Eating Muffins in an Agitated Manner

Blogilistalta pois

posted by Sari

Parikymmentä meidänkin lukijoista ovat merkinneet Muffinssit suosikeikseen blogilistalle ja osa osaa löytää lukemaan uusia postauksia juuri sitä kautta. (Itse siirryin käyttämään google readeria tässä nelisen kuukautta sitten enkä ole yhtään katunut. Kaikki syötteet, koti- ja ulkomaiset samasta paikasta. Yay.)

Nyt on lista siis vaihtanut omistajaa ja uusi omistaja koodannut palvelun uudelleen. Valtava meteli on syntynyt ensinäkin palvelun keskeneräisyydestä ja toiseksi uusista käyttöehdoista - vanhassa blogilistassa ei sellaisia ollutkaan. No, bugeja on palvelussa kuin palvelussa enkä usko Sanoma Digitalin yrittäneen viedä tekijänoikeuksia blogikirjoittajilta vaan tehneen yksinkertaisesti kämmin. Silti Jukan kanssa päätimme vetää Muffinsit pois blogilistalta. Sanoma Digitalin ja Blogilistan käyttäjien väinen kiista kun mielestäni on malliesimerkki siitä mitä tuntuu tapahtuvan lähes aina kun kaupallinen toimija ja web 2.0 sisällöntuottaja kohtaavat. Sisällöntuottaja kokee että häntä käytetään hyväksi ja että asiakaspalvelu mättää pahemman kerran. Kaupallinen toimija taas on ostanut/perustanut palvelun tuottaakseen voittoa ja se voitto internetissä tulee pääsääntöisesti mainostajilta, joten palvelun kehittämisessä priorisoidaan rahaa tuottavat asiakkaat (mainostajat) sisältöä tuottavien asiakkaiden (käyttäjien) ohitse.

Yhtälö on pohjimmiltaan vaikea ratkaista mutta helppo ja halpa keino purkaa jännitteitä on panostaa kommunikaatioon. Jos lähdetään uudistamaan näinkin paljon käytettyä ja tunnettua palvelua kuin blogilista, olisi syytä olla remmissä yksi PR-nörtti 24/7. Kysymyksiin on saatava vastaus useammin kuin kerran päivässä vaikka se vastaus olisi ainoastaan että asiaa selvitetään. Kun virheitä tapahtuu, niitä pyydetään anteeksi eikä niuhoteta passiivis-agressiivisesti muutosvastarinnasta. Tässä Sanoma Digital on mokannut raskaasti, eikä luottoa nyt löydy tarpeeksi siihen että firma oikeasti tietäisi mitä se on palvelun kanssa tekemässä. Kiitokset ja näkemiin.

Kesä Kesä Kesä

Posted by Sari

Ainakin vähän aikaa. Oltiin maalla viikonloppuna viettämässä äitienpäivää: siivottiin saunan remppajätteitä, otettiin soutuvene talviteloilta, saunottiin ja grillattiin. Hautasimme myös pienen Mommsenin uurnan muiden suvun lemmikkien joukkoon ja nautimme peijaisissa akvaviittia. Loppu ajasta meni sitten kaikilta aika lailla kirjojen parissa, auringossa oli työkirjojakin kiva lukea.

Åcon2

Posted by Sari

So I think we are all again in agreement: Åcon was great fun, again. It is just about perfect combination of things sciencefictional, hanging out with friends and holidaying. I think we hit the jackpot second time with Ian McDonald who was fun, engaging and sociable guest of honor. As all the copies of Brasyl and River of Gods the committee had brought to the con were sold out, I don’t think I was alone thinking so.

Jukka was again doing programming left and right, and maybe because I see him plenty in other contexts and am very difficult to please, I could have been more wowed. Though contrary my habits, I did watch and enjoy Nevermind the Buzzaldrins and enjoyed a lot, special thanks to Herman and panelists for helping to make it work.

Other highlights of connish nature were Tanya’s presence - her perspective in discussions was really interesting – and the last program item of the con, a sort of round table discussion on the high-lights of the year. I liked the ex-tempore format and really think that in such a small con this kind of general discussion with everybody pitching in could work in some cases better than a panel.

Hanging-out part was great fun too, there is a sort of bonding experience in a con such as this which leads to getting to know better people you know just a little, which I thoroughly approve. I also love the silliness, stuff like Pink Ilja, Vesa’s  doctor What cartoons, the con members buying the local toy store out of Hello-Kitty lollipop-fans and Frogs Ernst and Robert heckling the program items.

Icing on the cake was the turisty part of the trip. Linnea had arranged a trip to the spa where we had a jacuzzi to ourselves and plenty of room in the pool. There was also a pool from which you could just swim outside enjoy a great view. I even went swimming in the sea. Lovely. Others cycled to see Kastelholma or motored to the highest point on Åland. As last year, I went yarn shopping and came away with woollen sockyarn on discount and kid mohair. Ylva found some gorgeous pure silk yarns. Also I got a wonderful and totally unexpected  birthday present, THANK YOU!!!!

Monday Dogbloggin'

Posted by Sari

She is back home :-)

Poor Deluded People

Posted by Ernst

There actually are six (six!) deluded persons who promised to arrange Åcon next year. Well, I am all for it, this is FUN! Also, internet.

MayDay! Åcon2 Approacheth!

Posted by jukkahoo

It's almost time for Åcon2! Ian McGoH is, as I type this down, being transported from the Seutula airport to Helsinki. GoH has landed!

We're leaving tomorrow morning (night more like it...) in order to catch the pre-6AM train to Turku. I have this nagging fear that I'll be waking up way before that. *sigh* Then it's the short ferry trip to Åland islands and we'll be ready to start this magnificentious SF-extravaganza! I am really looking forward to this one. Åcon last year was such a great convention and since we're basically doing it all over again, with new Guest of Honour and spanking new program, this should be swell and then some.

OK, better start packing up. Oh, and remember to take out the trash, Jukka!

Monday dogblogging

Posted by Myy

The Girl wanted me to start blogging. I have no idea what she means by blogging, unless it has something to do with me getting something yummy. In which case I'm all for it. I like yummy things. Like Dentastix. They're REAL yummy. I could eat them all the time. But the Girl and Boy don't give them to me more than once in the evening. And even then I have to keep reminding them. THey keep saying that I'll get my Dentastix when it's 9PM.

What's 9PM? Is it something to eat? I like to eat. Especially if it's something yummy. I like yummy things. Like Dent.. Hey, what's that? Is that a Dentastix? No? OK, I still wouldn't mind having it. Can I have it, Boy? Thanks. I better eat it right away, unless someone tries to eat it before I will. Ha!

So, what's this blogging, then? Something to eat? I like... Hey, where's my lacrosse ball?

Mut et sä voi sanoo et Terry Brooks on huano ku sä oot lukenu vaa yhen sen kirjoista

Posted by Sari

Hesarin lukupiirissä on herännyt keskustelua meistä kotimaista kirjallisuutta karttavista yksilöistä. Ja muutama keskustelija on heittänyt sielläkin kehiin mutatis mutandis otsikon argumentin. Ja totta siinä on toki jos nyt ei toinen puoli niin ainakin hiukkanen. Aina on se mahdollisuus että otos ei ole tarpeeksi kattava muodostamaan perusteltua mielipidettä asiasta tai kolmannesta.

Minä en pidä suomenkielisestä (proosa)kirjallisuudesta koska kokemukseni mukaan se on arkista, synkkää, miehistä, kielellisesti suoraviivaista, karttaa tietämisen iloa eikä pysty luonnollisesti kuvaamaan suomen kielen puherekisteriä. Haluaisiko joku vinkata suomalaisia romaaneja joista saattaisin pitää?

Congratulations!

Posted by jukkahoo

Happy trails to my sister-in-law (and obviously Sari's sister...) Merja and her boytoy boyfriend Teemu, who soon will tie the knot and finally register their relationship! This is truly a happy occasion and I believe ALL our readers will join Sari and me as we wish all the best for the happy couple!

Marriage is a big step in any relationship. It certainly was in our case. So big in fact that we needed to move all the way to those United States. I wonder if Merja nad Teemu will do the same, and move, say, to China? :)

Happy, happy, joy, joy!!!

Shorter quotes, please

osted by jukkahoo

Weeks like this are really, really nice. Last week wasn't bad either. I quite like working weeks that end by Thursday. Likewise, I'm more than fond of working weeks that begin Tuesday. Now, if only we'd get more of these.

It is an absolute delight to wake on mornings and realise: "Hey, I don't have to go to work! And the same goes for tomorrow, too. And Monday! Thanks Jesus!" Yet, somehow it feels like cheating. Easter is a four-day holiday because of the Passion of the Christ and as someone who doesn't Believe, I feel a bit guilty of taking advantage of this holiday.

But not guilty enough to actually do something about it. I'll take every single holiday I can get, regardless of the reason. Shouldn't we celebrate some muslim holidays, too? ...maybe not.

As said, I did little beside laid back during the holidays. I would dearly have been in Orbital, this years Eastercon, but as finances are what they are - alas, no. Apparently a good con (by the total sum of one (1) so far seen report, this one by Bellis) with interesting GoH's. Talking about Guests of Honours, Åcon 2 GoH Ian MacDonald's Brasyl just got yet another award, this time BSFA for the Best Novel. Can YOU pass this opportunity to see this multi-award-winning gentleman?

And again, laid-backing was the weekend for me. I painted the mural a bit, but I really need better brushes in order to finish it. I also ate some lamb. We had some family over and so forth, but many were the moments when I just put my feet up and zzzz'd. And you know what? Today I've been mostly awake at work! :)

The title was a Deep Thought by Jack Handey, but since it was too long, I decided to omit it. Dang. It actually went like this: "To me, boxing is like a ballet, except there's no music, no choreography, and the dancers hit each other."