A Holiday Gift

Noted on December 26, 2007, in

FreeRice vocabulary game

In the spirit of the holiday season, play a word game, have some fun and give a gift, all at the same time. FreeRice is more than a fun online vocabulary game. For each word definition you get right, you're donating 20 grains of rice to the United Nation's World Food Program...

Growing Old on the Web

Noted on August 18, 2007, in

Maybe it's because I just had a birthday. Or maybe it's that I recently passed my 10th anniversary of building web sites. But lately I seem to hear more people than usual wondering if this "working with the web" business isn't a younger person's game.

Working from Home

Noted on May 24, 2007, in

We've been extremely busy lately at the University lately, which you may have guessed from my lack of posts. I've been working lots of late nights and weekends, but I have to say that telecommuting has made the whole experience much easier.

10 Tips for Greater Productivity

Noted on March 26, 2007, in

I've been thinking a lot lately about how I can be more productive. These days my activities are limited almost exclusively to family and work. Yet still there never seems to be enough time. If I could just tack on four or five more hours to every day...

Living a Life Online

Noted on January 22, 2007, in

For the past few weeks I've been stuck in bed because of a minor illness. For two weeks my primary contact with the outside world has been through this laptop, and it has been an eye-opening experience. Never before did I grasp the true power of the Internet. Oh sure, I knew all it was capable of, but knowing and being completely dependent it on are two different things.

Happy Holidays!

Noted on December 24, 2006, in


Blogaholic

Noted on September 12, 2006, in

After John Oxton of Joshuaink claimed he only reads six blogs, The Watchmaker Project's Matthew Pennell posted a screenshot of his blog list that you have to scroll to see. Made me feel downright reasonable with my 81 feeds (see Noteworthy Blogs).

Web-Based Life Forms

Noted on July 13, 2006, in

Every once in a while it suddenly hits me that I have too many computers in my life. This week has been one of those moments. So to speak. My über fast Dell desktop at work is my newest darling, but it's a bit heavy to lug into meetings and on a plane. I had no choice. I had to renege on our delicately haggled agreement and swipe back the Toshiba laptop I'd handed down to my husband. In exchange I set him up on The Big Monster, the custom-built PC I got last fall when I was still doing freelance work and that practically blows back your hair when you push the "on" button.

Workin' Overtime

Noted on July 7, 2006, in

I've been working long hours lately on some cool projects at the university. I thought only freelancers worked such ungodly hours. Not! Turns out I hadn't taken into account the universal appeal of turning little digital squiggles into virtual realms of color, shape and context. I'd also forgotten about Remote Desktop.

Is Web Design Affecting Your Health?

Noted on May 16, 2006, in

All right. I admit it. I am a computer spud. Day after day I slump in front of a computer, staring at a glowing LCD screen, sometimes not budging for hours at a time. Ergonomics for me mostly means shifting into a cross-legged position when slouching on my tailbone gets too uncomfortable. Needless to say, I'm suffering the inevitable consequences. My rear is expanding, my eye sight is going, and by the end of the day my posture resembles that of a hunchback.

More New Directions

Noted on February 9, 2006, in

Big changes are on the career horizon here. Once more I'm altering course and going in a totally new direction. I've accepted a full-time position at Arizona State University, helping one of the departments with their print and Internet presence.

How the Internet Saved My Marriage

Noted on September 1, 2005, in

No, really. It's true. You see, I've never mentioned this before because it's kind of embarrassing, but I'm a recovering DIYer. Yes, I know many experts say there's no cure—that, with only one whiff of varnish remover, some people are addicted for life. You get your hands on a stack of shiny new paint samples or a batch of fabric swatches, and the next thing you know you're glued to HGTV all day and clipping pictures out of House Beautiful.

A Word About the Interruptions

Noted on August 29, 2005, in

The blog is back up after a few days of erratic behavior. I finally got MT v3.2 up and running, but I'm still working on the new templates and style sheets. Hopefully I've have them up in a few weeks when work calms down.

What I Did on Summer Vacation

Noted on August 12, 2005, in

I just spent a marvelous 10 days in San Francisco with the family. It was a lovely 64º (versus 114º in Phoenix), and I never kind of hardly mostly didn't touch a computer the whole time.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho

Noted on July 21, 2005, in

I've been thinking lately about how I work--and how much I work--and wondering what life is like for other designers.

Four Months In: I'm Still Here

Noted on May 19, 2005, in

It's been almost exactly four months since I decided to "go professional" as a web designer, and I'm suddenly seized with the desire to pause a moment and take stock. In four months I've come a long way. For one thing, I no longer feel like I'm drowning. That's good. I still might only be treading water, but at least I'm not lying at the bottom of the pond.

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Write to me directly at kathy [at] kathymarks [dot] com.

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According to author Ray Oldenburg, everybody needs a third place (besides home [1] and workplace [2]). In lieu of the local colesium, neighborhood bar or corner store, the Internet has become the third place for many people in America—a virtual hangout where conversation flourishes, friendships are made and citizens meet. Often in our pajamas.

I've been hanging out here since 1996, building web sites, making friends, and learning. This blog is my small contribution to the lively, never-ending dialogue.

Thanks for stopping by.

Kathy