fragbait - Slashdot User

Barack Obama Sworn In As 44th President of the US 1656

Posted by timothy on Tuesday January 20, 2009 @02:11PM from the worst-job-in-the-whole-world-but-the-best-perks dept.

Just before noon today, Eastern time, Barack Obama was sworn in before the US Capitol building as the 44th President of the United States (Whitehouse.gov has already been updated to reflect the new President), and offered an inaugural address which outlined some of the challenges that the country currently faces, both within the country's borders and abroad. Obama's election has been called "a civil rights triumph," and his candidacy has inspired perhaps the most visible political involvement of young voters of any candidate since John Kennedy. Here's your chance to discuss the newest occupant of the White House and what you'd like to see happen over the course of his presidency.

Comment Interface Builder (Score 5, Interesting) 216

by fragbait on Monday January 19, 2009 @04:08PM (#26519471) Attached to: Beginning iPhone Development

The biggest problem I've had so far is Interface Builder. It isn't the most intuitive piece of software. Dragging and dropping to connect button actions to methods between two pieces of software (XCode and Interface Builder) that don't actively sync with one another, at least not as I've yet to find.

I already had the C/C++ and GUI/fat client app building experience from 10 years back.

+fragbait

Comment spider people (Score 1) 384

by fragbait on Wednesday January 14, 2009 @12:26PM (#26450097) Attached to: Future Astronauts May Survive On Eating Silkworms

I can see the B movie now....

A group of humans heads off to some far off planet out of our solar system. Earth loses contact. Hundreds of years later we finally head out to the planet only to find spider people who think we are their gods.

Perhaps those spider people are those from Verner Vinge's A Deepness In The Sky.

+fragbait

More Than Coding Errors Behind Bad Software 726

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on Monday January 12, 2009 @03:19PM from the bad-decisions-go-all-the-way-up dept.

An anonymous reader writes "SANS' just-released list of the Top 15 most dangerous programming errors obscures the real problem with software development today, argues InfoWeek's Alex Wolfe. In More Than Coding Mistakes At Fault In Bad Software, he lays the blame on PC developers (read: Microsoft) who kicked the time-honored waterfall model to the curb and replaced it not with object-oriented or agile development but with a 'modus operandi of cramming in as many features as possible, and then fixing problems in beta.' He argues that youthful programmers don't know about error-catching and lack a sense of history, suggesting they read Fred Brooks' 'The Mythical Man-Month,' and Gerald Weinberg's 'The Psychology of Computer Programming.'"

Comment pick a business you find interesting (Score 1) 352

by fragbait on Saturday January 03, 2009 @12:35PM (#26312077) Attached to: Interesting Computer Science Jobs?

Pick a business that you find interesting and research the typical technology solutions. If you don't think you can code or deal with hardware all day, then you better like the business with which you work.

-fragbait

Comment Do what you feel comfortable doing (Score 1) 262

by fragbait on Monday November 17, 2008 @03:25PM (#25790087) Attached to: Real Name For Open Source Development?

I'd guess you are contributing to gain some reputation, either community, professionally, or both. Otherwise, why would it matter? If it is privacy that is your highest concern, then don't do it.

- Do what you feel comfortable with doing.
- Protect yourself and your personal and professional reputations.
- Don't participate in pissing matches, especially on Internet available forums.
- Don't be a dick (e.g. that ruby on rails rant guy that said indicated past clients wanted to work with him yet in reading his rant you knew you didn't want to work with him).

-fragbait

Researchers Discover The Most Creative Time of Day 154

Posted by samzenpus on Monday October 20, 2008 @04:33PM from the ask-me-that-in-a-few-hours dept.

Creativity is least likely to strike in the afternoon, according to a survey that suggests office workers have little chance of solving problems after lunch. A poll of 1,426 people showed that a quarter of us stay up late when seeking inspiration. Taking a shower or just sitting in the bathroom proved to be a popular way of getting the creative juices flowing. The survey found that 10:04pm was the most creative time, while 4:33pm was the least. I'll think of something funny to write here later.

Slashdot's Disagree Mail 202

Posted by samzenpus on Friday October 10, 2008 @01:58PM from the well-here's-your-problem dept.

Slashdot has one of the best discussion systems there is. It's grown and adapted over the years to meet various challenges and suit the needs of our users. A lot of time and effort has gone into it and we are always open to user input to help make it better. Some of our best ideas start as user suggestions and we appreciate the feedback. Of course they can't all be gems and sometimes the suggestions we get are unworkable or just bizarre. Here are a few of my favorite unhelpful, helpful suggestions.

Slashdot's Disagree Mail 251

Posted by samzenpus on Friday September 19, 2008 @01:26PM from the sell-outs dept.

There is no shortage of comments about us selling out or running advertisements as stories. As you might expect there is no shortage of mail with the same theme. What I enjoy most about them is all the different corporate entities and sometimes political parties, that we are supposedly working for. If even half of them were true, I would have a stack of W-2s as long as my arm every year for the tax man. The truth of the matter is, nobody here sits in their Microsoft smart chair, talking on their minion iPhone, while playing in the Google money pool. (If someone knows how to get into the Google money pool, please send me a mail.) Conspiracy theories have been around as long as man, so I guess it should come as no surprise that Slashdot has a few of it's own. Read below to find out who is pulling our strings.

City Uses DNA To Sniff Out Dog Poop Offenders 252

Posted by samzenpus on Thursday September 18, 2008 @12:16AM from the take-a-bite-out-of-crime dept.

An Israeli city is using DNA analysis of dog droppings to reward pet owners who clean up after their pets and punish those who don't. A six-month trial program launched this week, in the city of Petah Tikva, to tackle the dog mess problem in a high tech way. The program asks dog owners to take their pets to a veterinarian, who then swabs its mouth and collects DNA. The city will use the DNA database it is building to match droppings to a dog and identify its owner. Owners who scoop up their dogs' droppings and place them in specially marked bins will be eligible for rewards of pet food coupons and dog toys. Those who leave the poo on the street face fines. I wonder what sin you had to commit in a previous life to find yourself the official dog poop examiner of Petah Tikva, Israel.

Slashdot's Disagree Mail 188

Posted by samzenpus on Friday September 12, 2008 @01:59PM from the I-want-back-in dept.

Since we covered people who wanted out of Slashdot last week, I thought we'd look at some people who wanted back in. These users found that living without Slashdot was a lot harder than they thought. Maybe you've just been married and are finding out your wife is less interesting than Slashdot or maybe you were bad and want to make amends. These people found out it's hard to make it without your favorite website. Keep reading to find out what they'll do to get back.

Slashdot's Disagree Mail 426

Posted by samzenpus on Friday September 05, 2008 @02:40PM from the unsubscribe-me dept.

Everyone likes to belong to something. Whether it be for fun, a sense of belonging, or a need for attention, a group gives you a feeling of solidarity. Surrounding yourself with people that share common goals and ideas can be comforting. Sometimes however, you realize that you hate the people you've surrounded yourself with. Your religion doesn't allow you to read anything that has profanity or you've subscribed to Slashdot thinking you could learn more about hockey. This week's collection is composed of people who don't want to play, read, or be associated with us anymore. Read below to find out how bad they want out.

Dolphin Inspired Mini-sub 181

Posted by samzenpus on Thursday September 04, 2008 @07:57AM from the expensive-toys dept.

What do you get the millionaire in your life who has everything? How about the Seabreacher mini-sub. Described as a dolphin-inspired cross between a jet ski and a submarine, the Seabreacher has a top speed of 45mph above the waves and 20mph below them. The two-man £30,000 craft is 15' long and its design makes it self-righting. Strangely, this doesn't come with a laser package.

Slashdot's Disagree Mail 354

Posted by samzenpus on Thursday August 28, 2008 @01:01PM from the teach-me-something dept.

There is an old Japanese proverb that goes, "Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher." This week's mail is all about teaching. Whether it is about the seriousness of psychic ability, a short history of trolls or explaining how much free time and malice your dad's attorney has, these people just want to impart information. If what they sent me is any indication, they had a lot of sick days. Click on the link below to become enlightened.

Teens Arrested For Motorized Office Chair 338

Posted by samzenpus on Tuesday August 19, 2008 @01:10PM from the crazyboy dept.

German police have confiscated the world's fastest office chair and arrested its 17-year-old inventors. The duo added a lawnmower engine, brakes and a metal frame to the office chair and were reported to be driving it all over the streets of Gross-Zimmern. Police did not comment on the chair's handling or acceleration but I look forward to it being profiled on Top Gear.

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