10 Predictions for Web Development in 2011
Cool article on Mashable. I know Mashable is pretty mainstream now, but I agree with pretty much everything in this article. The one thing that continues to kind of bother me is the popularity of Ruby. Like, why is it so popular? It’s like, people are all over it b/c it’s new. I don’t get it. ah well… enjoy:
The Fork Dorks have arrived
Over the past few months we have implemented a slew of new small web applications.
Fork Dorks
One of our latest websites is the result of a couple of dorks with big appetites. Every day for lunch, we go through the same routine. Instant messages start shooting back and forth around 10:00 AM. Propositions, negotiations, and ultimately decisions are made over email, text messages, IMs and occasional phone calls. We go to lunch and “talk shop” about our nerdy jobs and generally enjoy the company. None of us are really culinary experts, but that does not exclude us from having the right to an opinion. One of our consensus opinions was that local food blogs do nothing but gush over anywhere they report on and that is where Fork Dorks was born. We can’t pair a wine with a steak, but we can give a real opinion about where we ate.
The site has also played a neat role as a test location for some new techniques. We used Word Press with a super basic template and rolled the site out over a weekend. Since then, we implemented some basic integration points with Flickr and Facebook. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys the fruits of our labor.
Microsoft Surface Project Update
Take a look at our progress on our Microsoft Surface project. I am working with Ohio State on a pilot project for the Microsoft Surface, which will be located in the new student union. The surface is a new table top computing technology that incorporates some pretty cool concepts such as multi-touch and multi-user interaction. The unit is durable enough that we currently have it in a food court where students have been eating off it.
I am on a team of developers writing the application. In the video you can see a trivia game that we worked with some students to write. My role is Project Manager/Creative Director/Technical Architect. The game was my concept although the idea is heavily inspired by the BW3’s styled trivia game. I also helped with some of the technical architecture but the students did most of the programming work. We showed them how we want the system to be built, what technologies we wanted them to use, some other technical guidance and they did a great job taking it from there. Our next step is to clean up some of the user interface and bring in a graphic designer to make it look really good.
The other cool thing about this video is it was taken with our new SLR camera. We bought a Canon 7D. The goal is to be able to take some more of the images displayed on the sites we develop and even shoot some footage if necessary. The camera shoots in 30fps at 1080p. This should help cut costs instead of outsourcing to photographers and production companies.
Acuho-I presentation update
My presentation: Juggling stakeholders, vendors, and complex integration points has been accepted for the ACUHO-I conference in October. I am half excited, half nervous because it has to be an hour long and it will be at a national conference. I was on a “panel of experts” at the StarRez Housing Software conference last year, but I didn’t really have to say much. It is really exciting to get the opportunity to speak at something like this, however, it is the middle of September already and I have a lot of work to do on the content. 
Another Update: Apparently the I in ACUHO-I stands for International. I am not sure if that means “Canana can come and play too,” but I guess I am technically presenting at an international conference.
OSU HomeBase … new look… same purpose -> none
Tailgating, Ohio State Football
The brainchild website of the business, OSU Home Base underwent a new look. OSU Home Base is a website dedicated to our alumni group and Ohio State Football. The purpose is to serve as a general forum for old friends to stay connected and to meet new friends with common interests. I created this site as an undergrad student and during one of its many transformations, I got a lot of attention and a few job offers. I got enough offers, in fact, that I decided to go a little bigger and start my own business… and Home Base Web Solutions was born.
Plinko, uh, yeah we do that too?
Our company is young. We like to have fun. And we like to share. Take a look at the Plinko game I built with my wife and brother in law. About 75% of the materials were leftover scrap from some home renovation projects. Stay Classy.