Bytemarks
Learn a few tricks of the photo trade

By Burt Lum

There's a saying that goes, "On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog." The corollary to this might be; "On the Internet, everybody knows you're a genius, or at least a really smart fellow." That is my conclusion, after spending several days rummaging through the sites created by Philip Greenspun.

Whether you're a beginner or an avid photographer, you'll appreciate the collaborative site at www.photo.net. It was created not only because of Greenspun's personal interest in photography but as a community for learning and advancing one's photographic skills. You'll find tips from the basics to the latest in digital hardware. The site also features user galleries. As a member you can upload and share photos, and get feedback from others. What is important here is the community that interacts on the Photo.net site. — which leads me to Greenspun's other work.

First and foremost, Greenspun teaches courses in computer science at MIT and is chairman of Arsdigita, an Internet applications company. At Greenspun's teaching site you will get an idea of the work and thought that went into the development of a site like Photo.net. There is a heavy reliance on a database, an interactive, organized, programmable storehouse of information. This underlying "infrastructure" drives the site's program but often goes unnoticed by the user. I make this point because users and businesses that are now adopting the Web can gain an appreciation for its complexities.

Perhaps less technical but nonetheless inspiring are his online books. If you're interested in creating your own Web site, I would highly recommend you read "Philip and Alex's Guide to Web Publishing." To see how these principles are applied, another bit of required reading is "Travels with Samantha." In "Travels," Greenspun documents and photographs his experience traveling across North America. I love it when the gap is bridged between culture and technology. It's sheer genius. ;-)

Burt Lum, cyber-citizen and self-anointed tour guide to the Internet frontier, is one click away at burt@brouhaha.net.