Sorcinelli.net

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Back in the “good ol’ days” of late 2000, I started writing regularly on the Internet. Back in those days, I was mostly writing software reviews for a relatively new gadget – the Pocket PC. There were a few web sites around that focused on the technology, but not a ton. In January 2002, I launched BostonPocketPC.com. The idea was to use the Internet to communicate about Pocket PC, then Smartphone, then Windows Mobile and now Windows Phone technologies. News and reviews was the name of the game.

BostonPocketPC.com has always been an enjoyable experience for me. It has given me the chance to meet new people and write about technology I love. A lot has changed in the last 8 years, but it is what has occurred in the last year that has really changed by interaction with the Internet – the emergence of social media.

I’ve always enjoyed writing. I’ve also enjoyed interacting. While traditional “blogging” on the Internet is a great way to speak to an audience, it’s never been a great way to “communicate”. Even longer than my Internet writing career, my professional career has been focused on dialog rather than monologue. Blogging does have it’s ability to invoke conversation, but it is not it’s default nature. The advent of technologies like RSS have moved traditional Internet writing even more towards a more uni-directional nature. That’s never really been my “cup of tea”. The emergence and acceptance of social media technologies has proven to be the media I truly crave.

Whether it be Twitter or Facebook, Yelp or FourSquare, social media is all about interaction. Tweets are replied to, either in replies, retweets or direct messages. Facebook posts result in comments or “likes'”. All very much and very easily in real time. Sure, we’ve had email, forums and newsgroups. None, though, have encouraged the widespread and rapid response to thoughts, opinions and statements than these social media tools do. For me, the result has been quite obvious – I’ve found myself spending far more time in the social media world. This has come at the expense of the traditional Internet mediums. I’ve been thinking a lot about this recently, and I’ve come to some conclusions.

I’ve come to realize that there still is a place for both the traditional and “new” ways of communicating on the ‘Net. I have come to realize I still find enjoyment in blogging. I’ve also come to realize that it is most enjoyable when I want to communicate a message that can’t be conveyed in 140 characters or a “quickie” paragraph. While social media has some strengths (as I described above), it does has it drawbacks. I also realized that by being a little too immersed in social media, I sort of rationalized myself  out of writing more. You have to admit it; Twitter and Facebook do make us a bit lazy when it comes to writing. That is going to change.

My plan moving forward is to try to start doing a healthier mixture of both social media and blogging. I really don’t need to change my social media habits to accomplish this; social media only takes a matter of seconds at a time to communicate. I will start to take the time to identify those things worthy of more complex communication (read - “more words”) and bring them to my blogs/sites. While I might not get the interaction I would like, I still hope that they can either inform or invoke thought. In the end, that is why I have always really enjoyed my writing on the Internet, and what I had somewhat lost sight of – until now.

As someone who spends a great deal of time writing and speaking about technology, I am regularly asked by technology companies to write or speak about their products. Over the years, I have established a number of relationships with companies as a result. While I have generally had good relationships with these companies, I am finding more frequently that the relationship between companies and myself with regards to my role as a “technology communicator” is becoming strained. In some cases, the relationships are strained to the proverbial “breaking point”. This is why I have decided to write what follows.

In the spirit of openness and communication, I think it only fair that I write an Open Letter to all the companies that I currently do work with, as well as though that might wish to work with me. I do this in the hope that we can establish better and more positive interactions that benefit each other as well as (and perhaps more importantly) those in the public who both read and listen to my words about your products.

If you are a current or potential “partner” with me and find yourself taking offense in any way by what follows, please take a sincere moment of pause and honestly ask yourself why you feel this way. I hope that my writing may in some way cause you reflect and react in a positive way for yourselves, your other partners in the community and ultimately those in the general public whose acceptance you hope to gain.

Dear Sirs/Madams,

I write to you today with regards to your desire to have me write and/or speak about your product(s). I thank you for your consideration in this manner. In order to affect a more positive and effective relationship with your company, I ask that you take a moment to review the following information regarding our current and potential future business relationship into account before we proceed any further in the process.

1. Please get to know me before seriously engaging me. I hope that the reason that you have chosen to engage with me is because of my reputation and the belief that I can be an effective partner. If you are considering me as someone to work with you, please perform due diligence in advance of establishing contact. I have always been an “open book” with regards to who I am, what I do and what I can provide to your company. I have always made my life around technology writing and speaking very transparent. Google me. Ask me questions. Ask yourself if I am a “fit” for your goals. Those few minutes of research will prevent yourself from trying to persuade me to look at, work with or review something that simply makes no sense based upon my interests. I expect that you value your time greatly; please respect the fact that I value my time as well.
2. Please honor (in legality and sprit) any agreements we undertake. I am often asked to sign Non-Disclosure Agreements (“NDAs”) as part of your processes. I have yet to encounter an NDA that does not have some stipulations for the company I am working with. I have and always will treat NDAs with the greatest level of respect; it is something that makes up my “professional integrity”. While you may perceive me as something less, please remember that by requiring a contractual agreement such as an NDA, you are treating me as a business partner. Not only are you legally bound to the contract, your own integrity is at stake in this agreement.
3. Please do not expect me to work with you on “blind faith”. I take the greatest pride in being able to communicate with the public based upon real and tangible knowledge based upon first-hand experience. I consider any sentence that includes “trust us” to be an affront to my professionalism. If you cannot explain why something is or provide me with information, do not expect me to accept that and then pass it along as personally-acquired fact. Furthermore – if we are under an NDA and you feel that you still cannot trust me to honor our agreements, I question whether we should have a relationship in the first place. Furthermore, I find such an attitude professionally and personally insulting and fear that it will introduce emotions into my perceptions of your products that would be unfair to you and (more importantly) those who read and listen to my words expecting an unbiased assessment.
4. Please do not ask me to speak to something when you will not provide the information I need to speak properly. In relation to item #3, please do not ask me to speak or write about something about your product based solely on your word. I am more than happy to post press releases at my web site, but to ask me to advocate or endorse any product without first having experience with the product is a waste of time. Also – please do not ask me to appear at a product launch with your product without first having access to your product. I take my role as a speaker and writer very seriously; the word “credible” means everything to me. There is other form of communication where credibility is more at stake than when in a face-to-face scenario. I will not put my reputation on the line as “knowledgeable”, an “expert” or anything else without being personally comfortable in knowing that I am speaking from direct knowledge and experience.
5. Please refrain from double-standards or “levels of confidentiality” with regards to talking about your product. I respect all legalities surrounding NDAs. I also understand and respect the need for such things as “press embargoes” until specific dates and times. However, please do not put me in a position where others considered as peers are allowed to talk about your product, but not myself. This jeopardizes my relationship with the community-at-large and therefore hurts you as much as me with regards to credibility and effective communication regarding your product. I consider this type of activity to be hypocritical with regards to you as a business partner and will question any further relationship when it happens.
6. Please acknowledge my input/feedback regarding your product. I am intelligent enough to understand that I am but one person of many who may be providing input or feedback regarding your product. Please understand that, after years of being a product tester, I only provide such input in the context of making of improving your product (from my perspective). While I do not expect this input or feedback to necessarily be incorporated, I *do* expect that some acknowledgement of your company at least looking at or considering my input. Non-responsiveness to my communication (which involved taking the time and effort to test/research) delivers a message that the effort is not worthwhile and diminishes our relationship.
   Also – please do not ask for input for a specific release of your product under the guise that the input could be incorporated into your product when this is not the case in reality. I am intelligent enough to figure out when this is the case (and I do quite regularly) and consider this to be disingenuous at best. Once again, this diminishes my trust in your company. If you would like input on a product release but know it cannot be incorporated into the product before release, simply state that fact. I will respect your honesty and be glad to oblige you in any way that I can.
7. Please respect my time. My goal is to always speak to any product or technology based upon real experience. This takes time, often at the expense of other items (personal or professional). Please do not ask me to review or speak to your product in an unreasonable amount of time.
8. Please refrain from asking for “editorial review”. I have not and never will sign any legal agreement that allows you to have editorial review of my written or spoken content. I expect that our relationship (both professional and legal) would allow for us to work in an environment where we can work without the need for censorship. I regularly have offered companies the opportunity to read or hear what I will deliver to the community in advance of the delivery itself. I do so with the hope that anything that is truly inaccurate is caught, as well as providing the professional courtesy of a “heads-up”. While I am a partner, I am not an employee. My credibility is based in large part on my ability to speak freely on subjects. As an side – I will never speak negatively of any product issues in public without first communicating with the company responsible for the product. I believe it is my obligation to first address issues like bugs, features or defects with the company to understand if these items have been already identified and, if so, are they being addressed.

In conclusion, please note that I consider all of the items listed above as proper professional courtesy for any successful business relationship of this nature. I have always taken pride in addressing these types of relationships with the greatest amount of professionalism. All I am asking in return is to be treated with that same level of respect. If you feel that our relationship is anything less than a professional one because of the nature of what I do, I kindly ask you to refrain from any future engagement as such a relationship will never be beneficial to either one of us.       

Sincerely,
Don Sorcinelli

… he’d:

1. Demand it for his Halloween costume;
2. Wear it 24/7 until it disintegrated.

This is a little “off-topic” for me since it involves an iPhone application, but the moral of the story is relevant to us all…

An old friend of mine recently has proven to me once again that anyone can have a great idea *and* bring it to fruition with the right effort and desire. My friend, Brent Pope, had an idea for a mobile phone application. He’s not a software developer, but believed the idea was worth trying to bring to market. You can read all about this in an article at the Orlando Sentinel web site. The result of his efforts – Wait Times, an application now available at the iPhones App Store.

Outside of huge kudos to Brent for the accomplishment, his story reminds me of something I have talked about for years when it comes to technology in general, and mobile technology in particular.

There are still a world of possibilities when it comes to new ideas for technology. Anyone can be the originator of these ideas as well; it doesn’t have to a hardware or software engineer. The ideas don’t have to come from people who live and breathe the technology world. Often times, the best ideas come from those who have no connection to the target of their idea. Everyday people can come up with the best innovations.

I often hear people with ideas for mobile technology say things like “well, I’m not a programmer”, “I can’t make this hardware” or “I don’t know where to begin”. Brent’s story is example of what I normally reply in response to these statements - He took the step to find out more. What can you do? Well,…

• Ask friends, family and associates for opinions. Bounce the idea off of them to gauge the value in your idea. Just remember to focus on the value of the idea and NOT personal opinions on whether you should be doing this. In other words – don’t let them bring you down.
• Ask friends, family and associates for possible contacts. If what you are thinking of is software-related, it is hard nowadays not to find someone within the ‘Six Degrees of Separation” who could be of assistance.
• Let the Internet be your “research friend”. It is too easy today to use the Internet to find out whether your idea can have value. Whether it is researching the uniqueness of your idea, checking online forums to gauge desire/interest, or to look for the resources that could help to bring your idea to reality, the Internet is always the best way to start the journey.

I guess what I am trying to say here is that Brent could have been like many other people who have an idea. He could have simply said “Nah – I’m sure somebody else is doing that”, or “I’m not a developer – why bother?” He didn’t, though. The result is a great application to meet a unique need. As a developer, the ultimate compliment I could pass along is “Dang – I wish I had thought of it first.” ;-)

Today was my youngest son Drew’s 5th birthday. When it came to the cake for his party, he did NOT want the traditional “frosting-laden” birthday cake. Instead, he wanted a Whoopie Pie. Now normally, you think “Whoopie Pie” and the phrase “single serve” comes to mind, right? Well, not if you order from Wicked Whoopies, a Maine-based company/website. There, you will uncover the “Jumbo Wicked Whoopie”. Just how much whoopie is in a Jumbo Whoopie? Let this video clip I took at the party answer this question for you…

Now THAT’S a Whoopie Pie! Wicked Whoopies has plenty of other Whoopie Pie goodies available too. If you consider yourself a Whoopie Pie connoisseur, check it out.

By the way – the kids devoured this at the party. I couldn’t help but indulge a bit myself, and I’m not a fan of these things. It WAS good, though ;-)

So, not everybody out there takes advantage (or even understands) how to use RSS (“Really Simple Syndication”) feeds. An example of an RSS feed is right here on this web site (the “Subscribe” menu item at the top of the page). For those that are unaware, RSS provides a way of receiving web site updates without having to visit the actual website itself. It does, however, require software (an RSS reader) to receive the updates. If you want to receive updates but don’t want to go through the hassles of using an RSS reader, there is an alternative – getting the updates in email.

A great example of a service that sends RSS updates to your Inbox is the appropriately named Feed My Inbox website.

Simply enter in the full URL (web address) of the website and your email address, then click on the “Submit” button. You will then be sent a confirmation email (to ensure that someone is not trying to set up feeds using your email address). Follow the instructions, and voila! – whenever new posts are made to the website, you will receive that post in email.

If you are looking for a way to keep up with the latest news here, simply use Feed My Inbox and enter http://www.sorcinelli.net – it’s just that simple!

Just looked at my home page on Facebook when I noticed something a bit out of the ordinary -

So – is this trying to tell me something? Is it telling me something about my friends? About Facebook? Hmmm… time to watch everyone’s behavior :-)

If you haven’t heard of Qik yet, now is as good a time as any. With a camera-equipped mobile phone and a data plan, Qik makes you an instant streaming video wiz. Simply install the application and fire it up. Ideally, you should have either a 3G phone or WiFi.

I decided to try out Qik over the weekend using my BLackjack II with only an EDGE connection. The result – streaming my wife’s first Tae Kwon Do belt test (she decided to join the kids at Tae Kwon Do a few weeks back). While there was a great deal of buffering involved, the final result was not half bad.

I also tried a couple of short videos today using my AT&T Tilt and WiFi. One shortcoming of Qik – only one device can be associated with an account at one time, so changing to another phone involves deactivating the first. I will say that there was almost no buffering involved when using WiFi, making for a true “live stream” from the phone.

I definitely will be looking for more ways to leverage Qik. One example – I could see using Qik to stream our local Windows Mobile user/developer group meetings. I am constantly asked why we can’t broadcast these events for people who can’t attend. Maybe now we can :-)

This morning turned into another 2-hour commute from Salem, NH to Watertown, MA. 35 miles in 2 hours. Purgatory. Today was a little different, however, as the drive didn't seem quite so long.

Yeasterday, Microsoft released both new Zune devices and (more importantly) new Zune software (more information on the Zune 3.0 launch is over at BostonPocketPC.com). While there are a lot of cool new features, the one I was most waiting for was the ability to download and play audio books from Audible.com. For those who don't know, I've been using Audible for audio books since around the 2000/2001 time frame (I can't even remember for sure). I love to have the ability to select an audio book on demand and simply download it to my device. For a long time, that device was a Pocket PC/Windows Mobile device or phone. However, the move away from 2.5/3.5mm audio jacks to other standards made Windows Mobile a less than desirable solution.

By adding audio book content from Audible to the Zune's capabilities, I now have rediscovered an old friend. Last night, I downloaded the Audible Manager update for Zune support, pulled down a couple of book from my online Audible Library and quickly copied them to my Zune (by the way - the improved USB 2.0 Zune drivers are amazing; 80 MB in a handful of seconds). This morning, I pulled my Zune into the auxiliary input jack on my car stereo, fired up an audio book and away I went. I never thought I'd say this, but I was a little saddened when the commute came to an end; I was at a really great part of the book I was listening to :-)

While I've done it several times in the past, I feel compelled to again recommend to any avid audio book listener or book reader with lots of "non-reading" time to consider Audible.com. The Zune is only the latest addition to an amazing number of supported MP3 players and devices.