Matt Dean over at Open Source CU asks:
How have you used technology recently to get recommendations or advice from your friends and peers?
The flippant answer is: when have I not used technology? Three recent-ish examples:
- Via Twitter, several months ago, I’ve been observing a friend & colleague go through some trauma related to getting video onto a website. Plus we commiserated by email. So a couple of weeks ago, when someone asked me about something similar here, I knew immediately that I could IM my friend and ask him to refresh my memory about what finally worked for him. So I have a link or two stored up in del.icio.us for when that project comes back.
- I’ve committed myself to getting to a healthy BMI by February 2008. I posted about it here and here, and one of my blog-friends recommended a weight-tracking site. I’ve been using it, and it’s helping me to keep on track. (I’ve lost 10 pounds!)
- This goes back a few months, but it’s my canonical example of getting advice via the InterTubes. When I was interviewing for this job, I was really confused about whether to wear makeup. So I posted anonymously to Ask MetaFilter. I wouldn’t say that I took anybody’s advice in particular, but the overall themes and suggestions helped me decide what to do. And here I am. 🙂
Elaine,
Thanks for helping! It’s always nice to see new names in the comments at OSCU, and I hope you continue to participate in the conversation.
Here’s my recommendation for #2: traineo.com. I admit that I’ve had a few false starts on it, but that’s related to my false starts at working out, not anything wrong with the tool. Definitely worth a look!
Matt
You’re welcome! I’ve been reading OSCU for a little while now and really enjoy it. And thanks for the additional recommendation. That’s really shiny. 🙂 I might give it a whirl and see if it works for me. (What I love about PhysicsDiet.com is the utter simplicity.)