I’ve used top for years to monitor machine activity. It’s grown some new features and behavior in the last few years that you might not be aware of. Good ol’ top. For years it’s been the cornerstone of process control. It’s the first place we turn to hunt down a rogue process, or just to [...]
Ha-choo! If you’re not already using Google Reader, go get it, load your OPML, and try this: ‘?’. Excuse me; sorry for sneezing all over you. After spending a few years in the blogosphere using unsatisfying readers, I made the move to Google Reader a couple months ago. It just had so much to offer. [...]
This is a constraint-based exercise to force myself to do something quickly and imperfectly. I have a hard time discerning the right point at which to stop tuning things. It took me three years of searching for the perfect blogging tool before I finally bit the bullet and just forced myself to go with an [...]
These are the languages that I consider interesting* today. I’ve included their approximate year of first release. Also, a look at the importance of support for concurrency. As you can see, these fit into a surprisingly small time window, which I’ll call the Golden Age.** I wanted to make it a round decade, but had [...]
Continue reading about 1983-96: The Golden Age of Programming Languages
Functional Programming is old. Ancient. Like right after FORTRAN. But it’s the future. Trust me, I’m named after the dude who knew about Jesus 700 years early. Seriously, it’s not going to take 700 years for FP to go mainstream. Some would argue that it already is. Python, Ruby, and others have adopted a number [...]
Continue reading about A Single Command to Get Started on Functional Programming
I just bought a brand new highly juiced Lenovo R61 laptop for $760. This post documents my selection criteria, and I hope it will help you with your next purchasing decision. Some guys over at Hacker News were recently discussing laptop criteria, so I figured I would add mine here. Some people really care about [...]
The evening kicked off at Vidoop, a good open (and well-disguised) place just off Burnside. Started meeting some folks right away, and exchanging homely business cards. It was nice to see a few ladies there. I got to talk to about half the people. Very friendly and open group. An hour in, all 50 of [...]
A look at automating setup for every new Ubuntu; and maybe even a meme. Linux distros these days tend to be pretty minimal in their default install mode. Many of us used to be in the habit of checking the “Install Everything” box in the earlier Red Hat days. But then the box disappeared, and [...]
A look at the many hats worn in startups, and at those who wear them. I’ve been thinking about how to prepare for Startup Weekend, which is approaching quickly. Part of the registration process was assigning yourself a “specialty”. Of the seven designations, I chose architect for myself, whatever that means. But the role-designation question [...]
There’s a lot going on around Portland, Oregon, to get hackers working together. Below is a list of groups/events I’ve discovered. I haven’t yet attended any of them, but I’m planning to hit most of them throughout this year. Not all are focused on entrepreneurship, but I bet that the attendees are the right types [...]
Continue reading about Startup Community Highly Active in Portland