How To Create A YouTube Channel Without A New Gmail Account

YouTube: Create A YouTube Channel Without A New Gmail Account How To

In this short video I describe how to create a new YouTube Channel without having to create a new Gmail account by creating a new Google+ Page.

My First Day On App.net

Last night I couldn't hold out any longer and went ahead and paid $50 (@jimyounkin) for one year of access to App.net. App.net (often shortened to "ADN" by its users) is a new short message service (read: twitter) that is being built around the idea of users paying for use of the service rather than the service being paid for (and beholden to) advertisers.

While I have more to say about Twitter's recent missteps when it comes to 3rd party developer relations and their increasing push to monetize their users to advertisers I won't do it here. Suffice it to say that in my mind twitter, while still a very useful service, has "jumped the shark" in the last few weeks.

I chose to put my money where my mouth is and commit to paying for App.net even at this early stage because I want a service like this to exist and the best way I can do that is by supporting it now.

So, how did my first day inside App.net go? Did it meet my initial expectations? Where can I see it going from here? Read on past the jump for my impressions.

YouTube Pushing Users Switch To Real Names

YouTube pulling your real name from your Google+ account.

I went to make a comment on a YouTube video today and was welcomed with the above pop-up from YouTube basically telling me to "Start using your full name on YouTube" with an example of what my current YouTube account appears like ("jimyounkin") and how it will appear ("Jim Younkin III"). It appears in the image above that YouTube (owned by Google) is pulling your "real name" from your Google+ account.

I already use my "full name" on my YouTube channel but judging from almost every other YouTube channel name I've ever seen I am severely in the minority. Most people don't have their "real name" on their YouTube channel.

Read on past the jump for a few more screenshots of the popup dialog boxes YouTube (and by extension Google) is using to try to push "YouTubers" into using their real names.

What Do The Candy Stripe/Barber Pole Borders On Facebook's Timeline Mean?

New Facebook Timeline Striped Borders

I went onto my Facebook Timeline today and noticed a new (and very distracting) UI element. Apparently some of my Timeline posts have a new border that looks like a cross between an old Mac OS loading bar, caution tape, a candy cane and the stripes of a barber pole.

The funny thing was that it wasn't readily apparent what these new borders are supposed to indicate. Mousing over them gave no information. After puzzling over it for a while it seems that these borders may indicate a story that was added to my Timeline by an application (as opposed to me something to my Timeline "by hand").

UPDATE: As mentioned in the comments below these are likely messages/posts that are visible to you only. I checked a few of the privacy settings for some of these posts and they seem to all have been marked "Only Me". Mystery solved? Maybe.

Do you know what these mean? Is this the best way for Facebook to indicate posts added by other applications if indeed that is what they are?

Mostly it caused me a momentary bit of panic wondering if something was wrong with my Timeline. Usually those type of slanted stripes are reserved for things like caution tape. Usually they mean "warning".

You ideas?

A Super Basic Intro to Twitter

This is a short 20 minute video to be used as a basic introduction to Twitter for all Devil Lopers.

While created for those working on projects with Devil Loper, the things I talk about in the video can help anyone who is feeling lost when getting started with Twitter.