by Brian Gilham on April 6, 2008
I‘ve spent the last hour or so mulling over the various ways I could open this post. I could go with something witty, maybe crack a joke about the impulsive nature of writing. Or, I could keep it short and simple, leave the reader with an air of mystery. But, in the end, I decided it’s best to just come out and say it:
I’m back.
After roughly a year’s absence, Ekonoline has returned from the dead, ready to spew forth my thoughts, feelings, rants, and essays. The urge, the need to write has returned. Nils once said that I seemed the sort of person who must get his thoughts out into the world. I’d say he hit the nail on the head.
Where did I disappear to? The short answer is that I simply burned out. Crushed under the load of classes, work, personal relationships, and other interests, I simply had no desire to write, develop Ekonoline, or participate in online communities. As a result, April 2007 saw me pulling out of many of my commitments. I stopped writing for Torontoist, left 9rules, left my position as a moderator at UER, and took Ekonoline down altogether. I made a number of tough decisions regarding my life and the direction I was taking, including the decision to stop doing freelance web development work, and focused on making myself happy. In the end, the break was exactly what I needed.
In the time that has followed, many things have changed. I’ve grown as a person. Old friends have moved on, while new ones have become a part of my life. I’m working toward finishing my post-secondary studies and deciding where the next 365 days will lead. I’m at a turning point.
I can’t promise my entries will always be thrilling, and I’m still putting the finishing touches on the new site, but I can say one thing for certain:
It’s good to be back.
by Brian Gilham on April 3, 2007
Brought to you by the same minds that created Skype, Joost touts itself as “a new way of watching TV on the Internet [...] including a high-quality full-screen picture, hundreds of full-length shows and easy channel-flipping.” It also includes a lot of social features like chat, instant messaging, and customizable widgets. The web community has been buzzing with talk of Joost since it was announced and it seems like everyone and their mother is clamoring for an invite. This thing is huge — people have even been running it on the recently-released Apple TV.
I’ve been a part of the Joost beta test for a month now and have really enjoyed using the program. As a result I have, in my possession, five invites to give away to five lucky Ekonoline readers. Want to know more? Read on.
How to Get a Joost Beta Invite
Leave a comment on this entry, with a valid e-mail address, in which you:
- Provide a link to your favourite post on Ekonoline and briefly explain why you chose it.
- Give one or two suggestions on how Ekonoline can improve in the future.
That’s it! It’s that easy. But, just like any good contest, there is a deadline. All comments must be made by 12:00pm EST on Friday, April 6th. I’ll read each and every comment and, on Friday, choose the best five to receive Joost invites.
Get crackin’!
by Brian Gilham on March 3, 2007
Okay Ekonoliners*, listen up. I have 10 beta invites for Virb, the newest social network to hit the scene, and 50 beta invites for 8apps, a new online productivity suite, and I’m sick of them sitting around. If you’re interested in checking either out, leave a comment on this entry with a valid e-mail address and specify which invite you’d like. Go ahead and ask for one of each, if you’re so inclined.
Casual browsers need not apply, I’d like to give these invites away to people who will actually use them. Especially the Virb invites, considering their limited number.
*Yes, I’m calling you all Ekonoliners now.
by Brian Gilham on February 27, 2007
Just a quick note to let everyone know that the address for the Ekonoline RSS feed has been immediately changed from feeds.feedburner.com/Ekonoline to ekonoline.com/feed. The comments feed has also changed and can now be found at ekonoline.com/comments/feed. Please double check your subscriptions and ensure you are using the correct addresses.
I’ve setup a 30 day re-direct on the old feed, so most feedreaders should edit the subscription automatically, but it doesn’t hurt to check. Once the 30 days are up, the old feed will cease to function. I apologize for the inconvenience this may cause, but the change was necessary to accommodate a few new features I’ve been adding to the site.
by Brian Gilham on January 6, 2007
Taking a moment out of my latest freelance project, I am happy to announce that I have chosen the winners of Help Improve Ekonoline, the site’s first contest. Congratulations to Shawn Blanc and Veronique, who will both receive Virb invites in their mailboxes later today. I’m slowly working on a new design/layout for the site and everyone’s suggestions will be considered along the way. Watch for a post on that subject another day.
Of course, if anyone would like to make any other suggestions, you are more than welcome to do so by commenting on the previous entry (comments are open again), or by giving me a shout.
On a separate note, this week’s Around the Nine is coming this weekend. I’ve discovered that trying to compile the list every Friday is not really working out that well. Between school and work commitments I’m just too busy. So, Around the Nine will now be available every Sunday, which will hopefully be a much better day for me, organization-wise.