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So what's the deal with GTD and Tinderbox?

Of late I've been hearing more and more about “Getting Things Done” (aka GTD) and programs like Tinderbox? Seems that there's some new management trend starting to spread. Anyone actually use these systems? Are they useful for long-term productivity improvement? Before I go and investigate this too much further, I'm interested in hearing if it's just another management/productivity fad, or if there's something real behind all this. Both the book and the software seem to be getting a lot of conversation spreading about them.

Creating a timeline of Blogging's influence on mainstream media

I was recently asked by a reporter for resources on real, concrete events where blogging had a significant effect on political events, and while a number of events came to the top of my head (Trent Lott, Salam Pax, Ed Schrock, Bush's National Guard memos fisking) I was thinking it would be great to have a timeline for all of us - so I started one. It is pretty bare-bones for now, with entries for the aforementioned Lott, Schrock, and Rathergate. Please drop by and add/edit the page to fill out the timeline.

Back from the RNC

Back from the RNC, and I sure am glad to be back on the west coast. It was great to see some old friends (and make some new ones) while out in NYC, getting the new Politics site a workout was exciting, and working with CNN was a joy - those folks are real pros, but it is great to be back at home.

There were lots of bloggers over in the blogger's alley that the RNC provided in the Felt Forum outside of the main convention hall. Here's a picture of some of the bloggers at the alley interviewing Ari Fleisher, former Press Secretary for the current administration. Click on the picture to see a larger version.

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RNC Day 4 Wrap-up

While bloggers were a novelty at the DNC in Boston and were less of a story in and of themselves during the RNC, the quality of commentary and the number of breaking stories during the RNC show that bloggers are starting to hit their stride. The toppling of Ed Schrock, two-term Republican congressman from Virginia, after investigative reporting from a blogger showed the growing political power of citizen journalism. The use of blogging technology during protests and also from delegate phonecams on the convention floor show that this pushbutton publishing technology is filling an important journalistic niche.

The convention wrapped up as first President Bush spoke and then Senator Kerry, in an unusual move, followed from a campaign rally in Ohio. Bloggers at the convention formed into two primary camps: mostly conservative RNC credentialed bloggers, writing from Blogger's Alley in the Felt Forum, outside the main convention hall, and a group of mostly liberal bloggers that gathered at The Tank, a performance space in midtown Manhattan. Of course, there were many other bloggers from all over the country who were adding to the conversation. Top stories from the final day of the convention include:

  • Democrats divided?That's what Dick Morris wrote, in the New York Post's opinion column. " In an incredibly striking contrast, Bush voters are united on virtually all the questions that divide the Kerry vote. So Bush can advance his agenda with impunity while taking aim at Kerry voters who are antagonized by their candidate whenever he has to choose a position." Not all liberals agree. Lambert from Corrente wrote, "If Kerry can get people to listen and think, Bush is toast."

  • Zell Miller challenges Chris Matthews to a duel Chris Matthews had a heated exchange with Zell Miller after his speech Wednesday night. Here's the clip in Windows Media Format. Media Bistro has more details, and ongoing commentary on the Miller speech is here.

  • Word frequency analysis The New York Times reports via an interesting graphic the frequencies of different words used during the DNC and the RNC. Micah L. Sifry performs the same analysis on Bush's acceptance speech.

  • President Bush's speech Similar to the DNC, Conservatives went quiet after the final speech of the convention, but the Technorati Attention Index™ showed a burst in anti-Bush postings after the speech ended. this is probably because of the "satisfaction effect" - that conservatives are happy with the climax of the convention, while liberals are so unsatisfied, they are vociferously blogging. William Saletan commented after the speech, "The 2004 election is becoming a referendum on your right to hold the president accountable." Dave Winer wrote, "I'm glad Kerry responded to the Republicans. Maybe it's time, though, to consider a new format, where they do a Democratic talk show, with Mario Cuomo, Wesley Clark and James Carville reviewing the Republicans. They require serious rebuttal. Don't pretend they're going to roll over and let the Dems win. Fight fire with fire. It's good that Kerry has shown his anger. It's not good that he trailed off into his standard incoherent stump speech."

  • George Bush's National Guard Service questions Two important updates in the George Bush Alabama National Guard story - Salon reports on the widow of a Bush family confidant who says that Bush did no National Guard service in the spring of 1972. And Ben Barnes, the former Texas official who says he pulled strings to get George W. Bush into the Air National Guard will be appearing on 60 Minutes.

RNC Day 3 Wrap-up

The heat turned up in Manhattan today, as speeches by Zell Miller and Dick Cheney provided red meat to party faithful, and protests outside the convention hall increased in intensity and number. After-hour parties abounded, but behind the scenes, the effect of money in politics only got rarely reported. More from on and off the floor:

  • Reactions to Zell Miller: The angriest speech of the convention, seemingly came from Zell Miller, as Glenn Reynolds notes, "It's funny that the purest voice of Jacksonian America at this Republican convention -- in fact, at either convention -- comes from a Democrat.". Begging to Differ wrote, "Zell Miller was more effective tonight than any Republican could have been. John Kerry will have to answer, if he can."

  • The two Cheneys - diverse reaction from liberals and conservatives The Technorati Politics Attention Index™ saw heavy blogging from both the left and right regarding Vice President Dick Cheney's speech tonight. Conservatives like Sister Toldjah remarked, "A SOLID performance!". Ann Althouse wrote, ""He lays it out. And you can take it or leave it. He's not doing the twist. He's Dick Cheney." Liberals felt differently. Josh Marshall described a common liberal perspective: "My first thought was, bold words for a man whose office is the subject of an on-going criminal inquiry. But apparently that’s not the subject of polite conversation."
  • Arnold gets fact-checked The liberal blogosphere has been buzzing about Arnold Schwartenegger's speech last night. Numerous bloggers pointed out that while Arnold has spoken of Nixon debating Humphrey in 1968, the debate never happened.

  • Protest Vignettes Outside of the convention, New York is filled with protests, from big, to small, to personal. Inside the convention hall, AIDS demonstrators disrupted a Republican youth gathering on the floor, unveiling an anti-Bush sign and disrupting a speech by Andrew Card. Andrew Sullivan reports on a particularly rude protester, while Peter Northrup wrote "of a self-proclaimed liberal [that] was spending her day, not protesting with angry slogans, but sitting in front of an empty chair and a sign that invited conservatives to sit down and talk with her about the future of the country." Ratherbiased has pictures of a protester being removed from tonight's Cheney speech.
  • Blogging a talk-show appearance: Michelle Malkin blogs her side of the story after appearing on MSNBC's Hardball. First-hand accounts like this are shifting the fulcrum away from show hosts and producers who often attempt to unfairly create controversy. Malkin's account, while completely subjective, allows her to get her side of the story out to the world, just as the FCC's Michael Powell or Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, use their blogs to speak to the world in a timely, unedited fashion.

RNC Wrap-up, Day 2

Arnold, the Bush sisters, voting machines, Kerry Campaign shakeup rumours, criticism of RNC bloggers, and censorship of Supreme Court decisions were on the minds of bloggers today as the second day of the Republican National Convention wrapped up.

  • Arnold's speech polarizing California governor Arnold Schwartzenegger provoked strong reactions from both Liberals and Conservatives. Lots of conservative bloggers swelled with pride at Arnold's speech, according to the Technorati Conservative Politics Attention Index™, such as Jay Reding, who wrote, "His story of living under the shadow of Communism is an important reminder of why America is still admired across the globe." Technorati's Liberal Politics Attention Index™ showed liberal bloggers reacting strongly to Arnold's jabs at Democrats: Luis Poza wrote of the Governor's speech, "full of sound and fury and signifying nothing".

  • The Bush sisters Jenna and Barbara Bush's speech provoked jeers from authoritative liberal bloggers, and Conservatives largely remained silent on the speech. Keith Berry wrote, "Up until now, I've never really felt bad for anybody with the last name Bush, but watching the Bush twins at the GOP Convention was was just so sad I was nearly brought to tears. It was a train-wreck. An honest to God train-wreck." On Dummocrats.com, a conservative blog, James K. Hat wrote, "This convention has been great so far. (Edit - great until the Bush daughters spoke... what in the world was that?)", and the Washingon Monthly rreports on other conservative reactions.

  • Revelations on an easy way to hack voting machines made their way through the blogosphere today, in this article on Bev Harris' blackboxvoting.com, noting that the Diebold GEMS central tabulator, used in many over 30 states, contains a stunning security hole.

  • Kerry campaign shakeup rumours Mickey Kaus reports on the rumours, starting in the Washington Prowler, that Kerry will shake up his campaign staff. This was later covered by MSNBC, and CNN.

  • Blogger's Corner events, and critiques General Tommy Franks came by the bloggers' area at the RNC for a photo opportunity, and while there announced his support for President bush, a prelude to his more official annoucenet on Sean Hannity's radio show. Salon.com publishes a biting article on the actions of the RNC credentialed bloggers.

  • Redactions of Supreme Court decisions in Patriot Act suit?The Memory Hole reports on the "blacking out" of passages quoting US Supreme Court decisions in the ACLU's suit against the Justice department. This could be a breaking story in tomorrows news.

Daily Blog Roundup, Day 1 of the 2004 RNC

The first day of the RNC had interesting blogger moments - mostly from outside of the convention, where both Liberal and Conservative bloggers placed their attention. Much of the following information is taken from Technorati's Politics Attention Index™, a new feature on politics.technorati.com where we watch the most authoritative bloggers following the US Elections - both liberal and conservative, and track the stories they are monitoring, and in some cases, breaking.

  • Conservatives happy with McCain and Giulani: Roger Simon, a blogger at the convention, remarks, "John Kerry should take speech-making lessons from John McCain. And if McCain is busy, he should try Giuliani." Blogs for Bush's Mark Noonan wrote, "tonight, for all practical purposes, the critics of the war have been answered."

  • Bloggers claim another scalp? When asked about blogging's effect on the political discourse in the United States, many people point to the loss of Trent Lott's speakership as the first time political webloggers kept a story alive and had a real effect on inside-the-beltway actions. We now may be witnessing another story in the same vein - that of the resignation of Rep. Ed Schrock, a two-term Republican from Virginia's Second District, after pernicious reporting from Blogactive. Daily Kos presents an interesting set of posts on the situation.

  • The Kerry sisters get boos at MTV AwardsThe Conservative blogosphere was abuzz with links to the video clip of the Kerry sisters getting boos and then "shushing" the crowd.

  • Bloggers reporting from the convention hall A number of credentialed RNC bloggers have been posting on their experiences at the convention, akin to the DNC bloggers who wrote of the events that occurred while at the convention itself. Ann Althouse reports on her day 1 experiences, as do the folks at Wizbang!, where they report on the issues in the Blogger's Corner as well as an interesting run-in with Ari Fleischer getting interviewed by the bloggers.

  • More highlights from Liberal Bloggers: Liberals were spending a lot of time watching stories outside the convention. One item that created a buzz in the Liberal Politics Attention Index was a story in The Washington Monthly by bloggers Joshua Micah Marshall, Laura Rosen, and Paul Glastris, the editor in chief of The Washington Monthly. In it they delve deeper into the FBI investigation of Larry Franklin, a veteran Defense Intelligence Agency Iran analyst. Juan Cole has additional commentary.

  • Conservatives outside the convention Lots was going on outside of NYC that the Conservative blogosphere was talking about. The Conservative Politics Attention Index ranked the discussion going on around John Edwards' remarks about confronting Iran over nuclear plants and fuel. Orin Judd comments, "If the Iranians refuse the offer and France and Germany say that's fine by them, would President Kerry accept this European diktat or act unilaterally to prevent Iran from developing a potential nuclear capability?"

Updated politics.technorati.com is live!

I'm proud to announce that we've just gone live with an updated feature set and look to our Election Watch 2004 site, politics.technorati.com. You'll notice a few big changes, and a bunch of smaller, more subtle changes and fixes. We've changed the orientation of the site away from posting the most recent posts by authoritative political bloggers (although you can still get to that view in 3-pane, liberal, conservative, RNC, or combined view) to one that focuses on where the authoritative political bloggers are spending their attention - what we are calling the Politics Attention Index™.

The Attention Index measures the blog posts, news articles, and other places on the Internet where bloggers are pointing. This is similar to what Blogdex, Daypop, Popdex, or even Technorati's own NewsTalk is doing, but we are limiting the set of bloggers to the ~10,000 most authoritative political bloggers, which we derived by looking at both what bloggers write about as well as how many other political bloggers are linking to them. This is also how we analyzed blogs to find the most authoritative liberal and conservative bloggers, and where they're spending their attention over the last 12 hours (here's the Liberal Attention Index, and the Conservative Attention Index). Note that you'll sometimes find the same items discussed by both liberals and conservatives, but often the items are quite different, or the amount of attention spent is quite different. These authoritative political bloggers became a collaborative filter for events going on in the world - helping to filter out the most interesting and important things going on around the political blogosphere.

We've also added charts and graphs! Working with the folks at CNN, we're tracking the histories and comparisons of some of the major players and stories going on in the political world. We'll be updating the charts that you can see with others as topics emerge at and after the conventions.

As always, we're looking for your feedback! There's a lot we did that are improvements on the old design, but I know there's still a lot that can be made even better. Let me know what you think of things, and how we can be of service to you.

Kudos to the entire Technorati team - you guys made this happen. I'm really proud of you.

Technorati at the Republican National Convention

We are very pleased that CNN has invited Technorati back to provide real-time analysis of the political blogosphere at next week's Republican National Convention. I will be in New York at CNN's convention broadcast center at Madison Square Garden, along with Technorati's Richard Ault. Technorati will provide on-air commentary for CNN, and a daily update at CNN.com, on what bloggers are saying about politics and the convention. We're really excited and looking forward to the opportunity to showcase the work of the great bloggers who will be writing about the convention and related activities.

Please contact me at dsifry@technorati.com or Richard Ault at richard@technorati.com if you have any comments or would like to let me know about something happening in the blogosphere during the convention! We'll be working our butts off to give you the best information we can.

Things have been extremely busy here at Technorati. We've had a lot of growth in attention and usage of the service, and we've also been going through a bunch of scaling problems. We've been working day and night to get bugs fixed and the service fast, stable, and reliable. We're not 100% there yet, but we're making progress. The past few weeks we've fixed some of the things that broke when we first deployed the Election Watch site. We want to continue to be of service to you, our users, and we take our responsibility to you very seriously. If you're experiencing problems, please send us feedback. I want to make sure we're being responsive to you. Thanks again for using Technorati, and looking forward to seeing a bunch of you in NYC!