Jorge Quinteros

Alex Payne’s reasoning behind comments on his blog:

The main reason I don’t allow comments is that I want to inspire debate. I think people do their best writing when they’re forced to defend their ideas on their own turf. It’s one thing to leave a comment on someone else’s blog, but quite another to put your argument in front of your own readers. It forces a level of consideration that, without fail, results in a higher quality exchange of ideas.

There’s numerous blogs that I subscribe to and read religiously and while not all of them provide a path for commenting, that’s not always a path that I instinctively seek to find in order to express my opinion on the topic at hand.

Too much commenting on a blog encourages a “me too” type of system that doesn’t necessarily resemble a real conversation flow and it tends to takes away from the subject especially when most of them are composed of disconnected thoughts and opinions. Instead, I feel more comfortable linking that same topic to my “own turf “, where I have the freedom to express my opinion.

This is not to say I don’t comment myself on blogs but they are few and far between.

With services like iTunes, Amazon Video and even Hulu, it’s apparent that the act of streaming content is gaining momentum onto the coattails of the conventional task of taking a trip to the video store. So much that the company that began with the “we’ll mail you a movie and you mail it back” model has the CEO Reed Hastings already alluding that by 2010, DVDS will take a backseat on the Netflix service:

We recognize at some point in the long term, the streaming will be good enough that an appreciable number of people will find streaming is all they need.

In her latest book, Secrets of Simplicity, author Mary Carlomagno offers some advice that I believe is pivotal for anyone that is reluctant to embrace change by technology, especially when it involves the primitive act of watching a movie:

• Any technology you choose should save you time, not take more of your time.
• Everyone’s work flow and life priorities are different, so choose technology that will best help achieve your unique goals.

One thing for sure is that I already find myself watching movies through the Xbox 360 as oppose to playing games on it as its originally intended to, so I welcome Netflix’s new streaming model.

As if there weren’t enough sites out there that make you waste an hour or two before realizing it, here’s one that is quite enjoyable for the simple fact that it’s humorous to know that other people’s life can be more f**ked up than yours. Here’s my favorite entry:

Today, My mom walked in on me and my 2 year crush about to have sex. When she saw us she said “oh I’ll just wait outside, I know it wont be long anyway.”

Michael’s inspirational words on talent:

Becoming good at something takes a lot more than just talent. It takes hard work — pure, unbiased, hard work. Pressing on, day after day. Pulling your hair out in frustration, night after night. It’s definitely much easier to believe in luck, instead of actually having to put hard work, time, and effort into something.

I agree with his statement in how some individuals blame themselves for not pursuing a passion they might have considered at some point. They deny themselves the possibility of being great at a craft because once they compare themselves to other people that might have developed themselves more in that particular field, they lose motivation and interest in trying it out themselves. Something like this is motivational for me in trying to create something of my own.

I’m particularly passionate about photography and like Michael, I very often receive great feedback on my photos and something that I continue to struggle with is turning that warm reception into confidence and knowing that I can do more with the passion and eventually do away with the excuse of saying “maybe I’m not that good”. It seems as if I should follow more my own advice. This year all that is changing.