JAN: New Years at Joel’s. Seren born. Yelling and crying.

FEB: Mum’s nomination meeting. Elected to strata council.

MAR: Giants Fan Bus.

APR: I check into my first Gowalla spot.

MAY: My temporary roommate drops her phone down an elevator shaft after a Colonel Panic concert. Ultimate with H.A.M.M.E.R. starts.

JUN: Program catalogue launch. Asthon Lane, Inverness and @media.

JUL: Fireworks with Sue. Decemberists.

AUG: Camping. Victoria. Drive-in movie. Summerland.

SEP: Copyfight. Franz Ferdinand and Great Big Sea.

OCT: Barcamp. Whistler.

NOV: Hopscotch. Bought the hat. San Francisco. Bad things happen to good people.

DEC: UXCamp. We survived Christmas party. Quebec.

I was asked the other night who my favourite comic book character is and anyone who knows me would answer without hesitation: Batman. They’d be close.

It’s Robin all the way.

Not Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, or Tim Drake – Robin. You know, that colourful target that swings into action next to the dark knight.

I like the idea that Batman needs a little bit of light to balance his darkness. I like the energy, optimism, and ingenuity of a kid fighting in an adult world.

Who’s your favourite?

It means I enjoy theory, logic, precision and abstract thought and that I learn best through lecture, independent research, and following procedures. This means I love web design but makes my blog very, very boring.

It’s one of four learning styles as categorized by Dr. Anthony F. Gregorc. (I totally just Googled that). I first heard about my style from my teacher and friend Cheryl Atwater. The thinking styles are actually very useful for figuring out how to deal with people. For example, if you’re discussing something with me you’re more likely to persuade me with logic than heartfelt pleas ;)

The other three styles are: abstract random, concrete random, and concrete sequential. The fun stuff starts once you know which you are or which one that person at work who drives you up the wall is. Floating Neutrinos has a great information page summarizing each style’s learning preferences, strengths, and weaknesses.

You may be able to figure out which one is you just by reading the descriptions, but here’s a good old fashioned pen and paper quiz to help you figure it out.

I just want to go on the record and say I *like* the personal tweets.

I like knowing that despite their mega awesome coding skills they still have problems with clients.

I like knowing that while working on that beautiful design they spent an hour moving something 2 pixels to the left and then 2 pixels to the right, and then 2 pixels to the left..

I like knowing that they still get nervous about giving presentations, lie awake at night wondering which tag would be more semantic, over dose on caffeine or have a sushi addiction.

I like knowing that despite their commitment to user experience design, web standards, and innovation, they all go home at the end of the day to people and things they think are more important than their work – and those aren’t always going the way they want either.

I like knowing that they’re human, because it makes it okay for me to be human too.

In case you’re wondering who I’m talking about:
zeldman fraying meyerweb collylogic hchamp Malarkey mezzoblue

1. Black queen carved like Raven.
2. Small brass Buddha.
3. Wind up penguin.
4. iPhone.
5. Microformats pocket cheat sheet.
6. Salt.
7. 8.5 x 11 print out of the gMail “mvelope”.
8. Label from a Christmas present: “To Steph Love, Joel, Jim & Mrs. A.”

You’re it.

A second video of ours was chosen as a featured clip. If you got to the page with the final Gmail behind the scenes video and scroll down to the map, our multi monitor video appears if you click the Vancouver icon.

Yesterday after work Alistair filmed videos with my and Kenzie’s help, three are up on youtube now:

• From computer to computer
• Chin up bars with fancy editing
  
• Gmail for lunch
  

Today I got to work 20 minutes early.

I think the lesson hear is quite clear.

I need to do this more often!

I didn’t actually tell anyone at HOPE that I’d done it that way since it doesn’t effect the way the page looks and I figure they’ll discover it for themselves if it’s useful to them. However, my friend thinks I should tell them so they recognize just how good a job I’m doing for them.

I don’t really feel like I did anything other than my job. Isn’t it my job to do a good job?

In the last two weeks of February, CBC’s IDEAS aired a couple programs on the ideas of Richard Sennett, a sociologist and author who has studied the organization of work. Among other things he suggests the Western world is obsessed not with the idea of craftsmanship but with productivity. In other words: it doesn’t matter how well you do you job – just how quickly.

The speaker at my graduation ceremony spoke at length encouraging us to “strive for excellence” in everything we do. Not just in the work we do but also in our interactions as part of our daily lives. From answering a client’s e-mail to cooking dinner, he urged us to do our best.

Is doing a good job something society has to be told to do now?