[BoingBoingTV]

Note!: Xeni didn't really eat a phone, because that would kill you; that last one was a fried Pop Tart. Admittedly, still pretty gross.

Taste Test is our weeklong tribute to the leaps that occur when technology meets cuisine, spanning everything from the historic breakthroughs that made food tastier and safer to the Earl-Grey-friendly replicators we impatiently await in the future.

In Infomercia, propaganda-driven consumerism is the method by which the masses are mollified, kept swollen and subdued by the government's encouragement of the blind pursuit of incrementally improved technology and the accumulation of crapgadgets.

Rough rule of thumb: Ninety-nine percent of the devices you read about on Gadget blogs should not be consumed! [Infomercia]

10: The blockquote sandwich

Lede, blockquote, analysis, quip.

The form is simple, and done well, it makes for a perfect post. As a formula, however, it's poison.

First, introduce what you're going to quote. Then quote it. Then say what you think of it. Got nothing to add? Drop the analysis altogether, or replace the quip with a question for your readers.

What do you think, guys?

He also doesn't like it when people essentially rewrite posts in their own words, as it's essentially like blockquoting but with more effort involved and with the illusion of writing original content. You know, because you're just repeating what someone else says but not taking the time to add your own analysis or insight. That's what he had for #9!

He also mentions image macros (check!), snark (check!) and trolling for attention (fuck you, Beschizza! Also, John McCain is old and Sarah Palin is a backwater nutjob! Anyone who disagrees with that is a racist!).

His number one worst type of blog post?

1: The Top List

Yes, even this one!

So self aware!

In the end, it's a good reminder that no one is immune from falling into routines and having their work suffer because of it. We've been tasked with providing quality content to our readers, and we owe it to them to put in effort on every post we write, ensuring that it doesn't tread on familiar territory and remains worthwhile and valuable. I pledge to you that from now on, I'll take blogging as seriously as it deserves to be taken. I won't let you down.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go crap out 75 words about some USB thing with lights on it or something. [Boing Boing Gadgets]

BL: What is the difference between the BoingBoing gadget blog and Gizmodo when you wrote it solo? How has your experience changed the way you think about this stuff?
JJ: Man, hard to say. I think it'll be pretty similar to my solo Gizmodo days, minus any external impetus to blog about products I really don't give a crap about. I'm trying to write about either the really good stuff or the really bad stuff, because all the junk in the middle is just, you know, junk. Unless you mean how I feel about gadgets. In that case, I still hate almost everything about them, except when I am completely enamored by them. It's almost like my relationship has changed with games as I've gotten older: I almost enjoy reading and writing about them as much as I do actually using them.
BL: So you're basically freeing yourself up from the churn, and focusing on stuff that has an impact on your life?
JJ: That's the plan. There's a place for comprehensive, kitchen-sink blogging, but I think Gizmodo and company probably have that covered. I'm prolific when I'm in the pocket, but I don't want to try to post about every single new widget that falls off the assembly line.
BL: That makes sense. Because of the Gizmodo churn, I actually play with the gadgets I own less now, and frankly, I'd like to spend more time holing up with the ones I have and love, and hack them, install ware on them, and use them in new ways. Will new uses for old stuff be part of the focus, as opposed to the newsy stuff?
JJ: It might be. MAKE usually covers that pretty well for me (as do the rest of the Boingers, actually), but if I see something cool that I don't think is getting enough coverage, I'll definitely write about it. I'm actually less interested in writing about hacking gadgets—as cool as I think that is—than I am in writing about ways to make commercially available gadgets better off the line. It's stupid that we should have to hack so many gadgets to make them do what we want in the first place.
BL: What about your Dethroner project?
JJ: (Just a second. Posting something.)
[1 minute later] JJ: Dethroner is still happening, for what it's worth.
BL: How are you doing both?
JJ: Well, I've only been doing both for about a week, so all bets are off. But for now I'm using a technique I learned in my early twenties, called "drugs."
BL: I know that you use a MacBook and an iPhone like I do. So if you're focusing on the stuff you like and would use, does that mean you're skewing toward Apple coverage?
JJ: I've actually never been identified as an Apple fanboy, so thanks for blowing my cover, you prick.
BL: Oops!

[Gadgets.boingboing.net]

[Boing Boing]

Why? We can only assume that wonderful things are as threatening to the city as Adult Swim promotions. (Yes, they alluded to Mooninites first and I couldn't really come up with a better angle.)

The best part? The Mayor's seal is on the notification. Can anyone in Boston check if Gizmodo is up and running on their free network? Not to take anything away from Boing Boing's plight...we just want to double check if we're living in the US or China.

– Mark Wilson

Mayor of Boston bans Boing Boing [boingboing]

That pretty much shitcans the idea that it would be released during the week of June 11th, at WWDC, as a thin CNet rumor claimed, and as well, I'd hoped.

This isn't set in stone, but the timing for the iPhone in "late June" is our moving target. Only the reality distortion field can save us now.–Brian Lam

Apple Delays Leopard [Boingboing]
iPhone [Gizmodo]

This morning I chatted with Xeni Jardin of BoingBoing on NPR about the RIAA's lawsuit tactics and our boycott. You can hear some of the interview as it was broadcast here and read Xeni's BB post about the show here.

Check back tomorrow for some tips on how to be proactive in taking the battle to the RIAA. We can't win this battle by just not buying CDs, after all. –Adam Frucci

NPR "Xeni Tech" - RIAA vs. college students, Gizmodo boycott [Boing Boing]

DIY centrifuge weapon from 1963 Popular Mechanics [The Boing, thanks Xeni]