Almost Resignation Letters on TechCrunch

I thought TechCrunch’s acquisition by AOL was a Bad Thing, for pretty much everybody involved — the readers, the writers, the startups, AOL. Paul Carr voices what must be the prevailing feeling among his peers: “Like most serious writers, I’ve always dreamed of working for AOL.”

So I can’t say I’m surprised by the ha-ha-only-serious letters of resignation that have been popping up on the site since. Already, three of TechCrunch’s dozen staff writers have posted all-but-goodbyes:

• “I Can’t Work Under These Conditions :-)” — Michael Arrington
• “NSFAOL: Highlights From Yesterday’s Secret ‘Welcome To AOL’ Meeting” — Paul Carr
• “If Web 1.0’s Kryptonite Was the Bust, Web 2.0 Kryptonite Was the Grind” — Sarah Lacy

Of Fail Whales and Other Fine Feathered Friends

(OK, so whales don’t have feathers. What are you a fucking marine biologist?)

Facebook introduced their error page to the world yesterday and they certainly set a new standard among social networks for animal-themed whimsy.

First, Twitter threw down the gauntlet:

Then, Digg:

And now, Facebook:

Shouldn’t Hulu Be Saying “Congratulations”?

As in, “Congratulations, we’re unable to load a message from our sponsors!”

Upcoming Speaking Gigs

I'm giving a few talks in the next couple weeks. Here are my session titles and abstracts, the where and when, and my speaker bio:

• Extensions5: Advanced Google Chrome Extensions with HTML5
  Google DevFest Japan
  March 11th

  A deep dive into advanced techniques for developing extensions — like communicating within and between extensions, effectively injecting content, and integrating HTML5 features.

  More Info

• HTML5 101
  South by Southwest Interactive
  March 14th and 15th

  An overview of the latest HTML, CSS, and JavaScript features being built into modern browsers — including audio, video, typography, animation, notifications, and more.

  More Info

• Advanced Google Chrome Extensions
  South by Southwest Interactive
  March 14th

  [See above.]

  More Info

• Brian Kennish was the first support engineer at Google back when the AdWords API was launched. Since then, he's helped launch four more Google developer products — gadget ads, the Analytics API, Wave, and Chrome Extensions. Brian is currently a developer advocate for Google Chrome.

Since the Google Buzz Logo Looks Like a Pie Chart …

What Twitter Says about the Presidential Candidates

Barack Obama wants to know what you think (or, at least, make it look like he does).

Hillary Clinton doesn't give a shit what you think.

John McCain is busy watching Matlock.

Gone Twitterin'

Be back soon.

In the meantime, follow me on Twitter (and I'll follow you back*).

* Unless you're a bot, update as much as Robert Scoble, or offend my delicate sensibilities.