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User: wft_rtfa

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  1. Java! on Why Gaming Sucks On Linux · · Score: 1

    People just need to start writing games in Java that way everyone is happy. They just have to scale back the graphics... and the sound... who cares about that stuff anyways?

  2. Re:The course is called "Software Engineering" on Software Dev Cycle As Part of CS Curriculum? · · Score: 1
    My university required a software engineering course as well. My university had an accredited program though. Maybe this guy's small college wasn't accredited.


    Software Engineering was a good course; it was my SE professor's speciality too. It taught me to never underestimate the value of the requirements gathering process and many approaches to designing and specifying software that were very valuable in my career as a software developer.

  3. Why not C#? on Moving a Development Team from C++ to Java? · · Score: 1

    Python might work ok, but for C++ developers on Windows, C# would work much better. It's a more productive language than C++ and it allows you much more easily intergrate existing C++ code than Java and probably Python. I personally prefer Java, but C# is so similar and it's easier to call existing C++ code on Windows. If you don't portable code, I think C# is the definate answer.
    Although, if you go with Java, you can still interface with existing C++ code, so you don't have to rewrite everything.

  4. Re:Absolutely not on Are National ID Cards a Good Idea? · · Score: 1

    I think that we should build an army and rebel. We need to start from scratch and remove the wasteful spending and nonsensical laws.
    We should set up a democracy. No... an actual democracy where the people vote on laws such as this. Maybe we could have online voting. Perhaps people could propose legislation in a puplic online forum such as this. Everyone could vote, so we don't have special interest groups, corporations, and pork controlling legislation.

  5. Blockbuster Competition on Netflix Throttling Heavy Renters · · Score: 1

    Blockbuster now has a similar service at a similar price. I've heard that they can even be faster.

  6. Re:I'm Job Searching on .Net Programmers Fall in CNN's Top 5 In-Demand · · Score: 1
    often products of their own department's research and considerably ahead of the field in the technology they use

    I think that's the case a lot of the time, but then they get others using something, and it spreads if it's good. I've heard they use ML a lot at large prestigious universities like M.I.T. and Harvard. I've never used ML, as nobody taught it at my University even in the graduate program. One of my professors specialized in AI and taught Prolog in undergraduate AI, but very few of the students understood it well enough to anything beyond the very basic, myself included.

  7. Re:I'm Job Searching on .Net Programmers Fall in CNN's Top 5 In-Demand · · Score: 1
    I'm sorry, but if they're not research-orientated and they're more interested in vocational training than academic study, then they're not real universities

    Good point. But, I don't see how that's a response to anything I wrote. Giving students an education that can be applied to a job when they graduate doesn't mean they are simply getting vocational training. Most univerities don't teach ML because most students don't end up going to graduate school. If you don't go to graduate school, ML and Prolog probably aren't going to do you much good, whereas, C/C++ and Java will be useful either way.

    That certainly doesn't match my experience.

    You probably have different areas of interest than me. I've done research in neural networks, databases, networking, internet, operating systems, and data mining, and I haven't seen much ML or Prolog in those areas.

  8. Re:I'm Job Searching on .Net Programmers Fall in CNN's Top 5 In-Demand · · Score: 1
    the more interesting courses use languages like ML, Prolog

    If you like AI, ML and Prolog are good. Less research-orientated univerisities are more interested in giving students an education that will be useful in the work force and teach a lot of C and Java. Also, most modern non-AI computer science research that involves programming will use C/C++ or Java.

  9. Re:Ruby's Quite Nice, Really on Beyond Java · · Score: 1
    Java, on the other hand, is much too bloated.

    People keep repeating this, but it just isn't true.

    I love Java. It's awesome, but it's a little bloated. Sun had to design the platform in such a way that it can run the same on multiple platforms. This causes some bloat. Have you seen any Swing code? It is big and bloated. But it's that way for a reason. Although, it probably could be done better. However, now that computer hardware is getting so fast, the bloat is hardly noticable on new hardware.

  10. Re:You're not the first one.... on Ultra-Stable Software Design in C++? · · Score: 1
    Easier = More Reliable?

    I guess you didn't read my post. My point was that if you're not a C++ expert and I'm not a C# expert, I'll finish the same program a lot faster than you. You'll still be fiddling with char arrays and memory management, and I'll be done. However, if you designed it correctly as you suggested, your program could be just as reliable, probably a little faster, but it will take longer because you have to deal with more complexity when implementing your design.

  11. Re:Supply and demand on .Net Programmers Fall in CNN's Top 5 In-Demand · · Score: 1

    You might be able to substitute a few years of Java combined with a little C# experience for a few years of C#. I found that moving from Java to C# was very easy because of all the similarities.

  12. Re:MOD PARENT UP! on .Net Programmers Fall in CNN's Top 5 In-Demand · · Score: 1
    Also, Visual Studio isn't a good IDE - it's a great one

    That depends how you define great. All versions of Visual Studio before 2003 have almost no refactoring tools and are expensive compared with IDEs like Eclipse, which is free and includes lots and lots of refactoring functionality. If you get reshaper with Visual Studio, it's pretty good. If you get Visual Studio 2005, it's pretty good as well. However it gets aggrevating that they change the project file format with every new version to force you to upgrade if other people you work with upgrade.

  13. Re:You're not the first one.... on Ultra-Stable Software Design in C++? · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Don't let anyone convince you that C# is going to provide more reliable execution.

    That is very true. However, if you're not a C++ expert or a C# expert then you will get a more reliable program much quicker in C# simply because it's easier.

  14. Re:You're not the first one.... on Ultra-Stable Software Design in C++? · · Score: 2
    I agree. Using some higher level language that allows you to easily call C++ code would be the best choice. I believe C#, Java, python, perl... can call C++ libraries easily. I personally would use Java and C++ if your company/environment is more geared toward Linux/unix or C# and C++ if you can get away with Windows only.

    Building any complex software in unmanaged C++ can get overwelming very quickly and will require more time than Java or C# even if you're a C++ guru. You should only attempt if you are a C++ guru and have lots trusted libraries and techniques at your disposal.

  15. Re:Google Fanboyism at it's whackiest on Google to Create a Private Internet Alternative? · · Score: 1
    As a general rule i had to close my browser so i can start compiling my C++ programs, otherwise the flash steals the CPU and my compilation times multiply.

    Why don't you just use lynx? That way, browsers use hardly any CPU.

  16. Re:COUNTER-STRIKE on Games That Keep You Coming Back? · · Score: 1
    instead, I've learned how to improve my spray-and-pray

    I could never get the spray to work. I've noticed that if you spray at an enemy at point blank range for your entire clip, it's possible that you don't even hit them. That kind of turned me off to spraying.

    But, you're right Counter-Strike is a well polished game with great play control and few bugs. It's just hard for new players because it takes so much time playing to be good at the game.

  17. Re:Dune on Games That Keep You Coming Back? · · Score: 1

    I agree. I played dune 2 several times through and I enjoyed it more than command and conquer. Also Dune 2000, is kind of an updated Dune 2, and is pretty fun if you miss the old Dune 2, which was awesome and the mother the RTS.

  18. Re:Carmageddon on Games That Keep You Coming Back? · · Score: 1

    Carmageddon 2, wasn't bad. But playing Carmageddon when it first came out was a real treat. My brother and I would play against each other in Carmageddon 2, and it was pretty darn fun. As cool as Carmageddon was, I think Mario Kart on the SNES was the racing game I played the most. Burn out 3 is pretty fun though.

  19. Re:Dr. Mario on Games That Keep You Coming Back? · · Score: 1

    My grandfather got a Nintendo in the 80s and uses it to play Dr. Mario and Tetris occasionally. Those are the only games he plays. Dr. Mario is pretty fun, especially one-on-one against a human player.

  20. Re:X-COM UFO DEFENSE on Games That Keep You Coming Back? · · Score: 1

    Have you played Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic. There's lots of mods for that game, it's not too old, and it's pretty fun. It's kind of like an updated Master of Magic. I kind of miss the build your ship thing you could do in MOO2 or Maelstrom.

  21. Re:X-COM UFO DEFENSE on Games That Keep You Coming Back? · · Score: 1

    You have good taste my friend. Master of Orion 2 is pretty fun as well. Counter-strike Source, Battlefield 2, civ 4, and burnout 3 have been my favorites here lately.

  22. Re:X-COM UFO DEFENSE on Games That Keep You Coming Back? · · Score: 1

    X-Com: UFO Defense was also my favorite. I'll play it every few years, and it's still addictive and fun. The fun and deverse gameplay plus the random missions, building up your base and soldiers was just fun and exciting. If only I could get the sound to work correctly with Windows XP.

    There's are some projects that attempted to recreate the game using more modern techology, but they didn't really succeed. If they could remake it with a very similar engine and modern graphics, I would definately buy it.

  23. Re:p2p on Judge Blocks Ban on Violent Video Game Sales · · Score: 1
    The people responsible for this law didn't really consider the reality of what the law would do. Most of them don't know what P2P or bittorrent is.

    They just picked a target (video games) and tried and shoot it down. The governator has little choice but to play along. Those "liberal judges" keep getting in their way upholding the constitution and all.

  24. Re:SQL Server Express Is Mostly for Developers on MySQL Beats Commercial Databases in Labs Test · · Score: 1
    I think SQL Server Express or MSDB works great for software that is one or two steps above using Access as the database. There are tons of smaller projects that don't need to deal with lots of users or more than 4 GB of data.

    I personally have found MSDB to be very useful, and sometimes when the project gets too big it will get switched to SQL Server running on a real server. It's a great idea. That's why Oracle finally released XE, a free version of the Oracle DBMS.

    However, if a project is small enough that can run using a crippled Oracle DB, you're probably better off using SQL Server and saving yourself the pain of using Oracle.

  25. Re:Isn't this an EULA violation? on MySQL Beats Commercial Databases in Labs Test · · Score: 1

    I think so. That's why this article doesn't include any benchmarks, just product comparisons. Same reason, you won't find Java vs. .NET either. If you want a benchmark you will have to do one yourself.