A new job

Yes, much has been happening since Pesach and now that my semester is over, I finally have time to write.

I started a new job on May 5th at...

It's as cool as it sounds. I actually work for a contractor and it's a 6-12 month gig as a search quality analyst. That means we're given a search query (actual searches from Yahoo which make you question man's intelligence) and a list of results and we have to rank how the result fufills the query - perfect, excellent, good, fair, or bad. I debated about taking the job even though I was desperately unhappy in my previous job because this ruins my summer plans and I can't go to Israel. I realized that at the beginning of every semester we need to post a short bio in each class and we're asked what our career goals are I usually say I'm hoping for a job where I'm paid to spend all my time on the internet. Well, this is it! So how could I say no. Plus it'll look great on a resume. And it has cool factor - even Maor is impressed.

One of the best things at Yahoo is the free Beantrees organic coffee bar which imho is much better than Starbucks. After a week the baristas knew what I drink - you think that means I'm addicted to coffee?

Near the coffee bar is a game room with a ping pong table and foosball and yes people actually play. I also see people playing board games in the lunchroom sometimes.

Of course there's no dress code so you can come to work in shorts and a t-shirt if you want (and some do). The only thing I can think of that's bad about this gig is that it ruins you for working anywhere else!

I got my grades today and I got A's in two classes (yay) and my third class (in which I also got an A) was only credit/no credit. Three semesters down, two more to go. Now that the semester is over I have joined that incredible time waster - Facebook and am quickly becoming addicted. So you can definitely friend me and if you'd like to play a game of Scrabble, stop by.

This past weekend was Memorial Day and as soon as I upload the pictures, I will post about our trip to Yosemite.

Question: Where did the Yahoo! name come from?
Answer: When Jerry [Yang] and David [Filo] started their student hobby web directory in 1994, it was called Jerry and David's Guide to the World Wide Web. When the site moved beyond their circle of friends and started becoming popular, they decided it needed a shorter, catchier name. The dictionary provided the word yahoo, meaning someone rude, unsophisticated and vulgar. Bingo! Just the kind of self-effacement Jerry & David appreciated. Then they needed an acronym and came up with Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle.