So I’m writing this roast instead of doing revision (don’t tell my parents!). I did have oodles of things bookmarked to share with you this week, but somehow when I re-read them all, most of them just didn’t seem worth it. In fact, the only piece of news that still even mildly amuses me is the Illinois baby who got a gun permit. To be fair, I’m not sure why I feel it isn’t a good roast unless there’s something from the BBC or NYT in there, but it might be something to do with wanting to make a good impression. I do read serious stuff online, honestly!
But who am I trying to kid? I’m really just as a frivolous an air-head as the next ditzy brunette. So here’s some other stuff from around the web this week that WASN’T in the news:
(forgive me if my intros/explanations are lacking something this week. My brain is a bit busy trying to remember the finer points of English grammar, styles of rhetoric and why Don John was such an evil bastard in Much Ado to locate my usual zing).
Oh, and not for nothing – I’m noticing a slight trend in my reading back towards the more serious/thought provoking and away from the frivolous. I blame Neko and her “just do research in your own time, who needs a PHd” idea. I doubt this trend will last long though, so don’t worry your pretty little heads too much. Just look on it as an opportunity to expand your horizons along with me 😉
Trust is an Externality – a musing I would probably lightly maim someone to be able to write. Ooodles of thought provoking ideas.
I’m starting to have a few feelings coalescing into baby ideas around the idea of the online/offline divide and how invested people can get in mediated social spaces. I’m not sure how much these idea-germs are original and how much derivative, but I do have the inkling there’s something to be said in there somewhere. To that end, I’m starting to collect evidence and this Wired article on virtual rape, while unsavoury, provokes some interesting questions.
I love it when science fiction meets up with reality. Wired have a great piece of neuroplasticity and training the brain to ‘see’ with other senses.
I didn’t realise that typeface was such a contentious issue till I got embroiled with the design department at work and we went head-to-head over fonts and the like (Arial size 12, by the way, is NOT the answer to all problems!). I’m only just starting to appreciate the finer of points of, say, Info over Garamond or kerning, anti-aliasing, point sizes and serifs, but shoot me if I ever get this obsessed!
I bring you the Kitty Keyboard Cover, because it’s important that you deny your feline friend the fun of ruining your work.
Luckily y’all who comment here at Bright Meadow are lovely people who know how to place nicely with others and I’ve only had two or three really nasty comments. But not everywhere is as friendly as this little blog, and trolling is a genuine problem out there – here are some tips on how to deal with them.
For all you LOLCAT lovers out there.
Something doesn’t taste quite right to me about this timeline of the past, present and future of the Web. I’m not sure what it is, but I’m getting that feeling which is my inner research spidy-sense tingling. And it’s not just the glorious use of the Flickr colours on that graph.
Tyme’s article on online communications and crossing boundaries links in nicely to something of danah’s I was listening to on the bus with regard the lack of visual clues online. There’s a whole other ramble I won’t go into now because 1) it will bore you and 2) I’ve not written it yet. Let me get this A Level out the way, then let me have my two week holiday, and I promise I’ll get writing again.
I really have no use for this theme but it did make me have a giggle of glee when I discovered it thanks to Anne’s computer setup.
For all you anthropologists out there, through the power of Flickr, I can bring you the secret life of Gummy Bears.
I think anyone who’s read more than a page of Bright Meadow will have some inkling that I’m interested in this whole emerging online thing and how people are using the new mediums to do old things – the 6 Million People Flickr group is leveraging the online community beautifully to try and create a new form of the traditional memorial.
If only you could favourite whole sets on Flickr – Brighton graffiti
And because I always like to end with something that will stay with you – You Are A Pirate!
(1) Possessing a gun permit at the age of 10 months?! All because of an inherited gun?! *sigh*
(2) The kitty keyboard cover is a brilliant idea! (though I don’t keep pets)
(3) Rod’s themes do bring back lot of memories. Remember the time when we were still using computers with floppy disks with a hole in the middle? 🙂
Hehe, like the pirate one – should’ve gotten a Bristolian to do the voice though 😉
Thanks for the mention 🙂 Glad you like the set!
LB
There is nothing wrong with a healthy obsession with typefaces, it’s actually pretty good! Do you know the site “Ban Comic Sans: Putting the Sans in Comic Sans”? It’s hilarious.
Have you seen the lolcat buildr? 🙂
Yay for the roast. Yay for gummy bears. I’m sad that I only just now know of the flickr blog’s existence.
Sorry it’s taken me a while to respond to these comments – it doesn’t normally take a week, but I did have extenuating circumstances!
pelf – during our office move a few weeks back I found stacks of those disks. I called IT to see if we could get the data off them… They just laughed at me and said they made good coasters 🙁
Lady Banana – you’re welcome and welcome as well to the Bright Meadow comments 🙂
Anne – there’s a difference between a ‘healthy’ obsession and just a plain obsession. I’m not sure where the line should be drawn, but t-shirts might just be a stretch too far 😉
estarla – hilarious!
Abi – don’t not be sad. Just think of all the lovely archives you now have to browse through, and at least now you are aware of the blog. Just think how sad it would be if you continued to be unaware…