About eight years ago, at the dawn of the eBooks industry, my company purchased some of our first downloadable software manuals from a forward thinking gentleman, Chris Charuhas. I lost track of Chris; but fast forward a bunch of years and through research I was conducting on OpenOffice.Org, our paths have crossed again . This morning when I logged in to email, I found a message from Chris. He asked my opinion about an expository paper he just released on his own web site:

• Killing Off the Camel: Why You’ll Never Have to Buy Another Computer Manual

Chris raises some excellent points, and provides some good links (Krugle Code Search for Developers). I agree with the basic premise of his essay. Knowledge should, and will be free. However, companies that can put context around that knowledge and enhance it’s value will still make money. It’s worth reading his posting.

As follow up to this posting I invite you to read / link to:

• My Thoughts on Wikimania
• Wikimania 2006 Archives – mp3’s, videos, etc.
• The Changing Media – Googlezon Video

Finally, I’m willing to give a plug for In Pictures, a web service of Chris Charuhas. You will find MS Office and OpenOffice.Org online software tutorials … in pictures. As 100% of the content is free, Chris  obviously believes what he has written in his essay.

I just finished up coaching my boys at the Minnesota State H.S. Lego Robotics Tournament. We didn’t win, but were awarded the judges trophy for innovative design! This is an all day affair … starts at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 5:00 p.m.

Anyhow, how best to relax? Download (free) and use 55 Ways to Have Fun With Google! (eBook)

I already used one of the suggestions to trick my high school, nerdy son! … the disappearing "oo’s" in Google.

Finally, check out my Google Co-Op eBook Manual Search Engine.

Earlier this week I posted about Social Bookmarking, including a review of the available tools and information on the IBM’s new release into the field, Lotus Connections. This posting resulted in a number of interesting comments, including one from the CEO of ConnectBeam, Puneet Gupta.

I’ve been conducting a review of Web 2.0 tools, particularly "internal" social networking tools. The key word here is "internal". A company’s intellectual property is its most cherished resource. Can you imagine having tag clouds and key research areas which identify what your top employees are working upon … hosted outside one’s own network? I can’t! Any vendor who says they can provide a secure external environment for this kind of data is nuts … too many things can go wrong. Thus, most product entries in this arena are immediately dead in the water.

If you would like to learn more about this area, I invite you to visit these resources from my blog, which will in turn have links to external information: (Blog Category – Web / Corporate 2.0)

• The Virtues of an Intelligent Tag
• Tagging Inside the Firewall
• Corporate Use of Web 2.0 Tools
• Motorola 2.0
• Nerdcast – Take 05: Tagging Twins Reprise
• Nerdcast – Take 03: The Tagging Twins
• Social Networks: Now or Never!
• Tagging Concepts – Screencast / Tutorial
• Wouldn’t It Be Neat … Innovation!
• Sharepoint 2007 – Free eBook

Welcome to Nerdcast – Take 02 … or Adventures in Podcasting! My  last podcast left you wondering what kind of blog would force you to listen to Rogarian accordion music. Well, in my continuing attempt to perfect the amateur podcasting platform … welcome to "The Nerdiest Thing I Ever Did!"

In seven brief minutes (maybe long) I will introduce you to three co-workers and my wife … as I ask the age old question: "What was the nerdiest thing you ever did?".

Seriously, I have what I consider to be a very good amateur podcasting platform. The quality of the production is good, and the technology and cost required is not high. My setup includes my Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop, a $75 Samson CO1U USB microphone (no preamp required), and my free podcasting software, Audacity. You’ll find software tutorials and more via Nerdcast – Take 01.

Perhaps equally important is what I did not have to do … spends lots of time learning complex audio techniques, and software. My hand-held Samson microphone has a 12 foot USB cable.  As each speaker was interviewed, I just held the microphone a few feet away from them. I’ve attached a few photographs and screenshots which will give you the basic idea! However, aside from record, pause, and stop … the only two other Audacity commands I used were amplify and mix.

Finally, my last victim was my wife! Warning, this podcast was conducted by a Professional Nerd who has been happily married for almost 24 years to the same woman. Amateur nerds should NOT interview their wives. The results could be extremely dangerous!

Please feel free to leave comments attached to this posting … what was the nerdiest thing you ever did? Back in 1973, your host, the Northstar Nerd broke "into" his high school math department on a Friday night to gain access to the only mainframe computer around … why? … to program and play prehistoric computer games! On of my interview subjects, David de Young, is not only a software nerd, but he is also a music geek. Try out Dave’s music site.

However … it’s time for the podcast … thus, I give you:

• Nerdcast – Take 02
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Some people at my work just don’t understand … (see cartoon!)

My thanks to Blaugh