Remind Me NOT To Strive For Being A Famous Blogger

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Some Things Need To Change
by Michael Arrington on January 28, 2009

Yesterday as I was leaving the DLD Conference in Munich, Germany someone walked up to me and quite deliberately spat in my face. Before I even understood what was happening, he veered off into the crowd, just another dark head in a dark suit. People around me stared, then looked away and continued their conversation.

Generally at events people come up to me to talk about their startups. My reaction varies depending on how much sleep I’ve gotten and how many times I’ve been pitched in the previous hour. Sometimes I sit down and watch a demo. Sometimes I give them my card and ask them to contact me. Yesterday I was battling the flu, jetlag and little sleep, and had been battered for three days straight with product pitches from entrepreneurs desperate for press. The event was over and I was on my way back to my hotel. The last thing I wanted was another product pitch as I hurried to the car that would drive me to Davos for the next event. So when I saw this person approach me out of the corner of my eye, I turned away slightly and avoided eye contact. Sometimes that works. But in this case all it did was make me vulnerable to the last thing I expected.

In the past I’ve been grabbed, pulled, shoved and otherwise abused at events, but never spat on. I think this is where I’m going to draw a line.

TechCrunch is a successful startup in its own right, and I’m proud of what we’ve built over the years. We are aggressive proponents of the startup community, and do what we can to give exposure to new ventures that previously had little chance at public exposure. I generally enjoy attending and speaking at events, talking to entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, and debating whatever the topic of the day is with others.

But I can’t say my job is much fun any more. Startups that don’t get the coverage they want and competing journalists and bloggers tend to accuse us of the most ridiculous things. It hasn’t been worth our time to respond to these accusations; I always assumed that our work and integrity would speak for itself. But as we’ve grown and become more successful the attacks have also grown. On any given day, when I care to look, dozens of highly negative comments are made about me, TechCrunch or one of our employees in our comments, on Twitter, or on blogs or other sites. Some of these are appropriately critical comments on things we can be doing better. But the majority of comments are among the more horrible things I can imagine a human being say.

Luckily my tolerance level for verbal abuse has risen proportionately to our growth, so I can handle most of the verbal abuse thrown our way. I can even handle it when my so called friends decide it’s in their best interest to spread negative rumors about us privately. I believe that it has changed me as a person to the point where I generally don’t trust people until they’ve earned it. Before TechCrunch I assumed most people were essentially good, and assumed that an individual was trustworthy until proven otherwise. Today, its exactly the opposite.
But like I said, I draw the line at being spat on. It’s one step away from something far more violent.

Something very few people know: last year over the summer an off balance individual threatened to kill me and my family. He wasn’t very stealthy about it - he called our office number, sent me emails and even posted threats on his blog, so it wasn’t hard to determine who he was. The threats were, in the opinion of security experts we consulted, serious. The individual has a felony record and owns a gun. Police in three states became involved and we hired a personal security team to protect me, my family and TechCrunch employees.

At over $2,000 a day we couldn’t keep paying for security indefinitely. And the police were helpful but couldn’t do much based on the threats until he acted. We had the option of getting a restraining order but that just tells the person exactly where you are (the places they can’t go). So for a week I was literally in hiding with my parents at their home....

Mungkin Tidak Ya (Ke Bellitong Lagi)?

Kali ini ada project lain dengan status GO! dengan lokasi kota Tanjung Pandan, Pulau Belitong.

Tetapi sayang sekali bukan aku yang ke sana. Malah aku ditugaskan untuk mengurus tagihan-tagihan pekerjaan kami yang belum yang dibayar. Mendatangi kantor-kantor dan orang-orang yang susah untuk ditemui begitu tahu bahwa tamu yang ingin menemui mereka adalah pihak yang ingin menagih utang.

Ho ho ho...

I dislike it. But an assignment IS an assignment and I'm not in the position to pick all the easy duties.

For The Love Of Coffee

My dear Thinkerbelle gave me a bag of Vietnamese coffee that taste so good I wonder whether I could get myself some right here in Jakarta.

Everytime I take it out from the freezer, I open the bag and take a couple of whiff. It smells like coffee but with hint of something sweet. Like a candy. I know that this time, my words failed to do justice.

This morning, I ate a few chops of pork leg with soy sauce. Yummy! Then I brew water to make a cup of that dellicious coffe. Now, after the coffee is done, I'm happily make this post.

Whew! Life can be good with just a cup of coffee and some pork meat...

Aaarrrrgghh..!!! Why Me???

You know, sometimes I just want to yell at people.

Especially when you have given clear statement NOT TO DO SOME ACTION.
It was my fault maybe? That I'm not really concise with my intention?

But I have definitely clearly telling her that, "Just tell him to manufacture the thing and not to argue about 10 cm differential vertical size of the panel. We'll installed it with no problem anyway."

But no! She had to say the first statement I told her (which I had corrected right away): "We have the list stating it was 600mm and signed by Arma. Now if Arma said it was a typo, the list says it wasn't."

Aaaarrrrrggggghhhhh.....!!!
I had enough problem with Arma's company! Now why would she added more IF I ALREADY TOLD HER NOT TO say my first statement? IS SHE A #(*&(*@&#$(*!&@#$!!!!!! or what?!?!?!?!?!

Me and my mouth....!!! And my emotion!!!

Yikes! Not Me???

My boss just told me that the project that I mention in earlier post will be handled by my collague and not by me.

That news make me sad. Another traveling opportunity lost. Oh, my mistake: another paid-for traveling opportunity lost.

It's not that I dislike staying here where I am now, because there are a lot of friends yet to be made here in the capital but the chance to see new things, experience various cultures, making new network sure worth something worth the time and effort.

But hey, someone has to do the technical documentation work, right?

I just wish it doesn't have to be me.

Finally, A GO! Project

Thank God.

Now there's actually a sense of activity for our much dormant project in eastern Indonesia. For a few months the team was called to main office and we saw a lot of idling around. That sure make for low moral. That's when a small erection work in Batam really sparks interest with my men asking me whether will it be their turn to be sent to the fields again.

Which I always replied, "You just have to wait for the development."

But now that we have a green sign to go for a project, however small, bring sparks of life again. People seemed to be in a happy mood already and the spirit somewhat had a positive vibe. Well, this kind of project really make me happy because my men are doing USEFUL things (instead of sneakily went for naps) but somehow a little bit sad.

Because I would again wonder how and when will I be able to travel to sites again, just like I did a couple of years ago...

Rentang Selera Musik Kita

Seseorang pernah mencoba memahami sekelumit kepribadianku dari jenis lagu yang kudengar sehari-hari. Aku sudah bilang, rasanya tidak sesuai. Tapi dia tetap ingin tahu, jadi kukatakanlah apa adanya.

Sama seperti musik yang kudengar hari ini:
Dimulai dengan album Sanity/Insanity dari Killed By Butterfly (metal) dilanjutkan ke album Turn It On dari Gugun and The Bluesbug. Mungkin dilanjutkan dengan Kamar Gelap dari Efek Rumah Kaca. Kebetulan hari ini aku sedang ingin mendengar album dari artis-artis dalam negeri.

Saat itu orang tersebut kupersilahkan melihat playlist di Winamp komputerku, isinya antara lain:
Rammstein (Herzeleid, Mutter, Live Aus Berlin, Reise Reise, Rosenrot*), HIM, Atreyu, beberapa band metal lainnya, lalu pindah ke Enrique Iglesias(!), George Michael(!!), terus ke Norah Jones, Diana Krall, lalu ke Sheila On 7, Padi, peterpan dan beberapa band pop(?) lainnya.

Aku tertawa ketika dia mengakui hanya mengetahui beberapa nama artist yang ada di playlistku (terutama nama-nama terakhir kusebut). Kutanya, gimana mau tahu pribadi orang dari musik yang didengar? Aku mendengar banyak genre musik. Bagiku yang penting musiknya asyik dan bisa dinikmati. Aku tak terlalu peduli pada pengkotak-kotakan musisi berdasarkan jenis musik yang dimainkan.

Seleraku selalu mengalami perubahan. Ada yang sampai kapanpun tetap kusuka. Ada yang dulu sangat kusuka tapi sekarang tidak lagi. Ada yang dulu aku tak bisa mengerti tapi sekarang bisa kunikmati (tapi mungkin masih tetap belum kumengerti he he...). Begitulah. Aku mendengar musik juga dipengaruhi mood. Ketika aku ingin semangat maka akan kuputar lagu-lagu yang bertempo cepat dan bisa memacu adrenalin. Ketika aku ingin santai aku memutar lagu semisal Bunga Citra Lestari (ha ha!) lalu kalau aku ingin mengerjai orang aku putar dengan volume suara besar (misalnya) Kangen Band lalu kutinggal. He he he...

Yang jelas selera kami berbeda karena dia gemar lagu pop dan lagu rohani. Aku? Gemar lagu duniawi.

Note:
* sampai sekarang aku belum punya album Sehnsucht, bukan tidak ketemu tapi sayang rasanya keluarin duit beli album seharga 1/4 juta rupiah! kan masih ada kebutuhan-kebutuhan lainnya yang lebih mendesak...

Bad Judgement, or ...?

Again, when I want to do things right, it ended by making me feel like an idiot. And that action may -- or may not, I haven't found out yet -- cost us a few millions.

You see, because I just ask to the representative of the owner about a detail that our own supplier emphasized at not having it on their finished product, I got a short reply with a sharp tone like "Can't you even read?"

Crap.

My boss even asked me why did I even mention the difference because then we'd have to comply over that minor detail -- not to mention the implication of switching supplier and additional cost.

I should have follow my first idea about NOT TO ASK ANYTHING about that EFF-ING MINOR DETAIL!!!!

Right now I just felt like crawling under my desk and wait for the doomsday to come.

How could I be better at judging things?

Menunda-nunda Pekerjaan Itu Adalah KESALAHAN

Akhirnya aku kena batunya.

Seharusnya pagi ini aku mengirimkan e-mail penjelasan ke owner tentang alasan keterlambatan pengiriman penawaran pekerjaan untuk proyek kami di kepulauan Riau. Aku sudah mengingatkan diriku sendiri soal ini bahkan dari dua hari yang lalu. Tapi seperti kebiasaan (buruk)-ku selama ini, aku menunda-nunda mengirimkan e-mail itu.

Padahal konsepnya sudah ada di kepala dan hanya butuh lima menit untuk compose dan kirim e-mail itu.

But NO! Dengan bodohnya aku menunda sehingga tadi baru saja aku ditelepon oleh koordinator si pemilik menelepon menanyakan penawaran. Tentu saja aku berusaha memberikan penjelasan yang kredibel dan meyakinkan -- tapi karena suaraku yang mungkin kurang impresif sehingga semuanya kedengaran (setidaknya menurutku) seperti "pepesan kosong".

Terdengar sekali kekecewaan dari suara si koordinator itu sehingga aku langsung merasa sangat bersalah -- pada perusahaan. Entah bagaimana menjelaskan dengan meyakinkan karena si koordinator sudah menunggu selama empat hari kerja (termasuk hari ini).

Kelihatannya aku belum juga berubah. Satu sifat yang ini entah kenapa sangat susah diubah. Aku harusnya lebih disiplin dan memberikan komitmen terbaik pada pekerjaan.

Ingat woi! Ini sudah hari kelima belas di tahun 2009!

Kembali Ke Awal Lagi!

Mungkin akan menarik untuk kembali ke dasar: Nikon D50 + lens kit AF-S 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6G ED DX dan bila aku butuh tele maka aku membawa lensa kedua yang aku beli: Nikon AF 70-300mm 1:4-5.6G (cheapest Nikon tele zoom full frame lens!)

Kenapa begitu?

Sebenarnya aku jenuh dengan ke mana-mana membawa Sigma 24-70mm 1:2.8 aku yang jauh lebih berat daripada lens kit itu. Aku juga ingin memberikan tantangan baru pada diri sendiri: dengan lensa kit + lensa murah juga bisa mendapatkan hasil yang memuaskan, seperti yang kualami dalam dua tahun pertamaku "menggotong" DSLR.

Jadi yang kulakukan sekarang adalah mengambil lagi tas kamera Lowepro-ku (yang sayangnya tidak All-Weather itu), mengatur ulang susunan padding-nya, lalu memasukkan lensa tele zoomku (serial number 9201312), ditambah bodi Nikon D50 (serial number 8034160) dengan lensa kit 18-55mm (serial number 2296324) terpasang!

Biarlah Sigma-ku, Nikon 50mm 1:1.4 AI-s, dan Nikon AF 80-200mm 1:2.8 D tersimpan dalam dry-box ecek-ecek di bawah meja itu.  Aku ingin mencoba kembali ke awal lagi!

Full Moon In The Night

full moon in the night
apa yang telah membuatku menangis
full moon in the night
mungkin hanya kau yang bisa mengerti
full moon in the night
banyakkah duka harus kujalani



full moon in the night
sampai sepi kan hancurkan hatiku
kuingin dengannya, tapi ku tak mampu
dia tak tau, takkan pernah tau
full moon in the night
bahagiakanku didekap sinarmu


-- Aiu, Full Moon In The Night, Garasi II

Let Me Quote You: Lonely Planet's Travel Photography

quote from Richard I'Anson's book:

The ability to interchange lenses is one of the most persuasive reasons for buying an SLR. It increases your creative options and ability to solve photographic problems. DOn't compromise on lens quality. If you're on a tight budget, go for a camera with fewer features and buy the best lenses you can afford. Lens quality determines image sharpness, colour and the light-gathering capacity of the lens, which can determine how you shoot in various lighting conditions.

Sucker for Barbarianism

You see, some childhood readings could stick to you in ways that even stick to your adulthood.

That's what I felt right now as I waited for my turn to download Conan comics from some link in Rapidshare. Because I was not into paying the service, it asked me to wait (and wait again) each time I want to download the series that was originally published by Marvel Comics -- well, someone scanned all this pages and then uploaded them.

Actually, Conan the Barbarian is a character in books. And I know that this might be constituted as illegal. But then, educate me. Please!

I'm a sucker for all things Conan (the Barbarian). That's why I felt envious when the game Age of Conan released. I want to play it. Even if the game not quite live to the expectation.

And what about the next Conan movie? You just have to find another one to fill for Conan. The Governator Arnold S. is just not fit into the role anymore.

(continued...)

Another Workday

Today is the first workday on 2009. Already I think of getting myself a vacation. Travel to some destination. Doing photography and finishing some books kept in shelves and boxes -- waiting for me to take them to the light and fresh air.

Surely, this year started with some slow business but I really hope that things will catching up later.

Now I haven't done some serious hunting in these past weeks, no wonder I got this curiousity itchiness inside me. But then again, everytime I went back to my rentroom, either I'd watch the telly or I just went on sleeping.

I should work out. My belly's getting in my way of wearing my pants.

Har har...

Wolverine, Anyone?

I don't know if this movie will be of any good.
But I definitely will watch it!



I just hope that I won't be dissapointed the way I watch The Last Stand.