About Sorting It All Out

About Sorting It All Out

Perhaps I can't say it any better than I did in my Hello World post back in the end of 2004. But since then I seem to have developed a modest following so I figured I should give it a shot....

Although it has been fun to be recognized in new places (linguistic presentations, technical conferences, and even the occasional concert!) as a result of the picture, I do have to caution people that they should know what they like/love about the blog before they approach me and tell me that they like/love it.

Because it is embarrassing if I ask you and you don't have an answer! :-)

This blog is mostly about my work and things related to it, and a little bit about me and things that interest me.

I have a hard time separating my work from things that interest me, but that is probably a good thing since I think it means that by and large I like what I am doing?

My principal work is in helping others with the internationalization and localizability of software (with a huge interest in collation and keyboard usage), and my principal interests are in internationalization, language and linguistic issues.

So you can probably see the overlap. It also helps with (or perhaps hinders) the whole work/life balance thing, since I don't really have to work so hard to distinguish the two....

I post more than some and less than others (usually between 1 and 3 a day), so generally speaking if you don't like a post you may like the next one.

If you find yourself not liking any of them then I could wonder why you are here at all, but even masochism is a valid life choice if that is what you are into so I will not presume to judge. :-)

I tend to use Dragon Naturally Speaking to write posts which would limit mistakes to speechos and my own language issues. However, I tend to hand-tweak posts a lot before they go up which adds a typo or three from time to time. If any of these things bother you, then please consider that life is dealing with things as they are, and this is how I am. It is likely something you will be able to get used to....

Most posts with an internationalization or linguistic theme have a sponsoring character, and extension of the system used by Sesame Street, to cover the entire Unicode space.

For a bit about me, here is the text I provide on Facebook:

Read my blog.

Believe the 20% that seems least likely.

Discount 1/6 of the top 40% of what is left.

Assume the rest is true but in a parable kind of a way.

Puree for 5 minutes, and serve chilled.

Then you'll know all about the me that I show the world....

So you can sit back, relax, and enjoy my delusionsnotions of linguistic aptitude!

 

Michael

Michael S. Kaplan
Microsoft Corp.

 

P.S. The picture in the upper left hand corner of the blog and of this page is of Cerebus the Aardvark, and at times I myself tend to feel llke a misanthropic anthropomorphic three-foot tall bipedal gray aardvark, so this works out well. You can read more about the the actual Dave Sim character here. Most of my Cerebus books were actually stolen back in the early '90s but I still have some of the most important ones.
P.P.S. The other random pictures sprinkled throughout are just me enjoying random small slices of life. Think of it as your chance to hang out with me without having to actually be around me....