February 29 comes but once every four years, and so too does an opportunity like this. On Friday morning, I accepted a job with USA TODAY.

Starting April 1 March 31, I will be working as a designer for USAToday.com. There are many more details I’d like to get into, some of which I have yet to figure out, but all will come in a forthcoming entry.

Friday was a bittersweet day. I was surrounded by the excitement of the Future of Web Apps Conference in Miami and the thrilling notion that I’d be joining the talented and innovative team at USA TODAY. Likewise, it was difficult realizing that I’d be saying goodbye so soon to my wonderful and excellent co-workers at the Orlando Sentinel. It’s a sign of a good team when it’s this difficult to leave, but, in going to USA TODAY, I know I’ll be joining an equally great one.

Decisions like these are never easy to make, but like my decision to join the Sentinel, I believe this is the right one. Thank you to all who have helped me reach this point.

UPDATE: SND Update has a write-up on the formal announcement from my boss, Bonita Burton.

The SND Region 3 blog has also posted of the move.

Charles Apple has also sent his well-wishes.

After I collapsed the boxes and settled into my new home, it hit me like a brick: “So, what now?” The friends I’d had for the past several years of my life had suddenly disappeared. Kind of like that cruel prank of pulling the rug out from under someone. The teacher’s taken the eraser to the whiteboard, and it’s time to start over, yet again. It’s like starting college, all over again. You leave your friends from home, step into a foreign landscape, and hope to make some new friends even though you preemptively assume they could never replace those from home. Remove the social environment the classrooms, dorms, organizations and sports provided and it’s even tougher. And I honestly believe being in a place like Florida makes it even harder yet. People here aren’t like people from Michigan, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just different. When I tell someone I went to U of M, they respond, “Oh, Miami?” It’s hard to describe, but you really just lose that mid-western feel.

And as much as I thought I wouldn’t, I had no idea how much I’d miss wearing a scarf. Michigan’s little quirks are something to live for, I’m telling you. The blustery, colorful falls, the crackling fire to combat the heart-stopping cold. Curling up with a warm blanket, hot cocoa and a good book in 70-degree weather just won’t be the same. Now, I know, I know Michiganders, 70-degree weather in October and November rocks, but can you honestly tell me you’d rather not see a single day of snow? I often wonder if the lack of change in seasons here leaves one in a timeless state of mind, unable to move forward, stuck in a perpetual state of stasis… but I digress.

At the same time, much of this comes from that deceptive little memory quirk called nostalgia. When back in Michigan, there were plenty of reasons I could list to leave, and going back there, I’m sure they’ll resurface. For now though, it’s hard - but I’m tackling it, and experiencing small victories. BarCamp Orlando and blogOrlando last week were great events in their own, geeky right, but they were even better for meeting new people. I’m starting to find that among all of these Floridians, I’m not the only one down here who longs for the comforts of the mitten state, and that, perhaps, has been the most comforting feeling I’ve felt in a while.

[For those of you back in ol' Ann Arbor, I'll be coming back for the weekend of the Ohio State game, November 17 and 18, and will be back in Holland for the following week. You have no idea how excited I was to get that time off from work.]

For those of you that have left home/the midwest, what has your experience been like?

That’s pretty much what happened over the past week here in Orlando. On Sunday the 23rd, code-crunchers, web developers, hackers and designers came together to put on the first biannual BarCamp Orlando. Later in the week, on Friday the 28th, social-media-gurus, PR analysts, business consultants, Twitterers, WordPress fiends, videobloggers and everyone in between came together for the second annual blogOrlando. Together, the two comprised the busiest and best week I’ve had down here, yet.

BarCamp is an unconference where the talks are determined the day of, and the event is held at a local venue, as opposed to a large, structured facility. There are several contingents around the globe, and this was Orlando’s first. The man behind the event, Florida-local Gregg Pollack, explains the idea in a great instructional video shot and edited by another local, Jason Hawkins, who, by the way, is an awesome, fellow film fanatic. Jason and Gregg are also the team behind the famous Rails Envy Ads. The geek factor was very high, the event was very well done, and it was a great to meet the local tech talent. I was pretty excited to meet Alex Rudloff, cofounder of Emurse.com, creator of Twitterholic, and a software engineer of AOL.com. I also sat next to Mark Jaquith, one of the lead developers of WordPress, the blogging platform this site’s run on. I’m telling you, Orlando has a lot more going for it than I think many give it credit.

UPDATE: Watch the awesomeness that is the BarCamp Orlando video put together by the illustrious Jason Hawkins:

blogOrlando, on the other hand was a semi-unconference (how else would you get national participants if the scheduled sessions were unknown?) spearheaded by Josh Hallett, of hyku. The event was geared to strike up discussions about social media, journalism, personal and professional online identities, blogging practices, videoblogging, podcasting, marketing, design, web standards and search engine optimization and, boy, did it. The event was attended by some very smart people (the keynote speaker was Shel Israel, coauthor to Robert Scoble, of Naked Conversations) and subsequently initiated some very intriguing conversations about all of the aforementioned topics related to social media.

One particular session on managing your personal and professional identity both online and offline, led by Alicia Dorset, strived, due to a small group of participants passionate about the topic. Aside from many great points touched on, one that was of particular interest was made by Laurie Mayers, of Manning, Selvage & Lee, a PR firm out of Detroit (Michigan represent!). She stated she wouldn’t hire someone if she couldn’t find them on Google, because she’s looking for people who are both active and adept at working online (she’s also published a recap of the session her firm’s blog). It has often been stated that you should be careful what you do and post online (and to an extent you should), but looking at it from that standpoint was particularly interesting to me. I’ll dig deeper into this concept in a later entry.

Both events were fantastic and I’m excited to see the subsequent iterations of these events in the next year. Cheers to all those involved in putting together these events - they were both, by far, huge successes and I feel fortunate to be around such talent.

Last fall was something of an ethereal dream. I was injected into a world of designers and illustrators, stars and mentors, friends and colleagues; people who could talk kerning and composition with equal fervor. This dream was SND Orlando, an annual convention for news designers hosted by the Orlando Sentinel in Orlando, Fla. I was attending the conference as a finalist in The Intern competition, competing alongside nine other student designers, for three coveted internships at large, metropolitan papers. By the end of the week, I walked away with one of the internships to The Arizona Republic. The convention had seemingly set in stone my next twelve months, but soon enough, the road less traveled appeared…

While at SND Orlando, I also spoke with faculty from The Poynter Institute for New Media Studies, a school for journalists, about attending their annual summer program. Long story short, I was accepted in and found myself at Poynter as part of the Summer Fellowship for Young Journalists for 6 weeks prior to starting my internship at the Republic. While I was at Poynter however, I was contacted by the Orlando Sentinel about a job opening. I was taken by surprise, but was equally intrigued, so I went over for an interview to check it out. A week later, they made an offer, one that couldn’t wait until the internship at the Republic had finished. And thus, I was torn.

That I had an internship with the Republic was quite public in the news design community, and as a new face to the profession, I wanted to be sure I weighed all of my options thoughtfully, and carefully. The job at the Sentinel was tremendously appealing, however, I felt if I turned down the Republic, I’d be returning the world’s largest birthday gift. Plus, I was really looking forward to working with Tracy Collins, the Deputy Managing Editor and man responsible for much of my success at the competition, living with Joey Kirk, fellow Intern finalist, and exploring Arizona. After much thought and discussion however, it became apparent that a full-time job trumps an internship, and so, I accepted the position.

Throughout the whole process, I kept Tracy informed about what was happening. He was tremendously understanding and gracious throughout the whole process. Drinks are on me next time, Tracy.

So twelve months after The Intern competition, I’m employed as a Multimedia Artist at the Orlando Sentinel (for exactly a month now), and I really couldn’t be happier. I’m producing interactive online Flash projects, and learning a lot on the way. I’ve still got a lot to learn as a Flash developer, but with this job, I’ll be able to continue that learning and experimenting with the medium. Also, I get to collaborate with all aspects of the news organization, from the reporters, to the editors, to the photographers, to the designers, to the online staff. It’s really a lethal mix. I can’t wait to see where this year’s Interns will be in a year…

Moreover, I’ve settled into a great condo downtown, and while I’ll visit Disney, Universal and Sea World on occasion, I’m on a mission to dig up the great little local businesses in the area. You’d think, with Darden and Disney breathing down your back, there wouldn’t be much room for locals, but you’d be surprised. Also, there’s a booming tech community with which I plan on getting heavily involved. September alone will see barCamp Orlando, blogOrlando, and some Florida Creatives meetups…

Perhaps the most gratifying aspect of this entire process, however, is that I’m doing something I love. A few years back, I took a chance on pursuing my passions, and now I’m making a living with them. Whether I’m thinking about that now, or in 20 years, I can say with certainty that I will always take pride in that.

[Please pardon the semi-rough audio quality. This was edited down from a recorded conference call using Gizmo.]

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On Sunday, I was a wreck. SND Orlando was undoubtedly one of the most amazing experiences of my life (and I say that with a sincerity I’ll explain shortly), but I never thought I’d have such a hard time letting go. Make what you will of this, but I shed a few tears on that day - primarily at the fact that I had to give a long, hard goodbye to some of the most incredible people I’ve ever met; namely Bonita Burton, Stephen Komives, Melissa Angle, Cassie Armstrong, Tracy Collins, Matt Mansfield and the Interns. I’m sure I’ll see all of you sooner or later, but for now, it has been tremendously difficult. And really, all that that says to me is that the Orlando Sentinel put on one hell of an event. They, and SND, literally changed the lives of 10 individuals, and for that, I will be forever grateful.

From the moment I arrived in Orlando, to the moment I left, every detail of the week had been thought out to a T, and if something unexpected occurred, accommodations were made so that we were none the wiser. Moreover, the number of contacts and the amount of networking that happened over the course of one week was utterly unbelievable. From meeting big-wigs like Neil Chase of the New York Times and John Grimwade of Conde Naste Publications to the hilarious Tim Ball of the San Jose Mercury News and Erica Smith of The Times of Northwest Indiana, the people I met were awesome, and I couldn’t be more thrilled about what lies ahead for myself and the rest of the Interns. Joey, Tawanna, Tiffany, Tory and Barbie are going to make waves, Carrie, Billy, Stephanie and Nina are going to have an amazing time at their respective papers, and, already having discussed some plans for next summer with Tracy, I think I’m going to fit right in at the Republic in Phoenix.

Which brings me to an overview of the actual events at SND. My plans to post updates on The Intern progress were curbed when I realized it was in my best interest to not disclose the events and our efforts to encourage participation/attendance at Friday’s lunch. In any case, here’s a rundown of what happened*:

[This is a long, but necessary post, so to make it easier to navigate I've made some 'refers': SUNDAY : MONDAY : TUESDAY : WEDNESDAY : THURSDAY : FRIDAY : SATURDAY : SUNDAY

SUNDAY, AUG 27: After some travel complications, the Interns all met in the hotel lobby at 6pm where we were informed by Bonita that the competition was already down to 9. At first, I thought she was kidding but sure enough Tiffany was not actually there. READ: Bo means business. The 9 of us were introduced to the remaining judges, Matt Mansfield and Tracy Collins, and also met Bonita's minions amazing colleagues, Stephen Komives and Melissa Angle. All of us made our way over to the Sentinel where we, one by one, had an on-camera "confessional" conducted by Tom Burton. One question asked concerned the craziest thing to have happened thus far and considering nothing had really happened yet, I said the fact that they had already eliminated one person. In retrospect, that was embarrassing. Little did I know that Tiff had actually made it to Orlando, and that she was still in fact in the competition, despite some transit issues. Way to scare us Bo.

After the "confessionals" we each had an individual meeting with the judges in the boardroom. They asked quirky questions like, "If you were a cereal, which would you be and why?" and "What is you favorite color or color scheme, and can you give the CMYK values?" My answers? Crispix, because there are two sides to me, one that's more creative and another that's more professional. Matt replies, "So on one side it's corn, so you're corny?" Nice. I knew my colors too, but they change shades with each project I do and after I adjust the CMYK values, I store them in the Swatch palette so I kind of dropped the bomb on the values. Anyway, after each of us finished the interviews we were brought to Steve Cavendish so he could teach us the basics of CCI. The last thing they asked in the interview was whether or not we'd be up for designing a page in CCI, so we had to learn the basics of CCI and fast. After everyone had finished their interview, they came out and asked us how we felt about CCI. With a mixed reaction from us, they reveal that we would actually be designing a page in InDesign instead. Relief; although I would have liked to have given a go at CCI even though it is allegedly the devil.

We were broken up into teams consisting of an editor-in-chief, two designers, a photo editor and a copy editor. In an hour and a half we were to design an A1 page consisting of a budget, the stories and respective photos. On the red team we had Carrie Hoover (EIC), Billy Kulpa and Nina Mehta (designers), Tawanna Sikes (Photo Editor) and William Couch (Copy Editor), and on the blue team in respective positions, Joey Kirk, Stephanie Giugou, Tory Hargro, Tiffany Schwarz, and Barbie DeSoto. When all was said and done we got a very useful critique of each team's page. Afterwards, we returned to the hotel. Some settled in for the night while others took a(n outrageous $15) cab to a Walmart five minutes away. Joey's luggage had gotten lost in the airlines so he needed some basics and we wanted water and breakfast food to spare the ridiculous hotel prices. We got home later, and everyone headed to bed. I bummed around, posted to this blog and just as I'm headed to bed at 4am, both Joey's (my roommate) and my phone rings. Are you kidding me? It's Stephen Komives informing us that Osama bin Laden has been captured and that we have to come downstairs and redesign the A1 page we did earlier. I threw my clothes on and headed to the lobby. No one else was down there yet but Bo, Matt, Tracy, Stephen, and Melissa were all dressed up and ready to go. They told us that we had to assemble our teams immediately. And so began the race - through the halls, up the elevators and on the phones - and it came down to one last person for each team and when Tawanna arrived in the lobby, the red team had won. Tiff showed up shortly thereafter. Bo then informed us that the red team would be given a 15 minute head start. We bolted in the Boston room and got to work, taking heed the advice offered to us earlier. In the end each team fared well and by 6am we were all finally back in our rooms, sound asleep, for good.

SUNDAY : MONDAY : TUESDAY : WEDNESDAY : THURSDAY : FRIDAY : SATURDAY : SUNDAY

MONDAY, AUG 28: We met in the lobby at 1pm with Bo, Cassie and Stephen at which point our "hot, sweaty, long challenge" was revealed: a visual scavenger hunt in Disneyworld. How cool is that? Given a 27-exposure disposable Kodak camera, a list of adjectives and a one-day pass to the Happiest Place on Earth, we were off for an 8 hour day in the Magic Kingdom.

It was on this day that the Interns really bonded. Going off on your own for 3 hours to explicitly "people-watch" was also easier said then done. But in the end, we all filled our rolls and got more than a few rides in on Space Mountain.

SUNDAY : MONDAY : TUESDAY : WEDNESDAY : THURSDAY : FRIDAY : SATURDAY : SUNDAY

TUESDAY, AUG 29: Today, in pairs of 2, we completed Monday's event. Our photos had been developed overnight and burned to a CD so that we could layout a photo essay page, in one hour. Starting at noon, each team went in to layout their pages. The trick? When it came time to layout our photos, they tell us that we would be working with our teammate's photos instead, because how often do you get to work with photography you shot when designing a page? This was the true test - how well can you work with what you have? Offering art direction as well, Bo, Stephen and Melissa offered their thoughts, and this was the second trick to the event - how well can you take creative direction? By 5 o'clock, everyone had gone and 10 "My Day at Disney" pages were made. The video overview shown at Friday's lunch flashed them briefly. Around 6 o'clock that night then, we headed over to Bonita's home to have a BBQ and do a little swimming.

And we got to meet the adorable Bailey Burton.

Tim Harrower also joined us and at that point, and we got to see each other's final poster ad campaign. Between you and I, us 10 have some real talent. ;)

SUNDAY : MONDAY : TUESDAY : WEDNESDAY : THURSDAY : FRIDAY : SATURDAY : SUNDAY

WEDNESDAY, AUG 30: The Interns were pretty lax throughout the day. Threats of Hurricane Ernesto meant sleeping in, lounging around, and swimming (when it wasn't raining).

Exciting eh? The Intern's got nerdy that night though, as 6 laptops converged in Joey and I's room to ride on someone else's free WiFi and we had an almost shameful VizEds forum chat convo with Charles Apple and others. I mean come on we were all chatting with each other in the same room, arguing about type and watching stupid-funny YouTube videos. It wasn't until Ashley Dinges informed us that some SND folks had arrived that we herded down to the lobby to meet-and-greet(-and-apparently-get-smashed) in what would be the first schmoozing night of many. There I met Kris Viesselman of National Geographic, Nicole Dudka, Kirstin Lenz of the Hartford Courant and finally, Martin Gee, of the Merc in person. Oh, and could anyone else tell Denise Reagan's a great partier?

After much socializing, somewhere around the likes of 3am, we found our way to bed.

SUNDAY : MONDAY : TUESDAY : WEDNESDAY : THURSDAY : FRIDAY : SATURDAY : SUNDAY

THURSDAY, AUG 31: The convention kicked off and the Interns started to campaign. Beginning early with registration help, some helped issue convention schwag and name tags while others had a more leisurely morning. At noon, Martin Gee's session began and man, what a session.

Delving into his design background along with several great ways to garner inspiration, the student session was undoubtedly a hit. Following it, Nicole Bogdas, Nicole Dudka and Kristin Lenz offered some great tips followed by an informative Q&A on getting a design job. Afterwards, a number of hotshots bestowed their wisdom on us, young padawans, by means of portfolio critiques. Bonita's critique alone of my portfolio gave me enough inspiration and perseverance to go buck wild this next year on improving my skills. Additionally during this session, Sara Quinn and Kenny Irby of the Poynter Institute interviewed 9 applicant finalists for 3 Poynter Fellowships for next summer.

In the evening, the Opening Reception including some Business Card Bingo went down. There's nothing like schmoozing with a bunch of industry professionals.

Too bad I was so overcome by meeting people, that I didn't even cash in on half of my drink tickets. It seemed like a waste, but following this was Casino night and there, the night lightened up a bit.

Blackjack, Texas Hold-Em, and raffle tickets galore, I met even more people, including some designers from the New York Times. My two measely raffle tickets proved worthless, but at least a student won the slick, black MacBook. And as if it were any surprise, when Casino Night wrapped up, everyone moved on over to Champion Sports Bar in the hotel. And count on Robb Montgomery to be drinking mojitos, strumming guitar and singing "Mrs. Robinson" alongside some of SND's foreign friends in the lobby in the interim.

SUNDAY : MONDAY : TUESDAY : WEDNESDAY : THURSDAY : FRIDAY : SATURDAY : SUNDAY

FRIDAY, SEPT 1: Friday saw the convention get into full swing. It began with the Opening Breakfast and General Session with a keynote presentation by Robin Sloan and Matt Thompson presenting their film, Epic 2015, wherein a future is presented where Google and the New York Times fight it to the grim end.

Sadly, there was substantial truth in their harrowing film. Afterwards, sessions went underway, but not for too long. But a few hours later was the Business Luncheon where Bill Gaspard presented a lengthy presentation on the revised SND Code of Ethics. Afterwards, the four winners of the Poynter Fellowships were announced: Joey Kirk, Billy Kulpa, Tory Hargro and Erin Cubert (yes, 3 of those were Interns, but the judges swear they didn't know when choosing for the interviews). Then came the big moment: the final 5 in the Intern competition were announced. Nina Mehta, Stephanie Giugou, Carrie Hoover, William Couch, Billy Kulpa were the ones to advance to the final round.

The audience then had the chance to vote for their top 3 choices, their only choice three times, or something in between. From what I heard, voter turnout was quite high...

After lunch, presentations continued until 6pm, including the must-see "Stuff Your Editors Will Hate: The Sequel" by Harris Siegel, of Asbury Park Press. I actually spent the majority of the afternoon perusing the boothes and talking with people who were moving in and out of presentations. As this was the first time I'd ever been to an SND conference, I wanted to monopolize on networking - there were so many people to meet, and it was literally networking nirvana.

That evening, Carrie Hoover, Nina Mehta, Ashley Dinges, Bridget O'Donnel, Martin Gee, Stephanie Grace-Lim and myself were going to head to dinner, but as it would turn out, the entire San Jose Mercury News crew had one giant, swanky feast at Ristoranté Tuscany in the hotel, so naturally, we joined them. Afterwards, with Martin's newly raffle-acquired Pleasure Island tickets, the aforemenitoned crew hit up the Disney-for-adults. After realizing how much of a scam it was, we settled into the patio bar at the House of Blues. That's not to say however, that we didn't go wild in the Pop! art store, toy around with the House of Blues sign, an insignia of Martin's old employer, or just engage in general debauchery.

And again, count on SND folk to be at the bar, because we found about half of SND at the House of Blues bar. Schmoozing and socializing ensued, and yet again when we returned to the hotel for a regathering in the lounge, where an emergency stock of Miller Light magically appeared...

Had Stephen called at 4am this night/morning, I still would've been awake, but probably not in a state to design a "bin Laden's been captured" page.

SUNDAY : MONDAY : TUESDAY : WEDNESDAY : THURSDAY : FRIDAY : SATURDAY : SUNDAY

SATURDAY, SEPT 2: Aww, this was the last day. I woke up way late, something to the tune of 11:30am, completely and regretably missing presentations by Denise Reagan, Mark Friesen, Sara Quinn and Charles Apple. Nonetheless, I hustled to get to the Visual Editors luncheon at the Champion Sports bar. Online personas took physical form, massive amounts of music were swapped, and there were some sweet, free Font Bereau shirts to boot.

I then headed over to the New York Times' Neil Chase's "When Pica Met Pixel: Web Redesign & Integration" session and that was easily the best session I saw (not that I made it to many, but his insight was ever intriguing and spot-on).

I meandered some more afterwards, and then headed over to Stephanie Grace-Lim's fantastic, energy-packed session where some of the coordinators and presenters played as "contestants."

All in all, workshop-wise the day was quite successful. Now was the time to get down to business. I quickly hurried upstairs to change into my penguin suit tuxedo and do some packing. The top 5 interns had to meet at the ballroom ahead of time to get a rundown of how Tim Harrower's Design Bowl would be going down.

Shortly thereafter, the ballroom opened to everyone and everyone wined and dined. As dinner came to an end, the Interns took the stage.

The top 5 stepped forth as they broke down the results of the week, and then they called out the top 3, in order of the audience's vote, to take their respective podiums. I was flattered when I was the first one called (thank you everyone for your votes).

Following were Billy Kulpa and Carrie Hoover respectively.

Then the "Newsers and Losers" Design Bowl took place. By the time Carrie reached 10 points, Billy had gotten 7 and I had gotten 5. I have to say, I thought I put up a good fight, considering I come from a school with no journalism program and I personally have a trenchant disdain for history. And I couldn't be a prouder typography nerd for having answered the Avant Garde question (yes, I knew it was Avant Garde despite the fact that that was also the name of the publication in which it was first used). Moreover, had I been quizzed on grid layouts, web design, or more typography, I might've cleaned house. That said, Carrie and Billy did fine jobs, and earned the ability to claim 1st and 2nd choice at the San Jose Mercury News and The Orlando Sentinel respectively. I couldn't be more excited about working for the Arizona Republic in Phoenix though, and wait until you see what Tracy Collins has lined up for me...all I can say is that keep your eyes peeled on the Republic's horizon...it's going to be beautiful.

After the dinner concluded, the Interns and other big-wigs made their way to the exclusive President's Reception (with open bar!) where we mingled more, and people reminisced on the events of the past few days, and for the Interns and their coordinators, the entire week.

And yet again, following the after party, came the second after-party in the hotel lounge, and then came the after-after-after party in Cassie's suite.

There I met John Grimwade of Conde Naste Publications, a design demigod. For the last time (at least for this year), schmoozing and socializing ensued until the wee morning hours.

SUNDAY : MONDAY : TUESDAY : WEDNESDAY : THURSDAY : FRIDAY : SATURDAY : SUNDAY

SUNDAY, SEPT 3: Having slept for but an hour, I got ready to head out and went to the lobby to meet Tim Harrower for my ride to the airport. Except he never showed (it's OK Tim, I forgive you). To make a long story short, I thank the fellows from The Times-Picayune for sharing their cab ride to the airport with me. But the fun didn't end there. All of that SND schwag put my luggage 14 pounds over the weight limit, and then they had to confiscate my camera sensor cleaning fluid that they somehow missed on the way down. Needless to say, with little sleep, several hard goodbyes and an uneasy ride home, Sunday was tremendously difficult.

SUNDAY : MONDAY : TUESDAY : WEDNESDAY : THURSDAY : FRIDAY : SATURDAY : SUNDAY

And now I have come full circle. This post as my evidence, SND Orlando was amazing, and so was everyone I met. I won't forget any of you (and I hope you won't forget me!) and a day hasn't gone by that I wish I could be seeing this sight again.

*[So, halfway through writing this (this has been 4 days in the working), I saw Nina posted a similar entry. I swear, we're not trying to copy each others' blog posts. Also, the photos shown above are highlights from my SND Orlando set, and include some from the global sndorlando Flickr tag.]

Social capital and user-generated content are two of the most active trends on the Internet right now, and the mainstream media are finally starting to capitalize on that, but just barely. The New York Times, with the savvy Khoi Vinh at the wheel, is leading the pack with its recent redesign, addition of podcasts and streaming video versions of articles (I’m particularly fond of David Pogue’s tech videos each Thursday), and recently, the beta release of a user-customized news page reminiscent of your AJAX homepage du jour.

Called MyTimes [the feature is only available to users who expressed interest shortly after the launch of the redesign], the feature presents a drag-and-drop interface for modules displaying content from varying areas of the NYT and other pre-chosen sites (at this stage, you can not add your own pages or RSS feeds). Also, users can list their favorite journalists at the Times and view their customized pages showing what news sources they read and rely on. This is perhaps the coolest and biggest differentiating factor between itself and every other homepage aggregator. Features aside however, My Times follows in the struggle of news organizations as they try to keep readers on their pages, and away from sites like Newsvine. And the Grey Lady’s unveiling of this feature comes shortly after CNN, the USA Today, and the BBC [forthcoming redesign] redesigned and revamped their sites with current web trends, and a greater breadth of consumable media.

The New York Times’ foray into a customized news page, is in interesting step to make in the profession of journalism. First, it demonstrates that the mainstream media is not only acknowledging, but further proactively transforming its delivery platform in the wake of a medium rapidly rising in popularity. Second, and perhaps unfortunately, it shows how news organizations are having to compromise some of the very foundations of journalism in order to compete in an increasingly one-sided war with the Internet. Similar sites have been developed at other leading news organizations, such as Newsweek and the USA Today. These sites have worked out a partnership with Newsgator, to deliver their sites’ content to users in a straightforward manner via RSS, without requiring knowledge of RSS on the user’s behalf. After all, only 12% of Internet users have used RSS, and only 4% have done so knowingly [Yahoo! PDF].

While these sites are pretty slick, from a theoretical editor’s point of view, they are in fact detrimental to the principle of hierarchal news structure. One of the key values of a newspaper and journalism in general is to present the most important stories to readers and that notion simply falls by the wayside when the hierarchal structure of news delivery disintegrates; and this is precisely what is happening with the introduction of My Times, My Newsweek, and MyUSAToday. Journalism is already having a difficult time adapting to the web, and while adapting a trend such as customized content would seem like a natural step to take, it can actually inhibit journalistic traditions to the extent that journalism is becoming its own worst enemy in this blurring of print and digital.

This all said however, it is is arguably extremely difficult for the very notion of hierarchy to exist in a platform as democratic as the Internet, and therein lies the conundrum. How do you deliver what users want while maintaining editorial control? Is it even possible? I certainly don’t know the answer to this question, and surely, only time can tell, but I believe news organizations, instead of adapting their content to pre-existing delivery methods, should be more innovative and utilize their exclusive assets (journalists) with these new methods. Again, this is something the New York Times has done with My Times. The ability to see a journalist’s resources is a powerful and excellent example of integrating news and the Internet. Likewise is getting a visual and aural component of an article, as is done by the likes of A.O. Scott, Thomas L. Friedman, and David Pogue with their weekly videos showcasing films, global issues and new products whose print counterpart lies within pages of newsprint. You can listen to Maureen Dowd’s latest Wednesday column by subscribing to her podcast available via Audible (although I’d prefer her as the narrator) or download the “Mosquitone” that’s whirring in classrooms and mini-vans alike via the link right beside the article. No longer can traditional news outlets simply add some blogs to their sites and tout it as “Exclusive Content!” I can go to any one of thousands of sites that pertain to the same topic and get better, faster and more current news updates; case in point: Newsvine, Technorati (especially with their new version), and 9rules.

In the end, no matter how one views a news organization, whether as a corporate business or a founding institution upholding and protecting national values, it is really the journalists, reporters, investigators, designers, photographers and editors that define the organization. As such, this assemblage of passionate people is the best line of defense in the involuntarily-waged war between the Internet and news organizations.

Update: This article has been edited for errors. 14 June 2007

During my Winter semester, I was absolutely packed with work. Classes, homework, extracurriculars. It was awful. I’d be gone for at least 12-14 hours often not getting home until long after midnight. I was stretching myself thin across my classes, Glee Club rehearsals, and the Daily. It’d be a miracle if I could even get to bed before 2 am. I felt like a circus clown juggling 5 balls while balancing on a tightrope. My housemates were expressing their concern that I was overworking myself. They wanted to know why I was doing homework and not hanging out with them on Saturday nights. I wanted to know why too. I was nervous that everything would start unraveling. I’d reached a precarious balance; one slip and it’d be all over.

Earlier, in January, I went to meet with my advisor to see what she thought I should do about having all of these commitments. She noted that it would be difficult, but that it was great that I was involved in so much. That was basically the stance I took on the situation too - I loved what I was doing, and I was going to stop at nothing to advance myself professionally for my career. The semester continued, and somehow I managed to get by - just barely. As a testament to how tight everything got, on the last day of classes, I was up for about 58 hours straight. When all was said and done though, I had a lot of work to lay claim for. I’d built a respectable news design portfolio at the Daily, put out another semester’s worth of E3Ws, garnered a series of designs and illustrations for the Glee Club, and still achieved above a 3.5. And admittedly, I love the chaos; I thrive in it, but there’s a point at which you have to just learn to say no.

That’s when it really hit me. I’ve had a lot of times where things were getting pretty dicey and I was not sure that everything would play out, but nothing was quite as challenging as this last semester, where I became so overtly ambitious, that I became my own worst enemy. In retrospect though, I’ve realized that regardless of how tight a situation might become, everything will work itself out in the end. Things happen for a reason, and that is absolutely the case when you’re working with ideas, beliefs, and people you’re passionate about. That is my indefinite life motto now. A year and a half ago, I was a computer science major and was having a tremendously difficult time as such. While I’d say I know my fair share about computers, this clearly wasn’t the right direction for me. Doing a complete 180 degree shift, I’m now a Screen Arts & Cultures and Communications major, and things are looking up. I love the work I’m doing, I love the people I’m meeting, and I’m a little frightened because I’m a near-graduate who’s actually excited to enter the real world.

And now, I’ve come to another realization. While I can’t wait to start working professionally with design, I can not forget about what I have going for me currently - my Senior year and a whole lot of great friends. I find myself relating a little to well to Topher Grace’s character in “In Good Company” and, yes sadly, even Anne Hathaway’s in “The Devil Wears Prada.” They were both so eager to get into their careers that they lost track of what’s important. Cliche it may sound, but it often can and does happen. Thus, this year, I’m going pull back on the throttle. This year, while I’ll still be working with design, my priorities are going to be my friends, my classes and my Senior year the University of Michigan.

I was a little uneasy that word had spread so quickly to my GSI, but that’s the nature of the Internet. My GSI continued, telling me that she had heard of the Professor Quotes blog and had seen the numerous quotes from the professor of the class. She said she didn’t have a problem with it as she found that what some of the professor said was crazy and often funny. What was interesting, however, was that she had heard of the site from another one of my professors who had but one quote on the site. Now this made me nervous. I might be in a little over my head, I thought. Especially if professors were starting to find out about it, as inevitable as that may have been. I didn’t think much of it after that however, as nothing really developed, and the site went on a bit of a hiatus after academics and work demanded more of my time.

But I probably should have.

In March, I met with my film advisor to discuss the classes I should take my Senior year. We came to talking about a class she could potentially be teaching the following Winter semester that would take a look at how blogs can serve as “portraits,” whether of an individual or a topic. I told her I was big into blogging and she replied with a somewhat sly, “I know.”

OK, maybe now I should be taking note.

She continued to explain, telling me she had heard of my name/blogs on the Internet. I asked her if she was referring specifically to Professor Quotes and she gave a nod. I asked her how she’d found out about it and she basically replied with a response that again suggested, “It is the Internet, after all” - that and while professors are not often Googling themselves, when they do, the site comes up. Oh, and apparently some other students had “ratted” me out either to her or other professors who told her, which, I’m not sure. At this point, I was both nervous, but deep down, slightly entertained - solely for the fact that the site had made the rounds among students, and professors. She stated that while there are 100+ students to whom they’re usually lecturing, their departments (the Film department especially) are comparatively small, and subsequently, the word does get around.

After talking for a little bit, she (and more or less I) came to the consensus that the site should be taken down. Upon leaving the meeting, however, I was torn. I want to respect my professors, but at the same time, I felt as though other students should be able to partake in the humor our professors (un)intentionally deal out. But, when discussing the matter with others, the point was raised that should there be a quote that is incriminating toward the professor, whether on his/her beliefs, or solely for expressing attitudes that are not in line with the University’s, their job could be endangered.

Now, they’ve got my attention.

I continued to mull it over. It’s no different than Overheard in New York, or even Overheard in Ann Arbor. Or is it? Where do does one draw the line between what belongs to the public, and what belongs in the classroom? I had another class this past semester where we came to an agreement that mimicked that of Las Vegas’, “What happens here, stays here.” There the line was drawn explicitly. And the classroom isn’t the only place where this seperation between public and private gets muddy. The New York Times just reported on the issue of blogs and the workplace, especially among inherently tech-savvy interns who are flooding businesses at this time of year. The article stated that, “only 8 percent of the 404 human resource professionals it polled had blogging policies, while 85 percent did not.” It is surprising that the numbers are this low, but as is the issue with most technology, organizations are only beginning to grasp the necessity of acknowledging it as a formidable component to their operations.

That doesn’t go with saying, however, that the people who are blurring these lines should be overlooked. I’d certainly hold myself responsible if a professor were to get in trouble with the University because of material on the site. The issue gets even trickier when legitimacy of the quotes comes into question. I had a problem last fall with Overheard in Ann Arbor when someone submitted a quote that was actually posted intially to Overheard in New York. Validating that quotes are legitimate and indeed accurate becomes an entirely different problem and one that takes the fun out of the sites’ original purposes. Moreover, it brings to mind a popular critique of blogs in the publishing industry, “where are the editors?” The information being put out by the vast majority of blog(ger)s does not see a second set of eyes before it is published for the world to see. This is a matter that deserves debate, and Jack Schafer and David Shaw [LA Times article via Crooks and Liars] have already started. For this matter however, let it stand that reputability comes from validated information.

In light of all of this then, and to ensure no altercations ensue between myself, professors or the University, I have removed any potentially damaging quotes from Professor Quotes (should it be determined however, that I can safely publish these quotes, I am still maintaining a private copy of them so that they may be easily reposted), and intend to ensure the validity of quotes submitted to either Professor Quotes or Overheard in Ann Arbor. But I’m still curious what others (i.e. you) think. Where does one draw the line? Who (if anyone) has the right to publish these quotes? Should bloggers get the same rights as journalists?

Until there is clear resolve on this matter of public vs. private however, the sites will remain, and I encourage people to send in (legitimate) quotes.

UPDATE 27 May 2006: A California appeals court has announced that online reporters are covered by the First Amendment. So do you think this would cover posting quotes from people online?

Article from Wired [via Boing Boing]
Article from The New York Times

Aside from the excitement of having one of the first films you’ve truly put some blood and sweat into screened to an audience of well over a hundred, seeing the work of others, whether they’re in your class, or ones above it (I wish I were as ambitious as those Honors kids. Yes, Brandon and Sean, I’m talking to you. And Mike, I obviously loved the title of your animation short, as evident by this post’s title.), is truly rewarding. I definitely have a newfound appreciation for being a film major.

That said, and as promised per the last post, the final film Geoff, Zach, Mike and I made, The Gardener, is complete and posted above. Screened at Lightworks last friday, the film received an overwhelming audience response. Almost everyone who helped with the film was in attendance, and that silent moment between the final shot of the film and the credits has got to be one of the most rewarding moments I’ve ever experienced. I don’t mean for this to become self-congratulatory; I’m solely trying to express the rewarding nature of finishing a piece of work that has been a long time in the making, and how great it is to hear that people enojoyed your production group’s goal. Especially when those people are your incredibly smart and well-versed theory/history professor (Rob King) or the revered Ann Arbor Film Festival Director and they express such appreciation through donning the awards of Best Director and Best Cinematography to your film.

A year ago this spring, I somewhat nervously made the decision to become a film major, and right now I couldn’t be more pleased with having done so.

[You can view a complete list of winners from the Winter '06 Lightworks festival here. Also, many of the films are available for download to your computer or iPod via the FVSA Video Podcast.]