Editing HTML by hand

Spelling and Grammar: More Than Just a Squiggly Red Line

The modern era of the Internet is a postmodern anthropologist’s dream: everyone has a voice, contributing to the grand scheme of our culture, both local and global. We’ve progressed from the “look at me” early days of LiveJournal and the Open Diary to full-blown social media integration. From the quick quips of Twitter to branded, lengthy WordPress blogs (like this one!) to primarily pictorial modes of social media like Instagram, it’s undeniable that there is a need in our culture to connect to a network, to read and feel read.

Take a trip to your local search engine or news site and you’ll see that blogs are being regarded as reputable sources of information, a far cry from their humble “here’re my favorite bands” beginnings. For us Internet folk, keeping a blog is an integral part of our hire-ability; blogs give potential employers a glimpse of our personalities as well as show that we know what goes on under the hood.

But this post isn’t a sprawling love letter to social media. No, this post is far nit-pickier than that.

Continue reading

Shipping crates

Fumbling Towards CMS Proficiency

This is sort of an ironic post to follow my previous one, given that I am doing some decidedly UNprofessional things with my website these days.

Why the blog? Why all the changes? Why, indeed!

A small number of weeks ago, I managed to land a great job in Nebraska and had to move (hastily and immediately) from Austin, TX. I lived in Nebraska for 3 years, 3 years ago, and am used to the winters and general strangeness of life in the Midwest.

What I’m not used to is Content Management Systems.

Continue reading

Writing code on a laptop

Know the Code

A few weeks ago, during the course of my daily browsings, I came across the Academy of Design Professionals’ Code of Professional Conduct. This intriguing and much-needed document (presented on a beautifully simple web page, BTW) calls to designers of all walks to hold themselves and their profession up to higher standards. It deals with the professional obligations designers have to themselves, their peers, their profession, the public, etc., and lays out a great set of ground rules designed (ha!) to promote the design profession as necessary and good.

Signing and adhering to this code is voluntary and important. This post serves as my signature.

Why is having a professional code of standards so important? What does it mean to me to adhere to this code? Read on!

Continue reading