• The command line (cmd.exe) is horrible, not full screen, the history is bad, and it’s just plain ugly.
• Visual Studio is a waste of space, it doesn’t even provide the ability to compile a file. That alone made me get rid of it.
• The lack of multiple desktops make screen real estate very limited. Even with a sizable screen (27″) is makes looking up references a pain

So, to fix some of these woes, I did away with Visual Studio, edited the console preferences to take up much of the screen, and installed emacs, I then wrote some batch scripts which I put in the PATH to enable me to just type emacs foo.c, and ls instead of dir.

Now, I finally have a system that I can work with, it’s not great, but I’ll survive. Unforntunatly, developing on Windows is much like trying to glue a dead weasel onto a balloon — non-sensical and smelly. From my short exposure to the Windows system, I’ve found the following lacking:

• The kernel memory layout
• The poorly documented API
• Lots of caps, and non-standard types, it’s like programming in old HTML.
• The verbose and utterly convoluted device communications (IRPs?)
• Complete lack of modularity (if my driver segmentation faults, I get a BSOD)

To sum it up, while it’s been an informative foray into the world of Windows, I think I’ll stick to slightly more sane and open operating systems.

Peace and chow,

Ranok

In this world, there is only a few hard and fast rules, of those, I’m going to talk about the impermanence and flux inherent of life and death. Sometimes it’s time for things to be laid to rest, and move on to bigger and better things, still keeping memories of that which came before. When I finally have reach my end-of-life period, and am no longer supported, I’d like to think that I’ll be able to accept it, and move on peacefully, hopefully leaving the world a better place than I found it. I would also like to think that everyone out there has a similar goal: to live for what they believe in, and move on when the time comes, leaving a good mark on the world.

Alas, there are a number of things that don’t follow this benevolent rule that I call ‘Dying Gracefully’: software and DRM restriction systems. While I’m not going to delve into the legally convoluted cesspit of DRM, I think it should be mentioned as the internet and the digital platform for content delivery starts on the next generation, that we respect our forebears and let them rest in peace, free to be shared by all. There are more and more stories in the news about subscription media services shutting down and leaving their customers with unusable music, force to buy the music over again, or resort to illegal DRM removal techniques. The same goes for software that is still perfectly functional, but unattainable because it’s been killed by its parent company, or the company no longer exists.

Should we not give our software the same honor of leaving a good impact on the world by releasing it as open-source when its developers no longer care to support it, giving it both a second chance at life after death, and a chance to be used by anyone and everyone. It leaves a sour taste in my mouth when I think of the consumers who got cheated out of their music because a corporation decided not to support the DRM system any longer. Would it be the end of the world to release the DRM keys to unlock the songs entombed forever by the shackles of DRM when you have no intention of using those keys to profit?

As a member of this capitalist society, I understand that open-source isn’t always the answer (though I wish it were), but I fail to see the logic in burying your old creations, never to be used, but ensuring no one else can either. This idea of “I don’t want this, but I don’t want you to have it either” reminds me of the petty arguments that toddlers have with toys; is this what our software industry has reduced itself to, a bunch of squabbling three year-olds?

Perhaps being a young lad, I fail to see the reasoning of burying your dead in a locked cemetery, where no one can see the tombstone, and remember what they gave to the world. Call me an ignorant philistine if you disagree, but I fail to see the logic (which is what software is) in this silly and petty act.

Sincerely,

Jacob Torrey

I find this absurd, do we now need professor’s permission to use our computers? Is OIT going to implement a list of acceptable websites we can visit? Do we need an academic reason to think certain thoughts? I find this completely off par with Clarkson’s condoning of partying, however, we need a professor’s consent to open a port on our computer to the outside world?

I hope that OIT will rethink their firewall policies, and see how it affects students. Also, when they make network wide changes, they should notify the students, and also update their website which still shows that only a few ports are being filtered.

Peace and no packets,

Ranok

Seems like they are trying too hard to make her pretty, and should spend more time making her better educated on the issues and how to run a country.

Source: Boston.com

Peace and Chow,

Ranok

Obviously I will not be posting their pre-written PR statement, and I urge all bloggers who have thoughtlessly posted IBMs statements to rethink why they are blogging and perhaps add their own opinion to the fray.

Peace and chow,

Ranok

Last year was probably my best year ever, taking some of my favorite classes to date: automata theory, compilers, and formal methods. They were my favorites because for once in my life, I was in a position where I actually had to work for a good grade, and I was inspired to do so both because the professors were excellent, but also I could see the value in excelling in these classes.

Now fast forward to now, while I’m taking a few interesting classes: CS547, CS456 and CS659, I’m worried that I’ve reached that ceiling and I won’t be able to find a challenging class that inspires me to put in the effort to succeed. I’ve been taking some classes (ANTH330 & COMM310) this semester that remind me of my high school days which I find very worrisome, they require next to no effort to skate by and get an A, yet I am required to go through the formality of taking them.

So, now that everyone is getting sick on my whining, I’m going to list some options to resolve my problem, if people could comment giving their input or feedback, it’d make this decision quite a bit easier.

• Transfer to another school, which should provide more challenging classes and more peers to learn from.
• Stick it out at Clarkson, doing directed studies for the next 2 years or trying to find classes outside the realm of computer science
• Go on co-op to hopefully see how my knowledge is useful in the real world, and interact with some of the brightest minds in the industry

Just for people’s information, I have started working on my masters and should be done with it in May ’10, which is when I was going to graduate with my B.S. To fufill this goal, I’ve been taking graduate classes along side of my undergraduate requirements. My tentitive thesis topic is: “Quorum Sensing and Cellular Automaton in Game Playing Systems”, which is going to look at game theory from a systems biology/alife standpoint to see if a more biological system can play better than a more algorithmical one.

Peace and chow,

Ranok

Biden:

• Biden has a very sketchy voting record when it comes to his support for stronger surveillance and enforcement of file-sharing and other copyright infringement. He seems to lack the desire to reform copyright and had thrown his bid in with the RIAA and MPAA, who take to bullying the average citizen.
• He has foreign policy, something that Palin does not. (Sorry, you can’t count the fact that Alaska is near Russia). That makes him someone who can hopefully work to work for peace and rebuild faith from our allies.

Palin:

• No experience, being the mayor of a small town, then the governor of Alaska doesn’t cut in compared to Biden.
• A staunch fundamentalist, I think it’ll be hard for her to keep her beliefs out of our country’s direction if she already tried to ban books in her town library (seems like she doesn’t care about the freedom of speech). I’m honestly terrified of someone who thinks creationism should be taught next to evolution.
• Wants for people to be more independent, but wants to decide for all the citizens of the US that gay marriage is a sin and that abortion is horrific. (I say let the people/states decide)
• Is a hypocrite about so many things, she criticizes Obama for touting change, but McCain has been pretty change heavy himself. The flip-flopping earmarks and the ‘Bridge to Nowhere’. The resistance to being asked serious questions (until this week) and calling Biden on the same.
• Not knowing what a Veep does?!
• While this is not her fault, I think that her 17-year old daughter’s out-of-wedlock pregnancy shows that abstinence-only sex-ed (touted by Palin) doesn’t work all that well.

It’s a pity that women are going to vote for her, just because she’s a woman. I think it’s time for a woman to take charge in leading our nation, but I don’t think Palin is the one. McCain’s is getting on in age, and I’d be terrified to think of an ‘average hockey-mom’ being the most powerful person in the world. I look forward to learning more about her once she starts talking with the press.

Come out and vote in November,

Ranok

Oh well, I guess I’ll survive.

Peace and chow,

Ranok