Virtual Thought

Do you read blogs? (We know the answer to that one already)
Do you use RSS feeds?
Do you use a blog reader?
What happens when you go on vacation?

Maybe you’re lucky enough to be using Feed on feeds a server-side RSS (and Atom!) aggregator.

I mean, that’s frickin’ sweet.

43 things is yet another social networking phenom that is built on the Internet open model, just like wikis and other such webby things. I think that’s just fantastic (check out my things).

What was this written on, you might ask? Ruby on Rails, that’s what. I’m a big fan of Basecamp as well, so I think it might be time to Get Serious about this and write an application on Rails.

( =

So I’ve been looking at Wikis recently (MediaWikiw is running Erisaria now, for instance)... more specifically, how wikis can be great development resources. My current obsession is Trac, from Edgewall Software. Trac is an integrated wiki, issue tracker, and Subversion repository browser… you can associate issue tickets with Subversion revisions, document your product, etc… very nice!

I’ve got two ideas for some better wiki integration into an agile development process:

• Since an agile process involves an automated build (you are doing an automated build, aren’t you?) I think it’d be great to have a documentation submission go directly to the wiki as a step in the automated build. Changenotes as well, some sort of aggregation of source comments…


• Some sort of basic UML plugin for a wiki is good, too, for discussions of architectures and designs

Just some thoughts. ( =

So I’ve upgraded the ol’ blog to Wordpress 1.5 and, so far, I’m really impressed. My favorite blog engine only got cooler and more usable, and the theme/template stuff makes it really easy for fickle me to change my blog’s clothes whenever I want. ‘Tis great!

I’m on the lookout for a cool template for the site now… I liked the old one, but maybe something a little more colorful… I dunno.

Wonkette in this month’s Wired (her picture is in there too and boy she’s super-cute) wrote a small thinkpiece about Howard Stern and how he might be trying to fit into his new role as freedom fighter (or is he?)... Deserves a re-read because I’m not sure what she was getting at.

Okay, check check check it:

private static void Main(string[] args)
{
try
{
Socket mcSocket = new Socket(AddressFamily.InterNetwork, SocketType.Dgram, ProtocolType.Udp);

mcSocket.SetSocketOption(SocketOptionLevel.IP, SocketOptionName.AddMembership, new MulticastOption(IPAddress.Parse(“224.168.100.2”)));

// purposefully throw a null exception here to show that WriteException is working
Socket tempSocket = null;
if (tempSocket.SocketType == SocketType.Dgram)
{
// crash here
}
}
catch (Exception e)
{
WriteException(e);
}
}

private static void WriteException(Exception e)
{
Console.Out.WriteLine(“”);
Console.Out.WriteLine(”—————- Exception——————”);
Console.Out.WriteLine(“e.Message = {0}”, e.Message);

if (e.InnerException != null)
{
WriteException(e.InnerException);
}
}

Would you expect that innocent looking call to SetSocketOption to cause mayhem and mischief? Well, in one case, it does. And I have no idea why.

I get an “Invalid argument supplied” error (WinSock error 10022) on a certain person’s machine when making that call. What gives? What’s going on underneath that could cause this?

Things that are not causing it:

1. A firewall is not running


2. There is a network card in the computer


3. The correct version of .NET is installed


4. Windows XP Service Pack 2 is installed


5. Not getting flagged by anti-virus software

I’m stumped.

Hunter S. Thompson is dead (reports to the contrary notwithstanding). As a friend of mine so aptly put it (I will not be jealous I will not be jealous), “Somewhere in a dingy dive in Toon Town, Uncle Duke and Spider Jerusalem are sharing a pitcher and raising their glasses.”

To commemorate, why not read Thompson’s obituary for Nixon, the obit for the man who got him into reporting…

The headline reads “Studies confirm global warming underway”. Haven’t we confirmed this many, many times in the last 25 years? Why do we still need to convince people? Yes! It’s happening! Wise up!

My favorite part in the article is when Tim Barnett of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography says, “The debate over whether or not there is a global warming signal is now over, at least for rational people.” Which rational people do you think he’s talking about?

Time to wake up. The Earth is getting warmer and it’s our fault.

The report was published one day after the United Nations Kyoto Protocol took effect, a 141-nation environmental
pact the United States government has spurned for several reasons, including stated doubts about whether global
warming is occurring and is caused by people.

Barnett urged U.S. officials to reconsider.

“Could a climate system simply do this on its own? The answer is clearly no,” Barnett said.