First, summed up in a humorous way:

Next, something that almost no one looks at — the ToS:

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And finally, I am assuming this is applicable to anything I already have hosted in Google Docs.

This is all just a huge privacy mess I’m not willing to gamble on.

Which brings us back to the question: Have we reached peak Facebook? And no, we haven’t. Even if Facebook never adds another user, it will keep growing: It has become a fundamental substrate, a difficult-to-avoid component of any site or app that requires users to register—making it essential to nearly every major web innovation now and in the future.

I’ve always been really frustrated with companies that require OAuth for registration or login. From Facebook and other platform’s point of view, I understand the point of having a stranglehold over everyone’s data. At the same time, I experience a situation weekly in which I am not able to participate because I don’t have a Facebook account; don’t worry, I get over it pretty quickly.

Would I rather have more control over my privacy (even though I’m pretty much an open book) than be able to use Spotify? Of course (plus, I signed up before the partnership)!

I don’t think many users actually think about or understand the network or what they have the capability of doing with it. It is inevitable:

There’s a related question: Is Facebook ever going to be cool again? That’s like asking “Is the phone company cool?” The interface may not be exciting anymore, but the network is very, very cool, in the disruptively awesome way that enormous things are: volcanoes, aircraft carriers, the New Deal.

Peak Facebook, when it does arrive, is something that Facebook-haters should fear, not welcome. Facebook’s platform has been so overwhelmingly successful that the company hardly had time to do anything but grow. Yet when the growth of the network itself slows, as it too inevitably will, Facebook—as a publicly traded leviathan whose mandate is to increase profits—will need to find new ways of slicing and dicing humanity into groups that will respond to marketing. That’s what lurks on the other side of peak Facebook, and it is going to suck.

Sad.

“Readers aren’t stupid. They know when your product is cheap“ — truth:

Worse, readers may click through your slideshow, but they’ll hate you a liiitttle bit more than they did when they got to the site. And I bet they’ll feel the same way about whatever advertiser was unlucky enough to get stuck on the page with some stupid thing that a reporter did with a little bit of hate in his heart and fingertips.

While working for a very small, local online publication this was the straw that broke my back and forced me to quit nearly on the spot. When I was asked to do this on a regular basis I felt that a small piece of me died. Honestly, I felt bad for the local businesses that were investing money in our publication. I watched the abysmal click through rate month after month and felt like we were cheating them. Being a small niche market, and probably in an industry that is behind its time in technology, no one questioned the metrics we provided to justify their ad buys.

On the other hand, trying to help a former print-only publication transition online was one of the most difficult tasks I’ve ever had to face. The ignorant and archaic practices we followed made my brain hurt — and there was no convincing the publishers they were taking the wrong approach.

My parents: I couldn’t ask for better support. Whether they actually understand what I am going through, they are always there to listen or lend a hand. I feel like I put them through a lot emotionally and each time I need help, there is no hesitation on their part. Their love is unmatched.

My job: I’ve had some shitty jobs in my day. With no direction after college I thought I was destine to wander around aimlessly for years. It wasn’t until I was 27 that I had a job fall in my lap (one that I was not qualified for, but don’t tell them that – ha!). For the first 3 months it wasn’t all that great and I thought about moving on, but then they hired me full-time on to a new team. I found my role; I found my calling. I get to dork out at work all day and they are constantly recognizing me for it. There is a reason they are ranked the 3rd best place to work in Chicago and I am happy they took a chance on me.

My friends: My best friends are scattered throughout the world, with a few peppered here in Chicago. I’ve taken my friends living abroad as a negative thing because I don’t get to spend as much time with them. It’s the exact opposite: not only do I get to plan fun trips visiting them, but they are here for me at a drop of a hat. Every. Single. Time. I feel like it takes a lot of patience to really understand me as a person, and I am thankful that they have that quality and accept me wholeheartedly.

My last relationship: She is incredibly beautiful, smart and supportive — an amazing individual. I’ve focused on losing her, and probably actually pushed her out of my life. That was a mistake and I wish I could take it back. She had to deal with a lot, yet she always found a way to bring the best out of me. I was fortunate enough to make wonderful memories with her. She has taught me a lot about myself, both positive and negative, that I am going to be able to carry with me for the rest of my life. I am hoping in time she forgives my post-relationship immaturity, that we can be friends and be able to talk again. She was my closest friend and has raised the bar forever. She’s my first love and I’m thankful for that.

My health (somewhat): I wouldn’t be writing this if my mental health was where it should be, but I know I am in the position to take control. Physically I am in the best shape since college. I have been running my ass off recently which has led to an improved mental health. I am trying to tackle all of this on my own so of course there are ups and downs, but I feel that I know the right path to follow. In the coming weeks I am only going to push myself to my limits, both mentally and physically, to be an overall healthy person.

So as I mentioned in the beginning, I wanted to focus on high-level things for my first list. Moving forward I know I need to take a step back and focus on the small, day-to-day things. But for now, this is a good start and I feel pretty great about it!

What I’ve realized is that being extremely focused on a single job, project, or relationship narrows focus and can be disastrous long-term. There is an aspect of complacency that develops from only learning from one vantage point; this is a trap that I’ve been caught in. As CEO of Kayak said when describing how he hires:

I believe that the top creative people are at their peak when they see something for the first time.

I feel like I have been cheating myself, maybe even losing a small piece of what makes me tick by conforming to a routine and a single focus. Learning has always been the jolt that creates creativity and momentum. With life being all about creating experiences, there needs to be an avenue to broaden opportunity to learn, thus being able to take that newfound knowledge to future work, experiences and relationships. Creating a broader focus gives the opportunity to interact with new people, solve new problems, gain new perspectives and learn a shitload about yourself.

Only the other hand, I understand it is extremely important to prioritize. Having a primary focus is important, but spreading energy respectively across opportunities will provide the greatest return.

So how am I going to bring the passion back?

I am going to start taking side work or, what I like to call, passion projects; I am going to make an effort to travel the world; I am going give 100% of myself to, well, myself — something I always given to others; and, finally, I am going to throw myself out of my comfort zone every day.

What do you do to keep your passion alive?

It’s perfect timing that, as sit here trying to reflect tonight, I stumbled across “A Moment of Clarity in the Pursuit of Happiness” sitting in my queue of mostly tech-related Instapaper articles. It is inspiring to read positive ideas on happiness — like happiness is an inner experience and that it is a choice. It’s reassuring that this isn’t a concept that everyone grasps right away and that can be felt out.

The realization is that my happiness is something that is in my control to create, something that I can create for myself and manage. What it means and how it works, are still a little hazy for me, but the idea is there, I feel it in my bones.

I feel an extreme sense of optimistism right now, and need to continue trying to adopt this mantra:

I’m trying to internalize this concept and make it a part of who I am. My identity and my thoughts are my own to have, control, and share. Happiness is a mindset for me to create. I find this newfound control over my life comforting since it means I can stop passing the buck and sulking in any form of unhappiness.

Onward and upward.

PS. I apologize if some don’t think a public forum is the proper place to share my feelings. On the other hand, it feels really great to be open.

U.S.-based Google+ users spent a meager 3.3 minutes on the site in January, actually a decline from December when users of Google’s social networking service logged only 4.8 minutes, based on ComScore figures.

Yeah, sure you can integrate social in to your products until you get people to start signing up for it, but you can’t make them use it. Collecting 90+ million users and little to no activity (compared to other networks) is proof that there isn’t a need for another service. This space is becoming more and more saturated, yet Google thought it has to be a part of it. Last time I used G+? To post that Twitter was down.

I have a feeling we’ll continue to have G+ forced down our throats, though.

And yes, we were the old people sitting in the back.

The changes Google announced make it harder, not easier, for people to stay in control of their own information. We take a different approach – we work to keep you safe and secure online, to give you control over your data, and to offer you the choice of saving your information on your hard drive, in the cloud, or on both.

Ok, I get it. Switching to different services/products sounds great; I am frustrated with with Google, like many others. But when they list their products and services, how can I take them seriously when they list Internet Explorer as a legit alternative?

You can view Microsoft’s new “Putting People First” here.

Informationally, we are becoming lard-asses. In the pageview and ratings driven media economy, too much of the content these days is designed to be just like junk food to quickly boost quantifiable viewership. If you make content that is the intellectual equivalent of gummy bears, your site will appear to grow quickly. Advertisers reward size, and growing fast is expected in most places I’ve seen. Last month I visited Xeni Jardin, my blog-sister from Boing Boing and she said to me, “Only cancer and bullshit websites grow fast.”

I can’t agree with this more. The sad part is I have been pulled in by the bait before. The lack of quality is overwhelming, and I really need to focus my energy on information that is important; if I am not served that important information, I need to step away from the computer and focus on the things that bring true happiness to my life.

Exploring the world away from the digital one is not so important for the sake of finding new ground. Internally, exploration is also about testing and growing the self and to live a life that isn’t painted by number. (I think exploration and adventure are essential to the happiness of every person, but I can’t presume to present this as anything but my own opinion. Most people are pre-naturally more happy than I am, out the gate.)

Again, I couldn’t agree more. Exploration leads to self-growth. Growth, in my eyes, leads to happiness.

Time to take a step away from this computer!