she receives, but attempting to ban "American Psycho" was not on. I've read it, and it's not a very good book, but it certainly doesn't constitute hate speech. But then, I'm very anti-book-banning. If we're afraid of an idea, we should make it freely available to be debunked. Consider what a lockdown Scientology keeps on its core ideas. That's something to truly fear.

3. I don't know about your friends, but among me and my wife's female friends (all university-educated and at least middle class, I should add), 90% of them changed their name when they got married.

I feel like feminism lied to me a little on this point when I was growing up. I graduated from university assuming that many, nay most, women would keep their own name as a recognition of their hard-won independence. I know it's irrational, but I'm a little dismayed that so few actually did.

Re: http://www.drbethsnow.com/2008/02/01/614/

Darren — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 06:34:56 -0000

1. Word.
2. Word again.
3. You make a good point it being a man's name in either case. The only workaround here, it seems to me, is for women to increasingly keep their own names. If that became de rigeur, then the issue would go away.

May I ask what your married name was? Because I think 'Snow' is a pretty excellent last name, especially when paired with "Elizabeth". I favour names that don't have the same number of syllables.

Re: Today’s Typos

Darren — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 05:12:49 -0000

Have you listened to any of the recent Savage Love podcasts (er, they're obviously R-rated). A few weeks ago Dan discovered a new and apparently legitimate fetish: grammar. The caller became aroused when bad grammar, and wanted her love to say sentences with bad grammar during sex.

Then subsequently there was a call from a woman who got turned on by long and complicated words, like, I don't know, sesquipidilian.

It's something you should consider listening to.

Heh.

Re: And speaking of Prime Ministers…

Darren — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 06:48:28 -0000

"You marry your first cousin, you get babies with nine heads." Thank you, Neil Simon.

A very worthy project. Keep 'em coming.

Re: Dildos in Texas

Darren — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 16:56:33 -0000

Those rules beg a further question:

* Can one buy a, uh, anus-specific vibrator?

Maybe only if you branded it as a personal mASSager. You could keep it in your hipster vinyl mASSager bag.

Apologies for being juvenile. I'm living in a conservative country, and need an outlet (insert plug-in vibrator joke here).

Re: You Know What’s Not Sexy?

Darren — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 19:51:46 -0000

What you've got there is commonly referred to (to my ongoing amusement) as "a bad groin". Congrats on making it to the final.

Re: We are the champions!

Darren — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:57:48 -0000

Congrats!

Re: Testing out BlogDesk

Darren — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:56:24 -0000

What do you think of Flock, anyway? To me it seems like a hammer in search of a nail. That is, that it's trying to solve a problem that I don't have.

Re: Yellowknife-bound

Darren — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 00:30:53 -0000

What are the odds that two Vancouver bloggers (Meg Fowler is the other) I read would be travelling Yellowknife in the same week?

I've been there, but only to travel through on my way to Dawson City, which is charming.

Re: Yellowknife-bound

Darren — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 12:57:17 -0000

It was a wedding. In a snow castle:

http://www.megfowler.com/2008/03/22/the-icewedd...

Re: Somehow, I don’t think Nonis is really "relieved"

Darren — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:17:41 -0000

Whew, thanks for clearing that up. I didn't feel qualified to speculate on his hotness.

Though, could you actually date a man named Fabian? I'm not sure if I could, even if I did play for All Boys United.

Re: Help Make My Dream Come True

Darren — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:38:17 -0000

Wow, thanks for the great write-up--you described it better than we could. And that's a sweet looking tiara you've got there.

Re: Seat Guru – Infant Not Included

Darren — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:45:00 -0000

Seat Guru rocks. It has delivered unto me the exit row many times.

Re: My BlogHer/Feminism Rant

Darren — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:34:13 -0000

I heard a similar 'it's all about mommy bloggers' vibe from another attendee, who shall remain nameless.

And, on balance, I would've thought that young single men would the critical target market for Roomba. They're all lazy bastards, after all, and they like robots.

Re: The Science Tattoo Emporium

Darren — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 01:11:45 -0000

I can't imagine how you avoided writing "that is one dope necklace".

Re: P.M.#23 – Dr. Stéphane Dion

Darren — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:51:26 -0000

Er, I assume this is wishful thinking?

Re: My hockey muscles hurt

Darren — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 21:56:43 -0000

I've got a good beginner's yoga podcast. Er, rather, a single episode. It does wonders for my back. I'll upload it somewhere and send you a link.

Re: Blog Posting From the Bus

Darren — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 01:24:50 -0000

The tech-savvy, at-risk youth are the kids behind Dan Savage's most excellent podcast. And I've always wondered about them. I hope he puts them on the air at some point.

What can I obtain with my 25 points? A Kewpie doll?

Re: The Canadian Federal Election 2008

Darren — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 20:32:56 -0000

Man, George Stroumboulopoulos is such a tosser. Sorry, I have nothing constructive to add, I just wanted to mention that.

Re: Battle of the Gum Packages

Darren — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:27:47 -0000

Coincidentally, I recently wrote about gum packages:

http://bit.ly/1P4ls3

Re: The Rick DiPietro Report

Darren — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:19:16 -0000

It's worth mentioning that Mr. DiPietro is quite a catch for another reason. He's on the longest contract in modern NHL history--15 years for $67.5 million. So, you know, he could provide for you risk free for quite some time.

Re: R.I.P. Torsopants

Darren — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:01:19 -0000

"Words on a Shirt" is definitely the best. And I'm proud to say that I didn't have to look up 'solipsistic'. That one Philosophy of Religion course I took at university has finally paid off.

Re: For the record, I took 7 pairs of shoes on my trip

Darren — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 12:07:10 -0000

I went away to Panama and New York for a month, and I only brought two pairs. But, then, I'm a boy.

Re: I will not procrastinate

Darren — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:57:12 -0000

I was going to leave this clever comment but...ah, I'll do it later.

Re: Last Night’s Canucks Game

Darren — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:20:58 -0000

Uh, what? He's never seen a Canucks game.

I've sent a car to collect Tod and take him to the border. I hope he enjoys his new life south of the 49th.

Re: I Think I Need A New Watch

Darren — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:09:17 -0000

I shouldn't laugh at your misfortune, but that photo is hilarious.

Re: More Thoughts On Taylor Pyatt

Darren — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 02:01:50 -0000

Regarding #3, definitely something with a lot of cleavage. As any Canucks fan will tell you, Pyatt performs best when in the presence of twins.

<abbr>Darren’s last blog post..Now That’s a Hard Working Goal</abbr>

Re: Hello Random People From Montara, CA

Darren — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 13:04:39 -0000

Sorry if this is non-obvious or you've already done it, but you can check what page or pages were popular that day. Narrow the date range to just the day before and after the spike, then click "Content" in the left-hand navigation menu. You should be able to see what all the fuss was about.

Do the same for "Traffic Sources". One of the numbers ought to be out of whack compared to a previous time segment of the same duration.

Or, if you're really keen, temporarily give darren at capulet dot com access to your Analytics account, and I can try to grock it on my own.

Re: Hello Random People From Montara, CA

Darren — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 13:04:58 -0000

I should have said, "sorry if this is obvious". Carry on.

<abbr>Darren’s last blog post..The Northern Voice Vibe</abbr>

Re: I Like Bike

Darren — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:15:28 -0000

Congrats! I, too, would like a new bike. And six years? Wow, that is some serious job security.

<abbr>Darren’s last blog post..Childish Things We Haven’t Put Away</abbr>

Re: More Hockey Terms That Sound Dirty

Darren — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 03:13:00 -0000

An excellent list, to which I would add "he reached around...", usually used to describe a penalty.

<abbr>Darren’s last blog post..Childish Things We Haven’t Put Away</abbr>

Re: Hockey Hotties – Playoff Edition

Darren — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:10:49 -0000

Actually, you turned out with a half-decent team of hotties there. Playoffs are rough, though--hopefully nobody breaks a nose.

If you want to make a pretty version of your playoff choices, check out http://rinkotology.org/.

<abbr>Darren’s last blog post..Recent Guest Posts</abbr>

Re: Single Transferable Vote – In The Words of Christy Clark

Darren — Sat, 09 May 2009 19:33:20 -0000

Her central point is sound, but her delivery is shamefully silly. Did we really need to hear about the generation that fought and died for our right to vote, or "the hacks and the backroom boys"?I find this "fighting the good fight for the common man" so common on radio, and it's why I never listen.

<abbr>Darren’s last blog post..Who Should I Vote For on May 12?</abbr>

Re: Hockey Hotties – Playoff Check-In

Darren — Fri, 15 May 2009 11:26:32 -0000

Incidentally, your hotties would have paced you about mid-table in my hockey pool--strong work!

<abbr>Darren’s last blog post..Boffin’s Needless Visualization</abbr>

Re: Thoughts On Fredericton

Darren — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:37:39 -0000

As it happens, I'm speaking at a thing in Fredericton in September, so I appreciate the write-up.

Re: Getting to First Base: A Social Media Marketing Playbook

Darren — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 08:52:37 -0000

Thanks for the great write-up! I really appreciate how much thought you put into the review.

I should mention that we're happy to give free copies to bloggers, podcasters and other social media creators if they want to review the ebook on their own site.

Re: Getting to First Base: A Social Media Marketing Playbook

Darren — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 10:44:01 -0000

Luisa: Interesting suggestion. We haven't considered that, but that's not a bad idea. I'll look into the costs involved.