Justin Dawkins

Updates from April, 2010

• 

  5 Reasons Why I'll Continue To Use UberTwitter

  Justin 3:07 am on April 21, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: blackberry, twitter, ubertwitter

  A few nights ago I took a few minutes to download the official Twitter for Blackberry client and my initial thought was; “Wow! This is nice!” I immediately found appreciation in the; super fast connectivity, direct message integration and the beautiful user interface. To simply put it, the official client is slick… real slick.

  While these 3 benefits are nice, I must say that the official Twitter Blackberry app is missing a few things. First let me clarify something. For the average user the official app is great but as a power user I decided I need a bit more. I put together a quick list of reasons why I’ll still use Uber Twitter.

  1. Classic Retweet – Twitter’s explanation about how and why the chose to build the official retweet function makes complete sense to me but it’s not flexible enough. I prefer having the ability to create some commentary surrounding the message as a way to express myself and classic retweeting gives me that option. What would be great is a way to mention a particular message so that users can continue to include commentary around the original tweet.

  2. The Uber Bar – This is a GREAT feature from Uber Twitter and I’ve come to appreciate its utility. Essentially the Uber Bar is a universal book-marking system that allows you to quickly access users from an auto-expanding navigation bar at the top of the application. This is great for quickly accessing your friend or favorite brand’s tweets.

  3. Multiple Accounts – This is pretty self-explanatory. Uber Twitter supports quick access to multiple accounts while the official Twitter application doesn’t. The lack of support isn’t a big deal to most users but for brand managers it’s a drag. I guess the one upside is that you can’t accidentally send brand tweets from your personal account or even worst sending personal tweets to your brand followers… Yikes!

  4. Font Options – Though the official client gives you the ability to change the font size and family, I personally would like more options. UberTwitter gives you the ability to edit the font size and family for consumption and creation. I prefer a slightly larger font when I’m creating a tweet, while enjoying the extra real estate when reading tweets.

  5. Photo Sharing Options – Uber Twitter gives users a few options for photo sharing while Twitter only integrates TwitPic. Though it gets the job done I have an account with TweetPhoto so the integration Uber Twitter has works really well!

  That’s about it. I hope that this is helpful but I’d love to hear what you think. What Twitter application do you use on your Blackberry and why?

 

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• 

  Prediction: Google will roll Aardvark into Buzz

  Justin 12:10 am on April 2, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: aardvark, buzz, gmail, google

  Trying to see the future is good for the imagination and spurring innovation but in my personal opinion isn’t very fun. Furthermore, predicting what a large, highly innovative company with deep pockets will do next either requires some sort of magic eight ball or a knack for making really good guesses. Since I possess none of the above I tend not to participate in making predictions but with Google’s recent moves I thought I’d give it a shot.

  With the recent acquisition of Aardvark and the release of Buzz, Google is adding an additional approach to its social media technology strategy. By adding the “put Google anywhere” model (think Google FriendConnect) with tools that draw users back into their existing products to consume content (Google Buzz) Google is looking to cover a lot of ground in the social media space.

  Now with Aardvark under the umbrella I have a feeling things could get really interesting. Here’s 5 reasons why I believe Google will roll Aardvark into Buzz.

  1. Access to friends – one of the greatest and meaningful features of Aardvark is that you can get answers to any question from anyone and you don’t even have to know them. Heck your social graphs don’t even have to come close to one another. However, I believe that every once in awhile you want answers from your friends or at least the colleagues you respect or have a rapport with. Integrating Aardvark into Buzz will give users the best of both worlds.
  2. Relevance – Another strong point of Aardvark is the way it matches questions to those who have expressed knowledge or expertise in the particular subject matter. Using this “classification” will allow any Buzz user to wear a hat of expertise and offer their knowledge to others.
  3. Access to answers (and questions) – Google at its core, is about search and since Aardvark is about questions I believe it’s safe to assume that the new acquisition is about searching for relevant answers to ANY question.
  4. User experience – I believe a fusion of Buzz and Aardvark would make a powerful and extremely useful tool for users. Being able to ask a question, review responses and derive answers in one place will make Buzz a contextual king and ultimately drive more accuracy and relevance for its search results.
  5. Where else would they want to put it? – This is my most straight forward prediction. Simply put, aside from renaming Aardvark “Google Ask” or “Google Answer” I can’t imagine where else they would put it and maintain a high level accessibility. Keeping it as a standalone product isn’t a bad idea but providing results (answers) within a familiar system just seems more appropriate.

  Look I’m not expert and to be honest all of my reasons are shots in the dark. For all I know Google may keep Aardvark exactly the way it is, though history tells us differently. I just thought I’d take a shot, now let’s sit back and watch. Actually… Let’s take cue from Aardvark and ask a question. What do you think?

 
• 

  Under Construction: Yes I'm still working on Me! (part 1)

  Justin 4:26 pm on March 14, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  

  Today during my moment of meditation (just after morning prayer) I began to realize that I have a issue and it’s a self-centered one. My issue: Being told what to do. You see I believe that I am a hard worker and I’ve even been told that “I work “too” hard,” but there’s another problem. I’m also a very stubborn individual. Combining those two attributes makes me a very passionate person, and when it comes to how I spend my time, all I want is to do things MY way.

  Just over 19 months ago I left Corporate America because I was tired of being told what to do and when to do it. Furthermore, most of what I was being told to do I didn’t agree with making me feel like a puppet and knowing that my opinion didn’t matter much. Therefore when a business partner/friend/entrepreneurial colleague tells (not ask) me what to do OR makes a decision that affects me without my input, I become rebellious and defensive. Now you’re probably thinking, “Justin what a childish and immature thing to say and do.” Well my response to you is 3 fold. First of all I realize that it’s not a very mature thing to say, but in my desire to live my life bucking the “system” I realize that a little immaturity and “free” thought is necessary. Secondly it’s “my” time (rather the time God let me have) so who are you to dictate how, when and why I use the little time I have (life is short). Lastly, if you want to be the boss go find some employees, otherwise understand that we are partners and therefore I require the respect of such. Delegation is cool and I understand the need to get things done, but seriously I DON’T LIKE being told what to do. This is especially true if you can’t do what I can do and you’re not positively contributing to my way of life (ex: writing me a check, cooking my meals, paying my bills, funding my childrens’ college fund, washing my clothes, etc.). As partners, colleagues or whatever you want to call it, it’s important to understand that I view our business relationship as a mutual understanding that we are going to do whatever is necessary to get the job done, and to get it done right. Also in this mutual understanding I expect for my thoughts or opinions to mean something and be considered when deciding how we do business. If this is not what you’re thinking then you can feel free to; a. contribute positively toward my way of life (see above) OR b. find someone who is willing to do what you want, when you say you want it. To simplify it a bit, if I wanted to be told what to do I’d simply go back to work in Corporate America. It’s as simple as that.

  Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest let me say this and I’m done. I am still working hard on me. I’m learning how to submit to a greater cause (in business and life) in hopes of taking things less personal and being more productive. However having said all of this and knowing what you know of me do you think I’m going down without a fight? So yea… I’m still working on me — I’m still under construction.

 
• 

  Boondock Saints II? Where have I been?

  Justin 4:25 pm on October 25, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: boondock saints, boondock saints II, Demand, Movies

  Now I know the first one was full of violence, as will the second, but this is one of my favorite movies of all time! I’ve waited 10 years to hear something, and while on Facebook, I ran across the Boondock Saints II Fan Page! My jaw hit the floor so I continued to see what the movies about and found the trailer. Now I don’t know about you, but I have to find a way to get this film to Atlanta OR get me to LA! One or the other!

  Here’s the trailer. What do you think? As good as the first?

  Also you can demand it here: http://bit.ly/boondocksii-demand

 
• 

  The sky fell and now we have to clean up!

  Justin 2:31 am on September 24, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: atlanta (2), atlanta-flood-relief, flood, hopeatl.com, how to help, relief

  Most of you who know me, know that I am a man of few words unless I want to talk about something near and dear. Well today you all get to read me go on and on about how we need continue to give and support those affected by the recent weather in Atlanta.

  Actually… I’ve changed my mind. I was going to take the time to dig deep and express my deepest thoughts but I’ll keep it short so that I can do more and say less.

  Just in case you missed it, our city is hurting right now and the media and news outlets just don’t do it enough justice. The images you see are merely glimpses into what people are experiencing. Remember that water is real… this is not a movie! The simple truth is we need to do more. I know we’re all busy but that doesn’t relieve us of our responsibilities as neighbors, Atlantans, Americans,and Christians. A good friend of mine, Jasmine Bacon, said something that made me think while we were talking about donating. After making mention to the fact that very few people have responded to emails and text she said; “Well tell them to look at the news all day like I did and it’ll get a reaction out of them!” My initial thoughts were yea that’s true, but then I asked myself does it really take the news to get people to react? Are we programmed to shake our heads at the screen and then go on with our lives? People have lost EVERYTHING! These are not damp floors, we’re talking water levels that would completely cover most of us if we were standing straight up. Now no offense to Jasmine and the first part of her message, because there is some truth in that, but I would like to believe in the second part of Jasmine’s message where she said; “It just hit too close to home for me!” Now that’s real, and that is what should fuel us. I mean think about it. Some of us live less than 10 miles away (and work even less) from some of the most devastated areas. If the wind was blowing just a few miles per hour in our direction, it could be us standing in need.

  So for those of you who have given your time and money, on behalf of all Atlantans I want to say THANK YOU!! But guess what you can do one more very simple thing. Tell someone else about how much OUR city needs us and get them to respond too!

  For those of you who haven’t had the time or taken the time, I just ask that you do something… anything. Below are some really easy ways to help and remember it’s not all about quantity (when it comes to time and money). Help out for a few hours after work or donate 5 or 10 dollars… the point is do something!

  For those of you who want to donate money, know that Social Saints has set up fund (via Paypal) and you have our commitment to making sure 100% of the proceeds to those in need. No middle man, no bureaucracy. We will take the money, buy supplies or gift cards and get them to those in need. Period.

  http://socialsaints.org/give/atlanta-relief/

  You may also check out http://www.hopeatl.com/ for additional ways to donate your time and resources to those who NEED you to respond. As it say in the title of HopeATL.com It’s REALLY BAD!!!

  Ok this turned out longer than I really want but I want to thank you for reading and responding to this! Remember to forward this to friends and post this to your wall! I love and appreciate you for taking the time to read this now… Let’s RESPOND and answer the call!

  -Justin
  P.S. If you have questions feel free to call or email me directly.
  email: give@socialsaints.org
  call: 404-425-9968.
  You can also follow us on Twitter for additional updates and information (http://twitter.com/socialsaints. We’ll share the information we receive as we get it!

  Also If you think home owners insurance and the Red Cross can handle it all… you’re wrong.

 
• 

  Stress: How I view and manage the ups and downs

  Justin 10:42 am on July 28, 2009 | 1 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: blessings, faith, stress

  I’ll keep this brief so that you may carry on with your day but I want to share with you a particular perspective of mine, in hopes that it may help you manage your stress level a little better.

  Let’s face it, stress is an everyday part of life and to be honest some types of stress can be good for you. Sometimes stress (good stress called eustress) can lead to innovation, radical improvements in productivity and even a better perspective on things. What I’ve come to realize, personally, is that I can have all of those things without necessarily having the physical burden put on my body. I won’t turn this into a health seminar but stress has been linked to all kinds of health problems, and according to Dr. Michael Roizen (yes he was on Oprah) can add years to your “real age” (the age in which your mind and body operates at – not your calendar age).

  So you’re thinking just get to it already Justin… you said you weren’t going to make this long! Well you’re right so here you go.

  My View of Stress

  To me stress is a distraction. Stress is one of the many obstacles that we receive into our lives and we just kinda deal with as best we can. For a long time I felt that way but I realized that my mind and body was paying the price for something that I often times don’t have control of. Like many, stress leads to several thing including; lack of mental and physical rest, poor eating habits, and a very poor attitude. With so many “negatives” and too few “positives” I decided to pray a little more and do something about it. With that intitiave and insight from God I figured out that stress, for me, is merely another form of shallow faith. “How so?” you may ask. Well if I am to believe that God can and will handle it all then what am I really doing when I “stress out!” Well for me stressing out equates to wasted time, and being an entrepreneur wasted time equals wasted productivity (and money) further pushing my mind and body into a vicious cycle! So, since I’ve pretty much concluded that stress equals wasted time… I’ve simply decided to stop wasting my time and continue to keep my eyes fixed on God’s kingdom. You may be thinking that’s a fairly shallow explanation but the truth is… that’s it! If you disagree here’s an additional way of looking at it. As a believer, allowing stress to consume you does 4 things;

  1. Erodes the connection between you and our Father
  2. Distracts you long enough to miss God’s next blessing and opportunity
  3. Prohibits you from being completely faithful
  4. Causes harm to your physical temple.

  I don’t know about you but #2 alone is enough for me to stay focused and to worry less. I absolutely hate feeling like I missed something. Anyway what are you thoughts? How do you manage stress? Let’s come up with a plan to maintain our focus and keep our minds, bodies, and spirits free and clear.

 
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  What I WILL NOT do regarding the 2008 election.

  Justin 11:48 am on November 6, 2008 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: birthday (2), Justin Dawkins, my birthday (2), obama (2), president-elect

  On the morning of my 26th birthday I’ve come across some fairly disturbing instances of people, even friends, ruling out President-Elect Obama before he even gets started. This is somewhat troubling so I decided that I would say a few things, something I rarely do in detail.

  Before I get started I would like to take a moment to thank all of my peers for voting and stating your position. It is our responsibility to help define our future, instead of sitting back and allowing our elders to be the only voice heard. Furthermore, I want to say that I do not intend to offend anyone and if I do, I’m sorry. This will not be a long note and I will not fill it with fluff and meaningless information, so here we go. The following is a list(short list) of the things I won’t do regarding the recent outcome of the 2008 presidential election.

  1. I WILL NOT boast and brag. Though there is an extraordinary amount of pride and triumph that fills my spirit (feelings for my parents and grandparents that I can’t even describe) because Obama’s victory, it is not my responsibility to run around as if I am any better than the next person. Yes African-Americans/Black People often times start in a hole, and once again, we have proven that kicking us, beating us, and even killing us is/was not enough to kill the spirit as strong as ours. Period.

  2. I WILL NOT argue with McCain supports about the negative impact they believe President-Elect Obama will have on our economy, education system, energy policies, foreign policies, or any other issues. At this point we all, especially Christians, should CONTINUE to pray for our leadership regardless of their color. Furthermore we should all stay centered and work to find ways to make our local communities, including our families and homes, safer, smarter, more accountable and more politically sound. Period.

  3. I WILL NOT let you take my joy. I am proud that for the 3rd presidential election I have been a part of, I can stand up and say that my choice actually won (I would continue to vote regardless of the outcome, so do not be discouraged if your candidate didn’t win). My first voting experience was not a pleasant one, and the second wasn’t any better, so I will not let ANYONE take this moment away from me. If you try, I WILL take it personal. Period.

  4. Finally, I WILL NOT be satisfied. For African Americans and Blacks, Barack Obama’s election is not the finish line, rather a milestone. I will admit that this a huge milestone, but not the last. With that said I will say this. As a black man I will continue to hold ALL men responsible for their actions, and for black men you officially have NO excuses. Let’s focus on supporting one another,investing in one another, including Obama, and work to get our families, homes, and communities back in order. Obama can’t do it alone. Period.

  I could go on, and on, but I just wanted to take a moment to define my intentions so that I can set the record straight and establish a line of expectation. With the line now drawn, I’ll say these final words. If; I ignore you when you attempt to argue, defend my joy when you attempt to take it, continue to support my friends, neighbors and family in the failures and success or shake my head in disappointment when you(Men of ANY color) let our families, neighborhoods or communities down, know this. You have been told. This election means more to this country than many can fathom, and the major issues that plague our country right now, have NOTHING to do with color. We are all citizens of this country and WE should stand up and act like it, and it all starts with self. Period.

  Be blessed, I love you, and thanks for tuning in.

  In other news, this is the best birthday I’ve ever had, because I’ve been blessed to experience it with you in my life.

  -Justin

 
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  Follow through, it's your best strategy

  Justin 11:07 pm on June 9, 2008 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: life, meaning, purpose, significance

  Hello all,

  I just wanted to share something with you, as you make that transition from “Job A” to “Job B,” or move into a relationship where you feel equal and treated as part of whole. This was written by a good friend of mine, who wanted to share a few words about relationships, purpose and the pursuit of your passion. Read on and tell me what you think.

  In life, business and relationships your greatest asset is vision.

  Your biggest liability is Doubt.

  Doubt is conquered by taking the steps that your vision has brought you to.
  Many times I’ve felt like being busy was the most important things to do and the key to success.

  Conversations would begin with the question “what’s up man? What’s going on?”

  And I would always answer, “man staying busy just making it happen”. I thought that’s what made a person successful. One day I asked myself the question, “what is it to be busy if you’re not working toward your purpose?” I knew then that being consumed with the “hustler” mentality was not bringing me personal fulfillment, which is true success. All it did was earn the validation that I sought from my peers. Many times people can be so busy performing for the world that they don’t take the time to see the vision that God has deposited into their spirit. Success in relationships, business, life etc. can be simple. Seek the vision, sketch the blueprint and follow through. I use to always hear wealthy men say “the key to a great business is a great business plan.” Your vision is that business plan; use it. Faith is your strongest tool and “follow through” is the best strategy.

  -L. Norsworthy

  What do you think? Are you implementing your business plan with the right tools, are you executing your divine strategy?

 
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  My Promise to Black History Month

  Justin 12:01 am on February 1, 2008 | 1 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Black History, Black History Vow, legacy, recommitment to history, Vow

  Dear Black History Month,

  Please listen, as I have a few things to say. I know that we have done you little justice, and to be honest we have fallen short of your expectation, and have even questioned your purpose. We have degraded ourselves, and abandoned our beliefs. We have made attempts to make ourselves better, but the truth is we have created more ways to poison ourselves than to uplift ourselves. Furthermore, we are poisoning our communities and have left little for those that will come after us. I am sorry, but I would like to take this opportunity to recommit myself to you, and my community.

  I promise to search for my identity that was stripped away hundreds of years ago. I promise to dismiss the stereotypes that have precluded me, and rise up beyond the voids of yesteryear. I promise to not allow the gap between my elders and my generation to increase. I promise to not settle for what society deems to be the path of a black man. I promise to respect; myself, black women, my elders, and my community. I promise to embrace Black History Month, and to use it as an opportunity to learn more about my heritage, my history, my beliefs, my identity and the legacy you left me, so long ago. To Black History Month and those that came before me, this is my vow to you.

  Love,
  Justin Dawkins

 
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  UPDATED: Black People Don't Read

  Justin 10:26 pm on October 29, 2007 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Black People (2), people, Reading (2), Technology (2), web 2.0

  As you may recall, I recently wrote a post about the observation that black people don’t read and unfortunately, to some degree it’s true. Though I remain optimistic about this observation, and would hope that this will change, I must admit that I didn’t necessarily supply a solution. Well have no fear, a solution is here. A friend of mine sent me a link to a pretty cool website and to be honest, I think it is a great tool to use for someone looking to make reading a more social event. Shelfari.com is a website that allows you to share books that you have enjoyed reading with others, particularly your friends or people within your network. The other cool thing is that it allows you to recommend books to your friends, which brings the traditional “book club” element online. Of course the service allow you to search by author, ISBN, or subject, but you can also search for subject matter in a huge tag cloud which are very useful and creative web 2.0 element. This cloud also allows you to see what other people find interesting and maybe spark you interest enough to see what all the fuss is about. My initial reaction is this service is great and hopefully will be the start of something bigger. Of course this is just my opinion, why don’t you check it out, and come back and tell me what you think.

  -Justin