There were no deliverables for this week so I thought I would post something just in case. Comments have been posted on Slashdot. For some reason, there’s just something about Slashdot that I don’t like. I’m a much bigger fan of Reddit.com. Their stories include everything from tech and politics to WTF and NSFW! It’s kind of like Digg but without so much Digg “whoring” and childish antics. The user base is also much more tech/scientific with a lot of scientists and very intelligent computer folks. There is a very particular comedic mentality that is apparent in some comment threads but you will also find incredibly insightful and intelligent responses as well. It almost feels like a big little community!
I am actually already a member of meetup.com and am in the Phoenix Atheists group. I have been to one of their get togethers and it was pretty interesting. I also participate in their discussion board there.
I also already tried out SecondLife probably a year ago (though I did login for a bit for this assignment). Participation in this world is done through a number of visual controls for your avatar. You can communicate with others through either “speaking”, gestures, joining groups, or participating in activities (ohh, and of course you can FLY!). I think the thing that influences your experience most in a medium like SecondLife is the creative expression of your avatar. This world allows you to basically recreate yourself into whatever form you think you should or would want to be. I think it says a lot about the mind of the individual behind the character. Seeing people dressed as punk rockers wearing fishnets and spiked hair sitting right alongside a prototypical nerd with a plaid shirt and pocket protector is something that would probably only happen in a place like SecondLife.
This was an interesting Ted talk and a great idea but I think that it was a bit idealistic and grandiose in its premise. I’m not sure that the idea of charter cities simply arising in areas where there is currently nothing and having them be perfectly run with perfect rules and living conditions is realistic. From the perspective of Lessig’s four aspects of regulation, I can certainly see them playing an important role with Mr. Romer’s strict adherence to good rules. But in order for Lessig’s ideas to even take root, the city would have to be technologically adept and capable of an information technology architecture. It could take decades for the proper facilities to be built and not to mention the cultural issues that would plague a largely western ideology being imposed, even if by choice, on a disparate culture.
In relation to my own interests as a PA student, I like the idea but I think it’s one of those theories that will probably remain just that, a theory. Much like socialism and capitalism, both work great as theories, but in practice 100% of either one will (and has) fail miserably. My interests in PA are generally confined to social justice and democracy within the realm of technology; leaving it squarely in established societies and governments. While I would love to participate in laying the groundwork of my interests in a new type of charter city, my frame of reference is still of the western democratic influence and thus I am not yet sure how successful my ideas would be in this new type of venture.
In this article, Carl Malamud, has decided to take on the state of California and challenge the state’s assertion that all of its regulation and laws are copyright and thus subject to constraints on distribution and access. His claim is that public laws cannot be copyright and that by making access to regulations and laws open and easier to retrieve, it spurs innovation and new means of access and search capabilities. Read the rest of this entry »
So, many weeks ago my company had a CIO lead meeting for all developers and IT staff. It was basically a “let’s all work harder” meeting that covered a few key points like our lack of QA and such. Overall, not a bad meeting though it did have a curious lack of substance as far as any concrete goals, solutions, or new ideas. But honestly, what else can you expect from managers not trained in management and who work at a relative cognitive distance from the “proles in the trenches.”
Any who, for the past few months, we have been having some issues with the way we as a team (and individuals) are managed from both a professional and developmental perspective. This has lead to a serious lack of motivation and low morale in our team. So in response to the meeting, we came up with a document that included a few of our gripes regarding the topics covered in the meeting and conditions in general. Read the rest of this entry »
Pro OpenSolaris: A New Open Source OS for Linux Developers and Administrators
Harry J, Foxwell, PhD & Christine Tran
Apress, 280pp.
ISBN: 978-1430218913
Reviewed by Brandon Ching
Choosing a development environment for either desktop or web based application development is generally a trivial thought experiment. Most experienced developers have their preferences and generally don’t deviate much unless a new method or tool becomes available that better fits their development needs. Read the rest of this entry »
Sexy Web Design
Elliot Jay Stocks
SitePoint, 172 pp.
ISBN-13: 978-0980455236
Reviewed by Brandon Ching
I do not have a single creative bone in my body! OK, that’s probably an exaggeration but when it comes to designing an innovative, attractive, and useable web site, I definitely could use a helping hand. As a web developer, I am generally responsible for the data in our sites rather than the look & feel; that’s the UI team’s domain!
However, not all developers have access to professional UI resources and, depending on the situation, many of us often wear a number of different hats. As such, Sexy Web Design by Elliot Jay Stocks is a book that seems made for folks like me who know a little something about the basics of web design, but are nowhere near creative experts. Read the rest of this entry »
I found the Malone chapters to be an interesting taken on the evolution of our civilization. It certainly does make sense and given that I have not studied this topic in any great detail, I cannot immediately think of any arguments against the lowered transaction cost of communication being at least partly responsible for the rise of our present civilization.
The ability to effectively (and dynamically) communicate is one of the fundamental human attributes that has allowed us to achieve dominance over this world and nearly everything in it. However, I suppose the next question would be, “what happens from here?” World-wide communication and access to nearly the entire history of human knowledge is at our fingertips for immediate access. What does this power mean to an individual? What does it mean to an organization? Does it simply change how we live our lives or might it also change why we live them? Read the rest of this entry »
Not that anybody actually reads this blog or cares about what I think (except for you potential employers who will make judgments about my character based on what you read here…not smart by the way) but this topic is something that I have been wrestling with for some time now and I finally feel strong enough to come out about it. I am an atheist! Read the rest of this entry »
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