Nate News

Books on technology not by Seth Godin (slides)

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 01:07:30 -0600

Godin is a marketing expert, but since he has been talking about online marketing so much lately, he often gets lumped into the technology category. If this is the only technology book in your reading diet, I need to get you excited about some other selections.

Here are five great books on technology if you need to diversify. Enjoy!

Books on technology not by Seth Godin

I presented this at Ignite Nashville.

Nashvillians use flashlights to protest John Rich's bright house

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 04:51:00 -0600

Over a dozen Nashvillians rallied behind neighbors upset by the brightness of John Rich’s house Wednesday night Feb. 24, in what was coined Flash Fest 2010.

Neighbors in the Love Circle area raised awareness of spotlights used at Rich’s residence, which they said were unnecessarily bright and displeasing.

Protesters shined flashlights towards the residence, created shadow puppets, and held signs with slogans such as “Fight on Nashville, Flash Back.” One protester dressed as a light-emitting Ferris wheel.

The concept of a flashlight rally was spawned and promoted on twitter beginning the night before. Within a 24-hour period, local twitter users produced around 100 tweets referencing #FlashFest2010.

A metro police officer arrived on the scene and briefly questioned a few of the protesters, who where in the process of dispersing after seeing the police car.

Code names such as Snooki, Al Gore, and Mr. Nate (wink wink) were used to protect the identities of the flashers in the following audio story:

Live from inside the Ferris wheel

8:19 | iTunes | mp3

Photo Credit: Chris Wage, who took photos during the rally:

Link Love and Additional Coverage

Post Politics Flash Fest 2010: Tweeters Take Back The Night From Zach Wamp’s Bestest Buddy
NashvilleGab Angry mob storms John Rich’s house, beams of light involved
Nashville Scene John Rich Gets Flashed
Tennessean’s On Nashville POD FlashFest2010
WSMV Channel 4 Flashlights Used To Protest John Rich’s Home

5 tips for teaching basic computer skills to beginners

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:38:00 -0600

When I started teaching computer skills to homeless folks, I thought I had little to learn since I was an IT professional and all connected.

Wrong.

I had the course knowledge but not the teaching knowledge.

Here are some tips I’ve picked up for teaching a first time computer user. This could be your friend, client, family member, or total newb brother.

At this stage, on site training is the only option unless your friend has mastered the basics and you’re doing something fancy like remotely sharing screens. Training over the phone will not end well if you don’t have a shared vocabulary.

1. Pull it back and affirm

Some keywords are so ingrained in our culture like “keyboard” and “mouse” that this can be a good place to start. Your goal is to create a cycle of completing small tasks til mastery and then affirming. It’s exciting learning how to use a computer for the first time, especially for someone who hears about it all the time but can’t fully engage in the concept. Even small affirmation like “wow way to get that double click tempo down!” can be really encouraging and help create a desire to learn more.

2. Never take the mouse

Always talk and point and make your friend use the keyboard and mouse. You may have to demonstrate how to steady mouse or demonstrate right and left-click. After that, forget you know all the key combinations and learn how to explain verbally and slowly. You will need more time than you think. Bring dinner the first time. It’ll get better.

3. Create “list time”

This is especially helpful if you are helping someone you see fairly regularly. Have them keep a list of things that frustrate them or things they can’t figure out. This will cut back on frantic calls to you. It will also give your friend a sense of control knowing there is a next action and that they don’t need to continue struggle with something. I had this system in place with my grandmother. I loved our list time during my visits since we had something to concretely bond over.

4. Contextualize metaphors

With terminology, I wouldn’t shy away from words that may sounds foreign to your friend. Rather than just saying “browser,” tack on descriptive text. You could say open up your “Internet browser like Internet Explorer, the program you use to get to the Internet.” Eventually you can just drop the descriptive words once they gets more familiar with the tricky ones. That way as the friend picks up the terminology, their knowledge will be global when others jump in to help. It just takes a lot of iteration.

5. Give homework

If your friend is learning to type, get them setup with SpongeBob Squarepants Typing or something similarly awesome. It will build your friend’s confidence while they learn. Folks learn differently, but it’s worth trying those one hour DVD lessons. Some people swear by them and you could check to see what the library has. Speaking of libraries, even if your friend doesn’t have a computer, you can send them to the local library to practice. My grandmother loves getting her email tips from Kim Komando. She gets to learn something new every day. Homework will retain your friend’s new knowledge between your visits.

What tips have you picked up after helping beginners learn computer skills?

The first silver hair

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 23:01:00 -0600

A young mother ruffles the hair of her naked daughter with a towel
Momma what’s that silver in your hair? Should we tear it out?
The mother lifts the child on the sink so their eyes meet
Look at me

When the first silver hair arrives, never tear it out dear
It runs from your spine to your neck to your head, keeping you straight
Yours hasn’t grown out yet, but if I pinch above your head you’ll see
Mirror me

There will be a time when color will yell at you, but remember
Your silver hair is more beautiful than all the color that robes you
Your posture is more powerful than the spine of a magazine
You’ll see

The man that sees your silver hair will mirror you
Like you did me

“The first silver hair” by Nathan T. Baker is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Belmont journalism students explore satirical video

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:57:00 -0600

The impending death of local media staple Nashville Is Talking is sad but there are signs of life for innovative journalism all around.

Recap: Christian announced and reflected. Kleinheider added context. Wage wants beer.

One local example of life: Satire is one of the few growing categories in news and Belmont students are exploring the relevant space between entertainment and information brilliantly.

Of course students need the basics, but they also need an collegiate process that allows for innovation to make a broad liberal arts practical in hard times. Bravo! In fact, if the alumni relations office calls me while I’m watching The Week at Belmont, I’ll be in such a good mood that I may just throw some money into the pot. (Satire?)

Things are changing in this town. Meeting a blogger is no longer rare, like when bloggers converged on Nashville to learn from each other in 2005. What comforts me when I see the death of something great, are the signs of life that overtake the gravestone—er I mean you should check out their videos. They are wicked LULZ!!

Books on technology not by Seth Godin

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:16:00 -0600

Confession: I bash Seth Godin on Google Wave.

Now I’m going to tell you what I think of him in public at PodCamp’s after party, Ingnite Saturday March 6th.

In 5 minutes and 20 slides I’ll cover a few selections of fiction, non-fiction, comics, and other gems that serve as great alternatives and supplements to your reading list on technology.

In all fairness, I’m trying to finish The Complete Works Of Seth Godin in time for PodCamp. You can’t fully refute anything unless you’ve fully immersed yourself in the content.

Which reminds me, Tom Cheredar, have you finished reading the Twilight series I let you borrow? (Actually all his Twilight-bashing points are valid, but I still like the movies—er I mean… I probably just lost all my credibility.)

Back to establishing my ethos…

Godin is a marketing expert, but since he has been talking about online marketing so much lately, he often gets lumped into the technology category. If this is the only technology book in your reading diet, we need to invent a new dietary word and start using it and then of course start marketing it to our friends: Tribeans?

A taste of what can be in your mouth right now:

A Logic Named Joe

One neat way to dissect how the Internet is affecting our society is to read books that foreshadow the Internet before it was invented. It makes it easy to pick up on universal trends when authors envision technology as utopia or dystopia. When things come to pass, we can see how far off they were.

An example in science fiction is a short story written in 1946: A Logic Named Joe. Basically “logics” are computers and the story explores society after the “logics” start talking to each other and making information widely available.

There are early radio adaptations too!

1950 NBC radio adaptation of A Logic Name Joe

29:23 | mp3

You may defend Seth Godin or Twilight by commenting below:

Create a symbol

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:17:00 -0600

One night in high school, I was stressed. I went on a walk to pray and clear my head.

Specifically, I was thinking about how lame it was to define myself by clothes or music.

I wondered what it would feel like to walk away from something I loved and relied on, like the trendy baseball cap I wore that night.

I loved that hat, partly because my brother gave it to me and partly because it made me feel in vogue. I took my hat off and let it drop to the road. I kept walking.

It felt great.

Now when I shift a hat on my head, I’m sometimes reminded of my walk, and my commitment to remember what defines me.

Symbols are everywhere in our culture. For instance, I think it was pretty brilliant when Jesus was like, I’m about to leave, but I want you to remember that I am life, like what you actually eat and drink.

Not all symbols are disseminated widely, or are even meant to be, but I’m fascinated by the little ones we humans create. They sure are powerful.

Just a thought if you’ve been thinking about how to remember something you’re passionate about: perhaps create a symbol.

The hidden costs of safety

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:21:00 -0600

Safety is a virtue in suburbia. Gates encircle apartment complexes. Playgrounds are built smaller and softer.

Does this mean men are being built smaller and softer too?

When safety is overvalued, it can turn our neighbors into strangers and discourage us from climbing high.

Some things require us to devalue safety: seeking friendships, asking for help, seeing a stranger as a neighbor, asking a girl out with the “date” word…

So men, swap your safety razors for straight razors. (Literally though, let me know if you see a good deal online.)

Let us not be defined by our pursuit of safety, but by the danger we overcome.

Nashville graffiti artists

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 21:12:00 -0600

Nashville graffiti artists:

It looks like from 1999-2004, a graphic artist has been collecting photos of graffiti found in Nashville. He’s got a pretty impressive list of artists.

I noticed Uno Dino didn’t make the list. He’s the guy behind all the triceratops graffiti around town. The Scene wrote about Dino in 2006.

My love now available on DVD

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 15:19:00 -0600

We are drawn together by an outside force
A faulty elevator, delayed planes, a broken revolving door—you choose
We share hotdogs and I wipe mustard from the side of her lip

Just as we are falling in love I lie about a secret
I’m not a prince, it was all a bet, I’m her enemy—you choose
It’s dark and messy but people are still winking at the camera

I find her and look ridiculous in public as an act of pursuit
I shed my fears, I find her symbolic treasure, I sing to the streets—you choose
She runs to me: repeats a phrase, repeats a phrase, repeats a phrase

She leaves the guy she’s really not in love with
Oh yeah, throw the other guy in somewhere near the beginning
At the end we give the bad guys happy endings too

“My love now available on DVD” by Nathan T. Baker is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Walking without headphones

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 10:50:00 -0600

The passing jogger has a smoker’s cough
I hear the buzz of neon and the guitar from the balcony
The short girl’s dog is named grace
I’m walking without headphones
and now the park sounds like a place

Teaching Homeless the Internet (A Lesson Plan)

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 01:39:00 -0600

Classes for Nashville’s Homeless are offered at Room In The Inn’s Campus for Human Development. Credit for attendance can be exchanged for things like bus passes at the campus.

I started teaching a weekly class on Internet education to Nashville homeless a year ago.

At the end of my first class I asked a man, “Will we see you next week?” He said, “Hopefully not.”

Exactly.

I was hooked

Teach a man how to use satellite view on google maps, and he can show you where he fished as a boy and then where his home used to be.
Teach a man how to search, and he can write down a number on scrap paper and hustle for a job.
Teach a man how to create an email address, and can email his son or daughter how he has been.

There are specific challenges to teaching a class for homeless: (1) your students aren’t necessarily the same every week, (2) your students are at different skill levels, (3) your students often don’t have consistent rest at night; but, the rewards are great.

This is your reconnaissance briefing.

If you are inspired, use it as a launching point to teach a class in your neighborhood (or to join me in mine).

My first class was around a year ago.

Context of class

The context of my class will make my suggestions relatable if you’re interested in doing something similar.

My class meets for an hour each week, unless classes are canceled due to holidays or in services.

I rarely see the same person more than two times in a month.

I have eight computers and usually have three to six students.

We meet at Room In The Inn’s Campus for Human Development in Nashville.

Students get credit for attending various classes and earn credit they can trade for things like bus passes at the campus market.

Other volunteers lead classes with topics including drum circles, writing letters to the editor, art, and much more. If you’re an educator, consider adding a service learning component to your class. For instance Belmont art students regularly volunteer. Start here.

These classes are a bright spot in Nashville’s response to homelessness, especially since they promote consistent relationships.

Friends heal: not services.

Cameron Powell created a video during a rally for Click Homeless, an initiative to help support homeless bloggers. We were a finalist for $10,000 in seed money in an ideablob contest.

Finding roots

My foray into teaching was a reaction to needs of a larger initiative.

I have a vision to put technology and resources in the hands of homeless bloggers. This initiative is called Click Homeless.

In October of last year I entered a contest to pursue funding for my idea with now-defunct ideablog.

At the end I was exhausted and overwhelmed at the magnitude of the need. (Here’s the history.)

I realized I didn’t need to create more buzz about my vision; I needed roots and slow growth.

So, rather than focusing on marketing, I sought to plug into the positive currents of other organizations and build some infrastructure.

Starting a weekly class was my first step in finding roots for Click Homeless.

Stay tuned and carry on.

“At the end of the contest, I realized I didn’t need to create more buzz about my vision; I needed roots and slow growth.”

-Nate Baker

Yeah that’s right. I pull-quoted myself. Have something to say about it?

Creating a lesson plan

We didn’t have a lesson plan. Kevin Barbieux, Molly Pearson, and I met with Jeff Moles at Room In The Inn to see if Click Homeless could start a class.

Room In The Inn advised me to shadow a similar class. Before I started, I signed a helpful document for volunteers which helped me set expectations for class.

The scope of the class was initially blogging. We quickly learned the scope was too narrow when a segment of my students were consistently first-time computer users.

Using Kevin’s suggestion, we rebranded the class as Internet education. This allowed the flexibility needed to make the class effective for the majority of students.

Luckily since I have background in information technology and support, I rarely have to plan ahead except for choosing a topic.

A big thanks to my company Sitemason for allowing me the flexibility to take a longer lunch break on Fridays. I’m very grateful.

I was initially frustrated about widening the scope of the class, but it again pointed me towards the need for prerequisites and infrastructure.

To support something like homeless blogging, it became clear I needed to not only find and support homeless bloggers, but create a path for people who have never used a computer before.

Since I rarely have the same students each week, it also became clear class needed to be flexible enough for me to help with individual needs such as email setup.

I’d estimate we’ve helped around 30 people setup gmail accounts this year. This is the first exercise I take students through if they don’t have an email address. You’re welcome Google.

In many cases, setting up email takes the whole class period. Some students have little experience with computers and are doing most of the pointing and clicking while I wandering from student to student. Google’s captcha can also be unforgiving.

A side note: Speaking of prerequisites and infrastructure, I’m extremely excited about the expanding success of Nashville’s new street paper, The Contributor. I do ninja kicks when I think about future collaborations with this network as Click Homeless matures. Room In The Room is also in the process of expanding their campus, which means a new computer lab. Ninja Kick!

Here’s the format I landed on for class:

Internet Education 101
A flexible format

15 minutes: Discussion-based lesson on an an Internet topic
45 minute: Hands-on instruction

Greeting:

I say something like, “Hey guys, I’m Nate. I’m with a group called Click Homeless. We support homeless bloggers. You can learn more at clickhomleless.com. I’ve been making websites for a while so that’s a bit about me. I’m going to pass this sheet around. Please sign your name to get credit for the class. We’re going to talk for 10-15 minutes if you guys want to pull your chairs in. Then at the end if you guys have email, or searching you’d like to do there will be time for that.”

Topics:

Here are some topics I’ve covered during the discussion time:

How to spot and cut back on spam
Networking online
How search engines work
The components of the Internet: domain name, hosting company, servers…
How the Internet is affecting journalism
Google Wave

Hands-On:

I ask if everyone has an email address. For those that don’t, I get them started on setting up an email account. This my first pirorioty for new users. On a sheet of paper I write down all their login information for their records.

Many students have something in mind they want to work such as email, filling out an online form, updating a resume, or searching for job opportunities.

As questions come up I recommend searching techniques, solve basic browser issues, and recommend online services and processes.

If someone looks bored, I get them started on a task such as searching or learning a social network.

Closing:

I give a 15 minute and 5 minute heads up so people aren’t caught off guard when it’s time to go. For people who didn’t have enough time to complete a task, I show them the best way they can save their work online.

For instance, you can show a student the advantages of emailing yourself an attachment or using google docs rather than using a floppy disk.

If a student wants more computer time, you can always recommend the library. The Nashville Public Library allows everyone access to computers for periods of time. (I think 30 to 60 minutes depending on which lab you access.)

Things to keep in mind:

Always explain the importance of signing out of your email account when leaving a computer, especially in a computer lab.
Be sensitive about privacy and always explain when something is public. Some students may not want to use their name or location when filling out a profile online.
Don’t assume a student’s skill level. Ask questions to gauge this.
Don’t offer something you can’t give all students in the class. Check out this helpful document for volunteers from Room In The Inn for more specific suggestions along these lines.

This is a working document of course. Please leave suggestions in the comments below for how I can improve this process.

Here are the next steps for Click Homeless if you want to help with our efforts.

Click Homeless Needs in Nashville

VOLUNTEER AS A TEACHER — If you want to jump on board as a teacher, let me know. Come shadow my class and see if you want to start an Internet Education class. I’d love to have a Click Homeless volunteer start a class at Room at The Inn or Urban Housing Solutions. Or, if you have another passion, this post is your excuse to start a class!

CLICK HOMELESS INTERN — If you want to volunteer with the work of Click Homeless for a semester or period of time, we could use a very self-motivated intern. (So self-motivated that your first task will be to write up your internship description so we can fool your professors.) The Nashville Contributor could use a bit of office help as well so we could possibly create one internship. You would be doing some online exploration, manning social media outposts, building out our website, applying for non-profit status and grants, and creating frameworks to connect our volunteers with homeless bloggers. Email me if you are interested!

Feel feel to ask any questions below. Basic questions are allowed. Have you seen resources on teaching Internet skills to the homeless that would supplement this post?

Visual Artists and Social Media

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:05:00 -0600

I first doodled Robo Bird in church.

After posting a sketch on twitter, my friend Nicole wanted to commission more.

Here are all the paintings, including Robo Dog, and Robo Caterpillar.

It took four hours. I sketched in pencil, painted, then added marker.

I would totally do it again. I can see how painting would be a sweet profession or side gig. There’s nothing like raw creation.

I suspect there’s an untapped market for commissioned artwork for the technology crowd (at least in Nashville). For instance, an artist could incorporate tweets from a region or person into a work.

Visual Art complements Social Media

Musicians are all up on twitter, but I can see how visual art complements twitter to even a greater magnitude.

You can twitpic for a critique as a visual artist, whereas, exporting an mp3 takes more effort. Yes, Imogen Heap is a great example of how a musician can use twitter well.

My argument is this: if Imogen was a visual artist, her twitter account would be even more engaging because her medium would translate more powerfully.

How this could be taken further

If I wanted to make it as a full-time visual artist, here would be my game plan:

Look for untapped markets.
Start having work commissioned to build recurring revenue.
Always paint something extra when painting on commission using the 20 percent time concept.
Find a niche during my 20 percent time and create a group of themed paintings to exhibit in a venue, such as a coffee shop.
Build relationships on twitter around my work. Rather than post everything I do, I’d become a thought leader in my craft and blog about social media and visual art.

The community likely won’t be interested in simply looking at an artist’s art on twitter, especially if they are up and coming. This is why I’ve unfollowed many folks on twitter who simply post what they are selling on etsy.

In order to engage others, artists can place their work within a story or within a larger theme.

Which visual artists are using social media well?

I have fears of growing old at 24

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 19:23:00 -0600

My great grandpa, Glenn Baker, turns 100 this week, which compels me to think about death.

To celebrate his life 50+ family members from Tennessee, Texas, Indiana, Ohio, Idaho, Oregon, and California are converging on the hotel nearest his home in Nashville.

Luckily the drive for me is 15 minutes.

Glenn lives with his daughter and son-in-law who play games with him almost every night. They have heard him say, especially after attending the funeral of a friend, that it’s a shame the deceased don’t get to hear what people say about them.

As a gift, we’ve been invited to write something appropriate for a funeral service, which we will have the opportunity to read to him.

I will cry, but through my tears, I will share with him how he’s impacted my life.

I’ll read him something like this:

Grandpa,

I have fears of growing old at 24.

I fear I will die alone.
I fear I will never have the opportunity to pursue a woman fully and without reserve.
I fear I will be faced with a sorrow of such magnitude that I denounce God.
I fear I will never finish the book I started.
I fear the world around me will change so suddenly that I’ll be without a purpose or tools to love others.
I fear how dependent on others I will become.
I fear what joy will be left for me when I can no longer dance with limber knees.
I fear how people will see me differently as the sun has its way with my skin.

Thankfully, my relationship with you has given me some insight on these fears.

As far back as I can remember you would send me a birthday card each year: Each card had a crisp one dollar bill and a call to love the Lord and my family.

At first, I didn’t realize how powerful this was, until I understood what you meant to me, and as I realized the consistency and stability this offered during some of the most transitional years of my life.

You regularly tell me you are praying for me everyday. Thank you. I believe the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. I also believe how you live your life is contagious.

Our understanding of God’s love starts with the best, most tangible example we have: the love we show for others.

I’ve watched you when your wife, Louise, slowly lost her strength and mind to Alzheimer’s. You held her and loved her based on who she was and not because she, among other things, put underwear over her clothes.

The certainness and wake of Death is cruel, but I wonder if God’s grace also designed aging. As we draw closer to Death we become more reliant on Him, which gives us a greater understanding of who He is. As our bodies waste away, we can allow him to hold us and love us.

I know you are ready for God to take you home as you’ve said this over and over, but I thank you for your patience, because as you have prepared for death, you have shown me how to prepare for life.

I know I should not fear dying along, because I am never alone.
I know patience is the heart of love and I will be patient with God if he has a woman for me to pursue, hold, and love.
I know God provides strength during dark times.
I know God gives us strength to finish things we don’t have the strength to finish.
I know however much the world changes around me, I am powerful and effective when I pray and when I consistency show love to others.
I know the more dependent I become on others, the greater I know them.
I know as my body wastes away there is a greater joy that awaits.
I know as my body wastes away and my mind looses its sharpness, God never see me differently and He holds me and loves me.

There are many unanswered questions about my future, but I’ve learned I can face my certain future as you face your certain death: with patience, without fear, and with my identity hopelessly and rightly tied up in the identity of Jesus.

I love you and I thank you for the impact you’ve had on my life,
Nathan

Robo Bird wants to live on your wall

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:37:00 -0600

Fear Robo Bird.

I sketched this over the weekend and posted it on twitter. My friend Nicole was all like how do I buy one?

Then I was all like ok I’ll paint this winged robotic beast if you feel like it won’t destroy your other framed things.

Then she was all like bring it.

I’m a huge fan of friend-commissioned artwork, but I’ve never been the artist.

So if you too would like to be a Robo Bird commissioner comment below with how many Robo Birds you can handle.

An Original Robo Bird

Price: $20 11x14 in. Color paint on paper Shipping not included

The first 20 Robo Birds ordered by Dec. 24 in the comments below will be accepted. (Three Robo Birds have already been ordered.) Pick-up or delivery can be arranged beginning Jan. 4. Special instructions for a Robo Bird can be negotiated for an additional $10/original. Email me if you fear Robo Bird and have specific questions.

To reserve a Robo Bird, comment below with how many you’d like by Dec. 24. Limit 20 Robo Birds per universe:

UPDATE Here’s what I learned from painting Robo Bird

Sharpened Serifs (a stop-motion love poem)

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:15:00 -0600

I animated this original love poem with shaving cream, water and a digital camera. Enjoy!

Sharpened Serifs
By Nathan T. Baker

I watched her lips say
I love you
Into her phone
To her Russell Terrier
But it will never be for me
Until I whittle the words from my lips
And sharpen the serifs like arrowheads

“Floating Shells” music by The Suit, Inc. and “Sharpened Serifs” by Nathan T. Baker licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Can I have my emo badge now?

Why Winston Reads

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:12:00 -0600

Why Winston Reads:

“As I see the world from other people’s eyes I am continually reminded how limited my vision is, how little I know.” -Winston’s post on reading

Adventure Tour of Nashville's Centennial Park

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:23:00 -0600

Here’s an insider’s tour of Nashville’s Centennial Park and the secret adventures that will be yours if you take a closer look. (View Full Google Map)

View Tour of Nashville’s Centennial Park in a larger map

Notable Attractions

Magic Ship Photo Shoot

Stay away from the Prom bridge. Photos by flowers have been done.

Start here at this awesome ship thing.

Related friends demonstrate the potential awesome.

One Mile Loop

Extra points if you see the following:

Roller blader wearing garden gloves
Mother with stroller lapping you
Orange-vested man on bicycle
Tourists with cameras chasing ducks
Chalk markings of hopscotch or a finish line
Pillow case feathers
Weeping Willow Man. He’s the true mayor of Centennial park. Know the spot?

Oh and if you loose your child’s shoes when they’re riding stroller, friendly community members will leave them atop the historic signs lining the mile loop. That’s how we roll.

Doric Jump Photo Shoot

Everyone’s doing it.

The question is does Greece or Nashville do it better?

Rodents of Unusual Size

Yes, those are squirrels. Having a bad morning? Make friends with a rodent.

First throw a chip near your picnic table. You tease.

Then leave a pickle at the far end of your bench. Soon you’ll be eating with a new friend and any stress from your morning will slip away.

Tip: Unlike the ducks they enjoy whole slices of bunny bread.

Notable Trees

Junior Adventure Tree

This tree is popular for the accessibility of its branches. Infuse a picnic, conversation or reading session with adventure by moving it above ground.

There’s plenty of room for two, three or more.

If you find the Junior Adventure Tree empty on a sunny day, the hippie gods are smiling down on you.

Oh and don’t litter or make out. We can totally see you from the One Mile Loop.

Pee Tree

It’s *not* the Pee Tree because of the ease one can whiz into the water from the low lying branches. It’s because of the useful trick outlined below.

How to use the Pee Tree to scare you’re impressionable child (or child you’re babysitting)

Ask if they want a piggy-back ride a few yards away.
Run straight onto the tree over the water.
They will literally pee all over your back.

Photo by onlynow99

Hippie Tree

Traditionally in the branches of this Magnolia, you’d see two or three hammocks.

They went missing July 2009.

I’m not sure if it was nature or management, but I’m hoping the hippies continue the tradition.

If you walk the park and know the status of the Hippie Tree, let us know. Leave a comment here.

Reading Nook Tree

The classy low lying branch and distance from foot traffic makes this spot desirable for tree reading.

Be warned it takes a marginal degree of balance to pull off, but if you are familiar with climbing trees you’ll find it a modest challenge.

If you’re looking for a more accessible reading tree, see the Junior Adventure Tree.

Is your favorite spot on the map?

The map is public so put a marker down by your favorite spot and leave us a tip!

Nate's Best Former Roommate Contest

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:00:00 -0600

I realized I’ve been blessed with great roommates in my life. This Thanksgiving I’m giving back. But I need your help. Please vote for Nate’s Best Former Roommate. I’ll buy the winner dinner and allow them to write a guest blog post roasting my sacred name*. Below are some notable things each former roommate did to qualifiy as finalists.		VOTING CLOSED Congrats to Wesley Rainer for winning best former roommate by community vote! Voting Details Voting ends Sunday night. One vote per person. Social media campaigns fair game. *Nate’s Best Former Roommate Award Details Location of free dinner subject to veto. Opportunity to write a guest blog post at NateNe.ws roasting my sacred name expires two weeks after voting closes.
Luke Has his kroger plus card number memorized Agreed a pirate-themed living room was a good idea Started tradition of moving bookcases in front of doors Works out using 3 minute abs videos
Wes Held loaves of bread ransom before I paid my half of the grocery bill Attracted females to our apartment with chili Has a Jeff Gordon koozie Is always down for cigars and hymns
Johannes Gerstengarbe Brought my mother wine Watched David Letterman for the Jazz rather than the jokes His name is fun to say Has amazing stories about crazy shoppers
Don’t feel thankful for your roommates? Check out badroomie.com (via Travis Robertson) to see how good you have it. Then hug it out.

Nashville Technology Networking Guide

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:27:00 -0600

Here’s an overview of the networking opportunities I’ve stumbled upon in my less than two years as a full-time IT professional in Nashville.

Some friends have asked where to get started. It’s a small town, but it still can be overwhelming. Here’s where I’ll now send them.

If you’re just getting started in a technology, interactive, web, or internet marketing field; are just now focusing on networking; or are wanting to simply meet some folks with like interests, here’s an immersion strategy and links for the following in Nashville:

Tech-Infused Events
Mixers
Groups and Clubs
Nashville Technology Beat Blogs
Twitter Recommendations
Creative Ways to Network in Nashville

An Immersion Strategy

Get on twitter and interact with folks.
Attend, and if possible volunteer, at one of the tech-infused event listed below.
Then regularly attend a tech mixer in town.

It’ll be less threatening to meet folks over a period of a day or weekend when you’re working towards a common goal.

You’ll likely meet a few folks you’ll be excited to connect with in the future, which will in turn make attending mixers around town less threatening.

Things to Remember

However your social or professional motives are prioritized, remember:

Get to know people first, and then let collaboration happen naturally.
Network before you need to network. Start now.

Nashville Tech-Infused Events

BarCamp is traditionally the largest tech event in Nashville. I prefer Startup Weekend because there’s a focus on innovation and it’s a great cross-section of marketing, business, and technology folks.

BarCamp Nashville
Creatapalooza
Enterprise LAMP
Fast Pitch
Nashville Startup Weekend
PodCamp Nashville

There are many more, but those are some of the larger, more community-oriented events.

Nashville Technology Mixers

Geek breakfast and the CS Mixers are solid choices. I haven’t checked out Geek Social yet, but hope to soon. Recurring or one-time events pop-up quickly, so check calendars with some of the groups below for seasonal events and stuff like twestivals.

Nashville Geek Breakfast
CS (Centresource) Mixers
FireFly Logic Geek Social

Nashville Technology Groups and Clubs

Digital Nashville
Nashville Entrepreneur Center
Nashville Geeks
Nashville Technology Council
Meetup.com Groups

Again, many more. These are some of the more established ones I’ve run into.

Nashville Technology Beat Blogs

Dave Delaney
Tom Cheredar
Milt Capps’ VNC
Nashville Geeks

Creative Ways to Network in Nashville

As of Nov. 2009. This could get outdated quick at the speed of things. I’m interested to know what else you’d add to the list.

Twitter Lists - Prepend someone interesting on Twitter with /lists to see if they are keep lists of folks they find interesting. This is a great way to find people involved in niche topics.

Google Wave - Search public waves for Nashville to connect with people.

GPS Assassins - This Nashville specific mobile game has a dedicated community. Check it out. If you’re a gamer it can be a fun way to meet folks.

Foursquare - GPS-based social game based on leaving tips about places for people.

NashMash - Use web-based Twitter applications such as NashMash to find influential and active users.

Twitter Recommendations

Here are some folks I’d recommend following on twitter. They are approachable and knowledge about the Nashville technology scene if you have questions. I know they’ve helped me on numerous occasions.

Nate Baker (That’s me. Let’s connect!)
Chuck Bryant
Dave Delaney
Kate O’Neill
Nicholas Young

What did I miss?