When I first got serious with my now-fiancee I spent a lot of time with her family. Her niece and nephews took a liking to me, and at one point started calling me "Uncle D," which I found amusing and flattering.

To avoid offending or pressuring me, my fiancee's sister told her brood not to call me "uncle," because I wasn't one yet, and it could make me uncomfortable. That changed the kids' tune: to their mother's chagrin, hey began asking me, "David, when are you going to propose to Amy so we can call you Uncle David again?"

As soon as I got engaged, the game changed. No longer were the children waiting for me to become Uncle David; now it was I who was told to wait. They finally had the upper hand and they knew it.

So now I get cards like this.

My birthday is Saturday. I will be 30 years old.
read more

Glasshaus Press closed up shop Friday.

During its brief existence, Glasshaus was a top-notch publisher, releasing books on Web site accessibility, usability and online development that were clear, useful, and enjoyable to read. Their passing is a typical dotcom bust insolvency issue, as far as I can tell, and a sad one.

Glasshaus turned me into an author last year (see right-hand column). I always knew my book would have a short shelf-life; after all, how sites are designed is continually evolving, and today's epiphanies may be tomorrow's gaffes. But I expected the book to dwindle on its own terms.

Still, while I'm being shuttled to the archives a little early, that doesn't take away from the quality output Glasshaus produced in its day, and the joy I felt in participating.

Good luck to Bruce Lawson and his staff, and thank you for your good work.

I resigned my position as a columnist for Digital Web Magazine today.
read more

"Being different is good. And no intelligent man will ever hold it against you."
—from Nowhere in Africa