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Upgrades and Downtime
2008-06-05 22:24:00
Hey everyone! Just a quick post to give you a heads up that Rogomo may have an hour or so of downtime tomorrow (Friday, 6/6) morning. We’re switching Rogomo over to brand new servers so that we can better accommodate our recent growth in traffic, and to give us some additional flexibility with our future releases. Speaking of future releases, we have an exciting update to the Rogomo platform coming in the next few weeks. This update will incorporate a number of suggestions that you, our users, have made, as well as add a number of other exciting new features which will make Rogomo an even more compelling choice for buying and selling live advice online. We’ll give more details when the update is ready for release, so stay tuned! If you have any questions, problems, or if you just want to say hi, feel free to drop us a line!
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Upgrading to Disqus
2008-05-20 18:46:00
So, after a lot of hemming and hawing, I decided to bite the bullet and upgrade our blog comments to the fancy comment software offered by Disqus. I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen of it over at Fred Wilson’s blog and Popdose, and figured we may as well jump on the bandwagon. I’m always hesitant to play around with our blog setup too much, given that WordPress is a fickle beast, but the upgrade process was surprisingly easy and fast. It took all of about 3 minutes, and required about 3 clicks of a mouse. Very nice. The only negative to our Disqus upgrade is that, as you may have noticed, all of the existing comments on the blog have disappeared. I’m not sure if this is a bug with Disqus or if I did something wrong in the installation process (probably the latter). The good news, though, is that we do still have all of your old comments in our archive, so once Disqus enables its “Comment Import” functionality - which it claims is o...

Instant Messaging Interoperability Nears
2008-04-21 05:05:00
Sadly, the title to this post is identical to the title of a PCWorld article published in 2001. Although many people thought that we were close to IM interoperability back then, we still aren’t there even in 2008. Why not? Before I answer that, and before I explain why I believe that we’re finally close, let’s cover a little bit of background. What is IM interoperability? IM interoperability is the ability to send or receive an IM, or use other IM features such as online status, across different IM networks. IM is the only important communication service that isn’t yet interoperable. For example, an AIM (AOL) user can’t IM a Yahoo! user, and an MSN Messenger user can’t IM or call a Skype user (or even add that user to their buddy list). Other communication networks that are interoperable include telephone and email. For example, you can call anybody on any cellular or landline network simply by dialing a number. Similarly, you can now (but not always in the past) us...
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A Thank You To The Bloggers
2008-04-14 21:37:00
As a longtime music blogger, I’m a firm believer in the power of the blog. Although very few blogs (my own included) have the web traffic of mainstream media sites (e.g., CNN.com, NYTimes.com, etc.), the fact remains that millions of people read blogs every day, and many of those people trust and rely on the content they find on blogs. Indeed, if that weren’t the case, would I be getting 20-30 emails from bands and music publicists every day about new records, new tour dates and the like? So we at Rogomo understand the value that comes with being mentioned on a blog. And, fortunately, we’ve been getting a bunch of great blog (and other website) mentions over the past couple of weeks, both in the United States and around the world. As a “thank you” to the folks behind these sites, we wanted to give them a quick shout-out here on our own blog. I apologize in advance if we’ve left anyone out! EmilyChang.com Geekissimo (Italian site) Generation W...
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More New Features!
2008-03-31 15:58:00
Hey everyone! We wanted to let you about some exciting new features that we’ve rolled out on Rogomo today. Many of the features we’re adding today were recommended by you, our users, so we think you’re really going to like them! Today’s new features include: New User Interface Design: We’ve redesigned the look and feel of Rogomo to make it more sleek, intuitive and just plain better looking. This even includes a slightly new look for our logo! Check it out: In addition to the new color scheme, new buttons, new tab design, new sign-up page design, and other changes, we’ve also listened to your comments and have implemented standard HTML menus which should hopefully be easier to use. Redesigned Expert Profiles: We’ve redesigned our expert profiles to give our experts more flexibility in how they describe their services, fees and qualifications. Every profile now has separate sections for a Summary of the expert’s services, a listing of ...
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A South By Southwest Preview
2008-03-04 00:00:00
It’s been a little while since I’ve done a music post on this blog, and since I’m headed down to Austin for South By Southwest next week, I figured it was as good a time as any to remedy that. While there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of bands that will be playing in Austin next week, there are three that I’m really, really excited about. The first is a band called Future Clouds and Radar. FCAR is led by Robert Harrison, who you may or may not remember from his work in the 1990’s in the band Cotton Mather. FCAR released its debut, self-titled album last year (though I discovered it too late to include in my Top 25 list), and as far as I know hasn’t yet toured here on the East Coast, so this will be my first chance to see them live. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s not a fair comparison by any means, but I think of the FCAR album as the type of music that John Lennon would be writing if he were alive today. Future Clo...
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Rogomo Launches Public Beta!
2008-02-04 23:36:00
We’re proud to announce that we’re launching the public version of the Rogomo Beta today, which includes a number of new and improved features to our original limited Beta that we released this past December. One of the things we’ve been most excited about over the past few weeks is the great feedback that we’ve been getting from our users. We want to thank everyone who has contacted us. You have not only helped us with today’s release, but you’ve also helped us plan exciting new features for future releases. Today’s new features include: Built-in Free Instant Messaging:  We’ve added a free text IM tool that allows buyers to reach a Rogomo expert quickly and easily via his/her profile. Rogomo still works with any communication tool you want (i.e., phone, video calls, IM, etc.), but this tool makes it easier for buyers to reach an expert to set up a session or even to conduct a session through the IM tool. Here’s an example o...
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A Few Technical Difficulties
2008-01-21 04:22:00
So we seem to be experiencing some technical difficulties with the blog here…  We’ve dispatched our dedicated, hard-working team (i.e, Steve) to try to fix it.  Wish us luck. Edited to add:  Looks like we’re fixed.  Yay Steve! (i.e., me)
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Steve’s Favorite 25 Albums of 2007
2007-12-23 22:14:00
I spent much of the last two weeks on my other blog listing my favorite albums of 2007. Rather than force you to wade through those posts (unless you want to, of course), I figured I’d repost my list here. My Top 25 of 2007 25. Shout Out Louds, Our Ill Wills 24. Bottomless Pit, Hammer of the Gods 23. Thurston Moore, Trees Outside the Academy 22. The Mendoza Line, 30 Year Low 21. Wheat, Every Day I Said a Prayer for Kathy and Made a One Inch Square 20. Jason Isbell, Sirens of the Ditch 19. Blonde Redhead, 23 18. You Am I, Convicts 17. Dinosaur Jr., Beyond 16. Wilco, Sky Blue Sky 15. Josh Ritter, The Historical Conquests of… 14. The National Lights, The Dead Will Walk, Dear 13. Babyshambles, Shotter’s Nation 12. The Apples In Stereo, New Magnetic Wonder 11. Vandaveer, Grace and Speed 10. Okkervil River, The Stage Names 9. Parts and Labor, Mapmaker 8. Rogue Wave, Asleep at Heaven’s Gate 7. Dead Confederate, Dead Confederate EP 6. The Broken West, I Can’t...
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How To Buy Expert Advice on Rogomo
2007-12-17 03:41:00
Now that the Rogomo Beta is up and running, we’re getting down to the brass tacks on trying to show people what it is and just how easy it is to use. One thing we’ve done is create a short Demonstration video that takes you step-by-step through the process of buying live advice from a Rogomo Expert . So if you’re curious about how you can use Rogomo, check it out!
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Rogomo’s Beta Has Launched!
2007-12-04 21:20:00
The time has finally come… We are thrilled to announce that Rogomo has officially launched as a limited Beta ! That means that we can finally answer the question — what is Rogomo? Simply put, Rogomo is an online marketplace for the purchase and sale of live advice and expertise. What does that mean? It means that if you’re looking for tutoring, tax advice, computer help, business consulting, relationship advice, or any other type of expertise, you no longer have to spend hours doing Google searches, skimming through Internet message boards, or reading Wikipedia entries. Nor do you have to waste valuable time driving across town to meet a tutor or expert.  Instead, you can come straight to Rogomo, use our Expert Directory to find a Rogomo Expert with the expertise that you need, and start talking to your Expert from the comfort and safety of your own home or office. Similarly, if you have expertise or knowledge that would be valuable to other people, you can sig...
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Teenage Fanclub in Sweden, 7/5/05 [Pt II]
2007-11-23 21:21:00
One of my favorite bands of all time is the Scottish band Teenage Fanclub. I’ve made this semi-preposterous statement before, and I’ll make it again here — Teenage Fanclub are my generation’s Beatles. Now, before anyone gets bent out of shape about this statement, let me explain what I mean. When I listen to 99% of the Beatles’ songs, I spend about half the time listening to the music and the other half thinking to myself how perfect their music is. Song after song of pure perfection. Songs that make you understand at a visceral level how important music can be, and how it can make the world a better place to be. That’s the same way I feel about Teenage Fanclub. They’ve spent the better part of 20 years writing absolutely perfect songs. And no matter how much I hear them, they never fail to put a smile on my face and make a day a little bit brighter. Anyway, all of that is really just my way of introducing the second half of a live set...
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My Desert Island 5
2007-11-13 04:44:00
In a post at my other blog yesterday, I mentioned that I had managed to catch a few minutes of High Fidelity on TV, and it got me thinking about my personal “Desert Island ” list of albums — i.e., the five or ten albums I’d want with me (along with an iPod with a never-ending battery) if I were to ever be stranded on a desert island. Although I haven’t thought about the list for a number of years, what’s amazing to me is that my list today would be essentially the same as it was ten years ago. I’m not sure whether that’s just due to the fact that I’ve become set in my musical ways, whether I can’t relate to music the same way in my 30’s as I did in my 20’s, or whether today’s music just isn’t as good as it was ten years ago. I doubt that it’s the latter. Anyway, while many of the people who read my other blog are likely familiar with the albums on my old list, my guess is that a smaller percen...

Analyze This
2007-10-31 15:18:00
As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve run a music blog in my spare time for most of the past two years. Since it’s only a hobby, I don’t spend a lot of time looking at my web traffic. Sure, I’ll check my average numbers on occasion, but for the most part I really don’t pay much attention. The story is different with Rogomo, though. Once we launch, it’s going to be important for us to be able to monitor and analyze our traffic. We need to know who’s using our site, how they’re using it, and, if we can, why they’re using it. To do this, we’re going to have to rely on web analytics software to do the heavy lifting. The problem, however, is that there’s a lot of different programs available, and there’s no easy-to-find resource to help you decide which one to use. (Or, if there is, we sure didn’t find it.) So, in an effort to save other folks the time and frustration of researching all of the available o...
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Argentinian Steak
2007-10-27 19:01:00
Neil had a post a few months ago talking about his favorite places to eat in Buenos Aires. I disagreed with his recommendation of the Cabana Las Lilas steakhouse, which I found to be too touristy and “mass production”, and mentioned that I’d found a much better steakhouse near the Park Tower Hotel. The only problem was that I couldn’t remember the restaurant’s name. Well, I figured it out today completely by accident — Las Nazarenas. The steak I had there was among the best that I’ve ever had in my life. In fact, everything was excellent there, from the bread they put on the table to the provoleta appetizer. If I ever go back to Buenos Aires — and it’s not on my list of things to do — I’ll definitely be going back at least once.
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Bubbles Are For Bathtubs (Or Are They?)
2007-10-18 16:23:00
(Photo source) There was an interesting article in Tuesday’s New York Times about the so-called “Bubble 2.0,” and the growing belief of many that we’re on the verge of a second Internet bubble burst. One quote really stood out to me — one of the people interviewed stated that “entrepreneurs [have] begun to think that the financing game is best played by avoiding actual revenues — since that only limits the imagination of investors.” The article made me ask myself — why does history repeat itself? Consider that from 1999 to 2001, there were plenty of people who, like now, were happy to throw out their finance textbooks and leave startup valuations to “the imagination of investors” rather than looking for actual revenue. And for a while it seemed to be working. People got rich. We were told that we were in the middle of the “new economy”, and that the rules of the “old economy” didn’t apply...
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Happy Monday
2007-10-15 19:11:00
I haven’t done a music update in a while, and I’m not doing one now, but I promise there will be one soon. To hold you over, here’s video of what might quite possibly be the first White Stripes song I’ve liked in 5 years. I’m not a particular fan of the band, but this song is pretty great.
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What Rogomo Isn’t, Part 3
2007-09-26 01:16:00
Clue #3: Rogomo is not… a hitman for Steve Jobs. (Photo by azrainman.  Use pursuant to Creative Commons license.)
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What Rogomo Isn’t, Part 2
2007-09-25 14:35:00
Clue #2: Rogomo is not… a gang of outlaw female ninjas. If that doesn’t give it away, then nothing will…
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What Rogomo Isn’t, Part 1
2007-09-24 04:44:00
So we still haven’t started talking about what Rogomo is yet. We will soon, I promise. However, since we know there are literally hundreds of thousands of you (give or take hundreds of thousands) out there spending your days postulating and guessing, we figured we would start giving you some hints as to what Rogomo isn’t. We already established that Rogomo isn’t a company that will use an unnecessarily spinning child to promote its service. And now we can also reveal that Rogomo is not… a service for blending your iPhone: So does that clear things up for you?
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Marketing is Hard
2007-09-20 19:06:00
As we get closer to the launch date for Rogomo, our minds have been turning to the issue of marketing. It’s all well and good if we have a great website and product, but if no one knows about it, or understands the value of our product, then we’re in trouble. So it’s important to have a clear, effective marketing message and plan. We’re working hard on honing our marketing, and we’re keeping our fingers crossed that we’ll get it right. Or at least as close to right as possible. One thing I can guarantee you, however, is that our marketing will not involve children actors. Personally, I mute every commercial I see with a child actor. I find commercials with kids to be incredibly pandering and annoying (see, the little girl who used to do the Diet Coke commercials, the kid who does the Verizon Fios commercials, etc. etc.). Actually, let me amend that - I find commercials with kids to be even more pandering and annoying than normal commercials...
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Checking In
2007-09-17 23:43:00
OK, so we’ve been a little lax around here lately. I’ve been keeping my other blog up to date, but I’ve been neglecting this one, essentially treating it as that “accidental” second child that neither parent really wants. Well, no more. I’m back, and I’m here to stay. Don’t pretend you’re not excited. Let’s start with the nitty gritty. Our developers tell us that our website should (I stress should) be just about done my this time next month. That’s not to say we won’t find bugs and other issues that push back our “grand opening” a bit, but we’re an essentially optimistic lot here at Rogomo, so we’ve all got mid-October circled on our calendars. (Exactly how one circles “mid-October” on a calendar is a topic of a later post.) We’re also a semi-secretive lot, however, so we’re not quite ready to start giving specifics about what Rogomo is all about. But so...

Leaving New York
2007-08-20 18:17:00
As I mentioned earlier, we’ve been a little quiet around here lately due to our work on the Rogomo website. An additional reason for our silence - or at least mine - is that I was preparing for (and going through) my move from New York City to the Washington D.C. area. That’s where Neil and John live, and we decided that it made sense for the three of us to be together to get the business off the ground. I gotta say, the process of moving out of New York has been a real learning experience, and I figured I should share some of my knowledge to make sure things go easier for others in the future. When you’re moving, the first question that’s going to come up is “Which mover should I use?” Unfortunately, this is a loaded question with no right answer. Every mover is going to give you a different quote, some will give you so-called “binding not to exceed” (BNTE) quotes, while others will give you something called a “guaranteed no...
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TV’s Funniest Show is Back
2007-08-09 04:40:00
And not a moment too soon…
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Product Announcement Coming Soon!
2007-07-31 05:02:00
So it looks like we should be filing our patent application sometime at the end of this week! What does this mean to you?  Not a whole heck of a lot.  Except that we’ll finally be able to tell you all about Rogomo, and the exciting service that we’ll be bringing you this Fall. Excited?  Trust me, it’s going to be legen…  wait for it…  DARY. 
More About: Product , Announcement , Prod , Ming , Anno

The Darjeeling Limited
2007-07-25 05:08:00
Yep, we’re still here. Been a little busy lately with product development and other issues, including my impending move from New York down to the D.C. area.We should be back to regular posting soon, but until then check out the trailer for Wes Anderson’s forthcoming movie, The Darjeeling Limite d . Looks awesome, although I have to admit, I’m not a fan of Adrien Brody.(He was good in The Jacket, but was quite simply the worst of many bad things about The Village.) (Thanks to Gorilla vs. Bear for the link!)
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The Year In Music So Far…
2007-07-14 19:54:00
I hate to say it, but 2007 isn’t shaping up to be my favorite year for music. While there have been a handful of excellent albums, there have been a lot more “misses” than “hits” so far. New albums from The Shins, The Arcade Fire, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Bloc Party, and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah have all failed to impress me. (Don’t even get me started on the new “Smashing Pumpkins” album.) And, even worse than disappointing albums from established bands, there has been a real paucity of interesting new bands so far this year. That said, there have been a few releases this year that just may salvage the year. I’ve used the interesting Seeqpod music service to put together a playlist of songs from what I consider to be the best releases of 2007 to date. The list is a mix of older established bands (Wilco, Dinosaur Jr., Apples In Stereo), some “mid-level”, still-growing acts (The National, Earlimart, Glen Hans...
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Free Show in NYC Tonight
2007-07-11 18:40:00
If you’re in New York tonight, and want to see one of America’s best bands, head down to Rockefeller Park at 7pm to catch a free show by Spoon. If you’re not familiar with them, check out this video from their new album, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga [BUY].
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Discover New Music
2007-07-09 18:41:00
One of the best places I’ve found for discovering new music is AOL Music and it’s indie-oriented sister site, Spinner. Both sites offer a wide range of music news, streaming music and special programming. My favorite offering that they have is their “Listening Station,” which allows you to stream a number of newly released albums every week. Some weeks there aren’t a whole lot of releases, and as a result AOL/Spinner’s offerings are kind of slim. Other times, however, like this week, there’s a ton of interesting new albums to listen to. Check out the best (IMO) of this week’s “Listening Station” at Spinner: Smashing Pumpkins, Zeitgeist Interpol, Our Love to Admire Spoon, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Bad Religion, New Maps of Hell Nick Drake, Family Tree Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova!, Once Soundtrack Fionn Regan, The End of History They Might Be Giants, The Else
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Hello from John
2007-07-09 18:33:00
Hello, everyone.  This is John from Rogomo.  I just recently joined the Rogomo team to lead product development. While my primary focus is on designing and building our products (working with our developers in Argentina), since we’re a small team right now working together on just about everything, I think the title I’ll go with is “co-founder.” My last gig was at AOL working in the instant messaging group.  I headed AOL’s developer and partnership programs.  For example, check out WIMZI, AIM’s latest IM widget.  And to my former team, I ask: when does AIM-Google Talk launch?  AOL was actually a great job — great manager, great team and leading products.  So why did I leave?  Simply put — I really believe in what Rogomo is trying to achieve and wanted to join from (near) the beginning.  Stay tuned!
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