Portland startups, open source, and tech news, jobs, and events #pdx
It’s just a bit shy of two weeks since we launched the first ever Open Source Bridge an entirely volunteer run conference for open source citizens in Portland.
It’s just a bit shy of two weeks since we launched the first ever Open Source Bridge—an entirely volunteer run conference for open source citizens—here in Portland. While it was a great event, it was also a bit of a whirlwind. And I wasn’t even terribly involved. I can only imagine how it felt for folks who were presenting and participating.
But that’s why we hire people like Aaron Hockley to take photos. So that we can remember all of those moments. Read More
Now, there’s another reason to consider making the trip down to WordCamp Las Vegas in January: WordCamp Portland organizer, Aaron Hockley, has announced that he’s officially on the agenda:
I’m going to explore how the local blog scene and other social media have brought folks together. Over the next couple of months, I’ll be talking to all sorts of Portlandy-types about their thoughts on our social media usage. Yes, that includes the Portland Twitter scene and of course #bacon. A big focus of my talk will be about how online activities have led to offline gatherings including group events like Ignite Portland, Side Project to Startup, and the Portland edition of Lunch 2.0. In addition to the formal events, services such as Shizzow and Twitter facilitate impromptu meetups.
Congratulations to Mr. Hockley on garnering a well-deserved speaking slot. It’s definitely got me thinking about making the trip down south to see him speak. Even though I won’t be able to post on it because of the whole “What happens in Vegas…” thing.
WordCamp:Las Vegas is a conference style event covering topics related to the WordPress software. It will be held January 10-11, 2009. For more information, visit WordCamp Las Vegas.
Vancouver’s Aaron Hockley is fed up.
I’m going to take a bit of a stand. Effective immediately, I will no longer comment on tech blogs that don’t support OpenID for comment authentication.
And I, for one, really respect his taking this stance. I think it’s these small, self-admittedly “mostly insignificant” kinds of actions that make things happen. The journey of 1000 miles and whatnot.
Aaron makes a strong argument for every blog pursuing its own OpenID login for comments:
OpenID is a win-win for blog comments. It’s a win for the comment author, since it means less info to type. It’s a win for the blog owner, since it means the comments have a “real” identity behind them.
I mean, if you really want to be part of the conversation, shouldn’t you make it as easy as possible for others to join in the conversation?
Of course you should. And OpenID can help you do that.
And you—as a Portlander or Silicon Forester—should be more than embracing OpenID. You should be singing its praises from the rooftops, if only to support great companies like Vidoop, ConfIdent, and JanRain who are the forefront of OpenID development.
OpenID is like the Portland Trail Blazers of technology around here. Only better. Like the ’76-’77 Blazers. That’s right. You know what I’m talking about. The plucky young upstarts who win despite all odds.
And OpenID has more than a fighting chance. But it still needs the support of each and every one of us.
But what if it’s a technical issue that’s preventing your adoption? (Like me, for instance. I wrangled my OpenID WordPress implementation for hours before Chris O’Rourke was able to pinpoint the issue and help me resolve the problem.)
Well, you don’t have that excuse anymore. Because Aaron has offered to help:
And I’ll put my time where my mouth is: I’ll help you. If you follow those links above, and can’t figure it out, or you try it and it doesn’t work. I’ll help. Send me an e-mail. I want you to have OpenID.
I’m looking forward to using my OpenID to comment on your blog the next time I swing by.
In fact, how about this? Let’s round up a list of all the Silicon Forest based blogs and services that support OpenID.
If you’re one of them, use your OpenID to comment below.
I’ll work on gathering a comprehensive list for posting. And then we’ll work on promoting your blog or service for being one of the ones who’s supporting OpenID.
Just as a way—albeit minor—of saying “Thank you for using OpenID.”