FINALLY~!

My very own WordPress theme. It’s not the first one I’ve ever created, but the first for my own use.

I wouldn’t be myself if making such design took me less than two months. I started it right before Christmas and after finishing the graphics part, neglected it for few weeks. But now it’s ready and I love it <3, even though it’s not perfect. Tag Cloud is getting on my nerves, seriously. Normally, the widgets work with <h2><ul>, but not the Tag Cloud. It doesn’t give a damn about <ul> or any other HTML tag which might have added a padding into it x_x”. Or at least I haven’t found any… But other than that, I love this theme <3.

As you probably noticed, the idea was to create a neon-like style of design. It was inspired by a Photoshop tutorial I found on Abduzeedo and the design I created for MaxStudio’s blog.
This theme is so much more my style than the previous one. I guess people will always associate me with grungy designs. Besides, I’m just sick of winter. Oh snow, how I hate you~!
Anyway, I never really created a design with such high contrasts. My colour schemes usually were more monochromatic. Well, maybe excluding RT’s theme, the black/red one. This reminds me… I really should move my butt and put Radioactive Toy back up. It’s been almost a year since I opened it and almost a year since my last update of the site XD. And so the award for the worst webmistress goes to… Oh, never mind. It’s not really my fault that I didn’t create anything showable until just recently x_x”. When you work for someone whose vision is like 180° away from your own, it’s not easy. My boss likes my projects, my co-workers like my project and I… not really.

On the other hand, I did few designs I like. First of all, my boss’ portfolio. It was the very first design ever which I could create simply according to my own vision. My boss only approved of it. Of course, it’s dark. Have I ever created a good lightly-coloured design? Hardly. Well, maybe Nothing ’til the Weekend, but it’s just one among many. Exception makes a rule?
The second work-oriented design I like would probably be our style blog. I like it, but I didn’t think of it as a design accurate for a company. But my boss and co-workers love it, so let it be. It was the second WordPress theme I ever created, so I’m quite proud of it.
The third one is connected with the style blog, but it’s the latest design of our main page. It’s exactly the same style, but horizontal. I must say that I like it much more than the blog. Everything looks clean and organized.

Ok, that’s pretty much it for today. I have few entries started so you can expect Vi.net to be updated more frequently. I guess it’s my way to avoid learning. I’m not slacking, I’m keepeing myself busy with other things ;D. On the other hand, it would be really nice to pass goddamn econometrics x_x”.

It’s a short summary of what I’ve been up to for the past… 1,5 year. If someone told me that this will keep me so busy I wouldn’t believe it ;).

I study Informatics & Econometrics and my speciality is Computer Graphics & Multimedia.
The first year was a total disaster. Seriously. Subcjects were boring, but overwhelming. What’s worse I’m still wondering if any of them was of any use.
My job at that time was quite well paid yet time-consuming and irritating (I will write a separate entry on this matter) and my parents’ marriage was hanging by a thread (and I really don’t feel like writing about it anytime soon).

Some of you might say: you’ve chosen the faculty yourself and it’s boring? Yes, that’s the way it is. I wouldn’t have chosen it if the speciality was different. I don’t know how it looks like in other countries, but here the speciality starts with the second year and the first is meant for all those difficult subjects which will make half of your group change the faculty or school. We had micro- and macroeconomics (yes, separete subject for each), mathematic analysis, statistics (which continues) and other mostly mathematic oriented stuff. Blah.
The only subjects which might be considered more or less useful were Databases and Programming. Unfortunately we did not learn how to use databases on websites and the only programming language we got to know was Pascal, which is out of use anyway.

Fortunately, this losing streak ended with the first year. On the second, we started our speciality and at last something worth our attention appeared in our schedules.
Few examples:

- Computer Graphics and Multimedia, which can be also known as Game Developing :). It seemed quite great at the beginning, but now it’s just a mess. Our tutor wanted to show us every possible way of creating games and you know how it is: when you learn all you know nothing.
Well, learning various techniques might sound good, but the goal of this subject is to create a video game. And how on Earth are we supposed to do that if we have only basics in few techniques? He knew that most of us (if not all) will use Flash to create it, but we had only +/- 2 hours connected with Flash. Marvelous.
As for the game itself, here’s our groups plan: we want it to be in Silent Hill-ish dark climate (anyone surprised?). FPP (First Person Perspective) with logical riddles. Escape type, probably. Well that’s the plan, we will see if we will be able to create it.
We are sure that the main character will be female and that there will also appear a second, male, character who is based on… I know, no one who knows me would ever guess ;), on Ran/Aya Fujimiya in Side B version <3 <3 <3. *cough*
I’ll post the game here if it gets decent enough ;D.

- Webdesign: another subject which seemed ok at the beggining, but turned out not so great.
Of course, we had to start with basics. Waste of time, seriously. I’m not the best coder, but in times when designs are based on div/css we were supposed to create iframe.
It got even better when PHP started. All we did were few forms. None of them was really useful, not to mention the fact that if you use action=”mailto:” it will not work. You need a PHP script wchich will send the messege to you. And those are not empty words, I created such form like two weeks ago ;D. Though I used a tutorial found in the internet and not school materials.
The tutor didn’t even show us how to use includes. And it’s like the most basic thing ever. Or is that only my opinion? x_x”
[EDIT:] I forgot to mention one thing, which can be considered as the most positive side of this classes: course of Flash for idiots ;D, so the tutor showed us, step by step, how to make few basic effects. When we had Flash on CG&M it was like “click here, here, here and here and poof! it works!” and half of the group was like “WTF has just happened? O_O”. Yup. That’s us.
Of course, the materials we got are done in such weird and hazy way that if you don’t have your own notes, you’ll probably not know what to do anyway. But still, it was a good start :).[/EDIT]

- Multimedia Devices. The only subject hardware oriented so far. I really like our tutor and classes are even more interesting. It’s one of those subjects which you just want to learn, because you know it will be useful in the future. Not only will you be able to choose the best TV or monitor for your needs, but also show your boss a way to lower electricity bills ;).
We also had calsses about tablets. I was the one responsible for the devices, meaning: I took two tablets with me, personal and borrowed from work ;D. I’m not really a show-off type, but my lovely tablet is Wacom Intuos3 A3 <3 and I just had to take it with me ;D. I might not have skills, but I have the hardware… and it doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t prefer it the other way round, but oh well.

And the worse part of this year? Except from all those economy-oriented subjects there’s the worse one: English. No, I don’t have any problems with it, it’s the opposite. My group, the most “advanced” group, is on intermediate level. I graduated high scholl on advanced level. Intermediate is two levels lower.
Ok, my English is not perfect, but for god’s sake! Intermediate? How many times am I supposed to “learn” what’s the diference between Present Perfect and Present Simple? It’s not a primary school. I really thought that since it’s Informatics, which is BASED on English, this level will be higher. I’d really be happy if we were on Upper-Intermediate, because it’s much harder than Advanced, but no. The best group is on a level I were in junior high.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I like this 3rd term. I really do. It just makes me mad that I learned much more from on-line tutorials and at work than at school. I mean, Uni. Well, whatever.

[EDIT:] I’ve added a few links to blogs I enjoy reading.

I really wanted to create this blog from scratch, with my own theme and so on. The only thing that comes to my mind now is: oh screw it. And that’s how I finally got it up ;). The best part is that it took only one day to create it. You know, with installing it, finding a theme, writing pages and everything.

Oh, I guess I should have started with it, but oh well. Let me introduce myself, since my new nickname won’t tell you who I am. Sarissa, sounds familliar? To some of you, those with very good memory (x_x), possibly.
Anyway, Vi.net is my new baby. A place where all of my memories, opinions and thoughts can be kept.
As for the domain itself, word Vihainen means wrathful in Finnish and in the same language Haava means wound. Lovely, isn’t it? For more info, please check the pages. Thank you.

I still don’t know how I want to start. I guess my first real post will be Uni oriented, since I’ve written one quite some time ago. Then, I think, I’ll get to that review on MUSE’s album “Black Holes and Revelations”, which also has been started.
Well, I can’t say that I don’t have any ideas for this place. All I need now is some free time, once in a while.

The good thing is that this term ends soon. As my project for “webdesign” (more in my next post) I decided to get Radioactive Toy running. Yes, I am aware that it’s “almost ready” ever since (um… half a year, is it?), but I really need to get it done if I want to pass ;D.
So stay tuned, because the site might be up anytime now! (Not that anyone cares anyway ;D).

I think that’s it for the first entry. Have a nice day/night/morning or whatever time it is in your time zone <3.

[After reading this post I came to the conclusion that I really need this blog, I haven't really used English in year and a half now, so please forgive stupid mistakes. I hope I'll be able to get on the level I've been at as soon as possible. Few more entries, hopefully.]