Schools Banning Homework? 534
theodp writes "Alarmed by indicators of student stress like cheating and substance abuse, some SF Bay Area schools are reducing an education staple: homework. Homework is mostly banned at Menlo Park's Oak Knoll School, but some teachers apparently have higher 'expections' [sic]."
Submission + - Delphi for PHP
santakrooz writes: from International PHP Magazine — The popularity of PHP is well known as many web developers today use PHP to develop modern web applications as PHP provides freedom to create dynamic web applications with apt database connectivity. However, PHP web development is facing a drawback by the lack of a powerful RAD visual development environment. Delphi for PHP provides the platform for PHP to remove this drawback. It is touted as the first completely integrated visual Rapid Application Development (RAD) environment for PHP.
Delphi's already established Rapid Application Development (RAD) approach means getting adapted to a new development environment without spending valuable time in learning it. The PHP editor provided in Delphi helps in debugging and increasing coding speed and efficiency. The function of the integrated VCL for PHP 5 component class library lets you quickly and visually creates PHP web applications and integrates PHP open source components.
Delphi for PHP has an integrated PHP 5 class library called Visual Component Library (VCL for PHP). A customizable palette of over 50 reusable components which can include buttons, labels, check boxes, images, DHTML menus, flash objects, grids, tree views, list boxes and more. Database components are also available for accessing databases, tables, queries, and stored procedures, as well as data grids and navigation. Another advantage provided is that you can extend the VCL for PHP at any time with your own components, or use components offered through the open source PHP platform.
Delphi for PHP makes it easy to create your own components and install customized packages to use in the IDE. The VCL for PHP makes it simple for you to develop new classes, because every component is built in pure PHP.
Submission + - Why GREAT games aren't the best for us
An anonymous reader writes: An interesting read to all gamers.
Why does the new Command & Conquer feel old? Why aren't GREAT games the best for the gaming market?
playREACTION writes an interesting article about the author's feelings why GREAT games are damaging to all other games that don't make the par.
Here's a snippet:
Have you had the pleasures of trying out different massively multiplayer online games? Lineage II, Eve online, Guild Wars, Star Wars Galaxies, ArchLord, bla bla bla. You automatically compare them to the crowned champion, WoW. And they fall out of the skies quicker than you can say 'Peter's paladin's profession'. We know it's healthy for Blizzard's bank account, but is this healthy for the gaming market? I tend to think that we shouldn't give all our money to Blizzard just because they deserve it. We should also give some to the rest so they can actively compete with WoW with new ideas, gameplay, graphics etc. How can you compete with WoW when your development budget is less than WoW's population rate? The games industry is suffering because of this.
Read the full article at playREACTION.com.
Why does the new Command & Conquer feel old? Why aren't GREAT games the best for the gaming market?
playREACTION writes an interesting article about the author's feelings why GREAT games are damaging to all other games that don't make the par.
Here's a snippet:
Have you had the pleasures of trying out different massively multiplayer online games? Lineage II, Eve online, Guild Wars, Star Wars Galaxies, ArchLord, bla bla bla. You automatically compare them to the crowned champion, WoW. And they fall out of the skies quicker than you can say 'Peter's paladin's profession'. We know it's healthy for Blizzard's bank account, but is this healthy for the gaming market? I tend to think that we shouldn't give all our money to Blizzard just because they deserve it. We should also give some to the rest so they can actively compete with WoW with new ideas, gameplay, graphics etc. How can you compete with WoW when your development budget is less than WoW's population rate? The games industry is suffering because of this.
Read the full article at playREACTION.com.
Submission + - Back to the Soviet Future?
reporter writes: "According to a disturbing report by the "New York Times", "An unusually large and unruly protest against the government of President Vladimir V. Putin ended here Saturday in clashes with the police and the arrest of opposition leaders. [...] As [Sergey V. Gulayev] spoke, riot police shoved through the crowd and grabbed the bullhorn from his hands, smashing it against the wall of a building. A policeman put Mr. Gulayev, grimacing, in a headlock and dragged him into a police vehicle as members of the crowd yelled 'Shame! Shame!'" Is Russia regressing back into the Soviet Union?"
Journal Journal: The Secret of Mana
There is a secret to mana--of this I am sure. The elves seem to have the more intimate knowledge of what mana truly is. What is certainly self-evident is that mana is necessary for life. One could say, it is the spice of life. Perhaps the elves' knowledge stems from their much extended life span. Or perhaps they brought that knowledge with them when they came to our world. Whatever is the case, they brought to us the mana tree. But if they brought it to us, then how could humans have alre
