What’s schmooze? You might ask. From Answers.com:

schmooze or schmoose also shmooze

v., schmoozed or schmoosed also shmoozed, schmooz·ing or schmoos·ing shmooz·ing, schmooz·es or schmoos·es shmooz·es.

v.intr.
To converse casually, especially in order to gain an advantage or make a social connection.

v.tr.
To engage in schmoozing with: “how to be a professional artist—how to be a businessperson, how to schmooze the collectors” (Paige Powell).

n.
The act or an instance of schmoozing.

Adria of In Cinq, an international community art project that encourages visitors to contribute a cinq pic (9-word cinquain + self portrait) and Karen of Secret of Unlimited Prosperity, a blog that deals with the Law of Attraction, have bestowed me with a community involvement award.

Thanks, Adria and Karen!

Read more…

Last month, I did my 1st Weekend Blog Drive-By wherein I dropped by my fellow bloggers’ blogs and read one of their articles. It was a fun and profound experience. I have to admit that it changed the way I look at blogs now. Since then, I’ve been reading some posts about entertainment, celebrities, dating tips, poetry, renewable energy, travel, journals, cultures and even aerospace- topics that I have little interest in. I learned to appreciate these posts because they allowed a different approach to taking a glimpse into a world aside from computers and technology. Somehow, it solidified the idea of my favorite philosopher, Socrates: That what I don’t know, I don’t think I know.

Steve of cymru66 and Cat of UltraJam have been kind enough to tag my blog and I’ll gladly comply. This is a great opportunity for me to explore other blogs once again.

Rules

• Post 8 random facts about yourself.
• Tag 8 other blogs in return.

Read more…

When I created my first website, I didn’t have a solid understanding of the elements behind it. All I knew was that it looked good when viewed in Internet Explorer 4 on an 800 by 600 screen resolution. I used JavaScripts in hyperlinks, marquees, images and whatever element I could style. With regard to the layout, I used tables and frames to position my header, navigation and content. Back then, it was purely presentational. Proficiency in image editors such as Photoshop and CorelDraw as well as in WYSIWYG (pronounced wee-zee-wig) HTML editors like Dreamweaver was sought-after (until now). As long as one can generate Web sites out of images, it was considered enough. Many ignored the underlying code. Moreover, some resorted to Flash-based Web sites, and they were so l33t. Then I realized what my brother told me a few months ago, Anyone can create Web sites.

Six years later, here I am going back to my teenage hobby. So much has changed on the Web since. I hear Web standards, Web content accessibility, microformats and semantics. I didn’t even realize that we’re already using XHTML and CSS.

The old school was fun, but moving on to this new one seems to be far more promising. It strengthens the fundamental methodologies. It’s the way the Web should be. Nowadays, a budding Web designer needs to go back to the drawing board. It’s not about how the pages look anymore. More importantly, it’s about what they mean. And this is where semantics come in.

Read more…

I’ve been exploring a lot of blogs lately. Whether it be for a design evaluation or a Stumble, I go there. However, I haven’t been particular about content. I declared in a discussion somewhere that only extreme interest can force me to read an entire article. I intend to change that now. I want to explore the World Wide Web in a broader sense. I want to know what my fellow bloggers have been up to. At least once in a week or month, I’ll pay a visit to their blogs and read entirely at least one of their articles. In this way, I can learn more things without thinking about directions. Inspiration from nothingness. Hmmm… Sounds fun.

1. Brown Thoughts: Analog Ideas in a Digital World.
2. Syaf The Geek: Let’s Make Computing Much Fun, Shall We?
3. Untwisted Vortex: Living in a Different Land
4. Secret of Unlimited Prosperity: Visualize. Feel. Abundance
5. Veggie-Blog: Providing Insight Into the Vegetarian Lifestyle

Read more…

After reading an article from A List Apart about the 12 Lessons for Those Afraid of CSS and Standards by Ben Henick, I wonder if bloggers, especially those using standalone installations, are beginning to appreciate the power of CSS and Web standards. Despite all the fuss about content being king and content management systems becoming easier to use, do bloggers even care to click on their Valid XHTML and Valid CSS footer links? What does content really mean to them?

Read more…

I just signed up for a Technorati account today. I’m posting this to verify my blog.

Technorati Profile

I’ve been applying for an online job for a couple of months now, yet no one has gotten interest in me. I nearly got one though. I don’t know if I blew it or if it was the employer’s loss because in our last conversation he asked, How much was your previous salary? I knew I did the right thing. I answered in ranges since exact figures could sometimes get applicants from being screened out, but it seemed that luck didn’t go my way. Two months of online job hunting… and counting.

Now, I’m in front of my computer and luckily I still have an Internet connection. Before I get a notice of disconnection from my ISP, I might as well waste my bandwidth on something that’s noble. I love hanging out in tech-forums. It just gives me a sense fulfillment being able to post informative comments. I wish to reach out to more audiences now, and blogging is the best way that I could do this.

Read more…