A couple weeks ago, when I was meeting with the Assetbar team, prior to getting my account, they asked, "How important is it for us to be able to block people from being able to 'follow' you?". I told them that it wasn't at all. If I join a site like Assetbar or FriendFeed, if I blog, or if I share items using Google Reader, I fully expect that content to be open to anyone capable of finding it. It's immediately in the public domain, as far as I am concerned.

That's why the ruckus over the last few weeks regarding Google Reader shared items is complete bollocks.

My Google Reader Shared Items has a public URL, which I've chosen to embed here on the blog. Others with shared items, including Arvin Dang, Jason Kaneshiro, Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins, Robert Scoble and Mathew Ingram, have similarly posted their shared items, in effect, giving you the option to surf the best of the blogosphere through their eyes.

But some are alarmed that people they didn't expect to read their shared items could. Some complained that competitors could see what they found interesting, and get to a story first. But cry me a river... if you've got some proprietary knowledge, keep it to yourself, and don't share it! That's why even though I read dozens and dozens of stories per day for work and have many search strings to find out about my company and the competition, I never share it in Google Reader, I never blog about it, and I never add those links to del.icio.us. Because when I do, it would cross the chasm from proprietary to public.

As a blogger, I am sharing my comments, insights, parts of my life and conversations with the Web at large, and through this, we've built a small community of frequent visitors and commenters. I do not believe I would be better served by putting my content behind a password-protected veil. I do not believe that I should be hiding my e-mail address or my cell phone number. I do not believe that my Google Reader shared items are not part of the public domain.

I believe as the Web evolves, the new generation of users will expect full transparency, and those of us resisting the change will be seen as dinosaurs. I want you to read my blog. I want you to subscribe to my RSS feed. I want you to befriend me on Facebook or follow me on FriendFeed. I want you to read my Google Reader link blog. I want you to follow me on AssetBar.

This is the way the Web is going, and we should take the blinders off our eyes.

See additional commentary:

Mathew Ingram: Google ruining Christmas? Get a grip
Robert Scoble: Google Reader needs GPC
Slashdot: Google Reader Begins Sharing Private Data
ParisLemon: Google Readers' Social Flaws Have Users Up In Arms

After getting up way too early (as previously noted), the festivities kicked off in earnest around 9, when my wife started up an unbeatable brunch, complete with eggs, bacon, and homemade blueberry muffins. With the home full of good smells, my parents and youngest sister arrived, fresh off a 2-hour ride from Sacramento, their first time holding Christmas with us in the Bay Area. They ended up staying a full, eventful, eight hours.

As much fun as it is to receive gifts, it's even better to give, as we all know. This year, my wife was the recipient of a new suit (and matching skirt), our first camcorder (a Sony), dog calendars of the twelve-month and 365 day desk calendar variety, a new blue sweater, and a working cellphone, on Verizon. While I wasn't as giving with the rest of the family, we did get them a handful of games, both for playing with us, and with one another. As for me, I mostly gained a few items from my Amazon wish list.

But the hit of the day was the inexpensive remote control airplane I got my dad (similar to this one), still a kid at the young age of fifty-four.

We took the airplane out to a local elementary school, practicing take-offs and landings, and got some good air, but the winds were too gusty, and too many obstacles spelled certain death for the new toy. So the five of us packed into the car and headed to the football field at Palo Alto High School with the goal of a more successful venture. Yet, no sooner than we arrived did we find more trouble.

After seeing the plane bump, bump its way into a few false starts, we would start the motor as I threw it aloft, and into flight. On our second try, it spun, spiraling ever higher and further away, as my dad guided it through the sky. Eventually, it was out of reach of the remote control signal, and kept going despite my dad's shouts. Sure enough, it came to rest in a tree on the opposite side of the fence, a good 20 feet into the air, nearly obscured by branches.

We made our way to the crash site and eventually spotted the plane, but had no easy way to get it down. The tree was unclimbable, and as my dad got on the roof of one of the school's portable classrooms, he could not shake the limb to dislodge the plane. From below, I threw tennis balls, but could do no damage. Later, we moved upwards to throwing a softball, which would more likely hit a branch and make me cower below than anything else. Then, I found a soccer ball, and started to throw it toward the plane. No luck.

Sure enough, the soccer ball too got stuck. Then, so did the softball. For those scoring at home, we now had four college graduates, and a college senior staring at a tree with a plane and two balls stuck in its branches. What to do? I looked around and found a thick stick I could throw javelin style, at the plane, or the soccer ball. It stuck too. That led to a 2 by 4 plank of plywood, which after a few tosses, made its way into the tree, making the score one plane, two balls and two planks of wood for the tree, and nothing for us.

At this point, my mom and my wife took off to go get a ladder, laughing at our foolishness. But we didn't give up. I dislodged the plank of wood, and later, the softball, and after just swearing the softball would be useless, I hit the branch holding the plane, and it fluttered down to us below, making the endeavor a success. At this point, I'm plenty dirty and sweating a little. My hands have splinters. The soccer ball is still up there, as far as I know. My dad is on the cell phone, calling my mom to abort "Operation: Ladder Retrieval". It turned out that the actual search for the plane was more fun than flying the plane had proven to be, and we can all laugh about it now. My wife and mom returned, shaking their heads at us, as we piled in the car, and headed home, swearing the next time that plane flies, there will be no wind, and no trees, period.

Coming home, we battled one another on the Nintendo Wii, alternating bowling with tennis, and said our goodbyes. It wasn't a textbook Christmas, but the silliness and togetherness made it even better than had it been scripted. I hope that you too enjoyed your Christmas, and that you aren't one to leave that plane behind when it seems even two sticks, two balls and a little sweat won't get the job done.

In honor of Christmas, and wrapping up the end of the year, it's pretty easy to see that 2007 was a revolution for louisgray.com, as we worked to mature the blog from a self-focused journal to a resource for technology news, Web 2.0 insights and interaction with a focused community.

Using the Analog Web log analysis software, it's reported that more than 1.1 million Web pages were read, good for more than 3,000 per day, transferring more than 100 gigabytes of data.


We went from serving up nearly 25,000 pages in the month of January to more than 130,000 in the record-breaking month of October, which also served up 15 gigabytes of data.

But most interestingly, if we walk down the 12 most popular posts of the year, from January 1 through today, one name pops to the very top - Google. Take a look:

Rank	Blog Post	Page Views
1.	Soft-Core Porn, Sex Themes Power Google Video	10,400
2.	Google's Earth Day Logo Makes a Splash	6,700
3.	10 Suggestions to Improve Google Reader	5,400
4.	Facebook Google Reader App Rebrands As Feedheads	3,200
5.	Internal Linking On Some Tech Blogs Is Out of Control	3,100
6.	The Biggest Blogs Aren't Really Blogs Any More	2,800
7.	The Apple TV Debate Is Upside Down	2,100
8.	Hype It Up: Ballhype Is Here to Change the Game	1,700
9.	Google Video Still Peddling Soft-Core Porn Smut	1,700
10.	Eight Reasons the Apple TV is Failing, and How It Can be Saved	1,700
11.	BitTorrent Bails Me Out on TiVo's Simpsons Miss	1,700
12.	I Have Seen the Future of Social RSS Feed Readers	1,600

And where did they all come from? Google, Google and Google, of course. Google Images, Google Reader and Google Search dominated referrals to the site this year, with BlogLines following behind. Additional bumps came from the occasional mention on Scobleizer.com, Digg.com and TechMeme.


I don't have "hard" expectations for this blog, but I would hope 2008 sees at least a doubling of total page views, and it'd be great to at least double RSS subscribers as well. As we're approaching 200 now on Feedburner, I think 500 would be a nice goal for Christmas next year. If you're not yet subscribed, get your e-mail on the list!

Also, for more end of year summaries, check out Pro Blogger's What was your most popular post in 2007? and Webomatica's 2007 summary.

While Saint Nick has clearly sustained viability in a go-go world of e-commerce, e-greeting cards and PayPal, his transportation vehicle is in serious need of an upgrade - and I for one call on Silicon Valley to aid him in his quest to more efficiently deliver gifts to children young and old worldwide, in less time, with less ruckus and more efficiency.

Depending on which part of the world you reside, Santa may stop at your home anywhere between 12:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. local time on Christmas morning, from what I understand.

This year, he reached Palo Alto just about 3 a.m. I know this, because he woke me up, and we haven't been to sleep since.

His overburdened sleigh, with the unmistakeable clattering of hooves and heavy breathing from the crew of reindeer, out of shape from their months of inactivity, delivered such a clamor that it not only startled me awake, but jolted our two dogs and a cat out of their slumber, sending us on a so-far unsuccessful quest to get them back to rest and comfortable in their beds.

Now, nearing 5 a.m., while Santa is no doubt well west of here, his impact is still being felt. The presents are glistening in the living room, but while we're awake, there's little we can do, until my wife wakes up, and my parents arrive later this morning. Christmas morning, for us, has started far too early, and there's a certain jolly old man we have to blame.

Silicon Valley, if you can harness the power of the sun to energize homes, and send data across the world at the speed of light, surely you can find a way to reduce the drastic amount of burden left on this one man each year, and give those of us with sensitive ears and a restless stable of critters a chance to get through the night without interruption. This is your call, and duty.