My new company, Roundhouse Technologies, is a sponsor of all three, and I’m speaking at Ignite Baltimore and am event co-chair for SocialDevCamp. Each of these events is an example of the kind of self-organizing community events that I believe will shape the next wave of tech on the east coast and which I believe will give rise to the next great wave of innovation. And this time, that innovation is going to happen in places besides the towns along 101 and Interstate 280.
I’ve not talked a lot about Roundhouse yet publicly, but we’re methodically building things up, and we’ll have more to say soon. Stephen Muirhead and I are heading up the company. Stephen is an experienced executive and entrepreneur, and among other distinctions is the former president of Microprose Software, maker of the Sid Meier Civilization games, (ironically now owned by Atari, with which I had a long association, though under a previous incarnation).
So, anyway, lots of stuff is happening. Ignite Baltimore should be amazing. If you have not RSVP’d yet, please do so now to be sure you can get in. The space is limited. SocialDevCamp East was heralded as one of the top tech events on the east coast, and we’re expecting another amazing day on November 1. And if Twin Tech II (held a couple of weeks ago in DC) is any indication of the scale and energy we can expect at Twin Tech III, we’re in for a heck of an event.
Tech is very much alive and well in DC, Baltimore, Philly, and New York. Watch it unfold in the coming months and years!
On November 4th, Marylanders will be faced with a ballot referendum question about whether to amend the Maryland constitution to legalize slot machine gambling at selected sites in Maryland. No matter how you feel about gambling or slot machines, one thing is sure: this is bad legislation, and a bad way to implement it.
It’s being marketed as a mechanism to fund education, but in fact any revenues will end up in the general fund and used however the legislature sees fit. The reason it’s turned into a constitutional amendment measure is that similar legislation has already failed to pass the General Assembly for multiple years in a row. And the only way to amend the Maryland Constitution is to have a ballot referendum.
Is this really the sort of thing we want to embed in our state constitution, the same document that protects your right to free speech and to redress the government?
Today we went to the Fells Point Festival in Baltimore to talk to people about how they feel about the ballot measure, and everyone we talked to had serious questions about the details of this proposal. Watch and see how people feel.
With the price of gas where it is, along with my own desire to get more exercise, I’ve adopted a set of rules regarding bicycle usage, and encourage everyone to do the same. I think it represents a distinctly different attitude towards bicycling than we’re used to. See what you think.
Ride a bike for a reason, not just for recreation; while riding a bike for recreation is fine, the idea is to promote replacement of cars with bikes where possible. Make a point of choosing trips where you actually are replacing a car trip.
Don’t wear funny sports clothes. They preclude your ability to partake in normal society. If you’re going to a lunch meeting, no one wants to see bikerman in spandex. Furthermore, wearing sports clothing promotes the image that bikes are for ‘cyclists’ and not normal people. Do wear a helmet, and lock it to your bike when you need to go in someplace.
Go where you need to go, including busier roads, if that’s what’s necessary to reach your destination. Bikes will never be used as replacements for cars unless they can truly substitute. By making yourself visible on major roads, you increase the visibility of bikes as a whole and help raise awareness of problem spots. Obviously use common sense and avoid limited access roads and unsafe situations. But DO go where you need to go to complete your trip.
Obey traffic laws and signals. Being on a bike doesn’t give you a free pass to act like a maniac. Be courteous, intelligent, and follow traffic signals and laws. This puts cars on notice that bikers (even slow, non-athletic ones) deserve their fair share of the road, but you need to reciprocate by acting in a predictable, lawful, and measured way.
Replace time at the gym (or other exercise efforts) with time on a bike as part of your daily routine. Isn’t it nonsensical to use a car to rush through your day so you can get home at 5 and then go to the gym (or bike or run) for an hour? If you slow down and use a bike for some tasks during the day, you won’t need to spend as much time doing mindless exercise. And you’ll save on gas (and carbon emissions), and get better connected to your community.
This week, I used my bike to go to three lunch meetings, a doctor appointment, and two trips to buy groceries. I put in over 60 miles just between Monday and Thursday, and it took only a few minutes more time than it would have to drive. I am sure I’ve lost weight doing this, though I don’t care how much. I feel better and that alone is worth it.
And two of the best perks about biking: you’re never stuck in traffic, and second, you always get a top-notch parking spot. Plus, you’re not circling around trying to find a place to park. More gas and time savings. Being on a bike in many ways is faster and more efficient than being in a car, especially when the distances you’re talking about are under 30 minutes of bike time (8-10 miles).
Anyone who lives in the Annapolis, Maryland area knows it’s a congested, frustrating experience to try to get ANYWHERE on a weekday afternoon by car. Why not try it on a bike and see how much quicker it can be?
An hour or so ago I launched Twittervision Election View, allowing viewers to see posts to Twitter about the 2008 election in their original geographic context.
Twitter launched something similar this morning, and the idea to do a political view of Twittervision has been around for a while, so it seemed natural to try to do this now and especially in advance of tonight’s debate.
We have some enhancements planned, and right now the site is getting a ton of traffic as people discover it… we should be able to put some more server capacity on it which should keep things steady.
I am CEO and co-founder at 410Labs, and creator of Mailstrom. I'm a serial entrepreneur, software developer, and community builder in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
