Gather ’round kids, Grandpa’s gonna tell you a story.

Long before the Internet, we used to have to settle arguments the ol’ fashioned way: out-bullshit your opponent. There was no final word. You either gathered enough people to support your argument, or raised your voice until your friend submitted and cried. Either way, the lines between fact and crap were blurred at best.

For instance, I remember when I was in college, a friend of mine was convinced that Alfonso from Silver Spoons was Mario Lopez, aka Slater from Saved by the Bell. Wh-wh-wh-what? They’re not even the same ethnicity! Clearly, my argument against said statement was right, but I couldn’t support it (yes, I went to college before the web was widely accessible). So, it wasn’t until several months later, when I was at home for the summer, that I had a Saturday morning eureka moment, having caught an episode of Saved by the Bell, cross-referencing an old copy of Teen Beat magazine (not my subscription, I assure you). However, trying to rub a victory in one’s face several months later hardly satiates the ego. In the end, I was left with nothing more than my own personal satisfaction. What a bunch of hooey….

Flash ahead — ahem — 10 years, and I was at the Pitchfork Music Festival with my friends, discussing Slint and their final album, Spiderland. Here’s the conversation/argument, as I recollect it:

Friend: Man, Spiderland was such a great album.

Me: Totally (said with a Valley-Girl-esque accent)

Friend: And a great album cover too…so original….

Me: Actually, it’s a tribute/rip-off of an old Beatles photo.

Friend: Which one?

Me: I’m not sure if it was an album cover or not, but it’s pretty well know.

Friend: Whateva. I call bullshit.

Me: No, seriously. I know that they’re in a pool, but that’s all I can remember. Hang on a sec… (pulls out web-enabled phone).

[One minute later]

Me: Here, see….. [shows Beatles photo to friend]

Ignore for a minute, if you will, that I’m an argumentative, OCD a-hole that’s got to settle an dispute like this on the spot. Instead, think about how rapidly our world has changed in the past 10 - 15 years. All of the world’s information, though some non-essential, is at our fingertips, literally.

Perhaps it’s just the old man in me, one that lived back before we had voicemail (before tape-based answering machines even), that’s astounded by how easy it is to reference anything; how easy it is to be a know-it-all; how the sum of these technologies are changing how we interact with friends and strangers.

Let it be said that I, for one, am all for Progress. Let it continue to achieve new heights, and offer us better and faster ways to destroy friendships over petty disagreements.

The Beatles did it first. So there.

Yikes! Has it really been two and a half months since my last post? Even that, to call Weng, Weng a post is a stretch.

So what the hell have I been doing that’s so important to neglect this here blog?

I Quit My Job
Somewhere around May 1st, I left my cushy job as a real estate web developer and plunged head first into the abyss known as freelance work. The first couple of months were spent working out my home and coffee shops with my web pal, Sandy Weisz of Methodtree. Recently Sandy, myself, Andrew Huff of Gapers Block, and four of the most brilliants youngsters I know of (known to the world as Humanized) acquired an office space. Though we are all independent worker bees, we’ve quietly dubbed ourselves ASAJASA, deriving from the first letters of our names and our fondness for acronyms/palindromes. Want to know what it’s like to work with us? Check out the photos and video here.

Projects, projects, projects
In addition to filling my week with billable client work, I’ve attempted to carve out time for my personal, non-billable projects. These have included, but are not limited to: Tappity, Twitter Timer, Retweet, and Just Some, Inc. (my official company name).

Trying My Hand at Design
Lastly, and probably the most daunting of all these items is my attempt to become a better designer. Until now, I have always relied on the creative genius of my friends and colleagues (mostly Jeff Skinner), and have stuck with what I do best: programming. However, as I quickly learned with the start of my freelance work, most clients want the total package, soup-to-nuts, and so on and so forth — something which required me to come out of my design shell.

That said, I’m proud to announce the redesign of this site, srobbin.com. With that announcement also comes a pledge that I shall never let this lapse in content transpire as long as it has in the past few months.

On a lighter, and non-salesy note, should you know of anyone who is in need of a website or complex web application, I’m open for business. Please feel free to contact me at scott [at] justsome dot com.

Until next time….