Difference between revisions of "Main Page"

From ThePlaz.com

Jump to: navigation, search
(write tws better and subset tws since it is done now)
(remove old header)
 
(46 intermediate revisions by one user not shown)
Line 9: Line 9:
 
id=MP
 
id=MP
 
</inputbox>
 
</inputbox>
 +
<span id="resumeLink" style="position:relative;top:-10px;right:15px;float:right;margin:0 0 -20px 0">[[Resume]]</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
 
</div>
 
</div>
Line 19: Line 20:
 
<div style="position: relative; top: -.05em; font-size: 95%;">the site for all things '''[[User:ThePlaz|Michael Plasmeier]]''' ([[My Nicknames|ThePlaz]])</div></div>
 
<div style="position: relative; top: -.05em; font-size: 95%;">the site for all things '''[[User:ThePlaz|Michael Plasmeier]]''' ([[My Nicknames|ThePlaz]])</div></div>
 
</div>
 
</div>
−
<p style="clear:both; margin:0; margin-bottom:.2em; font-variant: small-caps; text-align: center; font-size: 105%;">
+
<p style="clear:both; margin:0; margin-bottom:.2em; font-variant: small-caps; text-align: center; font-size: 105%;margin-top:-10px;">
 
This site is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki wiki].  That means that anybody (including YOU) can edit and change the information found here. ([[Help:Wiki Markup Cheatsheet|Editing help]])</p>
 
This site is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki wiki].  That means that anybody (including YOU) can edit and change the information found here. ([[Help:Wiki Markup Cheatsheet|Editing help]])</p>
 
<p style="clear:both; margin:0 0 0 0; margin-bottom:.2em; text-align: center; font-size: 110%;">My site contains mostly my homework and projects as well as various stuff from my life.  <small>([[Mission Statement|Site Mission Statement]])</small></p>  
 
<p style="clear:both; margin:0 0 0 0; margin-bottom:.2em; text-align: center; font-size: 110%;">My site contains mostly my homework and projects as well as various stuff from my life.  <small>([[Mission Statement|Site Mission Statement]])</small></p>  
Line 25: Line 26:
 
</div><div style="clear: left"></div>
 
</div><div style="clear: left"></div>
 
<!-- ---------------------- END OF HEADER SECTION -------------------------------- -->
 
<!-- ---------------------- END OF HEADER SECTION -------------------------------- -->
−
 
 
<div class="NavFrame" style="border-spacing:4px; width=55%; -moz-border-radius: 1em; border: 1px solid #FFA0A0; background-color: #f8fff8; vertical-align:top; margin-top:5px">
 
<div class="NavFrame" style="border-spacing:4px; width=55%; -moz-border-radius: 1em; border: 1px solid #FFA0A0; background-color: #f8fff8; vertical-align:top; margin-top:5px">
 
<h3 class="NavHead" style="-moz-border-radius: 1em; background:#FFA0A0;margin:-2px;padding:4px; text-align: left; border: none;">
 
<h3 class="NavHead" style="-moz-border-radius: 1em; background:#FFA0A0;margin:-2px;padding:4px; text-align: left; border: none;">
−
[[Image:Nuvola apps important.png|25px|left]] 12/18/2009 Lesson Learned and Embracing Scholarship: End of the First Semester at MIT
+
[[Image:Nuvola apps important.png|25px|left]] 8/25/2013 Yahoo APM!
 
</h3>
 
</h3>
−
<div class="NavContent" style="padding:6px; text-align: left; border: none;">
+
<div class="NavContent" style="padding:6px; text-align: left; border: none;display:none;">
−
It is the end of my first semester at MIT.  I have not seen any of the grades yet - hopefully I will do well enough to pass.  The physics final was a perfect bell shaped curve around 50%.   
+
==Yahoo APM==
 +
[[File:Marissa and Michael.jpg|thumb|Me with Marissa Mayer]]
 +
[[File:Yahoo APMs 13.jpg|thumb|The 2013 Yahoo APMs]]
 +
I am about 1 month into my new job at [[Yahoo]] as an Associate Product Manager or [[APM]].  After I finished classes at MIT, but before I was set to start at Oracle, Yahoo offered me to join Marissa Mayer's new APM program at Yahoo.  Marissa started the program back when she had just joined Google - as a way to find and develop new Product Managers out of school, which she thought would be faster than hiring experienced PMs from the industry.  This article describes the role http://www.wired.com/business/2012/07/marissas-secret-weapon-for-recruiting-new-yahoo-talent/ though that article overblows things slightly.
 +
 +
I’m super happy where I am at.  This is the type of job I was aiming for throughout MIT; I think I was well-prepared by MIT; and I think .Yahoo is also in a very interesting state at the moment.  They are rapidly redoing everything.  This makes new grads are handed large chunks of the product to manage, because they are so understaffed for what the need is.  In addition, they are in the midst of a huge culture change.  They are replacing their cube farms with open desks.  They are rebuilding teams, which were previously laid off.  It’s very interesting to work with people on either side of the culture change and to experience the before-and-after at the same time.
 +
 +
I’m in charge of designing the platform Yahoo uses to know where you are, and I help designing the membership, accounts, and security features of Yahoo.  The work is very similar to what I did at MIT – brainstorming solutions, designing schemes, working with other stakeholders to refine plans and achieve consensus.   
  
−
[[Image:8.01 Final Fall09 Curve.png|300px]]
+
As an APM, I’m part of Yahoo’s inner circle – giving it the feel of a small company. My experience working with administrators at MIT prepared me very well for working with the executives at Yahoo.  It's probably the best business/leadership/PM experience possible in the world for someone just out of school.  I think it's rivals management consulting in terms of business experience - since you're directly responsible for something, but still involved at a high level.  I think one learns by doing and by being exposed to stuff.  The greater scope and responsibility one has, the more one learns, I believe.
  
−
MIT is the first time that I really had to seriously study  for a class.  As such, I did not do as well as I have historically done.  But that is  why MIT has pass/no record for the first semester.  For [[8.01|8.01/Physics: Mechanics]], I studied 40 hours for the final, 10 for [[3.091|3.091/Solid State Chemistry]], and 35 for [[18.01|18.01/Single Variable Calculus]].  If I had worked during the year, it would have been less.  But that intensive end of year studying made me realize some things:
+
==Mountain View==
 +
[[File:Mountain View Home.jpg|thumb|Mountain View Home]]
 +
[[File:Chevy Volt.jpg|thumb|Chevy Volt]]
 +
I'm settled into my new place in [[Mountain View]]. [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157634601732288/ Photos] I'm sharing a house with 2 other guys, who were friends of friends.  I've purchased a [[Chevy Volt]].  [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157634595577805/ Photos] It goes 40 miles in a charge, but after that it can use gas.  In almost 2 months, I haven't gone to the gas station once!
  
−
It is very important to figure out how you learn best.  I went to a one day presentation by [http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/ Edward Tufte] last month.  He did not like how an aircraft manufacture mandated that they move to a paper-less system with the design of their new aircraft.  He thinks that people can understand something much better when they are looking at something on a piece of paper. Also the process should not get in the way of the result.
+
I'm meeting a lot of new people here.  Everyone seems to be a friend of a friend at least, and about 20-30% have heard of me before! That's kinda scarey!
  
−
I agree, and I realized that I have been sometimes putting the process ahead of learning stuff.  I have talked at great length about Tablet PCs.  Last year, I did all my class work on a tablet PC, and I talked positively about the experience.  This year, I used a tablet in 8.01 and 3.091.  I used paper for 18.01.  I found that I learned stuff better in 18.01.  When I really need to concentrate, I need to write on paper.  There are no distractions, I can focus on what I am doing.  For studying, I sat down with a large pack of paper and worked through problems.
+
==Leaving MIT==
 +
I had my best semester ever, my last semester at MIT.  I had 5 As and one B-.  I was literally 10 points away from a 5.0!
  
−
In a history class, a computer is still great to type notes, and look up stuff. If you have a professor's slides it is nice to write on top of them during the lecture.  A tablet is great for making small drawings quickly and digitally.  Most people can type much faster than they can write, and writing seems to go slower on a tablet.  Apple has shown that a tablet can make a nice mobile interface, if software has been designed for it, but I realize now there is a reason tablets have gone mainstream.
+
[[File:Pens MIT Spring 2013.jpg|thumb|Pens|200px]]
 +
[[File:Paper MIT Spring 2013.jpg|thumb|Paper|200px]]
 +
This semester I used 32 inches of paper, as well as 31 pens.  Here is a chart of usage over time:
  
−
I bought a [http://www.fujitsu.com/us/services/computing/peripherals/scanners/scansnap/scansnap-s1500.html Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500].  It was expensive, but it is awesome!  I can throw my entire notebook in it and it will quickly scan through.  It has an ultrasonic overlap detector that is fairly good at detecting problems.  Its scan quality of typed papers is excellent.  It also OCRs typed text to make it searchable in Adobe Reader.  Handwriting is still a challenge.  When I started ThePlaz.com I would spend 10 hours putting notes online.  By not labeling stuff and doing auto upload I could do it in 2 hours.  Now it takes a minute or two.
+
[[File:Pens and Paper Usage.png]]
  
−
You also have to pay attention in class.  In high school, you could often not pay attention in class and look something up on the internet.  At MIT, every minute matters.  You also really need to be awake and paying attention in every class.  Some mornings that is a challenge, but it will catch up to you.
+
I wrote up two white papers on MIT Policy.  [[A Framework for Community Engagement]] is a refinement of the community engagement process which administrators currently follow. [[Problem Solving Teams]] proposes having students work as "management consultants" on the Institute’s biggest problems.  This joins [[Unrelenting Advocacy]], about how stundets should act like lobbyists and consultants.  This rounds up my [MIT Policy White Papers] series.
  
−
When it comes time to study, it is so hard to get started. But when you get over the hump, and get started it is easier to stay focused.  You also need to stay concentrating, one chat message tears you away and it takes a few minutes to get back into it. You also need to make sure you do not have anywhere to go. One of the biggest struggles in the semester was always having to be somewhere.  You can make yourself very busy at MIT, but you need time to study.  This was my mistake in this first semester.  You need to clear your schedule for the next few hours and work.
+
[[File:MIT Graduation.jpg|thumb|MIT Graduation]]
 +
Graduation was a super rainy affair - it was pretty miserable. [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157634578617238/ Photos] However, I'm happy to say that I've now graduated.  It was sad to leave all of the stuff I really liked about MIT behind.
  
−
For example, I would often go to review sessions or office hours simply because I felt like I should be doing something to study.  The sessions, of course, would only be open for a certain length of time, so I would want to take advantage of it.  But those session are generally helpful only when you come prepared with questions.  Otherwise you just give the appearance of studying.  Usually it is best to just lock yourself away in a quite area and study.
+
I used the time I was off (3 weeks at MIT, 3 weeks at home, and 3 weeks in CA) to get organized and clean up my stuff.  I emptied some boxes I hadn’t touched in years.  I scanned more paper.  However, I have still not managed to post my MIT stuff or more from the archives.
  
−
Having a clean desk is also important.  One student on my floor has his desk in his room completely empty of stuff.  He can focus on what he is working on.  I always go out in the hall when I need to concentrate.  Most recently, I found an old office in the Media Lab that has been vacant.  I went in, spread my stuff out, and worked for 6 hours.
+
==Personal Style==
−
 
+
I also spent some time to reflect on my [[Personal Style]].  I spent several months iterating on this - and it ended up being quite lengthy! I wanted to record this, because I know with will update over time, and I wanted to make a record of it.  I think it's also helpful for people to know how I approach problem solving.
−
In the middle of the semester I felt like I did not learn much of anything; but after studying I felt that I mastered a lot of concepts at the end of the semester.  Certainly not all of them (see physics exam final curve)  I knew in the beginning of the year that classes were the part of MIT I least looked forward to.  Now that I have proved to myself that I can do it, I feel like anything is possible.  I knew that it was critical to learn these concepts because classes next semester will use them and will award letter grades.  I may now decide to pursue an engineering major.
+
--[[User:ThePlaz|ThePlaz]] ([[User talk:ThePlaz|talk]]) 02:55, 25 August 2013 (EDT)
−
 
+
−
I can not decide what major to do.  On one hand, [http://web.mit.edu/polisci/ Course 17/Political Science], is something I am interested and has the least requirements of any major, allowing me to explore more different things that MIT has to offer.  The department has a single digit (<10) number of students per year.  On the other hand, many people have urged me to take an engineering major.  About a third of MIT students do [http://www.eecs.mit.edu/ Course 6/Computer Science], but I feel like I want a smaller, more individualized program.  [http://dmse.mit.edu/ Course 3/Material Science] would be something completely different.  I now know that if I focus, I can do it, but will I be happy working on something like that?  The analytical and problem solving skills that you learn there are applicable to anything.  You feel that you can master anything.
+
−
 
+
−
Now don't get wrong, MIT is an awesome place. I have plenty that I would rather do than classes.  As I talk about in the last update, I would rather be a grad student - free to work on projects.
+
−
 
+
−
The new Media Lab building, E14, is now open.  [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157622945057270/ Photos on Flickr].  The building really really looks nice.  The lab looks to have gained many more students - it hasn't - they are just more visible now.  The grand opening is next year.
+
−
 
+
−
This January I will be in China with MIT, with the [[6.A53]] advising seminar.  I am really happy to be going.  As always, photos will be posted.  For the last class, our advisor brought in Zach Anderson.  Zach not only did the [http://web.mit.edu/zacka/www/mbta.html MBTA subway hack], but now works full time in a [http://www.levantpower.com/ startup to make energy recovering shock absorbers].  It is [http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-05/power-made-shocks Popular Science's Invention of the Year].  The project has caught the notice of military top brass as well as GM, since it can lower fuel costs by around 5-10%.  Zach is an awesome role model.
+
−
 
+
−
Next semester, I pre-registered for [[18.02|18.02/Multi-Variable Calculus]], [[8.02|Phyiscs Electricity and Magnetism]], [[21F.403|21F.403/German 3]], and [[21W.732|21W.732/a writing class]].  I am also going to be a listener for [[STS.050|STS.050/The History of MIT]].  I am also doing [[MAS.111|MAS.111/Introduction to Doing Research in Media Arts & Sciences ]] which should not be much work.
+
−
 
+
−
I am doing German 3, because I got an internship at Deutsche Bahn this summer in the [http://www.touchandtravel.de/ Touch&Travel department].  Here is an article in English from 18 months ago http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleprint/3950/-1/1 It will be very challenging, due to the language, since I will be working with hardware, and programming for an enterprise.  I knew German from my mom and can speak it at home fairly well.  I lack, however, the business and technical vocab words.  In addition, I've never really read or wrote German.  I can read if I go very slowly and sound out the words.  In addition, working with hardware is something that I've not done before.  I've ordered an [http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/science/907a/ RFID kit] and some books to start working with the stuff.  I hope to replicate Zach's experiment and learn how to build a system which is Zach-proof.  You can make stuff secure - if you really try hard.  If you make some small mistakes, (like wireless WEP encryption) your stuff is, as [http://arstechnica.com/security/news/2008/10/charlie-and-the-broken-rfid-mass-transit-authentication-system.ars Ars Technica puts it], crap-o.  Mobile is also a very interesting space.  I am excited to be working internationally, for a transit company, on mobile products after my freshman year.
+
−
 
+
−
One of the things I realized at MIT is how hard it is to do things when you start from scratch.  At the Media Lab, we work with technology that is at least 3-4 years from the market.  We don't know how something will actually work, we must make a good decision and hope that it will be good in 15 years.  The Mifare system is a good example.  When it was first designed in 1993, it was several years from its first implementation.  Today, billions of rides have been granted using the cards, and there is no way to fix the broken system.  I talk about this a lot on [http://theweeklyspin.com The Weekly Spin] audio podcast.
+
−
 
+
−
--[[User:ThePlaz|ThePlaz]] 21:53, 18 December 2009 (EST)
+
 
''[http://theplaz.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:ThePlaz&action=edit&section=new Leave Plaz a (public) message] [[Image:File_icon.gif]] or [[User:ThePlaz:E-mail me|send me a (private) e-mail.]][[Image:Mail_icon.gif]]'', ''[http://feeds.feedburner.com/ThePlazPersonalUpdates Subscribe via RSS feed], ''[http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=786542 Subscribe via email]'', ''[http://friendfeed.com/theplaz Detailed feed]'', ''[[Old Updates|See past updates]]''
 
''[http://theplaz.com/wiki/index.php?title=User_talk:ThePlaz&action=edit&section=new Leave Plaz a (public) message] [[Image:File_icon.gif]] or [[User:ThePlaz:E-mail me|send me a (private) e-mail.]][[Image:Mail_icon.gif]]'', ''[http://feeds.feedburner.com/ThePlazPersonalUpdates Subscribe via RSS feed], ''[http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=786542 Subscribe via email]'', ''[http://friendfeed.com/theplaz Detailed feed]'', ''[[Old Updates|See past updates]]''
 
</div>
 
</div>
Line 75: Line 73:
 
<div style="clear:both;"></div>
 
<div style="clear:both;"></div>
  
−
<div class="NavFrame" style="border-spacing:4px; width=55%; style="-moz-border-radius: 1em; border: 1px solid #FFFA7E; background-color: #; vertical-align:top; margin:-8px 0 0 0">
+
<div class="NavFrame" style="border-spacing:4px; width=55%; style="-moz-border-radius: 1em; border: 1px solid #FFFA7E; background-color: #; vertical-align:top; margin:-4px 0 0 0">
 
<h3 class="NavHead" style="-moz-border-radius-topright: 1em;-moz-border-radius-topleft: 1em; background:#FFFA7E;padding:4px;margin:-2px; margin-left:-1px">
 
<h3 class="NavHead" style="-moz-border-radius-topright: 1em;-moz-border-radius-topleft: 1em; background:#FFFA7E;padding:4px;margin:-2px; margin-left:-1px">
 
Recent Activity from around the Web
 
Recent Activity from around the Web
 
</h3>
 
</h3>
−
<div class="NavContent">
+
<div class="NavContent" style="display:none;">
−
<html>
+
{{#RawHTML:Main_Page:FriendFeed}}
−
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://friendfeed.com/embed/widget/theplaz?v=2&amp;num=10&amp;hide_logo=1&amp;hide_subscribe=1&amp;width=820"></script><noscript><a href="http://friendfeed.com/theplaz"><img alt="View my FriendFeed" style="border:0;" src="http://friendfeed.com/embed/widget/theplaz?v=2&amp;num=10&amp;hide_logo=1&amp;hide_subscribe=1&amp;width=820&amp;format=png"/></a></noscript>
+
−
</html>
+
 
</div>
 
</div>
 
</div>
 
</div>
Line 88: Line 84:
 
{| style="width: 100%"
 
{| style="width: 100%"
 
|width="55%" class="MainPageBG" style="-moz-border-radius: 1em; border: 1px solid #32cd32; background-color: #f8fff8; vertical-align:top;"|
 
|width="55%" class="MainPageBG" style="-moz-border-radius: 1em; border: 1px solid #32cd32; background-color: #f8fff8; vertical-align:top;"|
−
 
+
<h3 style="-moz-border-radius-topright: 1em;-moz-border-radius-topleft: 1em; background:#90ee90;margin:-2px;padding:4px;"> [[MIT Senior]]
 +
<span class="edittemplate" style="font-size:8pt; float:right; margin:0 7px 0 0;">[http://theplaz.com/wiki/index.php?title=Template:Main_Page:MIT_Senior&action=edit edit]</span>
 +
</h3>
 +
<div style="padding:6px;">
 +
{{Main Page:MIT Senior}}
 +
</div>
 +
<h3 style="-moz-border-radius-topright: 1em;-moz-border-radius-topleft: 1em; background:#90ee90;margin:-2px;padding:4px;"> [[MIT Junior]]
 +
<span class="edittemplate" style="font-size:8pt; float:right; margin:0 7px 0 0;">[http://theplaz.com/wiki/index.php?title=Template:Main_Page:MIT_Junior&action=edit edit]</span>
 +
</h3>
 +
<div style="padding:6px;">
 +
{{Main Page:MIT Junior}}
 +
</div>
 +
<h3 style="-moz-border-radius-topright: 1em;-moz-border-radius-topleft: 1em; background:#90ee90;margin:-2px;padding:4px;"> [[MIT Sophomore]]
 +
<span class="edittemplate" style="font-size:8pt; float:right; margin:0 7px 0 0;">[http://theplaz.com/wiki/index.php?title=Template:Main_Page:MIT_Sophomore&action=edit edit]</span>
 +
</h3>
 +
<div style="padding:6px;">
 +
{{Main Page:MIT Sophomore}}
 +
</div>
 
<h3 style="-moz-border-radius-topright: 1em;-moz-border-radius-topleft: 1em; background:#90ee90;margin:-2px;padding:4px;"> [[MIT Freshman]]
 
<h3 style="-moz-border-radius-topright: 1em;-moz-border-radius-topleft: 1em; background:#90ee90;margin:-2px;padding:4px;"> [[MIT Freshman]]
 
<span class="edittemplate" style="font-size:8pt; float:right; margin:0 7px 0 0;">[http://theplaz.com/wiki/index.php?title=Template:Main_Page:MIT_Freshman&action=edit edit]</span>
 
<span class="edittemplate" style="font-size:8pt; float:right; margin:0 7px 0 0;">[http://theplaz.com/wiki/index.php?title=Template:Main_Page:MIT_Freshman&action=edit edit]</span>
Line 511: Line 524:
 
</h3>
 
</h3>
 
<div style="padding:6px;">
 
<div style="padding:6px;">
 +
*'''[[:File:Pop Music Binder.pdf|Binder]]'''
 
*[[Pop Music#Unit 0: Intro|Unit 0: Intro]]
 
*[[Pop Music#Unit 0: Intro|Unit 0: Intro]]
 
*[[Pop Music#Unit 1: Elements|Unit 1: Elements]]
 
*[[Pop Music#Unit 1: Elements|Unit 1: Elements]]
Line 524: Line 538:
 
{{Main_Page:OtherSchool}}
 
{{Main_Page:OtherSchool}}
 
</div>
 
</div>
 +
<h3 style="-moz-border-radius-topright: 1em;-moz-border-radius-topleft: 1em; background:#90ee90;margin:-2px;padding:4px;">
 +
[[Image:Nuvola filesystems folder blue open.png|30px]] [[8th Grade]]
 +
</h3>
 +
<div style="padding:6px;">
 +
*[[IAG 1]]
 +
*[[Latin 1]]
 +
*[[English 8]]
 +
*[[Geography]]
 +
*[[8th Grade Health]]
 +
*[[8th Grade History]]
 +
*[[8th Grade Science]]
 +
*[[8th Grade Seminar]]
 +
*[[8th Grade Tech Ed]]
 +
</div>
 +
<h3 style="-moz-border-radius-topright: 1em;-moz-border-radius-topleft: 1em; background:#90ee90;margin:-2px;padding:4px;">
 +
[[Image:Nuvola filesystems folder blue open.png|30px]] [[7th Grade]]
 +
</h3>
 +
<div style="padding:6px;">
 +
*[[7th Grade History|History]]
 +
*[[Info Tech 7]]
 +
*[[7th Grade LA|Language Arts]]
 +
*[[7th Grade Math|Math]]
 +
*[[7th Grade Science|Science]]
 +
*[[7th Grade Spanish|Spanish]]
 +
*[[7th Grade Music|Music]]
 +
*[[7th Grade Sci-Sem|Sci-Sem]]
 +
</div>
 +
 
<!-- -------------------- START OF RIGHT-COLUMN ---------------------------------- -->
 
<!-- -------------------- START OF RIGHT-COLUMN ---------------------------------- -->
 
|width="45%" class="MainPageBG" style="-moz-border-radius: 1em; background:#f6ffff;border:1px solid #6495ed;vertical-align:top;"|
 
|width="45%" class="MainPageBG" style="-moz-border-radius: 1em; background:#f6ffff;border:1px solid #6495ed;vertical-align:top;"|
Line 530: Line 572:
 
</h3>
 
</h3>
 
<div style="padding:6px;">
 
<div style="padding:6px;">
−
<html>
 
−
<div style="text-align:center">
 
−
<span style="margin-right: 5px;"><a href="http://apps.facebook.com/forchange" class="image" title="4Change"><img src="http://wiki.theplaz.com/w/images/footer/4change.png" alt="4Change" height="31"></a></span>
 
−
<span style="margin-right: 5px;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2379574490" class="image" title="GridView, for Facebook, lets you put the profile pics of all of your friends onto your profile"><img src="http://wiki.theplaz.com/w/images/footer/gridview.png" alt="GridView, for Facebook, lets you put the profile pics of all of your friends onto your profile" height="26"></a></span>
 
−
<span style="margin-right: 3px;"><a href="http://911.tecker.net" class="image" title="Tecker 911, a tech help netcast"><img src="http://wiki.theplaz.com/w/images/footer/911_logo.png" alt="Tecker 911, a tech help netcast" height="31"></a></span>
 
−
<span style="margin-right: 0px;"><a href="http://seniorquoter.org" class="image" title="SeniorQuoter, the easy way for the yearbook staff to collect senior quotes"><img src="http://wiki.theplaz.com/w/images/footer/seniorquoter.png" alt="SeniorQuoter, the easy way for the yearbook staff to collect senior quotes" height="27"></a></span>
 
−
<span style="margin-right: 3px;"><a href="http://tecker.net" class="image" title="Tecker, my technology help site"><img src="http://wiki.theplaz.com/w/images/footer/tecker_logo.png" alt="Tecker, my technology help site" height="31"></a></span>
 
−
<span style="margin-right: 0px;"><a href="http://theweeklyspin.com" class="image" title="The Weekly Spin Audio Podcast"><img src="http://wiki.theplaz.com/w/images/footer/theweeklyspin.png" alt="The Weekly Spin Audio Podcast" height="20"></a></span>
 
−
<span style="margin-right: 0px;"><a href="http://forumsplace.com" class="image" title="ForumsPlace"><img src="http://wiki.theplaz.com/w/images/footer/forumsplace.png" alt="ForumsPlace" height="31"></a></span>
 
−
<span style="margin-right: 5px;"><a href="http://socialview.com" class="image" title="SocialView"><img src="http://wiki.theplaz.com/w/images/footer/socialview.png" alt="SocialView" height="31"></a></span>
 
−
<span style="margin-right: 3px;"><a href="http://wiki.theplaz.com/Teckcasts" class="image" title="Teckcasts combine the best of Tecker 911, w3life, and SJTechZone into one podcast channel on iTunes"><img src="http://wiki.theplaz.com/w/images/footer/teckcasts.png" alt="Teckcasts combine the best of Tecker 911, w3life, and SJTechZone into one podcast channel on iTunes" height="31"></a></span>
 
−
<span style="margin-right: 0px;"><a href="http://wiki.theplaz.com/Conflicter" class="image" title="Conflicter, dedicated to ending global conflict through frank discussions about current issues"><img src="http://wiki.theplaz.com/w/images/footer/conflicter_logo.png" alt="Conflicter, dedicated to ending global conflict through frank discussions about current issues" height="31"></a></span>
 
−
<span style="margin-right: 2px;"><a href="http://dictionaryrobot.com" class="image" title="Dictionary Robot, lets you look up a bunch of words at once"><img src="http://wiki.theplaz.com/w/images/footer/dictionaryrobot.png" alt="Dictionary Robot, lets you look up a bunch of words at once" height="27"></a></span>
 
−
<span style="margin-right: 0px;"><a href="http://minisites.theplaz.com" class="image" title="ThePlaz.com Minisites"><img src="http://wiki.theplaz.com/w/images/footer/minisites.png" alt="wiki.theplaz.com Minisites" height="20"></a></span>
 
−
</div>
 
−
</html>
 
−
 
−
[[Image:Michael_Plasmeier_Spring_2009_Narrow.JPG|thumb|200px]]
 
−
<html>
 
−
<div style="font-weight:bold;font-size:15pt; text-align: center">Michael Plasmeier</div>
 
−
<div style="font-weight:bold;font-size:14pt; text-align: center">"ThePlaz"</div>
 
−
<div style="font-weight:bold;font-size:12pt; text-align: center">MIT 2013 student</div>
 
−
<div style="font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt; text-align: center">Web developer and project manager with a focus on user experience and design</div>
 
−
</html>
 
 
{{Main_Page:About}}
 
{{Main_Page:About}}
 +
{{Main Page:Website Content}}
 
</div>
 
</div>
 
<h3 style="-moz-border-radius-topright: 1em;-moz-border-radius-topleft: 1em; background:#00bfff;margin:-2px;padding:4px;">
 
<h3 style="-moz-border-radius-topright: 1em;-moz-border-radius-topleft: 1em; background:#00bfff;margin:-2px;padding:4px;">

Latest revision as of 07:31, 25 August 2013

Resume

Welcome to ThePlaz.com

the site for all things Michael Plasmeier (ThePlaz)

This site is a wiki. That means that anybody (including YOU) can edit and change the information found here. (Editing help)

My site contains mostly my homework and projects as well as various stuff from my life. (Site Mission Statement)

Leave Plaz a (public) message File icon.gif or send me a (private) e-mail.Mail icon.gif

Nuvola apps important.png
8/25/2013 Yahoo APM!

Recent Activity from around the Web

MIT Senior edit

Fall
  • Schedule
  • 7.012 Intro to Biology
  • 6.046 Advanced Algorithms
  • 6.858 Computer and Network Security
  • 14.72 Capitalism and its Critics
  • STS.085 Ethics and the Law on the Electronic Frontier
  • 2.009 Product Design Process (Listener)
  • 15.062 Data Mining (Listener)
Spring

MIT Junior edit

Fall
  • 6.004 Computation Structures
  • 6.005 Elements of Software Construction
  • 6.034 Artificial Intelligence
  • STS.011 Ethics and Politics in Science and Technology
  • 15.387 Technology Sales and Sales Management
  • 15.665 Power and Negotiation
  • 18.03 Differential Equations
  • Working out a System - How I take 7 classes at MIT and thrive
Spring
  • Spring Schedule
  • 6.033 Computer System Engineering
  • 6.813 User Interface Design and Implementation
  • 6.006 Introduction to Algorithms
  • 15.571 Business Strategy and the Role of IT
  • 15.565 Digital Evolution: Managing Web 3.0
  • 15.301 Managerial Psychology Laboratory
  • 18.06 Linear Algebra

MIT Sophomore edit

Fall
  • 6.01 Intro to EECS (Potpourri Introduction)
  • 6.041 Probabilistic Systems Analysis
  • 14.01 Principles of Microeconomics
  • 15.501 Corporate Financial Accounting
  • 15.567 Econ of Information
  • 16.71 Airline Industry
Spring
  • 4.211 The Present and Future City
  • 6.02 Intro to EECS 2 (Communications)
  • 6.042 Math for Computer Science (Potpourri Introduction)
  • 14.02 Microeconomics
  • 15.279 Intro to Managerial Communications
  • 15.401 Intro to Finance
  • 15.761 Operations Research
  • ESD.051 Engineering, Innovation, and Design (Listener)
Politics

MIT Freshman edit

Fall

  • 8.01 Physics: Mechanics - Prof. Greytak
  • 3.091 Intro to Solid State Chemistry - Prof. Sadoway
  • 18.01 Single Variable Calculus - Prof. Brubaker
  • MAS.110 Fundamentals of Computational Media Design - Prof. Bove
  • 6.A53 Entrepreneurship and China Advising Seminar - Dr. Eng
  • SocialSaver UROP at the MIT Media Lab
  • Learning to Learn at MIT - My "near fail" experience that caused me to pull it together

Spring

Other Stuff

Nuvola apps kpovmodeler.png AP Physics (Science)

30px-OneNote.png Open OneNote Notebook

Note: Works only in Internet Explorer and Opera. Firefox refuses to support MHT. More info

Nuvola USA flag.png AP US Government (History)

30px-OneNote.png Open OneNote Notebook

Note: Works only in Internet Explorer and Opera. Firefox refuses to support MHT. More info

Nuvola apps package wordprocessing.png English 12 (English)

Nuvola apps kbrunch.png Calculus (Math)

30px-OneNote.png Open OneNote Notebook

Note: Works only in Internet Explorer and Opera. Firefox refuses to support MHT. More info

Nuvola apps edu languages.png AP Psychology (Psychology)

Nuvola apps package editors.png AP Micro Econ (Economics)

Nuvola apps bug.png Biology (Science)

Nuvola apps kmplot.png PreCalc (Math)

Nuvola USA flag.png American Studies (History)

  • Projects
  • Notes from Out of Many Textbook
  • FTCE test : FTCE test failure reveals how to rip through the FTCE test.
developed Headline Notetaking Format

Nuvola USA flag pen.png English 11 (English)

Nuvola apps edu mathematics.png IAG 4H (Math)

Nuvola apps edu science.png Chemistry (Science)

Nuvola apps package network.png World Cultures (History)

Nuvola apps korganizer.png AP Macro Economics (Economics)

Nuvola apps file-manager.png English 10 (English)

Nuvola apps kig.png IAG 3H (Math)

Nuvola apps bookcase.png English 9 (English)

Nuvola apps kverbos.png Western Civ (History)

Projects
Outlines
Maps and Creative
French Revolution Napoleon-peque.jpg
Essays and Reports

Nuvola apps edu phi.png IPS (Science)

Nuvola apps kcalc.png IAG 2H and IAG 1H (Math)

Nuvola apps kate.png Latin

Latin 3

Projects
Notes
Journals

Double Entry Journals have 2 components: What I Learned (a summery), and Personal Response (a reflection)

Latin 2

Projects
  1. Roman Travel Project
  2. Sejanus
  3. Echo and Narcissus Myth
  4. The Journey of the Hero
Journals

Latin 1

Money-256x256.png Entrepreneurship (Business)

30px-OneNote.png Open OneNote Notebook

Note: Works only in Internet Explorer and Opera. Firefox refuses to support MHT. More info

Nuvola apps personal.png Business Law (Business)

30px-OneNote.png Open OneNote Notebook

Note: Works only in Internet Explorer and Opera. Firefox refuses to support MHT. More info

Nuvola apps amarok.png Pop Music (Music)

Nuvola filesystems folder blue open.png Other edit

Nuvola filesystems folder blue open.png 8th Grade

Nuvola filesystems folder blue open.png 7th Grade

Nuvola apps kuser.png About Me edit

Michael Plasmeier Spring 2009 Narrow.JPG
Michael Plasmeier
"ThePlaz"
Yahoo APM: Membership and Geo Platforms

My name is Michael Plasmeier, but almost everyone calls me Plaz. I am a Associate Product Manager at Yahoo - working on the Membership and Geo-related platforms teams. I graduated from MIT in 2013 in Computer Science and Management. I am halfway between the tech and the business world, doing both web development and product development. My interest in doing both started while I was working on GridView, an app I built after 10th Grade that reached 1.3 million users on Facebook.

Internships

Last IAP, I was a Software Development Extern doing testing in Ruby on the back end at CardSpring. Last summer, I was Product Manager at Disney Parks and Resorts Online where I worked on a project for Disney Cruise Line. Last January, I worked in management/strategy consulting at Altman Vilandrie & Company. The previous summer, I was a web developer at NextJump, an online affiliate advertising firm in New York. Prior to that, I was an extern in the Office of the Chief Scientist at State Street. My freshman summer I worked at Deutsche Bahn, the German national railroad, where I designed the smartphone version Touch&Travel, an app that lets you pay for the train with your phone.

MIT

At MIT I was heavily involved in classes, usually taking 7 classes a term, while being involved in student government. (I wrote about how I do it in Working out a System.) senior was dedicated to wrapping up requirements. Junior year at MIT I focused on EECS classes, as well as being elected president of Baker House. My second year at MIT focused on management classes. I was also involved in the vendor selection and implementation of the new dining plan. Freshman year, I took core classes and served on the Athena and Printing Committee. (I wrote about just hanging on freshmen year in Learning to Learn.)

Websites

I built a lot of web projects in high school. My most popular project, was GridView [1], an app for Facebook which lets you add the profile pics of all of you're friends to your Facebook profile. GridView had over 1.3 million users and made me some money.

I hosted and produced the video podcast Tecker 911 [2] along with some of my friends. Tecker 911 was a series of 100 5-15 minute shows each which covers a technology topic in a way which is relevant for ordinary people, with a focus towards students and our community. Tecker 911 was also shown on our local public access channel Channel 11.

I started SeniorQuoter, [3] an open-source web application for senior quotes collections for high school yearbooks. In 11th Grade, I lead a Dynamic Website Building Instruction and Practical Experience Group Study at my high school. I helped 4 other students learn PHP and MySQL and then I project managed version 2 of SeniorQuoter, the administration interface.

Tecker and Conflicter were question and answer services I built in 10th Grade. They never really caught on, but they were the perfect way to learn PHP. Dictionary Robot is something I tarted last year, but abandoned later. In 10th Grade, I was a member of Team 484 and in 11th Grade I was their webmaster.

In 8th and 9th Grades I wrote bunch of programs for the TI-83+.

Tech

My first two years at MIT, I was a regular on The Weekly Spin, a weekly take on tech stories and tech policy.

On my Tech page I have had a few pages about Devices I own and other small things that I have built. For example, I also made some improvements for MediaWiki, the software that runs ThePlaz.com and Wikipedia. I made a new skin for MediaWiki and a few MediaWiki extensions


Other Accounts

I also tag a lot of stories on Delicious. I also have over 70,000 photos on Flickr. I Tweet kinda regularly. I also post things to YouTube. And of course I have a Facebook. It all comes together on my FriendFeed.

Website Content

On my site you will find:

  • Updates on what I am involved in
  • Links to my other projects
  • My comments on the world
  • Photos and videos I have taken
  • School work and notes I have made
School Work

I hope that this knowledge will help people less-fortunate than me persevere and succeed. All of my work is under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 license, meaning that you may use it and re-post it anywhere as long as you post my name/nickname, provide a link back to my site, and don't make money off my work. Many people visit my site from overseas where the school system is not as good. See Site Mission Statement for more

    • For 9th Grade I have posted projects I did on the computer
    • For 10th Grade I have posted not only my work I made on a computer but laboriously scanned all of my handwritten notes and worksheets
    • For 11th Grade I am only posting my own notes (no worksheets) from very structured classes; I am scaling back
    • For 12th Grade I used a tablet PC, so I have posted my OneNote notebooks from the class
    • For MIT Freshman year, I used a tablet PC for the first semester; realized this was a bad idea; so I used paper which I scanned and released as large PDFs the second semester. Note MIT actually does the same thing I do with MIT OCW.
    • For MIT Sophomore I will continue to post large, comprehensive PDFs.
    • See also my Notes Key
Tech

Theweeklyspin.png The Weekly Spin

The Weekly Spin is a weekly rant about technology and tech policy with Michael Gdovin. We often cover the cell phone industry, the FCC, DRM, and Michael likes to throw in some Apple rumors.

Download the latest episodes: TheWeeklySpin.com Audio Podcast

Nuvola apps laptop pcmcia.png Student Tools edit

Nuvola apps knewsticker.png News edit

ThePlaz in often mentioned or interviewed in the news

MIT
MIT Dining
MITx/EdX
Baker Piano Drop
Tecker 911
GridView
ThePlaz.com Praise
  • Sam's Praise about my site
  • Baron Harkonnen's Thanks
  • Thanks for uploading Flickr photos
  • Uses Many ThePlaz.com Wiki features
  • A Drexel professor told me on the first day of class that I take very good notes and I would graduate suma cum laude from Harvard due to the quality of my notes at Gov School
  • Hi I saw your page about that download for the ferris wheel unit for IMP4, I didn't download it but even the info you had on the page helped me out. I have no idea what I'm doing and just started this year- i really get stuck on my homework EVERY night. Right now im working on HW 2 "As the ferris wheel turns" and i have no idea what I'm doing. But i just wanted to say thanks cause I'm gonna download that once I'm farther into the unit!--A Facebook user (J. S.)
  • Just wanted to let you know: I stole your headline method of note taking from your website and it is completely saving my life in American Studies. -Rebecca C.
  • Hey, you do have one of the best designed websites I have seen lately. Good job. A little flashy, but still functional. --Email comment 8/18/2010
Videos

Nuvola apps multimedia.png Video edit

Tecker 911 Logo.png Tecker 911

Nuvola filesystems camera.png Photos edit

Trips/Vacations
Universities
MIT
Haverford High School
Places/Events/Daytrips

(need to update)

Tech/Unboxing/Products
Pictures on the Wikimedia Commons

TI-83--rotated.png TI-83+ Stuff edit

Nuvola apps kcmprocessor.png Tech Stuff edit

I am a lot into technology. Here are links to some of my web sites as well as modifications and how-to articles about other software.

My Websites
Devices
MediaWiki Tweaks
Essays/Thoughts
Other

Nuvola apps gaim.png Miscellaneous edit

Nuvola apps remote.png Site Statistics edit

For up-to-date info see Special:Statistics

There are 6,499 total pages in the database, including 1,578 pages in the main namespace and 5,000 files uploaded. These counts do not include OneNote notebooks on minisites or SkyDrive, and count multi-page files (PDF and Word) as one page.

There have been a total of 5,163,449 page views, and 16,470 page edits since ThePlaz.com was setup. That comes to 2.53 average edits per page, and 313.51 views per edit.


Retrieved from "https://wiki.theplaz.com/w/index.php?title=Main_Page&oldid=15999"