Archive: September 21st, 2005

Monday, as I mentioned, was Talk Like A Pirate day. It most gratifying to see so many people using my pirate-speak page converter.

But the amusement doesn’t stop just because Talk Like A Pirate day is over. I’ve been getting some hilarious emails ever since.

This, for example, is from the Managing Director of Aeronautical Services And Procedures:

“Why have you got my front web page on your site? … and why is it defaced??”

Scott Vezdos writes:

“Please remove the pages from your web site regarding KUNI Public Radio 90.9 FM - specifically the “talk like a pirate” section using design layout, graphics and text from our web site. These pages you have copied are copyrighted material and the property of KUNI Public Radio.”

I informed him that I wasn’t hosting any of his files but I pointed him to some websites that are. Here’s a snippet from my reply:

“I found some other websites that have stolen the materials on your site… Google, Yahoo! There may be more. I suggest you write threatening emails to all of these sites: they have copied your copyrighted material… The scurvy dogs!”

Most of you probably know this already, but I’ve joined forces with Andy and Richard. Collectively, we are known as Clearleft.

Yeah, it’s a geeky name: kind of an in-joke for any CSS designers. I wanted us to be known as Super Best Friends Club but the others weren’t so keen on that idea.

Clearleft is a registered company. A real, proper grown-up company. Gulp!

Andy and Richard are the company directors. I am what’s known as a non-executive director. Like, you know when they have ex-prime ministers on the board of a company? That’s me. I am to Clearleft as Al Gore is to Apple (except I didn’t invent the internet). Basically, I’m still technically freelancing but I’ll be gradually moving all my work over to Clearleft. At some future point, I’ll probably become a fully fledged director complete with anointing ceremony.

The company has been up and running for a little while now and we’ve just launched the first incarnation of our website.

It’s a fairly bare-bones brochureware affair. It will be expanded over time with articles, a blog, case studies and anything else that life throws at us.

If you hate the design, blame Andy. If the site architecture and copy makes you puke, it’s Richard’s fault. If you have issues with the XHTML, CSS or JavaScript, I’m the culprit.