Category Archives: programming

Programming and sofware development

Bjarne Stroupstrup on The Problem with Programming

This is a fairly interesting interview with the creator of the C++ programming language. TR: How do you account for the fact that C++ is both widely criticized and resented by many programmers but at the same time very broadly … Continue reading

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Visual Studio 2005 SP1 update hell

I think it’s safe to say that the SP1 update officially sucks balls. It took over an hour to update my machine, and others are reportedly experiencing more problems, even after the install. Visual Studio SP1 woes Visual Studio SP1 … Continue reading

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The Dreaded Peter Devil

From The Daily WTF, here is another amusing tale of developer woe, huge piles of money flushed down the tubes, and clueless management. The Peter Devil wasn’t very good at delivering bad news. He also wasn’t very good at delivering … Continue reading

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What code DOESN’T do in real life (that it does in the movies)

This is a funny take on Hollywood’s portrayal of computer programming. Following up our article: Top 20 Hackers in Film History and Vibrant’s Top 10 Servers in the movies, I felt obligated to dispel some of the notions about programming … Continue reading

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Electrical Engineering vs. Computer Science

This is a hilarious computer science joke. The second advisor, a computer scientist, immediately recognized the danger of such short-sighted thinking. He said, “Toasters don’t just turn bread into toast, they are also used to warm frozen waffles. What you … Continue reading

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Comparing programming languages in real life

This a funny post comparing the personalities of different programming languages. BASIC – The horny divorcee that lives next door. Her specialty is seducing young boys and it seems she is always readily available for them. She teaches them many … Continue reading

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The Windows Shutdown crapfest

A candid rant by a Microsoft developer on Microsoft bureaucracy. I worked at Microsoft for about 7 years total, from 1994 to 1998, and from 2002 to 2006. The most frustrating year of those seven was the year I spent … Continue reading

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Coded Smorgasbord: Prepare For Return

The Daily WTF has some more short examples of hilariously bad or entertaining code. Nikita Zhuk thought there might be a deeper, more fundamental lack of understanding when she came across this question posted on Experts Exchange … hi all, … Continue reading

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Programmable Z80 Microcomputer

This is a fantastic homemade computer project. Look at the schematic for this thing. Yikes! This is an actual computer, built completely from scratch. I began the project in the spring of 2006, while I was taking a course on … Continue reading

Posted in computers, diy, electronics, programming, technology | 1 Comment

The Master, The Expert, The Programmer

A thought-provoking article on the difference between a master and an expert. The main thing I noticed about the experts I’ve encountered is they are into impressing you with their abilities. They are usually incredibly good, but their need for … Continue reading

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An App A Week

Until another coder steps up for The Software Jedi’s An App A Day challenge, one programmer has just started An App A Week. An App A Week home An App A Day home The Software Jedi home

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Nooks and Crannies of Ruby

This is an interesting article on some of the more obscure features in Ruby. There are many small parts of Ruby, tips, tricks and strange things. I thought that I would write about some of the more interesting of these, … Continue reading

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.NET Framework 3.0 released

This release adds 4 new libraries on top of .NET 2.0, along with extensions to Visual Studio 2005. From the Q&A: Q: How does the .NET Framework 3.0 relate to the .NET Framework 2.0? A: The .NET Framework 3.0 is … Continue reading

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Masi Oka: Coder, Actor, Hero

The actor who plays Hiro Nakamura on the TV show Heroes is also one of Industrial Light & Magic’s top programmers. Since graduating from Brown University in 1997, Oka has worked on more than 30 big-budget Hollywood films at ILM. … Continue reading

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Sometimes I think IT is an industry full of witch-doctors

Here’s another rant on the IT industry. Often, I think a lot of people take the witch-doctor approach to with their IT careers. Even the simplest problem has to be turned into some kind of mystical journey – filled with … Continue reading

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Refactoring Shock Can Kill

This is a funny parody of an outdoor survival guide for programmers. WHEN STEVE DUMB STUMBLED ACROSS THE SPAGHETTI of a legacy code library sunk into the muck in the labyrinthine of Upper Management Cost Saving Schemes, the unease he … Continue reading

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The Computer/Domino Connection

This is a fascinating though useless diversion on how to perform basic computations using dominoes. My friend Cory and I were sitting around one day, as we often do, contemplating the mysteries of the universe, when one of us brought … Continue reading

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The Firefox Kid

IEEE Spectrum has written a nice article on Blake Ross, one of the co-founders of the Firefox project, and on what he is working on next. But there were others in the cubicle trenches who hadn’t conceded the browser war … Continue reading

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I bet somebody got a really nice bonus for that feature

…or, Why your Windows desktop is cluttered with crap you didn’t want. I often find myself saying, “I bet somebody got a really nice bonus for that feature.” “That feature” is something aggressively user-hostile, like forcing a shortcut into the … Continue reading

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Visual Studio Add-Ins Every Developer Should Download Now

This article on MSDN introduces a number of useful add-ins for Visual Studio. In this article, I introduce you to some of the best Visual Studio add-ins available today that can be downloaded for free. I walk through using each … Continue reading

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