TEDx Henderson State U

TED is an organization dedicated to spreading ideas related to technology, education, and design.  People gather at TED conferences held on a regular basis, and the videos of the talks are available on the TED.com website.  The large TED conferences typically include speakers who have done cutting edge research, approached design differently, or are thought to be making a difference in the world.

If you want to attend the TED conference there are two challenges.  First, the admission price is fairly expensive.  Second, the tickets sell out fast.

TEDx

As TED talks have become more popular, the TED organization started licensing independently organized TED events identified with the letters "TEDx."  TEDx events are usually smaller and locally organized events.

I had the opportunity of attending a TEDx event sponsored by Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.  I was quite excited to be able to attend a TED-related event, and the ticket price was inexpensive at $5.00 per person.  Since I purchased tickets for my wife and me online, our name badges were waiting for us at the registration table when we arrived.  We entered the classroom theater, dark and cool, and awaited the start of the program.

Speakers

TEDx Henderson State U featured three speakers.  The first was a student who has been studying and photographing snakes for several years.  Part of the TED experience is large, close-up graphics, and I can tell you there's nothing like large snake pictures to capture attention!

The second speaker was a professor of economics from the university.  His talk centered around coffee and how charity coffee programs, such as Fair Trade Coffee, do not really result in the economic benefit to coffee growers as expected.  His advice?  Drink the coffee you like.

The third speaker was a local entrepreneur who accomplished her goals despite a number of overwhelming hardships.  She encouraged others to pursue their goals.

Between each of these live presentations, a recorded TED talk was inserted.



The concept of TED, to share ideas and new ways of thinking, is an great exchange, and TEDx continues that traditional by bringing communities together to think about new world views and discuss similar and differing opinions.

If you have an opportunity to attend a TEDx event, I encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity.

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These Easter eggs (tricks) save me lots of time

Most online search engines have the capability for advanced searches where you can specify information in several fields including sites, files types, combinations of words, etc.

You can accomplish many of the advanced features simply by using the parameters below in your regular searches.

An "Easter Egg" is a term from the gaming world which refers to a hidden or previously unknown feature.

While these may not work on all sites, these Easter eggs work on the Big 3:  Google, Yahoo!, and Bing.

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Moving from Flickr to DropBox for Photo Storage

Uploading is easy, Downloading is hard

It is easy to upload photos in batches to Flickr.  The upload wizard used by the site makes it convenient to drag files over to Flickr or select multiple photos from your computer.  However, photos can only be downloaded individually.  Even with that, you have to first select the photo, view all sizes, and then download the desired size - in my case, the original.

Options for downloading multiple images from flickr

FlickAndShare allows you to select a set of photos (now called an "album" on flickr) to either download or share with others.  It is Java-based and can be unstable from time to time.  In my case, when trying download my entire flickr library, the applet for FlickAndShare never loaded properly.  One nice feature of FlickAndShare is that it is free.  It is also an online service.  No download or installation is necessary.

 
Bulkr is a free program to download and use with limited functionality.  In order to download original size images you must pay, either per year for $30 or a lifetime price of $40.  Bulkr downloads images from selected set or your entire photostream to your computer.  From there, it was an easy transfer to DropBox.  FlickAndShare only permits you to download photos from your own photostream.  Bulkr allows you to download any photos that are public on flickr (as well as your own photostream).

Process for transferring photos

Step 1:  Download selected images from flickr using Bulkr.  I have over 3,300 images on flickr, but only downloaded about 2,000 that were part of sets/albums.

Step 2:  Move the images from my computer to DropBox.  Although files with small sizes are synced fairly fast between a computer and DropBox, several gigabytes worth of images took several hours to sync. 

Step 3:  Identify images that should be public and move them into DropBox's public folder.  Photos that I share with others, including images for this blog and my food blog will be stored in the public folder while everything that I want to keep private (family pics, etc.) will be stored in a regular folder on DropBox.

Thinking about options for photo storage

Since 2007 I have stored my public and private photos on Yahoo's photo sharing site Flickr.  Until last year Flickr had a nice interface for uploading, editing, and organizing photos.  However, during the past year Flickr has made several changes to the navigation of the web version (accessed from computers) and the apps.

Time for a change from flickr

Each time that changes occurred, the feedback generally was negative.  I, like others, found that the changes did not work for me in terms of viewing images and sharing images.  Last year, when I paid the subscription price for the pro version (i.e., no ads) I thought "I need to find a better solution."  This year, after again paying for the subscription and recent changes made to the iPhone/iPad apps, I realized that the time for change had come.

Process to review other options

I knew that there were other photo sharing/storage site and wanted to explore the possibilities.  I did a simple web search for "best sites for online photo storage."  Several different lists were provided.  After reviewing the lists, I decided to try two online sites.

However, before starting the evaluation process, I made a list of requirements for what I wanted:

• Online - I must be able to access the photos from anywhere anytime without having to be connected to my home network.
• Sharing - I want to be able to share images with others and online (blog posts and web sites).
• Access from iOS - I need to be able to view and manage photos from my smart phone and tablet.
• Tagging - It would be nice to add keywords to the picture metadata (fields that describe the photo) for quick searches.
• Keep original sizes - I want to ensure that any solution would permit me to store the full size images.
• Upload from any device - Because I take pictures with my phone sometimes edit them on my tablet, I need to be able to add pictures from my phone, tablet, or computer.
• Cost as a factor - I would like to save some money where possible.
• Interface satisfaction - I want an interface that I find easy and intuitive.  

Comparison of results

After creating this list, I compared Flickr, SmugMug, Zenfolio, DropBox, and simply using my computer's hard drive to store photos.  The chart below displays the results of my evaluation.  A "check" means that the requirement was satisfied and an "x" means that it was not.

You'll notice that the cost per year for DropBox has a "*" beside "Free."  Because I subscribe to DropBox anyway, there is no additional cost for adding my photos.  So far, after 7 years of photos, my photo library accounts for about 3% of my total available storage on DropBox.

Decision - DropBox

At least for now, I will use DropBox to store my photos.  In addition to easy access for all devices for viewing and uploading, DropBox's public folder makes it easy to share multiple images, and I can share as needed in addition.

This is a fairly risk-free decision because all my photos that are currently on Flickr will remain there.  If I see that DropBox does not work out, I'll definitely post the results here and explore more online solutions at that time.

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Create a run chart

Run charts are a type of line graph that depict measurements tracked over time. The two lines plotted on the chart are the actual measurements and the average or mean of the measurements. The average line is helpful to identify which measurements are above or below average. The average is also a quick way to compare the first set of collected information and what will be collected later (see Overview of Personal Quality Improvement).

 

In the last PQI post on collecting your first measurements, I wrote about recording some measurements over a period of 20-30 days. Once you have completed collected data, it is time to transfer information to a spreadsheet in order to calculate the average and then create a run chart.

 

SPREADSHEET SOFTWARE

Microsoft Excel was introduced in 1985 as a spreadsheet alternative to Lotus 1-2-3. Apple Numbers was introduced in 2007. Although Numbers doesn't have the powerful engine that Excel has in terms of formulas and complex data management, it does have the advantage of working across platforms. Numbers works seamlessly on iPhones, iPads, as well as Mac computers. A third, free alternative, is an online preadsheet program developed by Google. Google Spreadsheets has fairly extensive functionality and is accessed via the Internet. All of files are stored in Google Drive.

 

MY ITUNES PURCHASES

For the two charts below, I decided to use my iTunes purchased in 2013. I first downloaded a list of all of my iTunes purchases from January through November. After entering the data in columns A, B, and C, I used a couple of formulas to summarize the data by month (columns E, F, and G).

 

 

The "Purchases" (column F) shows counts of column A. In column G, "Averages," the number is simply the total number of purchases (from column F) divided by 11 months. Below is the resulting run chart:

 

 

I also created a similar data set and run chart for the total amount spent per month.

 

 

In looking at these two charts, I can see that I spend more money than I would prefer on apps, music, and books from iTunes, and probably visit the store too often. In a later post, I will use this information to more closely analyze my iTunes purchases. For now, however, I accomplished my goal of objectively and simply transferring the data into a chart for a graphical view of the measurements.

 

If you collected data as discussed last month, it is now time to create your own run charts.

 

The link below will open a Google Spreadsheets file that you can save to you own Google Drive (free to setup and use). The first tab labeled "RunChartData" is the one you should select. The spreadsheet is currently populated with 30 sample data points. The average column is automatically calculated. The updated chart is displayed on the "RunChartGraph" tab.

 

PQI Workbook

 

Douglas G Pratt, 2014

Eliminate these to instantly improve your public speaking

I had a principal in high school who couldn't put two words together without inserting "um" in between them.  I also, more recently, worked with someone who was almost as bad.  Imagine my horror when my wife told me the other day, "You said 'um' a lot on that call."  Wow!  That is bad!

Presidents do it, reporters do it, everybody does it

When you focus on a particular area, your observational sensitivity will improve.  For several years I drove a red Saturn Vue, a midsize sport utility vehicle (SUV).  Once I started driving the Vue, I noticed other Saturn Vues.  Now that I drive a Honda Accord, I seem to notice more Accords on the road.  The same phenomenon is true when observing people. 

Um and Uh

Once I started paying attention to "ums" it seems like I found them everywhere.  While driving today, I heard politicians, reporters, and others use "um." Using "um" seems to be the, um, audible sound designated to represent thinking. 

• President Obama's "uh" compilation.
• President George W. Bush "uh" clip.

So

Another word that is overused is "so."  So, I started listening for that too.  Not only is "so" frequently heard in conversations, it is also proliferating into print.  Perhaps starting a periodic sentence with "so" is alright, a series of sentences is not.

You know

"You know" can also be heard in conversations.  Perhaps people use this, you know, as a slight delay to allow thinking to catch up.  Most of the time, I don't know!

Thing

Another word that I tend to overuse is "thing."  When I can't think of the actual word, I'll substitute "thing."  While "thing" can be used as a substitute for things, as indicated from the Dictionary.com definition below, I personally think it is used to much.

Samuel Clemens and the damn very

The famed author Samuel Clemens (also known as Mark Twain) wrote, "Substitute 'damn' every time you’re inclined to write 'very'; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be."

Clemens point: "very" was (and still is) overused.  Perhaps the same strategy would work to eliminate other overused words.

My list of words to eliminate

I decided to make a concerted effort to improve my speaking by eliminating these words:

• um
• so
• you know
• thing

To provide a visual cue, I wrote these words on a self-adhesive note and keep it in my planner.  My wife saw this note and asked, "What is 'uh so you know thing?'"  A tragic sentence would be one where all of these are strung together.  "Um ... so ... you know ... that thing I was talking about."

"Metathinking" is a term used to describe thinking about thinking.  As I speak, I am trying to anticipate what I'm about to say in order to filter out um, so, you know, and thing. 

Change takes time

Simply deciding to make a change and writing that change on a piece of paper doesn't mean instant success.  However, I believe that overtime I will come closer to achieving my goal of eliminating these words from my vocabulary.  I encourage you to seek feedback from trusted others or record yourself to see if you use any of these words.

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Lofi Gamification

Gamification - Applying game rewards to other areas

Especially in the business community, the term "gamification" has become popular.  Gamification refers taking elements from game play, such as rewards and levels, and applying them to business processes, such as sales, learning, and using websites.  Examples of gamification elements include a points system, levels, leader boards, badges, and progress bars.

Old concepts in new packaging

Although gamification is a fairly new term, the concepts of rewarding and recognizing behavior have been around for thousands of years.  BF Skinner quantified and documented the basic principles of reinforcement in his book The Science of Human Behavior.  The behavior reward sheets that are used to reinforce the behavior of children also fit into the category of gamification. 

Badges are everywhere

It seems like badges can be found everywhere.  Much like scout badges, when you complete certain tasks, you receive a badge.  Below are badges from Audible's audio book app, badges from the game Bejeweled, and stars earned towards a free item at Starbucks.

Why gamification works - motivation

The science behind gamification is a combination of internal and external motivation.  Five components of motivation that apply to gamification are

1. autonomy - a desire for independence
2. mastery - a desire to improve
3. relatedness - a desire to connect with others and compare your experiences
4. purpose - a desire to answer "why"
5. progress - a desire to be oriented and divide tasks into small segments or chunks

Make your own badges

I've been working on a large project where I am writing out tips for presentations in several categories.  After learning about gamification and badges, I decided to create a set of badges that I can highlight as I make progress.  This is a low fidelity method of gamification because it is basically circles drawn on paper. 

The categories of tip are:

• Continually learn.
• Remember that "no" is just a word.
• Understand your audience.
• Develop an action plan.
• Check on the logistics.
• Tell stories.
• Use visuals.
• Create handouts.
• Engage your audience.
• Ask questions.

My hand-drawn badges are displayed below.  So far, I have earned one badge by completing all of the tips related to that category.