Now with multimedia! Here are some Quicktime videos of the critters we caught this weekend. First up, the skunk in the trap, getting a bit edgy as we get closer to it to let it out. </embed> We released it by sneaking up on the trap behind a blue tarpand putting the tarp over the trap— skunks don’t spray in a confined space. We then opened the trap and set up a track plate in front of the exit, which is the black box you see in the video below. The track plate contains a black substance that the animal...… →

It is with great pleasure and great sadness that I announce the retirement of one of Interllectual’s dearest friends. The spotted skunk is officially removed from the list of animals I want to see in their natural habitat, because I saw one this morning. Which means that if I’m going to keep following my own rules, the spotted skunk theme for this site will have to go. This is a bit of a bummer, since he has been the favorite of many. And also because he is one of the two themes I actually made for this recent incarnation of...… →

During our weekly brainstorming session this morning, we hit that place that is all too familiar— the place where the project would be cross the cool barrier and the suits and faculty would complain that it’s “not academic enough”. Charles and I decided that we just need to do a Ballmer-esque dance showing the department how much we think of them, and we’d all live happily ever after. I have had the mantra of “Departments, Departments, Departments, Departments” in my head all day long… ——- …

Gerry McGovern hits on a pet-peeve of mine and gives a great example of how internal needs may not work for your customers in Choose Customer Words, Not Organization Words. I love how he blasts the idea of publishing press releases on the home page, and scorns the “self-congratulatory waffle”. I’d also add “Welcome to the ___ Department Web Site” to the list of phrases that need to die… …

I decided it was time to change the Interllectual logo type— I’m just not feeling deco anymore. So I searched through the more than 5000 fonts I have (l love being in a Graphic Services department…) and pulled out my favorites. The one I liked best turned out to be Cheltenham bold condensed. Exactly the same font I used on Jangly Ganglia. I am in a rut. …

Hmmm. Although our A-Z index does require a bit of mindreading, I think it is much more effective than is suggested in this article by Brian Donohue. This is probably because at Universities we are so focused on departments which have unambiguous names. That is what is in the index, not references to pieces of content. …