The Online Timeline

Although some of it was before my time, David Carlson’s Online Timeline, a “capsule history of online news and information systems,” brings back a lot of my early memories of computers and online experiences. When did you send your first e-mail? I think mine was in 1990 on a VAX computer at the University of Maryland, although if you count BBS messages then it was probably a couple of years earlier…

Purple Is The New Red?!

Boston.com reports that “when it comes to correcting papers and grading tests, purple is emerging as the new red.” Educators and “color psychologists” claim that the color red is too intimidating for students and that purple makes them feel less “uncomfortable:”

A mix of red and blue, the color purple embodies red’s sense of authority but also blue’s association with serenity, making it a less negative and more constructive color for correcting student papers, color psychologists said. Purple calls attention to itself without being too aggressive. And because the color is linked to creativity and royalty, it is also more encouraging to students.

Royalty?! I hate this PC crap. The fact that this is being overanalyzed to begin with is ludicrous, to say nothing of the fact that “color psychologists” are being employed. I don’t see anything wrong with red. As one teacher in the article pointed out, it’s visible, it’s obvious, and if a student sees too much of it they should strive to do better so they don’t see as much the next time. Enough of this PC coddling…

Third Star Wars Trilogy?

Star WarsAlthough George Lucas has been adamant for some time that there will be no more Star Wars movies after the upcoming Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith, TheForce.net reports that “you might be curious as to why everyone at ILM [Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic] just signed NDA’s (Non Disclosure Agreement) saying that they will not discuss Star Wars EP7, 8, or 9.” The speculation is that there would be no need to sign NDAs if there weren’t actually plans in the works for the next trilogy, but for now it is just speculation. New trilogy or not, Revenge Of The Sith better not suck…

The Spec Spot

The Spec Spot is a “video library and community site for those engaged in the TV advertising industry,” primarily featuring video clips of commercials created by people aspiring to get into the ad business. Most of them are pretty funny, although a lot of them probably aren’t suitable for TV… 😉