Changes

I'm fatter than I used to be. My hairline isn't quite as low on my forehead anymore. I can't do 60 push-ups in one go and I'm all around more out of shape than I used to be. One thing is for sure, things change. That is why what I do (software development) is such an awesome job. When you are getting bored with what you do you find that you have to learn something new to meet a new need or new technology. Just over 2 years ago I first learned of PHP, what a new world it was for me, I thought that struts were just things on vehicles. But now, I'm into JEE and STRUTS and JSPs and Servlets and EJBs and on and on. Last year I got hard core into HTML and CSS standards for web development, now I'm constantly reading about modern DHTML on the DOM and AJAX.

It is even evident from a user perspective. 3 years ago I used Internet Explorer, sometime between now and then enter Firefox (Pheonix, Firebird) and I'm off and running with a new browser, but don't forget for short periods I used Netscape Navigator and the original Mozilla browser. Currently I'm writing this entry with a blogging tool built right into a new browser based on Firefox called Flock (experimenting with the 0.5 beta).

Speaking of beta, how about Google and beta testing. GMail was in beta for what seemed a lifetime, GoogleMaps is still marked beta as well as GoogleSuggest and many other Google apps. All of these also have a link with AJAX because they are largely based on it.

2 years ago who used any online map besides mapQuest? (you computer geeks that have a list waiting to rag on me with don't count, I'm talking regular people) Now I don't go anywhere but GoogleMaps, but I guess I am a tech geek. It will catch on though.

Last year the Sooners were at the top of the BCS charts, this week we finally made it back to the polls at 25, not such a great season. Like I said things change.

Until next time.
Les

Words

Words that rhyme with Java:
Guava
Fava (as in the bean)
Lava
Hava (from the Jewish song)

Words that rhyme with code:
Load
Mode
Dod (the Hebrew word for physical love, i.e. sex)
Node
Abode

Words that rhyme with computer:
Scooter
Neuter
...Roto Rooter?

Thank you.
And stank you. Stank you smelly much.

-N

Growing with the trends.

Catching the latest in commercial ad marketing between scenes in the latest greatest crime drama I began to ponder about, as pondering usually ends up, the good old days. I remember the good old days when my mom was into QVC. If you haven't heard of it QVC is a television shopping network. We were forced to sit and watch as the next big deal would come into the screan and watch while the sales people would pitch thier product. QVC was where I got my Sega Genesis game console. What lead me to this line of thought was ebay's new commercial "It".

Over the years modern consumerism has changed greatly. From the JCPenney and Sears Catalogs to television shopping networks to Amazon.com and ebay. ebay has made it their purpose as a business to be everything to everyone as seen in their latest wave of commercials. They don't do this with any concrete product of their own, but by allowing people all over the world to offer theirs.

That is software engineering at it's best.
Until next time
Les Martin