Older blog entries for superuser (starting at number 23)

7 Jan 2003 (updated 7 Jan 2003 at 04:21 UTC) »

Testing my Diary Editor

And it works!!! Yay, I have a Python/Tkinter based Advogato Gui Diary Editor. Okay it may not be the first ( I really don't know, never looked), but it's my first real Python Gui app program, so cool.

Py

BTW, for those interested, I have picked up the first two issues of Py (and another 4 issues subscription), an "Independent Zine for Python Developers" quarterly. Both issues are short (16 pages), but filled with wholesome goodness. Something about the feel of "Dead Tree" makes it a pleasant read. The paper quality is newspaper style, and fits well with what it is. However, the quality is of the content is wonderful.

While this may be nothing new to Python developer's, it is a great resource. You can find more information at PyZine.com.

Work

Well, it's time to move on, somewhat. I will be having a third interview at the new company, and will most likely be picked up. More money, more opportunities, a company that allows it's programmers to use whatever OS and tools they want as long as they can do the job. That ain't half bad.

Advogato

Been looking at advogato lately, and notice their RPC server setup. Since I have been messing around with Python lately, I will probably throw together a GUI program that allows me to enter my diary entries without actually having to come here. That would be pretty cool. Other things could be added as well.

Maybe something that checks the recentlog every once in a while (6 hours?) for new updates, and checkes them to see if someone said anything about me. Might be a good tool.

Yes, I would open source it.

Surprise...

My parent's had come up to visit me these past few days. They left (or so I thought) early the morning of the 1st so they could be home so my younger brother (9) could get back to school the 2nd.

Today, I had to go over my fiance's aunt's house for New Years dinner. Loe and behold, what do I find, but my family there! Surprise! Not only did I not even know this was going to happen, but I come to find out this has been planned for about a month.

Oh darn...I was proven wrong. =)

Programming & open source

I work on proprietary stuff all day long. Most of my work involves credit card processing software, finance software, and basically anything that deals with money, and monetary transactions. It's a lot of work. Unlike a game or an email client that can have bugs (as in, if a bug is found, you really don't loose money), these programs force you to double and triple check everything.

It's nice that no money has gone missing. It's not really that difficult. Most programming follows the same pattern. After a while, you know what to look for, you know how to test. Bugs happen when you hurry, when you skip those tests. Or just because you are lazy. Most good programmers aren't.

But with all my work for companies, I want to do something for open source. I have contributed to PEAR, done a few things, but not much.

I am beginning to think I should write my own open source version of the software I write at work. It would be difficult though. I mean, I write it once, and either I take the code I wrote and open source it without the company knowing, or I rewrite it? I could ask the company to open source it, but knowing the company like I do, it wouldn't fly.

There is also the idea of starting the rewrite of the next version of the program on my own time, releasing it GPL, and then using it at work. Might work out.

Or I could be overthinking all this.

Been thinking alot about my contributions (or lack thereof) in the open source world. Had a good change of heart after reading Cardinal's post. In particular, the last paragraph.

So I want to do something, I really do. Just very little time, between work and more work. And work isn't even going well, though I have a job offer at PaySystems Inc. I would just have to get my work visa changed, which apparently isn't that difficult for my lawyer.

I am running SuSE now, and it's very nice, very smooth, and easy to install, and maintain. It's now my main work machine. I still have a windows machine, using that for games mostly, and testing. And Photoshop, but that's it. Linux has just gotten too good for me.

So I want to create some applications, I want to create something, or work on something. I have gotten over the need to feed my ego and create something on my own. As has been said, their are enough text editors out there, and really, I should focus on creating something useful.

I found a great list that talks about what the most common things are people want to do on a computer. I guess I will brush up my programming skills, and pick a probject to learn more about. At the same time, I want to use this product. I need a product that will be useful.

Or maybe I am being too picky, or thinking too much. That is a common problem. I think maybe I will stop worrying so much about what to do and just do something.

I am now running Mandrake Linux, and I am quite happy with it. There are a few things I am trying to setup, like my HP Photosmart 120 digital camera, so if you have any information on setting it up, let me know. I have done the typical searches on google, and news groups and mailing lists, all to no avail. I will make the assumption that it has to do with my overall misunderstanding of how to actually install the damn thing with USB support, but I am a patient person.

I also got the dual monitors working. (Screenshot) I am running Gnome with the Ximian desktop, and the Nautilus SVG theme. Very graphical, but very fast and very nice.

I have been fooling around with Gimp, since I had to give up Photoshop. It has dramatically improved since I last used it, and I am very please with it. I should be Gimping along nicely in the coming weeks.

Programming wise, Perl-GTK has kinda of grown attached to me. I know, you might expect me to be a PHP-GTK fan, but Perl-GTK just seems nicer.

Anyways, I am fooling around with the idea of building a GUI for MySQL since I also had to give up MySQLFront in the move to Linux.

But I am happier for the move. It just feels "cleaner". Does anyone else ever get that feeling?

It's fun when you post something to Advogato and get a response back from someone dealing with what you talked about. Thanks Chris! The story I posted wasn't word for word, but your numbers will come in handy in the future.

Anyways, another day another dollar.

I like the fact that PHP is so easy to extend. Yes, we can right an application in C, or we can write it in PHP and get to market 5 months faster, and then find the bottlenecks in the field, and port that to C and still be done faster. Okay, maybe not that easy, but hey.

Anyways...

I don't know.

It's something about impressing a bunch of guys from an MS shop that are looking to buy our software written using a bunch of Open Source technologies (PHP, MySQL, IRC, Perl, open standards such as C and then the non OS but still cool Delphi and Flash)

MS Shop Guy: Will MySQL be able to handle what SQL Server handled?

Us: Ever hear of SlashDot?

MS Shop Guy: Yes, why?

Us: That runs on MySQL and handles it fine.

MS Shop Guy: Oh, good, if there is a bottleneck, I want it to be in the hardware. We are looking at a server load of around 300-500 simultaneous users. Can MySQL handle that?"

Us: "Oh, of course, is that all? We tested this with 1,000 users on the 300Mhz machine in the back office there with less than 1% cpu usage"

MS Shop Guy: (Eyes in look of surprise and shock, and utter happiness) What about Latency?

Us: "Oh...", says one of the Russian programmers, "I had a friend test it out in Russia...and only had a latency of 100ms".

Oh... they walked out looking like they just left heaven.

And yeah, we are going to make that deal.

rasmus We really want you back on #php on OPN. From me, newbienetwork

Sorry, had to pass that on for the guys. I do understand your reasons for leaving though.

lilo yay, you helped create an IRC network. Should we bow down before you? No. Maybe when a thousand other people say you are doing something wrong, maybe you should listen.

I am just raning now, I feel like maybe something good is getting slowly turned into something bad.

What's even worse is an OPN guy, InnerFire works with me. Maybe I can smack him around into talking some sense into lilo, but I don't see that coming.

Honestly, lilo, if you can't find a job, it's your fault. Rather than ask for handouts, get a real job like the rest of America. McDonalds pays the bills, and many people surivie off of that.

Sometimes I wonder about people.

Haven't updated this site in a good while. Well, I might as well. =)

Turned 22 in January 19th, and I am now living in Montreal as a PHP Developer. Oo...we use so much OSS its not even funny. Boss won't even listen to the ASPers talk anything ASP. In fact, I am sure he is also very open to using Debian on the desktop.

Okay, what else is new. New computer, NewbieNetwork still rolling along, and work on DevNetwork.net beginning.

Oh, yeah, my job. I develop backend and e-commerce software for gaming sites. Yes, I get paid to play games.

Been fooling around with C#, and I really like it. Been slowly putting together a PHP IDE in it. It's a really nice language, well put together, well thought out. Really stands on its own. The only downside is when you say C#, people think M$.

It's like saying Java, people think Sun. Which as I see it, Sun would be Microsoft if McNealy(sp?) could. He is just pissed that M$ gets the spotlight.

Oh well, two giants can fight it out on their own time.

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