Categories
College Posts

Social Bookmarking

We picked three web sites to compare and contrast. Gen and I decided on social bookmarking sites:

This is what we found out:
digg.com

Content/Subject:
• User-submitted news, articles, videos, & podcasts
Source of communication:
• showcasing what users are interested in without editors
User needs & interests:
• want to see what other people are interested in
• see what’s new and cool out on the internet
• share with others what you are interested in and think is important
Organization:
• front page articles are rated highest – most important to users
• main navigation for the site is all along the top & is divided into categories and subcategories
• you can always see where you are in the site by which categories and subcategories are highlighted
• overall pretty easy to use
• multiple pages of articles listed that you can click through
Graphic User Interface:
• pretty basic
• all articles are layed out on the left; all have the same layout
• search engine at the top – works pretty well
• Grid: top of page keeps the same navigation; left 2/3 of page are for articles; right 1/3 of page is for less important info & ads
• Style: pretty simple; organized; clean; articles open up in separate windows which is nice; ads are kept together and not scattered around the site, however they have the same style of heading as the articles so that they blend in
del.icio.us
Content/Subject:
• User-submitted information; links to information
Source of communication:
• showcasing what users are interested in without editors
User needs & interests:
• see what others are interested in without editors
• to see what others think is valuable
• share with others what you are interested in and think is important
Organization:
• very basic
• stories are organized on the left side
• stories on the home page are the most bookmarked articles
• only the main page contains articles – from there you must search for what you are looking for by keywords
• headings are clear, but no article descriptions
• “tags to watch

Categories
College Posts

Web Terms

  • Internet: Connection of computer networks that are publically accessible. wikipedia
  • World Wide Web: A collection of interconnected documents.wikipedia
  • Web Server: A computer that delivers Web pages to browsers and other files to applications via the HTTP protocol..PCMag
  • Host: A computer containing data or programs that another computer can access by means of a network or modem. .Free Encyclopedia
  • Web Site: A Web site is a related collection of World Wide Web (WWW) files that includes a beginning file called a home page..The Free Dictionary
  • Web Pages: A document on the World Wide Web. Every Web page is identified by a unique URLWeb-o-pedia
  • Web Browser: A browser is an application program that provides a way to look at and interact with all the information on the World Wide Web.Whatis.com
  • Podcast: A podcast is a media file that is distributed by subscription
    (paid or unpaid) over the Internet using syndication feeds. Wikipedia.
  • Cache: A computer system in a network that keeps copies of the most-recently
    requested Web pages in memory or on disk in order to speed up retrieval. pcMag.com
  • HTML: Hyper Text Markup Language. Not “code” but tags that
    mark up the text.
  • XHTML: Extensible hyper text markup language. A markup language written
    in XML; therefore, it is an XML application. web-O-pedia
  • XML: Extensible markup language is a W3C initiative that allows information
    and services to be encoded with meaningful structure and semantics that computers
    and humans can understand. google
  • JavaScript: A
    scripting language developed by Netscape and used to create interactive Web
    sites.marketingterms.com
  • IP Address: Four unique numbers for every computer connected to the
    internet.
  • URL’s: An Internet address, usually consisting of the access protocol
    (http), the domain name (www.hmco.com), and optionally the path to a file or
    resource residing on that server (trade). Answers.com
  • Domain Name: A name that is entered into a computer (e.g. as part of
    a Web site or other URL, or an e-mail address). These names are technically
    hostnames. wikipedia
  • HTTP: Hyper Text Transfer Protocol used to view
    internet material usually through a web browser.
  • FTP: File Transfer Protocol. A protocol used
    to upload and download files to a server.
  • ISP: Internet Service Provider. The company that
    gives you all of your internets.
  • IPP: Internet Print Protocol. A protocol for printing and managing
    print jobs over the Internet using HTTP. pcMag.com
  • Modem: A device that connects a computer(s) to the internet.
  • Cable Modem: A device that uses coaxial cable to connect one or more
    computers to the internet.
  • Ethernet: A type of cord that connects computers on a network usually
    through a network hub, switch or router.
  • Wireless: Uses 802.11 Technology to tranfer and internet connection
    to computers.
  • CSS: Cascading Style Sheets.
  • Blog: Online Journal/Column
  • MP3: Mpeg layer 3 audio file.
  • JPEG: (Joint Photographic Experts Group) An ISO/ITU standard for compressing
    still images. Pronounced “jay-peg,” the JPEG format is very popular
    due to its variable compression range. pcMag.com
  • GIF: Compuserv GIF. An image file format that Compuserv created to
    preserve transparencies in images.
  • GUI: Graphic User Interface
  • PHP: PHP Hypertext Preprocessor. allows web developers to create dynamic
    content that interacts with databases. pcMag.com
Categories
College Posts

class structure 2.o

I am very interested in interactive design, however, I believe that I know way too little. Every time I make my web site, I try something new, but it all goes to hell. for example, open my new web page in anything but Safari.

coasterDropoff.com
There are things I like, and things I don’t. This is why I am taking this course. I want to learn. A lot of people couldn’t tell you what web 2.0 is, what a podcast is, what and RSS reader is. These are things that the world is doing on the internet. THIS is what I want to learn. Anthony seems to know what’s up with this. A podcast as an assignment? That’s freakin’ awsome!!! PHP, CSS. I’ve only been in this class for 33 minutes and I’m already excited.

Things I know…

  • dreamweaver
  • html

Things I KINDA know…

  • css
  • rss
  • xhtml
  • podcast (or netcasting?)
  • web 2.0

What I know exists, but know nothing about

  • java
  • javaScript
  • xml

Movable Type…not so much

This interface is bad. I know I’m not very good with interface, but I do know that I can’t use this very well. I’ve used googles Blogger before, and that was easiar and I was editing the html and CSS, through trial and error.
What also doesn’t help is that my buddy is IMing me right now telling me what the iPhone can and can’t do. Hmmm…interactivity on the iPhone. How hard will it be make a widget on it (if Apple allows it)? What will websites interact like with “pinching?”

Categories
Personal Life

gone EMO at Cedar Point

It was another AMAZING trip to Cedar Point. In the words of Courtney after getting off Dragster, “Oh my Fucking GOD!” Yes it was THAT amazing.

We started off by leaving D-town at about 2pm. It took us about 12 hours to get there in the Exploder. But we finally arrived in Sandusky at 3am EST. Victor arrived at about the same time. It was really good to see him. Jamie, however, didn’t seem to make it.

So, the next day we headed off to the park at about noon. I have never seen that many people at the park since I worked on The 4th of July 2 years ago. Damn you BooBuzz!!! We started on Magnum…a given. Then headed down to Demon Drop and over to Raptor. Raptor was amazing as usual (and also Clark’s fav). We were then incredibly hungry due to the lack of continental breakfast. Emily found bugs in the apples, and I had VERY warm milk with my Fruit Loops.

So we headed to the dining room of Wendy’s. Cheap goodness. Then headed back to the park for some more fun…waiting in 2 hour lines.

First was Mean Streak. I’d have to say I have NEVER waited that long for Mean Streak. The wait was about hour and a half, seeing as we usually walk on to it. Next was WereWolf Canyon. This was pretty cool. They drain Thunder Canyon, and it gets infested with bad werewolves. It was pretty intense and scary. The wolves wouldn’t leave Courtney alone. It was hilarious. That lead us to the fright zone in Frontier Town. This was pretty cool too. There were a lot of people, and a lot of scaresters. I could see how kids could get lost in that.

We then stepped in line for Millennium Force. The line was almost completely full, and it was 9:45. I didn’t think we’d be able to get on Millennium with time to get to Dragster before the park closed at midnight. Victor thought we should just wait it out and if it came to a crunch, we’d ditch the line, because we all know, Dragster is just a little more important. We did a good job of passing time. We played the sentence game and came up with some weird ones. Ahhh, I wish I could remember them. We also stopped Victor with all our might in buying an overpriced Cedar Point candy bar. Clark and I were holding him back from the vending machine yelling, “Don’t do it Victor! Don’t give into the MAN!” I think everyone in the line was entertained by us as well. We were singing “Stand By Me” too. I was singing the disco beat and Clark was singing. We tried to get the whole queue to do it. Didn’t work. We finally got up to the platform at 11:40pm. It was going to be close. But we got on the ride. God, I forgot how fun Millie was. So amazing, especially with Victor and I’s blackout on the first turn. Emily and Courtney loved it. Clark, just plain forgot how fun it was.

Now it was time for the sprint. We got off the ride with 16 minutes to spare. But Emily insisted that we still run. We ran all the way from Millennium to Dragster. I barely made it. But the important part was that we made it.

Waiting in line for Dragster was the easiest line of the day. It was only about an hour. Courtney was freaking out. She was really nervous and kept with the Courtney trademarked line, “Oh my god.” I ended up riding with Courtney on this one. It was freakin‘ hilarious. We were in the second train, so we had to wait awhile to actually get launched. She kept asking, “When is going to happen?” Once we actually launched, I had to look over at Courtney’s face periodically through the ride. She was just ecstatic. The finally slowed down to the end. She couldn’t breath. The first thing she said was, “Oh my Fucking God.” After getting off the ride, we waited at the exit ramp to see if we could get that last train ride to fill the cars. By the time it got to us, there was room for one more. I wasn’t going to take it. I asked the three newbies, “Who’s goin? Cuz I’m not.” Clark spoke up first so we ran around and watched him get launched for a second time. We put his hands up on his first and second time. He was hardcore.

And that was the day at the park. I was really surprised at how much everyone had so much fun. I thought just cuz I’m the coaster nut, I was the only one that would get sad when I left the park.

The next day, we decided to just take it easy. It had been a long last couple of days. So we went to Friendly’s for brunch. I had the meatloaf again, which was very shallow and pedantic. After that, we headed to the Great Wolf Lodge for a few games of DDR. Victor, Clark and I are pretty hardcore about it. So we played a few games. Emily played a bunch of ticket games and got a bunch of super balls. So when we left to take the elevator back up, we all threw them inside the elevator. I’d have to say, I’d never done that before. Pretty fun indeed. Next was the mall. Victor played some stacking game in the middle of the mall where he was trying to win an iPod Shuffle. He was one row away THREE times. He got robbed and never did win it. The Exchange was the last stop. I picked a few cheap DVDs.

It was time to say goodbye after that. I was of course sad to see Victor leave, but was surprised that Clark, Courtney and Emily felt the same way. They only had known him for a day and a half, tops. I was pushing him all weekend to work there next summer with me. I think he might do it.

We hit the road at about 5:30pm. I drove first and Lead Foot (Emily) drove through Chicago. Clark took the rest of the way. We stopped at Fizoli’s somewhere in Indiana to eat a very shitty pizza, and continue home. I ended up sleeping the back of my car from about 12:30-3:00. Clark drove the rest of the way from somewhere in Wisconsin to Duluth. We were on 53 (aka the road of death). We probably saw about 90 deer on the side of the road. They were all over the place. I was very surprised we didn’t hit one.

After we got back in and settled down, I talked with everyone on Monday. They all really missed it. Emily came up to me in the Kirby and said, “I miss it already.” I thought that I was the only Cedar Point nut. It’s nice to know I’m in good company. Now all I have to do is convince Clark to work their with me this summer.

Categories
Personal Life

It’s Been Awhile…

Sorry about this. I haven’t posted in…ahh…well since new iPods. A lot has happened over this time, and I’ll probably forget some stuff.

Well, I am on the verge of finishing the SuperiorCampers.com. So by next week it should be done. Check it out here. You’ll know if it’s the new one or not. Now the next thing is coasterdropoff.com. So keep an eye out for that too. My web design skills are getting a little better every time.

This is going to be a long week, because Courtney Clark and I are going to Cedar Point. Pretty fired up for it. It’s Halloweekends there too. If you don’t know, they trick the whole park out to be haunted and have “Frieght Zones.” One thing that is really cool is that they drain Thunder Canyon and it changes into Werwolf Canyon. So you walk through the canyon and get freeked out.

Last weekend was Design Camp in Nisswa, MN. This was a great opportunity to get together with other professional designers. They had workshops and lectures. There was, of course, partying after on Saturday night. There were a few pictures of it on my Facebook.

Otherwise, I have just been really busy with school. It’s calming down for a bit, but I have a lot of things due at the end of November. So I need to stay on top of it.

Tvenge Design