philcrissman.com

I’m still here… just been busy.

Web 2.0…. Just Won’t Go Away!

In the meantime, Kathy Sierra is defending the use of “web 2.0″ on the same grounds that I defended the intelligent use of jargon not too long ago.

Does this mean I need to retract my hate for the 2.0? Good question. Kathy has a decent argument, though I’m still not sure I really like the term.

I guess what it comes down to is, if the term is not going away, and if it’s being used to refer to something specific, well, I guess we’re stuck with it. And for better or worse, it is easier to say than “the amorphous new wave of applications built for the web all having various aspects in common, such as advanced use of JavaScript and heavy reliance on user networking and contribution.” Phew. Try using that for the name of a conference.

Writing vs. Programming

You want to know the sad, embarrassing truth? For a guy who has Computer Science as a major and has spent the last few years planning to make an eventual career move to software development… I don’t spend very much time programming in my spare time.

In fact, I do hardly any at all.

I spend a lot more time writing than I do programming.

After some recent self examination, I notice that this isn’t because I lack aptitude for coding — I’ve aced every programming or comp-sci class I’ve ever taken, even the primarily theoretical ones, like Discrete Mathematics (okay, I got a “B” in Discrete Math. Big-O notation still confuses me).

I think it’s just that I like writing more than coding. It makes sense when you look at the amount of blogging I’ve done (lots) versus the amount of code I’ve written “for kicks” (very little).

Now, I intend to finish my CS degree — it’s fun, it’s interesting, and the kind of critical thinking you learn from CS can apply to all sorts of fields. But if I’m honest with myself — if I had to choose between two jobs, for the same compensation, and one was coding and the other was writing? I think I’d take the writing job.

Interesting, the things you find out about yourself as you get old. ;-)

It’s as though people just want to sound irrelevant.

Let’s review a few points:

1. There is no such thing as web 2.0. It doesn’t exist. It never has, and it never will. It is a meaningless term, to which people have been frantically attempting to glue meaning for over a year — give it up, already. Please.
2. Everything just said goes double (or triple) for “web 3.0“.

I could continue to rant, but instead you could just read the above two points about 500 times in a row. It’s simpler that way, and consumes less bandwidth.

Just saw Aggreg8… I think I found it via del.icio.us.

My first thought is, Yawn. Another social networking site.

My second thought is, Hey; it’s for IT pros. That’s kind of cool.

My third thought is, I think I’ll make an account…

…at which point I see this in the top right corner:

Yeah, ok; nevermind. Not interested.

The BlueScreen Screen Saver v3.2 is a pretty funny idea.

There is a screensaver something like this for Linux, but it’s that much better to have one for Windows… ;-)

mrben linked to the HBO documentary Hacking Democracy in a recent comment… honestly, I’ve never followed much of the kerfuffle around Diebold, etc, and I pretty much dismissed the whole thing as FUD.

I’ve been reflecting on it a bit since then, and I have to admit it’s certainly more complicated than that. I’d even say that I was wrong.
Continue reading ‘A few more thoughts on Voting Software’