Anyone considering using open source software in a small non-profit should be in touch with the non-profit open source iniative (nosi). There is a wealth of experience there and it is a good group of individuals.
http://nosi.net
I have posted before that I think the PHP install process should be simplified. Many of the "features" that require configuration options should be moved to PECL. I would much rather run "pear install mysql pgsql sqlite" than make sure I include them when configuring PHP. It could be that using pcntl is something we decide to do after configuring the server. Why not just "pear install pcntl"? Instead we would have to re-compile PHP. That is something the PHP group should seriously consider. There was a lot of talk about moving extensions into PECL instead of including them in the PHP releases, but then when core developers create packages like SimpleXML, SQLite, etc all of the sudden we have to deal with more bloat in the install.
The official PHP documentation says that to install PHp on a UNIX system you should runn./configure --help, but they don't tell you to run it through a pager because there is going to be too much to view on a screen. Much of it is important, but the extensions just add complexity.
As long as you can dump her for one of he friends (who is a cheaper date) it sounds just like real life.
Oh, and once you marry her she is going to call more and you are going to "get" less.
Zend has done a really good job of positioning themselves as the apparent "leaders" of PHP. However, Rasmus recently was quoted as saying:
Over the years PHP has grown from a single guy, me, to now 800-900 people around the world contributing.
I read that comment as a jab at Zeev and Andi. I think there is a power struggle going on, but Rasmus' point is a good one.
The PHP group is 9 guys across the globe. Zend is a strong force and helpful. I like the syntax changes that make PHP more like Java, but I don't want to see any company own PHP.
I am still working hard on an open source project (CEP) that is unrelated to my 9-5 programming. A lot of purely personal stuff doesn't get done, but I stay motivated to work on CEP.
The problem for me is that if I touch a computer at home, my wife sees it as m work. So she can be lounging on the couch watching TV, but if I lounge on the couch and surf the web (or even pay bills online) she assumes I am working at home.
To her defense, I used to have a shitty job that I did have to do work at home. The moral of the story is that if you want to keep programming as a hobby and a profession, don't blur the lines. Don't work on personal projects at your job, and don't do work stuff at home.
I don't know if I should post to an Ask Slashdot that I started, but...
I am motivated by the desire to accomplish something (impressive). Fear has never been a motivating factor for me to get something done (tough I have been motivated by fear to leave a situation).
The responses to this thread begs the question "Are the software developers on Slashdot typical of the industry?"
I know the unsubscribe link in emails sent from Emma work. Only legitimate email marketing (not spam) is sent through that system, but the unsubscribe works.
I also happen to know that clicking the "this is spam" in many ISP webmail clients works as well. Sometimes the email marketer is notified to stop sending email to that address. It all can happen very automatically, and in a way "this is spam" is like a trusted opt out, with penalties if the emailer doesn't listen to requests.
If you create a library or set of libraries that have the interface to the queries/reports, then you can implement the reports in the database for speed, and if you ever want to change vendors you just change the code in the library. This way the rest of your application stays the same. Portability is achieved with smallish work, and you can get all the speed bootst you want from the RDBMS without commiting to it for eternity.
I am looking at this from an end-user perspective. Sure software development would be easier if the app foundation was the same accross platforms, but end-users don't care about that.
End-users care about being able to open word documents and photoshop files, etc. Sharing office docs between OOo and MS Office still kinda sucks (but it can be done for may uses).
It will be a big day for linux when end-users can buy major applications from Best Buy or CompUSA that are supported.
-Jackson
Look at apps that are on both Mac and Windows (MS Office, Macromedia Suite, Adobe Suite, etc). They don't share a toolkit or framework.
Linux doesn't need to share a framework with another OS. Gnome and KDE (who are working together more and more these days) are already good enough to run these apps.
The important thing is that application providers see Linux being a viable market. Then they will port their apps.
-Jackson
the important thing is the applications, not the underlying toolkits and frameworks.
Macromedia's plan is to make sure their products run via CodeWeavers/Wine, and then port if the user demand is there.
Now, on the otherhand, I would buy a Mac Desktop Environment to run on Linux and then run Mac and Linux apps.
-TekZen
I used my BASIC skillz to make a rocketship scroll up the screen.
then we watched the Challenger accident on TV and our programs got a little more interesting...
Good point.
PHP/MySQL will be considered secure once XAML and Avalon are released to the world. That will be the new "insecure platform" on slashdot. Not be cause PHP is inherently insecure now and XAML and Avalon will be more insecure, but rather because PHP is the easiest entry into programming and XAML will lower the bar.
-Jackson
I use HTML_Template_Sigma. It has a similar API to HTML_Template_IT, but more flexibility and some really important extra methods (hideBlock).
I don't like templating systems that allow you to place php code into the template (Smarty). This just encourages bad bahaviour. I want to be able to have the entire set of template files over to a designer and let them make all the changes they want. HTML_Template_Sigma has been great for that.
No matter what you do, it seems the winner will still have a little luck. Sure you can count card, but that just helps your odds. If you can figure out how to program luck then you definitely should win.
Slashdot Mirror
BeNiceOrIBanMac
Anyone considering using open source software in a small non-profit should be in touch with the non-profit open source iniative (nosi). There is a wealth of experience there and it is a good group of individuals. http://nosi.net
I have posted before that I think the PHP install process should be simplified. Many of the "features" that require configuration options should be moved to PECL. I would much rather run "pear install mysql pgsql sqlite" than make sure I include them when configuring PHP. It could be that using pcntl is something we decide to do after configuring the server. Why not just "pear install pcntl"? Instead we would have to re-compile PHP. That is something the PHP group should seriously consider. There was a lot of talk about moving extensions into PECL instead of including them in the PHP releases, but then when core developers create packages like SimpleXML, SQLite, etc all of the sudden we have to deal with more bloat in the install.
./configure --help, but they don't tell you to run it through a pager because there is going to be too much to view on a screen. Much of it is important, but the extensions just add complexity.
The official PHP documentation says that to install PHp on a UNIX system you should runn
I have been using laptops on my lap since 1998. Yet my wife and I have 2 little boys and a third on the way.
not sure if that is the right word, but this is the U.S. presidential election. Does the rest of the world really care?
Then again, I hear the rest of the world hates Bush, so maybe they do care.
-Jackson
As long as you can dump her for one of he friends (who is a cheaper date) it sounds just like real life. Oh, and once you marry her she is going to call more and you are going to "get" less.
802.11b is faster than most broadband, that is fast enough for my uses (and most other wireless uses).
However, extended range is huge. That means that when the DSL at the coffee shop is down I will be able to use my home connection!
-Jackson
The PHP group is 9 guys across the globe. Zend is a strong force and helpful. I like the syntax changes that make PHP more like Java, but I don't want to see any company own PHP.
Luckily, it's not gonna happen.
-Jackson
I am still working hard on an open source project (CEP) that is unrelated to my 9-5 programming. A lot of purely personal stuff doesn't get done, but I stay motivated to work on CEP.
The problem for me is that if I touch a computer at home, my wife sees it as m work. So she can be lounging on the couch watching TV, but if I lounge on the couch and surf the web (or even pay bills online) she assumes I am working at home.
To her defense, I used to have a shitty job that I did have to do work at home. The moral of the story is that if you want to keep programming as a hobby and a profession, don't blur the lines. Don't work on personal projects at your job, and don't do work stuff at home.
-Jackson
That may have been why my zt3000 locks up sometimes.
:(
Also of note, it is a Windows only test utility, and you sign up for the recall through the test utility. So, it is a Windows only recall.
-Jackson
I don't know if I should post to an Ask Slashdot that I started, but...
I am motivated by the desire to accomplish something (impressive). Fear has never been a motivating factor for me to get something done (tough I have been motivated by fear to leave a situation).
The responses to this thread begs the question "Are the software developers on Slashdot typical of the industry?"
-Jackson
<shameless plug> Core Enterprise PHP</shameless plug>
Yeah, so that instead of having a real object model (as in PHP5) we could follow programming standards and use keywords like "bless" (in Perl).
-Jackson
I know the unsubscribe link in emails sent from Emma work. Only legitimate email marketing (not spam) is sent through that system, but the unsubscribe works.
I also happen to know that clicking the "this is spam" in many ISP webmail clients works as well. Sometimes the email marketer is notified to stop sending email to that address. It all can happen very automatically, and in a way "this is spam" is like a trusted opt out, with penalties if the emailer doesn't listen to requests.
-Jackson
If you create a library or set of libraries that have the interface to the queries/reports, then you can implement the reports in the database for speed, and if you ever want to change vendors you just change the code in the library. This way the rest of your application stays the same. Portability is achieved with smallish work, and you can get all the speed bootst you want from the RDBMS without commiting to it for eternity.
I think the syntax of Pike is rather nice. I might have to give it a whirl.
I am looking at this from an end-user perspective. Sure software development would be easier if the app foundation was the same accross platforms, but end-users don't care about that.
End-users care about being able to open word documents and photoshop files, etc. Sharing office docs between OOo and MS Office still kinda sucks (but it can be done for may uses).
It will be a big day for linux when end-users can buy major applications from Best Buy or CompUSA that are supported.
-Jackson
Look at apps that are on both Mac and Windows (MS Office, Macromedia Suite, Adobe Suite, etc). They don't share a toolkit or framework. Linux doesn't need to share a framework with another OS. Gnome and KDE (who are working together more and more these days) are already good enough to run these apps. The important thing is that application providers see Linux being a viable market. Then they will port their apps. -Jackson
the important thing is the applications, not the underlying toolkits and frameworks. Macromedia's plan is to make sure their products run via CodeWeavers/Wine, and then port if the user demand is there. Now, on the otherhand, I would buy a Mac Desktop Environment to run on Linux and then run Mac and Linux apps. -TekZen
I used my BASIC skillz to make a rocketship scroll up the screen. then we watched the Challenger accident on TV and our programs got a little more interesting...
We anticipate that the initial public offering price will be between $ and $ per share. WTF?!?
Good point.
PHP/MySQL will be considered secure once XAML and Avalon are released to the world. That will be the new "insecure platform" on slashdot. Not be cause PHP is inherently insecure now and XAML and Avalon will be more insecure, but rather because PHP is the easiest entry into programming and XAML will lower the bar.
-Jackson
That was disgusting.
The story should have said:
WARNING fat guy in spandex.
I think the FCC has new rules about this kind of thing.
I use HTML_Template_Sigma. It has a similar API to HTML_Template_IT, but more flexibility and some really important extra methods (hideBlock). I don't like templating systems that allow you to place php code into the template (Smarty). This just encourages bad bahaviour. I want to be able to have the entire set of template files over to a designer and let them make all the changes they want. HTML_Template_Sigma has been great for that.
No matter what you do, it seems the winner will still have a little luck. Sure you can count card, but that just helps your odds. If you can figure out how to program luck then you definitely should win.
-Jackson
I remember something about SCO's claims not affecting any kernel before 2.4.
Quick! Avoid the SCO tax, downgrade to 2.2.26 today!
-Jackson