Hi! I'm Elliott and this is my web site.

I originally got this domain name to create a site where I could discuss what I see as engineering failures. I have a fairly broad definition of failure, or perhaps just a narrow definition of success: things that work well but are not easily maintainable, things whose configuration is so complex that misconfiguration is nearly inevitable, or things that are harder to use than they should be all strike me as being failures of some sort. I was introduced to the phrase "implementation, detail" by my C++ teacher in high school; it was sort of a joke he had that as long as things work, after a fashion, they don't have to be pretty or intuitive or maintainable and so on: Implementation (make it go), detail (make it "look nice").

I say nonsense.

I really have lots to say on this subject, but never seem to sit down and say them. So the site has mostly been idle since I started it. Every once in a while, I'll go on vacation or think of something profound and stick it up here, but that's not very consistent.

I've had other sites in the past; eep.burdell.org was around first and it was a personal website (remember when people started calling them blogs? And you were all like "I'll never call it a blog, that's a stupid name!" And now here you are) that I actually posted on, because I was in college and fiddling around on the web was more fun than doing homework. Around the same time I also created a less personal website, 12v.org, which actually attracted some readers and was useful to a handful of people. That site is still around, but (appearances to the contrary notwithstanding) I no longer run it or keep up with that world (a shame, it was a fun world). Anyway, those are both gone now, and this is what I've got.

You may notice that this site is still firmly in the world of Web 1.0; that's just the way I like it. There may be places where an open forum is a good thing, but I think the internet is not one of those places. The only thing that public internet message boards do is provide a place for dimwitted people who have too much time on their hands to spout acerbic nonsense. There are already enough places to do that; the world doesn't need one more. You're welcome.

Enjoy!