Friday, October 7, 2011

New Blog!

I'm not replacing this one, but I'd like to direct everyone towards a new blog of mine...


Journals of Cyrodiil

I've always been a fan of e-stories, so I decided to make my own using the game "The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion" as a platform.

I'm going to base the story around an Imperial who is struck with wanderlust and decided to roam Cyrodiil in search of adventure and treasure.

Anyways, check it out, read it, comment, you know the drill ;)








Monday, October 3, 2011

Gaming is Good

I recently came to realize that gaming can be good if you look at it with a programmatic point of view. For instance: The other day I was playing Oblivion, and thought to myself "Man, there has to be a lot of if-then-else statements in there".

Now, this kind of behavior probably isn't regular in some people, but when your a programmer (well, this works for me) you look at things in different ways. You see software, and think "I wonder how they did that" or "Man, I bet I could make something like that", and you probably could, if you put your mind to it.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

[Not Programming] Aluma-Wallet Sucks.

Well, I had bought an Aluma-Wallet for myself to take to concerts and/or maybe on the occasional hiking trip I like to take, but I was really disappointed when I opened the package.


Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Linux Mint Katya and Ubuntu Natty Narwhal

I've been experimenting with Linux Mint lately, and I have to say that I like it much more than Ubuntu.

Since Linux Mint is just a variant of Ubuntu (if you don't get the Debian edition, that is.), their a lot alike, but the biggest difference is the user interface, and what's included with your installation package.


Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Cloud computing is nothing new

People are getting all excited over Cloud computing lately, and I have to say that I'm quite upset over the fact that people are just now discovering this, and that they've instantly turned it into a pop-culture ploy to get money and other bullshit, and really, setting up a Cloud server is as easy as setting up a computer that you can connect to remotely, which people do all of the time!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

My take on Flash for websites.

When I see Flash websites, I tend to exit out of them as fast as possible.

As a web developer, I find them extremely annoying, cumbersome, and straight up stupid. I know, this sounds rather idiotic, avoiding these websites like the plague, but I can't stand them.

When I see Flash used for things like games, or videos, it's okay, but I really dislike websites made with it.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Got my laptop!

Finally, I got my laptop!

I've been on it ever since it came in and I'm loving it!

I know I said that I would be putting Ubuntu on it in my last post, but I fell in love with Windows 7, after using it for the first time, and have yet to put it on here.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

New laptop!

Huzzah!

I've just ordered myself a new laptop!

It's a Lenovo Ideapad b570, it comes with 4GB of RAM, a 500GB HDD and a 15.6 inch screen. (I'm going to add another 2GB of RAM).

It comes with Windows 7 preinstalled, but I'm going to install Ubuntu on it, and leave a 75gb Windows partition for gaming and using programs that I can't get to work through Wine.

This will be my first "new" computer, since all of my older ones have been hand-me-downs from my family.


I can't wait until it gets here!

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Gaming Cell brought back

A few months ago I started the website Gaming Cell, a free online flash website (unoriginal, I know, but it was fun.).

I created the site, added games, and forgot about it while I was busy doing other things (read: slacking), and it sat on the internet, inactive.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Programming for fun vs for a career

Whenever I tell people that I'm a programmer, they tend to automatically assume that I do it for a career and that I'm some kind of supreme computer overlord.

Untrue.

I like to program for fun, and I know my way around a computer, but I couldn't tear the software apart and piece it back together with my eyes closed either, though.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Pagination; SQL vs Based

Whenever I write PHP, I try my hardest to avoid using MySQL. I think it's a hassle and it should be avoided at all costs. So, I usually try to come up with a way to "base" my PHP scripts. Basing means I can call accounts, pages, or whatever without the use of a MySQL database.

Now one of the most popular things that people do with MySQL databases is create Pagination scripts (think index.php?id=1 and index.php?page=derp).

When they use a database, they have their PHP script search the table for the relevant page (AKA "dork") and it will display it accordingly. Simple, right?

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Freelance Web Developer; You're doing it wrong.

When I speak to potential clients about making them websites, I tend to treat them as if they don't know anything about Web Development (but being respectful at the same time, there's a difference between ignorance and stupidity), and, if they're talking to a person that they're going to hire do develop a website for them, they probably don't. If they come to you, they're probably on their last leg, and don't know what they're going to do to try to get their soon to be made website up and running.

 Now when you're talking to a customer, treat them with respect, and try your hardest not to get mad at them. There are a few things you should remember about people hiring web developers:

  • They (usually) don't know what they want
  • If they knew about web development, they wouldn't be talking to you, so be nice and explain things
  • Never assume anything, people get mad when you think for them, always ask. 
  • Double check on everything. I mean EVERYTHING. 

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Windows 8, nothing to fear.

For the past few weeks, developers across the web have been worried about Microsoft Windows 8.

In a recent video(see below) released by the developers of Windows 8, they show the new ribbon UI, a lot like what is used on the Windows Mobile Phones (the Metro UI), but for a desktop, presumably with a touchscreen on it.



The thing that has a lot of people worried is that  in the video, Jensen Harris, says that HTML5 and JavaScript will be used to make the desktop apps, instead of Microsoft's widely popular .NET Framework, WPF and Silverlight development tools.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

HTML isn't a programming language.

Seriously, stop it.

HTML(HyperText Markup Language) is NOT a programming language, nor will it ever be.

HTML is exactly what it says it is, a markup language. HTML takes (literally) a day (or less, depending on your pace of learning) to master.

To get onto this topic, I had a fun chat with a really stupid teacher.

I was at my younger cousin's school, hanging around, talking to people, when I walked into his Computer Technologies class (Read: Keyboarding) and spoke to the teacher, just bullshitting around.
"Yeah, I have some programming knowledge, but I'm more of a web developer." I say.
"Oh, really? I happen to know some things about programming myself, I'm pretty good at it." She replies.
"Cool, what platform do you use, and what language?" I ask.
"HTML, and Mozilla Firefox." She answers.
At this point, I go cross eyed. It takes a lot for me to get mad, but when people claim they know a lot about a subject, then prove that they don't, makes me mad.
Anyways, I proceeded to amaze her with my "godlike skillz" on the computer.


If anything you could say HTML is a scripting language, but that's pushing it quite a bit.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Python, oh Python.

Well, for my Computer Science class that I'm taking online, I'm learning Python. I'm not bad at it, and I rather like the syntax, compared to others I've tried, like C++, or C.

I've enjoyed turning in the projects I've been given by my teacher, and I love to write the code, but now I have come to the assignment that I've been dreading. Making up my own project.

I'm awful at thinking of things to do, which is why I'm bored 99.99% of the time. I wouldn't call it lack of motivation or laziness per say, but... well, lack of not knowing what to do.

There needs to be a book, or something, with a giant list of programming project ideas.


Edit:

After some searching around I found this list. I know I'll be using it in the future.

C Primer Plus

So the other day I was in Goodwill, looking for anything that had to do with Celts or Vikings(not the sports team), and I ran across a rather old programming book (published 1998) called The Waite Group's C Primer Plus Third Edition.

I've had some experience with C++ before, like using it for things like creating app launchers (which I now use VB.NET for), or my 11th grade Science Fair project (fun times). Now, as far as I can see, in this book, not much has changed. I'm not a big expert on C++ or anything, but it looks mostly the same.

Just flipping through the book I can see some differences between my practices and the author's.

For example, he uses printf instead of cout, or he uses scanf where I use cin.

I guess it all matters where you learn from (I personally learned from a ":For Dummies" book), and at what time a certain syntax is popular.