Monthly Archives: May 2007

JavaScript 2.0

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JavaScript is one of my preferred programming languages. It’s thin, flexible, yet you can create really complex stuff with it. So any news about JavaScript 2.0 is an important one, moreover when it’s Brendan Eich (the creator of JavaScript) who talks about it:

http://developer.mozilla.org/presentations/xtech2006/javascript/

Somehow, however, seeing those slides I got the feeling that JavaScript 2.0 will look more like Java than previously. Which is a good and a bad thing simultaneously. Having stronger language constructions can make slightly more difficult to craft applications from scratch; on the other side, it can make JavaScript code more maintainable. There’s a tradeoff between maintainability and readability on one side, and coolness and speed of creation on the other. The current version of JavaScript, in my opinion, brings a balance between all these options.

Will JavaScript 2.0 be the language of Web 2.0? Without any doubt. Will I like it? Now that’s another problem. Programming means having fun. If the language brings more verbosity, or makes things more difficult, it can stop the fun. And that’s not good for a popular programming language.

Update: here’s a nice paper showing the rationale behind JavaScript 2.0. (local copy if the remote link is unavailable)

Bill and Steve on Stage

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This is one not to miss. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates met yesterday in a face-to-face interview, where they talked about each other, about how the software industry took off, and this video is a small part of the whole show.

The video ends with jokes about Gil Amelio – Apple’s ill-fated CEO of the 90s… Don’t miss it!

Update: The complete video footage is here, including a summary of the most funny moments!

Poulet a la Portugaise – Menu pour Nerds

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Aussi connu comme “Pollo a la Portuguesa”. Une typique recette argentine (oui oui, je vous assure).

Ingredients (pour 8 personnes)

  • 3 poulets entiers
  • 2 grandes boites de tomates pelees et coupees
  • 1 oignon, 1 gousse d’ail
  • 1 grande boite de petits pois
  • 1.5 Kg de pommes de terre
  • Sel, poivre, huile

Preparation

Vous devez lancer 3 threads d’execution:

  1. Dans une grande casserole, faire revenir l’oignon et la gousse d’ail dans l’huile: y ajouter les tomates et faire cuire doucement (doucement j’ai dit)
  2. Dans une autre casserole, faire bouillir les pommes de terre
  3. Entretemps, couper les poulets en 4 et enlever la peau (celle du poulet, donc)

Maintenant, vous faites des .join() entre les threads:

  • Faire cuire la viande du poulet dans la sauce tomate
  • Servir le tout avec les pommes de terre (on peut aussi servir avec riz, polenta, pizza, pasteques a l’ail, empanadas de guacamole, essence sans plomb ou batteries dechargees, mais c’est moins bon)

Bon app!

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15 Startup Commandments, by Mark Fletcher

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http://www.startupping.com/forums/showthread.php?t=347

1. Your idea isn’t new. Pick an idea; at least 50 other people have thought of it. Get over your stunning brilliance and realize that execution matters more. 2. Stealth startups suck. You’re not working on the Manhattan Project, Einstein. Get something out as quickly as possible and promote the hell out of it. 3. If you don’t have scaling problems, you’re not growing fast enough. 4. If you’re successful, people will try to take advantage of you. Hope that you’re in that position, and hope that you’re smart enough to not fall for it. 5. People will tell you they know more than you do. If that’s really the case, you shouldn’t be doing your startup. 6. Your competition will inflate their numbers. Take any startup traffic number and slash it in half. At least. 7. Perfection is the enemy of good enough. Leonardo could paint the Mona Lisa only once. You, Bob Ross, can push a bug release every 5 minutes because you were at least smart enough to do a web app. 8. The size of your startup is not a reflection of your manhood. More employees does not make you more of a man (or woman as the case may be). 9. You don’t need business development people. If you’re successful, companies will come to you. The deals will still be distractions and not worth doing, but at least you’re not spending any effort trying to get them. 10. You have to be wrong in the head to start a company. But we have all the fun. 11. Starting a company will teach you what it’s like to be a manic depressive. They, at least, can take medication. 12. Your startup isn’t succeeding? You have two options: go home with your tail between your legs or do something about it. What’s it going to be? 13. If you don’t pay attention to your competition, they will turn out to be geniuses and will crush you. If you do pay attention to them, they will turn out to be idiots and you will have wasted your time. Which would you prefer? 14. Startups are not a democracy. Want a democracy? Go run for class president, Bueller. 15. You’re doing a web app, right? This isn’t the 1980s. Your crummy, half-assed web app will still be more successful than your competitor’s most polished software application.

Top 30 mistakes made by new Mac users, by Dan Warne

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http://danwarne.com/?p=20

11. People trying to find the menus on a window, not realising they’re always at the top of the screen 12. Trying to resize windows from the edge rather than the drag area on the corner 13. Trying to use the CTRL key rather than CMD key for shortcuts. 14. Thinking it’ll be easy to get a stuck CD out. 15. Installing a program every time they want to run it because they think the installer _is_ the program. 16. Where’s “the internet”? (looking for the Windows Internet Explorer “e” icon)

Vista’s Long Goodbye

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http://www.theregister.com/2007/05/15/vistas_long_goodbye_continues/

Seven weeks ago, when we first reported Vista was causing many machines to stall indefinitely while deleting, copying and moving files, we were sure the problem was caused by a bug that would be fixed relatively quickly. After all, Vista is Microsoft’s flagship product. It’s also an operating system. And everyone knows deleting, copying and moving files are among the most basic tasks any operating system can set out to do.