Ice Cavern Studios

http://james-iry.blogspot.com/2009/05/brief-incomplete-and-mostly-wrong.html

Warning, this is really REALLY nerdy. But I found it hilarious. Take what you want from that.

Programming, Software

If you’re a computer/it geek, go to this site. It’s seriously some funny stuff. If you’re not really a computer/it/programming geek, just move on.

http://thedailywtf.com

That is all.

Geekdom, Humor, Programming, The Internet

So I’ve made a bit of a change up to my normal routine recently. Instead of sitting on the trains and playing video games, I’ve decided to get my read on, instead. At the moment, all of the reading is focussed on work and continueing my education since I haven’t had any training since I came to Groove. That being said, I’ve decided to start with Michael Howard and David LeBlanc’s Writing Secure Code 2nd Edition. I took their four hour training seminar while I was in Redmond, and, try as I might, I could only take so much of Sedgewick’s Algorithms in C++. But it’s a good book, and it has some really great quotes. I know that ‘Tos will get a kick out of these at the least.

A handful of knowledgeable people is more effective than an army of fools

Software never dies; it just becomes insecure.

My favorite of the bunch:

Security flaws are like cockroaches: you see one in the kitchen, so you et rid of it. The problem is that the creature has many brothers, sisters, grandkids, cousins, nieces, nephews, and so on.

Yeah, it’s a pretty good book. I’m enjoying it so far, and it’s a pretty quick read (at least the first part). Anyway, sorry to geek out like that, but I wanted to get some of these quotes recorded.

Programming, Quotes, Security, Software

I just fixed the posts that were causing the feed to break. Thinks should be back to normal now. Sorry about that.

Programming, The Internet, Web Development

I just had a talk with Ryan about teaching people to program, and I was finally able to pin down one of my big opinions on the subject. After months of trying to put a finger on it, I was able to realize just why it is that I like C++ as a teaching language over C# (which I prefer to program in).

What it comes down to is that C++, in my opinion, is an easier language for the teacher to work with. Because it is easy to write programs in C++ that make no use of pointers, OOP, or windowed interfaces, C++ allows a teacher to begin teaching without having to worry about having to go too in depth on a topic every time Òwhy do _____.Ó Ultimately, every other reason I’ve ever given for not liking C# (or Java for that matter) comes down to the ÒWhys.Ó

Take a look at Hello World in C++ and then C#:



#include <iostream.h>

main()

{

cout << \"Hello World!\";

return 0;

}



And now for C#:



using System;

public class Hello2

{

public static void Main()

{

Console.WriteLine(\"Hello, World!\");

}

}



On first look they look pretty even. Pretty simple. But when you actually start going through the code, C# forces you to explain classes (on some level). There is also having to worry about public/private and static/instanced. Now while you may not plan to cover those topics right away, people tend to start asking ÒWhy do I need to include that?Ó Once they do, it’s very hard not to start spiraling.

In both cases there is hand waiving and the yelling of Òignore the man behind the curtain,Ó but at least with C++ it’s a bit easier to push stuff off to a later date. And this doesn’t stop. It just builds. As you move on into variables, functions, and loops the nuances of C# press more and more extraneous issues, where as C++ can remain pretty on course.

Mind you, once you get past the basics and start getting into pointers and such, I will admit that C# is probably easier. Since it’s much harder to get oneself into trouble than in C++. At the same time, you don’t really know what’s going on with the memory at the level of C# so it’s definitely a trade off, but I will go into that later.

Programming