Google Geek - Johnny Appleseed

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My name is Ron Hall.

I live at the Funny Farm.

As much as I like a road trip, there is no place like home. Sitting here with a cup of coffee reflecting on this last trip.

One of the things I like most about road trips is getting to share/experience other people's home "situation". One of the ways I do this is through conversation/asking questions. When appropriate - like when asked what I do - I often steer the conversation arround to Google. Talking about what they can do, sometimes even showing them.

Did it a couple times on the last trip. Once over a latte in Condon, Oregon. Old town on the central Oregon high plains - middle of nowhere (which often is the place to be). Showed group a bunch of stuff in Google Earth. Second time up in Walla Walla, Washington, at a historic building I will model with SketchUp. Always try to learn something new/interesting in the process. Helps me work on my communication skills - both talking and listening.

Time to go. Make it a good day.

Google Geek - On the Road Again

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My name is Ron Hall.

I live at the Funny Farm.

On the road again. Heading home after giving a presentation at a conference - GIS (Geographic Information Science) users (proprietary software - ESRI). Interesting group - passion for their profession - reminded me of my years with the golf course superintendents. Just like the golf industry, GIS sector is changing - everything is migrating to the web. Hence, my presentation on Google Earth.

Since I was the last presentation of the day - also several rooms - I was the only thing keeping these people from cocktail hour. The theme of the conference was doing more with less. Started off by showing them the free Google Maps API the conference website had used to give attendees directions - only I showed them all the "bells and whistles" - Streetview, Panramio, Wikipedia, Web Cam.

Then I walked them through some of my Google Earth kml content. Explaining how I use various Google tools to host, organize and maintain the data. Monitor it all with Google Analytics. Trying to make a couple points.

First its free. Second it is fun. Third, they should find a way to share their information with the general public via Google Earth.

Third time I have presented at these conferences, always a mixed response. Always a few that agree, already know about it, very enthusiastic about the possibilities.  Always a few very interested, have heard about it, want to know more. There are the silent types.  Then, usually a few detractors - quite a bit invested in the current technology and thought pattern (cannot trust the public with the data). Always reminds me of watching Al Gore describe his early days on the road in "Inconvenient Truth".

It's a challenge, but it is fun.

Make it a good day.

Google Geek - PC and MAC

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My name is Ron Hall.

I live at the Funny Farm.

Trying out a new work location in the house this morning - nice thing about having a laptop. Use both a PC (older Dell) and a MAC (new MacBook Pro) - both have their good points.

PC runs with Windows XP (does not require as much RAM as Vista), has some expensive software that I only have copies of on PC - Photoshop, ESRI, REVIT, and is what I design my Google Earth content "against" - if it can be viewed on that PC"s graphics card it will work on more machines.

MAC is high end. Also comes with all the MAC culture. MAC logo says alot when you are working presentations. It is also a "green machine" - can be recycled. Did have to buy a doggle (adapter) so that I can output to most projectors I demonstrate on.

All the Google stuff I do seems to be interchangeable on both. Got to run.

Make it a good day. By the way - working on the MAC.

Google Geek Pet Projects - Historic Preservation

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My name is Ron Hall.

I live at the Funny Farm.

Sunday morning - early. Got the house to myself. Nice evening last night  - Lisa cooked dinner for two couples. Good food, good talk. Discussion touched on  what I was trying to do locally with SketchUp - using 3D models to help raise awareness of historic structures - one of the couples has a home on the national historic register.

Told the group about some of the things I learned in my trip to Google's SketchUp division, including the fact that the developer of SketchUp is legally blind. Related that I am trying to get a grant to use SketchUp and Google Earth to document historic buildings. Also that Spokane is hosting the national preservation conference in 2012. That local city officials seem unaware of the potential. One of them suggested I donate an auction item for March benefit auction - SketchUp  model of  winning bidder's home/building of preference. Great idea.

Good food, good talk, good ideas.

Make it a good day.

Google Geek - Pace is Everything

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My name is Ron Hall.

I live at the Funny Farm.

Getting ready to jump into another couple projects - SketchUp project designing a driveway for an earthen home on a side hill (working with Sandbox tools/Ruby scripts), and a YouTube screen capture explanation of how to run a Google Earth Gallery piece  I have done. Also have to keep up with the rest of my ongoing "projects" - both on the computer and in real life. Sometimes you have to fight the feeling that there is not enough time.

I feel that pace is a key component in the quality of life. The fulfilling sense of accomplishment one gets from getting the job done needs to be accessed against what you put yourself (and those around you) through physically and mentally to achieve the goal. I guess you have a more lasting appreciation of the destination if one also enjoys the journey.

What's the point of all the tools and toys Google develops if we don't use the time saving for something other than more work. I do have to admit that I enjoy what I am doing. But I sometimes need to remind myself that there at other things to do.

Got to get cracking so I can play later. Make it a good day.

Google Geek - On Stage

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My name is Ron Hall.

I live at the Funny Farm.

Well the barn is quite a bit cleaner. and I had a good weekend (they are always too short). Great day Friday on the road in Soap Lake. Weather was great - so golfing and hiking were ideal. Presentation was a real treat for me because it was the first time I have gotten to work (demonstrate Google Earth) with a high end projector in a theater environment. Result was spectatular.

I spent almost an hour during the set up process fiddling around with/in Google Earth, checking out various features with the intent to put on an entertaining as well as informative demo. Had a good internet connection, using my new MacBook Pro laptop. Everybody was impressed. Told people I felt like the great Oz - was running this all from the stage booth upstairs in the back of the theater. Enjoyed the theater/experience so much I am working on a SketchUp model of it for Google Earth.

Do enjoy spreading the word about Google Earth. In this case the software did all the heavy lifting. Got interesting feedback. More on that later.

Started filling out a grant application this weekend - more on that later.

Need to get going. Make it a good day.

The Rewards of Google Geekdom

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My name is Ron Hall.

I live at the Funny Farm.

I like to say that I always wanted to get good enough on the computer so that I did not have to spend much time on one. The corollary to that is that if you get good enough at doing something on the computer that interests enough other people you might get an opportunity to do something you like - that is not on the computer.

Top of the list in that regard was my trip to Super Modelers Conference in Boulder, Colorado. I checked out Boulder's unique downtown area in the off hours, walked/hiked up into their foothills park on Sunday, met a bunch of new and interesting people.

Today I am headed to Soap Lake, WA., to give a presentation to the Ice Age Flood Institute of a couple of custom kml pieces I have posted to the Google Earth Gallery. On the way over this morning, will play golf at in Harrington, WA (you have to go there, to get there) at a beautiful 9 hole golf course - "one of Washington's best kept golfing secrets". I did a 3D model of the Harrington Opera House a couple years back.

I do these things for free (admit it would be nice to tell my wife I got paid for it). Just like Google lets me use the tools to do this for free. Help raise awareness about various issues in a new manner that reaches a wide audience.

For me, I get to ride through some pretty countryside today, play some golf, and meet some new people. Three things I love to do.

Thanks Google.

Make it a good day.

Google Geek- Getting Organized (Again)

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My name is Ron Hall.

I live at the Funny Farm.

Was running an excavator most of yesterday - real life modeling. As I worked, I was constantly cleaning my workspace, keeping my work area organized. Opened 'SketchUp for Dummies" this morning and read the same thought - "learn to model clean". Good life lesson.

Jeff Jarvis's book stated that Google's mission was to "organize" the world's information for us. Keeping things  organized not only makes work flow better, but I find it makes a better decision making environment - which leads to better decisions. That said, you have to break an egg to make an omelette.

Fall is here. Ned to get cracking (burning daylight).

Make it a good day.

Googlegeek - The Times are Changing

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My name is Ron Hall.

I live at the Funny Farm.

Went to a Bryan Adams (Canadian Bruce Springsteen) concert last night. Acoustical. Was great - at renovated Fox Theatre.

When I do presentations I often ask how many people were born after 1976, then I tell them that I graduated from college that year and that Bill Gates was still at Harvard (Bryan Adams was just getting started). My attempt at trying to put some perspective in our culture's involvement with computers and the web. Just noted that Google turned 11 years old yesterday - my daughter is 13 - part of generation "G" (you heard it here first).

Doing a Google Earth presentation this Friday evening - at a small old time theatre in a littlr town named Soap Lake (WA). Bet they never thought the theatre would host an internet/computer based presentation when it was built. Now it has WIFI.

The times they are a changing. By the way, Bryan Adams was headed up to Calgary, Alberta, today - supposed to perform for the Dali Lama. Told us he will sing "Imagine" by John Lennon.

Got to go. Make it a good day.

Imagine....

Google Geek - Life Beyond Google

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My name is Ron Hall.

I live at the Funny Farm.

I hope it does not surprise anyone that I do make frequent use of, and experiment with other software besides Google offerings. Sometimes I even buy it (this is also true of some of the Google "pro" versions). It started when I was back at school, taking various computer and web design courses. Continued when I moved to running a Mac and a PC. Lately I have been getting some great suggestions from my Super Modelers Google Group.

Some of the main "categories" of other software that I use include - Microsoft Office, Adobe/Macromedia, Autodesk, ESRI, and various MAC products like IMovie and ITunes. Nice thing is that Google integrates what it does with all of them. You can import data from many of these products directly into various Google offerings. Some Google offerings even make provision within them for using other applications.

Well time to get back to work.

Make it a good day. 

Google Geekdom - What Interests Me

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My name is Ron Hall.

I live at the Funny Farm.

I can be a pretty boring guy at times. Over last couple days been reading/studing about (in no particular order) Layout presentations (3D aspects of), SketchUp compoments (new version of SketchUp Pro has the capability to do dynamic components), animation in SketchUp (for use in Layout),  and Lyndon Johnson (Doris Kerns Goodwins book). Also been running a big excavator and trying to organize the barn.

All of this is aimed at self improvement (that is what I have been telling my wife). In addition to teaching myself, will be working on a few screen captures (another thing I am learning). One is to help others see the potential of some of the work I have done in Layout (they just wanted Powerpoint slydes). Others will be support pieces for Google Earth content pieces I have done.

I told you I can be boring. But I still need to work on my typing skills, so here I am.

Enjoy the weekend. I always do.

Google Geek - Chores Never End

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My name is Ron Hall.

I live at the Funny Farm.

I started this post yesterday and got too busy to finish it. Monday, Monday.

Am not spending much time experimenting with new Google offerings, but am heavily involved with learning new aspects of old favorites. Some of this is to accomplish new tasks (animation in SKetchUP), some of this is about expediting work flow (organizing my SketchUp files/data), and a lot has to do with networking (screen capture).

Have a few presentations coming up - Google Earth - would like to spice them up with some fly throughs. Also have a grant application to work on and some contact/networking material to send out. Trying to do a screen capture to illustrate some of the 3D capabilities of Layout presentations. Working on a SketchUp model that requires a bunch of data editing. Need to send out a bill (nice problem).

You get the picture. They refer to it as "life."

Make it a good day. Grest sunrise here.

Google Geek - Spreading the Word

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My name is Ron Hall.
I live at the Funny Farm.

First thing - found out pretty quick that Blogspot has a special feature called Blogger Mobile. Also appears to be a way to post via email. Will find out more when I get the chance and get back to you.

Having a busy Monday. One of the things on my plate is getting ready for a demonstration of Google Earth at a luncheon tomorrow. For the past couple years I have been showing (groups and individuals) Google Earth (sometimes SketchUp) and some of the things it can do. Will generally talk about it at the drop of a hat. Have done a number of conference presentations. Tomorrow it is for the local Lions Club.

As a Google Geek it's my version of marketing. Working on my communication skills while getting feedback/tailoring presentation. Biggest thing is getting people hooked enough (finding the reason that engages their personal interest) to make them persistent enough to climb the learning curve. Something I have had to do continually (or chose not to) in my life.

Got to run.

Make it a good day.