This week marks 2 years since I relocated from Boston to the South Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area, also known as Silicon Valley. In that time I have worked for two great companies, appeared at 10 events, met and worked with amazing people, made some great friends and learned a ton about innovation and life in the world’s technology Mecca.
I will be writing about my experiences at different companies, my involvement with the great Adobe development communities and life here overall. This will be a 4 part short blog series over the next 3 weeks.
If you have any questions for me about my experiences,
– “what are the differences between contracting and working at a large company vs. a startup?”
– “how do I prepare for a conference presentation?”
– “why on earth (pun) did I leave yahoo maps?”
– “what’s it like seeing your beloved hometown team win the Worlds Series from afar?”
– “which do I prefer; a nor’easter that blows me off the road or an earthquake that knocks me on my ass?”
please let me know so I can include those topics in what I write.
I’ve been fortunate to be on this incredible adventure, and while I may be smack in the middle of it, there are lots of moments thus far to share. I look forward to posting Part 1 towards the end of next week.
I blame the long weekend, Doug McCune’s sweet and inspiring CoverFlow component and an over-elaborate idea to build a 3D Ribbit app for my recent immersion (more like head first-dunking) into PaperVision3D.
One visit to the PaperVision3D site led me to download the Flex code package and I was up and running with the 3D rally car demo in Flex after about 10 minutes.
As I examined the code, it occurred to me I had never heard the terms Collada, Material, DisplayObject3D and .dae before. Without looking at documentation or tutorials (not recommended), I was actually able to figure out what was going on. In another few hours, I had cut that cool 3D rally car down to a single Goodyear tire that could flip 180 degrees in either direction by pressing my left and right arrow keys. Progess.
After further examination of the PPV3d blog I discovered the links to documentation and a light’s out, amazing tutorial that I totally recommend looking at first!
I’ve run into a problem though. After downloading a trial to Autodex 3Ds MAX 2008 (oh yes, custom 3D worlds are calling), I have hit a snag. I cannot find a ColladaMax plug-in for this new version and the default Autodesk export to .dae (the Collada file PPV3D breaks down to render) is not working.
It looks like I’m about to get help on PaperVision3D’s support forum, so I hope to have an answer soon… and I’ll keep you posted.
If you are interested in PPV3D, I advise developers with addictive personalities to proceed with caution, and fill a giant water bottle before coding!
We just announced that we are holding a platform release party in San Francisco on the night of December 13th. It’s going to be an amazing event and we have several, exiting key announcements to make about the next release of our platform.
Our platform has grown to hundreds of Flex developers form over 40 countries coding with our telephony and voice messaging component, building next generation communications apps for Flex and AIR. It is now time to take things to the next level.
All developers are welcome, whether you are already part of our developer community, looking to learn more, already coding Flex or looking for a reason to code. The party and event are set to immediately follow the December Silicon Valley Flex User’s Group (SILVAFUG) meeting, and we’ve arranged food and beverages for everyone attending!
Read through the invitation (copied below), recently posted on our developer site blog, and you will pick up some hints as to why you need to attend this party! I’m most excited sharing details about our future marketplace for developer applications as well as sharing our technology with a new wave of developers.
On December 13th 2007, Ribbit will be hosting the Platform Release Party in San Francisco.
This event will be our first direct public engagement with the developer community. We will officially launch our Ribbit Developer Platform with details about our future marketplace for developer applications, where our users will become a developer’s market opportunity.
Join Ribbit’s CEO to hear about the benefits of Ribbit’s developer offering from key technology partners and current developers.
Chuck Freedman, Director of Ribbit’s Developer Platform, will share the magic behind Ribbit’s Developer Component, revealing how easy it is to code Adobe Flex and AIR applications to make/receive calls, record and send voice messages, and manage contacts. Learn about new features in the Beta 2 release, which allow Ribbit users to sign up, access and maintain their account from anywhere on the Web.
Come see why developers from more than 40 countries are actively building the next generation of web and desktop communication applications using the Ribbit Developer Platform.
We have a cap on the attendance, so be sure to RSVP to secure your seat.
For event details and RSVP see the link below.
http://ribbit0712.eventbrite.com/
I still get a slightly giddy feeling whenever I go to a major internet site and see Flash all across the page. Amazon has decorated its holiday page with a pair of Flash widgets that add a flair of dancing interactivity to its otherwise get-to-the point storefront.
The widgets sit side-by-side. The one on the left cascades bestselling products in a front-to-back-to-front again scrolling fashion. It is cool, but would sure benefit from some PaperVision 3D or Doug (jam master) McCune coverflow magic. The other widget features ‘Customer Vote’ products in a constant right to left marquee stream. The customer voting program is super cool. I landed and xBox 360 for $99 last holiday season through this promotion.
Like I said, always happy to see Flash featured on major sites. Amazon is definitely up there, so hats off to whatever agency, internal developer or over-eager intern who got this idea in front of the right people.
Reading several articles the last few days on Adobe’s CEO Bruce Chizen stepping down, I’ve noticed many of them carry a message that Adobe’s success has been tied to the growth of web 2.0. I have followed nearly every move of Adobe since before its acquisition of Macromedia (Being a film student, I used to be an Adobe Premiere nut). Despite key adoptions of Flash by upstart photo and video sites, Adobe to me is at best running parallel, along the sidelines, to the growth of web 2.0.
I am a big believer in Adobe’s Flash platform technologies, AIR and I even still swear by Dreamweaver & Fireworks. Basically what I’m saying is while Adobe has been positioned to benefit from the growth of the web (via web 2.0), I don’t think it has provided the REAL key ingredients that have enabled web 2.0 to take off — thus truly tying it to the growth of web 2.0.
PHP, the super easy, super affordable language has enabled rapid development of dynamic web pages like nothing before it. 7 years ago I went from working with ASP to Cold Fusion, to even Vignette for content management. When I started coding with PHP 4 years ago, I couldn’t believe how much easier things got. PHP is an amazing language and has fueled my favorite and, I think, the most significant contribution to the web of web 2.0: Blogging.
What would PHP really be without MySQL? Drawing from previous experience, working with MS SQL, Sybase, Oracle and even MS Access (I know, I know) just plain sucks when compared to MySQL. Admin for this free database is the key to its success. It’s easy to maintain, easy to install, easy to scheme and easy to query and debug.
JavaScript still maintains a pretty serious hold for interactive UI development. I’m not saying it’s as capable, efficient or ‘fun’ (matter of fact, there are so many aspects I still can’t stand) to work with as Flash, but the developer force by in large still stands by JS more than anything. While Flash and Flex keep getting better and have grown substantially (Adobe has cleverly and rightfully used AIR to reach across the aisle), JS and its Ajax offspring has to be considered a foundation enabling language for web 2.0.
What Adobe can be closely and truly tied to now is the growth of desktop 2.0*, with AIR, and Mobile 2.0*, with whatever form flash player takes to thrive on mobile devices. (* These may be 3.0 or 1.1 or something, I’ve lost track.) And believe me, the success of Adobe on mobile devices is a story I am most excited about. So far, Flash Player’s no shows on iPhone and potentially Android aren’t helping. But that is a whole different blog post…
Adobe’s Buzzword and Mitch Grasso’s SlideRocket represent not just the very best in Flex and Flash Platform development, but also the promise of just how good — rather, better – online office tools can be. There is a third part here that is missing. Where is a similar caliber solution for spreadsheets? I want one.
I would think that with the advanced data grid and Flex 3, an online spreadsheet RIA could be the most efficient and feature-rich app of them all. Is anyone in the process of coding one? Has Adobe already commissioned someone (internal or external) to build one to accompany Buzzword? Are there any good ones out there already that I don’t know of?
We are beginning to use Buzzword at work on a very reliable basis. I am really happy about this, since I was never a big fan of Writely (now Google docs) where I always experienced usability and formatting issues. The comments feature in Buzzword has taken our office collaboration to another level.
What I am really hoping for in the near future from both Buzzword and SlideRocket are offline versions. So often I am working on a document and need to ‘un-dock’ to go do a presentation. I would feel much better about having an offline client, where I knew my work — as it was created — was being actively saved locally. Oh, and did I mention I would have no problem paying for an offline version?
The power of these two applications (word processing and presentations), combined with a tailor-made-for-Flex spreadsheet program, would make Flex/Flash appear as the platform of choice for creating the ultimate practical business applications. I think we’ll get there soon.
How much have you paid to run searches on Yahoo!, YouTube or Google? How much has it cost you to use the services of mySpace or facebook? How much have you paid to read articles on CNN, or read this blog and several thousand others?
If you answered $0, then you and I have at least one thing in common. Our web world is almost entirely paid for by advertising. More to the point, it is probably paid for by investment or acquisition funds because you represent a user who will ultimately attract advertising dollars.
Ads are everywhere on the web and I’ve got a secret. Be it instinct, the ability to focus, or lack thereof, I have never clicked on a text ad. Never. While I know, somehow, that nearly every free site I visit has text ads of some sort, I never have clicked on a single one, let alone even read them. I don’t know if it’s their placement, dullness, inability to jump out at me or what, I just pass over them as if they were a broken pixel in my LCD display. People must be clicking on them. Site/content owners must be making money from them. Whatever the benefits, they are completely lost on me. I don’t think I’m alone here, but clearly I must be a minority online.
Another type of ad approach that is totally lost on me is the art of mobile ads. I know mobile displays and devices represent the largest single group of users world-wide, but in the 47 seconds at a time I spend actually looking at my phone (and this includes browsing on the 2.5 inch display) there is no way I am ever clicking on an ad… especially when it has the balls to take up half of my screen in the first place. Mobile advertising is dumb.
I can’t recall many ads online that are effective to me. There was an ad that greeted me on Yahoo!’s home page… and I have to admit this one caught my attention — so much so that I took a screenshot of it…
Beyond the web, I can think of a few ad approaches that work for me, or more to the point, on me. Highway billboards. Those work. Even when they are placed at weird angles or partially hidden by trees. I can’t help but see them. Seeing company logos and their messages in big bright letters works like charm on me.
I think ads will get smart, more dynamic and compliment what I’m looking for. I’m sure there’s some sophisticated ad network on the way… one that knows that the last time I visited Amazon, I was looking to buy a DVD. The ad, appearing anywhere, could suggest to me other DVD’s of that genre, or suggest movies currently in the theaters that may appeal to me. Or how about a way my car could communicate to this ad network that I need to get gas or Chinese food on the way home. That ad would be a map showing me where I should/could stop, with coupons and everything.
We’ll get there soon, I believe. Ads will get better, and then maybe they can continue to pay for everything.
