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XHTML 1.0? Not Yet
Slashdot points to an article about how Scientists Don't Read the Papers They Cite. Anyone who has ever tried to use the references at end of an article knows that what the author says the article is about is often just not so (with exceptions).
The CC: as a warning shot across the bow
I work in a large medical center. I received an e-mail yesterday from an administrator reminding me that certain paperwork was due at another hospital (a security check by the Veterans Adminstration--they don't want anesthesiologists posing as terrorists to knock off any Veterans, I guess). Anyway, this e-mail was cc'd to my chairman. What was the purpose of that? Simple, I think. It's a proverbial shot across the bow. Gimme' a break. The people who do that sort of thing are the ones that never sleep at the hospital, who cannot be sued, who never wonder whether you could have done anyting better to save the patient. 'Squozen'. Is that a word? If it is, that's how I feel. And so do lots of other physicians. 'Squozen'
I was asked to write a summary of the different web sites we maintain in our Department of Anesthesiology today. Having to actually write it down made me realize a disturbing thing: it's not catching on.
I started with Manila in an attempt to make web content something anyone could create using the 'Edit This Page' button. I switched to conversant almost a year ago to allow people to participate by e-mail. I want to publicly thank the two people who have replied to my posts.
Since then, we have four new non-Conversant sites with their own usernames and passwords that don't work right on Macs. Users are confused. I'm discouraged. I have two faculty that have decided to author their own sites--one in FrontPage, the other in Dreamweaver despite offering to show them how in Conversant, to do much of the initial work for them, and show them how to effortlessly integrate it with our University Course Management System (Angel). It's not catching on.
Some trends I started are catching on. Laptops. 802.11b. Macs. Things that require no work, no change in habits, and facilitate doing what they've always done.
As I write this, I'm looking at my IM window. I see friends I've never met. Seth Dillingham, Steve Ivy, Mark Morgan. Guys who are teaching me how to do things I've never done. If I have a choice to make, I know which it will be. There's so much to explore!
It may be a losing battle, but it's the war that matters.
Usually, when people ask that question, they ask it before they buy the devices. Not me. I own a Toshiba E740 (Microsoft PocketPC), a Sharp Zuarus 5500 (embeded Linux), and (most recently) a Handspring Edge. I bought the Toshiba because of built-in WiFi. I've come to dislike the PocketPC OS so much recently, that I think I'm going to sell it. Yes, I have PocketMac and yes, as of yesterday I can sync with the Address Book on OS X and with iCal (but only one calendar), but, God, everytime I use the thing I think of how much better the Newton was in so many ways. For example, I tried to set some daily alarms, but then decided I wanted to delete them and I could not figure out how! Toshiba E740, say hello to Ebay.
I bought the Zuarus on an impulse. The GUI was gorgeous--very MacOS X like and since it was running Linux (I mistakenly reasoned) it would be only a short while until someone made it usable with MacOS X. Wrong. Ebay bound...
The Handspring Edge I bought recently. It's a refurbished (but mint) model with 8 MB or RAM, syncs seamlessly with OS X, and stores the info I need. I think I'll keep it. My 802.11b equiped TiBook is rarely more than 50 feet away, so if I want to do any web browsing or e-mail work, I can go there.
Simplify, simplify, always simplify. Say, don't they sell Newtons on Ebay?