Sometimes, I think drunkenbatman just needs a cup of hot chocolate and a blankie.
Just wanted to give a warning so as not to startle loyal readers, but there are going to be a flurry of posts later today about Evening @ Adler, the shirts, all that stuff that I need to catch you up on. Heavy emphasis on the Evening @ Adler stuff, which I've been trying to keep quiet about to lessen the attendance issues. I need you to bear with me during this final leg, as my brain is full. I'm officially overwhelmed.
I'm used to full days, but this is unholy -- I'm straining to pull together all the little details (with some help) on all the things that need to happen behind the scenes so no one I'm leaving open messages in my Dock every evening which I have to get through before I fall asleep, and another 10 or so I open and throw there which I make myself get through before I brush my teeth and put on the coffee...
Let me put it this way -- my chat logs showed 114 separate people messaged me over the seven days, and there might be 25 or so that are actually in my list, the rest are people who see a post and have to tell me why I'm wrong, or why I'm right, or want my opinion on something completely unrelated to what I'm trying to focus on. There's nothing wrong with it, but the communication channels for the site are there from the days of 13 loyal readers and just don't scale. Yeah, I could just make up a new one and notify everyone I know so I don't fear the barrage when I login, but I don't really have the cycles to mess with it.
You have no idea how demoralizing it can be when you're two weeks behind on your favorite tv shows, and haven't even been able to browse your feeds for three days (I love my feeds) and someone gets up your craw because you can't devote head space to their speculation about xyz or they get annoyed because they messaged you a week earlier and expect you to know who they are and what they talked to you about. You have to answer, but that engenders more replies, and even when they're cool with it you can tell they're disappointed.
That wears on you too, because I've been there, but right now its a treat if I get to eat before 9pm and not at the computer or phone. Minor diversions that make you laugh can make or break your day, because everything in else in your day is all about the same things.
Things like the last posting show the haze -- it's the kind of thing I'd think but normally wouldn't post as-is, because my raised eyebrow would be taken for some kind of condemnation. I mean, even when I think things are crystal, some people are going to find a way to completely miss the fucking point, but general fuzziness often leads to general ugliness. I don't care if people disagree with me, as that's healthy, but I do care if they completely miss the point as that means I've screwed up somehow.
One of the more common misconceptions of computers involves multitasking, which people imagine as the computer doing multiple things at once. This generally isn't the case, but rather an illusion -- it's spending small, finite amounts of time on one task, then looping to another, then eventually getting back to the original. If your computer is fast enough, it looks like its doing it all at once, but the more tasks you layer the more it'll bog down until things aren't happening in real time.
If you have certain tasks that just have to get done within a specific time period, you need to either get a faster computer or limit the tasks, otherwise you're doing bits of everything but nothing is actually getting done. With only ten days left to Evening @ Adler, this is pretty much where I'm at -- my head is full. Some of this is my own fault. I was already strapped, and everyone who knows me knows my time management already sucks as I get too focused.
I should have delegated more, but this project is a first and I'm making much of it up as I go. Stuff like handling the RSVPs probably could have been done by someone else, or making sure participants have an idea of where to get a hotel and how to get to the place. All sorts of stuff.
It's all going to get done, but my lack of foresight -- and, um, that this is all being thrown together in like a month -- means the next week is going to be a grind. Yes, I could throw people at it now, but that's like throwing programmers at a project that's behind; it often means it'll just take longer as they have to get up to speed. Be crystal -- I'm not complaining. It's a serious labor of love that aligns six ways to Sunday with all my current goals for the site and the community and just what can be done.
I'm just asking you to keep in mind that I'm one guy, and there are about a hundred things you could get pissed at me for besides the lack of responsiveness or feeling like I'm blowing you off. It's not personal, and just one of many casualties, like seeing Serenity a week after it was out and a hundred promises laying by the road to October 21st.
I'm paying attention, and people are keeping in the loop on what I need to be in the loop on, and if something gets to my inbox it'll get seen -- but just bear with me until after next Friday.
Comments (23)
Posted by: Steve Streza at October 12, 2005 12:31 AM
Cheers, m8.
Posted by: Oliver at October 12, 2005 12:46 AM
Would you mind posting a link to your desktop pic? From what I can see (which admittedly isn't much) it looks nice, and I'm a real desktop pic junkie.
If you have the time, of course :-p
Posted by: Malte at October 12, 2005 01:12 AM
Make sure you get a good night sleep before the Adler-evening. You know - so the audience won't have to get to know the "gaps in the filter"-part of you.. :-D
Posted by: Aldo at October 12, 2005 01:32 AM
I recognize that your IM client may have some good uses, but you should just turn it off if you're trying to get work done. Anyone that is important enough will be able to call or email you. And don't stress about other people getting getting upset about a lack of response--it's not your job to entertain everyone that decides to drop you a line. Just hang up.
Posted by: Thom at October 12, 2005 02:03 AM
I recognize that your IM client may have some good uses, but you should just turn it off if you're trying to get work done
More and more people are using IM to get work done now. Our company just rolled out its own. I've had this happen to me, and multiple names for work and friends are a must. I use "stealth modes" on Windows. You can appear invisible to buddies in your list or buddies who are not in your list.
Posted by: at October 12, 2005 04:35 AM
Nice tori amos quote. Maybe this has been answered, but now that this is an "event" why not set up a blog for what is happening behind the scenes?
Posted by: Jesper at October 12, 2005 06:08 AM
My guess as to why he's not setting up a weblog for what's behind the scenes is that he just told you that he's completely taken away with what's behind the scenes. *He doesn't have time to write in it.*
Posted by: xaor at October 12, 2005 07:45 AM
I've smelled your burnout coming for months. Frankly I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet. Take a day or two and smell the roses.
Posted by: Small Paul at October 12, 2005 08:09 AM
Multi-tasking co-inkydink:
http://weblogs.media.mit.edu/SIMPLICITY/archives/000279.html
Posted by: cremes at October 12, 2005 08:39 AM
batman,
I suggest you post a list of all those folks who have already RSVP'ed so they can rest assured that they have successfully been accepted. I sent a note (from my work address) within hours of the original posting but I'm not certain it was read. :)
Anyway, hang in there. The Wil/Wolf throwdown at Adler will make it all worthwhile!
Posted by: Michael at October 12, 2005 11:15 AM
DB, how could you? Kevin Rose never did anyone any harm. :-)
Posted by: Michael at October 12, 2005 11:21 AM
BTW, I forgot to say that I learned yesterday that that vile Kalooha stuff you drink has even been used to flavor Australian biscuits:
http://www.stopdesign.com/log/2005/10/05/tasty-tim-tams.html#comment20
God help us all. Can't anyone get you to drink beer?
Posted by: Owen Strain at October 12, 2005 11:48 AM
Hang in there, DB. You rock and I look up to you. Good luck with the next week.
Posted by: Pascale Soleil at October 12, 2005 12:31 PM
Oh honey bunny, I'm worried for you.
I'm told naps are fabulous. Never been able to do it myself, but hey, I'm all about advice for OTHER people.
And it cracks me up that on a post where you specifically requested people to cut you a break with the individual requests somebody's asking you to hook them up with your desktop picture.
Posted by: dirkstoop at October 12, 2005 02:15 PM
hang on in there :-)
there're plenty of us who understand.
unhappy/ignorant people are always more vocal than happy/understanding people.
the understanding ones tend to keep their mouths shut when they know you're in something over your head.. just remember that they do exist and probably outnumber the disgruntled.
Posted by: nessence at October 12, 2005 03:41 PM
Keep up the good work.
Posted by: at October 12, 2005 04:08 PM
I think its time to start the drunkenbatman death watch
Posted by: Squozen at October 12, 2005 08:40 PM
If anybody watched that prom video, I only managed to get through a third of it. Does something funny happen at the end?
Posted by: Atimus at October 12, 2005 09:50 PM
Don't worry DB, while you're away Gruber at daringfireball.net is doing everything he can to copy your style. :-)
Posted by: Samuel Sidler at October 12, 2005 10:39 PM
I didn't believe it, but... you were right. 100%. I'm proud of you, my drunken friend.
http://news.com.com/Yahoo%2C+Microsoft+join+IM+hands/2100-1025_3-5893802.html
Posted by: Sandy at October 13, 2005 02:02 AM
Hey Batdude,
I've been to Serenity twice now. Breaks my heart that it only opened at 10 mil, then dropped to 5 the next weekend. Sigh. I want more Firely dammit! So, help out the Batdude, (he made time to see it, so we can assume he's a fan....don't bug him to ask right now...sheesh...some people), and get your butt to the theater to see Serentiy, mmm-kay?
It's a great flick and you'll love it, whether you've seen Firefly first or not.
I won't be there for Adler. I can pretty much assume most of the chat will be over my tech level anyway. Hang in there. Before you know it, you'll be underneath those stars loving how it's all Shiny.
Posted by: cameron aka desk003 at October 13, 2005 03:39 AM
I recognize that your IM client may have some good uses, but you should just turn it off if you're trying to get work doneMore and more people are using IM to get work done now. Our company just rolled out its own. I've had this happen to me, and multiple names for work and friends are a must. I use "stealth modes" on Windows. You can appear invisible to buddies in your list or buddies who are not in your list.
You can do this in adium as well. Gotta set it in the status prefs, it doesn't show up automatically at setup.
DB: You kick ass man, after this, you should take a week off and go to cupertino or something.









You make a lot of hard things look easy, but smart people can miss the obvious: If you grind yourself into dust for the site, the site won't exist at all. Don't be stupid and think you can do it all. Your karma is high, and if you need help you just have to ask.
That said, good luck.