Thursday, December 13, 2007

Web design's perspective has been changed again

Since there are many popular small devices like Asus Eee PC, Nokia Internet Tablet, iPhone, and iPod Touch, the website is not for only computer anymore. Website normally is created to view in a full-capability browser only, so when you use PDA kind of thing opening the web, you will find awkward to see all the contents. However, all browser-based devices above completely changed the view. With the limit of screen estate--800 maximum-pixel-width & less than 480 pixel-height, most websites are not that comfortable to look at. You may argue that iPod touch or iPhone has that kind of ability; but all I can say is if you have an option between Macbook and iPhone and your task is finding one topic or reading a topic in NY times, what would you choose? I bet no one will choose iPhone, not because it's not great, but its screen is too small to skim and scan over the content. You may have to have a lot of touches just to finish the job while you just look at the Macbook and you get it.

Before we used to think from the low resolution to higher solution, that is what web designers have to think of to create a page based on that screen size. Nowadays, you'll rarely see the web page that suits well for the 800*600 screen; they have turned to be 1024 minimum-pixel-width for awhile since newer monitors tend to be wide screen and higher resolution, then if you still keep the same limit--800 pixel-width, surfer will find that the web page is too narrow. Nonetheless if you set the width too big, surfer will have to scroll horizontally which is not quite comfortable. 1024 pixel-width seems to be okay for most surfers, but while the landscape has been changed by tons of UMPC, sub-notebook, or internet-based device. Should web designers change their perspective? By catching the width and resizing the layout dynamically or just let it be by the old trend--increasing the size of screen anyway. I don't know if user really cares about this; somehow this is just what web designer should realize. And it's time to update our web sites again! ha ha ha

Friday, April 13, 2007

When in Rome, do as the Romans do

When in Rome, do as the Romans do, that's what exactly right. No matter how you are. It's the same as how we raise our kids; if you want your kids to be good, stay in a good place; avoid to be in a bad place because kids have to be in there and no one wants to be alienated, then they tend to grow up as same as others around. Come to what I want to complain today, walking through the red light, jaywalking or whatever pedestrians do is common thing in New York City if you had lived there you know what I am talking about. The thing is I came from Alabama where everyone, actually most, follow the rule strictly. When I first came here, Mann! What the heck people did!, why shouldn't they wait for the light? I was only a few that was at the edge of sidewalk at first but started to cross the street at the end of the crowd. Nonetheless, society have changed me to be as same as everyone. Then I cross the road by looking around; if it's safe, I'll go.

For New Yorker, have you ever heard of issuing a ticket for jaywalking? I hadn't until today, 4/12/07. Yes, it was me whom police semi-politely gave a ticket and a nice word at the end, 'have a good day'. The story started at when I and my girlfriend went to authentic Thai Restaurant, Swaddee, at Union Turnpike by subway. We did what we always do, get off the train and go up to street level. The thing is the south side exit we always go was closed by god sake's reason. So we had to use the north exit on the other side of Queens Blvd. That was the incident happened. It's at Queens Blvd crossing with 78th ST. Usually, at the junction, there always are crosswalks on both side, so no one has to walk cross the street in order to cross the Boulevard. Not only this junction doesn't have, but also has a sign not to cross on one side. Fortunately, no one cares the sign, neither do I. They just cross naturally; look around and walk if it's safe or walking sign on. Today it's just almost the same circumstance but not at the end. When I reached the opposite side of the street. There is one big guy came to us and asked for the ID. I gave him one. So does my friend. I asked him why? "Jaywalking, you crossed where you shouldn't; there are a lot of accidents here." and he got on the car which parked at the second lane of the road (isn't that block the traffic?) I walk to the small group of people which faces the same situation as me. They all said what on earth does the cops do? It doesn't make any sense at all. Will we get a ticket? Surely, answer is yes.

The thing is we were wrong. I accepted that; but in this case, there is something that I felt it was unfair for folks whom NYPD gave a ticket. Just so you know, when I crossed the street, there is a group before and after me, all the time.Only unlucky people were given a ticket and unfortunately they were others but white. Dude, is that what we called 'racism'? I thought it was gone from the US since the Civil War, at least it should not be in the case of what state officers do. I didn't make this up; the group followed me is mixed between white and black. How lucky the white is, only the lady who is African American was caught in order not to obey the not crossing sign. Soon as she was asked for ID, she asked the police back, "hey, what's about this?" The cop didn't respond anything but walk back to the car and get on it as nothing happened. How can we find another reason for this but race? If you have one, let me know. I was very frustrated like everyone in an unlucky group; what we can do more but complain and accept. NYPD didn't listen to anyone at all, when we want to ask something, it's just like I was his employee; some we got answer and some doesn't. It's just not supposed to be like this. When they finished writing the ticket, they called me to get it. My girlfriend asked what about the rest that did the same thing but they didn't have to pay $$ and time at all. What they said make me feel o_O (this is what the civilized country does, it's just the same as us, the Third World) they said that I could do only one at a time, you see? Oh-O I really want to ask them back that what the heck are 2 of them do because I saw on both my and my girlfriend tickets has the same handwriting. However, I said, "okay, I let you work with that people, bye"

"Have a good day" is the last that they said to the unlucky people.

How can I have good day on the unlucky day? By the way, I have to go to court on June 16, 2007 (2 months+ from now.) This is another thing I don't understand at all. Why is their process really suck? Just pay a small fine. They have to try let people forget to earn more money by late fee or let people calm down from very frustrating scene they have faced; I really want to know that, and I will ask whoever they are in the court again what is wrong if I'm Asian not White.

All in all, I don't blame New York makes me like this, while, in fact, it does, but the truth is I choose to be the same as others by myself and I believe you would go the same path. I know what I do, only when I am in Rome, I have to do as Romans do. And in the case of those NYPDs who are suck, it's possible that they have lived in really bad atmosphere before or they are just jealous of other races that are given almost the same thing as they are in the world of equality, so this is the only way to alleviate what in their minds. When these folks passed away, the world would be a lot better than it is today. I really hope it comes soon, then our next-generation will not have any bad thing to follow anymore.

How ridicurous some NYPD are!!!!!!!!!!

Today I got a ticket from NYPD because of jaywalking on Queens Blvd (Union Turnpike). It sounds normal, but it's not. Many people crossed the street on the same line as me, but only some people got the tickets especially Black, Asian, and South American. Is it equal? Do they have prejudice?

About 4:30PM, my boyfriend and I went to Thai restaurant on Queens Blvd. by taking E train. When we left the train, we saw the exit that we always use were closed. So we had to go to the other side and crossed the street. We saw many people crossed the street at that side. Then we were following them. A policeman came to us and asked for our IDcard, and we gave them immediately. I asked him what was happening, and he said I crossed the street on the prohibit way. And, I accepted that it's my fault. I believe in laws and I graduated from laws school in my hometown, Thailand. Therefore, I think that's fine for me. I respect the laws, and also I expect officers who run the laws to use them equally.

Just about 5 minutes left, we saw a large group of people crossed the street like we did, but 3 policemen ignored them. What is that? And there were a lot of people crossed that street after that, but the cops didn't give them any tickets. The thing is groups which including any white people didn't get the ticket. Is it racial discrimination? Is it acceptable in this country? Is it fair?

Every people who got the tickets tried to ask the cops about this, but they escaped by closing all the car's windows and staying in there. In addition, when one of the policemen got out of the car in order to give a black woman ticket written already, there were about 4-6 people crossed the street on the same line. The woman asked him whether he saw them and why he didn't give them the tickets as her. The policeman said nothing and went back to stay in the car. My boyfriend and I ask another cop when he gave us the tickets how about people who were crossing the street (in the same line) at that time. He said he wrote our tickets, so he couldn't do another job at the same time. However, 2 policemen just sat in the car to see many people crossed the street like the way we did, and the reason they gave us the tickets.

"...All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights......"

"...Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty......."
(from http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html)

Are all these words just ideal?

I plan to get into laws school here, the US, in order to study about International Human Rights Law. I have chosen this country because there are a lot of tries to promote and to make the world be concerned about human rights, yet this situation makes me disappoint. I'm pretty sure that there are a lot of good policeman here. Don't let a bad part of your organization makes all of you be dirty!!