A good number of them don’t even realize upgrading (or updating) is even an option. And then of course, there are the poor people who have older browser tech forced upon them by their IT department, for any number of asinine reasons, all of which circle back to the ridiculous notion that it’s better not to upgrade to newer, better tools for fear of their barely-stable proprietary systems breaking, rather than, you know, fixing their crap to actually function properly on anything OTHER than IE6.
So far as I’m concerned, each of these type of people (and many more) can easily be lumped into one large group: people whose hits I don’t give a flying f$%k about.
Breaking it Down
Rather than going into great amounts of detail here, I will simply say this. The basic, underlying web technologies that drive every site out there are rapidly moving towards a point at which they will be easily able to mimic behavior and abilities previously found only in advanced design software. The degree of control over typography and positioning of elements is increasing at an alarming rate, and the ease of which these design choices can be executed is the most exciting part, especially for me. Having been trained with a background in print design and methodology, and with the utmost respect for good typography (even though I am not always the greatest example of its use), the ability to essentially make the web look like print while providing a high degree of interaction is something I am eager to make full use of.
A number of popular, mainstream browsers support the things that make this possible already, which is great. I can test most of this stuff out right now. The problem, of course, are the users who for one reason or another just will not move forward along with the rest of the digital world, and are in fact lagging as much as nine years behind those of us who are keeping on top of evolving trends…or at least those of us who actually accept software updates.
So, on the one hand we have some amazing people cooking up methods for us to create great designs purely from code (which is a huge boon from perspectives of technicality and efficiency), and on the other we have a whole barge-load of people who are unable to witness these advances. On the surface, this seems like it should be no big deal; the forward thinkers get to see the goods and the sticks in the mud don’t; and in an ideal situation, this would be the case. The problem is that because of the nature of code, and more importantly, how browsers interpret it, people who show up to look at a site with all of these fancy new bells and whistles won’t just not see the new stuff; they may see something that’s totally broken. It poses quite a dilemma for anybody who is concerned with making their site viewable and usable by the largest possible percentage of people; such is the case of the majority of people who are trying to use a web site to make money (for example, 100% of my clients to date).
The results? One or more of the following:
For the record, I tend to fall in the second category, always wishing instead to find myself in the fourth.
So, What Can Be Done?
Practically speaking, not much. There are a myriad of potential solutions and alternatives, the combination of which allow for more or less consistent display across just about any browser known to man, but the cost is as much as double the development time, and sites so loaded down with extra code that they run the risk of becoming inefficient, and are often more trouble than they’re worth. This could all be alleviated, of course, if larger companies (and smaller ones) would show support for pulling support from older browser tech. Google has recently declared they’re no longer supporting Internet Explorer 6 on some of their sites going forward (after already discontinuing IE6 support for YouTube last year), and while that’s a good start, there need to be more efforts made along these lines.
It’s growing past a point where IE6 (and 7, and sometimes 8 ) are simply adding extra development time (and headaches); they are now literally holding back the advancement of the web, ironically because of decisions on the part of those responsible for making new tech to continue enabling IE6 to exist for so long.
The only way this thing is ever going to disappear (or at least to stop being enough of an issue for people to give attention to) is if developers and companies take back the power from IE6 users by discontinuing support of their platform. And, unsurprisingly enough, that starts on an individual level.
A Fool’s Errand
So, henceforth, wherever possible, I am going to try my damnedest to cease development support for IE6, both on personal projects and projects for clients. I will also be discontinuing support for IE7 when I can manage to. In some ways, I realize some might find my logic shortsighted (or possibly elitist), but so far as I’m concerned, if somebody visiting my site(s) doesn’t have the good sense to be using a modern browser, then chances are I don’t want them as a client, and I certainly don’t care if as a visitor what they see isn’t what I intended. Ultimately, my intent going forward is to leverage new and emerging CSS3 and HTML5 technologies to create and present the best designs possible, so really if you’re coming to sites I make in clunker browsers, you’re missing the point entirely.
My hope is that going forward, I can help contribute to the momentum of newer web technologies by supporting them as fully as possible, and by encouraging my clients to do so as well. Web design is an art form of its own, but like all other art, it requires active participation on the part of the viewer to be truly appreciated. In this case, that participation is characterized by using the proper tools to view the work, and I would love to think that within another 12 months we’ll be at a point where enough people are using the right tools that we can stop wasting such a large percentage of time catering to the ones who don’t. Ultimately, if we demonstrate that there are better ways available to see what’s out there, chances are that we can reach most of the folks who had no idea they were missing out on something better.
Oh, and these oft-rumored fools with javascript disabled? Don’t even get me started. I’m not even sure they exist, and I sure as hell do not have any intention of developing for that practically unheard of edge case. That’s just plain stupid.
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As you may have surmised from the title, this story involves Maeby, who is only recently coming down from the highest possible ranking attainable on my $4!t list.
A few weekends ago, I was working on some video editing. It was a sunday, and I’d put in several hours on the project over the course of the weekend, and I decided to take a break for a few minutes. I stood up from my desk, noticed Maeby resting peacefully (and presumably happily) on top of the back cushion of my oversized chair nearby, and sat down to visit with her. She was curled up and looking very cute, and normally her demeanor is fairly amicable in these situations. As such, I figured I’d show her some love by petting her and scratching the top of her head for a few minutes, which she seemed to enjoy. Suddenly, without warning or even the slightest sign of irritation on her part, she lashed out at my face with her front paw, brandishing fully extended and freshly sharpened claws. It was in this precise moment I remembered one of the fundamental rules of cat ownership and interaction: keep one’s face out of range of your feline friend’s reach at all times.
I had cats growing up, and I’ve been scratched in the face a few times as a child. (Never mind how, but I stand resolute in my opinion that each incident was fully unwarranted on the part of the various felines in question) In every previous instance, the damage was minor and fairly quick to heal. Unfortunately, this attack was not typical of those I had been subjected to in the past. Maeby has a tendency (especially in the past three months or so) to get her claws stuck on things. It’s an affliction most cats who still have their claws experience regularly, so this probably isn’t a huge surprise. What is odd in her case though, is that she has not figured out that the easiest and fastest way to get unstuck is to simply retract her claws and move on with her life. I’m not sure if this option hasn’t yet occurred to her, or if instead it she long ago ruled it out as a desirable course of action. At any rate, her solution to getting unstuck is to continue pulling on whatever she’s stuck until her claw breaks free.
The instant after I was reminded of the rule about faces and claws, I realized that one of her claws was lodged firmly into the side of my nostril, and in the instant after that I began to feel her panic and begin her instinctive tugging. This was immediately followed by a great deal of concentrated pain, and also one of the most awkward physical sensations I’ve ever experienced. The only way I can think of to describe it is to say that I think I have some idea now how fish must feel when they get hooked and then feel themselves being reeled in. I should point out, however, that the claw had not fully punctured from the outside of the nostril to the inside, only that it was embedded in the outer layer of skin, though it felt as though it might be close to halfway through.
Thankfully, rather than panicking in kind with the cat, I was fortunate enough to have adrenaline kick in, which numbed most of the pain, and also allowed me to quickly derive a course of action to prevent having my nose ripped open and taking an impromptu visit to the ER. With one hand, I reached over and held Maeby down so she’d be unable to begin running away and pulling with her entire body, and with the other I grabbed her arm and began to slowly pull it back towards my face so I could get the claw loose. Of course, being an animal, and one in a frantic state, she naturally resisted and tried to pull her arm back away from me, further tugging at my nose and heightening both my sense of urgency and stress level. It was an awkward position to be in (aside from the whole having a cat stuck to my face part), since I needed to use enough force to overpower her (easy), but not enough to hurt her (not as easy). We more or less had a tug of war over it for a good 7-8 seconds (which felt more like two minutes, an experience just shy of agonizing and terrifying), until I finally managed to pull her arm far enough back to dislodge her freakishly large cat talon, at which point I released her and was finally able to concentrate on my new wound.
She darted off into goodness knows where and I stumbled through my apartment to the bathroom to assess the damage and set about to treating it. Given how deep I could tell the cut was, I was surprised to find that it was fairly small in size, and thankfully not at all jagged. Still, it bled quite a lot for a good amount of time, and when it finally started clotting I applied a generous amount of Neosporin and then came back out to my desk to resume working.
So, going forward, I will be keeping my face extremely far away from Maeby’s reach whenever possible. The cut has thankfully healed since then, and won’t leave any permanent scarring. If anything, I’m extremely glad that I wear my glasses as much as I do, because if that claw had been lodged in, oh I don’t know, my eye, things that day would have been a lot uglier. My apartment would also likely have one less cat living in it (bringing the grand total to zero, for those of you keeping track).
So, the bottom line folks, is that if you own a cat, no matter how nice it might normally be, it is undoubtedly plotting to kill you, and it’s only a matter of time before it strikes.
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A small little mom and pop cable and internet provider named Comcast (perhaps you’ve heard of them?) made an announcement today that they’re rolling out a company-wide rebrand starting next week. Which would be great if they hadn’t chosen to trade their name and mark in for something even more uninspired and cliche than what they already have. Ladies and gentlemen, I give unto you, XFINITIY™. No, I’m not kidding. And yes, all caps are required when it’s spelled out.
I don’t need to launch into my typical lengthy diatribe about why I think this is a mistake, except to say that it is a futile exercise in swapping out one bland identity for another. To be fair, the mark itself isn’t all that terrible (albeit boring), but the name sticks out as a half-baked attempt at being awesome and dangerous and futuretastic all at once. It seems to be a classic case of “What will consumers think is really cool?”
Annoyingly, this will actually probably resonate with a good number of folks because it will undoubtedly fit right into their idea of what is “really cool.” This bothers me on a certain level, mainly because I like to think people generally know better than to buy into obvious pandering, but I am positive there will be people who are totally on board with this. Not that it matters, of course; in the end they’re still the same company, and my personal struggle with them as the purveyor of something I feel I deeply require but whom I don’t completely trust, will continue.
If you are feeling compelled to punish yourself and want to know more, feel free to mosey on over to the post on Comcast’s blog (linked below). I got about halfway through it before nausea set in and I had to stop reading.
Via [Gizmodo] and [The Official Comcast Blog]
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While browsing Netflix’s website for something new and interesting to add to my queue, something caught my attention amongst the recommendations section, under ‘Goofy Foreign Comedies,’ no less. That something was the poster/cover art for the 1971 film ‘Trafic,’ which you see pictured above.
There is something seriously awesome about retro movie poster design, and this is a fantastic example. I love the color choice, the hand-illustration, and of course, the use of overpasses and highways for the lettering. It’s old school, but it’s done well and it’s got a brilliant aesthetic. I have no idea if the movie itself is any good but I am anxiously awaiting its arrival in the mail in the coming week.
Oh, and if you’re wondering why I even have a section that recommends Goofy Foreign Comedies on my Netflix, it’s because of a little gem titled ‘OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies,’ a French parody of their equivalent of 007 flicks, set in (and shot as if it were) the 60′s. I strongly suggest you watch it, and seeing as it’s on Netflix Watch Instantly, you have little excuse not to if you’ve got an account.
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In the Summer of 2008, a small independent game developer published a downloadable title for a little-known game console called the Xbox360. Perhaps you’ve heard of it.
The game I am speaking of is, of course, Castle Crashers, and it took the Xbox gamers by storm during August ’08 and to this day remains one of the most popular online multiplayer titles on the platform. It’s a total blast, it’s damn charming, and it was all I played for a good long while after it came out.
Shortly after the game’s release, The Behemoth announced that they would be manufacturing and selling figurines based on the games tiny but vicious protagonists, and I knew immediately I had to have one for my desk. My original plan last September was to order all four knights (red, green, blue, orange) and let them stand proudly together in ferocious little poses, as there was a significant discount for purchasing them together. Somehow I never got around to placing my order, and I forgot about the little guys for a while.
Two weeks ago (and a year later), I remembered about this silly idea of mine and cruised over to The Behemoth’s store to grab a couple of the little guys. The price had increased a tad since last Fall, and so I opted to start out with just one, and of course I had to go with my favorite, the Red Knight. I knew that when he arrived I would enjoy having him to proudly display next to my monitor, but what I didn’t know was that the packaging and labels on the box would be so neat. So, I did what any self respecting gamer nerd would do; I snapped photos of the unboxing. Huzzah!
This morning, Ashley and I went to Weiden+Kennedy’s Portland headquarters to see Tina Roth Eisenberg, curator of one of the design community’s foremost blogs, speak about herself, her web site, and her experiences as a Swiss born and educated designer making the move to New York City shortly after finishing school. Ten years ago she came to the U.S. for what was supposed to be a three month vacation, and ended up putting her roots down here after falling in love with the world she encountered on the other side of the Atlantic.
I assume that a good number of you know who she is already, but for those who don’t, I strongly suggest you spend some time on her site. Each day she shares fun, new and interesting tidbits that she comes across, be it a piece of design, a neat product, or just something generally whimsical. It was fairly interesting to hear her stories, and she is every bit as genuine and honest as she comes across being on her site, which made the talk a fairly refreshing experience for me. Perhaps it was even more so for the guy who sat next to me, as he seemed to be a bit star struck and stumbled awkwardly through both of the questions he asked Tina afterward.
I snapped a few shots with my trusty iPhone. They are not great, but nonetheless, they are here for you to look at.
Also, as a fun side note, she snapped this photo before the talk started and posted it to twitter. Ashley and I are in the lower left, right behind the little ‘fence’ made from cables. I tell you because I know you care.
The few of you out there who actually still look at my blog have likely noticed two recent trends. The first is that I don’t update as often as I used to. This is something I intend on changing in the very near future; I’ve been so swamped with an overabundance of work (not complaining!) that will to sit in front of a computer screen any longer than I have to is next to none lately. Once I get some of these big projects out of the way, I will make my triumphant return to regular updates.
The second trend is that I’ve taken to a submitting a lot of photos that use my iPhone’s camera rather than my DSLR. I’ve become fascinated with the idea of using that camera to capture some of life’s more interesting, ‘spur of the’ moments as of late, and I think it’s produced some interesting results. However, as many of these photos are submitted directly to Twitter, they tend not to make it here to the blog. This post is intended to correct that, and so, here is a compilation of some of the more interesting shots I’ve snapped in the past month. Hopefully you enjoy them.
This one causes entirely too much trouble around my place. Do not let her cuteness deceive you.
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