It’s been a long time since we first heard Adobe would release an online version of Photoshop. It launched word processor acquisition Buzzword first, but hasn’t been as buzzworthy (pun intended) as major the players, Zoho Writer and Google Docs. How does Photoshop Express fare?

Photoshop Express is more of a photo-sharing site with several image editing features than it is an online port of the image editing heavyweight. It’s a far cry from Splashup (which I drooled over when it was still named Fauxto) and the extensive design suite that is Aviary. Many consider this a disappointment, because why would Adobe let itself get beaten at its own game?

Why release Photoshop Express like this? Maybe Adobe’s not looking to web-ify as many Photoshop features as possible, but instead hook the average user with the retouching tools and of course the social sharing angle, just like Picnik. But could Photoshop Express become both feature-packed and social in the future? Why not?

Photoshop Express, Splashup, Aviary, Picnik, and Buzzword all use Flash. It’s amazing to see how far Macromedia’s former star player has come—from creating the new standard in online video to possibly rendering PDF documents obsolete. If Google Docs or Zoho Writer ran on Flash, would they be as popular? Could the Web have embraced rich internet applications as easily if we depended on Sun (Java) or Microsoft (Silverlight) to deliver the job?

One of the best examples of the shift towards designing with web standards is the use of semantic HTML tags, rather than purely presentational ones (since we have CSS for that). Tags like <b> and <i> have gotten a lot of flak for doing nothing but make things bold or italic. They’re condemned semantically incorrect, even deprecated.

WordPress, among others, has since used <strong> and <em> their place. (Try writing a post and clicking on the “b” and “i” buttons.) Lots of people, including myself, have also adopted that same mindset. But <strong> and <em> only provide emphasis, and will not suffice for cases that require seemingly superficial formatting like boldface and italic.

You probably remember that in writing class, you had to follow certain style guides for your papers. For example, the APA style guide outlines which words and phrases should be italicized:

Italicize or underline the titles of books and articles, species names, introduction of new terms and labels (the first time only), words and phrases used as linguistic examples, letters used as statistical symbols, and volume numbers in reference lists.

That’s just the APA, and many other style guides exist (I grew up on MLA), but you get a general idea. While people can argue that the <cite> tag can handle titles and other items that can be cited, that isn’t enough. It seems the W3C has spoken in its working draft of HTML5.

• The b element now represents a span of text to be stylistically offset from the normal prose without conveying any extra importance, such as key words in a document abstract, product names in a review, or other spans of text whose typical typographic presentation is emboldened.

• The i element now represents a span of text in an alternate voice or mood, or otherwise offset from the normal prose, such as a taxonomic designation, a technical term, an idiomatic phrase from another language, a thought, a ship name, or some other prose whose typical typographic presentation is italicized. Usage varies widely by language.

But it must be noted that in their detailed specifications, the <b> and <i> elements must be used as a last resort, and the HTML document author must know when to choose them over <strong> and <em>, as well as the <cite> element.

This is only a tiny part of the changes from HTML4 to HTML5, but I’m glad HTML is becoming more and more capable of handling truly meaningful documents. A large part of the web is written word; HTML needs to be more sensitive to how that written word, as well as other content like multimedia, is displayed.

Now, if only all browsers were as reliable in rendering markup as the W3C intended.

Lately we’ve had several whistleblowers risking their lives so that Filipinos may know the truth. Those who are outraged have upgraded their means of communication from texting to blogging; they’ve even come up with a backronym for it: Electronic Data Swarm Against Arroyo (EDSA).

But that addresses only the current political crisis, and not the greater illness plaguing the whole government. How do you moderate greed and corruption? Could it be through a specialized wiki-turned-watchdog like Wikileaks?

Wikileaks is developing an uncensorable Wikipedia for untraceable mass document leaking and analysis. Our primary interest is in exposing oppressive regimes in Asia, the former Soviet bloc, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, but we also expect to be of assistance to people of all regions who wish to reveal unethical behavior in their governments and corporations. We aim for maximum political impact. Our interface is identical to Wikipedia and usable by all types of people. We have received over 1.2 million documents so far from dissident communities and anonymous sources.

I doubt the Philippine-based WikiPilipinas would be able to defend themselves against the powers that be if they ever start an initiative like this, so does anybody want to fill in the Philippine category in Wikileaks instead?

Watch Orosman at Zafira. It’s beautiful, powerful, moving, inspiring. And it shows how a classic by the great Francisco Baltazar can remain so vibrant with today’s modern sensibilities. It’s perhaps the best play I’ve ever seen, considering every single play performed by the Dulaang UP is spectacular. More importantly, you will enjoy it. You will be struck by it.

I am not an expert in theater, but somehow the love I’ve had for it for almost all of my life burst with joy within me last night. Perhaps the only thing missing then was for us, the audience, to break free and join in the half-delirious, half-triumphant glory with which the komedya ended.

If the devil is in the details, this was perfect hell. Just look at the photographs—that was just the beginning. The battle scenes will always be my favorite—there’s just something about a symbolic war dance. That there were pretty boys who knew how to act, dance, and sing is only icing on the cake—though there’s a reason serenades have won girls over for decades.

Please, watch it. If you have to be proud of something—something Filipino, something UP, something artful, something poetic, something wonderful, something great—this is it.

The story so far: Yahoo! is in a rut, Microsoft wants to buy it for $44.6 billion, and Google is worried that the Internet’s “openness and innovation” may cease to exist if the two make a deal. Scary times.

Update: Microsoft gives up on its bid. Here’s a good coverage and a timeline of the whole thing.

Update: Yahoo! seems to have rejected Microsoft’s offer. Ars Technica has more for those who aren’t subscribed to the Wall Street Journal.

But I’m not here to look at the deep ramifications of quite possibly the most influential tech story we’ve ever had—even if we haven’t stopped to catch our breath since the last ones. I’m going to look at how Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo! announced their latest thoughts. It’s pretty revealing:

Google: through the Official Google Blog. Together with its many other official blogs, it’s as plain and straightforward as its search engine. Unlike a typical blog, though, comments and trackbacks are disabled, which is understandable since Google is just plain huge. What I don’t understand is why Google is butting in right now. At least how the company expresses its opinion feels more appropriate in a blog than in a press release. Which brings me to…

Microsoft: through the PressPass. Tried Googling for Microsoft’s official blog but it’s not in the first page—does it even exist? More importantly, their press release is overflowing with incomprehensible and unnecessary legalese. Come on! Microsoft has very interesting technologies but how do you expect people to cozy up to you or you-plus-Yahoo! with roadblocks like these?

Yahoo!: through Yodel Anecdotal. Google may seem to be the most innovative and successful right now, but Yahoo!’s blog, like its other websites, captures the imagination. It’s very cheerfully designed. It shows its products (Flickr, del.icio.us, MyBlogLog) in action. And best of all, everyone can comment! It is that spirit I want to see Yahoo! have more of, even though we’ve seen it from the start (because why name a company “yahoo” otherwise?). It needs to stay alive.

Truth is, I find Google’s blog post and Microsoft’s PR awkward compared to the way Yahoo! handled this one. Maybe I just want to root for the underdog. I’m tired of all the dizzying billion-dollar figures and all the corporate clutter. Yodel Anecdotal is a change of scenery. And yet it’s in dire need of one, too.

Yesterday marked the beginning of the UP Centennial celebrations, and it was a blast.

No, it was crazy! If you don’t have enough heart—and I mean both the love of UP and the will to wade through the crowd—you wouldn’t enjoy it as much. It’s easy for students and alumni who have been harassed by the pressures of college life to undervalue UP, but as someone who has lived and breathed the UP culture and excellence even before I officially studied there, UP will always be one of the most important things in my life.

No other university deserves the grandest and most meaningful of celebrations except the University of the Philippines. Happy Centennial UP! Let’s celebrate with some pictures!

Spotted some UP Golden Jubilarians while waiting for the parade to start. Wish I had a close-up with the 100-year-old torchbearer!

The first float in the motorcade, which made its way from UP Manila and was joined by contingents from all other UP campuses throughout the Philippines.

Here’s UP Pampanga. The cardboard sign says “Diliman Bound Do Not Delay”!

Helicopter showering us with balloons and confetti.

Just one group of the many UP Diliman College of Fine Arts lanterns from the 2007 Lantern Parade.

Skydivers bearing celebratory banners. I am so making this my wallpaper.

The dancing Oble “sculpture”, part of another FA lantern.

View of the Oblation Plaza from the second floor of Quezon Hall.

Lighting of the cauldron by the 100th torchbearer, President Emerlinda Roman. That’s one of 4 LCD projected screens in the University Avenue. UP @ 100 lights on top of Quezon Hall are also lit up and the Centennial Celebration is declared open.

Northeast quadrant of the amphitheater crowd during the concert. The banner reads “Serve The People”. Kudos to the people who held that up the whole night.

Choirs and orchestras performing from all regions of Quezon Hall. How many conductors were there?

The UP Pep Squad performing for the nth time today!

Ryan Cayabyab performing Salamat sa ‘Yo UP, the first stanza of which is 99% literally true in my case!

Sa ‘yo UP maraming salamat
Ikaw na aking tahanan
Mula sa aking pagkamulat
Hanggang sa aking huling hininga

Fists raised and pumping in the air while singing UP Naming Mahal. Also for the nth time, but the solemnity of our school hymn never left the air.

Fireworks!!! (I can’t believe I took photos that actually look like fireworks!) Thirty minutes was over before we knew it!

I really love the color of these fireworks. Can’t you tell they’re my favorite? The heart-shaped and planet-shaped ones are runners-up. Those impressed me too as I haven’t seen them before.

UP @ 100 and the cauldron.

We had to wait in line to go up the steps and take pictures! (Salamat Miss Bebang sa pagkuha!)

That’s hot.

UP Ang Galing Mo! Download the song now!

Shoutouts to Minik (have a safe trip to and an interesting life in Singapore!), Jonas (I was yelling at you but you didn’t see me!), Ish, Sir Paolo, Miss Bebang, Arbie, and Kuya Harv!

Still can’t get enough? More UP Centennial Kick-Off pics here!

Happy new year to everyone!

It’s amazing how many old, backward methods can be eradicated by the Web. Months ago a friend invited me to attend a business networking chapter meeting. I knew not too many details about it, only that it was a very prestigious organization, it would help grow my roster of contacts as a budding entrepreneur, and it would be better to experience firsthand how it worked.

MLM?

Despite how suspicious it sounded—MLM recruiters don’t divulge anything before the “meeting” and they flatter you—I gave my friend the benefit of the doubt. So what do you do in business networking meetings?

1. Mingle. (Note: I don’t know about you but I think it’s common courtesy to introduce your guest to other people since you invited her and she took time out of her busy schedule just to be there. Don’t leave her on her own especially since you did not brief her beforehand.)
2. Have breakfast. (Note: I also think it’s common courtesy to inform her that she’s supposed to pay for the breakfast even though she’s a guest. Please don’t ambush her like that again.)
3. Learn what the organization is all about.
4. Formally introduce yourself by indicating your line of work and the specific type of clients you are looking for this week.
5. Mention whose services you’d be interested in acquiring as well.

Pay to Enjoy Restricting Privileges

Oh, and since this was all done in an organized manner, restrictions applied. Only one person from each professional specialty is permitted to join a chapter.

Seriously? The Middle Ages comes to mind, or maybe Kid Nation, where you only have the upper class, the merchant class, the cooks, and the laborers.

There were at least three of us who were “web designers”—a web hosting guy who happens to do web development and “web design” as well, a fine arts girl who happens to do graphic design and “web design” as well, and me.

Then it so happened my friend introduced me as a graphic designer instead. So what exactly was my “profession” inside that chapter?

How were they going to deal with the fact that three people called themselves web designers that day? More importantly, why was I even invited to that meeting knowing that rule?

Did I really have to stick to being called a graphic designer slash web designer? I’ve been damn good at writing and editing, too. So is that strike two for competing with the copywriter in the chapter? Or is that a no if I only write for blogs?

(Note: it’s disappointing to realize that clients aren’t just hiring me for web design skills, but for every other skill I’ve developed for the past 22 years, and they’ll never appreciate that. One of these days I need to list all the services I can provide. Likewise, it’s a shame if you don’t use your other skills in your real job.)

How many more cans of worms do you want me to open for you?

Doesn’t matter anyway, since I didn’t get any referrals but web hosting guy and fine arts girl did. It definitely made me feel like a niche profession that nobody understands or finds useful. To think web design is not at all niche on the Web. How much worse can it get for the real niche brick-and-mortar businesses?

We’re in the 21st century, for crying out loud! Everything overlaps. Niche feeds The Long Tail. And really backward restrictions cause brain rot.

You also had to pay an annual membership fee, the amount of which was staggering. I’d actually call it decadent, if appropriate. We’re in a third world country. I’m not paying just about a month’s salary to do what I said above… every week.

Granted, my potential clients are probably best found on the Web. But why pay to gain contacts via a business networking group?

Is it because an invite-only system supposedly guarantees quality? Someone’s thumbs-up may be another’s disappointment. And based on experience, I’ve been disappointed by the best of people. A membership fee doesn’t guarantee otherwise.

Go Network Online

Remember, you only get one person per profession within a chapter. You’re paying to get a limited amount of contacts. You can do that on the Web, completely free of restrictions.

Now the problem with doing anything online is this almost certain image of uncertainty and chaos brought about by anonymity and equality. Though Friendster, MySpace, and Facebook are not just online popularity contests, it’s a bit too tedious to gain and share business referrals on a general-purpose socializing site.

There’s always LinkedIn, Plaxo, and Xing, which look very productive. GigPark is a different spin on professional networking and focuses on the recommendations you need. This instantly reminded me of the business networking experience I’ve told you about, except that with this website, it’s free—free as in beer, free as in speech.

Since these chapter members are clearly loaded, they have the technology to get on the Web. Do they have the common sense to? Do they have the common sense, too?

Everyone, I hope you’re enjoying your Christmas. Last year I mentioned our furry Belen, and if you were still wondering about that one, here’s a look.

Maligayang Pasko! Maligayang Kaarawan ni Hesus!

Correct me if I’m wrong when I say putting Yahoo!-powered advertisements inside Adobe PDF files stinks a bit like the ad-ridden Opera browser. Except that since 2005, Opera has thrown out the pay-for-an-ad-free-version.

So is Adobe going backwards and doing what Opera has done ages ago? Not quite.

These pay-per-click ads will be contextual, like Google Adsense and Yahoo! Publisher Network. Publishers also stand a chance to earn from this, not just the advertisers and Yahoo! itself.

Since contextual ads are much more profitable from a certain viewpoint compared to the distracting banner ads once found inside Opera, this is supposedly better, right? I guess so, but why go backwards and put ads on software that was previously ad-free?

Because technically, you’re putting ads on the content of the PDF, not the software itself. Still, it reminds me of ad-infested programs—99% of which are spyware.

You might have heard PayPal has arrived in the Philippines both for sending and receiving funds, and that the ideal way of receiving your funds would be through a debit card—rather than a credit card—which is provided solely by UnionBank.

Setting up the link between the Philippine bank and the online payment site was hardly troublesome, however I’ve tried withdrawing funds from PayPal over to my UnionBank account since November 14, but even after 11 business days (the maximum period for funds to appear, apart from the quicker 3-5 days) nothing has arrived since.

UnionBank says they have no control over the matter and that I had better contact PayPal about it. Well, right now PayPal is taking forever to load its pages. I can only hope the amount I withdrew has not yet disappeared, and that both parties won’t start pointing fingers leaving their customer a sorry victim from all of this.

Actually, UnionBank already has. There goes my hope.

Update (12/14/2007): After two support messages sent to PayPal all I got was this: “Due to an increase in seasonal email volumes, we may not have been able to answer your email.”

Update (12/15/2007): The PayPal funds seem to have arrived on December 14 according to the transaction log. So it took “exactly” one month to make it to the Philippines.