It's Time for a Change, and I Need Your Help

If you have any regular interaction with me on this blog, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or scads of other social media sites, then you’re used to seeing my visage as such:

It’s time for a change, and I’d like a little wisdom of the crowds to drive it. Two quick background notes.

Why the Jester Hat in the First Place?

I started using social media heavily when I started working at Bulldog Solutions. I didn’t have much in the way of digital/digitized pictures of myself. The one above was handy (my wife and our three kids made these hats for all of us for a Bulldog social event), and, before I knew it, I’d signed up for a half-dozen services and dropped the image in as my profile picture. Since then, I’ve met numerous people for the first time who have asked, “Where’s the jester hat?” (including being asked by Rudi Shumpert on the Live at eMetrics edition of the Beyond Web Analytics podcast). Who knew? I had apparently done a moderately successful job of personal branding!

Where’d ‘Gilligan’ Come From, Anyway?

In 1993, I hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. It’s a tradition on the trail to adopt a “trail name” for the duration of the hike. Partly due to my lanky frame, partly due to the fact that I had a tendency to bang my head on the low beams in many of the shelters along the trail, and largely because I wore a Tilley hat, I was dubbed “Gilligan” one evening by several other hikers who were staying at the same shelter that night.

I started this blog on something of a lark, and I knew that “Tim Wilson” was entirely too common of a name to base the blog on, as I’ve written about before.

Cast Your Vote to Contribute to a Worthy Cause

I’ve come up with four options for my new standard profile picture, and I want you to help me choose the one I go with. As a moderate incentive, for every vote cast, my wife and I will contribute $1 to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (up to $250). And, I’ll wear the chosen hat in public at the next major geek conference I attend (so spread the #measure word, people!).

	A – The Hat That Started It All It’s the same hat I wore for a 2,100-mile hike — and it still sees occasional use.
	B – A New Jester Hat Sticking with the jester theme, but with a new hat and a new picture
	C – As Gilligan As I Can Be
	D – If You’re Simply Opposed to Change

The voting is wrapped up! You can find the results in this post.

Thanks!