Jan 05
Dec 31
It’s time for our annual ritual of creating a list of idealistic and ultimately unrealistic goals called “New Years Resolutions” that we pledge to adopt for the coming year but usually abandon by late January. Wikipedia defines a New Years Resolution as a commitment that an individual makes to finishing a project, reforming a habit or making a positive lifestyle change.
Although computer programmers are an intelligent bunch, our higher technical capabilities often translate into lower social and people skills. Plus we are constantly seeking to improve our technical knowledge by learning new tricks and tools. Therefore, programmers can benefit from New Years Resolutions as much as anyone.
Following is a list of 15 suggested New Years Resolutions for Computer Programmers. These are not my personal resolutions, which are specific to my current projects and therefore likely boring to you. Rather, these are resolutions that may apply to any programmer.
Dec 24
It’s holiday time, and hopefully most of you programmers are home enjoying time with your family and loved ones. But if you’re like me, at some point over the holidays you will escape to your computer for a little diversion. So to keep you in the holiday spirit, here are some Christmas and Santa Claus-related goodies for computer programmers:
Dec 04
This article was written by José M. Aguilar in Spanish on his excellent blog Variable Not Found, and was translated, edited and republished here by Timm Martin (and Google Translator) with permission from Mr. Aguilar.
I’ve been using emoticons often since I discovered them back in the day when Fidonet dominated the world of digital communications. And in spite of their everyday use, I haven’t given them much attention. However, when I searched for some information about emoticons, I found some curiosities that I think are worth knowing.
Dec 04
This article was written by José M. Aguilar in Spanish on his excellent blog Variable Not Found, and was translated, edited and republished here by Timm Martin (and Google Translator) with permission from Mr. Aguilar. This is Part 2 of the article (click here for Part 1).
Dec 01
It’s holiday time, and what better way to reward your favorite programmer geek than with a T-shirt? Following are some of my favorite programmer T-shirts:
Java Programmers Change Lightbulb
Front: How many Java programmers does it take to change a light bulb?
Back: You’re still thinking procedurally. A properly designed light bulb object would inherit a change method from a generic light bulb class, so all you’d have to do is send a light bulb change message.
Nov 20
At midnight on February 17, 2009, all televisions in the United States will switch from analog to 100% digital. If you are still receiving your signal over the air, you will have to convert your analog signal to digital. This public service announcement (spoof) will guide you through the simple process.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTSS8E7bKXgNov 20
Your PC is lying to you. John Hodgman, also known as “PC” in Apple’s catchy “Hello, I’m a Mac” commercials, has published a new book, “More Information Than You Require
For example, consider this helpful folk remedy:
“If you have lost a finger, numb the pain with a poultice of goose grease and pine needles. Leave the poultice on the finger stump until it becomes sticky. Now find another finger. Stick it on there and seek no further treatment.”
Nov 12
1. Make a list of the top 10 ways to amuse a programmer.
10. Use binary.
Oct 09
From xkcd: A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math and language.
Very funny! But in my experience, one of the fastest ways to kill programmer productivity is to give them beer.