Recent Posts

401

Living Room / Days online --- seems odd

« Last post by Rover on May 05, 2006, 09:18 PM »

I've always been a little curious at how you calculate the "Days online" as seen below.  Given that DC is just over a year old and I've seen days in the 400's for a while... I'm confused 

402

Living Room / Re: Do you Suffer from Computer Anger Management - How do you handle it?

« Last post by Rover on May 05, 2006, 09:09 PM »

Now there's a challenge for someone... re-create whip the worker but with damage like the computer smasher!

Yeah baby. 

403

Developer's Corner / Re: Variable naming conventions

« Last post by Rover on May 05, 2006, 06:53 PM »

I second the Code Complete notion.  Excellent for thinking about such things.   

404

Developer's Corner / Re: Ok, I need some advice here.

« Last post by Rover on May 05, 2006, 04:57 PM »

pick a project first.  Programming as a general sport is not the best way to learn (IMHO).

Once you have a project or two, you might wish to find a language the suites the purpose.  Writing server based web apps may not be best suited for C++ (some will argue).  Whereas C++ might be your best shot for developing that new file system you've always wanted.  Want gui to go with that?  You might look a C++ builder.

Programming today is as much (more) about the environment than the language.

Then of course you have scripted or complied.  Platform specific or generic.  OOP or Not.  Desktop or Server.  Linux, Windows, Web, Mac.  So many choices 

405

Living Room / Re: Do you Suffer from Computer Anger Management - How do you handle it?

« Last post by Rover on May 05, 2006, 04:47 PM »

Another great stress reliever -- especially if you have employees -- is Whip the Worker

http://www.antongraphics.com/gamesinteractive/interactive/interactive3.htm

Try the c button really fast, you get nice back and forth beyatch slap going.  See if you can make him ask about the white out problem....

406

Living Room / Re: Very disappointing wifi connection!

« Last post by Rover on May 05, 2006, 08:39 AM »

superboyac -  I had a similar problem with some D-Link hardware.  Which brand are you using?

Some things I learned:  The channel can matter a lot.  There are a bizzilion things using your airwaves and some of them "noise up" Wi-Fi channels.  In the US, most mfgs use channel 6.  Try changing to 11 or something.

Also, most WiFi antennas do NOT create a consistant broadcast sphere.  It ends up looking more like a donut that runs in some relation to the direction of the antenna -- I forget which way.

Check the manufacture site for additional tips.

407

Living Room / Re: Cute and funny flash click-slash game

« Last post by Rover on May 04, 2006, 11:19 PM »

   I need help.  I just wasted 90 minutes of my life on this.... mouser!  Stop finding games! 

408

Living Room / Re: Do you Suffer from Computer Anger Management - How do you handle it?

« Last post by Rover on May 04, 2006, 04:06 PM »

OK, I really knew the answer to this all along, but I wanted to see what everyone else had to say first 

Anyway, the reason for your anger is based in frustration at being able to complete/accomplish something.  Why is that a big deal?  Because most of us derive our sense of worth from being able to "do a good job" and/or "create a good thing." 

The reason most programmers program, especially the OS guys, is for the sense of accomplishment when you get it done and it's good.  When it's not done and not good, you feel the opposite of good. 

Since we all want to feel good, we try to get something done.  When we are frustrated in our attempts, we miss feelling good and get mad at the cause of the thing that is keeping us from feeling good. (follow that?)  The thing is either the Operating system, the language, the environment (computer), the project itself, or sometimes we blame ourselves. 

It's all very simple really.  Don't make me not feel good and I'll be happy

My psych rate is $150/hour w/ 1/2 hour min.  Please send $$   

409

Living Room / Re: Dungeon Escape - charming retro dragonslair style flash click game

« Last post by Rover on May 04, 2006, 08:48 AM »

About 20.  They randomize until the last 2 or 3.  If you get to the sword room, you're very close 

410

Living Room / Re: Dungeon Escape - charming retro dragonslair style flash click game

« Last post by Rover on May 03, 2006, 10:46 PM »

Whew!  Finally 

411

General Software Discussion / Re: help.... need a tool/utility to auto terminate a process

« Last post by Rover on May 03, 2006, 09:59 PM »

I can't believe no one mentioned these two from sysinternals.com:

http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/PsKill.html PsKill for command line killing

and for a gui presentation of running processes try:

http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/ProcessExplorer.html Process Explorer.  Can kill a single process or an entire process tree!  Just like killing the family of the rat, not just the rat himself 

412

Living Room / Re: Do you Suffer from Computer Anger Management - How do you handle it?

« Last post by Rover on May 03, 2006, 07:56 PM »

Oh please make sure you post if you find one.   

I had to write a fairly complex program as a job interview... I was given two weeks and invented some colorful new curses during that time.        Then I got the job and eventually invented a few more...  maybe that's why I stopped programming...

413

Living Room / Re: Dungeon Escape - charming retro dragonslair style flash click game

« Last post by Rover on May 03, 2006, 08:43 AM »

That's kind of fun.   

414

Developer's Corner / Re: Can you read and understand C? :-))

« Last post by Rover on May 02, 2006, 07:11 PM »

Un-freaking real 

It doesn't look like there is enough text in the source to generate the output!

Weird.

415

General Software Discussion / Re: General brainstorming for Note-taking software

« Last post by Rover on May 01, 2006, 09:28 PM »

I don't remember seeing this mentioned anywhere and I did a search that came up empty....so don't give me greif if you've talked about this 3 billion times


WikiPad is an interesting creature: http://www.jhorman.org/wikidPad/

It's a regular application, not a hosted wiki.  It is missing quite a few features but the concept is really interesting.  Want to add an item to your todo list?  Type todo: get the mail
It immediately shows up in the todo part of the tree (ok, tree based to some degree).  I'm not sure it will solve the world's problems, but it's worth a look just for the change of scenery.  BTW, it can also execute python code inside your note.   Sick

WikidPad is a wiki-like notebook for storing your thoughts, ideas, todo lists, contacts, or anything else you can think of to write down. What makes WikidPad different from other notepad applications is the ease with which you can cross-link your information. Links in a wiki are created by typing in WikiWords. A WikiWord is any mixed case word (also called CamelCase) typed into the editor. TodoList or JohnDoe are example WikiWords. The term wiki means "quick" in Hawaiian, and wikis are all about quickly linking your information together. Wikis are not a new concept, in fact there are many web based wiki servers available.

Real-time wiki WikidPad is not a web server, or application server, or groupware solution. WikidPad is a standalone notepad like application.

IDE for your thoughtsSoftware developers have grown accustomed to certain features from their editing environment that make their jobs easier. Features like auto-completion, outline views, incremental search, easy source code navigation. IDE's that provide these features can greatly increase developer productivity. WikidPad attempts to utilize some of these features to address the problem of personal information management.

-from the site

416

General Software Discussion / Re: Will 64-bit make a difference?

« Last post by Rover on April 28, 2006, 10:44 PM »

Yes it does.  64 bit xeons are plentiful these days.  Using VMware, I can run several 32-bit virtual servers on a dual 64-bit Xeon system and seeing around 5% CPU utilization.

The slow thing currently is the HD access.  PCI-X has increased bus speed, we just need fast hard drives.

417

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Run bat files transparently

« Last post by Rover on April 28, 2006, 09:10 AM »

You can also use nnCron Lite to schedule commands. I've been running it for a couple of years w/ NO problems.
http://www.nncron.ru/

418

Living Room / Re: Earth. Overpopulated or not?

« Last post by Rover on April 28, 2006, 09:01 AM »

Until there is sufficient (if not equal) food for all, I consider this planet grossly overpopulated.

-allen said

There is plenty of food available.  The problem is that the leaders of the starving countries will not distribute it.  The US Govn't has been paying farmers to NOT grow crops for years, because our extreme over production drives the price down too low.

The problem, as always, revoles around the people involved, not the technology or supply.

Is the Earth overpopulated?  Considering the idiots involved, maybe.  If things worked right; no.

419

Living Room / Re: Little Gromit Mine (teh funay video)

« Last post by Rover on April 27, 2006, 04:19 PM »

by the way,
that little grommit song is in my head now and keeps repeating 

-mouser (April 27, 2006, 01:41 PM)

Mouser are you gonna be ok?  Thinking about that too much could kill a person....

Maybe you should think about the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard for while...that would be better. 

420

General Software Discussion / Re: Big List of Programming Games

« Last post by Rover on April 27, 2006, 04:11 PM »

That's what I thought, but I wanted to be clear....

OK so we need a strategy session.  Things to consider:

Do we want to make it fair as in rock/paper/scissors - each item has a 1/3 chance to win, 1/3 chance to lose and 1/3 chance to null effect.

Is is turn based or paralell?

Is it a virus type/takeover game or battle-bots type - kill or be killed?

I'm sure there is something I'm missing...

421

General Software Discussion / Re: Big List of Programming Games

« Last post by Rover on April 27, 2006, 09:30 AM »

@mouser - you want to create a new battlefield/game or a corewars robot?

422

Living Room / Re: Little Gromit Mine (teh funay video)

« Last post by Rover on April 27, 2006, 09:26 AM »

Eóin - That was pretty good. 

I actually don't mind the song and seeing the home brew special effects was kind of fun.  Could've been a little shorter... It was certainly better than anything else in this thread 

423

Living Room / Re: When you make your 100'th Post

« Last post by Rover on April 27, 2006, 09:15 AM »

Thought I'd immortalize #200..   My obsession with round numbered posts must stop 


Oh, and here is the screen shot: 

424

Developer's Corner / Python vs. Ruby -- what's your take?

« Last post by Rover on April 27, 2006, 09:11 AM »

I have the books, I have the project, I don't have the time... but I need to do something.

I've been trying to start a project for a few months... pretty simple web-based db type application.  I will be creating the first application/database that will be built upon and used for many things in the future.  I will be using Apache, MySQL and Linux.  I own the server.

So what do I want to learn, Ruby or Python?  Here are my basic thoughts... I'm interested in yours as well.

Python good:  Looks neat; I'd use Plone as a CMS to get started.  Lots of development.
Python bad:  Whitespace sensative!  Which freaking version?  I need Zope for Plone, but I can't use the latest because CentOS needs an older Python for yum, etc.  The new version of Python breaks the older stuff.  wtf?  no compatability?

Ruby good:  Looks neat, lots of momentum... rising in the top used languages a lot.  Has Rails framework.
Ruby bad:  OOP to the max.  Uses a lot of characters in language @ =>.  Non-strict rules for formatting method calls (can be puts ("some stuff") or puts "some stuff")

Thoughts anyone?

425

Living Room / Re: Little Gromit Mine (teh funay video)

« Last post by Rover on April 26, 2006, 10:48 PM »

That was pathetic... in the bad way..... it scares me what some people will do.

This http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yia7CbTn__4, on the other hand, is pure genious.