Periodicdesign

Kyle made an amazing statement this morning over Google Talk about an interesting topic:

Kyle: no longer .Mac your “.ig” account would have everything you need where ever you go.

I think he makes a very interesting realization about the direction that Google and really the rest of the web should be heading. Of course, I’ll keep this post short and not focus on the collective of the web, but what the folks over at Google are doing.

Kyle pointed out an article this morning about a very high profile (at least I think so) web celebrity that is joining Google as their CIE. Vint Cerf, one of the pioneers behind the internet, will join their executive team on October 3. This is actually quite monumental, considering Vint’s background and the other highly intelligent and high profile individuals that they have coming into their ranks or are already there. Some include the following:

• Louis Monier; director of eBay advanced technology research
• Kai-Fu Lee; researcher at Microsoft

Now, some people are scrambling around saying the tech boom is upon us again! I really don’t think that’s the case, but I do think there are good things brewing in the technological pipelines. Google is one of those at the forefront, as is Yahoo! (which is another post at some point), that is pushing the technology envelope like never before. Of course, Google is in a position to do great things. Their stock price is soaring and investors want to see a return on their investment. This is good for growth, at least for thinkers in the tech sector. Those loan rangers that stuck around for the past five years or more and practiced their craft behind closed doors, or what little they could in their work environments, are the ones to shine in the not so distant future.

From speaking with colleagues in the last few weeks about things to come, the future is bright for all those passionate about tech. The idea of a Google “.ig” or GooOS was in the back of my brain six months or so ago. I approached some friends and colleagues in the field about the idea, only to be shot down, saying it’s too difficult, that no one would use it or what’s the point. Well, obviously someone wants to use it, because Google is heading in this direction. The point is that the web is changing and how we interact with information in front of us is changing as well. Whether we like it or not, how we interact with each other and our personal computers is beginning to change, and for some, already has.

Well, I haven’t posted in nearly a month. I was starting to pick up my postings, but time always gets the better of me. I figured I would go ahead and just run a dump of the past few weeks with highlights of the weekend.

To begin, school has been super hectic so far. I just finished the halfway point with my final Bachelor’s class at NVCC. Yeah, it’s English 251 (World Literature), but it’s still a lot of reading and writing. I could currently give anyone a dissertation and/or rundown of the likenesses of civilization and the wilderness with considerations on the adverse affects of both on mankind and how such romanticism in the realm of the wilderness effects writings of the time. I could also feed you all cubes of Tofu until you vomit. Each would be equally engaging I’m sure. To date, my grade in the class is a 100%, which is great considering that during college I was a slacker when it came to my general study courses. I was always attentive and received high marks in my major courses (of course, who doesn’t), but my GPA in those pesky mundane courses such as English, Math, Social Sciences and the like, always seemed to be uninteresting to me. I was a huge fan of Sociology and History, but outside of those courses, the east side of Shepherd University’s campus was very unappealing. Other than that, I was granted an extension and only have five papers (250 word minimum) and two exams to complete, and then freedom! I look forward to partying hard upon the completion of my undergraduate degree. Then it is on to more appealing things such as a graduate program somewhere. I’m still deciding on all of that.

Speaking of graduate programs, I met some nice folks from the University of Baltimore, while attending User Experience Week at the end of August. Kevin and Larry are both U of B individuals, just on different levels. Kevin is the Webmaster for their web site and Larry is currently enrolled in their Master’s of Science in Interaction Design and Information Architecture program. I have been weighing my opportunities in the professional world and wondering what, if any, steps I should take next. I have had a move to California in my mind for the past six months or so and as feasible as it may sound, a move to California may have to take a back seat with the potential of scholastic improvement. There is much to ponder on this front as this fall unfolds. My current focus is to finish my Bachelor’s, party hard for a few weekends and then start focusing on my next moves some time in late November.

The new house is coming along nicely. We are unpacked for the most part and settled in. My only complaint to date is that although the house is always clean, we may have to setup a chore list. Things are getting done, but individuals are slacking from time to time. My roommate Helen is contemplating moving to Orlando, Florida. She has an offer with her current employer to have all expenses paid and move to the land of oranges to take on a new marketing position. There isn’t much worry on the end of the household in regards to our financial situation if she would move. Upon taking the position, rent would be covered by her employer for the remainder of the lease. Although this puts me a little at ease, I’m not sure how well Keegan will handle this situation if she leaves. He and I have been having many talks in the past few days and I’ve been trying to give him some constructive criticism and advice on the events that may unfold. I’m not a shrink by any means, but I don’t want my friends to think a situation is as bad as it seems. Sometimes what may seem bad is actually a blessing in disguise. As far as the situation is concerned, I’ll go more into detail as events unfold in the coming month(s).

Travel plans for the fall are as follows:

• 9/30 - 10/2 (Tentative): Flying to Charleston, West Virginia to see an old college friend, Tara.
• 10/20 - 10/23 (Tentative): Flying to Chicago, Illinois with my roommate Keegan to visit friends and family.
• 10/29: Driving to Shepherdstown, West Virginia with Keegan for Shepherd University‘s Homecoming.
• 11/9-11/13 (Tentative): Drive/ride with Katie across the country. I will be helping her move to California.

Travel plans have been placed in tentative mode for the time being. I just unloaded my UAW-GM 500 NASCAR tickets last night to some friends. Since my parents and I aren’t on speaking terms right now, it seemed like the best solution for the current situation. Since canceling those plans, I’ve been scurrying trying to plan other things to do.

Outside of all that, I’ve just been enjoying life and this past weekend was no exception. Saturday I road my bike to Frederick, Maryland for my friend Meredith’s house warming party, which was a blast by the way and then Sunday afternoon, Kyle and I road the bike’s up to see Meredith and Mike for a little lounge time/post house warming chat. While we were out shopping, Kyle and I ran into my old co-worker Brian and his friend Will. It was good seeing Brian again. We talked a little about music (I was shopping for some new Trance – by the way Brian, awesome box set!), work and the usual. Life was good on both ends, which was good to hear.

That’s all I really have for now. I’ll have some other dumps over the next few days to write about. Ta ta for now!