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<span id="resumeLink" style="position:relative;top:-10px;right:15px;float:right;margin:0 0 -20px 0">[[Resume]]</span>
 
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<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>
 
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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>  
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[[Image:Nuvola apps important.png|25px|left]] 5/24/2010 Personal Update from Freshmen Spring Semester at MIT
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[[Image:Nuvola apps important.png|25px|left]] 8/25/2013 Yahoo APM!
 
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==Yahoo APM==
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[[File:Marissa and Michael.jpg|thumb|Me with Marissa Mayer]]
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[[File:Yahoo APMs 13.jpg|thumb|The 2013 Yahoo APMs]]
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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.
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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.
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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. 
  
I made it! I passed all my freshman year classes at MIT!  I was really busy again this semesterWhen I look back, I don’t understand how I was so busy.  However, during the semester I was always optimizing every minute.  I am trying to understand why I felt so busy.  Part of it was that I learned the material.  When I look back on a P-Set, I wonder why it took me so long to complete the first timeOf course this is normal and to be expected.  Also, MIT provides an almost infinite array of options to spend every extra minute that you want to spend.  Despite being over my head last semester, I took on new responsibilities this semester.  I also let other activities fall to the wayside, and it felt like I spent more time on school work this semester.
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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 YahooIt'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 stuffThe greater scope and responsibility one has, the more one learns, I believe.
  
It seemed like I took a lot of humanities classes this semester, and I think my writing skills have improved significantly. I took [[21W.732]] (Science Writing) which was the first time I had received detailed comments on my writing. In high school, I would receive a marked-up paper back from the teacher. However, in this class, I also received a page reflecting on the higher level problems of my writing.  This was very helpful to me because I struggled with organization and focus.  I tend to stuff too many details in, causing the reader to lose sight of the big picture.  I tend to be comprehensive in my communications, whereas cutting stuff out would make the message clearer.  I also need to work on how to organize large blocks of prose.  In addition, I still have to work on mechanics.  This semester, I wrote about [[Learning_to_Learn_at_MIT|Learning to Learn at MIT]] where I talk about how I finally learned how to study material during the first semester finalsI [[:File:THOMAS_Redesign_Proposal.doc|propose changes to THOMAS]], Congress’s database to make it easier to use.  I wrote [[:File:SixthSense_Article.doc|an article on the Sixed Sense]] project out of the [[Media Lab]], and [[:File:Long_Tail_Book_Review.docx|a review of Chris Anderson’s The Long Tail]].
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==Mountain View==
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[[File:Mountain View Home.jpg|thumb|Mountain View Home]]
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[[File:Chevy Volt.jpg|thumb|Chevy Volt]]
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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 gasIn almost 2 months, I haven't gone to the gas station once!
  
I was also in [[MAS.111]] (Introduction to Doing Research in Media Arts & Sciences), which had several professors who had been around the block a few times sharing their experience on journals, conferences, etcIt was a nice contrast to 21W.732, which discussed similar topics, but with their personal experiences as opposed to an establishment/party line point of view in 21W.732.
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I'm meeting a lot of new people hereEveryone seems to be a friend of a friend at least, and about 20-30% have heard of me before!  That's kinda scarey!
  
I started out taking [[STS.050]] (The History of MIT) as a listener; however, I switched to taking the class for credit.  The class tended to cover the state of technology in the world, and how MIT influenced and was influenced by that.  This reflected the experience and interests of the professors.  For example, [http://web.mit.edu/mindell/www/ Prof. Mindell] talked about the history of the Apollo computer systems, which were invented at MIT.  He even wrote a book on the topic, called [http://web.mit.edu/digitalapollo/ Digital Apollo].  The front cover of the book is an animated scene of what Neal Armstrong would have seen seconds before he touched down on the moon.  Mindell researched the position of every switch and the contents of every display.  The professors did not talk much about the history of MIT as an institution.  Instead, students were assigned to research that.  I wrote about [[:File:History_of_Dining_at_MIT.docx|The History of Dining]] and [[:File:Attendance Despite Income- A History of Scholarships and Financial Aid.docx|Scholarships and Financial Aid]]We had to use [http://libraries.mit.edu/archives/ Institute Archives] to research for the paper.  It was the first time I did research using actual primary sources.
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==Leaving MIT==
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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!
  
I learned how to speak basic German from my mom when I was little. I never tried to read or write or learned any formal grammar. I took German 2 as a listener to learn how to read German and have a basic understanding of the grammar.  I succeeded in reaching these goals that I set out, but I did not put the time in beyond that to score highly on writing pieces or examsI felt that if I really put the time in, I could learn to speak and write correctly, as opposed to just understandably.  I am unsure if I will study German more in the future.
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[[File:Pens MIT Spring 2013.jpg|thumb|Pens|200px]]
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[[File:Paper MIT Spring 2013.jpg|thumb|Paper|200px]]
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This semester I used 32 inches of paper, as well as 31 pensHere is a chart of usage over time:
  
I took [[8.02]] (Physics Electricity and Magnetism) and [[18.02]] (Mutli-Variable Calculus) which both felt like a lot of work because they had lengthy P-Sets and exams which I spent a lot of time studying for.  Both of the classes are GIRs, or requirements for all students.  I barely squeezed by in 18.02.  I just did not like it.  It just seemed like weird symbols that seemed meaningless.  I only understood several important concepts when I found some nice 3D visualizations online while studying for the final.  The class could be far better taught for visual learners, especially compared to 8.02.  I am a big fan of the [http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/projects/icampus/projects/teal.html TEAL] system of learning.  In Physics, I felt like I understood the material better than I did first semester, but I ended up with almost the same grade.  This was disappointing.
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[[File:Pens and Paper Usage.png]]
I declared Course 15: Management Science.  As I detailed before, I struggled to find a major that fit what I wanted to do.  I was very interested in Media Lab human-computer interaction style work, as somewhat interested in STS/policy/law style issues.  However, neither the Media Lab nor STS offered a major.  I actually was a 17: Political Science major for 2 weeks.  When I talked to the undergraduate administrator, she implied that I would be happier elsewhere.  I did not want to do Course 6 (Computer Science) because I am not interested in inventing the next ZIP compression algorithm.  I quickly considered Course 4 (Architecture) and 1 (Civil Engineering), but I just have minor interests in those fields.  Many people urged me to major in an engineering major.  I considered this, but I decided that I would rather do something that I was interested in and relevant to what I want to do.  I may double major in Course 6, but I may not complete the full program.  I would rather stay busy with classes around the Institute that I am interested and have time for UROPs or other experiences than just get a second line on my degree.
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Next semester, I plan on taking [[6.01]] (Introduction to EECS 1) and [[14.01]] (Principles of Microeconomics). The department strongly recommends that I take [[15.279]] (Management Communication) next semester, so I will likely do that despite being humanities heavy this semester.  I also want to take an actual management class, either 15.567 (Economics of Information: Strategy, Structure, and Pricing) or 15.501 (Corporate Financial Accounting)I will also take a math class, either [[6.041]] (Probabilistic Systems Analysis) or [[18.06]] (Linear Algebra).  [[:File:MIT Sophomore Fall Schedule Plan.pdf|More info]]
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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 problemsThis joins [[Unrelenting Advocacy]], about how stundets should act like lobbyists and consultantsThis rounds up my [MIT Policy White Papers] series.
  
I was elected the [[VPFS]] (Vice President of Facilities and Services) at Baker House. That put me in charge of the printers and the rooms in the basement.  In conjunction with my [[RCC]] job, I supervised the trial of the [http://pharos.com/ Pharos] hold and release printing system on our printer “bricks.”  I also did the [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157623442461422/ Baker House Signage Project] where I replaced the [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/4359921933/in/set-72157623442461422/ visual clutter of the front door] with a [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/4629686592/in/set-72157623442461422/ single nice sign], as well as installing signs in other parts of Baker. In addition, I participated in one of the most successful Exec’s in historyWith about 25 active members, which was about 10% of the dorm, we threw a large rooftop party during [[CPW]].  The line to get in to the party stretched down 7 floors from the roof to the ground and we signed in almost 500 people.  I never thought I would learn how to run a party at MIT.  This year’s Exec also kept the Baker House Piano Drop traditional alive.  Check out [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpTImsD-H1g my video of the drop from the roof on YouTube].
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[[File:MIT Graduation.jpg|thumb|MIT Graduation]]
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Graduation was a super rainy affair - it was pretty miserable. [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157634578617238/ PhotosHowever, I'm happy to say that I've now graduatedIt was sad to leave all of the stuff I really liked about MIT behind.
  
I also became a member of the [[UA]] [[CSL]] (Committee on Student Life).  I am the primary person working on changes to Athena (computer labs) and student printing.  I am also on the Institute’s committee that is working on changes.  Although we were convened to save money, we are also working at reimagining what computer labs at MIT should look like in the future.  The UA wrote a lengthy 22-page recommendation, but we decided not to release it, since the committee and the UA were on the same page.  The committee is close to (or done?) a short-term recommendation, which will be coming out any day now.
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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 paperHowever, I have still not managed to post my MIT stuff or more from the archives.
 
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I broke my old tablet computer, the [[T4220]].  After much research, I decided to get a [http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Ideapad-2963-47U-13-3-Inch-Laptop/dp/B002PK154S/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1274681950&sr=8-2 Lenovo U350] (Model 2963-47U).  I picked one up on Amazon for $500; it’s actually more expensive today.  I wanted to get a really light 13” machine after seeing my advisor tote his MacBook Air around China.  I can’t even feel the U350 in my backpack and it is very thin.  It is 1/3 the price of a MacBook Air.  The machine turns right on when you open the lid and goes to sleep when you close the lid.  The processor is labeled as a “Pentium” but that is only Intel’s marketing effortsIt only feels slow when I have 6-7 things open at onceI am not planning on doing much gaming or video encoding on the laptop, so it is perfect for me.  I would highly recommend it for students.
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I worked as a UROP on the [[SocialSaver]] project at the [[Media Lab]], but I spent very little time on it.  I continued to make mock-ups and icons for the project.  I do not plan on continuing to work in this UROP.  I may find a new UROP next semester, or I may focus on schoolwork.
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I also want to do more to upgrade my website.  I want to figure out how to communicate my interests beyond tech.  I want the website to populate more stuff automatically.  For example, delicious items should be listed on my site and when you search for something.  I also need to figure out how to display OneNote Notebooks.  Once I do that, more from my first year at MIT will be uploaded.  MIT already proves many courses online at http://ocw.mit.edu.
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I now have 41,000 photos on [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/ flickr].  I uploaded many photos from the [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/sets/72157623891453050/ Spring Semester of MIT].  If you have not yet gotten a chance, check out [http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplaz/collections/72157623172613691/ my pictures from China].
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I will be working in Germany this summer for [[Deutsche Bahn]], the state-owned railway company.  I will be working on the [http:// touchandtravel.com Touch&Travel team].  I am excited to work on computer development at a transport company.  I also am looking forward to working with RFID/NFC and mobile phone development.  It will be my first time working for a big company and it will be extra challenging because of the language and cultural differences.  I will be staying with relatives and commuting every day to work an hour each way.  I don’t think I bring my desktop with me on my trip which will be a bummer for developing.  I leave later this week.
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That’s all for now.  I will be back with a new update after the summer.  --[[User:ThePlaz|ThePlaz]] 14:47, 24 May 2010 (EDT)
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==Personal Style==
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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.
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--[[User:ThePlaz|ThePlaz]] ([[User talk:ThePlaz|talk]]) 02:55, 25 August 2013 (EDT)
 
''[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]]''
 
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Recent Activity from around the Web
 
Recent Activity from around the Web
 
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{{#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>
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<h3 style="-moz-border-radius-topright: 1em;-moz-border-radius-topleft: 1em; background:#90ee90;margin:-2px;padding:4px;"> [[MIT Senior]]
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<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>
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{{Main Page:MIT Senior}}
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<h3 style="-moz-border-radius-topright: 1em;-moz-border-radius-topleft: 1em; background:#90ee90;margin:-2px;padding:4px;"> [[MIT Junior]]
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<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>
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{{Main Page:MIT Junior}}
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<h3 style="-moz-border-radius-topright: 1em;-moz-border-radius-topleft: 1em; background:#90ee90;margin:-2px;padding:4px;"> [[MIT Sophomore]]
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<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>
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{{Main Page:MIT Sophomore}}
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<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>
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*'''[[: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]]
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{{Main_Page:OtherSchool}}
 
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[[Image:Nuvola filesystems folder blue open.png|30px]] [[8th Grade]]
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*[[IAG 1]]
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*[[Latin 1]]
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*[[English 8]]
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*[[Geography]]
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*[[8th Grade Health]]
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*[[8th Grade History]]
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*[[8th Grade Science]]
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*[[8th Grade Seminar]]
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*[[8th Grade Tech Ed]]
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[[Image:Nuvola filesystems folder blue open.png|30px]] [[7th Grade]]
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*[[7th Grade History|History]]
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*[[Info Tech 7]]
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*[[7th Grade LA|Language Arts]]
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*[[7th Grade Math|Math]]
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*[[7th Grade Science|Science]]
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*[[7th Grade Spanish|Spanish]]
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*[[7th Grade Music|Music]]
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*[[7th Grade Sci-Sem|Sci-Sem]]
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<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>
 
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<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>
 
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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

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.