15-March-2003 -- Something from Nothing: the Alchemy of Experience

Grok Headline matches for 15-March-2003 -- Something from Nothing: the Alchemy of Experience

13-March-2003 -- Expanding the
Approaches to User Experience

13-March-2003 -- Expanding the
Approaches to User Experience 03/12/2003 09:11 PM
Expanding the Approaches to User Experience (Boxes and Arrows) -- "Jesse James Garrett’s “The Elements of User Experience” diagram (17kb...

March 2003 Column> What's New 2003

March 2003 Column> What's New 2003 03/11/2003 09:44 AM
My March 2003 column is complete and titled " What's New 2003". It mentions Internet "What's New" resources that I articulate in my various national key note presentations, workshops and television/radio interviews. Other resources are also available to my radio interview listeners by clicking here.

March 14, 2003

March 14, 2003 03/14/2003 06:10 PM

AngryCoder: “FogBUGZ is very well designed, and virtually bug free. Frankly, if you are in the market for a defect tracking solution, you can’t do much better than FogBUGZ. It is by far the best solution on the market right now, and is also very attractively priced.” Thanks!

Joseph Jones, who wrote the review, didn’t like the perceived lack of customizability in FogBUGZ. I hear ya. This was one of those agonizing decisions for us. It’s a tradeoff between implementing features that make the sale, versus implementing features that, we think, will make people who use our software love it, which helps in the long term. At the time it was discussed in depth here on Joel on Software.

Take, for example, a typical report a bug tracking package gives you that shows you the number of bugs generated per day per programmer. Typical bad managers will use that tool to punish programmers with high bug counts or reward programmers with low bug counts. As a result, every time a tester tries to enter a bug, the programmer will argue about it. “That's not really a bug.” “Please don't enter it, I'll fix it on the side for you.” Eventually the bug tracking system subverts itself. That's not FogBUGZ's fault, but there you have it. Nobody wants to use it, they never upgrade, they don't buy more licenses when they get more programmers, and we lose the potential word of mouth.

The current system, in which we expect FogBUGZ users to have enlightened development processes, makes us miss out on initial sales but it makes our existing customers happier. And they tell friends, and they buy more and more licences, and all is good. We've found that anyone who has been using FogBUGZ and moves on to a new job that doesn't have bug tracking will recommend FogBUGZ at their new job, which is one reason our sales are up by about 200% since last year.

But this is all, to some extent, speculation. I can't prove anything here. Design decisions are hard that way.

March 07, 2003

March 07, 2003 03/11/2003 09:44 AM

I just got back from inspecting the new Fog Creek Office, a sunny loft in the shmatta district, with the architect. It's going to make a really nice office when we're finished building it out, with private offices, a living room area, kitchenette, and, budget permitting, a pool table and plasma TV. Here's what I told the architect:

• private windowed offices are non-negotiable
• we need three times as many power outlets as anyone would think. I'm sick of power strips. I have ten things plugged in right at my desk. I specified 4 outlets every foot, is that absurd?
• I want to be able to pull my own lan, telephone, fiber, and cable TV wires. Even if they're exposed.

 

March 03, 2003

March 03, 2003 03/11/2003 09:44 AM

My latest article, “Building Communities with Software,” was sent to email subscribers earlier today.

If you did not get it and expected to get it, you're probably having problems with overenthusiastic spam filters. I got lots of bounces, mostly from Fortune 500 type companies, rejecting the message, because of "inappropriate content" or because their automatic filters had decided it was spam. Some of them complained about "taboo," other's complained about "hard core." Most didn't tell me. Such is the state of email today.

If you did not get the article and you want it, you can read a shorter, sanitized version online. But it still contains the word "taboo" so if that offends you you may want to avert your eyes!

15-March-2003 -- F@ck That Job

15-March-2003 -- F@ck That Job 03/15/2003 09:42 AM
F@ck That Job -- "my answer to employers taking advantage of folks having a hard time finding a job in...

Pro News : March 3, 2003

Pro News : March 3, 2003 03/13/2003 10:20 AM
1U Mac-compatible server released; Backup system gets bigger; Drive maker hits 250GB plateau; Apple to display wares in Boston show; Mariner releases new Write public beta; Neat use for Bluetooth; Free kalenders for everybody; Mass mailing software gets update

Friday, March 07, 2003

Friday, March 07, 2003 03/13/2003 10:23 AM
The machines aren't touching.

Thursday, March 06, 2003

Thursday, March 06, 2003 03/13/2003 10:23 AM
Re-design in the Time of "Car"-lera.

Pro News : March 14, 2003

Pro News : March 14, 2003 03/14/2003 01:39 AM
Stick Software adds screen saver to revamped line; Devon retools Think Griffin extends ADC connections; Two developers offer file navigation for OS X; Virtix adds iDVD themes to plug-in offerings; Stupendous revamps for iMovie 3; Web tuner for the rest of the world released; Server tool released for education market

Pro News : March 4, 2003

Pro News : March 4, 2003 03/13/2003 10:20 AM
Better utilities released for OS X; New Tool for FileMaker fiends; Macromedia makes flashy moves; Blog by phone; Long arm of the law can rat you out; Captain FTP gets update

Pro News : March 7, 2003

Pro News : March 7, 2003 03/13/2003 10:20 AM
Menubar widget for AppleWorks; Finder alternative offers speed boost; Time-tracking softwares get updates; Gecko spawns three OS X browsers; Worldwide presentations made easy; Open-sourced Windows emulator released

BOLTS : March 10, 2003

BOLTS : March 10, 2003 03/13/2003 10:20 AM
OK, so you?ve made the switch over to Mac OS X from another Unix flavor (Linux, Solaris, whatever). What are some of the goodies that OS X brings to the table?

CodeBitch : March 10, 2003

CodeBitch : March 10, 2003 03/13/2003 10:20 AM
In which CodeBitch discusses the finer points of log analysis for fun and standards usage

Pro News : March 11, 2003

Pro News : March 11, 2003 03/13/2003 10:20 AM
Toshiba aims to put 802.11 everywhere; HP tries to hit the handheld Hotspot; Radio broadcasts for wireless networks; Sony adds to the digital hub; Mitsumi stretches Bluetooth further

13-March-2003 -- Forward

13-March-2003 -- Forward 03/12/2003 10:17 PM
Foreword -- "The book design blog."...

13-March-2003 -- The Answer

13-March-2003 -- The Answer 03/12/2003 09:11 PM
The Answer -- "Why does searching my PC for a file take several minutes, yet searching for phrase in a...

13-March-2003 -- Marketing Fix

13-March-2003 -- Marketing Fix 03/12/2003 09:11 PM
Marketing Fix -- "For busy professionals concerned with Internet marketing and media, we aggregate news and analysis from dozens of...

5-March-2003 -- Nag-O-Matic

5-March-2003 -- Nag-O-Matic 03/11/2003 09:43 AM
Nag-O-Matic (Business 2.0) -- "I never thought I'd actually get to meet Big Brother. And if I did, I never...

14-March-2003 -- eBayersThatSuck.com

14-March-2003 -- eBayersThatSuck.com 03/14/2003 01:03 PM
eBayersThatSuck.com -- "A public posting forum for ebay members to inform ethical ebay users about problematic members, suspicious occurrences, and...

Pro News : March 17, 2003

Pro News : March 17, 2003 03/19/2003 10:24 PM
Extensis lands preflight deal; Your preprint files go anywhere; Shutterfly makes independent move; HP starts trial run for photo kiosks; New cameras from HP; Kodak tries computing end run; Canon releases high-resolution scanner; Vendor releases 16-megapixel chip

18-March-2003 -- Eve of destruction

18-March-2003 -- Eve of destruction 03/19/2003 10:27 PM
Eve of destruction -- "That this war, like Bush's larger "war on terrorism," has no clear definition of its aims,...

18-March-2003 -- Just bluffin'

18-March-2003 -- Just bluffin' 03/19/2003 10:27 PM
Just bluffin' -- "Here are some terms you should be aware of when next you have to talk techie or...

8-March-2003 -- Usability Law

8-March-2003 -- Usability Law 03/11/2003 09:43 AM
Usability Law -- "There are a number of ways that the law impacts on the usability of software and its...

Pro News : March 20, 2003

Pro News : March 20, 2003 03/19/2003 10:24 PM
Trinfinity scripts iTunes; Developers seek user input; Musical lessons on net radio; Digital hub gets disconnected; HAM radio app gets update; German browsers get IE toolbar icons; Flashcards for the digital set; New movie editor hits the streets

19-March-2003 -- What Are
Telesymposiums?

19-March-2003 -- What Are
Telesymposiums? 03/19/2003 10:44 PM
What Are Telesymposiums? -- "Free teleseminars which are part talk, part action. We discuss concrete tactics which solve the problem...

Sunday, March 16, 2003

Sunday, March 16, 2003 03/16/2003 07:19 AM
War and the Studebaker

Conférence PHP Québec 2003
- (Montréal, March 20&21rst,
2003)

Conférence PHP Québec 2003
- (Montréal, March 20&21rst,
2003) 01/29/2003 12:48 AM
The PHP Québec association announces the Conférence PHP Québec 2003. The conference will take place in the École Polytechnique de Montréal, Québec, Canada. The Conférence PHP Québec features two days of conferences, with outstanding customer cases from Canada, and cutting edge technical sessions, hosted by international experts. An exhibitor room will showroom professional solutions. Learn more about those exciting days at phpconf.phpquebec.com.

8-March-2003 -- Five Reasons to Hope

8-March-2003 -- Five Reasons to Hope 03/11/2003 09:43 AM
Five Reasons to Hope -- "New techologies that may help Silicon Valley rise again."...

10-March-2003 -- WebWord Comment

10-March-2003 -- WebWord Comment 03/11/2003 09:43 AM
WebWord Comment -- Resistence is fertile? (5 reasons why IT users say “no” to change)...

20-March-2003 -- WebWord Comment

20-March-2003 -- WebWord Comment 03/20/2003 11:09 PM
WebWord Comment -- Want to visit Starbucks? Cookies are required. Ha!...

5-March-2003 -- IT & Society (Vol. 1,
Issue 3)

5-March-2003 -- IT & Society (Vol. 1,
Issue 3) 03/11/2003 09:43 AM
WebWord Comment -- Don't miss: IT & Society (Vol. 1, Issue 3) It is all about information architecture, usability, web...

20-March-2003 -- is warchalking dead?!??

20-March-2003 -- is warchalking dead?!?? 03/20/2003 11:09 PM
is warchalking dead?!?? (warchalking.org) -- "It has been about 2 months since I wrote the article. I've thought about warchalking...

The Parting Shot : March 21, 2003

The Parting Shot : March 21, 2003 03/21/2003 01:21 AM
What a long colorful trip its been

90nm PowerMac G5s in March 2003?

90nm PowerMac G5s in March 2003? 11/19/2003 06:55 PM
Appleinsider posted a small update today reporting that second generation PowerMac G5s would make an appearance by March 2004. The new machines are r...

19-March-2003 -- Covering the Next War
Online

19-March-2003 -- Covering the Next War
Online 03/19/2003 10:44 PM
Covering the Next War Online -- "The trade-off is image quality, which is decidedly low resolution. But as Eason Jordan,...

8-March-2003 -- WebWord Comment

8-March-2003 -- WebWord Comment 03/11/2003 09:43 AM
WebWord Comment -- Warren E. Buffett is a great communicator. The Berkshire Hathaway 2002 Annual Report (PDF) is available....

13-March-2003 -- WebWord Comment

13-March-2003 -- WebWord Comment 03/12/2003 09:11 PM
WebWord Comment -- Bush is an oil man. I can't imagine that he would ever really care about hydrogen fuel....

The Parting Shot : March 14, 2003

The Parting Shot : March 14, 2003 03/14/2003 01:03 PM
Its a small MacWorld after all...
Grok Description matches for 15-March-2003 -- Something from Nothing: the Alchemy of Experience
GrokA matches for 15-March-2003 -- Something from Nothing: the Alchemy of Experience

Sims in Sims 2 can play Sims 1

Sims in Sims 2 can play Sims 1 09/24/2004 07:05 AM
Cory Doctorow: The new version of The Sims, called "The Sims 2" allows your sim-people to play "The Sims" in-game. Recursion-licious! Lin k (via Wonderland)

Mandonna

Mandonna 09/01/2004 12:35 AM
Mandonna: The All-Male Tribute to the Material Girl . (Warning: sound on every page)
It's exactly what you think it is. Go straight to the videos for capital F-U-N !!
...via go BLORT yourself.

Welcome to Mandonna!

Welcome to Mandonna! 08/31/2004 06:21 AM
Mandonna

mandonna.com
track this site | 3 links

"Mandonna"

"Mandonna" 09/02/2004 03:29 PM

Playing God in The Sims 2

Playing God in The Sims 2 09/26/2004 12:57 PM

Review: The Sims 2 (PC)

Review: The Sims 2 (PC) 09/11/2004 10:09 PM
Overclockers Club Sep 12 2004 2:37AM GMT

The Sims™ 2

The Sims™ 2 09/16/2004 05:18 AM
Go to the official website .. Surprise sequels .. The Sims„¢ 2 .. Sims2

thesims2.ea.com
track this site | 4 links

The Sims 2 Movie

The Sims 2 Movie 05/09/2004 05:18 PM

The Sims: Superstar 2.8.1

The Sims: Superstar 2.8.1 04/19/2004 07:09 PM
Players can live their fantasies of fame and fortune as they pursue the dream of being a Rock Star, Movie Star, or a Supermodel.

The Sims: Unleashed 2.7.1

The Sims: Unleashed 2.7.1 11/14/2003 09:50 PM
Players can now add furry friends to their Sims’ families.

Sims Scandal

Sims Scandal 12/15/2003 02:12 PM
Donna at Copyfight aggregates info about how the philosopher Peter Ludlow managed to get banished from the Sims Online server by raking virtual muck. And Farhad Manjoo has an article in Salon that lays out the issues....

The Sims: Hot Date 2.3.1

The Sims: Hot Date 2.3.1 11/14/2003 09:50 PM
Take control of computer generated people and meddle in their lives, including playing cupid.

The Sims: Vacation 2.4.1

The Sims: Vacation 2.4.1 11/14/2003 09:50 PM
Pack your bags because you’re taking the Sims on the vacation of a lifetime.

The Sims: Makin' Magic

The Sims: Makin' Magic 06/30/2004 07:45 PM
By Danny Gallagher, Inside Mac Games (via MyAppleMenu)

The Sims for Mac OS X (August Updater)
1.0

The Sims for Mac OS X (August Updater)
1.0 11/14/2003 09:50 PM
Take control of computer generated people and meddle in their lives.

Mac Version Of The Sims 2 Coming

Mac Version Of The Sims 2 Coming 07/28/2004 06:39 PM
By Tuncer Deniz, Inside Mac Games (via MyAppleMenu)

The Sims Makin' Magic

The Sims Makin' Magic 06/03/2004 09:11 AM
The same problems that plagued previous Sims games still exist in this one. But we're willing to overlook the problems, given how freakily fun this game is. By Cathy Lu, MacAddict (via MyAppleMenu)

Omnipotence Is Yours With New Sims Game

Omnipotence Is Yours With New Sims Game 09/24/2004 10:05 PM
AP via Los Angeles Times Sep 25 2004 2:02AM GMT

SimCity for Sims, recursion will eat
itself

SimCity for Sims, recursion will eat
itself 02/16/2004 01:14 PM
A third-party Sims developer has produced a version of SimCity for use in the Sims, so that your simulated people can simulate being the mayor of a simulated city. No word yet on whether we are all just sims in a great simulation in the sky, executing on a celestial computer the size of the universe, with "God" simply a gamer playing an unimaginably scaled up version of the Sims. But I have my suspicions. Have a melon. Lag. Dude< /a>.

"The Sims must routinely refurbish the buildings to keep the citizens happy, or just let them deteriorate and force the citizens to become unhappy and move away," says Alvey. "Happy citizens go to work and pay taxes, which the Sims collect as revenue. The higher the profits, the more attractive the city becomes, so more citizens will move into it."

Link (via Futurismic)

Sims + Sex on CNN and the Daily Show

Sims + Sex on CNN and the Daily Show 02/13/2004 03:26 AM
Two pieces of TV news coverage about the vrtual scandal involving digital sex in the Sims Online -- and related discussions aired The Alphaville Herald that led to the Herald's Peter Ludlow being yanked from the game. Ludlow writes:

CNN has produced a story on the joys of cyberbrothels in alphaville. I have no idea if it has aired on the network. It seems that the reporter (Bruce Burkhardt) got his virtual ashes hauled in the Jiggolo [sic] Escorts cyber brothel, which offers a good hour of cybering for the low low price of 17 K simoleans. I guess my complaint would be that the story makes it sould like all the Romance category houses are sex oriented.

Meanwhile, everyone who is angry at me for the CNN story can look forward to my ritual humiliation by The Daily Show on Comedy Central tonight! My students are especially looking forward to this one, as will all haters of Urizenus -- The producer promised that they would indeed make me look like a total ass. I'm not sure what will make it into the story, but there is a bit where Rob Cordry (sp?) insists that I shoot Polie Bear. There are also some obligatory remarks about fisting parties (how else are they going to stay on basic cable?).

background: NYT article via IHT, no registration required

Sims storms to top of UK charts

Sims storms to top of UK charts 09/21/2004 08:14 AM
BBC Sep 21 2004 12:54PM GMT

Sims 2 hacks blowing up

Sims 2 hacks blowing up 01/06/2005 07:46 PM
Cory Doctorow: Hacks for Sims 2 are spreading like wildfire:

Entire neighborhoods of Sims are being mysteriously graced with eternal youth, while some characters are finding all their needs fulfilled by a single shot of magic espresso. Others no longer need to empty the toilet after potty training their toddler. Some Sims are being abducted by aliens when they glance through their telescope -- every time, instead of just occasionally, which is normal.

All this mayhem is the work of a community of experimenters wielding hex editors, custom programs and reverse-engineering skills who began mastering their own Sims 2 worlds immediately after the game's release last September. The hackers share their weird science with one another through public websites and forums.

Link (via Waxy)

The Sims: Living Large 1.2.2

The Sims: Living Large 1.2.2 11/14/2003 09:50 PM
The Sims Livin’ Large Expansion pack makes living a whole new experience for your Sims.

TS2 / The Sims 2: Console and Cheat
Commands

TS2 / The Sims 2: Console and Cheat
Commands 09/12/2004 08:42 AM
Tech-Recipes Sep 12 2004 12:39PM GMT

Sims 2: Face Lift of the Original

Sims 2: Face Lift of the Original 09/23/2004 05:15 AM
The sequel delivers all the stuff that made the original the best-selling game of all time, and adds a couple of nice touches. By the end, though, you realize the new version is just a tuneup of the old. Lore Sjöberg reviews The Sims 2.

Electronic Arts Spawns The Sims 2

Electronic Arts Spawns The Sims 2 09/17/2004 06:21 PM
Electronic Arts (EA) subsidiary Maxis Studios has signed off on and delivered the latest member of the Sims gaming franchise. The Sims 2 is the long awaited sequel to the best selling computer game of all time. Players possess absolute control over Sims' destinies and are forced to make choices that impact Sims from cradle to grave. To make the game even more realistic, EA has endowed the Sims with emotions as well as an inborn desire to pass on their genes to the next generation. For more information visit The Sims 2 homepage.

Electronic Arts' Searing Sims

Electronic Arts' Searing Sims 09/21/2004 12:42 PM
The Sims 2 is now in stores, and it should be an earnings driver for Electronic Arts.

The Sims: House Party 08-2002

The Sims: House Party 08-2002 11/14/2003 09:50 PM
This will update House Party and House Party Carbon to new versions.

Body Shop for The Sims 2 released

Body Shop for The Sims 2 released 06/05/2005 10:59 PM
In anticipation of the release of The Sims 2 this month, Aspyr today has made Body Shop, a stand-alone, character-creation tool, available as a free download...

The Sims Makin' Magic coming to the Mac

The Sims Makin' Magic coming to the Mac 12/12/2003 12:47 PM
Apyr said Friday that it will be publishing a Mac version of The Sims Makin' Magic expansion pack...

15-March-2003 -- Something from Nothing: the Alchemy of Experience

The following phrases have been identified by the grok system as matching this entry: sims mandonna