Google IPO
April 30th, 2004
Search is big, very big!
After Sarah Jessica Parker of “Sex in the City” mentioned a background check she did on a boyfriend with Google, “Google’n it” is joining the ranks of Kleenex and Xerox as house-hold names.
“The proposed maximum aggregate offering price, as stated in the S-1 filing, is $2.72 billion.”
-from InfoWorld
Some events in Google’s History
Why Google and Search?
Search engines were responsible for 15% of all page visits to Sombrilla On-line in 2003. Search engines are very good at bringing national and international attention.
Microsoft and Yahoo are targeting millions of dollars of R&D on their search engines, especially as Web users get more comfortable with Search. At the top of every major Portalesque site (ie yahoo.com, msn.com, netscape.com) is a Web search. Search is the marketing tool.
Some Fun
For fun, have a look at this Google News Search on Ford Mustang. UTSA Today is 3rd on the list. Where else can you get such easy national and international exposure?
La Casa de España
April 17th, 2004
Just completed this Web site, which is all in Spanish.
Using a simple design and the dramatic contrast of black, red, yellow and white, I created this Web site for a San Antonio based cultural organization called La Casa de España in San Antonio(of which I’m a member).
Most encouraging is that my time from design to implementation on this project was about 7 hours. I had total authority however on the chosen design, didn’t have to consult with any comitees or other individuals. Amazing how quickly you can get something done when you don’t have to work through any hierarchies (and your not to particular about pleasing yourself).
I’m happy with the design, though wouldn’t mind reviewing some other methods for the management of the site. I typically use include files, but this time opted for all Dreamweaver templates. I’m starting to prefer this because of the flexibility associated with controlling the page. With include files, you really have to manage more files in a disparate system. With DM templates, you just pop in a new template and voila… same content, new design/site.
Dreamweaver has it’s drawbacks though. Sometimes the template updater can miss a page here and there. Worse though is the need to depend on Dreamweaver. It’s a large, clunky application that is not to conducive to updating when you are travelling around alot using different computers/devices for updating your site. I need some sort of news system or better yet, a shot at Moveable Type.
Photos from the Chernobyl “Dead Zone”
April 14th, 2004
A brave biker-lady goes into the ghost town that is left over from the 1984 disaster that literally wiped out a city.
Thanks to a Russian lady named Elena, we get an eerie glimpse into what is left of the surrounding dead areas of Chernobyl, the location of the 1984 nuclear melt-down.