Bryan Echo

RIP Google Answers

I read on the Google Blog that Google Answers is going to stop taking new questions.   I remember when the site started poking around and having some fun.  I enjoyed reading many of the questions. 

The question mentioned is funny: How many tyrannosaurs in a gallon of gasoline?

Windows Shutdown

I know most people won't find this interesting but over at JoelOnSoftware.com there's a few interesting posts about the shutdown menu option in Windows Vista.

Joel's Rant - Choices = Headaches (or why are there eight options on the shutdown menu?)
Microsoft Engineer Response - The Windows Shutdown Crapfest (it took 24 people to design this feature?)
Apple Answer - The Design of the Mac OS X Shutdown

There are two topics here.  First designing and writing software is hard.  For complex software like an operating system so many people are involved that it gets cumbersome.  I'm not really surprised by the description of the Microsoft design process.  I interviewed with Microsoft and that experience gave me a taste of the bureaucracy. 

I think this feeds into the second topic that providing options and lots of choices in software can confuse the user.  Everyone wants to make things simple but they have different ideas of what is necessary.  With the Microsoft approach so many  people are putting in their two cents that its not going to create something stripped down or simple.  Apple seems to have had the vision to take good ideas but filter out those that complicate or take away from the design. That's also the impression that I get from the iPod.

Sharing music

Just a quick post.   I have a bunch of CDs that I need to burn for friends:

1. Audioslave - Revelations for Jennifer
2. Muse - Black Holes and Revelations for Jennifer
3. Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters  for Chris
4. Scissor Sisters - Ta-da for Chris
5. Interpol - Antics for Czarina ( she didn't specifically ask for it but enjoyed the most Stellastarr* cd so I think she'd like it)

I have an insatiable appetite for music and I tend to download most of my music, illegally.  Its a subject that I debate with myself sometimes.  I feel like music is a beautiful thing that deserves to be valued and treasured.  I reward the artists by going to shows and lord knows I spend a lot of money on music still.  Its just not going to buy cd's.  And its also not going to the one hit wonders on the radio.  Or even worse those bands that have money to pay the stations to play them.  (like the Red Hot Chili Peppers)

Monday morning

Good Monday morning!  I just wanted to write a little this morning...

1.  I've been reading Allison's blog at Bluishorange.com for a few years and she just started writing again.  I really enjoyed this post where she talks about missing a person that doesn't exist.  And I also liked the quote from Almost Famous about what really matters is what you share when you're not being cool.

2. I had a great weekend and I feel blessed to have this life.  Things have changed immensely but I'm really happy.

3. I'm grateful that I've held on to myself.  I was listening to a song with the lyrics "Hold on to yourself, because this is going to hurt like hell".  I really took that to heart.  I have a strong sense of who I am and I'm going to hold on to that.  I've lost my self in other people in the past and I've made mistakes.  While I take responsibility for that  I feel that I've changed.  My sense of self is stronger.  And yes, it did hurt like hell. ;-)

Nov 1st, 2006

No episode of Me vs. The Radio this week.  Read on for a little about how I'm feeling though.