Non-Domain Related

I am always curious about how other domain investors have their offices/work stations set up. I figured I would share my set up with you and learn how you have yours set up for some ideas in the future.

For starters, I work from the comfort of my own home. I work weird hours, so it wouldn’t benefit me to have an office elsewhere, since I’d probably end up working from home, especially during the Summer and Winter seasons. It’s also a cost savings since an office in Manhattan isn’t cheap if I’d want to upgrade from what I have right now.

I am a Mac guy, and I use a Macbook Pro 15″ / 2.2Ghz with a solid state drive. I also have a wireless mouse and keyboard. I use the Free Agent GoFlex drive to back up my system, using the Time Machine option. I have a 23″ Samsung screen for when I am working from the desk. I keep my iPad handy for when I need to multi task and/or see how things look on a different browser.

Now that you know how I have my “office” set up, why not share how you have yours set up.

I receive a number of requests to write guest posts. Generally speaking, I will only allow guest posts if I know the person who asks or if I  specifically  ask someone to write it because that person has more knowledge about a topic. I’ve been offered a decent amount of money to write reviews or post articles, and I’ve declined.

That being said, I saw Jeremy Shoemaker’s “Free Shirt Friday” offer, and it gave me an idea. What if I blend the two concepts together, and instead of making money, I have it donated to charity?

Once a week, likely on Fridays, I would allow a company to write a guest post on my blog. The post would have to be domain name or Internet-related, so the product or service could benefit readers. In exchange for this space, the company would donate a set amount of money to a non-profit organization of my choice.  The posts would clearly be marked so visitors will know it’s a “sponsored” post and that the company donated money to have the space.

I would need to flesh out the details first, but I am interested in hearing feedback about the idea. I hate the thought of paid posts, but I do like the idea of being able to help great organizations I support simply by giving up some space on my blog once a week.

Please let me know how you feel about the idea.

Will Blackberry usage suffer with RIM service outage?

I think almost everyone I know has either a Blackberry, iPhone, or some other Android device that works as a phone and sends email. I’ve used a Blackberry for years, and although I love the iPhone functionality, I have become use to the Blackberry’s tactile keypad.

As you are probably aware, especially if you have a Blackberry, RIM’s service has basically been non-existant today. I have not received a single message on my Blackberry since 6:23am. I am getting Twitter updates, text messages, and phone calls, but my email is down.

Because I frequently work “on the go,” this Blackberry outage has been annoying and disruptive. Today has been one of the few days I’ve ever wished to own an Apple iPhone. I am curious if you own a Blackberry, iPhone, or other Android device.

There’s no place I would rather be than in New York City today.

Lizzy Grant, daughter of original domain investor Rob Grant, sold out her first New York City concert at The Box in about an hour this morning. Grant, whose stage name is Lana del Rey, has attended numerous domain conferences with her family over the years. In fact, she was live blogging a Traffic auction with me the first time my blog was really noticed by anyone.

If you’re interested in seeing Lana Del Rey perform and you live on the west coast, she will be performing in LA on September 27, 2011. Tickets for this concert just went on sale. Her NYC concert date is September 21.

Congrats to the Grant family.