Making the move from WordPress to Tumblr. I’ve always been a big fan of the simplicity of Fred Wilson and Bijan Sabet’s blogs and I have always loved Tumblrs posting UI, so I figured this was a good time to revamp my blogging and make the switch.

My first step was to migrate my blog content at gbake.com to Tumblr. I’ve got a hosted WordPress, so I figured a quick export and import and I’d be ready to rock and roll. Au contraire my friends, it was not a simple process.

Step 1) I followed Jon Thornton’s instructions here to export and import. A good script I’m sure, but since I know barely anything about Python and even less about XML, the time I spent in Coda editing the XML when it hung on the import to tumblr was not well spent. Hours of time not well spent.

Step 2) Google “import wordpress to tumblr” and I found Mark Pike’s post here on the same topic in which he recommended using Tumblrize. It’s a plugin you install on your WordPress blog which will automatically create posts on Tumblr as you post. Seemed like it would be a bit clunky so I shelved it.

Step 3) I went back to running the Python script on my mac and hoping it would go through. Another 30 minutes and I was about to give up.

Step 4) I went back to Tumblrize. While I’ve been blogging for over four years, I’m not exactly what you’d call prolific. The best option (which was not seemless) was to open every blog post, click “update” then close the page. Clicking update would export the blog post (and correct metadata) to tumblr.

Step 5) Success! Content is migrated.

Making the move from WordPress to Tumblr. I’ve always been a big fan of the simplicity of Fred Wilson and Bijan Sabet’s blogs and I have always loved Tumblrs posting UI, so I figured this was a good time to revamp my blogging and make the switch.

My first step was to migrate my blog content at gbake.com to Tumblr. I’ve got a hosted WordPress, so I figured a quick export and import and I’d be ready to rock and roll. Au contraire my friends, it was not a simple process.

Step 1) I followed Jon Thornton’s instructions here to export and import. A good script I’m sure, but since I know barely anything about Python and even less about XML, the time I spent in Coda editing the XML when it hung on the import to tumblr was not well spent. Hours of time not well spent.

Step 2) Google “import wordpress to tumblr” and I found Mark Pike’s post here on the same topic in which he recommended using Tumblrize. It’s a plugin you install on your WordPress blog which will automatically create posts on Tumblr as you post. Seemed like it would be a bit clunky so I shelved it.

Step 3) I went back to running the Python script on my mac and hoping it would go through. Another 30 minutes and I was about to give up.

Step 4) I went back to Tumblrize. While I’ve been blogging for over four years, I’m not exactly what you’d call prolific. The best option (which was not seemless) was to open every blog post, click “update” then close the page. Clicking update would export the blog post (and correct metadata) to tumblr.

Step 5) Success! Content is migrated.

January 5, 2010 is the day Google launched its first consumer physical device, the Nexus One – a phone.  In geekdom it is quite the popular topic, trending on twitter as well as the chiming of every major tech site to post review.  Here are some of the posts.  TechCrunch, GigaOM, Mashable, Engadget, Gizmodo, gdgt and BGR thoughts which review the physical phone itself, the software (Android 2.1), how it compares with the iPhone and how the launch of the Nexus One wasn’t the paradigm shifting event for mobile phone salvation we expected. I promise you they all cover each of those matter far better then I can, especially since I haven’t had a loaner phone for weeks preceding the launch – nor do I have one now. Instead let’s talk about how this will affect your organization. If you’re thinking, “my organization isn’t techie at all,” then this is for you.

Increased Validity of Android - for all intents and purposes Google’s launch of the Nexus One with T-Mobile (and upcoming Verizon) will place its open source operating system Android in the hands of non-Geeks.  This is a big deal as there are far more people that will like Android because they can get free turn by turn directions on the Maps then the people who will like the Nexus One because it runs the 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor that facilitates maps happening in glorious bliss behind the scenes.  This will also spearhead the wave of Android phones that are coming from Motorola, HTC, LG and others in 2020.

Spread of Smartphones - because there will be more of these bad boys in the hands of non-early adopters as they upgrade with their current carriers which will spark a couple key things.  First, your website will need to become mobile friendly pronto – it will no longer be seen as an option to have a mobile optimized site.   Second, the Android app market will see a signifiant increase from the 10,000 it has today as consumer programs will come out of the woodwork like they did for iPhone and organizations like yours will begin to build and launch apps for your consumers.

Rise of the Engaged consumer – we will continue to see the rise of the always on customer.  What this means for you is that their questions, comments and concerns will come to you faster and from new locations then you’ve seen before.  Perhaps more importantly their expectation of your prescese and response will reward those who are ready with open arms to customers who want to talk.  This will also open up new channels of communication and opportunity to connect with your customers, which will be scary but will make you a better organization.

For many, a phone with Android will be the very first time they’ve used open source software as part of their daily life and with Google’s support I think we’ll see it continue to grow in market share on new devices which will drive app invovation.  By far the biggest effect you’ll see is that your customers will have smartphones and while they all won’t know how to use them, they’ll do a few things well and that will disrupt your current business practices.

A few concrete examples, if you’re a

• national retailer – make it easy to order online via mobile
• brand with lots of locations – make it easy to find and contact them
• local church – show sermon notes or bible passages during services
• non-profit – use your mobile site to showcase your work and align volunteers with places to serve near them

These are just a few ideas.  You’re bound to have a few that are key for your organization, find one or two and get the strategy mapped out.

The launch of Nexus One is the ushering of mobile data into the hands of the masses and that will rock your world in 2010.  Launch with it.

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I got my Google Voice invite about a month ago. I think the service is intriguing so I was excited to see the email in my inbox.  First you have to pick a number  – this was a big deal to me since they don’t offer number portability, yet.   I decided to select an 865 (Knoxville, TN) number even though my mobile is a 513 (Cincinnati, OH) number.  After number selection I started playing around with the web app and what not but I pretty much just left it as it was.

Then I found out there was an iPhone app – not fully official but still available.  Then Google released official BlackBerry and Android apps that can take over the native dialer and sms function with the promise of an iPhone in the pipeline.  This was like a fresh roll of cotton candy to my eyes as I LOVE synergy.  If I’m going to use Google Voice, I want it be be as native as possible.  Then the whole FCC Google, AT&T, Apple fiacso got rolling and all possibility of that was shelved for a bit. Although I did download the non official Google Voice app via Cydia which the developer Sean Kovacs released amazingly for free.

Addtionaly, I did some checking and I got my Google Voice up and running on the desktop with a couple of tricks.  First from this article I installed a Firefox extension, but honestly it didn’t do what I was hoping.

So I figured Fluid would be the way to go.  For those uninitiated, Fluid is a program that creates site specific browsers, i.e. creates launchable applications out of browser based web apps.  I currently use it for CoTweet, Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Reader.  I’ve never encountered any odd systemic failures but it goes without saying that you try this at your own risk.

So here’s a bit of a tutorial of sorts to add Google Voice with Growl and Javascript icon notifications.  Props to the developer who created the script to make this Google Voice magic happen, all of this information is adapted from his original post here. If you’re already familiar with adding userscripts to Fluid apps you can get the script here – for everyone else.  Read on.

Prior to this step you’ll have needed to download and installed Fluid and then created an app for Google Voice.  Use the URL “http://google.com/voice” and the PNG for the icon here.  You’ll also need Growl running for notifications.

All photos will enlarge when clicked for details.

Step 1: Browse for userscripts from within the Fluid app you created (mine is called G Voice)

This will open a new window you’ll search in.

Step 2: Search for the phrase “google voice”

Step 3: Select the script named “Google Voice Notifications”

There are a few scripts, I’ve only used the one highlighted in this overview so I can’t comment on the effectiveness of the other scripts.

Step 4: On the script page click the GREEN Install button.

This will install the script in the Fluid app

Step 5: Confirm the install and close the window.

Step 6: Quit and restart the G Voice fluid app.  All indicators should be running like clock work.

Text a friend from your Google Voice to test and witness the awesomeness.

Step 7: Rejoice!

Online involvement has been on my mind recently, specifically the idea of a “unified online presence” to which you may be thinking “What?!” So let me explain, I’ve had the term in my brain for a bit so I figured I picked it up from this guy, or this guy – but a search reveals that there is not much out there really (side note: a search for “unified online identity” does have a result set that is branding based, but still not the definition I’m seeking).

Since I can’t find it, I’ll define “unified online presence” as the intentional effort to coordinate and connect accounts of an entity in such a way that they communicate a similar message (if not the exact same message) to strengthen involvement and identity in those communities.

I’ve believe that a unified online presence was the way to be involved online.  And from the reading I do, I believe a lot of people feel the same.  When I say a lot, I really mean a lot of the blogs I read, which are mostly about marketing with a tech emphasis – and as you know one of the tenets of marketing is focused messaging so that doesn’t surprise me.

A real world example of this messaging is having twitter tied to facebook so that what I say on Twitter makes it look like I’m saying it to facebook or tying my Flickr into facebook so my friends can see what I’ve posted there instead of on facebook.  It could also be as simple as using the same profile pic (aka avatar) for all the communities you’re part of online.  These actions allow us to seamlessly operate in multiple-communities and efficiently amplify our web persona which is great…right?

I’m starting to believe that a unified online presence is great for marketing, isn’t always great for using the tools to engage with each of the communities.  Fred Wilson posted recently (@fredwilson) on how he has changed his use of facebook and twitter, which sparked this post after I read it.

First he made this move:

So I decided to do something pretty radical. I deleted about 300 “friends” on Facebook yesterday and took my total friend count down to 56. I’ve limited my Facebook friends to family and close friends. My methodology is something akin to who I’d invite to a family wedding or bar/bat mitzvah. I realize that a lot of the 300 people I nuked were using Facebook to follow me and they can no longer do that.

And this is why:

My reasoning was as follows: I feel that between Twitter, this blog, and my tumblog at fredwilson.vc, there are plenty of public places on the web that you can follow me and all of them have RSS feeds for those who want the content pushed to them. I feel that Facebook is by default private and it’s become a good place for me to network with my close friends and family privately.

I see the value in this intentional use of the platforms.  The audiences are by nature a big venn diagram of those involved with twitter and those friends/family on facebook of which there is minimal crossover.  They are quite distance, Twitter is an open and searchable platform where my every word is sucked into Google and made public, while facebook on the other hand is closed and only open to those I’ve selected as friends.

Fred’s decisions actually remind me of a conversation I had in college.  I walked in my friend Tosh’s dorm room and he said something to the effect of “bro if you hadn’t IM’d me today I would have taken you off my buddy list” which was a bit of a shocker. (Now please keep in mind at my college everyone had tons of AIM buddies, because it was how we checked in with what our friends were watching, eating, feeling, and listening to without talking to them and a really easy way to round up people to play campus golf.)  So I asked Tosh, “why would you have removed me” and he said, “because I’m removing anyone that hasn’t IM’d me in the last 2 weeks.” Which blew me away at the time.  But now I see the strength in that path, he was essentially making the intentional choice to pare down his buddy list to those he actually communicated with.

This is not too far off from what Fred has done. He’s made a choice to separate who is in each community and how/what he communicates each one distinctly.  He’s chosen the path that each account is a separate community.  That path blows away the notion of a unified online presence, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t on the fence about what to do. While a unified viewpoint looks at all the various accounts as one big online community.  I think Fred has it right because they are distinct and separate but I think personal branding is important and should be done which leaves me with a conundrum.  I can see strengths and weakness of each path but I’m not to a decision point…. yet.

I know you guys have great ideas, so what about you?  What have you done? Would you change?

Pictures from Adiumx.com and Facebook.com