When I was interviewing at UCLICK one interviewer said to me, In the end, it’s only comics. At the time, that put me at ease. I had just been introduced to programming and was nervous that I would somehow destroy the entire company by writing some errant code. Some years, a GoComics.com rebuild, and a GoComics.com relaunch later I believe that statement is far from true.

We just relaunched GoComics.com with a significant facelift as well as some really tasty goodness under the hood. One thing we recognized in the previous release of GoComics was that people were using the comments more as a meeting place. We decided to encourage that activity by creating more opportunities for people to comment. Another thing we did was add more sharing opportunities. Somewhat to my surprise, GoComic’s Twitter traffic has skyrocketed. Both of these features are evidence that GoComics isn’t only comics, it’s a community. People show up for the comics, but they stay for the camaraderie and are compelled to share what they find across the Internet.

Internally we built a page that lists every comment in real time. It’s fascinating to see what people are talking about. Everything from the mundane – what’s on the dinner menu for the evening – to the profound – a woman’s miscarriage experience and how it affected her feelings on abortion. Of course, there are trolls and troublemakers, but that’s any community. It’s great to watch how people handle them as well. Some get flamed, as would be expected, others are given the benefit of the doubt.

I think in the development process it’s very easy for the developer to lose site of the humanity of the project. You may be developing another entertainment/commerce/management/accounting/whatever application, but the truth is you are creating something for people. Ideally, real people are going to use what you create. For me, there’s a lot of weight in that realization.

The difficulty is in balancing this reality with the ever looming deadline. Whether you are contracting or employed by a company, you’ve, no doubt, got a deadline on your current project. The struggle becomes make it work versus make it work right. There is room for both. I’ve made it my focus to learn best practices, to not be embarrassed to ask, and to learn something new, no matter how minute, everyday. My goal is that this balance will become second nature. Lofty? Perhaps, but certainly attainable.

It is a real honor when something you contributed to becomes important to someone else. I’m proud of the work we’ve done with GoComics. So much of what was done will never be noticed by anyone but those of us that did the work and that’s alright. Active participation may be the highest form of appreciation.

Before you continue reading let me preface this entry with this statement: I am thinking out loud.

It seems there has been a swell of anti-consumerism messages filling the ears of Christians this Christmas season. My own church is taking part in a thing called The Advent Conspiracy.

At their most benign, anti-consumerism messages remind the buyer that Christmas isn’t all about gifts and buying. At their most extreme these messages advocate not buying anything you don’t need. There is even a Church of Stop Shopping now. More about them in a bit.

While I don’t think these messages are without merit, I believe the majority of these anti-consumerism messages don’t address the heart of the issue.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…

At the heart of consumerism is want. If you want, you buy. Right? Movements like The Advent Conspiracy and The Church of Stop Shopping are failing to fill the need that is met with the want. That means movements like these merely become short lived fads. This isn’t good because movements like The Advent Conspiracy, at least, are meeting needs in other parts of the world. I don’t know much about The Church of Stop Shopping other than documentary producer, Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me, 30 Days), followed its pastor, Reverend Billy, around for a while and made a film. A fillm that people will no doubt buy a ticket for after they’ve bought dinner at a local eatery then at the theatre perhaps they will buy more things to eat and drink. Do I need to point out the irony?

So what is the need that people are filling with the want? Well, that’s up for debate, but I would guess a host of things, not the least of which being a sense of purpose.

What’s startling to me is the Christian community’s swiftness to latch on to things like The Advent Conspiracy and The Church of Stop Shopping (see this entry from the blog Revolution in Jesusland).

The Church is quick to adopt new movements, but not our own problems. See, I feel like things such as The Advent Conspiracy provide an opiate for Christians around Christmas time, and even beyond. It helps us not feel as guilty for buying the gifts we are secretly still buying (TAC asks that participants forgo spending money on gifts, and rather give that money to their participating TAC church to fund clean water projects in third world countries).

Perhaps what we should be focusing on is what void we are filling by shopping, and, even, giving. Are we buying because it allows us to feel in control? Are we giving because it gives us a high, or because we love? Are we shopping to keep our minds off of something greater?

I think that when we begin to tackle these voids, then doing things like what TAC is taking on become part of our daily faith and practice, not just a Christmas event. Otherwise, I fear such movements will only be passing fads like True Love Waits, Promise Keepers, WWJD, Prayer of Jabez, and the entire “golden age” of Praise & Worship music.

This morning I woke up and jumped in the shower (Side Note: it was deluxe day in the shower, which means i wash/condition my mane, and trim my face). When I came downstairs Jen was a tad bit more than her cheery self.

As I walked into the kitchen to pour my coffee she says to me, “Hey, good morning,” with a cheerfulness that was almost scary. Then I found out why, “Two things,” she said, “Good morning, and this Thanksgiving let’s be sensible eaters.” What?!

I immediately knew what had happened during deluxe day in the shower: Jen had been watching The Today Show. If only I could count the things the Today Show has ruined for me in my life. Why couldn’t their writers have gone on strike?

Happy Thanksgiving

I haven’t written much lately, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot on my mind. Following posts will include thus:

• I know for a fact this blog has at least one more reader: Samuel. I work with this guy, and he’s an all around great person. Me & him are on the fast track to world domination.
• There is one specific record that is burning a hole in my brain and ears. I can’t wait to share lyrics and music snippets with you dear reader.
• Steve got shafted at the Doves.
• I finally get to go to a live production of A Prairie Home Companion!
• Barack Obama is making a visit to KC on May 12. I may or may not get to go.

So, there you go. Stick close. I promise to write full entries as soon as I can.

In the mean time, feel free to check my Twitter ticker to the right. I update that sometimes several times a day.

One last thing: the Contact page has gone bye-bye until I can find something new that doesn’t send me so much spam. Suggestions?

I would like to completely redo my schooling from K through 12. I’m pretty sure that, at least through 6th grade, I would not only do better, but also rock everyones world!

Kindergarten would be sweet for one reason and one reason only: nap time! The acceptibility of being able to wet my pants in public is merely a perk. Furthermore, I know – I KNOW – I would do better at pronouncing my “D” sounds this time around. Not to mention I would be able to use words like “furthermore” to impress my teacher and drive home the fact that all my classmates really are stupid.

Other words I will use during my redo: perfunctory, abolish, onomasiological, brachiocephalic, fynbos, lobule, nilgai, and the phrase shut up. When the teacher tells me I’m wrong – which I won’t be – I’ll just tell her to shut up. What’s she going to do about it? I’m 30! And when the other kids ask what those words mean I’ll answer with “A word looked up is a word remembered.”