I learned how to do all that crap manually when I was in college taking digital photography. As both a photographer and a computer scientist, I’m in awe.

At the same time, I don’t see why this is super exciting. It’s Twitter, but tied into Google. It’s literally just another system I’m going to hook my other web 2.0 sites into and get comments from friends. In some ways, it feels really phoned in by a company, that honestly, I expect better from. They combined their reader service and their chat IM client and called it a new invention. At least they were smart enough to realize that people already have external services for stuff and it’s best to just play nice and import them.

On a side note: I’m slightly unamused that no one seems upset that they just added this. Maybe it’s because I’m a bitter Microsoft employee, but seriously? If MS tried this anywhere, people would be going ape shit. But because Google is doing it, and it’s internet related, it must be ok. Seriously, trying to circumvent a competitor by putting your competing widget in an already overpowering product…why does that sound familiar? Am I the only one beginning to think that Google is becoming a little too big? When do you flip the Megacorp-Is-Evil bit? Just some thoughts on the subject.

Warning, this is really REALLY nerdy. But I found it hilarious. Take what you want from that.

Last night was the last PSSO concert of the season. It kind of maid me a bit reflectful. I’ve been to every one this year. Well, the post parties at least. (2/3 isn’t bad).

Six months ago or so was the fall concert. It wasn’t even two weeks since Nicole broke up with me. I was stuck in a job I hated. I was in a city that didn’t totally feel right. I was, to put it bluntly, totally lost. The world I had built up in my mind colapsed around me like a house of cards. And I came back to Seattle to get away. I came back to collect msyef.
And it was at this time I began thinking about returning. It was a bittersweet moment. It felt good to get back. I was told I was missed. I was hugged. And I was told everything would be ok.

No move forward to March 10th. I was starting a new job back on the main campus. I was working on something “cool.” I would be working with a familiar face from my times at MS.com. And I was getting a chance to start over. Boston was behind me. Groove was done. And I was being given a chance to “re-invent” myself. Mind you, my friends new me and what I was about. But I had a chance to just be me again. It was a night full of hope.

Now come back to this weekend. The end of the PSSO concert season. I was in the office playing my bass and some video games. I had a long week at work, but yet still was very happy. I went out, partied. I got up and came into the office. I’ve been in the office since 1:30 on Sunday, and I still love what I’m doing. I work with awesome people. My project is great, and I feel like I’m getting somewhere. I’m also rediscovering things I loved and just going back to being me. There are still some things I don’t know about, but for now, they aren’t too important.

^_^

Life is good. Work is good. And in a week and a half, it’s Reunions. Nice.

I gotta testify,
come up in the spot looking extra Fly……
For the day i die, I’ma touch the Sky………
gotta testify, come up in the spot looking extra Fly……
For the day i die, I’ma touch the Sky

This is some interesting stuff when you think about it. Look at how far the web has come. The fact that I’m linking this video in my blog to share with people whom I know; people whom I think will enjoy this video. This post will be spread via my RSS feed to Facebook, Livejournal, Google, Technochrati, and lord knows whom else. People may or may not link to me. And it’s all based mainly on the users.

When I first put myself up on the web, back in 1997, things were very different. Design and content were hard coded together. Dynamic text? Don’t be absurd. Dynamic uploading of content from anywhere in the world? Crazy. The few with the technological skills were the ones who had all of the power. A personal home page? A thing for nerds.

Fast forward to the fall of 2000 when I entered Princeton. We (and by we, the geeks, really) had made strides. We’d begun tryign to seperate content from design. ASP, Coldfusion and CGI were now being used to create dynamic web applications. Software like Dreamweaver and Frontpage (ewww) were making web design more accessable to the non geeks. The web was becoming a bit more normal, more everyday. But still, it wasn’t everyone. And the idea of everyone contributing, having a voice, was still only in theory.

Go forward to the winter of 2003, and the start of this site. Blog sites were sprouting. Blogging software was beign deployed by people. Sure it was mainly the tech savey, but still, dynamic content was HERE and NOW. If you were static, you weren’t with it anymore. PHP was the hotness and seperating content from design was now a major thing. Having to change PHP pages to change layout was not optimal. (It was actually a bit of a pain) CSS was standardized now, the browsers didn’t support it the same, but still, there was a starting point.

Now fast forward to winter of 2007. It’s been 4 years and look where we are. Dynamic content? It’s a given. AJAX has changed how web applications are done. But applications aren’t what’s hot, applications are passe. Now it’s all about communities. Individuals coming together, sharing their ideas, thoughts, stories, pictures and movies. The tech-aristocracy, those with the vast knowledge, have made it accessable to the masses. Everyone is a part of if. Information, from the people, by the people, for the people, is here.

In 10 years, theory became practice. The internet truly is a global community. I’m begining to think this Web 2.0 stuff may be right.

Seriously, I never realized how spoiled I have become till I realized I wanted to put what my Mii on my site. Suddenly I couldn’t do that. There’s no slick and awesome way of including my favorite Zune tracks in an email signature (I actually see my gamercard tags in email signatures at work). The Zune thing I find truly funny since the slogan is “Join the Social” Sure, I raved about this when I first go the 360, but I kind of just took it for granted. All this community stuff…I need it. I expect it.

I understand that there are people who don’t want that level of information to be available about them, but there are privacy settings for just that reason. I, on the other hand, like letting people know what I like to play and listen to. Shoot, I actively blog about it.

You have me hooked, XBox Division, you have me truly hooked.

http://thedailywtf.com

That is all.

A handful of knowledgeable people is more effective than an army of fools

Software never dies; it just becomes insecure.

My favorite of the bunch:

Security flaws are like cockroaches: you see one in the kitchen, so you et rid of it. The problem is that the creature has many brothers, sisters, grandkids, cousins, nieces, nephews, and so on.

Yeah, it’s a pretty good book. I’m enjoying it so far, and it’s a pretty quick read (at least the first part). Anyway, sorry to geek out like that, but I wanted to get some of these quotes recorded.

I’m already feeling fried.

And it’s only Wednesday.

I need to get back into a routine. Today was a good step. I worked out and left at a normal time. I went out and was social. But I had some time to myself. Sigh…thank God for this weekend.

Speaking of the Gym, it’s going well. I’ve had to miss some days due to exhaustion caused by the Job, but when I”ve gone in, I’ve found myself lifting more weight with greater ease. So progress is being made, I’m about to kick up my weight in a bunch of excersizes. That’s pretty exciting, really. I generally feel better, and I think I’m begining to look it as well. I’ve also been throwing and hitting better; which has been a nice bonus. Especially as the season has gone on.

I’m not where I want to be. But I’m making progress. Now all I need to do is get back into my routine. And I’m golden.

I just have to get there…