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.

It’s no secret I’m an Obama supporter (see the badge in the top right corner). Nonetheless, I like to think that I am approaching this election with as much of an open mind as possible. With that preface I ask, “Why does Hillary Clinton want to be the next President of the United States?”

I honestly don’t think it is because she believes she is the best candidate for the job. Furthermore, I don’t think it is solely for the historical clout of being the first female President (although she is clearly motivated by this fact).

No, when I hear statements like the one she made at her former college about her time there preparing her for the “all boys club of Presidential politics,” and statements made last night in Nevada about aiming for the “highest, hardest glass ceiling” I am led to believe the Presidency is merely the next step in her life’s goal. I don’t want that kind of President.

When I look at the lot of Presidential candidate hopefuls I see less than a handfull that truly exhibit a passion for the service of the Presidency: Obama & Kucinich on the left, and Ron Paul on the right. Last nights debate did nothing to change these feelings.

Last night I thought Obama started weak and ended quite strong. I thought it was more of the same from Hillary, nothing impressive or convincing in any way; although the talking heads couldn’t stop gushing over her, it was pathetic. I throw up in mouth a little every time I think of her as the President of this country. I thought Kucinich looked angry and glum the entire time, and when he spoke was more accusatory than helpful. And though he get’s a bad rap, I thought Biden was the best of the lot last night. He’s straightforward, knowledgeable when it comes to foreign affairs, and probably the most experienced of the current group. Still, I think he makes a better advisor or VP than Pres.

If you didn’t get to watch the debate, this is the Internet Age, it’s out there. If you just prefer your highlights dictated to you here is a summary, here is the complete transcript (linked to page 18 above).

It is true when you hear that this coming election will be historic; aren’t they all? This one, however, seems to hold much more in terms of our country in a global perspective and seems to be shaping up as the election that will mark a shift in the majority mindset of America. We are starting to see wedge issues such as gay marriage, and even abortion rights become less of hot topics – abortion rights came up once in last nights debate, and though I’m sure it did, I don’t recall it coming up at all in the last debate.

That’s not to say that there aren’t other wedge issues creeping in. The notion of drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants comes to mind; a clearly non-sensical and ridiculous debate for this Presidential campaign. However, even when Wolf Blitzer tried to make this an issue last night the candidates seemed to scoff at his determination. Kucinich went as far to say he took issue with his framing of the question. Obama called him out for assuming that we can not successfully reform immigration laws and admonished him to not be so pessimistic.

If you are not registered to vote, get registered. I am one of those unregistered at the moment, having just moved to a new state. If you are not paying attention to the candidates yet, you need to be. If you are like me, this will be the most important election you have ever voted in. Finally, don’t elect someone just because the Presidency is the next step for them. Elect someone who truly cares about this country, has new ideas you buy in to, and who will truly not be a devisive President. It is no secret that George W. Bush has swung the country to the extreme left. I believe Hillary Clinton would have the exact effect in the opposite direction as President, and then we run the risk of electing another embarassment after her. Put mildly, this election is important. Pay attention.

Granted, this is from Fox News, but the tape don’t lie. This woman cannot be the next President of the United States.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyC7loMop58[/youtube]

Well… it’s official. Everyone has lost their minds, their cool, and their sense of humor. Furthermore, CBS has lost the largest ratings they may ever see.

What I have to say has no bearing on pretty much anything, but I can’t help myself: this Don Imus controversy should have either happened a long long time ago, or not at all.

But that isn’t really what is on my mind. What’s on my mind is someone I used to work with. Jason Whitlock.

For three years I worked with Whitlock on his afternoon sports radio program on KCSP 610 Sports. Our show was good, but our management didn’t know what to do with it. Part of the reason the show was so entertaining is that Jason is the master of launching himself into the middle of the controversy du jour.

Wouldn’t you know it, this morning I wake up to coffee, Kashi Heart to Heart cereal, and my wife exclaiming, “Eric! Jason Whitlock is on T.V.!” I don’t typically find Whit being on t.v. all that surprising, he’s often on t.v. However, he’s not often on the Today Show on NBC talking to Matt Lauer about Don Imus, Jesse Jackson & Al Not-So-Sharp-ton.

See, what I mean; the master of launching himself into the middle of the controversy du jour. Of course, I watched. I couldn’t help but snicker to myself as I could see Jason snickering to himself as if to say, “I can’t believe these people took the bait and I’m in the mix now!” I can believe it, though, because Jason is the first person I’ve heard make any sense of this whole thing. Just read the first few lines of Jason’s column this week:

Thank you, Don Imus. You’ve given us (black people) an excuse to avoid our real problem.

You’ve given Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson another opportunity to pretend that the old fight, which is now the safe and lucrative fight, is still the most important fight in our push for true economic and social equality.

You’ve given Vivian Stringer and Rutgers the chance to hold a nationally televised recruiting celebration expertly disguised as a news conference to respond to your poor attempt at humor.

Thank you, Don Imus. You extended Black History Month to April, and we can once again wallow in victimhood, protest like it’s 1965 and delude ourselves into believing that fixing your hatred is more necessary than eradicating our self-hatred.

The bigots win again. Read the rest.

I can only respond with a phrase Jason made famous on The Doghouse: “Ihmm!”

Place your bets, XM or Sirius… who will pick up Imus’ wildly successful show?

Finally, a quick, public heart-to-heart to Jason: dude, couldn’t they have found a better back drop for the set you appeared in front of? Looked like a law office scene the ripped from an Olan Mills studio. I can almost guarantee you don’t have one of tose green lamps in your pad.

Wow, it’s amazing what a Thursday evening without The Office will do to your head! Whilst watching television tonight three things occurred to me. They are as follows.

1) What up America? Seriously, you leave that kid Sanjaya on American Idol… really? This kid is a dweeb. He needs to give Julia Roberts her mouth back.
As if keeping the pubestach on wasn’t bad enough, America, you kept Antonella “NSFW” Barba. I’ve seen your pictures Antonella (who hasn’t, they were even on USA Today’s site I believe) and they are about as hard to look at as your singing is hard to listen to.

2) Hello Black Donnellys. Good bye Sopranos! Please please please do not run away from us like the goodfellas on HBO.

3) Finally, how big are these rolls of toilet paper going to get? Charmin is actually offering rolls of tp that are equal to four normal sized rolls. That must be the size of an orange Gatorade cooler! Save a tree why don’t ya.

Yesterday I received an email from someone who was a part of the Barack Obama pre-campaign informing me I should log onto BarackObama.com today to watch an official announcement. I say was because today that person is now a part of the official Barack Obama 2008 Presidential campaign.

Obama made his announcement and intentions official this morning on the steps of the courthouse in Springfield, Illinois.

I’m just going to say this up front: I will unashamedly campaign for Obama on this blog. I think the man has the right idea about politics and how they should be used, first and foremost for the betterment of this country and its people as well as the betterment of the rest of the world.

Furthermore, as much as I now like President Bill Clinton and what he was able to accomplish in office, I think it is time for a fresh face and name in D.C. Seems to me Hillary will only bring more of the same old politics and legislation. I certainly don’t want to see another Bush or anyone affiliated with he or his family in the White House.

Who knows what will play out over the next year and a half of campaigning. I am sure at times it will disgust us all as campaigns tend to do. My hope, though, is that there will be more “A-ha!” moments than the same old “whatever…” feeling.

If you don’t know much about Obama, you should learn. I for one am happy to see someone running with an actual chance that seems to represent my thoughts and feelings without weighing them down, or padding them with platforms of appeasement (gay marriage, stem cells, etc.).

On a completely superficial note, Obamas website is boss!

I’ve needed to get this off my chest for some time. It’s something that urged me into the voiceover world. Business owners doing their own voice work – or television ads for that matter. If you are a business owner who does their own voiceovers I’m going to tell you what your “Account Manager” will not: you sound awful!

Local radio is rife with small business owners proclaiming, “Ooo-wee, man! Our fries are the best,” or “Make sure you come to my dealership before you buy another car…” At first, I can’t take it and I turn the channel. The next time I hear the ad I think about what a disservice they are doing their business. People just like me are turning the station because we can’t handle listening to their shrill, smokey, fake, or monotonous voice.

Then I think about how awful it is that this business just spent hard earned money to promote their company for naught. I wonder if radio sales people are telling these business owners, “What we’ll do is have you do the commercial! People like the personal nature of hearing the owner talk to them. Plus, you get to be on the radio!” And these poor souls are duped in to thinking they have bought an effective tool. Sad. Side note: isn’t it ironic how radio stations spend millions researching how to get listeners to listen to their product, but not the spots providing the millions to pay for that research?
I have a client in Texas, a business owner who has this figured out. He knows he doesn’t belong on his own radio ads. Kudos to him. Not just because he’s one of my clients, but because he could have taken the easy and cheaper path of doing his own spots. Sure, it costs him a little extra to have someone else voice and produce his spots, but he knows it is worthwhile. His professionally produced spots keep a listeners attention and prompt action.

So a call out to all ad agencies and radio salespeople: take advantage of your creative departments/freelancers. Your clients will thank you when they discover how effective their investment really is, then spend more money with you!

Friends don’t let friends do their own radio spots!

Words I had to look up (either for meaning or spelling) in writing this post: rife, monotonous, naught, duped.

Wal-Mart announced today that they will begin offering nearly 300 of the most popular generic drugs for $4 for a 30 day supply (read here).

It appears that Wal-Mart is actually doing a great thing for the common good. The best part about this plan is that it is available to anyone with a prescription regardless of their prescription drug or insurance coverage (or lack thereof as the case may be).

While this isn’t the nationwide free healthcare I’d like to see, it is a step in the right direction. I wonder if I will be able to purchase on-line so I can actually avoid visiting a Wal-Mart.