> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.chrismessina.me/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # These things are new or weird in my world - URL: https://www.chrismessina.me/blog/these-things-are-new-or-weird-in-my-world/ - Published: 2006-04-12T23:02:58.000Z - Updated: 2026-03-25T03:35:29.000Z - Author: Chris Messina - Tags: Barcamp, Life online, Personal, Society & economy, Technology [](http://www.flickr.com/photos/factoryjoe/125545277/?ref=chrismessina.me) - [Niall](http://www.niallkennedy.com/?ref=chrismessina.me) is [joining Microsoft](http://www.niallkennedy.com/blog/archives/2006/04/niall-kennedy-microsoft.html?ref=chrismessina.me). (Oh yeah, congrats!) - [Matt](http://photomatt.net/?ref=chrismessina.me) [took funding](http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/04/13/automattic-takes-funding/?ref=chrismessina.me). [Just](http://toni.wordpress.com/2006/04/13/automattic-funding/?ref=chrismessina.me) a [little](http://photomatt.net/2006/04/12/a-little-funding/?ref=chrismessina.me). - Google launched a [calendar](http://www.google.com/calendar?ref=chrismessina.me). - Google remains [buddy-buddy](http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,70651-0.html?tw=rss.index&ref=chrismessina.me) with the world's largest censor. ("All the world's information at your fingertips... as long as we agree with it.") - Google [patented a bunch of scary shit](http://patft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=0&f=S&l=50&TERM1=google&FIELD1=ASNM&co1=AND&TERM2=&FIELD2=&d=PTXT&ref=chrismessina.me). Think big picture and you'll get it. - AT&T was [outed as being a haven](http://www.eff.org/news/archives/2006%5F04.php?ref=chrismessina.me#004538) for US spies spying on US Citizens. - [Pinko](http://pinkomarketing.com/?ref=chrismessina.me) promo for a service I use: [Blinksale 2.0 is rolling out soon](http://www.blinksale.com/blog/news%5Fupdates/000059.html?ref=chrismessina.me) (and then upping prices). Get in before the end of the month to lock in the current rate! - [Tara](http://horsepigcow.com/?ref=chrismessina.me) got a MacBook Pro and [rocked the house at Net Squared](http://netsquared.org/blog/eddie-codel/video-profile-tara-hunt?ref=chrismessina.me). - San Francisco and its citizens' childrens' [eyeballs](http://www.informationweek.com/industries/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=184429774&articleID=184429774&sa%5Ftype=搂ion=industries&subSection=News+By+Vertical+Industry&ref=chrismessina.me) were [sold to Google](http://gigaom.com/2006/04/10/return-of-free-internet-access/?ref=chrismessina.me). - Portland's were [sold to MetroFi](http://gigaom.com/2006/04/12/portland-goes-metrofi/?ref=chrismessina.me). - My [Mighty Mouse](http://www.flickr.com/photos/newsome/113907172/?ref=chrismessina.me)'s gray nipple stopped working. - I started listening to [Letters to Cleo](http://www.letterstocleo.net/?ref=chrismessina.me) again. - Tara and I got in a funk; - I'm not so great at offering positive support to people I care about most; - I decided to work on it. Oh, and [WineCamp](http://barcamp.org/WineCamp?ref=chrismessina.me) got a [website](http://winecampcalaveras.com/?ref=chrismessina.me) (thanks [Jo脙拢o Antunes](http://wolan.net/?ref=chrismessina.me)!), I started a [Practical Microformats wiki](http://microformats.pbwiki.com/?ref=chrismessina.me) for all you designers out there (now help me build it!) and Tara and I leave for [Barcamp Bangalore](http://barcamp.pbwiki.com/BarCampBangalore?ref=chrismessina.me) on Sunday for 8 days. ...and [Barcamp San Francisco](http://barcamp.pbwiki.com/BarCampSanFrancisco?ref=chrismessina.me) is happening June 20\. Want to help? Good -- because we need it! --- ### 馃挰 Comments from the original post **[Marshall Kirkpatrick](http://marshallk.com/?ref=chrismessina.me)** 路 2006-04-13 00:06:35 Sweet! Have fun in Bangalore! I've heard there's nothing better for a funky couple than a trip to Bangalore. **[NoteMe](http://www.noteme.com/?ref=chrismessina.me)** 路 2006-04-13 03:21:57 I am not sure if I want to know the answer, but what is you "My Mighty Mouse芒鈧劉s gray nipple stopped working."?? If it is stuck on you, please don't show any pictures..:D - 脙藴脙藴 - **[HiMY SYeD](http://www.photopia.tyo.ca/?ref=chrismessina.me)** 路 2006-04-13 08:01:00 Now that SBC has gone lower case for their AT&T neo-moniker, the UNDER SURVEILLANCE in upper case reads as if it is a screaming txt msg. Wonderful find. **[Lloyd D Budd](http://foolswisdom.com/~lloyd?ref=chrismessina.me)** 路 2006-04-13 14:38:57 Thanks for the headlines! Niall seemed like such a nice guy. Flipping my mouse over and rolling the nipple around solved a similar problem for me. I am also journeying to be more [empathic](http://www.foolswisdom.com/~lloyd/wordpress/index.php/empathy-still-the-most-important-skill/?ref=chrismessina.me). Keep on rockin' in the free world, Lloyd PS. The link to Barcamp SF is broken. You may have forgot the http:// **Jeffstyr** 路 2006-04-13 17:36:31 [How to clean your Mighty Mouse](http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=302417&ref=chrismessina.me) might help! **[Outlandish Josh](http://www.outlandishjosh.com/?ref=chrismessina.me)** 路 2006-04-15 11:06:20 On the "Metropolis X's and its citizens' eyeballs were sold to..." I have to say that's a rather cynlical way to look at municipal WiFi, even for you, man. Getting the city to foot the bill (meaning a bond or a tax or something) will come along if you get enough people loving the internet to demand it. At this point an ad-supported service for free is a big step up for a lot of people, and $20 a month for "premium" is doable, especially if there's an option (as in Philly) to get that knocked down to like $7 if you're working class. **[FactoryJoe](http://www.factorycity.net/?ref=chrismessina.me)** 路 2006-04-15 23:34:54 It's a tight rope to walk, because the value that each user is providing to Google as a "monetizable pair of eyes" is infinitely more valuable than the service we'd be getting. The problem is that we're starting with a proprietary system designed to sell ads by also selling a service. Should our sewer system have started out as a private system? Should public transit be privatized? The broader issue here is with control of the data... while I don't trust the government or private corporations, at least if the data is held by the municipal government, we'd have a chance at prying it out... Whereas in the case of Google -- look at how they've resisted the DOJ... what if it were a citizen advocacy group requesting access to that data and Google refused? We have no recourse against Google (besides choosing to not buy their product -- which is too late an act if they get a state-sponsored monopoly on wifi). We at least have a way of voting out the incompetents in office... So let me say that, yes, municipal WiFi is a good thing in general -- too much of this reeks of ulterior motives that I fear won't be realized before it's too late.