Collaboration is a new thing for me. I'm not used to collaborating if I can help it, because there is always that one person that drops the ball, and I end up stressed for hours or days (hopefully I have more than a few hours) to pick up the slack. So, I have been very independent on a lot of fronts. Unfortunately, a person can't live like that. There is too much in the world that needs to get done, and not enough hours in the day to get it all done. So, I am dedicating this section of the site to my projects and collaboration.
Most of the site is just designed specifically to provide a list of projects that I am currently on, and any comments on them. Most immediate stuff will show up in my blog, but more collaborative tools will continue to show their heads here.
Gardening: My gardening project has been running smooth, with some pretty nice herbs and plants this year. We found more Mint, and we are actually planning a separate mint garden to showcase all the mint varieties we have found. We are also looking to create a thyme lawn in the back. Ideal for low-maintenance, low-water, and low allergy lawn solutions.
Canter's End: My Steampunk novel is coming along nicely. The name has changed (for good reason), and the situations have changed quite a bit the longer I get into it. This draft is moving slow, but then I fully intend to make it as good as possible before I move on to the next draft.
To date I have a well organized outline for the book, though I ended up looking to create a new program just to write the thing. Why? Because most of the good writing programs out there are not free (nor should they be, I might add), and I don't have the funds to dedicate to this rather expensive hobby. So, I ended up working on a project called Novel Writer for the desktop and the iPad. It's still in the design stage, but I will hopefully have something to post soon (like screen shots).Software: Mobile computing is changing significantly with the introducation of the new tablet form factor. The Apple iPad, the HP Slate, and various others will bring a new level of connectivity, connection, and consumption of media that hasn't been possible before.
One thing that I have wanted was a program that will make writing a book on a mobile platform like the slate format very easy. Unfortunately this means not using a traditional word processor, and going for a more project-management writing process instead. That's what this program is meant to do.
That, and a number of other programs that I have planned for the future is on it's way, so follow here for any future details!