I'm Still Alive
April 21st, 2008
It’s been awhile since I posted anything new here, but it’s because I’ve been hella (that’s right, hella) busy over the past month. Here’s a brief rundown of what I’ve been up to:
- Much time has been put towards a group project for my Database Design class. We’re creating a database and some simple applications to keep track of college student/faculty/course records. Lots and lots of diagrams and documentation.
- I created a UNIX shell from (basically) scratch as part of a lab for my Operating Systems class. It’s tiny, and not incredibly useful, but here’s the source in case anyone is interested (I did a lot of this late at night while alternately drinking myself stupid and smashing my head into the keyboard, so the code is a tad messy).
- I learned AJAX.
- I updated the Moving Box Studios site with AJAX spicyness and worked on making things a bit more accessible (though it’s still got some ways to go).
- As always, I put a lot of work into AuditionHQ.
- I got paid for hooking these guys up with a custom version of Silk to manage their site.
- A bunch of other miscellaneous schoolwork (“it’s almost over” is my new mantra) and dealing with stuff in my personal life.
You can expect to see some more of my old essays soon.
About Me
February 6th, 2008
I’m Matt Kantor, a kung fu code machine residing in Ithaca, NY. I’m interested in most things IT, especially anything that has an impact on communication, society at large, or the ways we think and live. I’m also into physics and astronomy, music, economics, sociology, philosophy (especially eastern and existential), and just about anything that I think might help me make sense of this crazy and beautiful world. To me, designing things and solving problems are ways of channeling my creative energy to shape a better future.
I grew up on a rural horse farm in New Tripoli, PA. There still isn’t cable on our street, the phone lines are so bad that we’re lucky to get a 30K internet connection, and it took 45 minutes to traverse my old school district. We once found moonshine under our floorboards when remodeling a room.
I don’t watch TV, I enjoy the outdoors, I think that most people take themselves way too seriously. I derive a profound sense of spiritual fulfillment – though I don’t believe in god – through exploring the whys and whats of this world.
I see in politics, corporate media and organized religion potential threats to freedom of thought and self-expression. I also think it’s important to realize that everything is connected, and we each have the power to change the universe. There is no blame, and instead of pointing fingers it’s much more productive (and interesting) to actually do things to make sure this world is a fun place to live in. For all of us.
What I Do
January 23rd, 2008
I do freelance web design & development. I’ve got ninja skills in software engineering, information architecture, usability, web standards, problem-solving, video games, kitten petting, and juggling. I can rock out to: CSS, Javascript (+ Prototype), XHTML, PHP, Ruby (+ Rails), Java, C++ and C. I’d like to add Python and C# to my arsenal soon. I try to use open source software and follow open standards whenever possible.
I currently work as lead developer for Zampus, an Ithaca-based web firm. We’re building a user-generated “insider’s guide” to college life, using Cornell University as our initial proving grounds.