josh's Comments

IntenseDebate Blog : IntenseDebate is Back!

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:04:51 +0000

Hi Donnacha, All good points. Im am sure the ID guys are listening. One thing I would add is that it isn't good for anyone if someone just comments for a link. There has to be a way to balance inspiring good comments and discouraging commenting just for the link. Again, all good point. I think you will see ID continue to experiment with different interfaces. The publisher has quite a bit of control over how things are displayed on their site, so maybe your suggestion could be made into an option for the blog publisher in the future. Cheers!

IntenseDebate Blog : IntenseDebate is Back!

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:12:00 +0000

Actually, a link to your blog is found on your profile page. A link to your blog is also found when hovering over your avatar. The profile page also houses a link to your blog's rss feed and your blog, all the social media accounts you want to put in... and all the other comments you make across the ID ecosystem. By having an account, people can easily follow you and your comments...all leading to more traffic directed at your blog, more notoriety for you, and an overall better commenting atmosphere. Having ID installed on your site also leads to more pageviews of your blog as people have more conversations on YOUR site, not friendfeed, not twitter, not IM. The conversation ought to stay where it begins and you, the blogger, are the benefactor.

IntenseDebate Blog : IntenseDebate is Back!

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:22:02 +0000

Outstanding! The best release yet! Gotta love the British accent!

Isaac Keyet - Personal Blog : IntenseDebate Got Acquired!

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 23:32:02 +0000

Way to go! YAY!

Startup Weekend : My 2008 Colorado Voter Notes

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 13:52:39 +0000

Hi Andrew, hope you are doing well. Not sure if you wanted to start a debate on your positions, but amendment 47 effects a lot of people. For instance, my mother is a teacher (and happens to be a conservative republican). She is forced to join a labor union and spend $500 per year on dues. She has no choice. The dues seem to go toward incredibly partisan attacks against the politics my mother supports. She is disgusted that her money is spent in such a way, yet she has no ability to change it. To me this isn't a divisive issue, it is about allowing for choice and not prohibiting it. The workers not only gain more freedom by being empowered with choice, but they can also reclaim their money and do what they will with it. So, to sum it up, there is tremendous value at stake for workers and it should not be a divisive issue at all. If you want to be part of a union, so be it. If not, you should not be forced to join one.

Medical Sales Rep : Medical Sales Rep Company Cars

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 23:13:44 +0000

I hear the Dodge Chargers are popular these days.

Feld Thoughts : Ok Entrepreneurs, Time to Step Up

Tue, 7 Oct 2008 08:28:53 +0000

Could not agree more. Create value everyday, not doodads, and you will survive to come around positioned to take full advantage of the coming upswing.

Responding To Opportunity : Steelers vs. Baltimore

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:42:00 +0000

Wow, great game. I swear the coin flip was tainted. The coin did NOT flip. It fell flat!

Isaac Keyet - Personal Blog : IntenseDebate Got Acquired!

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:32:51 +0000

congrats to my favorite swede.

Websinthe : IntenseDebate bought out by Automattic Wordpress

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:05:42 +0000

Very good analysis. As one of the founders, we never even discussed using Microsoft technology. This wasn't intentional, our talent just wasn't with .net. I guess that is Microsoft's problem, they aren't even considered. The real possibilities with Wordpress integration come while still being platform agnostic. There are 4.1 million Wordpress.com blogs ID could be on within a month. There are another 4 million .org blogs that will see parts of ID in their next WP release. The benefits to people like you on a Blogger blog are obvious. You can cross platforms and make comments using the same identity. So, there will effectively be another Wordpress tentacle stretched into other platforms, much like akismet and gravitar are used.

TechStars Blog : Automattic acquires Intense Debate

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:10:50 +0000

This is a big win for TechStars. The true ramifications of the ID implementation with WP will have enormous impact and bring even more acclaim to TechStars.

Responding To Opportunity : A Proud Papa

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:01:56 +0000

Arent they cool!? I just found these the other day. I am sure you and Isaac have more. How far we have come from that first link on Techstars, eh?

IntenseDebate Blog : Automattic Acquires IntenseDebate

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:44:50 +0000

This is so cool!

Israellycool : Developing a Community

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 22:23:19 +0000

You may want to check your browser settings as it may delete cookies automatically after each browser session. Otherwise it may be on ID's end. Creating an acct should definitely solve this problem. Also, once you make a comment, you have the ability to edit it for a few moments after submission. That should take care of your "preview" want. Finally, I disagree with the inference that page views = activity. Pageviews do not translate into interaction. Blogs simply are not blogs without comments and interaction. The number of comments reflects interaction and therefore "activity." Spurring comments is what ID is all about.

Colorado Startups : Tip #7: Obsess over core metrics

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 23:28:30 +0000

David. Great points. It is like finding the pulse.

Responding To Opportunity : Getting Back On Track

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:02:45 +0000

Gotta love the old copper Ping irons. I can't tell if they are the Ping Eye 2's or Ping Zing.

Feld Thoughts : Lessons From Phelps and Bolt

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:21:48 +0000

Like all things, situation would dictate. What we are really talking about is motivation. The executives must figure out the most effective way to motivate sales people. Hint: Most sales people are in sales to make money. Normally, it is not a philanthropic effort.

Feld Thoughts : Lessons From Phelps and Bolt

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:59:15 +0000

I was also surprised at Bolt not running hard. As some of the athletic pundits are saying, I think it was grandstanding and an act of poor sportsmanship. I think he is an incredible athlete, but he has poor manners. On the flip side, he was very respecting of his competitors and the Olympics as a whole during his televised interview (surprisingly). As a former sales rep for a $20B+ company, I think the act of just making your number and not "killing it" is more a creature of poor company culture, practices, and expectations at the executive level of the company. For instance, at my previous employer, 20% was added to whatever number you brought in the previous year as the quota for the following year. Not making the quota caused extreme ridicule and a very high risk of job termination. So, reps simply do what the company incentivizes, beat their quota by a few dollars and sit out until the next year. Why? Because if they beat the previous year it becomes harder by an order of magnitude to beat your quota the next. Alternatively, reps kill their number thereby "burning" out their territory for the following year and all the while knowing they will just leave the company at the end of the year. Either way the company loses. How might a company take care of this problem? Pay their people so well they don't want to leave. Understand the changing nature of their business. Stock options. A pay structure that encourages people to work hard throughout the year. (QOL) Quality of life benefits...whether it be company car or extravagant vacations, etc

Feld Thoughts : I Want To Allocate My Tax Payment

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 05:37:10 +0000

While it seems like a decent idea, I wouldn't want to make the tax code anymore difficult. Also, since most people are still apathetic when it comes to voting and politics in general, I am guessing the participation rate in a program like this would be low relative to the size of the population.

One idea I do like which comes out of Congress is a bill to put a line on our tax forms that allows anyone who feels they do not pay enough in taxes to pay more as a donation to the federal govn't. To paraphrase the Congressman who put the bill together "It would be a great injustice to those wishing to pay more taxes not to be able to do so." Unfortunately, it probably won't make it to the President's desk.

VC Adventure : Failure

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:31:40 +0000

This is an exceptional post. As an investor, you must take it personally to fully realize what happened along the way. "Gaffing" it off and trying to keep it impersonal to keep the process from "elongating" sets the stage for the same mistakes to be had twice. I also believe that "experience is what you get when you don't get what you want." As they say, live and learn.

It is more painful for the entrepreneur because of the emotional and financial consequences. Still, investors don't like to see a company fail and it can be painful for them to watch. I don't think Seth was trying to say VC's feel more pain. I do think he was just enlightening people that investors do care and are often hurt when companies fail.