The latest bit of hubbub in free culture world is a project called Diaspora, started by a couple NYU kids. They’re trying to make the StatusNet of social networks, replacing Facebook with an open-source, decentralized web app that you can run on your own server and which ties into existing services like Twitter and Flickr. Since Facebook is the Great Satan and doesn’t give a crap about its users’ privacy, yet network effects keep me trapped there, I’d kill for an interoperable, federated replacement.
Diaspora is raising money via Kickstarter, which will enable the four-person team to work on this full-time this summer. I encourage you to contribute. In the meantime, I hope they choose to release their code and find ways for the community to contribute in non-monetary ways as soon as possible.
For instance: Diaspora currently uses a picture of a dandelion as their ‘logo’. Nice photograph, but photo =/= logo. So I spent the afternoon futzing around with Photoshop and came up with this:
I emailed them it a few minutes ago, we’ll see if they like it or not.
Mandelbrot Set, you’re a Rorschach test on fire
You’re a Day-Glo pterodactyl
You’re a heart-shaped box of springs and wire
You’re one badass fucking fractal
The above is the best quatrain, in my opinion, in Jonathan Coulton‘s ample music catalog. Thus, I made this:
and submitted it to TopatoCo’s Jonathan Coulton-themed t-shirt design contest. I would totally wear it. Hell, I’d make four shirts, one for each line of the chorus, if they’d let me. And wear ‘em all at once.
I noticed that the deadline for Doodle 4 Google, the drawing contest where schoolchildren redesign Google’s logo, was today. I’m far too old to compete in the contest, but it got me thinking of doodles I might have drawn if I could.
Then I came home from work and this happened:
Yeah, I’m going to hell. But with all the news lately of Google moving Google.cn to Hong Kong and withdrawing from China’s censorship rules, it was inevitable. If something along these lines hasn’t already been put together, by someone who sucks less at Photoshop than me, I would be very surprised…
Edit: Hm, there’s this graphic from a Wired article about Google’s withdrawal that’s sort of similar. More colorful, less simple.
Earlier today I purchased a new T-square after I accidentally sat on the old one and, it being made out of cheap plastic, broke it. The new one is much larger than its predecessor and made out of aluminum. It felt like a melee weapon in my hand, so I tweeted to the effect that I kinda felt like I should be fighting zombies or something with it.
Well, instead of working on my webcomic, I spent the rest of the day drawing a thing, which I shall call “Associate Designer versus Zombie Army”:
A larger version of the drawing is now my computer desktop image. :)
Man, I wonder if anyone’s put together a Left 4 Dead scenario inside a graphic design studio…
Quick post: I already put a link up on my Identica account last week about it, but I’ve restarted doing webcomics! The new comic is called Zebulon and can be found at http://www.zebuloncomics.com/. The latest is perhaps my favorite so far, mostly because it gave me an excuse to doodle protest puppets. :)
And before everyone and their mom says it again: no, just because Chia is blonde and curvy doesn’t mean she’s supposed to be me. She is actually based on two ladies who will remain nameless. Indeed, unlike last time, most of the Zebulon characters are inspired by real humans. But so long as I don’t actually say who is based on whom, hopefully no one can get mad! Mwahahaha.
This post is part of a series on applied game mechanics that I’ve been writing for the OpenHatch blog. The original is located here.
Game mechanics. Game mechanics. Game mechanics. Say it three times fast.
Is it so terribly awful that most of our discussions of game mechanics over the last three months were punctuated by tittering? I’ve been saving this illustration for WEEKS.
Anyway. Actual discussion of game mechanics and how it applies to OpenHatch coming soon!
Been awhile since I drew comics; figured I should get back into the swing of things.
It’s based on a dream Nelson had a couple weeks ago. I thought the idea was adorable so I had to illustrate it.
After two years of long-distance musicianship, Nelson’s band, Wrong Side of Dawn, has finally finished mixing the tracks and has put out its first EP. You can listen on the band’s Facebook page and (soon) buy on CD Baby and iTunes.
Mostly, though, this post is an excuse to post the cover art I drew for them.
Yay pretty things!
I’m not a fan of the apparent trend of literal titles (“Kung Fu Panda”; “Beverly Hills Chihuahua”; “Snakes on a Plane”) but I did enjoy this one. They actually did a really good job of it–Jack Black clearly had creative control over much of the film. The opening sequence is pure gold.
If you haven’t been by Nosve.com lately, it’s been redesigned, with an all-new art/graphic design portfolio! Some things are still a little buggy in Internet Explorer (which no one should ever use–get Firefox), and there are various features I still plan to implement in the next few weeks, but the basic new look is there. So yay!
Will a redesign of Little Green River be in the works? Maybe!
