Jakob Nielsen, "the reigning guru of Web usability" according to Fortune magazine, has worked to create cost-effective and efficient improvements to user interfaces, with the aim of making the Internet and its websites easier to use.

Nielsen has also worked to standardize interface components and to create guidelines for making usable rich Internet applications and content. His work matters to those creating websites and content for them because it makes the programs they work with more consistent and therefore easier to use.

In the spring of 2008, two ducks and 12 ducklings made their home in the pond in my yard.

Revelstoke in December - a great place to snowshoe. Trails along the Columbia River and through the woods are within walking distance of town. If you need caffeine or cinnamon buns before trekking into the hills, go to the Modern Cafe or Conversations. If you need amazing pizza or pasta afterwards, go to The Village Idiot or Bad Paul's. Revelstoke also has a community art gallery full of eclectic, appealing things made by residents.

As a blogger, I asked myself the question, "Who runs the web?"

The W3C, the World Wide Web Consortium, was founded in 1994 as a way to get all HTML vendors to agree to use the same set of standards and components.

Today the W3C is made of members most of whom represent large organizations that have a financial stake in the web and the programs that compose it. The W3C makes recommendations about web programs and their standards, but these recommendations are not enforced; individual manufacturers can choose whether to abide by them or not.

I wanted to add some images to this page. I have been working on my photography skills with the hope of taking some good pictures to accompany some of the articles I write.

Here is the view from Duck Bay on Savary Island, one of my favorite camping places.

This is a building I came across when I was roaming around Quebec City in 2007.

On creating a blog, I considered two of my favorite online journals. They belong to David Byrne http://journal.davidbyrne.com/ and Neko Case http://www.nekocase.com/travelogue/

Mr. Byrne does a great job of posting regularly. He writes about the shows he plays, the neighbourhoods and countries he explores, books he reads and artists he admires. He always includes the thoughts and musings these things provoke in him and I enjoy being able to see inside his head a little bit.

Neko Case usually writes about her travels and the show she plays. Her thoughts and expressions are sometimes bizarre and unique and she has an intriguing vocabulary. However, Ms. Case can go months without posting anything; I read somewhere that she doesn't own a computer, so good for her for fighting the good fight.