I had a client meeting last week with a gent from Maryland. I’m here in Georgia, so that’s a few states away, hundreds of miles. About an 9 hour drive. So, he has me install this web plugin over the phone. Took about 2 minutes to install and then restart the page.
Next thing I know, I see this program that looks insanely simliar to Central & Breeze. I’ll remember the name tomorrow, but the first thing I asked him was, “Has Macromedia seen this?”. It had the panel on the side, ya know, the Pod holder, and in the center was an app sharing window. The speed at which the software worked was fantastic, including when I utilized Visio on his end.
It’s very diffucult for me as a developer to really see the point of my labors. It is a labor of love because I love what I do, but my doing isn’t what is important; it’s the user’s experience with what I create. However, if I’m not happy, it shows, and vice versa. Now, most people probably wouldn’t notice the negative, but they stand out like a sore thumb to me. That attitude, however, of truly focusing on technology, ect. makes it very diffucult to see the forrest for the trees without expelling some decent effort to do so. I’m concerned with what I create, and what it “feels” like when it’s done. I know what went into it, and I judge it based on that criteria. Naturally, this is flawed in the business aspect, because just because it’s put together well doesn’t mean it works well. Usage and construction do not go hand in hand. My artist roots cause this discrepancy, so I’m constantly trying to balance both as I consider the construction itself an art, but I’m creating art with a purpose.
So, every once in awhile, I actually utilize some form of technology that relates to what I do. I know, amazing. It happened once in the past when I utilized a quick Flashcom app I put together using the components with some custom images in the slideshow component to discuss with a client up in Boston the project details we were working on.
Late at night, huddled in my apartment office at the time, I felt like I had accomplished so much and communicated so well afterwards. It was great to get that much done as well as that much understanding without ever having to leave my chair. It really inspired me to believe in the technology. Last week was just another one of those.
I think unconciously, I believe in it, as well as the positive remarks I ever so often get sprinkled my way, whether it’s via co-workers postive comments, managers relying user’s reactions, or client’s relaying theirs. However, it’s driven home when you yourself are the one actually experiencing those positive experiences.
So, coupled with the Microsoft advertising of Live Meeting, the Breeze events at MMUG meetings, Breeze being pushed in Centrals direction ( I pray ) & it’s API along with the AOLIM SDK, I once again believe in Flash’s power to truly bring people together, to actually accomplish true, tangile goals, and facilitate communication. Having the opportunity to create and extend such technologies for people is a great feeling and reminds me and reinforces why I do what I do.