Machvergil 5.0

So that you guys know, I got the job.  Yep.  I’m now a full time employee of Michigan State University, with salary and benefits.   I’ll be able to tell you better how great I feel after Thursday’s orientation where I get a better handle on what I’m getting out of the deal.  That said, I look forward to going to the doctor/dentist again.

So since my position as a professional web developer continues, I thought I’d comment on the upcoming browser wars, which I fell really should be called “Browser Wars2” (or BWII). I say “two” because the first Browser wars were really between Microsoft’s IE and Netscape Navigator, that took place in the 90s, a battle Microsoft ultimately won with flying colors.

For the last few years we’ve had a rising rivalry between the newset versions of the king’s browser (like IE7) and Mozilla’s Firefox.  Yeah, there’s also Safari and Opera, but given that combined less than 5% of the internet uses them, I might as well pretend they’re not here (though, I still check to make sure web pages for work function right in these browsers).  Yeah that’s right, even though Safari comes standard on Mac, enough Mac users get Firefox and use it instead that it keeps Safari on the low end of the useage percentage.

The 800lb. gorilla in the room now is Google’s Chrome, a browser I myself have yet to check out, but that is poised to take the internet by storm. Google is so serious about this, they got renowned comic artist Scott McCloud (of I can’t stop Thinking fame or Penny Arcade’s Hatred, take your pick) to do a comic detailing its features.  The underlying big deal here is the push to turn a browser into an application platform instead of just a browser.  To boot it should still do the browser part well since it’s based off Webkit, and as someone who has to develop for Safari (also based on webkit) I can say Webkit does a damn good job of rendering pages (somedays I think better than Firefox).

Don’t think that they’re alone in this.  Microsoft has already prepared to counter attack, with Internet Explorer 8 (currently in Beta2), which will include many of the memory and privacy features that Chrome does.  Microsoft wants to eventually push their Live Mesh idea as a series of “cloud computing” online applications and services, which is why they would want their new browser to support online apps to a similar level.

Meanwhile there has been no news from the Mozilla front to counter these new developments,  undestandble since Firefox 3 only recently came out.  It is interseting to note that last month, Firefox came as close to overtaking IE7&IE6 in use I’ve ever seen.

So in the coming years, expect a new breed of browser bickering to kick in, with the big boys being IE8, Chrome, and Firefox, all the while there being enough people hanging on to Safari and Opera to have to watch them too.  Good thing IE 8 includes web standards and an awesome compatability mode so that development hell can … finally…

*breaks out laughing*

Yeah right!

Already IE8 beta2 is having issues rendering sites in it’s “Standards mode” because it triggers the hacks we’ve been doing for IE for years!  At this rate we’ll end up having to develop for and obscene number of browsers instead of standards ever actually being followed. IE6, IE7, IE8, Firefox 2, Firefox 3 (Yes, there’s a difference, beleve it or not), Safari, Opera, and Chrome.  If you really want to do the web developers in the world a big huggy favor, pick your favorite browser and always, always use only the latest version.  Pllleeaaaasseeeeee.

Well it’s been more than a month since I last said or did anything around here.  Yeeesh.  So to not make it look like I’ve completely neglected this site (too late), here’s an update on what’s new with me.

First, today I interview for the full time version of my job at University Relations.  I’m looking forward to keeping that ball rolling finally, though I have to admit, getting up in the morning and going to work knowing you’d be interviewing for the job you’re going to that afternoon, is kind of odd (much like that sentense).

Second, speaking of UR, the update to adamclegg.com I promised showing off the new UR site is live.  Finally.

Third, I have a new computer at home.  I’ve been having issues getting it going (last time I let Digilink computers build my machine for me), but I things have finally stablized so I can start the migration process from the old machine (this would account for a why nothing happened hear during the last half of last month).

Fourth, been playing Bionic Commando Rearmed, and WoW lately, without Wednesday Night Game nights sticking to UT2004 and Starcraft.  Bionic Commando is a game I didn’t really play as a child, but when I found the remake interesting me anyway I decided to give the 8bit original a go.  Man, there’s another solid title from my childhood I missed out on.  Rearmed is lots of fun too, and a very interesting take on remaking a classic 8 bit game.  The music has got to be one of my favorite touches, it mixing new music with the old quite well.

I’ll probably have more to rant about in the near future, and hopefully a comic to upload once I deal with a lingering Dreamweaver problem . . .

To those of you who don’t care about World of Warcraft or World of Warcraft PVP, please disregard this post.

Those of you still reading, on April 21st 2008 a battle took place for the highest non-officer rank in the <Kung Foo Roostaz>, which thanks to the word “Roosta” in our name, we call “The Cock.”  I was able to record this battle with FRAPS and the winner requested that I make a video of it as his computer can’t run FRAPS.  So, after a couple of months of being to busy mixed with procrastination, i finally finished it.  So, if you’re interested, here are the final results of my labor (Windows Media Video file – might want to just right click and save).

So sometime during the summer of last year news came out about the upcoming new Dungeons and Dragons release, D&D 4. Rumors were circulating heavily about what was being proposed and the changes sounded extremely un-pen-and-paper-role-playing and a little too much World of Warcrafty. With talk about class roles (Guardian, Striker, Leader, Controller… hmmm Tank, DPS, Healer and AOE/Crowd Control?), usable skills for every round (MMO skills?), and a talent tree (oh come freakin’ on), it sounded like this was going to be a terrible sin against not just Dungeons and Dragons, but all pen-and-paper role playing.

Then I took the time to look more into it. Once again, don’t judge a book by its cover, and don’t believe all rumors.

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