Loonies all around

“I see that you yourself are from Belgium. One can hardly imagine a more America-hating socialist European nation than that.”

“I see that you yourself are from Belgium. One can hardly imagine a more America-hating socialist European nation than that.” – Michael Amorose on the Mac OS X Dev list.

Michael is addressing Marc Van Olmen because in 2006, Michael didn’t get hired for some job. His diatribes were documented in full and in public on the Mac OS X Dev list kindly hosted by Omni.

Michael may be a talented developer but he’s also an arsehole. His argument (publicly documented here) is a testament to the sort of person that you can end up hiring. It’s my opinion, based on this content, that Michael may be paranoid. Just a little. And perhaps the telephone interview he refers to pointed out exactly this quality. Is it just his paranoia? His obvious racism (which another poster describes as ‘nationalistic pride’). His frothing at the mouth need to be heard? Let’s face it – if the dumbass had a case he’d have already run them through the courts and come away with an award or a settlement. As it is he probably has employment lawyers slamming the door in his face and changing their telephone numbers.

Technical skills in todays market are not enough. I could tell you stories that would curl your toes of the cringeworthy behaviour of people these days – people who think that you can bully your way into situations or who think that manners and propriety are unnecessary. I remember one such person who, when they left the room, the other occupants stared at me and one said,

“You’re a smart guy. What the fuck was that?”

I could only shake my head and wish the nightmare was over.

Let’s face it. Michael Amorose may be a talented developer but based on his other “qualities” there is no way I’d ever hire him.

IE8. Damned if they do.

In the argument about what is the right thing for IE8 developers to do with regards to web standards I have little sympathy. They built this mess and now they’re going to be stung for it. But I don’t really care about that. Joel Spolsky says: DOCTYPE is a myth. A mortal web designer who … Continue reading “IE8. Damned if they do.”

In the argument about what is the right thing for IE8 developers to do with regards to web standards I have little sympathy. They built this mess and now they’re going to be stung for it. But I don’t really care about that.

Joel Spolsky says:

DOCTYPE is a myth.

A mortal web designer who attaches a DOCTYPE tag to their web page saying, “this is standard HTML,” is committing an act of hubris. There is no way they know that. All they are really saying is that the page was meant to be standard HTML. All they really know is that they tested it with IE, Firefox, maybe Opera and Safari, and it seems to work. Or, they copied the DOCTYPE tag out of a book and don’t know what it means.

I always thought that DOCTYPE was a waste of time and I remember having a discussion with Steve Rushe on this exact topic many moons ago at some BLUG meeting.

It’s a long post and will send half of you off to make a cuppa before it’s done so be warned.

Apple makes it clear…

For the hard of thinking…. According to iLounge, Apple today sent out a mass e-mail with helpful development links and a more detailed message regarding their status. “We have many more requests than we can serve during this initial beta period,” explains the follow-up e-mail, “so we must limit the Program at this time. We … Continue reading “Apple makes it clear…”

For the hard of thinking….

According to iLounge, Apple today sent out a mass e-mail with helpful development links and a more detailed message regarding their status.

“We have many more requests than we can serve during this initial beta period,” explains the follow-up e-mail, “so we must limit the Program at this time. We plan to expand it during the beta period, and we will contact you regarding your enrollment status at the appropriate time. We appreciate your patience.”

Okay? We done crying about it?

so who applied?

Yep, rejected here too. It’s cool, I didn’t know what I wanted to build yet anyway. From here Why would anyone apply who didn’t have an idea of what they wanted to do? Related posts: Turning PR on it’s head. Company Stupidity more on Surface Shortcomings of our digital pals…

Yep, rejected here too. It’s cool, I didn’t know what I wanted to build yet anyway.

From here

Why would anyone apply who didn’t have an idea of what they wanted to do?

Webcomics – how about you format for screen?

The format of webcomics is still the same as paper comics. Makes reading them a pain on handheld devices. PeeJ? Do something about it , willya? You’re bound to know these guys… Related posts: Jonathan Gems on the abolition of the UKFC Digital Surveillance: why are we surprised? Onlive: Gaming in the Cloud review Northern … Continue reading “Webcomics – how about you format for screen?”

The format of webcomics is still the same as paper comics. Makes reading them a pain on handheld devices.

PeeJ? Do something about it , willya? You’re bound to know these guys…

Re: iPhone Developer Access

I love being right. 🙂 Like I was here Apple says (emphasis mine) Dear Registered iPhone Developer, Thank you for expressing interest in the iPhone Developer Program. We have received your enrollment request. As this time, the iPhone Developer Program is available to a limited number of developers and we plan to expand during the … Continue reading “Re: iPhone Developer Access”

I love being right. 🙂

Like I was here

Apple says (emphasis mine)

Dear Registered iPhone Developer,

Thank you for expressing interest in the iPhone Developer Program. We have received your enrollment request. As this time, the iPhone Developer Program is available to a limited number of developers and we plan to expand during the beta period. We will contact you again regarding your enrollment status at the appropriate time.

Thank you for applying.

Best regards,

iPhone Developer Program

I find entitlement tears to be even more annoying than crocodile tears.

l’enfer, c’est les autres

This morning has been very rough, emotionally and spiritually. Feel like I’ve been beaten around the head a few times. I’ve got my heart pounding (evidently in fight or flight mode) and I’m controlling it with breathing. Onwards and upwards, folks, onwards and upwards. Related posts: Fight or Flight? Sighs: how email apnea can be … Continue reading “l’enfer, c’est les autres”

This morning has been very rough, emotionally and spiritually. Feel like I’ve been beaten around the head a few times. I’ve got my heart pounding (evidently in fight or flight mode) and I’m controlling it with breathing.

Onwards and upwards, folks, onwards and upwards.

Microsoft’s multi-pronged defeat strategy

Alistair Croll writes about Microsoft for GigaOM. Microsoft is fighting a war — one in which it’s being attacked on three sides. … what emerges is the Redmond giant’s three-pronged defense strategy: consumer, enterprise and developer. What emerges is that consumers who have previously been buying nothing but Windows don’t care about what operating system … Continue reading “Microsoft’s multi-pronged defeat strategy”

Alistair Croll writes about Microsoft for GigaOM.

Microsoft is fighting a war — one in which it’s being attacked on three sides. … what emerges is the Redmond giant’s three-pronged defense strategy: consumer, enterprise and developer.

What emerges is that consumers who have previously been buying nothing but Windows don’t care about what operating system or productivity software they run.

What emerges is that Vista was a complete mule and we have corporations, including Microsoft, backpedaling away from it as quickly as their stumpy little legs will carry them.

What emerges is that nothing exciting comes from Redmond. Sure – big hoopla about Silverlight (been done) or telescopes (been done) but really, what’s new? A $10000 coffee table to compete with the iPhone? Brilliant. How about something else to cement the fact that you’re burning through tax dollars (via relocation of facilities to other states to avoid taxes in Washington state).

They could have seen these things coming. Look how Apple bungled the music on computers thing. And now they’re the biggest name in that market. Look how long people begged Apple to make a PDA or a phone? They did both and now they’re taking the headlines in that market. Microsoft is the epitome of “Not Invented Here” syndrome, they’re the Typhoid Mary as well as the decomposing body. Build your new infrastructure on Microsoft technology and if you succeed, expect to get Zuned.

Don’t write off Microsoft: We were here once before, when Netscape was going to put the company out of business. But Gates issued an edict, the company turned on a dime, and a few years later IE was the dominant web browser.

Which is, of course, complete tosh. Netscape was never going to put Microsoft out of business because people still needed desktop PCs to run Netscape, desktop PCs running Windows. What put Netscape out of business was canny business deals (which turned out to be illegal) and making Netscape’s revenue source worthless (by releasing a free browser that was “good enough”).

Microsoft didn’t turn on a dime, they ‘bought’ a browser and screwed over a startup company or two.

Microsoft bores me and not even Scoble’s tears can make me look at them with anything but a jaded and cynical eye. Hear that, Microsoft, you’re yesterday, you’re last week, you’re nineteen-ninety-fucking-seven. Just bloody die already, will you?

Hot/Cold

Okay. I want some of these. The Hot-Cold Mug In fact, there’s a heap of things there which would be just fabulous. 🙂 I’m a kitchen geek as well. Sue me. Yes, this is a link to remind me. Related posts: Mac OS X roxxorz, Linux is teh suk? Make the fork not hurt Cold. … Continue reading “Hot/Cold”

Okay. I want some of these.

The Hot-Cold Mug

In fact, there’s a heap of things there which would be just fabulous. 🙂

I’m a kitchen geek as well. Sue me.

Yes, this is a link to remind me.

ADSL down at home

SKy Broadband at home are sufficiently reliable most of the time but when the connection drops, then you know it’s just bad juju on their end. Last night the connection dropped while I was out (in fact it usually drops while I’m out) and it came back some time in the wee small hours. I … Continue reading “ADSL down at home”

SKy Broadband at home are sufficiently reliable most of the time but when the connection drops, then you know it’s just bad juju on their end. Last night the connection dropped while I was out (in fact it usually drops while I’m out) and it came back some time in the wee small hours.

I correct myself: the connection was up, as multiple reboots of the router confirmed and came up at 6300 kbps down, 384 kbps up which is pretty respectable. But the level 3 connection didn’t come up, no IP address was received from their ADSL servers so there was no traffic coming or going. I used a handy password utility on teh internets on my iPhone which takes your serial number and MAC address and provides you with the password for Sky’s broadband network, information they will flat our refuse to give you otherwise. I configured a spare Vigor router and tested. Same again. I went to bed frustrated and not a little pissed off with Sky.

6:30 am this morning everything is working.

I can’t help but think this is demand related. They hit a demand saturation point, run out of IP addresses and just start kicking people off. Very poor.