Monday, April 18, 2005
Usual oatmeal breakfast. 8:30 AM bus didn't show up today. Restored files from backup for Debrah. Reported broken links on the SAA web site. Realized that Iomega Automatic Backup Pro doesn't let you restore based on filename (confirmed by Iomega technical support). I told the guy I suppose I would have to go back to using Retrospect. Installed Firefox 1.0.3 for Chris. Updated more listserv headers. Enabled Offline Files for one situation where it's useful. Lunch: pretzels, leftover sandwich, water. Helped a student with e-mail migration. Submitted a request to start a new listserv for a student planning a forum. Followed up with Hubert who had a question about the RFO I submitted last week. Web changes for Susie (accomplishments, a news story), sent them to her for review. Reminded all staff to choose a new master password. Did some reviewing of Xythos demo accounts. More security update installations. Home. Holy crap!—when I got home today and checked my e-mail, my inbox was jammed with messages from fellow Aldusians and Adobeites talking about today's eye-popping, hat-raising, ear-spinning news: Adobe buys Macromedia for $3.4 billion! Adobe closed down 9.71% to 54.77 today. Macromedia went up 9.78% to 36.72. The deal isn't done yet, but this is certainly very important news in the computer software industry. It could turn out to be very, very good. Adobe just has to be careful how they play things, and careful they are, I know that. I can imagine the boardrooms of the other big players—Microsoft, Apple, Intel, IBM/Lotus, Corel (okay, Corel isn't really a big player)—people in suits asking each other "Okay, what does this mean?" and "Is this a threat?" and so on. My questions: Will Jakob Nielsen and the concept of web standards rub off Macromedia and onto Adobe, or will the web tragically become all PDF and Flash and ColdFusion? Will Microsoft later acquire Adobe? Will Adobe ever fix the leading on their website? (Actually, I just checked and I think it's fixed! Finally! I couldn't find a single page with the too-tight leading that existed for years. I see the Adobe User to User forums are still using fixed font sizes, though.) I'm sure glad I no longer have to manage Adobe's FTP site. Egads! What a nightmare to add all the Macromedia products, too! Macromedia employees: Prepare for some fun holiday parties! Dinner at home by myself: biryani with corn and extra peas and pearl onions, naan, fruit smoothie (apple, banana, cinnamon). Wasted 30 minutes browsing through Patrick's Instinct magazine.