Blown Cover
It's true. It's all true. I'm working on the next CSU, Chico portal. Of course, all that is over-shadowed by the change in the class numbering scheme.
Good call Orion!
In all fairness to the Orion, class numbering is probably way more important to students than what I do to earn my paycheck. Worse still, my cover on campus is blown. I used to be able to walk around and be totally anonymous. Now I will just be almost totally anonymous. A huge blow to my anonimity...it's only a matter of time until somebody says, "Hey! Portal guy!" At which time I will pretend to slit my wrists, cock back my thumb and make the 'blowing my brains out' hand signal. Lauren Brooks, my 'in jest' blood will be on your hands.
It's a bit sad to admit that I was worried about this Orion article, times being what they are. I have been working on the "new" portal for over a year. It's been consuming my entire work day for months now and is easily the largest project I worked on, uh, since my last job as EFF webmaster (If you aren't a member, sign up you cheapskate). I even have dreams nightmares about the damn portal. Every time I walk around campus I look at people and know that every single person will be using what Scott and I have been banging our heads against for months...all in the effort to "not frustrate anybody."
Scott? Who is Scott? He is the guy who has shoved sematic mark-up, css, and usability (the real kind, not the fake "pass validators" kind) down this portal's throat. What the Orion article doesn't say is that without Scott, the portal would not look, work, or function nearly as good as it does. Please note the serial comma. Thank you.
All that being said, they (the students, then the faculty, and lastly the staff) will hate it, of course. We know that. Anything that you have to use, you are inclined to not like. I understand that. It's human nature. I just hope they hate it less than what they are currently forced to use.
That isn't asking too much, is it?
