In my previous article here, I talk about some of the problems I had updating from 2.x to 3.1 for WordPress. While some of these were problems brought on by the transition itself, others were side-effects of the shared hosting I use at 1and1. Well, hooray for good programming design! continue reading…
The Eric Horbinski Experiment
Observations, notes, methods, experiences, and other musings from the lab book of lifeCaveat Updator Redux and Mobile Browsing
January 11, 2012
No comments
Thoughts on Here Comes Everybody and Google Plus
July 23, 2011
No comments
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, chances are you’ve heard at least something about Google’s latest foray into the social media platform arena, Google+. I have been lucky enough to be one of the 20 million early “beta” participants and geeky enough to take a look at it, and while you can read my complete opinion on my work blog here, I wanted to offer a more academic opinion on my personal blog.
continue reading…
Book Review – Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky
July 23, 2011
No comments
Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations by Clay Shirky
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Reading this was about as timely as it gets for me. Clay Shirky, one of the contemporary thought leaders examining the sociological ramifications technology – and specifically the internet – bring to us, provides a seminal analysis on the new forms of organization that the information highway facilitate. In the same vein of Wikinomics (a work he references on occasion), he takes a look at how the lowering of social transaction costs allow us to connect and communicate more rapidly and effectively. He examines the differences between bonding and bridging capital (between and among heterogeneous groups) and why some initatives have failed and succeeded where similar ones have not.
continue reading…
Summerfest 2011 : Here We Go Again!
June 22, 2011
No comments
I love Summerfest. I mean I REALLY LOVE Summerfest. Anyone who has had the opportunity to talk to me for more than 15 minutes in any sort of conversational settings knows this, as does nearly anyone who has seen me out on a casual day – darn near every shirt I have heralds my favorite hometown music festival. My eyes light up just writing about it now.
Maybe you don’t know me, or maybe you’ve somehow otherwise escaped my “Summerfest is the greatest thing in the world” rant. Just in case, you can find more at the Wikipedia entry here or the main Summerfest page here. In my own words, however, Summerfest is truly the most awesome event in the world. continue reading…
Book Review – You Are What You Speak: Grammar Grouches, Language Laws, and the Politics of Identity
June 18, 2011
No comments
You Are What You Speak: Grammar Grouches, Language Laws, and the Politics of Identity by Robert Lane Greene
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was yet another drive-by pickup in the library, so I’m not surprised that it was a little different than what I expected. Greene starts with what I thought would be the meat of the matter – a discussion of prescriptivist vs. descriptivist linguistics (which is a battle I’ve been having with my father for the entirety of my life). He quickly moves on, however, into the socio-political ramifications of language and language policy. In another life I had plans to become a socio-linguistic antropologist so you can imaging my delight at this! Unlike other reviewers, I appreciated his application of linguistic science to his descriptions, but I can see where all the talk of suffix, prefix and phoneme might have gotten a little boring for the uninitiated. As a “Spanish” speaker, I enjoyed his discussions on the sociological and political development of the language in the old and new world. My undergraduate degree was in Mandarin Chinese and I spent a year studying abroad in Hong Kong so I was already familiar with some of the linguistic challenges facing China, and while he did shed some light on things I had not considered before, I wish he had spent more time discussing Chinese and Asian Languages in general. Maybe in a sequel? I would sure pick it up. Either way this is a book worth reading if you’re interested in language, politics, or culture.
View all my reviews
