I’m not sick, incarcerated, vacationing, dying or otherwise engaged. Thank you for you continued patronage, updates will come again soon.

We interrupt our regularly scheduled Adobe CS5 news to bring you cute kids rockin’ out.

After months of speculation, followed by  the device’s introduction–the iPad is here. I didn’t buy one, nor did I intend to make a purchase, but let me tell you why I will anyway.

My initial thought is the iPad is for content consumption not content creation. It’s not as powerful as my Macbook Pro which I use for tethered photography, Lightroom & Photoshop processing. It’s not as portable as my iPhone which aside from the obvious mobile features is really my handheld portfolio. I don’t have a pressing need for a third device. However, as a business owner, I can’t ignore existing or potential customers. It doesn’t matter what I think about the iPad–300,000 iPads sold on the first day. Twitter was a buzz, mainstream media jumped in, and the Apple fanboys enjoyed the Rapture as the iPad finally arrived in stores last Saturday. If you’re an iPad naysayer you probably want to jump in and tell me about it’s lack of Flash media support, remind me that tablet computers have never been mainstream, but that’s not the point. Apple didn’t make the iPad for the Power User, the technophile or gadget geek–the iPad is a consumer electronic device.

Consumers don’t care about how technology works, they just want it to work. Consumers expect a dial tone when they make a call, they’re not interested in how many hops the call is routed through. Consumers don’t debate the advantages of HDTV vs standard definition, they just want to watch their TV shows. Apple has created a device that my retired parents will love with proven iPhone technology so simple my two-year old daughter already uses it. Apple isn’t creating a new market, as much as they are recognizing the needs of an existing consumer base. Anyone will be able to use an iPad because the learning curve isn’t steep. Will everyone take advantage of all the nuances of the device? Certainly not, but that’s the same for a lot of consumer electronics out there. HDTVs are more common now that prices are under $1000, but only the home theater enthusiast is going to pay money to calibrate their LCD screen if they don’t tweak settings themselves.

We as content creators cannot ignore how consumers are accessing our products. Scott Kelby wrote a post this morning on how the iPad affects photographers, and I would add all industries should pay attention. In this global marketplace, you have to take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself. Making your content available for the iPad while time consuming AND financially redundant is the smart choice because leaders are proactive not reactive. While many people are focusing on iPad apps, Terry White mentioned the opportunity for eBook self-publishing with Adobe InDesign. That’s right, my mother could very well publish that cookbook she’s always dreamed about, and make it accessible to 300,000 people today.

In summary, it remains to be seen if the iPad will be the revolutionary device Steve Jobs claims it will be, but I’m not going to stand around on the sidelines waiting to find out.

If you haven’t caught wind, yesterday there was a dust up around this status update by @ScottBourne. “I’m consulting with a wedding #photog studio selling against a studio doing $500 weddings. Our new ad – ‘We fix $500 wedding photography.’ “ While I would normally ignore the “controversy” surrounding the heated discussion that followed, I soon learned that my friend @mitzs had received some harsh words via direct message from Scott. I have never met @ScottBourne but I do feel his tweets with @mitzs could have been more civil. Let me go on record and say, “Yo Scott! What up with dat? A bit rude ya know.” If you need to get up-to-speed read @mitzs blog post about professionalism (NOW with tons of comments) then @ScottBourne blog response to the topic of cheap photography, and if you want my opinion on the subject then read my articles on How Much Are You Worth? or Understand Art & Business 101 and finally Forbes & Crowdspring Fire-up Designers

My point today is not to defend or attack anyone, but highlight the shortcomings of communicating via status updates which have evolved from longer written communication via blogs or email. Maybe you’ve been in the workplace long enough to recall HR presentations about proper email etiquette. The primary focus of these presentations was to make employees aware that the written word is often literally absorbed by the reader, and applied wit or sarcasm can quickly be misunderstood. Email evolved to include emoticons, asterisked salutations *smile* even SMS lingo to help convey the tone of a message. The fact is the subtly of vocal inflection is something we easily forget about in the written word. How many times have you received an email you thought was funny, but when read literally by someone else they didn’t get it? “Oh, you’d have to know John to understand.”

It’s now 2010, and email is still used, but SMS messaging is becoming more prevalent. Twitter & Facebook require you to get your point across in 140 characters. In Scott’s blog post today, he responds to the controversy by stating, “I repeat, I was half-joking. I knew it might be a bit controversial given the fact that people who inhabit social media tend to be reactionary and don’t always stop and think before they react. (Me included) But I guess I wasn’t prepared for death threats – again.” Basically, without the context of Scott’s conversation, the statement by itself rubbed a few folks the wrong way. Conversations have only escalated into a large flame war via blogs, comment boxes, tweets & the like. With that in mind here are a few guidelines for communicating in the short form:

1. Learn to use emoticons, gestures or a simple LOL to convey humor, sarcasm, wit, or otherwise not serious statement. “Babies–the other white meat.” will be read literally no matter how absurd that sounds by thousands of folks. Sure, you can argue only the stupid ones without a sense of humor, but you only avoid stupid people by living in a vacuum.

2. Have a lot to say, include a link to a blog post on the topic. This won’t prevent people from flaming you, but at least your status updates show proof of your intentions.

3. If you’re going to DM someone via Twitter, have the decency to follow them so they can DM you back. This promotes a bit of good will, and perhaps a private conversation might (I said might) stay private.

4. Don’t jump on someone for a single “rogue” tweet. Take a moment to read their Twitter stream to see if the statement falls into a larger context. Simply put, maybe that conversation has NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU.

5. Don’t make it personal. Sure you’re getting in some zingers right now, but what happens when you’re reminded of your transgressions later? Passionately arguing a point does not require aggressively attacking the person involved in your discussion.

6. Don’t take it personally. We’re all adults. “Sticks & stones…” and all that stuff. We’ve all been disappointed by folks we admire, those who didn’t meet our expectations. Social media opens up a new world of expression, but it doesn’t hold you hostage. Everyone is free to unfollow or unfriend whoever they choose. You can’t change other people, but you CAN make a change.

This isn’t the first nor will it be the last time a difference of opinion leads to obstinate debate. Strong willed opinions with good intentions tend to get overshadowed by loud-mouthed voices filled with vitriol & angst. That’s why I love United States. Where else can such a dysfunctional, diverse group of people mix themselves into the melting pot of American greatness?

Good afternoon dear readers!

This is just a quick update to let you know there will be some changes to the website in the next few weeks. The biggest change will be the use of Category Feeds. As longtime readers know this blog has covered a wide range of topics ranging from entertainment to games to politics, fitness & health and of course Adobe software.

Having individual category feeds will make the blog more useful to everyone. In the future you’ll be able to pick the category you want to follow, and you can ignore the rest of my ramblings. Given my schedule this is the best option versus starting another blog, or two, or three.

So there you have it. I’ll announce the updates when they’re online, and I appreciate your continued patronage of the blog.

Good evening & good day.

It’s been two months since my last blog post, a decade in blog time, and the last recorded tweet has me dead by the standards of social media. As a seasoned blogger I’m not all that concerned, back in the day the “blogging break” was all the rage, but as Shama Kabani says, “…social media marketing – it isn’t the first thing you do. It’s the last.”

For the loyal readers & inquiring minds, yours truly has been busy busy busy doing what he does best – teaching. I’m also working feverishly behind the scenes hoping to do a relaunch of this website, and launch new projects come 2010. I’ll be announcing a few contests shortly and I hope the faithful will help me get the word out. You can get a jump start on the contests by becoming Facebook fans of my work and my company.

Until then, keep your camera with you, and your lens cap in your pocket.

Blogging to you live this damp, rainy morning. @PicSeshu threw up a blog post earlier this week with the 31 photographers he follows on Twitter. Each Friday is considered “#followfriday” where folks on the Twitterverse use that hashtag to denote who they suggest. If you follow me then you probably follow a lot of the folks that I reply to. Here are some folks I follow that maybe you haven’t seen:

Folks in this list either impressed me with their blogs, creative works, or are just great Twitter peeps. This is not the defacto list, but some of the peeps I haven’t mentioned before on either Twitter or here on the blog. Until next week…

Good morning dear readers. Based on recent feedback via Twitter, I am updating my tweet schedule for the following topics:

Adobe Tips – Monday through Friday, I post Adobe software tips at 9am & again at 9pm. Products include, Photoshop, Lightroom, InDesign, Illustrator & the occasional Acrobat/Bridge tweet.

In the past, I have posted the same product over a week’s timeframe. The challenge has not only been tweeting worthwhile info, but dealing with the brevity of allotted characters. Moving forward I intend to do a different product each day, e.g., Photoshop on Monday, Lightroom on Tuesday, etc. New hashtag is #Tip12pm

Profound Thoughts at 8:52am – Inspired by @Landailyn, I try to kick off your morning with a bit of wit. Sometimes profound, sometimes mundane, I figure if I keep swinging for the fences I’ll hit a couple big ones. I recently added the #852am hashtag to these tweets, and I am using Twitter search to repost & tag older tweets.

If you have thoughts or suggestions hit me up on Twitter or leave a comment (or two).

Alrighty. I had planned a much longer post hours ago, when I hadn’t started ALL the things I started that I just now finished, which has me up late/early instead of sleeping, which would be a good idea considering I have a Flash class in about 7 hours. With that in mind, let me get to the point – I need your help to get to Photoshop World. Now, I’m not talking about a fundraiser. Don’t want your money–but feel free to hire me for your training needs ;^) –no, what I need is your support in convincing the wonderful folks at NAPP (Nation Association of Photoshop Professionals) that yours truly would be an awesome speaker. If you’ve ever taken a class from me, if you enjoy my Twitter Adobe tips, if my tutorials on LayersMagazine.com rock your socks off, then tell a friend, hug a stranger, write your Congressman, tell your Twitter peeps, shout it on Facebook, post on the NAPP forums–you want to see me deliver my first class at Photoshop World this October 2009.

I’m not an author, I’m not a celebrity, I don’t own a mansion or a yacht, but I have a deep-seated need to share my experience with others, and voracious addiction to teaching. You see, I was once like you, naive, alone, stuck on the Background Layer waiting to be unlocked, and it was only through sheer determination, Prozac & the endorsement I’ve yet to receive from Red Bull that I muddled my way through Adobe software. Chance encounters with Ben Willmore, Matt Kloskowski, Larry Becker & Scott Kelby have proven insightful and blunt with information. I’ve taken their advice, and I’ve spent the past six years building my credentials. Some say, “It’s not the destination, but the journey.”

I say a destination gives you a goal, a goal gives you focus, and focus brings about the purpose for that journey.

Help me achieve one of my goals. Help me get an invitation to teach at Photoshop World Fall 2009. Leave a comment with your support, and Digging this article would be appreciated.

Your Humble Adobe Wan.

It’s my birthday, and I sure wish I was spending it at Photoshop World. In case you hadn’t heard you can watch the live Keynote on the PSW (Photoshop World) blog starting at 9am EST.

Truly, I would have been in Boston this week, but how could I miss my daughter’s first birthday? So while many of my Twitter peeps are gettin’ their Photoshop on, I’ll be makin’ up for missed travels by shooting the Red Carpet at tomorrow’s AFI Dallas festival.

At least Photoshop World is a semi-annual conference, so I can pick up all the cool stuff in the fall.

Have a great day everyone!