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There's nothing like a good vacation to help you get back on track with life.
I should warn you now this isn't one of my regular computer columns, whatever regular might be. Although computers and work play an integral role in my life, they are not my entire life. Sure, without a job, I would probably be stuck eating grilled cheese every day, but I do really, really like grilled cheese.
I'm on vacation right now. I wasn't when I wrote this, but by the time you read it, I should be on the beach somewhere. Because I'm relaxing, I thought maybe you should relax a little too. Unfortunately, there wasn't any room left in the car for readers to go on vacation with me, so instead, your relaxation is going to be reading this.
People visit the Internet for various reasons, but if we get right down to it, there are two things you can see: text and pictures. Both contain a great deal of information, as the old sayings go, "A picture is worth a thousand words," and "A word is worth a thousand gummy worms."
Like most people (I hope), I spend a lot of time thinking. My best thinking moments by far are when I'm in the shower in the morning, just after a nap and anytime I'm at Wal-Mart.
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1. Almost half of the people who answered my first survey use the Internet trying to learn more about computers and stuff. I hope this column has also helped you learn a little as well.
2. Porn sites are updated daily, but the World Badminton page may never be updated again.
It's difficult to imagine life before Microsoft PowerPoint, right? I mean, how would ANYONE be able to get his/her point across to the masses without the use of slideshows, silly graphics and amazing colored boxes?
This is exactly why even Abraham Lincoln prepared his famous Gettysburg Address using PowerPoint. Don't believe it? Take a look here.
I haven't quite made the New York Times best-seller list just yet, but copies of "The Developers" are getting their places in the sky. I've secretly placed a few books on Southwest airplanes, so if you are flying Southwest anytime soon, make sure to check the seat pocket in front of you. Sorry, I didn't include any drink coupons!
Some people may think having a job as a website programmer is equivalent to being paid to surf the Web. I have to say to them that they are totally wrong. Or, maybe they are somewhat wrong. OK, they are right much of the time, but still there IS work involved. I'm just avoiding it for a couple of minutes.
While there are many things to consider when writing, one of the most important items has to be the audience. If I write the greatest story in the history of literature, and it's a war story, there's a good chance that people who aren't interested in war won't like it.
"The Developers" isn't about war, and it's not the greatest story in the history of literature. Maybe the top 10, but not the greatest. Ha! Even when you anticipate that you know your audience, there's still something that just doesn't fit.
Although this occurred two weeks ago, the Evansville Courier & Press ran a little article about me and my book, "The Developers" just before my signing down there. The paper may do a review at a later date, but I was extremely pleased with Becky Coudret's article. Here it is:
Humor/ tech writer at Border's
By REBECCA COUDRET Courier & Press staff writer 464-7509 or coud@evansville.net
January 21, 2006
Ben Woods calls himself a humor/technology writer - which has to be considered a new genre of literature.