Writing

In ALA: Where am I?

In Design, Elsewhere, Writing on 8 August 2006 with Comments Off

Whoops, I did it again. I let a long-simmering annoyance with some quirk of current web design spill over into a rant that the kind folks at awesome web design rag A List Apart, enablers that they are, were kind enough to publish. Some will call it obvious, but if it was so obvious, it [...]

Do What You Suck At

In Design, Life, Writing on 16 June 2006 with Comments Off

In Merlin’s latest 43 Folders podcast, The Perfect Apostrophe, he tells the story of the book he almost wrote. You should go listen to it - Merlin’s a stitch, as always.
For the uninitiated, 43 Folders is a “Getting Things Done” blog about how to be more organized in business and life. When he and a [...]

What Would Google Do?

In Design, Elsewhere, Google, Writing on 15 May 2006 with Comments Off

Google and I, we’re old friends. I’ve written about them here and there for years. Google, as a web innovator, has done just about everything right.
But as a designer, I’m tired of hearing clients and associates ask, “What would Google do?” as if every move they make is pure gold. When it comes to visual/exerience [...]

Calling All Designers: Learn to Write!

In Design, Elsewhere, Writing on 9 May 2006 with Comments Off

I recently had the good fortune to work with a client who asked me to, in addition to doing my usual experience design / visual design thing, also write much of the text that appeared on the site. And it made me realize that I’ve often done this for clients - it just wasn’t an [...]

Bookends in Words Magazine

In Books, Clips, Powazek, Writing on 5 December 2004 with Comments Off

I’m thrilled to have contributed an updated version of my protest story, Bookends, to the 4th issue of Words! Words! Words! Magazine, which is all about protest. The issue also features writing by Savannah Schroll, David Barringer, Kathy Fish, Steve Himmer, Ryan Kennebeck and Sean Ferrell, photography by Beth Stegall, and drawings by “drew” [...]

Putting the “purpose” in repurpose

In Elsewhere, Writing on 27 September 2004 with Comments Off

My story of faith and doubt, Wrestling with an Angel, which originally appeared in Fray, has been republished this week in JewsWeek, a fine web magazine for the hip young Jew. Check it out!
And for anyone who missed the end of the story, yes, we were married, and every day I’m grateful.
Speaking of Heather, she’s [...]

California Dreamin

In Writing on 24 September 2004 with Comments Off

My California, the book I contributed an essay to, is not only a good read - it’s also a good cause. All proceeds from the book are to be donated to the California Arts Council. And last night, the book’s backers gave the council their first check for $10,000. The money will go toward writing [...]

Duh

In Geek, Internet, Writing on 18 August 2004 with Comments Off

Wired News: It’s Just the ‘internet’ Now
“Effective with this sentence, Wired News will no longer capitalize the ‘I’ in internet. At the same time, Web becomes web and Net becomes net.”
Say it with me now: Duh. When I was working at HotWired in 1997, and we published the Wired Style book, everyone who actually coded [...]