DISQUS

davidhaimes · 1 year ago

When I used to go to (and work at) a lot of concerts, teh selection of the T-Shirt to wear was a very delicate thing. Wearing a T Shirt of the band you were watching is a no no, you can make a case for a really old one to show you liked them in the early days before all the other bozos around you had heard of them. Ideally you need to find a slightly obscure band that the coolest followers of the band you're going to see will have heard of and will think are cool. Frankly it's a wonder I ever got out of the house with all this to think about.

Geek Sticker Chic is similar - so at the Next conference when AppsLab is more famous than say ValleyWag (to pick a random example), those stickers won't be so cool anymore and it won't work saying 'yeah but I liked the early AppsLab before they sold out'

Jake · 1 year ago

Funny, I made reference to that very example at OOW, i.e. don't be the guy wearing the shirt of the band to the concert. Famous for me from PCU, an underrated flick.

I think we'll go for a vinyl sticker, similar to Rich's original design (and the new logo), next time. So, if you're in possession of the original paper version, circa 2008, you will always be cool.

Frankly, I'd like to have that "before they sold out" problem. Nice random example, btw.

Bob Rhubart · 1 year ago

It occurs to me that stickers, used in the manner you describe, constitute a real-world version of tagging. It's a life-hack: a half-dozen stickers affixed to one's laptop can provide a simple, visual means of communicating areas of interest or expertise. And stickers on a laptop can eliminate the need to wear regrettable t-shirts.

Jake · 1 year ago

Excellent point, especially since stickers allow for multiple tags, whereas t-shirts support only one at a time.

Dan Norris · 1 year ago

Love the AppsLab stickers. I just might make it the first one I slap on the laptop. I'll never be as cool as you guys, but I try. Sometimes.

Jake · 1 year ago

Cool is relative. I didn't have my name mentioned every other minute at OOW. You should get Norris World stickers printed. That first sticker is always the hardest :)

topperge · 1 year ago

I've been thinking about permanently moving to QR codes (http://invx.com/) for my "business card" that way I can have it point to a single URL and change my info as needed. The nice thing is that even the iPhone has reader apps for them available. I forget who, but someone actually makes iron on patches for your stuff in the form of QR codes.

Thanks to Rich for the Github and AppsLab stickers.

Jake · 1 year ago

Wow, uber geeky, that's very cool and very Orwellian. Maybe you need a bar code tattoo?

megbear · 1 year ago

While I do want a sticker I don't think I want it for my laptop. Feels a bit like a bumper sticker to me which I also don't want on my car. Guess I'm not a real geek.

Jake · 1 year ago

Stickers are for everyone, e.g. my wife thinks I'm a giant dorky child for putting stickers on my Macbook. A bit like bumper stickers, which I won't put on my car, but my laptops are like additional limbs, so it's OK. Like tattoos.

chet · 1 year ago

I miss stickers...

I think I am going to get my own ORACLENERD business cards soon. I'll trade with you...

Jake · 1 year ago

Absolutely, but to exchange, we'll either need to use snail mail or need to be in close proximity. Ideas?

chet · 1 year ago

I'll succumb to the snail mail if you will. Remember SASE? I struggled for years to know what that was.

I definitely want an appslab sticker...so I'll look into getting mine done too.

Jake · 1 year ago

Had to look it up (thanks 'tubes), but yeah, those were the days. We plan to try Sticker Genie for our next batch to get vinyl; on short notice, we had to go paper. They're nice, but vinyl is shiny.

I like shiny things.

matt · 1 year ago

When I was consulting I used to collect stickers from the clients I worked at and I would put them on my laptop. I stopped when I had a laptop issue and had to turn it into IT. They were kind of pissed...

Jake · 1 year ago

Exactly why I sticker my personal Macbook. 1) I won't have to start over unless it totally dies, in which case, I have bigger problems and 2) I don't have to deal with IT.

I doubt it's a major deal unless your h/w is pretty new. Most of us have the same work laptop for most of its amortizable life, so repurposing isn't a huge deal. Still, I prefer to steer clear.

manalang · 1 year ago

Heh... my ORCL laptop is littered with very sticky vinyl stickers. Can't wait to turn that into IT.

matt · 1 year ago

Just don't try to peel them off. It will make it worse. On my an old stinkpad it took off the paint.

Jake · 1 year ago

Ha, if I remember Rich's Dell correctly, it's too late for that.

RaoulM · 1 year ago

So, the question must be asked - what tattoos do you have? Perhaps we need an Oracle tattoo gallery on AppsLab or Connect?

Jake · 1 year ago

How about a big AppsLab across my chest in six inch letters? That do it for you? A tattoo galley would be both interesting and creepy, mostly creepy :)

RaoulM · 1 year ago

Possibly NSFW as well!

I guess I was just picking up on the simile you used. Stickers on laptops and bumpers are similar to tattoos on people (although the latter are generally WAY more permanent). But they do serve the purpose of social tagging in the same way.

Plus, the acceptability and variety of each has changed a lot through the recent years. So maybe your stickered laptop is like an early-adopter tattooed person. You are shunned by polite society today (at a metaphorical level), but you are also the trendsetter. Before you know it, everyone's mother will have stickers on her laptop.

OK - probably stretched that thought way too far. I'll shelve my idea for http://tattoogallery.blogs.oracle.com

Jake · 1 year ago

Yeah, while I was thinking about this topic, the similarities did occur to me. It's a pretty accurate comparison. I suppose the sticker crowd will shun them if/when they hit the mainstream, typical cycle.

The emergence of business-y stickers will be funny.