What?

People ask me questions on random computer topics that have little to do with my work. Like Photoshop questions - i haven't used Photoshop regularly since version 4 was popular (that's circa 1998 for those of you without the time to look it up), but today was asked: why did command-1 make my colours go away? I barely even use a mac!

Doesn't help that it took under 10 minutes to answer that question, despite not having a version of Photoshop to work with. The answer was only a google (for 'photoshop keyboard shortcuts') and a couple clicks away.

Other times it's usually a "Best Practices" response that gets them the answer, something like "did you check logs?" A surprising number of people forget to actually read the error message they get.

No, i don't mind the questions, they just make me nervous, as if i'm supposed to know everything, and the pressure is always on to actually know everything. And the various times that i don't have an answer just plain suck; i know my bro would have come up with the proper search terms to answer that question.

Rubric Cube

Having heard of the wonder of rubrics (guess they were invented after i went to school) from a pedagogically inclined friend of mine, i came up with one for judging houses. I share it here though my criteria is most likely a tad different than most people's:

Category   4               3               2              1

Location   0-4 blocks      5-10 blocks     11-15 blocks   16+ blocks
           from downtown   from downtown   from downtown  from downtown

2nd floor  full second     partial         no second      no second floor,
           floor           second floor    floor, but     no attic
                                           has attic

Wall       2+ walls for    1 wall for      partial        no appropriate
           murals          mural           wall for       wall for mural
                                           mural

Basement   finished full   unfinished      unfinished     none
           basement        full or         partial
                           finished
                           partial

Other      great physical  good physical   requires some  major repairs
           condition, all  condition,      fixup work &   and Stuff needed
           new Stuff       some new Stuff  new Stuff

Outside    yard to play    yard to play    close by is    no outside, not
           in, good tree   in, good tree   good tree and  even closeby;
           and porch       or porch        park           wasteland

The house i ended up with scored an %80.


So yeah, it isn't a cube. I wonder what 3rd dimension could be added to rubrics to make them cubes?