Author: Shelley Powers

Reno calling

Post author By Shelley Powers
Post date June 20, 2002

A quick update because connection charges are ruinously expense at the hotel (Silver Legacy, Reno).

Long trip was cancelled and I’m heading to St. Louis direct. The move this last week was, well, horrible. Thankfully the folks at Delancy Street (non-profit foundation that employs people in various positions), came through and rescued me today, packing up the rest of my stuff. I am sicker than a dog is all I can say.

Heading to St. Lou in easy stages.

Thanks to everyone for the incredible efforts with Thread the Needle, or ThreadNeedle, or Needley. The great thing about this project is it’s the first to be designed via the weblogs.

One thing I have been stressing with TheadNeedle is no popularity – no rank – no listing of buzz – nothing of that sort. We’re here to have a conversation, to connect. Quality of conversation should matter, not quantity of links.

Am I out to lunch on this one issue? Should popularity of threads be denoted in some way?

Looking out hotel window at a massive thunder storm rolling in. I get to drive through my first t-storm tomorrow. Cool.

Weblogging

Neighborhood news

Post author By Shelley Powers
Post date June 17, 2002

Recovered from the Wayback Machine.

Like myself, Victor is moving. Unlike myself, Victor is moving with five kids. Five kids.

Can you imagine the size of the moving van?

Speaking of kids, time to send congratulations over to Gary Turner – he’s expecting his first baby in December. Congrats, Gary!

Update Not that anything’s being announced or anything (*ahem*), but check out some very cool ultrasound pics that Ben and Tempe have provided.

Standards Web

Issues of accessibility

Post author By Shelley Powers
Post date June 17, 2002

Recovered from the Wayback Machine.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about Mark Pilgrim’s Thirty Days to a more Accessible Web. The series covers basic steps we can take to make sure our weblogs and web sites are accessible.

His first tip is on DOCTYPES.

I tested my weblog against the 508 accessibility test at Bobby and according to the results, not necessarily trivially easy to read, I should meet this standard. However, I don’t meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 standard.

Does anyone meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 standard?

Once I’m settled, I’m enlisting the help of experts among my virtual neighbors (weblog translation – I’m whining, begging, and groveling for help because everyone knows I’m a back-end developer and know shit about front end stuff) to make sure my weblog and web sites are accessible.

If you have a weblog, don’t you have something to do about now?

(And once you’re done with that, move your tushie over to AKMA’s and give him some requirements and suggestions for Thread the Needle.)

Technology

A day in the life of a technical architect

Post author By Shelley Powers
Post date June 17, 2002

Client: When can you tell me what you think of the software?

Me: When do you need the evaluation?

Client: Tomorrow.

Me: Tomorrow?

Client: Yes, we’re meeting with our clients tomorrow.

-sigh-

Me: Well, what’s the potential user load for the software

Client: Half a million customers

-pause-

Me: At once?

Client: Yes. What do you think it will take?

Me: A miracle

Connecting

Wrap Up

Post author By Shelley Powers
Post date June 16, 2002

Recovered from the Wayback Machine.

I found out this morning that one can still have ADSL without having phone service. My phone is disconnected but the ADSL is still active.

Once the internet has you, it doesn’t want to let you go.

This posting was previously titled The Untouchables. However, I removed the previous contents because I realized this morning that the writing was unfair. I was writing about another author in a context that didn’t necessarily give her a comfortable forum with which to respond. And that’s not right. My apologies to Meg for criticizing her work in a way that didn’t allow her to respond. Sorry, Meg. You deserved better.

I still don’t agree with what Meg wrote in this one instance, even with Jeff’s lovely entry into the discussion – but we’ll leave it at that and close the subject. I left the skeleton of the pulled posting because of the comments. In particular Ruzz has a nice comment and Stavros has a link to a nice posting – I didn’t want to pull these.

I did pull another post, though I know that Mike Sanders has written on it. However, he has pulled out those components of the posting he finds to be relevant to his writing. I should apologize to Mike, but at this time, I’m just too tired to issue yet more apologies.

What’s that you say? Weblogging means never having to say you’re sorry?

I will finish the Thread the Needle application as quickly as possible. Once started, this app should take on a life of its own and grow beyond any one person’s control – that’s how I’m designing it.

Though Needle isn’t necessary for dialogs to continue (dialogs have been occurring successfully without the technology). hopefully, it will provide a way for new voices to enter the dialog and be heard. Those at the center of a discussion don’t need Thread the Needle; it’s being built for those at the edge.

Update: U Blog Senior Lecturer in Tionian Area Studies and Chaplain AKMA and PorridgeBoy’s good twin, Gary Turner (the one who doesn’t put salt in his porridge) have stepped up to gather requirements from the weblogging community for Thread the Needle. Thanks, guys.