Something Interactive

What is there is just as important as what isn’t there.
Tracking lower text isn’t evil, but do it appropriately.
No rulebook to kerning text, it’s YOUR eyes that are the judge.

If you’re a multi-window user (windows not maximized to full screen) or have a computer with a lower resolution and navigate to anybody’s Twitter page, you may have problems viewing their background image because of the twitter page framework that overlays on the page.

I came across a couple blogs that solely advertised their services of creating eye-catching, advertising backgrounds for anyone’s Twitter page.

This my friends, is a HUGE rip-off – and here’s why:

1. Twitter’s backgrounds are left aligned, yet their content framework is center aligned. This will always block the background at inconvenient proportions.
2. If you try to display information like phone numbers, email addresses, or website addresses in the background picture (as a result of point 1) will be cut off or impossibly unreadable due to the maximum amount of space available between the left side of the page and the left side of the content framework.
3. People who are savvy enough to use Twitter, don’t even use the Twitter website, in favour of social media aggregator/updater apps. They sanitize the content to just the Tweets alone, so the backgrounds aren’t even seen.

I don’t have statistics on how many people use Twitter, what their resolutions or screen sizes are, or what apps they use to aggregate Twitter with, but not once have I ever been impressed with someone’s twitter background that has advertising material to promote themselves. Phone numbers, email or website addresses are constantly cut off, and even photos of the Twitter profile user are cut off or whatever they are trying to sell is cut off or blocked by the Twitter content framework.

Twitter needs to add a little more customization to their user profile stylesheet management first before I would ever consider using the background of my Twitter page as another avenue to advertise myself.
Instead, for my Twitter profile, I have ingeniously used one of my artwork pieces and created a simple pattern out of it; there isn’t any important information being cut off, and aesthetic quality of the background image adds a truly unique expression of creativity.

And those other people who are charging money to create custom Twitter backgrounds, I tip my hat off to you; you’re making money from being scrupulous thieves and selling graphics that don’t do their job very well.

The following screen shots were taken at the very popular 1024×768 resolution.

I need to put this as a post on my site as I often forget what permission settings are and their corresponding numbers are for CHMOD and the like.

1 execute
2 write
3 execute+write
4 read
5 execute+read
6 write+read
7 execute+read+write

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

At the end of December 2007, I read somewhere that the year of 2008 would be “the year of change”.

While I don’t necessarily subscribe to the thought that we are completely stagnant some years and others not, I do however think that the amount of change from year to year would tend to have its ebbs and flows overall.

That being said, a large portion of this year has been spent making pivotal decisions to change my career, from working at The Shopping Channel to going back to school so that I can pursue my dream of teaching the discipline of Design, and doing so with positive social change.

Today, after almost 7 years with the company, I sent in my official resignation to The Shopping Channel.

This was no easy decision, and I have spent a lot of energy towards furthering my career.
Through applying and collecting information, filling out forms and attending workshops, negotiating and putting my feelers out, I’ve set myself up to attend studies this fall at the acclaimed up-and-coming Ontario College of Art & Design in the downtown of Toronto, Canada.
I also had to think about my income and my future, and the lifestyle that I would leaving behind and what lifestyle I could carry onward.

One constant thing that has gotten me through it all is knowing: if I want it really bad, I will make it all work out. I will jump the hoops. I will make the sacrifices. And, in the end I will reap the benefits.

I wanted to thank everyone that I worked with at The Shopping Channel.

These people are dedicated and hard-working. I know this because we all worked in one of the hardest lines of business to work in: RAPID-RETAIL. It’s not easy trying to satisfy one of the world’s most unique market of customers without having real-time in-person physical interaction.

I know that I will miss working alongside many of my co-workers, however, I know I will see them again down the road sooner or later in our travels.

I wish everyone the best, and hope that they are finding too, that this year is the year of change.