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Month: March 2006

Introducing Dump Worthy

Published by Will Chatham on 3/31/2006

While sitting on the toilet reading the lates issue of e-Week today, I had a brilliant stroke of genius. You see, I get all these free magazine subscriptions due to the industry I work in, and I am often amazed at the complete worthlessness of most of them. It took me 6.5 minutes to scan through e-Week, read the articles that looked remotely interesting, then toss the thing in the waste basket.

That is when I found myself saying, “there ought to be a web site that will tell you what magazines are worthy of reading while on the toilet”.

I am proud to present DumpWorthy.com!

I am assembling a crackpot team of writers for the web site now. If you are interested, send the editor an email: editor at dumpworthy.com

Workplace Interruptions

Published by Will Chatham on 3/30/2006

Caught in the ho-hum doldrums of life on the cube farm? (Believe me, I know how you feel). You need to contact the Bureau of Workplace Interruptions (BWI), a seemingly service that will use mail, email, the phone, or suprise visits to provide you with a little bit of harmless, in-good-humor motivation and self esteem.

Reading through the Public Archives of documented interruptions on the site will give you an idea of what you can expect: anything from a recipe for Tofu BBQ Wings to the challenge of a workplace rap battle via email.

I haven’t taken the step of actually registering for the service, but from what I can tell, it is free, and you can tell them the best channels upon which to interrupt you so as not to upset your boss.

Internet Explorer

Published by Will Chatham on 3/28/2006

Still using Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser on your Windows machine? Stop already!

With the most recent critical, unpatched security exploits running wild, reports are coming in regarding otherwise innocent web sites silently installing malicious programs that steal your passwords and other sensitive information.

Do yourself a favor and install Firefox or Opera, both free browsers that provide a much better, safer Internet experience. There is no reason not to do this now, unless you like other people having access to your computer and everything you do on it.

If you are still using Microsoft’s Internet Explorer on your Macintosh computer, well, you are missing out on the Internet as it is today. This browser is not subject to the same exploits that the Windows version is, but it is no longer updated or supported by Microsoft, and doesn’t take advantage of many of the newer features of the World Wide Web as we know it. You too can upgrade to Firefox for free.

Assorted Stuff

Published by Will Chatham on 3/27/2006

A buddy from one of my favorite online geek hangouts, the Broadband Reports Web Developer board, has been collecting VW commercials on his site for VW lovers. I’ve always been partial to VW’s, having learned to drive in a ’67 Beetle, and their commercials area good reflection of their uniqueness in the auto industry.

This is my last week at my current job, and I am excited. The future is wide open and I am looking forward to trying to make it on my own. I have been working hard at drumming up some web design business, and have 6 sites I am currently working on. I also have a few other irons in the fire, and will write more about those as they (if they?) develop.

Next week is the big week: An Event Apart is on Monday (though I am waiting to find out if I still get to go since I won’t be an official RSIS employee anymore, even though it has been paid for), and Dinosaur Jr. is on Friday. Been looking forward to this for a loooong time.

Changes

Published by Will Chatham on 3/19/2006

So with two weeks remaining at my current day job with the Air Force, I have found myself in a time of major change and decision making. I have sent out about 50 resumes with only a couple of responses; interviews that I have yet to take part in. The long of the short of it is there are really not a lot of I.T. jobs in this town, and I have been lucky to have the ones I have had thus far.

Alicia and I had a long talk while my parents were here watching the kids this weekend, and we came up with a plan. Unless some company offers me a deal that is too good to turn down, I am going to do what I have always wanted to do, and that is go it on my own.

As a foundation, I have picked up a part-time gig with a local company called Position Builders, who are a search engine optimization company. This alone is a really cool deal, because it has a lot of potential to develop into something big, and I am getting in as the ball is picking up momentum.

In addition to that, I will be trying to get as much business as I can for what was until now my freelance business, Asheville Technologies. AT has been pretty much a hobby thus far, adding a little spending cash to my wallet each month, but I think with some help from some sales-oriented friends I can push it along into something that will carry us along.

The prospects of all this are exciting, nerve-wracking, and satisfactory. Of course there are a lot of “what ifs” and the potential to fail, but there is also the potential to succeed, and there seems to be no better time than now to try it. We have developed several Plan B’s in case none of this works out, but I am hoping we won’t need to go there.

So, does anyone need a web site or some PC support/training/consulting? Let me know.

A Few Things

Published by Will Chatham on 3/15/2006

You probably noticed the new curtains. Finally, I got around to creating my own design for this site. There are still elements of the previous theme here, and I will be changing them in time. For now though, I can at least call this my own.

Today in the car, I asked Gray what his website address was. He knew.

I heard a song I liked on Radio Paradise the other day, and I looked up to see what it was. Turned out to be by Belle and Sebastian, a group I had previously avoided because I didn’t like the name. I ended up downloading the whole album, called The Life Pursuit, and am digging it. I continue to suprise myself, as I never would have liked such artsy pop-rock 10 years ago at all.