The Last Class

So today is the last day of class and I am left wonder about my major. I have made no secret about my disappointment with the University's and College of Technology's Digital Media Major. I am seriously going to have to reassess my major and if there is not something else at this university then I have to just accept I am basically paying for a $70,000.000 piece of paper. If I was younger I would organize, protest and demand the university make the degree plan relevant, but then I am also a child of the 60's and 70's and I find myself grateful when I ache in the morning because, well it means I am still alive. Maybe I am just opinionated and a grouch. Maybe this is just the ranting of an old biddy.

In the end I will just say there has been one some pleasures, especially reading all of your blogs and your indulging an me in reading my rants. I am jealous of your youth and the journey you are all embarking on in life. Enjoy it, it seems to all go by so fast and as is the privilege of one of my years to give advice as if I actually know anything, I will end this and just say, never become complainant, never stand for injustice or inequality, never, ever trust the government, and always live fierce. Finally when met with a big decision of great importance, ask yourself "would I regret doing this or not doing this?" Oh and leave the world a better place than when you entered it; we old folks kind of fucked it up in our arrogance, don't do the same for your kids.

Hate... Really? Part Two

So my last post generated a comment from Kaitlin Priess about the Texas A&M Student Senate that voted 35-28 April 3rd to approve an anti-gay measure that would allow students to opt out of funding the campus GLBT Resource Center if they have religious objections. The name of the bill was changed from the “GLBT Funding Opt Out Bill” to the “The Religious Funding Exemption Bill,” and specific references to the GLBT Resource Center were removed. The President of the Student Council, John L. Claybrook, vetoed the bill.

The thing that is really disturbing are the comments this generated on DallasVoice.com's article, "BREAKING: Texas A&M Student Senate passes anti-gay bill in 35-28 vote". Go and read some of the sick comments this generated and amount of propaganda that is quoted from religious conservatives. The big one being that being a homosexual is a choice.

According to the APA (American Psychological Association) "most people experience little or no sense of choice about their sexual orientation". Further they state,

"There is no consensus among scientists about the exact reasons that an individual develops a heterosexual, bisexual, gay, or lesbian orientation. Although much research has examined the possible genetic, hormonal, developmental, social, and cultural influences on sexual orientation, no findings have emerged that permit scientists to conclude that sexual orientation is determined by any particular factor or factors".

 I cannot speak about being gay. I can speak when it comes to being a transsexual, the only choice I had was to continue living feeling like I was wearing someone else's dirty underwear, in such mental conflict and distress or brave being who I really am and facing all of society's prejudice, hate and ignorance and placing myself in real physical danger. Some choice. Think about it for a moment and wonder just how terrible your situation has to be when the latter is preferable to the former and you start to get an idea why I say there really is NO CHOICE.

But according to the same mental giants that claim creationism is science, I chose to be transsexual, because I am a sick pervert of sin and because I am I stop being a human and citizen of this country. That I lose my right to equality and that it is perfectly right and divinely ordained that I be hated and even threatened with imprisonment and physical harm.

Perhaps one of you reading this are thinking "well that is what you chose, choose something else". My honest answer to that is this, if I could, I would. My life would be so much easier, it would not have cost me all but one of my friends, it would mean that I could see the grandchildren from 5 of my 6 children. It would mean I would be able to enjoy a good job because of my 20 years of experience. Before I transitioned I was making 70,000 plus bonuses, after the best I was able to get was half of that.

I am what I am, I can't change it but that does not make me less than human and honestly, the last 11 years I have had to watch a constant attack that denies me my rights and honestly I feel myself becoming more and more militant. So when it comes to being a transsexual, I did not have a choice. When it comes to stepping on the neck of some fundamentalist conservative that says I for some reason do not deserve the same rights and privileges, well that is my choice and I WILL exercise it.

Hate... Really?

Ok so its Tuesday and I am between classes with time to kill so I pick up a copy of the new Daily Cougar. Usually I only read the opinion section and honestly this semester has been disappointing with what I have read there.

ANYWAY, as I am looking over the front page I see Jack Pardee has died and everyone is lauding over him and forgetting how he nearly got U of H Banned because of all his recruiting violations; but that is not what really set me off on a tail spin of "what the fuck".

Under it was another story about Kristopher Sharp, a candidate for student body vice president and the police investigation. Seems some worthless jack-off, created and circulated fliers with Kristopher's picture with an "X" over it and the words, "WANT AIDS?" above the picture and below, "Don't Support the Isaac and Kris homosexual agenda". Not only is this just hatefully sick it also is a crime as Kristopher does have AIDS but had not told anyone and the disclosure of anyone's medical status, with out their consent is a crime.

What really disappoints and infuriates me is that it happened on this campus by a student, is what I want to write but the truth is I am mad because I let my guard down and this is a reminder of the hate and real danger I, and so many others, must always be aware of and ready for. A reminder that while there are so many that believe those like me and those that are homosexual should have equal rights and protection, they still vote for republican assholes or democratic wimps that seek to suppress us or refuse to jeopardize their re-election by voting for what is right.

I used to be for "Educating" people with the belief that if you do there is a chance they will see reason. Sadly I find myself becoming more militant and wanting to say if you are not for me then you are against me, even if you choose not to take a side, your choice just put you against me. And if you are against me then I will take my rights even if it means I have to put my boot on your throat and break you. You hate against me, those like me, or my homosexual brother or sister and I will fuck you up. The days if discussion and reasoning are running out, you can only suppress and abuse a people so long before it gets ugly.

Yeah, I am a little mad this week.

Tier One My Ass - Side Note

OK go and watch the YouTube video "Everyone Should Know Code" that Tiffany posted on her blog, "The Art of Chaos" right now! Send it to all the professors in the College of Technology and the the Math College and to the deans! Listen to what they say especially on what you need to know to learn how to code! 

It is time for a new way of thinking, a new paradigm of learning and a total restructuring of the Digital Media and Computer Programming programs in this University! GO GO GO WATCH IT NOW!

Tier One My Ass - Part Three

or What the Hell is She Going Off On Now?

On my last blog, Tier One My Ass - Part two, which I know you all read; Mark R. posted the following.

"Personally, I'm not a DIGM major, but what I take away from the class is that it's focused on the Design aspect which is more concerned with the visual aspect and less with back-end processes. Not to say coding is not important by any means.

Being that the class is still at the 2000 level, I don't necessarily bash it because it's trying to get us to think about what we see on the screen as end users. I would imagine that they would create more classes directed towards html, css, in addition to some javascript concepts following this one.

I think this class is directed toward how digital media students can use their design background to be displayed on the web and what works visually, MUSE being the quick way to establish that within one semester.

Coming down to my final two semesters I've learned this: If there is an area that you wish to accel at and enjoy, usually you'll learn it on your own out of desire or necessity (on the job or for a job). Most degree programs are designed to give you the "journeymen/journeywomen" type of qualifications."

Mark's first paragraph is where every "print designer and peasant" fail. The secret is in the subject, "Web Design". What is the first word, its web, NOT design. I shall explain. The web is a media all to its self, with its own unique problems and strengths and more importantly EXPECTATIONS. Now that is an important word, you can tell because I used all caps and bolded it. The problem is when print designers and graphic artists (and worst of all the artsy fartsy fops) see that HTML is easy and start to the think that they can add web design to their portfolio, then come to find out it is not so easy and requires them to actually learn a new discipline. So they whine and cry and bitch and moan and sadly get positions of power where the spew their "whaaaaa whaaaa" and then we get programs like Muse that are designed to shut the cry babies the f**k up!

Problem is people expect a completely different experience from the web than they do static print design! Studies and cases abound that a visually equivalent of "the ugly sister" will always out perform the "prom queen" IF the ugly site meets and or exceeds the expectations of the beautiful one. E-commerce is an example where I will ask you this.. would you rather trust your credit card to an ugly site that is easy and intuitive to navigate, easy to understand and explains its self and the purchase process both textually and graphically, that can accommodate you if you need to increase the font to read it or if blind, is clear to understand and navigate with a reader, that makes printing one of the pages easy and retains the formatting yet offers an ink saving version to print as well and loads fast or the "OHMYGOD you are SOOOO beautiful" web site that has none of those aforementioned qualities? (Yeah for long run-on sentences)


You know how you answered, and that is the point! With out knowing how to code cleanly, with out knowing SEO, without knowing how to implement accessibility standards and without knowing usability practices your site will be at best the prom queen everyone wants sex with but no one marries, so she ends up a crack whore while the plain, but reliable, site ends up running for president (Hilary reference).

Mark's second paragraph, to me, is disturbing. "Being that the class is still at the 2000 level". It is disturbing in that it is 2013 and yet we are not outraged that the class IS at a 2000 level, especially in mentality and attitude! This is supposed to be a TIER ONE school! Its all over the campus and in all the advertising and see... its even in the title of this blog! This class is NOT a tier one class though.. this major is NOT a tier one major but I, and all the rest of us, are PAYING for tier one and are expected to perform as if it was (i.e. the purpose of writing the research papers and the undergraduate thesis all added last semester because as a tier one school we are expected to "add" to the knowledge base now but that is another rant).

Mark's third paragraph is probably true and that is why it fails as well. As I said your site may work visually but if it can't do what is expected from a web site today it fails. Get into your head right now and repeat web designers ARE NOT print designers. Print has its own issues and rules and disciplines that must be mastered. The web has more! We as web designers MUST know more that any print monkey must ever know. Even if afterwards you work at a firm where all you do is design the graphic elements, know HOW it is going to be coded, what colors you can and cannot use for text and back ground, knowing how people use a web page and what will help to get it a higher ranking WILL make your graphic design BETTER!

Twenty years in this business learning the hard way has taught me this and over and this has been proven true. Twenty years I have heard the whining and crying from print designers and others that they want to play and create for the internet but don't want to have to know any code or anything else other than how to upload their their graphics to the web. Twenty years and I have seen program after program come to try and shut them up and each and everyone failed. Now its Muse and it will fail for the simple reason that you can't design for the web without knowing WHY things are done the way they are on the web.

Until the college of Technology and the University of Houston stop treating web design and development like a bastard child of print you will have to educate yourself and consider your tuition for these classes and the work you do in them as buying your diploma because you certainly will never learn how to be a web designer/developer from them.

Note, thanks Mark for your comment and I was NOT trying to pick on you *snugz*

Tier One My Ass - Part Two

or Why Are We Learning Wed Design on a Sub-Par Program?

Ok, I know some of you have heard me rant about my dislike lof Muse so far; how it will not allow me to do the things I can hand code or that even Dreamweaver will do when it comes to CSS and inserting accessibility code blah, blah, blah. So tonight when I got home I started over with a new and very simple design. Nothing with advanced CSS or that would require scripting. Telling myself, "Ok Theresa, this is still in beta they say and I just need to learn it even though I probably will never use it. Give it a fair chance". So I did and everything was moving along quite well till it came time to insert the content. Here is when the screaming and cussing started.

Muse can't do ordered or unordered lists! Seriously! A basic and very much used formatting and Muse can't do it! So I take a deep breath and go and pick the book back up, from across the room and re-read . . . nothing! Ok, ok, breath deep and time to go to my go to guy Google, surely he won't let me down and sure enough, YEAH, there it is on Adobe's web site; Create Bullets in Your Design for Muse! I am saved . . . NOT!

Adobe's answer for number and bullet lists, tighten the leading of the text that is to be our list. Then put some more space above and below it.  In insert a bullet in front of the first item (option 8 on a mac it seems). Then indent the lists and then, and this if so messed up, then invert the first line with a negative value! WHAT KIND OF MONKEY SH*T IS THIS ADOBE! There has been ordered and unordered lists since the mid-1993 publication of the first proposal for an HTML specification: "Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)" Internet-Draft by Berners-Lee and Dan Connolly! This was BEFORE there was HTML! Even Microsoft Frontpage 1.01 could do them!

Now why is this important? Well I am going to tell you, Accessibility, SEO and Useability! Screen readers for the blind read lists differently from paragraphs and other text. It is hard enough using a screen reader and being blind when all accessibility standards are in place, this will drive them crazy. Don't believe me? Google screen readers for the blind and download one for free then go to any page and close your eyes and listen and try to navigate and understand the site you are at, I dare you.

SEO, search engines and directories also deal with lists differently. Want to know why we use lists for navigation and give our navigation meaningful names? BECAUSE THE ARE GIVEN GREATER WEIGHT THAN NORMAL TEXT! That's right list get preferred treatment by Google and Yahoo and all other search engine and directories. That translates out to better ranking, more traffic and happier customers.

Useability, this one is simple.. go ahead to do what they suggest to make a bullet list and then print it. Now print it off another computer with a different printer. Yeah does not look the same does it. Now turn off CCS in your browser and look at it. Looks like a mess!

I am livid right now that we are being taught a beta program that already writes crap code with a lot of waste that can't even do a basic text formatting! There is no way to put in tabular data either (tables). The industry standard is Dreamweaver, why are we not learning that? Muse is a program made because a bunch of graphic artist and document layout people started crying that they did not want to learn any coding to make web pages! They are too lazy and too whiny and so some idiot decided to invest money to shut them up and Muse is what was vomited out!

Twenty years doing this and I would not hire anyone whose knowledge of web design came from this class. Nothing against the instructors but this is a rip off of our money. Our education should not be used to beta test anyone's product. The class is "Web Design" not web fail and by taking the time to learn this inferior product we all are going to fail.

Tier One.. My Ass!

There are a few things that chap my ass.
People that cut me off on the freeway.
 

One-balled cyclists.
 
People that still claim Dewey won.

Come on get over it already!

And this stupid blogger.com that insists on rewriting my code with the worst coding ever!

Which brings me to this gem that really sets my roids on fire. The University of Houston has another Web Development class that teaches "DHTML, CSS, CGI, JavaScript, server side programming paradigm, XML and transformation, Web services, Service Oriented Architecture". It is COSC 3319: Web Development and it a computer science course taught through the College of Natural Science and Mathematics.

Now for now lets put aside that DHTML (Dynamic Hyper Text Markup Language) was a term coined in the early 1990's and has not been used in the real world of web design/development for at least 10 years or that CGI (Common Gateway Interface) is a server process hog, slow and if not secured correctly a giant welcome sign for hackers. There are better and ways to do what used to be only done with CGI and they have been around for many years now as well.

No I want to look at what the college of natural science and mathematics say is required and necessary to be able to take this course. Well first, buckeroos, you need to have taken COSC 3380: Design of File and Database Systems, which is "Techniques for file organizations on secondary storage, performance, design, and management of large integrated databases, data models, query languages". But wait.. it gets better because to be able to take COSC 3380 you have to have taken . . . MATH 3336: Discrete Mathematics  and  COSC 2320: Data Structure and then it gets even better!

Those courses require that you have COSC 2320: Data Structure, which requires MATH 1432: Calculus I, which requires MATH 1431: Calculus, which requires MATH 1330: Precalculus! All that just for MATH 3336! On the other side to take COSC 2320 you must have,
COSC 1320: Introduction to Computer Science I, which requires COSC 1410: Introduction to Computer Science I, and that requires MATH 1431: Calculus. Finally you now have all your prerequisites so that you can take a class that will teach you "DHTML, CSS, CGI, JavaScript, server side programming paradigm, XML and transformation, Web services, Service Oriented Architecture".

Here is the rub, I have been doing professional web design and development for 20 years now and I can tell you for a fact none of those classes are needed. Let me reitterate . . . NOT A SINGLE ONE OF THOSE CLASSES ARE NEEDED TO LEARN ANY THING TAUGHT IN THAT COURSE! In fact the the database part of COSC 3338 should be taught AFTER someone has taken COSC 3319!

I know that the computer sciences started with the math department but it is time to get real and bring the both the College of Natural Science and Mathematics and the College of Technology to completely overhaul and redefine Digital Media and set up realistic and applicable degrees that will give graduates of said degrees the tools and abilities to walk into a digital media job and start work on day one with out having to be trained, THAT is what makes one marketable in today's, and the furture, economy.

Tier One? More like Tier Flintsone at the University of Houstone if you ask me!
 

Die Die Die!

or Why I Hate Google CAPTCHAS

Ok, I am 52... yeah 52, I know on Death's short list now, and a few years ago I had to get glasses to read after having perfect, eagle-eyed vision my whole life. I ranked expert in rifle and pistol in the military and was always known for keen aim. Now age has come along like that one cousin that picks his nose and wipes it on the underside of your favorite living room chair.

So anyway this rant comes courtesy of Google's blogger.com. I understand the reasoning for CAPTCHAs. Spammer bots sent out by assholes of the lowest order, also known as douche bags, dickheads and gobbed nosed pin heads, will over take over comments to hawk their latest penis enlargement, quick weight loss, or Viagra ad! Sidenote, have you noticed that 50% of the spam ads these days have something to do with penises? Guys, what the hell is that all about?

Back to point, so I am reading everyone's blog or at least trying to but as I leave a comment google wants me to prove I am not a bot. Fair enough, but damn I am not a.. well.. bot! How the hell am I supposed to be able to read a photo of an address number somewhere in the US taken from SPAIN! Seriously? A lot of those are so small that I not only need my glasses but a magnifying lens! Add to that the words that look like they were penned by Jerry Garcia after he took the brown acid and I now I am spending my time reading "Prove you are not a Bot. The characters you entered didn't match the word verification. Please try again." over and over till visions that would John Carpenter curl up in a corner and cry are spiraling through my head.

So if you don't get a comment from me on your blog it does not necessarily mean I did not read it or want to comment, it most probably mean that I am off screaming somewhere and kicking puppies telling children there is no Santa Clause because of the damn CAPTCHAS!

This rant has been brought to you be the letter F, for F**K Google CAPTCHAS!

By the way this is not my weekly blog this is just a rant.

Overhaul the Digital Media Program

Yep, I have been thinking long an hard on this and really think the digital media program here at U of H is about 7 years behind the times. I have been researching other University's offerings and find while they offer a rich diversity of degrees, see the article Princeton Reviews Top 50 Under Graduate Video Game Design Programs to see and then click the links to see what is offered in this one area of digital media that this college does not even offer. You can see the ranking of Princeton's list here.

I think the whole program need a radical overhaul and break up into several degree majors. The days of one-size-fits-all digital media are long over, dead, cremated and ashes flushed. Digital media is more than printing using computers, the gaming side alone has some of the highest paid employees in our field! Look at this 2011 survey of Game Industry Salary Survey. I can tell you that you sure won't get that kind of pay working at a web design company starting out.

Ok, but lets say you do want to be in Web Design and Development then are you being taught what you need to know to fill a Web Designer 1 position defined as "Produces graphic sketches, designs, and copy layouts for online content. Determines size and arrangement of illustrative material and copy, selects style and size of type, and arranges layout based upon available space, knowledge of layout principles, and aesthetic design concepts" (as defined by Salary.com and I can tell you that the wages they are quoting for that level are certainly not in Houston)! 

From what I have seen so far, and as I look a head at out requirements the answer seems to be "no". I do not think this is because of a short coming of the instructors or professors. Rather it is on the college of technology and its department heads in failing to realize that there is not a one-size-fits-all degree and that to be competitive and viable that digital; media must be treated as the widely varied and diverse field it is and degree plans created to those specified areas that digital media encompasses.

For freaks sake they don't even offer a single course in 3D programs! Come on!

An Essential Tool

I have been professionally doing web design/development for 20 years now and I want to share with you a tool that I have used for the last seven years to help me design sites that are compliant with section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

One of elements is that text be readable to those with vision impairments such as color blindness or other color deficiencies. So how do we, as designers, know what does or does not fall into a "good" contrast range? Colour Contrast Check by Snook.ca to the rescue!

As I said I have used this tool and, in my time managing, I have required my staff to use it as well. It is simple and self-explanatory and should be used each and every time a web site is being designed. Though compliance with section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act is not "law", yet, it is something that commercial web sites are demanding.

So bookmark it, use it and make it part of your design process. It will improve your marketability and it is just good standards.

Ok next time I will write something more controversial, promise.

A Blast from the Past

Ok, so I have not "blogged" since the days before it was called blogging and I just called it "bitching and bragging". Actually if was divided on my website as a journal and a section I called the "Pathetic Wanker Awards" where I gave my unabashed opinion on the politics of the day. So excuse the dust and mind all the holiday candy wrappers as I slowly pull my aged and aching mind out of the closet I shoved it in, playing on Second Life and Left4Dead.

Anyway, as I read through the assigned reading, "making a website. - general guide to what goes into making a website." I looked back over my 20 year career as a professional web designer/developer and all the times I written out plans such as that for the various companies I worked. It also made me go back to my own website and re-read an article I wrote back in 1997 after so many frustrating arguments with my then boss. The process of professional web design and development was still new and the browser wars made for a living hell. Add to the a boss who approached it with "make me a website that looks good" and "I have a new client I told we could make him a website by the end of the week. His company's name is XXXX. So I need you to design one ASAP!"

Now you may be wondering what is really so madding about those statements; well it was the fact that was ALL the information we were given to work with! Other than a company name and logo, we had no process implemented. Over and over I would argue with him on why not only did there need to be a process but that above all content is king. Finally I wrote a memo to him and the department I was over entitled "Four Steps to Successful Design", which can be read on the freelance portion of my website. Yes I know I have no updated my own web site since 2003 or so and the freelance portions since 2007. (after so many years of making others websites I got burned out on my own).

Without trying to blow my own horn here, but I will any way, I am struck with just how relevant my memo is and how together I was back then before there were any colleges or universities even offering classes, much less degrees, in web design and development. 

So what does all this mean? Well like so many blogs out there, not really a damn thing other than this old biddy once more bitching and bragging. . .  just like the vast majority of all the other blogs out there, just bitching and bragging.

First Blog of no real substance ... but if any care, some musings from the left side.