Editorial Cartoon: Google Plus Gifs

This editorial cartoon about animated gifs on Google Plus came from my time on there over the past two weeks.  For those of you who engage with me on Twitter or Facebook, I apologize as I have been sucked into the world of Google + and though it has it’s limitations, I prefer it over both platforms.

The Good

• Take the best of twitter in that you can follow the message streams of anyone you want with the best of facebook that allows you to see pictures, links and more than 140 characters and that is the promise of Google Plus.
• Being able to engage with people you admire and feel like your message isn’t lost.
• The ability to put the people you follow into different circles that you create.  For example, I have a circle for people I folow that don’t follow me, webcomic people, art people, learning people, etc.  At any point I can only look at the postings from any individual group AND I can have a posting only show up to specific individuals or circles.

The Not So Good

• Unless you link your photo albums to Googles photo sharing site Picasa, the way it manages your pictures is horrible.   I would love to see a feature that allows you to choose “insert picture” and have you be able to choose a specific picture from a specific album.  I am hoping there is a fix for that soon or I am doing something wrong and someone will correct me.

One complaint I hear from others that I am not so sure I mind YET is that some circles are so incestuous with the same people that 5 people can share someone else’s post and it shows up every time in your stream if you have all five people in your circle.  The one complaint you hear most about is oversharing of animated gifs.  Again, so far I don’t mind them but I love when someone says “I know people don’t like animated gifs but I HAD to share this one because it is so cool.”

So is it ironic that I had to make this cartoon an animated gif in order to make a point of animated gifs?  Is it even irony?  I don’t know since all the “experts” said none of Alanis Morrisette’s examples in Ironic weren’t ironic.

Caricature – Britteny

Today’s caricature is of the lovely and talented Britteny of Blunt Delivery fame.  And here is what she really looks like with one of her many exes.  (Yeah I hotlinked it Brit…so what?)

This is how she reacted on Facebook when I told her to check her email for her caricature.

   OMG!  Um. i love it but kinda feel like i look like a guy

   All my caricatures look like guys  (which is true but so do all of the Simpson’s women and that makes money)

  Is this a belated bday present or just a “try not to jump off a cliff” present

  Whatever you want.   Either works.    Like the tshirt you are wearing??

  That has many implications. haha  Wasn’t sure if it was making fun of my broken engagements, or my Neil paranoia.

If you want to know more about her fear of commitment (though she is now engaged) and her hatred of the great one – Neil Diamond, then you’ll have to visit her blog.

***UPDATE***

So my wife saw my poor attempt at making fun of my friend Brit and yelled at me (well not really yelled but rather saying I sucked as a caricaturist, I went way too far and needed to do right by that girl).  “She is much prettier than that”  So to keep peace in the home of my biggest critic.

 

Confidence vs Competence

As promised here is the cartoon inspired by the book The Invisible Gorilla by Dan Simon and Chris Chabris.  What does this cartoon have to do with the video I posted on Wednesday.  Nothing.  haha  I took my inspiration from a different part of the book.

Charles Darwin observed that “ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge” In face, those who are the least skilled are the most likely to think better of themselves than they should – they disproportionately experience the illusion of confidence. (page 86)

It is because of this behavioral trait that the Friggin Loon is able to constantly post a stream of stories on stupid criminals.  Their confidence in their ability outweighs their knowledge on how to actually pull off the crime.

In group dynamics, especially at work, most of us have heard the cream will rise to the top.  But it doesn’t.  How many times have you walked away from a meeting knowing that the direction the group decided to take is the wrong way but you felt you didn’t have the power or the influence to change it.  Next time, you might need to jump out there and respond first.  In one experiment the authors did they found that a group trying to solve a hard math problem went with the first answer offered up 94% of the time.

…group leadership wsa determined largely by confidence.  People with dominant personalities tend to exhibit greater self-confidence, and due to the illusion of confidence, others tend to trust and follow people who speak with confidence.  If you offer your opinion early and often, people will take your confidence as an indicator of ability, even if you are no better than your peers. (page 98)

So how many of you “know” of superiors who are only in their position because of their own self confidence versus their skill?  How many of you think YOU should be in that position?  And then, of course, is your confidence in being able to do that job equal to your own competence?

*** Side note:  I was so underconfident that I was spelling “competent” correctly, that I looked it up at least 3 times in writing this post.

*** Side note 2:  I got rid of the Digg button below and added a Google +1 button for those using it.  For those who are not and need an invite, let me know.

 

 

The Monkey Business Illusion

Before going any further, watch the video above. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

(hums Jeopardy Theme to self)

I just finished reading Daniel Simons book, The Invisible Gorilla that deals with this video and other topics related to observation, multi-tasking and other ways our intuition decieves us. I am planning a cartoon based on one of my favorite learnings from the book.

Tell me how you did in the comments.

BTW, I did a guest cartoon for Jande over at Aedre’s Firefly. Check it out.

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