So, I'm hoping either work is going to upgrade their browser, or I find new work soon...
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/02/youtube-to-kill-ie6-support-on-march-13.ars
YouTube is joining Google (and many other sites) in shunning IE6.
Good news from a designer POV (I really like the idea of IE6 disappearing and not ever having to muck about tweaking/setting up separate IE style sheets) but more narky banners for IE6 users, arrgghh!!!!!
25 February 2010
24 February 2010
Speaking of outdated browser experiences...
BIG pet hate of mine...
At work I am forced to use IE6, as I am not allowed to install anything of my own accord on the company's computer. I know it's possible to run at least Chrome off a USB stick, but honestly, I can't be bothered. I understand that using an outdated browser means I will have a less than optimal web experience, but I am willing to wear it as the cost of my laziness (not wanting to add a single extra step to access my email/the news/update my blog/maintain Strine).
What I loathe are websites that plaster a hate banner across the top of their site, informing me that I am using a crap browser, that I should update, that I'm clearly a moron etc. I really get defensive - I want to tell them 'I'm at work and I don't have a choice!!! I use all of the latest browsers on my laptops at home!!! arrgghh!' Really annoying. Most annoying because I know I do actually have a choice, but having someone point out how lazy I am does not make me a happy person....
What I'd prefer is something I saw in Elliot Jay Stock's talk on Progressive enhancement at Webdirections South last year (http://www.webdirections.org/resources/elliot-jay-stocks-progressive-enhancement/). During his discussion on understanding different browser capabilities and appreciating sites don't have to look identical across them all, he showed us a site I loved - http://www.stuffandnonsense.co.uk/ Old browsers show a black and white site, new browsers are in colour. Reward progressive people, don't harangue the late majority...nice!
At work I am forced to use IE6, as I am not allowed to install anything of my own accord on the company's computer. I know it's possible to run at least Chrome off a USB stick, but honestly, I can't be bothered. I understand that using an outdated browser means I will have a less than optimal web experience, but I am willing to wear it as the cost of my laziness (not wanting to add a single extra step to access my email/the news/update my blog/maintain Strine).
What I loathe are websites that plaster a hate banner across the top of their site, informing me that I am using a crap browser, that I should update, that I'm clearly a moron etc. I really get defensive - I want to tell them 'I'm at work and I don't have a choice!!! I use all of the latest browsers on my laptops at home!!! arrgghh!' Really annoying. Most annoying because I know I do actually have a choice, but having someone point out how lazy I am does not make me a happy person....
What I'd prefer is something I saw in Elliot Jay Stock's talk on Progressive enhancement at Webdirections South last year (http://www.webdirections.org/resources/elliot-jay-stocks-progressive-enhancement/). During his discussion on understanding different browser capabilities and appreciating sites don't have to look identical across them all, he showed us a site I loved - http://www.stuffandnonsense.co.uk/ Old browsers show a black and white site, new browsers are in colour. Reward progressive people, don't harangue the late majority...nice!
J.K. Rowling - Commencement address
Love a good TED talk...
This version loads better in work's outdated IE6 browser: http://www.vimeo.com/1711302
This version loads better in work's outdated IE6 browser: http://www.vimeo.com/1711302
23 February 2010
16th AIMIA award finalist!
Still getting excited about Strine making the finalist list for the 16th AIMIA award nominations for best student project! Feeling in very good company, scrolling through the other award finalists' projects...
15 February 2010
'Real-world Flash Game dev' - where I'm at
So, I'm through the first couple of chapters of the book, but not playing with AS3 yet...
I've been caught up with the whole job application process, sending off letters to the awesome-looking digital agencies (not cold calling, but cold emailing :-)), hoping to catch someone thinking about hiring an eager and keen paid intern/junior flash developer. I realised quite a few companies didn't have an email address to send my cv to, but were contactable through LinkedIn, so I've just been developing my LinkedIn profile (and got sucked in hooking up with old contacts/friends...the social networking collecting game begins again...).
Anyway, back to the book.
So, the first three chapters dealt with Flash (how it evolved, an overview of what it is/isn't good for) as well as some basic concepts re games and game development (although I'd covered this in way more depth in my Comp Game Design subject, there were a couple of handy checklists I might employ).
I've started on Chapter 4 //FTW! which covers best practices programming in AS3. I started to freak out a bit as he's starting to talk about classes, instances, assets etc and code sections are starting to appear, but I know I'm being silly. I've actually come across and used all of these sorts of things before, in GameMaker as well as in some of Strine's tpl/php code. I think it's one of those things that when you use it, it makes sense, but it's no longer fresh in my mind so I might have to go back and play with a bit of code (or read one of my development blogs) so it all means something to me again.
I've been caught up with the whole job application process, sending off letters to the awesome-looking digital agencies (not cold calling, but cold emailing :-)), hoping to catch someone thinking about hiring an eager and keen paid intern/junior flash developer. I realised quite a few companies didn't have an email address to send my cv to, but were contactable through LinkedIn, so I've just been developing my LinkedIn profile (and got sucked in hooking up with old contacts/friends...the social networking collecting game begins again...).
Anyway, back to the book.
So, the first three chapters dealt with Flash (how it evolved, an overview of what it is/isn't good for) as well as some basic concepts re games and game development (although I'd covered this in way more depth in my Comp Game Design subject, there were a couple of handy checklists I might employ).
I've started on Chapter 4 //FTW! which covers best practices programming in AS3. I started to freak out a bit as he's starting to talk about classes, instances, assets etc and code sections are starting to appear, but I know I'm being silly. I've actually come across and used all of these sorts of things before, in GameMaker as well as in some of Strine's tpl/php code. I think it's one of those things that when you use it, it makes sense, but it's no longer fresh in my mind so I might have to go back and play with a bit of code (or read one of my development blogs) so it all means something to me again.
27 January 2010
Life and stuff
So, I've been a bit distracted the past couple of weeks. Been spending a hell of a lot of time menu planning and cooking (damned healthy new years resolutions...). Strine.net.au maintenance has also ramped up, post-AIMIA award finalist announcement.
A definite highlight was buying new snorkelling fins on the weekend (yay!) so I've been zooming around Shelly beach/Fairy Bower and terrorising all the poor Blue Gropers and cuttlefish. I've been snorkelling for years, but never pushed myself to buy fins. Not sure exactly why. Sure there's the expense of laying out the cash for something I didn't think I really needed, but when it came down to it, I think I was just freaked out by using them, or more likely finding out I couldn't use them. It seemed my worst fears were confirmed when I first jumped in the water with them. I completely struggled to get them on my feet in the water, then kept getting them tripped up on each other with my first kicks. I felt wobbly and a bit panicky, completely uncomfortable and useless with my new toys, but I persisted. All of the sudden, it just seemed to work. Suddenly the water was rushing past my head and I was covering a lot of 'ground', very quickly. I tried diving and was (almost) keeping up with the escaping fish! It was awesome! I now have the confidence to head out into sections of water I never would have before and am completely in love and all excited again about an old hobby.
The reason I've delved into detail about this is I've drawn an anaolgy between snorkelling fins and AS3. I think I've been procrastinating re starting the studying, worried it's going to be beyond me and I'm going to fail, which is just bloody ridiculous. As with all of the other code I've learned/used, and with the snorkelling fins, it's not going to feel natural at first and things won't work, but that's when I will work out how to make it work, in no time I'll be making my own interactive Flash fish etc etc.
OK, enough of the pep talk. A little less conversation, a little more action.
So I raided the uni library (while I still have borrowing privileges) and picked up a couple of books that look quite handy:
A definite highlight was buying new snorkelling fins on the weekend (yay!) so I've been zooming around Shelly beach/Fairy Bower and terrorising all the poor Blue Gropers and cuttlefish. I've been snorkelling for years, but never pushed myself to buy fins. Not sure exactly why. Sure there's the expense of laying out the cash for something I didn't think I really needed, but when it came down to it, I think I was just freaked out by using them, or more likely finding out I couldn't use them. It seemed my worst fears were confirmed when I first jumped in the water with them. I completely struggled to get them on my feet in the water, then kept getting them tripped up on each other with my first kicks. I felt wobbly and a bit panicky, completely uncomfortable and useless with my new toys, but I persisted. All of the sudden, it just seemed to work. Suddenly the water was rushing past my head and I was covering a lot of 'ground', very quickly. I tried diving and was (almost) keeping up with the escaping fish! It was awesome! I now have the confidence to head out into sections of water I never would have before and am completely in love and all excited again about an old hobby.
The reason I've delved into detail about this is I've drawn an anaolgy between snorkelling fins and AS3. I think I've been procrastinating re starting the studying, worried it's going to be beyond me and I'm going to fail, which is just bloody ridiculous. As with all of the other code I've learned/used, and with the snorkelling fins, it's not going to feel natural at first and things won't work, but that's when I will work out how to make it work, in no time I'll be making my own interactive Flash fish etc etc.
OK, enough of the pep talk. A little less conversation, a little more action.
So I raided the uni library (while I still have borrowing privileges) and picked up a couple of books that look quite handy:
- Chris Griffith's 'Real World Flash Game Development' which looks OK, takes you through basic game programming concepts (including design sections, which I feel quite OK about skipping :-), AS3 and apparently has some game examples and code to practice with at a companion website www.flashgamebook.com
- Shupe & Rosser's 'Learning Actionscript 3.0' because it looks like it takes you from basics, and it might be handy to have to fill in more details when things I try to do don't make sense
- Webster, Yard & McSharry's 'Actionscript 3.0 with Flash and Flex', just because I like books, and it's a back up in case Shupe & Rosser aren't a good fit for me. (Actually I always go a bit overboard at libraries. I get excited and just can't help myself...)
So the plan for tonight is to get a start on Griffith's tome, if I can resist the pull of iPhoto's Faces...
15 January 2010
trawling and research - AS3
So I'm having a bit of a scan around to see if there's any free Actionscript 3 tutorials online that I can start looking at in my downtime here at work. I found Warm Forest's top 8 resources for learning AS3 online, which had a couple of interesting looking things which might be worth scanning later. They did make a good point though - as I found with all the uni projects, the best way to learn code is to do code i.e. set yourself a project and make mistakes/go through the trial and error process.
So what I might do is read Senocular's getting started guide to get an idea of what it can do/what it's all about/OOP and then try to build something at home. I'm thinking I might just try to build myself an existing basic flash game and see how that goes. I've also put a request in for a beginners guide at the uni library (hoping I still have borrowing privileges!)
Other than (obviously) Google, these resources might be worth adding to my link list
Gotoandlearn.com Loads of video tutorials on all manner of Flash things
Lynda.com Loads of video tutorials on all manner of things
So what I might do is read Senocular's getting started guide to get an idea of what it can do/what it's all about/OOP and then try to build something at home. I'm thinking I might just try to build myself an existing basic flash game and see how that goes. I've also put a request in for a beginners guide at the uni library (hoping I still have borrowing privileges!)
Other than (obviously) Google, these resources might be worth adding to my link list
Gotoandlearn.com Loads of video tutorials on all manner of Flash things
Lynda.com Loads of video tutorials on all manner of things
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