I was asked a simple question today: "Should I add my work friends to Facebook?" I thought about this for about .0001 of a second and then coolly, in my most restrained and grownup voice replied: "No. For the love of God no. Terrible! Don't do it. Shit, no." I was proud that I played it cool. I realized after a few more "Oh God No's" that I should maybe explain why adding workmates as Facebook friends is a terrible, horrible awful idea that could only end in pain, misery and... well maybe not - but still, not a good idea.

Why you should not mix work and Facebook - Reason #1

If you are like most people, the people in your Facebook friends pile breaks down something like this:

1. True Friends - People you would help move.
2. Friends - You know these people, and invite them when you are having a party.
3. People you know - Some of these people you don't even like. A lot of them are High School (etc...) people you were forced to know due to the geography and class choices.
4. People you don't know - "I have 853 friends!"
5. Family.

Sure you could argue that work friends fall into category 2. This is a trap. You only think of work friends as category 2 friends because you are working with these particular people everyday. In truth, most of these people are category 3 people. Be honest. You are friends because you work in the same place. Not to say that these are not great people who you don't respect and enjoy. But they are (at best) category 3 people. What's wrong with that? Nothing. Nothing at all as long as you realize that they are category 3 people with a catch. Here's the catch: They work with you, in a professional setting everyday. Some are your boss, might become your boss, or talk to your boss. Office politics and gossip run deep.

Why you should not mix Work and Facebook - Reason #2

Idiots. Some of your friends are idiots. Maybe even assholes. Assholes, with no judgement or filter. Sure that picture Sally took at Ye Old Irish Pub last night would be embarrassing if it ever saw the light of day - but Sally Won't post... Oh What? 58 Comments already! Do you really want to give your work friends access to this sort of thing? Or give them access to your mom's daily Farmville smack talk? Or any of that?

Why you should not mix Work and Facebook - Reason #3

That darn little box. It looks so innocent. Sitting up there on its perch. Mocking you - "What's on your mind?", "Why's nothing on your mind", "Are you retarded thinking about nothing?". Listen here Box. I am at work. Leave me alone! Leave me alone. Fine! Ooops. Dumb even without work Facebook friends - suicidal if you've thrown a bunch of them into category 3. Sidenote - never complain about work or work people on Facebook. If you can't figure out why turn off your computer and throw it the garbage.

A place for special category 3 friends exists (No, not Facebook)

LinkedIn - Just like how you have torn jeans and work pants. Both have a purpose, the jeans for when your friends ask you to help move, the other for TPS reports.

It's all been done before

That was the thinking that happened in my head in the .0001 of a second before my long drawn-out eloquent explanation outburst that adding work friends to Facebook would be like adding tomatoes to beer - sure there is the remote chance that it might turn out alright, but likely it won't. Plus the internet has already gathered countless horror stories about people getting busted slacking from work or getting fired for stupid stuff on Facebook. Don't be that person. Don't mix Work and Facebook.

I've just completed the Dropquest and got myself a cool 1 Gig of extra Dropbox space. Good news if you love dropbox and free - the quest is still on! Complete the 20 step challenge/quest and you too can brag when friends and colleagues ogle at all your newfound dropbox space. All you need to do to win is figure out a few word puzzles, find a google map location, slay a dragon, unscramble a picture, save a princess, and decode a few zips - a few quite good head scratchers. Quest this way...

Todays winner goes to: the Speakal Doctor Who TARDIS speaker! Because how is that not a good idea? (And I though a TARDIS TimeMachine backup drive was cool) via Engadget

Craig Grannell:

As expected, it pretty much confirms my thoughts that someone decided to shoot most of Apple’s designers some time around when brushed metal appeared, along with giving everyone at Cupertino a taste-ectomy. The app UI is just hideous, kicking conventions in the bollocks, laughing in the face of clarity, and mercilessly setting fire to UX and pushing it off a cliff.

For a full list of offences Apple has committed against poor Craig head over to Revert To Saved.

A letter to the newly born Mac App Store, Welcome to the world Mac App Store. Also, thanks for not pulling a iTunes and going all UI crazy (I'm sure I'll learn to love your little quirks). Trust me, you'll love the 'Red, Yellow, Green' look and it really suits you. But I think you can do more. Your thing is Apps, so its time to tell iTunes to stick to media. Get out of your business. Really: Books, Music, Podcasts, Movies, TV shows, iTunes University, etc... is more than enough for any one Application to handle then throw device syncing into the mix and things are starting to look like a circus. Does iTunes really need to handle iOS App management on top of all that? Sure it made sense in the past. But now that you are around maybe you could help out? Lighten the load so to speak. If I want an App for an iOS or Mac, Ill be more than happy to head to the App Store on iPhone or the App Store on my Mac. If it makes sense to have a dedicated App on iPad to manage App downloads, it makes just as much sense to rip Apps out of iTunes. Here I'll make it easy for you. [caption id="attachment_911" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Simple."] [/caption] Can we make it happen please?

David Gewirtz over at ZDNet has an interesting take on what the Mac App Store will do to the pricing structure of traditional Mac developers:

remember the scene where young Kirk is racing his gorgeous vintage ‘Vette at top speed? He’s driving along, encounters a steep, steep cliff, rapidly turns the car, but it’s too late. He jumps from the car and (spoiler) survives, clawing himself up over the edge. But his car is doomed. It plummets thousands of feet to the floor below. Traditional Mac developers are as doomed as that car.

Awesome Star Trek analogies aside, I'm thinking he expects prices to drop to iOS levels. David expects 90% to 95% price drops within a month. I'll be shocked if this happens for a few reasons:

1. iPad Apps on average are quite a bit more expensive than iPod/iPhone - why? HD in the name. Why would desktop Apps not get an equivalent bump? (kidding aside, iPad Apps tend to be more full featured)
2. iOS Apps can't be converted to Mac OS X with one click in xcode. It won't be The Flood David predicts.
3. You get what you pay for, sure simple single use Apps are great in a mobile world - but in a desktop environment more complex Apps will continue to rule.

I think I'll do a quick search of prices and we can see what happens in a month.

Mac Rumor sites are in full swing, something Apple this way comes - Tomorrow at 9 AM PT (if The Loop can be believed) the Mac App Store opens it's doors and begins the iOS'ification of OS X. With it comes a new head scratcher: Stoplights without a 'Go' join the OS X UI cluster*uck. [caption id="attachment_894" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Stop lights without a \'Go\'"] [/caption] The newest revision of iTunes started this party not long ago by deciding that horizontal alignment is for suckers. But iTunes always has been a rebel with its cool scroll bars, so I suppose it's to be expected. But really, was a green UI element really annoying the Mac App Store team so much that they had to neuter it? Apple has no problem changing the physical function of a hardware button to stay consistent (the iPad orientation lock became a mute a la iPhone with 4.2). But when it comes to OS X elements anything goes.

I have a big white wall space above my couch. Perfect for some interwebs inspired art I think - Lesley even loves the idea. Here are some of the current front-runners (mouse-over for description, click for link):

I just finished watching 'The Joy of Stats' and it was excellent fun while also being insightful and interesting - A neat combination I've come to expect from Hans Rosling. The Joy of Stats is a

Documentary which takes viewers on a rollercoaster ride through the wonderful world of statistics to explore the remarkable power thay have to change our understanding of the world, presented by superstar boffin Professor Hans Rosling, whose eye-opening, mind-expanding and funny online lectures have made him an international internet legend.

Enjoy.

Good friends and awesome snowshoe loving people Eric and Blair have launched 'Say Yes To Sex', a podcast

not about always saying yes to having sex, but rather it is about saying yes to comprehensive sexual education. It is about removing taboos and fears surrounding sex, and ensuring that all people, in all places, of all identities, can pursue a healthy and enjoyable sexual life.

2 episodes so far and they are sounding great. Check it out (as they name implies, obviously NSFW): Website, Podcast feed (itunes link), @sytsex, Facebook Do it.