Mad - You might want to skip this entree

Modern biology says* it’s all about procreation, ensuring the survival of one’s genes, or genes as close to yours as possible.

Freud said* it’s all about sex.

I maintain that every human achievement, every advancement of civilization has been made by a man seeking to impress a woman or challenge another man’s plans/claims for some woman. All the great creative thinking was done by people in their late teens and early twenties, before they became old and settled down, monetizing their ideas into college money for the kids.

Until some entrepreneur invented porn. Now, I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and consider it wasn’t a plan to eliminate competition but a service for men who have no access to women for long periods of time (such as soldiers) and no wish to practice homosexuality and/or bestiality. Which is all great (when tastefully done) but as with all good things, introduces a catch: porn, unlike flesh and blood females, is immaterial information (graphical or audio-visual), thus making pr0n feasible.

When computers were invented and all the really important things to do with them ran out (cracking Enigma, building The Bomb, playing chess) geeks found that relieving themselves using graphical stimuli is a quicker way of clearing one’s mind and getting back to solving interesting problems than bothering with real women (wooed or rented), and since they were still in the creative stage of their lives they didn’t care for reproduction.

Since most good hacking is done by “scratching one’s itch”, i.e. working on fixing the problems you face yourself, technologies for enhancing the experience quickly evolved. Technologies like high resolution true color graphical displays, graphical user interfaces (to navigate albums in thumbnail mode), networking (to share pr0n with friends and argue taste), cheap photo-realistic inkjet printers (in case of power outages), storage so cheap you can fit the library of congress without selling a kidney (for collections), complex algorithms to compress and transport multimedia streams over bad network conditions with minimal loss of quality and audio-visual synchronization (because one never has enough storage), the web (the ultimate publishing medium for conventional pr0n), P2P networking (for spreading the racy stuff) and DHTML bookmarkslets (to remove bad links from pages).

Higher levels of immersion are being developed – Doom3 can make you scared, but what else is the graphical engine capable of? What do you think AI is being developed for? Accurately guessing what the user wishes the character does next, of course! And finally, the ultimate, last, invention of human kind – Virtual Reality, when all the creative minds of humanity get lost in a Matrix-like dream-world they’ve built for themselves.

You ask how I know all that stuff was invented for pr0n? I'll tell you. Because all the real work I do on my computer (managing big distributed databases, developing, testing, debugging, deploying and analyzing the output of cross platform software (and by "cross-platform" I mean the exact same source is compiled on s390 (MVS), RS/6000 (AIX 4) and P4 (Win2k)...), etc.) I do on the command prompt, in text-only mode, usually by telnet. The only reason for me to have a monitor like that is for reading lots of documentation PDFs (because I don't want to search for the hardcopy) and watching the flash clips my friends keep sending me, not for using bloated development environments like Websphere or Visual Studio .Net 2003. I imagine it's much the same for many other people, so unless the CAD/CAM industries were that influential, I say computer graphics were invented for pr0n.

* - I am aware these are criminal generalizations, people.

Travel - Nachal Yehudia

Most of my department went on a two day trip to the north (bonding and stuff, because otherwise we don't get any non-computer related experiences as a group). I don't remember how the place we've done the first day is called, but it wasn't that good or special. On the second day, on the other hand, we've done the Nahal Yehudia hike - a beautiful, challenging, hot & wet trek following a river in a canyon. The flora & fauna were great (lots of insects, no bites, not even from mosquitoes!), the water was cool (almost cold, but that might be because the ambient temperature was 37°c in the shade…), the company lively and the bikini-clad ladies we were seeing every few minutes lovely (" - hey, check out that really hot wet foreign tourist babe! - hey look, 200 pound local gorilla boyfriend watching you checking out his girl!" ;) ).

Personal - resolutions

I've recently had a photo taken for a new ID badge. Comparing it to one taken 20 months ago I've decided I'll be cutting down on fat and fic. I only wish to find the strength to make good on that promise.

Web Tech - real vs. virtual life

Read the last paragraph of Mark’s post here. Especially said paragraph’s last sentence.

Web Tech - refactoring and improving performance

I'm following Joel Spolsky's advice in "Fire and Motion" and trying to work on that thing every day, as much as I can, no matter that my work is not "perfect". If I manage to steal an hour of "zone" time a day I'm happy with my progress - it gets better, faster, cleaner as I go along. I'm using an oldschool version control system (solid RAR archive of timestamped directories, one for each version, each self-contained) and document ideas in a "to-do" section. Most of the code has been re-written twice already, and each time I'm astonished how bad it was. That should mean it's iteratively getting better. I've learned to appreciate ECMAScript functions as first class objects, closures, and most recently the fact that array.reverse() is "free" performance-wise. Also I noted that IE's DOM has been optimized only for sequential access, while Mozilla also does decent random access. In general, Mozilla is so far ahead of IE (despite its cross-platform compatibility) it's staggering. The usefulness of the DOM Inspector tool is beyond words.

TV - Six Feet Under

I've watched the first three episodes. It's a really good show. Your thoughts?

Work/Play

I was on guard duty and me and a friend discussed fandom (numerous software development houses on base, the place is bound to be crawling with geeks, even when they're not dressed like it and are occasionally armed). She mentioned "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in Fifteen Minutes". Go, read. ROFL.

TV - What do you watch?

I don't watch TV. At all. I prefer the Internet (more choice in what I watch, when). Since Alias, I have nothing to download. Which shows would you recommend? Please specify name, genre, pros vs. cons.

Personal - Today

I've met Asaf and Shiran (the prodigies) whom I haven't seen for more than two years. I think they did not recognize me at first (our school days must feel like a previous life to them). They looked happy to be suffering the way they do.

Personal - A year ago

I have finished my advanced training and began OJT at my unit's base. Since then, I'm not the youngest anymore, though I still have a lot to learn. Yesterday, two girls from my class at school were discharged after doing their two years. It was also the anniversary of my future (planned) discharge, four years from now. I was a bit sad thinking about it (though not as sad as I suppose I'll be when the day I should've been discharged comes and goes and I'll still be in uniform, poor as a Weasley). I have willingly signed the contract and don't regret it for a moment, but this kind of angst is customary to people in my profession, so I indulge myself from time to time. In the following year I'll become more senior than most of the people I'll meet outside of the office, though I suspect nothing will really change. On a happier note, I've been spotting flashier smallarms on people in public transport during my daily commutes. Why should I care? Because when the cool guys upgrade I might get to use their cast offs. I might get a CAR-15 when I'm NCO! I hear you saying "boys" and I smile.

Personal - Update

• Have not done much progress on the web thingy.
• Have been working long hours on a special rather difficult project, trying to solve it cheaply using the "wrong" tools. It is not doing too well. Have had some help from one of our reserves - a very nice female data warehousing/mining specialist. Have concluded I prefer working with females, provided they tolerate me geeking out once in a while (read: all the time). And it has absolutely nothing to do with the effect water has on white cotton.
• Kokopelli has updated The Letters of Summer - Squee! *fanboys John*
• Have downloaded some Joe Dassin. I conclude I only like music that's older than I am.
• Reading referrer logs makes me laugh.
• Blogger's new WYSIWYG editor is nice (especially the HTML source editing!), I only wish it'd have worked in my firefox. :-(

Current Affairs - Iraq war intel. screwup report

Tim Bray has some strong words to day about politics and journalism. What an age we live in, that a government not only has to explain its actions to the public, but can't even doctor the documentation to look good afterwards. <Soviet> These peacenik attitudes will bring the extinction of western civilization, to be obsoleted by societies that allow their governments to lead the people in the struggle for dominance. The collapse of the eastern block does not mean all is well in the world, despite how appealing that idea is. But, since it appears people are disinclined to listen, I suggest you start practicing your Chinese. </Soviet>

Pop Culture - Eurovision 2004

I know I'm late, but I've just downloaded and watched the video for the "song" that won the Eurovision 2004 contest, after hearing the performer was from Ukraine. What was that bloody Hip-Hop doing on Eurovision? Who let that slut on stage?! How did she win??? I'm not angry anymore. Just sad.

Web Tech/Personal - UI

A lot has been written on the topic of developing web applications, some of it by A-list bloggers. I do not wish to rehash this beaten topic. But I have to vent. You see (or rather, you don’t see, because it’s not ready yet¹), I’m building a grid widget to display fic data. I want it to have some pretty nifty features. I also want it to work for as many users as possible, while degrading gracefully for people stuck with less sophisticated UAs (*coughoperacough*). And I also want to finish it before the next Harry Potter book comes out. If I were developing for the corporate WAN, I could’ve made assumptions that would’ve completely eliminated the need to do any work. I could’ve declared right from the start, that, for example²: the user has Windows 2000 with Explorer 5.5 or 6 on a brand-name PC bought in the last 48 months. The user has typical-to-LAN bandwidth to the server. The user has Microsoft Office installed. The user does not have any disabilities that would prevent him or her from normally using a browser, to the full extent of the audiovisual experience I choose to provide. The user will click “yes” if asked about trusting my domain to install third party software. The user is of legal age and literate. All kinds of stuff. Then, I would’ve loaded the data into an XML Data Island, opened Excel as an ActiveX control, told it to load the data into a spreadsheet, color it according to some rules and — voila! — instant data accessibility, do with it whatever your heart desires (e.g. pivot it and look for average word count per month per author grouped by preferred ship that would mean the slashers are more prolific than the canon thumpers — but of course finding supporting evidence for predetermined conclusions is a bit of bad science...). But I'm not, and I can’t. Because unlike on the nice clean corporate WAN, the people on the big scary internet have Camino on OS X on a G5, Netscape 3 on VMS/HPUX/SunOS/Tru64/AIX/IRIX/BSD/Win3.1, and Lynx/Links/W3M on an X-less Linux-based NAT firewall/router (with a 9” monitor, stuck in a utility closet). They speak many different languages, some are eight-year-olds, some are blind, and not many would install third-party untrusted software just to browse fanfic, or already conveniently have MS Office installed. So what can I do? Either give the user non-rich, static content, or reinvent the wheel. As you realize, I chose the later, because otherwise I wouldn’t be ranting about it. If I didn’t love doing this, I know I would've hated it. P.S. Every time I try to write more than one sentence, I realize how hard it is to write conformant documents in English. I mean, of course writing well is hard, as it’s an art that takes skill and talent, but just writing something that’s grammatically correct… Let’s just say I’m glad computer languages have much simpler rules. People, treasure your betas! 1 - Please leave a comment if you want a preview, wish to offer help beta testing it or wish to be included in random hallway usability tests. 2 - The described environment does not neccessarily represent the conditions at my workplace.

Personal - I'm alive

If anyone cares. I've been working on UI. I'll show you when it's done so you can tell me how eggheaded it is.

Tech - Rich vs. Web client

Software development and management guru Joel Spolsky has just expressed (wonderfully, as usual), everything I've been talking about in recent months to anyone who'd stand still long enough. I feel vindicated. Firefox, HTML, .NET as crap. I didn't even know WinForms wasn't compatible with Avalon, but that just made it obvious. Web Applications are not jus the future - they are the current best answer.

Commentary - Stating the obvious

Mark Pilgrim has read a dumb book and wonders whether people are really that stupid. Well, here's a newsflash: since he's smarter than average, he's bound to find stuff aimed at people on the opposite side of the IQ spectrum more than a little dull. We all know that, because we're all smarter than average. Depending on how often I venture outside my usual techy-highbrow circles, I often find myself momentarily shocked at how some of these people can successfully function in society. The important thing to remember is: the future of our genome is up to us.

HP Fandom - PoA movie

I've seen it. 1. I still don't like how Ron is constantly shown as a coward and inferior to Harry in every way. The way he's always in the infirmary while Harry is off groping Hermione in the woods - he might just become a Death Eater. Though she does touch his hand and cry on his shoulder... 2. I don't remember any of that H/H in the book. But I have to admit - jailbait!Emma is quite fetching. Also, all this "only the smartest witch of her time can be a match to wonderful super hero Harry, who is the most powerful wizard of his time" makes some twisted kind of sense. 3. Sirius/Remus is now canon. 4. I don't like this Dumbledore. Or the old one, for that matter. 5. The time theme is interesting, I don't know if it has a special meaning. 6. I don't mind most of what they've changed, but every time I noticed it hurt a little. 7. It is much too difficult to understand without prior knowledge of the book. The people who were with me in the audience didn't get it. 8. Is Sirius' speech about the people we love never leaving us, even when they die, a kind of forshadowing? 9. I need to watch it two or three more times. But I'll wait to see it at home. 10. It was so condensed. How can they fit the fourth or fifth book in a movie???

Personal - Life Assessment Quiz

via Mark Pilgrim. Since Blogger doesn't yet feature military grade security I'll just let you guess how bad it is.

This Blog - XFN friendly

XFN is semantic markup for social relations on XHTML. Or something like that. Anyway, my bookmarks (on the left) now use it. Since those links are dynamically created in the client, you can't spider this page for that data, but at least now my friends can get a special CSS rule. :-)