So this is a brand new blog. My old blog, including all of my old posts, now resides in a backup file to sit in ‘storage’. My last blog, a more technically focused one, was horribly out of date, and not something I ever felt the need to use. This one will hopefully not be that way for two reasons. First, I will be updating this one with information about my weekly projects, and possibly doing a bit of showing off of my process with it. Secondly, this one will be a combination personal, and technical blog. If you’re looking for nothing but articles about how to do neat little JavaScript tricks, there are better places to look. I should have a smattering of these, but I will also probably have rants on this or that, reviews on things I like or don’t, and probably updates on where I am, and what I’m doing.

So, in case you missed something, my name is Andrew Hushbeck. I’m currently a web developer, and student in the Informatics program at the University of Washington in Seattle. If you have no idea what Informatics is, don’t worry, you’re not alone. The easy way to explain it for the common man is that its something akin to Computer Science except it focuses on human interaction and information storage, retrieval and design. And I know that Computer Science people just got a little angry, and Informatics people died a little inside, but it’s mostly true from an outsider’s perspective. Those of us in the fields know a lot clearer distinction, but this should suffice as a nice basic understanding. A lot of Informatics graduates can go on to do things ranging from User Interface design, to Web/Database Design, to Project Management, to Business Relations. I even know a number who have gotten jobs normally thought of as ‘Computer Science’ jobs that are programming positions.

So where do I sit on this spectrum? Well, I’ve got the Web Design down, as you can see from my projects site. I like to showcase those skills when I have some spare time, and I do do a number of freelance jobs (get in touch with me if you are interested in a quote), but my schooling has actually been very programming heavy. I have taken a number of more advanced Computer Science courses including Artificial Intelligence, Algorithms and Computational Complexity, and a class on Data Structures. I also took an Informatics class that offered an overview and some experience in Network Programming and Distributed Applications. My goal, is to some day be able to apply my skills in the realm of Video Games. A pretty common goal for people in my field, but what can I say, I love it. I’ve even got a game or two planned in the near future for projects to showcase, so watch my project site and you’ll probably see a few fun things to play with beyond just HTML 5 elements.

Now, you may be wondering where this leaves the proverbial us. What does all this mean for you as a user, and why should you care about this blog? The truth is, I have no idea. At this point, this is mostly to act as an archive of my thoughts more than anything. And I can tell you, my brain can be quite entertaining to watch at times if you can keep up. And if you’re interested in the projects I’ve posted or will be posting, this is a good place to get more of a skinny, and find out about the person behind it. But if none of that appeals to you, and you still want to visit every once and a while, and see what’s up, it likely means one of three things. Either you know me (Hi!), you want to be assured there are people crazier than you, or your a Search Engine Bot (I wouldn’t say no to a good page rank).

Whatever category you fall into, welcome. Look around, poke stuff, and have some fun. I’ll try to be entertaining.