While news of steroids in MLB fills the airwaves and sports news sites, it’s another sawwwwwwwrific day here.

I’ve got a couple different projects I’m thinking of starting soon and possibly one of them will be a Thursawday project. More on that before the end of the year perhaps.

As I sit down to write today’s update for Thursawday it occurs to me that 14 weeks have slipped by too fast. TO think in years instead of months, Thursawday will be over in around 15 years if things continue as planned.

But for now I am reflecting on where this site seems to be at and what will need to happen to make it move forward.

What happened — or rather didn’t happen — last Thursawday can only be described as strange. I actually completely spaced off this website and the day. Was up early in the morning updating a couple sites and before logging off didn’t even think about this site to spend the rest of Thanksgiving with the family.

Since Friday when I realized the mistake, I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with that gap in time and whether to just declare Thanksgiving Thursday as a holiday every year?

I’m in the coding mines working on a Firefox extension, checking out Flash CS3 and making my first Chumby widget, but wanted to peek my head in here and say welcome to Thursawday #11. Oh, and the obligatory week number screenshot:

More on what I’m up to hopefully later. Keep an eye on the Thursawday Twitter feed too.

Good day and welcome to Thursawday #10. This means single digit Thursawdays are gone forever. 90 weeks and over a year and half from now and we’re into three digits. The site should have a lot more going on by then and will be fun to see the evolution from week to week.

The last few Thursawdays it’s seemed like I’ve had stuff to do outside the office. Today I’m helping out some real estate agents with some “slow computer” issues. No idea how long this will take but I’m only blocking out an hour or two to help out. When I get back, work on a couple different Thursawday.com things. More later, watch the Thursawday Twitter stream.

Welcome to Thursawday #9 where I’m excited about the announcement of the Google Open Social API (page will be active this evening at some point). With this I’m hoping to be able to integrate on some level into Thursawday.com and build out some open sawcial features here.

I’ve been going back and forth on OpenID because I’m hoping there will be something good built into Wordpress instead of the plugin hacks I’ve seen, that way Sawizens could sign up with their OpenID. What’s the whole Open Social API about? It’s Google’s answer to the closed Facebook application platform. With Open Social developers and webmasters will be able to build features into our sites that are presumably more open to users. I haven’t seen the API yet and thought about how it could be integrated here fully, so there will be more on the real world application here in coming weeks.

Why staying open is so important
One of the important things I’m keeping in mind with Thursawday is to try and make it more about you than this site. To do that, your project doesn’t have to have anything to do with this site, other than your commitment to return here and provide status updates on your progress (hopefully weekly). There will be more examples of this as time goes on and a few more people start sharing their Thursawday projects with the world. I anticipate very few projects besides mine will have much, if anything, to do with Thursawday.com.

And before anybody asks why the comments aren’t open. They are open to registered and logged in sawizens, not anybody who just stops in and wants to leave a random comment or spam. Those who have ran a blog for any amount of time will tell you that having registered comments only is a guaranteed way to reduce the number of comments you receive because people will not want to register just to leave a comment. I understand and respect that, because that’s my opinion with blogs, but the Sawblog registration isn’t only for the blog, it’s for everything that will happen at this site between now and 2020.

At least that’s the plan.

Through nine weeks it might seem like the site is mostly about pep talks from me and some incremental changes each week. It takes time to build a site into something worth visiting and the reason this site launched not completely ready is for transparency of the process.

I figure it will take a year or more with one day per week to be able to make the site into something that is more launch-worthy and the message about what this site is for and what it can do for you to become completely clear. I’m trying to be a living, breathing example of a Thursawday project — this website. And if it was all here at the beginning this project would already be done.

There should be nothing stopping you now, however, from getting registered and thinking through what your first Thursawday project will be.

If you’d like complete how-to instructions to get started, last week’s post: How to share your Thursawday project with the world should be helpful.

Back to updating the Wordpress software and Twitter and waiting for the Open Social API to become available.

There are lots of ideas for Thursawday projects. Are you thinking about yours? Have something you want to do? Here are the four steps to get your Thursawday project started:

1. register as a sawizen (citizen) of Thursawday.com
2. Login to Thursawday.com with your chosen username/pass.
3. Click on Dashboard->Write and record in detail what your Thursawday project is including an action plan. Example #1: I’m going to update the Thursawday blog at least once every Thursawday.
Example #2: Take screenshot of the progress of Thursawday.
4. Click on Publish. Your Thursawday project plan will be reviewed by a moderator and as long as it’s a valid plan (basically anything that’s not completely unrelated spam), it will be published under the sawizen project category either the current or next Thursawday.
5. Add progress updates each Thursawday on how you’re doing through Thursawday.com sawizen account (blog). There are a couple of ways currently to do this:

A. Login to your Thursawday account and publish a new post. Initially as a spam protection, it will go into moderator mode. After several submissions, you’ll be promoted to an “author” and then you can publish posts immediately without moderation.
B. Twitter your progress with the text “thursawday MESSAGE HERE” by following Twitter Thursawday. This allows you to use even your mobile phone to update on the progress of your Thursawday project if you aren’t near a computer.

Then you only need to return to this website every Thursawday like me and update the web world on how your doing with your action plan and project. Easy, huh?

Can’t miss the opportunity with a site name like ThurSAWday.com to mention the biggest saw-related movie event of the year: Saw IV!

- Until next week, the Saw IV buddy icon (choose downloads to get yours) replaces our standard ThurSAWday Twitter avatar
- replaced default Twitter background with Saw IV wallpaer (under downloads area)

Did you know?
The ’saw’ in ThurSAWday is a variation of the day of the week: Thursday. (Twittered)

Greeting fellow sawizens to Thursawday #8, only 769 weeks to go.

While we might be small in number — there are a grand total of six sawizens as of this writing. Doesn’t take many to get things started. I’m going to be working during Game 2 of the World Series tonight, but here’s getting my two Thursawday projects done for the week.

Why do we number things?
And speaking of the World Series, it’s #103. Why do we number things? To show how long they’ve been happening? To keep track? Thursawday is numbered as well. Progress, right? So you can see and report on incremental changes in your own Thursawday projects.

Thursawday.com must be doing something right, or wrong, the site is already blocked in China according to greatfirewallofchina.org, anyway.

Wrong. A test using websitepulse indicates that everything is OK. Lesson: check multiple sources. Better yet, ask somebody actually in China to check your site.

Never mind the no vacancy sign in the picture below, welcome to Thursawday #7! Only 770 weeks to go. You can make your own here.

Truth is there’s always a vacancy at the Thursawday 777 week motel. Come on in, register, give the rooms a try. Let’s get to the obligatory weekly screenshot from the sawvents schedule:

What’s new so far on Thursawday #7?

- new graphics: favicon.ico and Thursawday avatar
- created a thursawday Twitter account, go ahead and start following (more to come in a separate post).

The following is an IRC discussion with a few friends this morning about Thursawday project procrastination. Follow along for some tips on how to choose what project you want to get done. For those not familiar with IRC the @ indicates an operator of the IRC channel. Some of the conversation has been edited for sake of brevity or content.

@TDWinXP> you guys ready to commit to some Thursawday projects yet?
@TDWinXP> no better time to start than Thursawday #6!
@TDWinXP> (well, ok, maybe Thursawday #7!)
@TDWinXP> Lestat, darkmoon, johnnyRS, what do you guys want to get accomplished?
@^Lestat> I wont.
@^Lestat> I shouldnt say that.
@^Lestat> Maybe I will, but Im not ready yet.
@TDWinXP> Ahh good, procrastination
@TDWinXP> Good thing to talk about when making plans to get. something. done.

Anti-procrastination tip #1:
@TDWinXP> Start with something very simple. Something you *know* you can get done

We put things off in life based on obstacles — either real or imagined — in the world. By starting with something easy and not very time consuming like my second Thursawday project: take a screenshot every week of the Thursawday sawvents schedule. This takes a minute or two to complete. I explained this to my friends.

@TDWinXP> For example, my second Thursawday project is to take and post a screenshot each week of Thursawday progress from the sawevents schedule page: http://www.thursawday.com/sawce-code/777.php
@TDWinXP> this takes maybe a couple minutes max to do
@TDWinXP> purpose? to chronicle the progress over 777 weeks
@TDWinXP> this also helps me remember where I’m at in the progress (week #6 of 777 weeks)
darkmoon> hmm?
darkmoon> get accomplished?
@TDWinXP> On a percentage basis, I’m 0.0077% closer to the end goal
@TDWinXP> yes, something in life — personal, professional, whatever — you’d like to get accomplished
darkmoon> at some point in the next 777 weeks, I wanna get married. :p
darkmoon> I want to run a business of some sort for the next 777 weeks at least. lol
darkmoon> nothing I want to do is continuous though… that I can think of
darkmoon> my interests change so if I committed to something, it’d have to be in a generic form.
darkmoon> and I don’t have kids.
darkmoon> I hear when you have kids, your priorities change there too
darkmoon> :p
@TDWinXP> so you have two things you want to get accomplished then, darkmoon. #1: get married at some point between now and the next 777 weeks.
@TDWinXP> #2: want to run a business of some sort for the next 777 weeks
darkmoon> lol. yeah.
@TDWinXP> those are two bigger projects
@TDWinXP> good ones though
darkmoon> I might change my business or whatever… but I do want to run continuously, from one thing to another.
@TDWinXP> So let’s refine it: #2: I might change my business or whatever… but I do want to run continuously
darkmoon> I’d like to be married for at least 777 weeks too…. but that’s not up to me entirely. lol

Joking around
darkmoon> I’d say, 777 weeks of sex too…but that’s impossible. :p
@TDWinXP> a lot of business fail within the first 5 years, so having the main business get to the 5+ year mark is quite an accomplishment
@TDWinXP> well, depends on what kind of sex lol
darkmoon> we’ve got 2 years now under Firelace’s belt.
darkmoon> 777 weeks of sex? haha
darkmoon> and even so… that’d be a tough one
@TDWinXP> you could say to your significant other: my thursawday project is to have sex every ThurSAWday
@TDWinXP> so if you’re not up for it, I’ll have to look elsewhere lol
darkmoon> lol
darkmoon> you try pulling that with [your wife]. :p
darkmoon> see if you’re in the dog house. lol
@TDWinXP> I’m not sure that would help fit your first stated goal (be married within 777 weeks)
darkmoon> lol
darkmoon> that goal actually isn’t too terrible.
@TDWinXP> no, that’s a good goal
darkmoon> unless I screw the pooch entirely. lol

Back to Thursawday project business
@TDWinXP> is that what you’re going to go with for your first thursawday project?
@TDWinXP> it’s a good life goal
darkmoon> now… staying married for 777 weeks… that’s a good life goal. but that’s a tough one. lol
@TDWinXP> Hey, we’ve done it It’s not that hard, I could offer tips along the way for making that work
darkmoon> I dunno. be married and own a business? yeah
darkmoon> lol. I don’t doubt I could make it happen.
darkmoon> we’ve been together for five years now.
darkmoon> longer than some marriages.
darkmoon> lol
@TDWinXP> so maybe some more refinement to your first project: #1: get married within the next 777 weeks and stay married during this time at least
darkmoon> lol.
@TDWinXP> actually a secondary thursawday project would be #2: stay married at least 777 weeks

Why a committment to mowing the lawn every week wouldn’t be a very “viable” Thursawday project
darkmoon> see.. like.. I can’t commit to mowing the lawn every week for 777 weeks. lol
@TDWinXP> the lawn doesn’t need to be mowed every week, particularly in the winter
darkmoon> true
darkmoon> I know.
@TDWinXP> I was talking to a guy who mows lawns, they skip weeks in the winter months or it hurts the grass
@TDWinXP> so that wouldn’t be a very viable Thursawday project, would it?

Back to the life goal of marriage as a Thursawday project
@TDWinXP> but back to the marriage thing, assuming you — or somebody else with the same idea — is serious. You could do something there every week to follow up on.
darkmoon> I’m not going to do tips though.. on marriage. lol
darkmoon> I see a lot of failures… but each one is slightly different.
@TDWinXP> you could seriously ask yourself what you’ve done in your relationship every week to move closer to that life goal
@TDWinXP> or the converse: what you have NOT done to get closer to that life goal
@TDWinXP> and each week you chart your progress
darkmoon> what… towards marriage?
darkmoon> I know I’m getting married. lol
@TDWinXP> correct
darkmoon> so that’s not an issue.
darkmoon> mainly it’s… 1) finances… 2)… finances.
@TDWinXP> hey, you aren’t married until you’re, well, married lol
@TDWinXP> clearing the obstacles out of the way
darkmoon> yeah… I’m doing that. lol.
@TDWinXP> I see this as a good project … the thing is how much will/would you feel comfortable sharing with the world
@TDWinXP> have to make some of this generic, so it’s not too personal. Idea isn’t to embarass anybody by sharing something too personal
@TDWinXP> you can talk about the obstacles in a generic way
@TDWinXP> so as not to break any personal confidences
@TDWinXP> like “I have this one obstacle I’m working on … it’s too personal to share with the world right now, but here’s what I’m doing to try and deal with it … a, b, c”
@TDWinXP> well that could be part of reporting your progress
@TDWinXP> “I consulted privately with a friend”

Privacy tip #1: You shouldn’t share anything publically about your Thursawday project that would be too personal or make you feel uncomfortable.

Discussing the point of this conversation
@TDWinXP> I’m editing this IRC stuff for a proposed post — which I’ll share with you guys first before publishing so you can have me edit out anything you don’t want there.
@TDWinXP> just FYI
@TDWinXP> a post on Thursawday for others to follow
darkmoon> lol
@TDWinXP> part of my activity toward my thursawday project
@TDWinXP> action = progress
@^Lestat> oh were you doing an interview? (sorry mate)
darkmoon> huh? nope.
@TDWinXP> tis no problem, I’ll edit around the crosstalk We’re trying to establish what some good thursawday projects would be, including yours, Lestat
darkmoon> play games for 777 weeks? if I have time? lol.
@TDWinXP> not an interview, a discussion rather that can be shared on thursawday.com
darkmoon> I don’t think I’ll ever stop playing games.
@TDWinXP> and be helpful for others thinking: what the hell is Thursawday about? What is a Thursawday project? Why should I make one? What is the benefit to me?
@TDWinXP> Why? why? why?

Thursawday project procrastination
@TDWinXP> Which brings us full circle to your comment “I wont” — you won’t what? Plan any kind of thursawday project?
@TDWinXP> Have you registered for the site yet? (looking)
@TDWinXP> nope, Lestat, that’s step #1 lol
@TDWinXP> darkmoon and JohnnyRS are in, so is [Fergy]. We got a group
@^Lestat> Well shhot, if they’re in then Im definately gonna be in too
@TDWinXP> now we need to help motivate each other in our sawcial network to get our individual projects done and accomplished
@^Lestat> hehe
@^Lestat> I can’t bank on a single weekday to dedicate to a project. Ive got a 2yr old and the schedule is mad
@TDWinXP> http://www.thursawday.com/wp-register.php
@^Lestat> mad I tell you mwuhaha
@TDWinXP> Ahh, obstacles
darkmoon> I’m in what.
darkmoon> it’s not a weekday thing. the shit I offered up to TD wasn’t a weekday thing
@TDWinXP> And I’ve got three teenagers, two businesses and plenty of obstacles too. See what we do?

Why do we create obstacles for why we will or won’t get something important done?

darkmoon> like …. getting married… and staying married.
@TDWinXP> The only once a week thing is an update on progress
darkmoon> I thought you had a teen, lezzie.
@TDWinXP> because without an update on progress, you aren’t really committed to something
@TDWinXP> you’ll forget about it and it becomes less important
@^Lestat> So I could discuss how my thinking about progress is going
@^Lestat> I have both darkmoon
@TDWinXP> you could discuss it here and then copy/paste to a post at Thursawday
@TDWinXP> done, finished
@^Lestat> 1 is soon to be 15, the other soon to be 3
darkmoon> geez… talk about waiting to have your 2nd
@TDWinXP> well, not just “talk” — more or less explain what you are doing to accomplish your stated project
@TDWinXP> committments are bastards
darkmoon> actually… I quit feeling bad about making excuses in college.
@TDWinXP> so step #1 for Lestat — register for the site
Register for Thursawday: http://www.thursawday.com/wp-register.php
@TDWinXP> That’s [the first step]

There you go, the first step for you to get started with your Thursawday project is to register for Thursawday.com. It’s official, Lestat has joined thursawday.com. It’s your turn.

What are you waiting for?

Welcome to Thursawday #6. First, let me take care of my two (so far) Thursawday projects to date: posting to this blog and a screenshot of progress taken from the sawvents schedule:

Last week’s last post ended with a promise to post pictures taken at the World Cyber Games 2007 (WCG 2007) in Seasawttle “later” or as an update in that post. Later turned out to be this Thursawday, a week later. Here are the imagesaws.

Outside this building a guy was selling these tasty polish dogs with cream cheese on toasted buns, sauerkraut, onions and peppers. Good stuff.

Inside the WCG 2007, there were three big screens on the main stage area. Overall the event was fun and we spent the whole day there. At the end of the night I won a Samsung NV20 digital camera in a drawing. I’m sure that will be put to good use with future imagesaws. None of the pictures in this post were taken with this camera. It’s still packed in the box (slacker yes, I know).

Onward, upward, how are your Thursawday projects going? Haven’t got one started yet? Later today — yes, another promise — I should have more instructions to help the rest of the internet world get started and involved.