Living a Web Life

You’ve probably noticed my lack of posts in recent weeks. I’ve been noticing the same phenomenon on other blogs as well. Must be Spring fever. I would say that life got in the way, but that sounds like life is a bad thing, which couldn’t be further from the truth. In the past month my non-work time has been consumed by hosting guests, moving, going to baseball games, and spending time with my family.

I am now caught up on my news feeds and it looks like the Internet is still the way of the world. People are still blogging and twittering and networking online. One guy (though I presume there are others) has managed to maintain an online presence while still living his life. Justin.tv is a perpetual video account of Justin Kan’s life as viewed from a camera strapped to his head. Interesting idea. It’s not for everyone. I’m pretty sure no one needs or wants to see my life in that much detail. It just goes to show that voyeurism will always provide some people entertainment.

1.8 Million Species, 1 Site

I have a lot of web projects going on at work right now that range in scope and scale. All of it, however, pales in comparison to an upcoming undertaking called the Encyclopedia of Life.

Over the course of the next decade, the Encyclopedia of Life will be loaded with all known information about every species on the planet- all 1.8 million of them. Rather than appealing to a niche audience, it is aiming to be accessible by the masses. Information will be accessible at a level for scientists and six-year-old children, educators and those that are simply curious. According to their website, EOL’s goal “is to create a constantly evolving encyclopedia that lives on the Internet, with contributions from scientists and amateurs alike.”

We’ve changed a lot since the days of the door-to-door encyclopedia salesman. Here’s a video to whet your appetite.