I'm really psyched about StG.TV right now.  We went to the iSchool Master's project showcase yesterday, and although there weren't many projects directly related to things I want to do, most were at least interesting.  Even the paper on the history of trademarks was intriguing.  I found that the things that were more like what I did in undergrad, ie. implementing systems in business, much less interesting.

This was my first actual interaction with the school/people in the program I really want to get into.  I talked with the team who did their project on managing multiple online identities, which was interesting, although not exactly revolutionary, technologically speaking.  But they gave me some good comments on the program (very multidisciplinary, need to know what you want to do and be self-motivated) and also pointed me at their advisor, who looks like the person I really want to be talking with about what I want to do.  I mean, hello, this guy has a grant for a "Large-Scale Analysis of Computer-Mediated Social Relationships"! 

Funny how this whole journey started off in 2000 on a whim ("hey look, a free webcam!") then turned into technological masturbation ("mmmm CMSes and integration") and is now arriving at much more of a sociological perspective.  I realized yesterday that what I really need to do is stop focusing on the pieces of technology and look at the human side.  Of course, Chris laughed when I turned to him yesterday as we were walking back from the presentations and said, "What I think I really need is a sociologist!".  Chris nearly having his PhD in sociology and all :P

My blessing and curse is having always arrived at things as an intuitive.  I have no idea why the hell I want to pursue something, or even what it means, just that I want to.  So when I get all up in arms about needing a way to have my own little real-life Sims-esque indicators for things like Hunger and Availability, I don't think about the deep ramifications of being able to widely broadcast personal state in a quantitative way.  But that is starting to change and now I am getting very excited about the big picture as I begin to see it for the first time...