shenanigans

Goodbye Google

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Previously I mentioned I was in the process of dropping all products made by Google but it was half-hearted. The amount of data they have on me for the past thirteen is overwhelming. I recently requested my data delivered to me via their own data freedom tool called Google Takeout.

It took all day to archive and send me my request and I saw why. 124GB worth of data compressed into 56 downloads of 2GB each(!!). And this was for my main account. I haven’t even started on my backup account I created just this past year yet.

The reason behind all this effort to liberate myself? Security and privacy. Also, they are showing signs of controlling/manipulating data and interfering with users. Google’s motto used to be “Don’t be evil.” That motto disappeared sometime this past month. Hmm.

Ever since I made my decision to migrate I have been adapting myself to new software tools. Alternatives to the Google ecosystem that has been so pervasive.

iPhone > Android

Windows > Chromebook

Duck Duck Go > Google Search

Firefox browser > Google Chrome

Outlook, own domain email > Gmail

Youtube > Vimeo

MS Office > Google Docs

OneDrive, iCloud > Google Drive

Apple Notes, Bear > Google Keep

iOS Photos > Google Photos

iOS Maps > Google Maps

Namecheap domains > Google Domains

Adobe > Snapseed

Ever notice how ubiquitous Google is until you saw these examples? Truth be told, I LOVE most of Google’s products and it hurts to leave them behind.

I am still looking for alternatives to a few of their software offerings like Google Earth, Voice, Translate, Book Archives and more. If anyone has suggestions, I’d love to hear them.

The migration process is still just that. I am slowly setting up new spaces for old content. Once completed I will be pressing that oh so sweet “DELETE” button.

100 Word Challenge

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Long-form writing is overwhelming so I’m trying short stories. Guess what? There are even shorter stories out there called micro-fiction. 100-word stories. Believe it or not there are even 50-word stories. I’m not ready for that, especially since they read like Haiku. Anywho, here’s my take on micro fiction. To be developed into a proper story in the future.

The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public works program developed in 1933. It was created so poor and unskilled younger men would have the chance to earn a wage while helping to re-build the country. Sonny Fisher just saw it as his meal ticket. 

If it wasn’t for the CCC he’d likely starve or be shot. Either way, he’d be dead if he stayed back home in Ohio. Here he was in  Texas bustin’ his ass for pennies a day and good food.

While digging he struck an iron pot. Sealed with worn leather and covered in mildew. Gold coins?

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Idea Cycle

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How I figure things out

Get an idea.
1. Read, hear or experience something inspiring. 
2. Obsess about it.

Research the hell out of it
3. Find several books at the library, in the bookstore 
4. Look online.
5. Watch videos.
6. Take a field trip. 

Document your findings
7. Take notes.
8. Take photographs or screenshots. 
9. Sketch. 

Apply what you’ve learned
10. Make something
11. Show someone. Let them know what you’ve learned.

Something else catches your eye.
12. See step 1

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Idea

Here’s an overview about my thought processes and cycles. Steps ten and eleven is the hard part because…number twelve. Repeat the cycle again and again.

Get an idea

1. See, hear, smell, taste, touch something interesting

2. Obsess about it

Do your research

3. Scour books at home, in the library and the bookstore.

4. Look online

5. Watch videos

6. Take a field trip for research

Record what you find

7. Take notes

8. Take photographs

9. Draw it out

Apply what you learned

10. Make something

11. Show someone. Let them know all that you’ve learned

Something else catches your eye.

12. Go back to step 1

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VSCO > Instagram

Instagram sucks. I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it. VSCO has a great business model. They make and sell digital products to help enhance your photography and provide a social platform to host too. VSCO desktop presets for Adobe Lightroom and VSCO mobile are great tools to create and share your work.

Compare this to Instagram’s business model: advertising. Fun fact: I have never purchased anything from an online advertisement and I will go out of my way to not buy their products for their intrusive behavior. Also, I don’t want my data sold to anyone I don’t want to business with.

VSCO is minimally designed where the focus is on photography, not how many followers you have or comments and likes. These fake forms of measuring how good your image is can be unhealthy and distracting.

The attention to photography and storytelling beats the Instagram feed of 1 ad to every 4 photos. Instagram has ceased to be relevant and ceased being fun.

VSCO is a creative tool program where it provides the tools to edit your images and share on your feed or even in a journal format. Repost others in a Collection as a mood board of inspiration. Even reach out to others with private messaging.

I’ll still use Instagram for my Shots photo group and that’s all. I want to focus on enjoying photography again and being more creative as a result.

**Update** It is finished

It’s Not Relevant

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Instagram sucks.

It used to be a great way to network with great photographers and friends. It has evolved from a creative community into an abomination of memes, unoriginal work and advertisements.
When Facebook purchased Instagram everyone knew that it would change drastically and not for the better. 

Shortly after, ads were popping up with no regard for anything. Nothing was relevant because Facebook hadn’t yet figured out your likes, dislikes, friends. It still hasn’t figured me out. I am seeing ads for candy, ads for salt. Yes, salt. Ads for a house flipping seminar by some faux celeb on a DIY channel. Ads for paint etc etc. What the hell does salt have to do with photography? This is a photography platform…or it used to be.
IG has added video features, photo/video stories, IGTV for longer video stories. All laced with ads. 

FB and IG both have shitty algorithms that is distracting what we want to see. Their shitty algorithms have also destroyed the order in which we want to see our friend’s photos by assuming they know best. But FB and IG don’t know me at all. They’ve stopped caring and allow any advertiser to show whatever they want, relevant or not and then have access to our data.

How pervasive are these irrelevant advertisements? It averages one ad for every four photos in your feed. Four, maybe five of your colleague’s images and then you get a “sponsored post”.

Think these offered options matter?

Why don’t you want to see this ad?

It’s not relevant

I see it too often

It’s inappropriate

Think again.

Deleting Facebook was easy. I never took it seriously and my friends appreciated me mocking everything that they enjoyed about FB.

Speaking of deleting…I just accidentally erased my whole last paragraph and don’t have the energy to recreate it. Anyway, IG sucks and I am getting real close to pushing that “delete account” button

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Get Lost

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“…to be lost is to be fully present, and to be fully present is to be
capable of being in uncertainty and mystery. And one does not get lost
but loses oneself, with the implication that it is a conscious choice, a
chosen surrender, a psychic state achievable through geography.”

                                                                      – A Field Guide To Getting Lost

Progress

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Time to get serious and disciplined regarding digital asset management (DAM). As I type, I am transferring files off of the various external hard drives to a master file on my computer. Then I will use Lightroom to remove the duplicates, sort the wheat from the chaff, sort by year/month, geotag, keyword and then maintain this archive. After this I will upload to my photo hosts. On backup drives, Flickr and Smugmug. Speaking of..I’ve redirected my Photo Denbow web domain to Smugmug. (above)

With my new camera, I am considering this all to be a clean slate. Way overdue.

The (Mis) Adventurous Life

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I grew up watching great action movies like Star Wars, Die Hard and Indiana Jones. Adventure stories have stood the test of time, why is that? Because they are us.

We identify with these stories because life is adventurous.

Or misadventurous (I just made a new word).

Fight a good fight. Overcome adversity. Get the girl. The difficult part is that these adventures are ongoing. Good and evil, work and play, love and loss. All of these make great adventures and stories because they are us. It is who we are.