Grumpy McTrumpy

Q&A: Instagram Exec James Quarles Plans to Turn Strava Into a Social Publisher for Athletes ? Adweek

furiousferret

It wouldn't surprise me if the changes completely gut the user base. I don't know why companies can't just sit down and say, 'what we have is working, lets not change it'

himespau 

Since I don't follow anyone and no one follows me (I just use it to track my rides and keep stats), the changes don't effect me, but I can see those changes annoying the hell out of anyone who uses it socially and still wants to track their rides.

Grumpy McTrumpy

My best guess is that companies, countries, boards of directors, stockholders, investors are obsessed with growth. I imagine board meetings go like "what we have is working, how can we change it to get MORE."

globecanvas

That's no guess. That is the American Way.

Grumpy McTrumpy

mattm

I don't think the Strava changes are all that bad. I use the app mostly, and it's not that big of a change so far.

The web definitely has each ride way too big vertically, but they'll iron it out. I am surprised that whoever (hopefully) tested the beta of it didn't give the same negative feedback they're getting now. Or maybe they did, and it was ignored.. happens all the time.

furiousferret

Because it was these guys:

caloso

That might explain why it now defaults to posting each ride on FB.

globecanvas

The house next door to us was abandoned a couple of years ago by the family of criminal methheads who used to live there. It was like a neighborhood holiday when they left. The house has been sitting decrepit ever since. It's a pile of garbage in a desirable (in our opinion, at least, given that we live here) location.

A couple of months ago it came up for auction. I went to the auction, which lasted about 15 seconds. The bank bought the house back from themselves at the auction for $90k. Apparently that is not uncommon, for some sort of accounting or whatever reason.

After a few weeks it went on the market for $88k. We offered 70. They didn't respond. Then the listing price went down to 73.5. We upped our offer to 72. They countered with 74.5 (more than the asking price). We said no. They said they accepted another offer. Then they said the other offer was withdrawn. We re-submitted our offer of 72. Today the listing price went down to 66.

I guess this happens when banks sell houses? There is clearly nobody at the bank with the responsibility for selling this house, so it's become a farce. I would not at all be surprised if somebody else ends up buying it for less than our offer due simply to administrative incompetence on the bank's part.

himespau 

You going to tear it down to make a double lot if you get it?

globecanvas

Too much topography for that .. the top of that house is below our basement. We'd probably tear it down and build a small house at the back of the lot and rent it out, and maybe eventually move there when our kids are gone.

Gramercy

70k! That would get you about 40 square feet out here

carpediemracing 

I've floated the idea of a family "compound" for many years now, where we own a set of 4-5 houses in a circle/square plot with a central house for hanging out or whatever. We'd all have our own houses but we'd be close to our siblings.

This evolved into having "lot cars" (Fiats, Geo Metro, Sonics, whatever tiny cars are around) to drive from one house to another. Which would lead to "lot car races". And karts. And, hey, a velodrome maybe.

Etc.

If the lot elevations are that different you could have a spectacular sledding run, no? Wood frame to set the basic route then a lot of ice/snow to fill it in.

Flatballer

We made an offer on a bank owned that ended up selling shortly after for less than our offer. Only thing I can think is that the other offer was cash.

Ttoc6

My project at work is under threat of getting shut down due to some contractual issues. We got sent our possible reassignments and the managers that run them. I met with one of the managers today and he told me about his program. Seems like I would get to utilize what I studied in school a bit more and I'd stay at the same building I currently work in. May or may not involve a job title change.

I'm meeting the other manager tomorrow morning to discuss what he has to offer. That job would be about a 30 minute / 35 mile commute rather than my current 10 minute / 6 mile commute. Not sure what this job entails yet, but it sounds like it will be a bit more hands on and related to what my current job title is.

I'll have to make a decision at some point soon regarding what I want to do. Just at a crossroads because this choice could dictate future career opportunities within the company...

Ygduf

you keep saying that but i don't see that...

himespau 

I haven't seen that either, but I'm pretty sure I haven't linked the accounts and set them up with different e-mails, so hopefully mine stay separate.

caloso

I usually I upload from my Garmin to the desktop. On the browser version, there's a "save and view" preview page. It has toggle switches for "post on Facebook," "make private," and "hide from leader boards." Before this week, the post on FB toggle had always defaulted to No; since Monday or whenever, it defaults to Yes.

I have the iOs version on my phone but hardly use it to upload rides and haven't looked at it this week. Maybe if you use that route it's different.

mattm

sounds about right!

TMonk

I hate these kinds of Facebook posts!

It's like

1) Don't force your agenda on me
2) Don't tell me what to do
3) **** off

The worst ones are from (distant) cousins, family friends and other satellite people in your life that will follow it up with something like "re-post if you're true family" or "re-post if you're my friend".

caloso

I just ignore those. Those and the "let's see who really reads my posts" posts.

TMonk

long work day, roller coaster of emotions, but its ended well.

next week could be the most pressure I've ever felt professionally, already a bit stressed about it. I need to manage a huge ICP-MS run of blood and tissue samples (hundreds of samples) looking for gold nanoparticles with a lot riding on it, train a new intern, and fill in the product manager's shoes as he is out for the week.

I'll have all the support I need in the lab but it is still going to be a bit nutty and I'll be ready for some long days, lots of pressure, and people coming at me with things needing approval or advice from all directions. All the while making myself available to show a new girl the ropes. Can't wait

edit: Oh and training too I'll be staying late so I can still train in the morning

Ttoc6

Visited the lab I amy or may not be working in starting soon. This is job possibility number two that Icould get transferred into. I've got the weekend to decide which position I want to pick. The lab / hand on, hard engineering one. Or the Mathy, working on really complex statistical problems. The probelm in deciding has little to do with the work. It has more to do with what career path each sets me down. I'll still be an engineer, just a matter of what title I want to hold in the future. Lots to think about, and sleep on. Need to get out for a long ride at some point to give myself the freedom to think it through.

topflightpro

TTOC, don’t sweat it too much. You’re a month out of school and on the job. I’m not yet 40, and I’m on my third career: newspaper reporter then editor, public relations/communications, and now marketing.

Going into reporting, I wanted to be a sports reporter. I took a business writing job because it was available, paid better than sports, and most importantly, was close to my then girlfriend (now wife). Business writing was the absolute last thing I wanted to do. Six months in, a spot opened on the sports desk. I opted to stay in business. It was a lot better than I realized. After a couple years, I moved to the metro desk covering city government. Then was promoted to editor.

I ended up leaving journalism and going into corporate PR for a bit, then academic PR/Communications and this year, I moved into marketing.

And this all came after I spent college studying to work on Wall Street, where I spent two summers interning. In fact, I was in Goldman Sachs lobby doing a full day interview when I decided I wanted to be a writer instead. Technically, I wanted to be a poet (I was a dumb college kid) but I realized that would likely mean living in my parents basement for the rest of my life. Journalism at least allowed me to write and earn money.

Anyway, my point is that careers are fluid. What happens today is not guaranteed to set you on a path for the rest of your life. Go with whichever one you think you will enjoy doing more and let the pieces fall where they may.