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Introduction/History About the site . . . www.dorothyswebsite.org had its roots in the Cypress College Extended Education computer labs. In 2003, I started working on a series of computer-based tutorials covering everything from data warehousing to Linux. Two of the tutorials were for HTML computer code and the Front Page website design program. As a practice exercise I designed a basic website with the Front Page program and posted it to the internet for about six weeks. Since it contained primarily my works (and a page of concert schedules), I called it www.dorothyswebsite.org. Little did I know then that the six-week exercise would ever have a first, let alone sixth, anniversary! Had I known, perhaps I would have come up with a more "catchy" name. You know what they say about hindsight, though . . . Over the next couple of years I taught myself a bit more of HTML code and website design -- not enough to have a lot of flashy bells and whistles, but enough so that now I do everything for the site. I design it, write the code, research and write the articles and content, take the pictures (and incorporate many from my personal photo archives), compile the listings, manage it, and let you all know that it exists. For those music fans who have found the listings and are new to the site, you will need to know that there are two distinct phases to the site each year. The fall/winter/spring site is primarily text (listings only) and in a much more succinct one-page format. In the summer, generally from June to September, the site expands and takes on the format which you see now. Since this page was first created, it has included the picture of the protea flower and the description of the "protean," or changeable, nature of the site (scroll down the page to see the flower). As anyone who has been with the site for a while knows, the site is very different today than it was in its 2003 debut. The animation below included headings from the six home pages of the site which have appeared since that time.
This year the notion of change carries through with the theme "METAMORPOHSES." The dictionary defines metamorphosis as a change of form, structure or substance, or a striking alteration in appearance, character or circumstances. The butterflies are ever-present on the pages of the 2008 site as a reminder of the many changes -- some truly transformational -- taking place in the world around us today, whether as close as our front doorsteps or as far as a continent away. The main pages of the site have evolved slightly since 2003, and they are: Essays: Each summer there is a new series of three or four essays on a topic of technology-related
current/consumer interest. The Essay Archives contain all the previous works which have appeared on the site from 2003 - 2007. In addition, the current year's essays
are placed in the essay archives the month after they appear in the "This Month's Essay" section. Writing Excerpts: These are excerpts from my educational, professional and personal works. They span the years
from about 1990 to the present, and one excerpt from a work in progress is also included. Poetry: In 1998 I wrote a short volume of poetry based on photographs which I had taken in my travels.
The volume was reworked in 2004 and new poems were added. Each year a few poems from the volume have been posted to the site, and in 2005 the works of a Guest Poet were also included for the
first time. When possible, at least a couple of new poems will be added to the site each year in conjunction with the year's theme. Free Concerts: This is the most visited section of the site. The listings are for free concerts and music-related
events in Orange County, parts of Los Angeles County, and parts of the Inland Empire. Events in clubs, cafes, bars and similar venues covered elsewhere generally are not included. In the summer,
concerts are listed both by date and by city in order to make it easier to find relevant information more quickly. Each year a few more cities and/or venues are added, and the cities currently
covered for the summer concert programs are listed on the "Concerts By City" main page. Links: This page was added primarily due to requests for more information about the musicians/bands appearing at the concerts.
It includes both links to the cities and venues in which the concerts are held, and to the websites of bands/musicians appearing during the summer (when a website/link can be found). Last year art and poetry links
were included for the first time, and they will be expanded in the years to come. Extras: The extras page was added in 2005 and offers a few other ideas for things to do or see for free during the
summer months. The page is dynamic and continually being updated, so suggestions for items to be included are welcomed and appreciated. About the Site: You're here now! Two other sections have been added since 2003. The Featured Artists page (2004) and Show of the Week (2005), which is found on the "Concerts By Date" main calendar page. Both were added in response to requests for more information about the summer entertainers. "Featured Artists" have a large number of performances over the summer in two or three counties, or, as in the case of a group such as the Long Beach Municipal Band, a number of performances in a particular venue or venues. As a general rule of thumb, and in order to give a wide number of groups the opportunity to appear as "Featured Artists," groups will be included in the section no more than once in a three-year period. "Show of the Week" includes acknowledgements of a wide variety of summer artists, special events, and whenever possible, the individuals and organizations who so generously make the shows possible. As a general rule of thumb, artists may be included in this section twice in a three-year period. Website Guests: The works of a guest photographer were included in the site for the first time in 2004. In 2005, the site exhibited works of a guest photographer, guest painter and guest poet. These special guests are invited to exhibit works on the site which, as of 2006, either express or in some way interpret the summer theme. The site is called "www.dorothyswebsite.org," and if you understand a bit about how it has evolved, you'd know why the works on it have been mine. If the site stays in existence, however, my hope is that it will become much less about my materials and much more of a summer exhibition space for the works of other poets, painters, photographers and artists. Eventually this may also include a guest website designer/programmer, but only time will tell . . .
Photograph "Australian Protea" © 1985 Dorothy A. Birsic There is no logo for the site, but if there was, it might include a protea flower like the one shown in the picture above. The word "protean" has its roots in mythology in the god Proteus, a legendary sea god who had the power of assuming different shapes. In its more modern use it describes something capable of great change or readily assuming different shapes or forms. Hopefully this will continue to be a "protean" site in the sense that it can readily adapt to the changing circumstances in which it exists and become an ever more interesting stop for those who take the time to visit. Dorothy holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. She also designed and completed a graduate program combining an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School with an M.A.L.D. (Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy) from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. More recently she has taken on additional coursework in Human and Plant Biology, Genetics and Neuroscience. Dorothy's professional background includes work in public relations and management consulting. She has been a Fulbright Scholar in the former Yugoslavia, a Rotary International Scholar/Ambassador in Sydney, Australia, and lived and worked in Japan. She speaks Croatian, has passed oral and written translation exams in Japanese, and is currently teaching herself Spanish.
"Dorothy With Kangaroos" © 1985 Dorothy A. Birsic Miss Birsic is an avid sports and music fan. She plays tennis, basketball, runs, is a certified PADI diver, bikes, and enjoys photography and playing the piano. She spends a bit of time in the garden, too, tending to everything from lemons and alpine strawberries to passion flower vines and dahlias. If you have any questions or comments about the website, please send e-mail to 4dorothyb@dorothyswebsite.org.
Home | Poetry |
Essays | Writing Excerpts |
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About the Site |
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www.dorothyswebsite.org © 2008 Dorothy A. Birsic. All rights reserved. Comments? Questions? Send an e-mail to: 4dorothyb@dorothyswebsite.org | ||||
