iBook, iMac, iBlog: iFAQ

What's with the iStuff cuteness?

iKnow, iKnow. iBlame it on Apple. They've added the "i" in front of everything, making it seem all internety and everything. Steve Jobs is the iCEO for goodness sake! And since iHave bought into it with an iBook and an iMac, the iBlog seemed to make sense. So, this site blogs what I find interesting about Apple's consumer offerings. And when things are slow there, I am not above adding my own commentary and interesting links into the mix. I also like the email address: I blog at mac dot com...

But why iFAQ?

Actually the "i" in iFAQ stands, not for "internet," but for "imaginary," as in "imaginary Frequently Asked Questions." No one has really asked these questions, except for in my imagination.

Why does it look so plain in Netscape version 4?

I have gone to a complete separation of structure and presentation. No more tables. Unfortunately, Netscape's version 4 browsers do a poor job of implementing style sheet positioning (which is what I use for laying out the blog). You may want to consider upgrading. Meanwhile, you'll still get all the content, it just won't look as nice.

What's with the skins?

The Skins are an experiment in separating content from presentation. Clicking one applies a new stylesheet to the page, resulting in a new look, but the exact same content. It's pretty cool, actually. And now it works with the iFAQ!

Where is your archive?

Glad you asked: The archive currently includes March/April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December 2000, and January, February, March, April, and May 2001.

Do you use permalinks?

Yes, beginning in July, 2000. Click the icon (see next iQuestion) next to the post for the link.

What do the cute little icons mean?

Ah, yes. That one was answered back when I had two hits on the iBlog - one from my G4 and the other from the iBook. From that post:

I have added small icons to each post that I make, indicating what the post refers to:
indicates a general post about Apple
indicates an iBook related post
indicates an iMac related post
indicates that the post is about iTunes (icon courtesy Apple Computer)
indicates a note that has no specific relation to Apple, and
indicates that the post is the weekly inversion, or a word that can be read backwards, forwards, upside-down or inside-out.

The icons (with the exception of the inversion and iTunes icons) came from the IconFactory. Cool icons for your Mac!

What's with the links on the right side of the page?

Well, according to Fitts's Law you should design your interface so that the user has to make the smallest motion in order to accomplish a task. The links are by the scroll bar to concentrate the mouse actions into a smaller area. I don't want to get sued for RSI injuries as a result of using this site.

No, I mean those aren't all really blogs are they?

No, they aren't. Under Meta you'll find more stuff that I have done - like an article I wrote for A List Apart, and some other stuff I have done recently on the web. There are also links to other blogs I read often, as well as some communities I am involved in and some Apple/Mac related blogs. I admit to pushing the definition a bit when it comes to most of the Apple related sites. But many of them are one-man shows whose advertising barely covers costs. So no, they aren't really blogs, but I just want to share the love, ya' know?

Share the love?

Erm, never mind...

What's with those three periods at the end of many of your sentences, like the one above?

They're called ellipses...

No, I mean, why do you use them so much?

Otherwise known as an overused rhetorical device. At least on this blog anyway...