Source Jockey

I went to San Francisco this past weekend–even though it was a short trip, I had a blast.  Lots of interesting people, places, and food.  Yes, the food was amazing.  My father always asks me if I live to eat or eat to live, and the answer is generally both; in San Francisco, I live to eat.

Next time, I’ll visit longer!

I have a little policy (believe it or not)…  Never pick up on girls at the gym.  I have a few reasons for this–the first and foremost is, it’s just not appropriate.  Most girls (as best I can tell) actually go to the gym to work out, not get men.  Most of the time, they’re in sweats, tanks, or other workout gear–not dressed to impress.  Girls, when they’re working out, don’t want guys to see them.  (That’s why Curves is so successful).  So when a guy walks up to a girl at a gym, he’s facing an uphill battle.

Thoughts?

If you are a technology fanatic, as I obviously am, you’re probably already aware of the announcement today of the new iPhone 3.0 software.

While it doesn’t really release any HUGE features, it does have a few nice ones (that, admittedly, should have been included before):

• Stereo bluetooth
• Peer-to-peer bluetooth (file sharing phone to phone, etc)
• Picture messaging
• Copy/Pasting (yeehaw!)
• More search functionality
• Cooler accessories (meaning developers can custom make accessories and have them interact with the iPhone)

It’s being released this summer–I look forward to it!!

I just had a brilliant idea–a GPS ankle bracelet for drunk friends.  See, if you go out with friends, and one of them has too much to drink, you can attach an ankle bracelet to make sure you know where they wander off to.  In the event they pass out, you can easily find them to drag them home.

Someone make it!

When most people think of web etiquette, they probably think about how to write emails or instant messages to other people, or at a stretch, how to write messages on message boards or Facebook.

But actually, web etiquette extends deeper than that–all the way to how web programmers and designers create their web pages.  See, most people who “make the web” for a living tend to focus on how they want the site to be, as opposed to how its end users want to see it.  Additionally, some clients ask for items on their web pages that aren’t really good etiquette.

My FIRST web page back when I was 14 or so had about eight different visual JavaScripts, as well as a music track, playing constantly.  The page was like a grenade; it assaulted the viewers’ ears and eyes on every visit.  After a while, I realized how distracting the “bling” was, and removed it.

Years later, I was alarmed to find that as people grew more and more comfortable editing their own pages, they leaned towards adding gaudy effects and content.  Typical MySpace pages have floating layers of stuff, and mouse trails.  Music starts playing immediately when you visit the site.  Definitely not good etiquette.

Unlike a place of business, or a residence, a web site’s role is inverted.  Yes, when I visit a web site, I am a guest.  But unlike real life, I am inviting the web site onto my computer, into my space.  When popups fill my screen, obnoxious banner ads distract me, or sudden musical sound tracks begin playing, it doesn’t just take my attention away from the content of the web page’s content, it actually breaks my focus on the concept of the page altogether.

So if you’re making web pages, or are looking to create one, please avoid using distracting music and imagery–it takes away from your site.

I’m starting to get my first blog/ping/trackback comment spam… Thanks, spammers, for making everyone’s life miserable.

This is something very few people know about me…until now.  I’m obsessed with writing implements–pens, pencils, markers, crayons, brushes…I love them all.  Most of all, I love fountain pens.  I have no idea why.

I bring this up because the Office Depot near me is closing, and they are having a small sale–and I bought a bunch of pens and pencils I don’t need.  It’s weird, but the Parker pen has the best balance and weight; though the Faber-Castel pen and pencil write very comfortably.