Tuesday, February 25, 2003

Grok Headline matches for Tuesday, February 25, 2003

Super Bowl XXXIX Tuesday Special:
"Luxury Buying Fever of Professional
Athletes" Presented by "Sport
Maverickstm" on February 1st

Super Bowl XXXIX Tuesday Special:
"Luxury Buying Fever of Professional
Athletes" Presented by "Sport
Maverickstm" on February 1st 02/01/2005 08:48 PM
On Tuesday, February 1st 2005 at 8:00pm EST (www.voiceamerica.com), Sport Maverickstm hosts,Ida Muorie and Eleanor Starks, broadcasting on Internet Talk Radio Station (voiceamerica.com), presents an expert panel to discuss the newest trends of luxury buying by professional athletes. [PRWEB Jan 31, 2005]

February 25, 2003

February 25, 2003 03/11/2003 09:44 AM

The discussion forum for this site generates a lot of questions and commentary. As I said when I launched it, it's a bit of an experiment. Although it may seem simple, there are a lot of subtle design decisions and magic-behind-the-scenes in hopes of improving the quality of discussion that takes place there. So far, it has mostly worked.

Later this week I'll write an essay explaining everything, but because it's full of Heisenberg effects, the essay won't appear on this web site, it will only go out via email to email subscribers. You can subscribe here or at the bottom of any page on my site:

Email:

 

Don't worry, you can unsubscribe at any time; every email I send includes a single-click unsubscribe link. I will never sell your email address. Subscribe by Friday to be sure to get the essay. Once again -- the essay will not appear on the web and will be copyright so I'll ask you not to forward the email around. It's an exclusive benefit for email subscribers.

"February 2003"

"February 2003" 01/03/2004 07:07 PM

February 05, 2003

February 05, 2003 03/11/2003 09:44 AM
Dave asks: "When I get Slashdotted we get about 5000 reads. I've noticed that number is about what some Manila and Radio sites have gotten when they were Slashdotted. Now, according to Joel Spolsky he gets about 400,000 reads from a Slashdot link, about 80 times the flow. Now here's the question. Why?"

Actually, I said 500,000, not 400,000, and I was referring to hits, not "reads." I'm not sure what a read is, but a hit is a single file served by the web server. Even the simplest page on this site consists of four files: the header GIF, the Made with CityDesk GIF, the CityDesk logo, and the article itself. Articles with pictures have a lot more. The number of page views we get, which only counts HTML files, is about 120,000 on "slashdot days." Since the average day has about 30,000 page views, only 90,000 are "extra." Still a lot more than Manila sites, but not 80 times the flow.

Another difference is that I almost always get slashdotted on a day when I release a new article. This is coincidentally the same day I send email to 16,000 subscribers telling them about the new article. And on average a few dozen webloggers will link to me on the same day, bringing in their traffic as well.

Some percentage of those people say, "Aha! This precisely proves my point!" and forward the URL to their boss or underling to hit them over the head with it. "See? Nya!" So there's always a multiplier effect.

Finally, Joel on Software has enough old content that many new visitors stay a while and click around. That accounts for a lot of the extra traffic on Slashdot days.

February 04, 2003

February 04, 2003 03/11/2003 09:44 AM
I've moved Joel on Software to a new server, at a colocation facility operated by Peer 1 Network. In the process of finding a new home and getting it up and running I've learned quite a bit about how web hosting works, so I thought I'd describe a bit of it here and in the process provide a glimpse Behind The Scenes.

February 03, 2003

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

New Column

I just got the March copy of the Programmer's Paradise catalog, which contains the first installment of my new column, a review of VMware, on page 11. “By the twentieth time I'd installed Windows 2000, I could do it in my sleep, even though I don't know a word of Chinese.” The only way to read the column is to get the catalog, which you can do for free here.

I've already written the next two columns for the catalog: a review of ERwin and an article about user interface design. Also in the pipeline: reviews of LeadTools, Camtasia Studio, and DevPartner Studio. Unlike most software reviewers who write for the magazines, who spend just enough time with a the product to get 750 words worth, I plan to review things that we actually use on a daily basis here at Fog Creek and talk about how we use them.

Commoditize Your Complements

Remember when I wrote that “smart companies try to commoditize their products’ complements?” We decided to take some of our own advice, here, so as of today, FogBUGZ can be run on top of MySQL, which is free, in addition to Microsoft SQL Server, which is expensive.

We also support two more source code control systems: CVSNT and Visual SourceSafe.

February 14, 2003

February 14, 2003 03/11/2003 09:44 AM

Due to the poor sound quality of the previous CityDesk online demo, I decided to invest in a real studio quality microphone instead of using one of those cheap computer headset/mike combinations.

It took me a while to figure out what I needed. The mike itself is a Shure SM58, probably one of the most popular professional microphones in use today and generally available for about $100.

I bought the Mic from Sam Ash on 48th street, hoping that they would be able to get me the right combination of cables and adapters I needed to plug this thing into a standard sound card. The stoner DJ sales dude sounded very confident but he didn't tell me that I needed a preamp, and he gave me the wrong kind of cables.

If you're trying to do this yourself, here's exactly what I have:

1. the Shure SM58 microphone
2. A basic desk stand. The clip part that connects the mike to the stand comes with the mike.
3. a 3' mic cable (it only needs to reach the preamp). I bought a CBI LowZ Microphone Cable from Zzounds.
4. A preamp. This boosts the level of the microphone to something that is called "Line Level" which is what a computer sound card needs. I got an M-Audio AudioBuddy from Zzounds.
5. To connect the preamp to the sound card, you need a cable with a 1/4" stereo phone jack on one end and a 1/8" stereo "mini" phone jack on the other end. I assembled this out of two cables which I bought at my neighborhood Radio Shack. For some reason the professional music stores like Sam Ash and Zzounds think it is beneath their dignity to stock any parts with 1/8" jacks, but that is what your sound card needs.

The sound quality is really quite a bit better. Here are two MP3s, before (with the computer mike) and after (with the professional mike).

February 28, 2003

February 28, 2003 03/11/2003 09:44 AM

The social scientist Ray Oldenburg talks about how humans need a third place, besides work and home, to meet with friends, have a beer, discuss the events of the day, and enjoy some human interaction. Coffee shops, bars, hair salons, beer gardens, pool halls, clubs, and other hangouts are as vital as factories, schools and apartments ["The Great Good Place", 1989]. But capitalist society has been eroding those third places, and society is left impoverished. In "Bowling Alone," Robert Putnam brings forth, in riveting and well-documented detail, reams of evidence that American society has all but lost its third places. Over the last 25 years, Americans "belong to fewer organizations that meet, know our neighbors less, meet with friends less frequently, and even socialize with our families less often." [2000] For too many people, life consists of going to work, then going home and watching TV. Work-TV-Sleep-Work-TV-Sleep. It seems to me that the phenomenon is far more acute among software developers, especially in places like Silicon Valley and the suburbs of Seattle. People graduate from college, move across country to a new place where they don't know anyone, and end up working 12 hour days basically out of loneliness.

So it's no surprise that so many programmers, desperate for a little human contact, flock to online communities - chat rooms, discussion forums, open source projects, and Ultima Online. In creating community software, we are, to some extent, trying to create a third place. And like any other architecture project, the design decisions we make are crucial. Make a bar too loud, and people won't be able to have conversations. That makes for a very different kind of place than a coffee shop. Make a coffee shop without very many chairs, as Starbucks does, and people will carry their coffee back to their lonely rooms, instead of staying around and socializing like they do in the fantasy TV coffeehouse of "Friends," a program we watch because an ersatz third place is less painful than none at all.

In software, as in architecture, design decisions are just as important to the type of community that develops or fails to develop. When you make something easy, people do it more often. When you make something hard, people do it less often. In this way you can gently encourage people to behave in certain ways which determine the character and quality of the community. Will it feel friendly? Is there thick conversation, a European salon full of intellectuals with interesting ideas? Or is the place deserted, with a few dirty advertising leaflets lying around on the floor that nobody has bothered to pick up?

— Excerpted from my latest article, “Building Communities with Software,” which will only be sent to email subscribers. Please subscribe now to receive the article, which will be sent out on Monday morning.

The Doc Searls Webl0g : Tuesday,
December 16, 2003

The Doc Searls Webl0g : Tuesday,
December 16, 2003 12/19/2003 11:55 AM

Monday, February 10, 2003

Monday, February 10, 2003 03/13/2003 10:23 AM
The true story of Giggle and Boggle.

Wednesday, February 12, 2003

Wednesday, February 12, 2003 03/13/2003 10:23 AM
How to Make A Man Bloody

Pro News : February 28, 2003

Pro News : February 28, 2003 03/13/2003 10:20 AM
Stop-motion animation app comes to OS X; Group aims to put Mac in home theater; Mask Pro gets X rating; Quark opens a Jaguar-lined kimono; Snowmint updates Budget, unleashes Planner; Ham radio apps get updated; iLink get tweaked; ODBC middleware moves to X; 4D gunning for Apache; Scrapbook apps finetuned; Online training app gets new features

CodeBitch : February 24, 2003

CodeBitch : February 24, 2003 03/13/2003 10:20 AM
In which CodeBitch ruminates on the fate of Opera for Mac

News : February 27, 2003

News : February 27, 2003 03/13/2003 10:20 AM
The Earthlink (NASDAQ:ELNK) board of directors announced on February 24th that it had authorized an additional $25 million for use in repurchasing its common stock, bringing the total authorization to $50 million.

Release Digest: KDE, February 14, 2003

Release Digest: KDE, February 14, 2003 02/14/2003 08:43 PM
Today's KDE apps: Licq 1.2.4, KSteak 0.9.3, PerlQt 3.006, Gwenview 0.16.2, KMySQLAdmin 0.6.2, KPilot 4.3.7, Kcube 0.61, krename 2.5.2, and KnetmonApplet 0.6.7.

Release Digests: KDE, February 12, 2003

Release Digests: KDE, February 12, 2003 02/13/2003 01:54 AM
Today's KDE apps: Digital Video Recorder 2.7.9.3, KSEG 0.351, KKeyled 0.8.6, Design Recovery Tool 0.2.5, Kile 1.4, KMuddy 0.4.1, KMySQLAdmin 0.6.1, and Kcube 0.55.

The Parting Shot : February 28, 2003

The Parting Shot : February 28, 2003 03/13/2003 10:20 AM
Thirty days hath September...

The Parting Shot : February 21, 2003

The Parting Shot : February 21, 2003 03/13/2003 10:20 AM
Connectix releases Version 7

Raleigh/Cary Blogger Meet-up, Tuesday
March 15, 2003

Raleigh/Cary Blogger Meet-up, Tuesday
March 15, 2003 03/14/2005 04:48 PM

Josh has the details on the last meet-up. We're going to do it again next week, same bat time same bat channel.

Time: 6:30PM
Date: Tuesday March 15, 2005
Location: Cafe Cyclo, Cameron Village, Raleigh

Linux Advisory Watch - February 7th 2003

Linux Advisory Watch - February 7th 2003 02/07/2003 08:39 AM
- by Benjamin D. Thomas - Linux Advisory Watch is a comprehensive newsletter that outlines the security vulnerabilities that have been announced throughout the week. It includes pointers to updated packages and descriptions of each vulnerability. This week, advisories were released for cvs, mcrypt, slocate, qt-dcgui, bladeenc, cim, mysql, kernel, kerberos, php, OpenLDAP, windowmaker, xpdf. The distributors include Caldera, Conectiva, FreeBSD, ...

Archives | February 23-March 1 2003 |
Yourish.com

Archives | February 23-March 1 2003 |
Yourish.com 03/14/2003 12:58 PM
International Eat an Animal for PETA Day, .. Meryl Yourish .. Meryl

track this site | 7 links

Linux Advisory Watch - February 28th,
2003

Linux Advisory Watch - February 28th,
2003 03/11/2003 01:22 AM
- By Benjamin D. Thomas - This week, advisories were released for slocate, nanog, tcpdump, kde, openssl, WebTool, syncookie, webmin, acupsd, tightvnc, vnc, vte, hypermail, libmcrypt, openldap, mysql, postgresql, initscripts, krb5, lynx, and shadow-utils. The distributors include Conectiva, Debian, Guardian Digital's EnGarde Secure Linux, Gentoo, Mandrake, Red Hat, SuSE, and Trustix.

Linux Advisory Watch - February 21st,
2003

Linux Advisory Watch - February 21st,
2003 02/21/2003 07:28 AM
- By Benjamin D. Thomas Linux Advisory Watch is a comprehensive newsletter that outlines the security vulnerabilities that have been announced throughout the week. It includes pointers to updated packages and descriptions of each vulnerability. This week, advisories were released for mod_dav, w3m, cups, php, mysql, openssl, mailman, syslinux, nethack, bitchx, util-linux, apcupdb, pam, shadow-utils, and imp. The distributors include ...

CBS News | U.S. Presses For Decision On
Iraq | February 25, 2003 14:12:43

CBS News | U.S. Presses For Decision On
Iraq | February 25, 2003 14:12:43 03/13/2003 10:25 AM

Tuesday, December 23, 2003: Rush's
Statement on Ongoing Florida Fishing
Expedition

Tuesday, December 23, 2003: Rush's
Statement on Ongoing Florida Fishing
Expedition 12/24/2003 06:31 AM
The headline of our statement - it's not really a press release; we just issued a statement in response .. Will he blame Clinton and Gore next for his drug problem? .. Limbaugh today .. show

rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_122303/content/statement.guest .html
track this site | 8 links

CBS News | Transcript: Saddam Hussein
Interview, Pt. 1 | February 26,
2003 20:31:07

CBS News | Transcript: Saddam Hussein
Interview, Pt. 1 | February 26,
2003 20:31:07 04/11/2005 03:50 AM
CBS News Transcript: Saddam Hussein Interview, Pt. 1 February 26, 2003 19:23:27 .. an interview with Dan Rather on CBS .. Complete transcript is here .. interviewed

cbsnews.com/stories/2003/02/26/60II/main542151.shtml
track this site | 3 links

Update Fever! February / March 2003
Google Update finally arrives

Update Fever! February / March 2003
Google Update finally arrives 03/11/2003 01:22 AM
The long awaited, eagerly anticipated February, 2003 Google update finally arrives in March. The early returns say that the pre-update jitters were unwarranted.

Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah
Marshall: February 15, 2004 - February
21, 2004 Archives

Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah
Marshall: February 15, 2004 - February
21, 2004 Archives 02/17/2004 12:57 PM
This is the arsonist in your house telling you that stranger outside with the hose can't be trusted .. Democratswould threaten fiscal health .. ever .. Heh

talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2004_02_15.html#002565
track this site | 5 links

"Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah
Marshall: February 01, 2004 - February
07, 2004 Archives"

"Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah
Marshall: February 01, 2004 - February
07, 2004 Archives" 02/10/2004 02:52 AM

Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah
Marshall: February 08, 2004 - February
14, 2004 Archives

Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah
Marshall: February 08, 2004 - February
14, 2004 Archives 02/10/2004 01:35 PM
sounding evasive, incoherent and out of touch .. Josh Marshall .. said

talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2004_02_08.html#002539
track this site | 5 links

Tuesday

Tuesday 06/07/2004 05:59 AM
SiliconValley.com Jun 7 2004 10:36AM GMT

Tuesday, 1/6

Tuesday, 1/6 01/06/2004 07:59 AM
techtv Jan 6 2004 7:33AM ET

Tuesday, 12/9

Tuesday, 12/9 12/09/2003 08:25 AM
techtv Dec 9 2003 7:49AM ET

Tuesday so far

Tuesday so far 07/27/2004 05:53 PM
I've learned to show up later at the Fleet Center. So, this morning I took a look through the many events scheduled around the city. Unfortunately, the ones open to the public tend to have titles such as "Advancing Affordable Housing Preservation through Tax Credits" and "Hip hop + Politics = Youth Voter Empowerment?" I mean, how could they insult that last topic by ending it with a question mark! Meanwhile, the ones marked private include "LA Senator John Breaux's Carribbean [sic] Carnival with Musician Ziggy Marley" and "Golf/Clambake with US Reps. Bill Delahunt & Steven Lynch, FL Sen....

More IE Patches (And It's Not Even
Tuesday)

More IE Patches (And It's Not Even
Tuesday) 08/02/2004 09:48 AM
Microsoft released three new "out of band" Internet Explorer patches on Friday. One of them is designed to fix the vulnerability exploited by Download.Ject.

Powerbook G5 Next Tuesday?

Powerbook G5 Next Tuesday? 06/06/2005 12:08 AM

There is every reason in the world that this could be fake, but it won't hurt to go ahead and put those Powerbooks on eBay. Dated June 7th, this press release talks about 'Powerbook G5' models, with faster processors (duh) and better screens, still inside an aluminum case. We'll reproduce the text after the jump, but you can look at the 'Google Cache' on this guy's website for signs it's a spoof. (Thanks, Art!)

Update: So yeah, not likely. Lots of you have pointed out good reasons why this isn't legit, but I've copied the most comprehensive from reader 'John' below the press release after the jump.

Apple Announces PowerBook G5 for August Availibility
The Highly Anticipitated G5 Portables are Here, Featuring Low-power G5 Processors and HD Screens Across the Line

CUPERTINO, California—June 7, 2005—Apple® today announced the upcoming availibility of it's highly anticipitated PowerBook G5 line of personal computers, featuring low-power G5 cores running up to 2.3 GHz, with 12, 15, and 17 inch high definition widescreen displays, all enclosed in a thin aluminum shell. The super-powerful notebook computer outperforms the leading PC notebooks by up to 35 percent.*

The PowerBook G5's blazingly fast PowerPC G5 processor makes it the ideal computer for professional work on the go. "The PowerBook G5 is not only one of the coolest looking personal computers on the planet, it's also the fastest portable computer available." said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "We think it was worth the wait." With powerful Radeon® Mobility™ x-Series video cards standard across the line, and high speed 400MHz DDR2 RAM, the new PowerBooks can handle everything from 3-way H.264 video chats in iChat AV to professional graphics applications such as Shake 4 and Final Cut Pro 5 with ease.

The new high definition widescreen displays give you all the working space you need to watch and edit high definition video without hooking up an external display. All models will ship with Apple's new Mac OS 10.4 Tiger preinstalled. Best of all, this power is available at prices starting at just $1,699.

Pricing & Availibility
The new PowerBook G5 line will be available in August through The Apple Store® (www.apple.com), at Apple's retail stores and Apple Autorized Resellers in four standaIrd configurations.

The 1.8 GHz, 12-inch PowerBook G5, for a suggested retail price of $1699 (US), includes:

a 1440x900 HD widescreen LCD;
a Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive;
512MB of 400MHz DDR2 SDRAM;
ATI Radeon Mobility x300 64MB video card;
AirPort Extreme wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0;
DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;
two USB 2.0 ports, two FireWire 400;
optional backlit keyboard with ambient light sensor; and
an 80GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive.
The 2.0 GHz, 15-inch PowerBook G5, for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US), includes:

a 1680x1050 HD widescreen LCD;
a Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive;
512MB of 400MHz DDR2 SDRAM;
ATI Radeon Mobility x600 128MB video card;
AirPort Extreme wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0;
DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;
three USB 2.0 ports, two FireWire 400, FireWire 800
backlit keyboard with ambient light sensor; and
an 80GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive.
The 2.3 GHz, 15-inch PowerBook G5, for a suggested retail price of $2,299 (US), includes:

a 1680x1050 HD widescreen LCD;
a 16x SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD±R/CD-RW);
512MB of 400MHz DDR2 SDRAM;
128MB ATI Radeon Mobility x600 video card (256MB optional);
AirPort Extreme wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0;
DVI, VGA, S-video and conposite video support;
three USB 2.0 ports, two FireWire 400, FireWire 800;
backlit keyboard with ambient light sensor; and
an 80GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive.
The 2.3 GHz, 17-inch PowerBook G5, for a suggested retail price of $2,899 (US), includes:

a 1920x1200 HD widescreen LCD;
a 16x SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD±R/CD-RW);
1GB of 400MHz DDR2 SDRAM;
256MB ATI Radeon Mobility x600 video card;
AirPort Extreme wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0;
DVI, VGA, S-video and conposite video support;
three USB 2.0 ports, two FireWire 400, FireWire 800;
backlit keyboard with ambient light sensor; and
an 100GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive.
*Based on a series of 12 common actions in Adobe Photoshop CS

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning desktop and notebook computers, OS X operating system, and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital music revolution with its iPod portable music players and iTunes online music store.

The 'Google Cache' [Mac]

I don't buy that "cache" announcing the G5 PowerBook for a second. The most convincing error for me is that the first sentence incorrectly uses "it's", but you might be more convinced by the following: - Google cache pages use valid URLs, not "http://64.233.167.104.search.q[...]" - The typography and CSS IDs are completely different from current Apple PR. - The descriptive paragraph lacks an "About Apple" heading.

Compared to the last PowerBook press release, which is here:
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2005/jan/31powerbook.html

...we learn:
- The alleged release's URL style is different.
- The alleged release's press contacts are different.
- The trademark line on the alleged release:
"Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, iTunes and iPod are trademarks of Apple...."
versus the legit PowerBook release:
"Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, Mac, Mac OS, PowerBook, SuperDrive, AirPort, iLife, iTunes, iPod, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, GarageBand, Safari, Sherlock, QuickTime, iCal, Apple Store and FireWire are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Apple..."

Apple neglecting to note that the word "PowerBook" is trademarked in a PowerBook press release? Not bloody likely!

Grey Tuesday

Grey Tuesday 02/19/2004 03:41 PM
Grey Tuesday

greytuesday.org
track this site | 6 links

Tuesday in Chicago

Tuesday in Chicago 07/14/2004 11:36 AM
We had a great day yesterday on vacation in Chicago, although it wasn't particularly good in clearing items from our checklist. We got off to a late start because after breakfast I had a conference call I had to participate in. So, it was 1pm before we really headed out. We walked along Michigan and came upon the Millennium Park, due to open on Friday. We couldn't get a good enough view of the new Gehry concert shell, which looked twisty and interesting, but the site is interrupted by large photos of families from around the world, with just a...

Link Tuesday

Link Tuesday 06/15/2004 11:25 AM

Grab a cup of coffee and get comfortable, it's time to clear out the backlog of links that usually make it into the Dailies.

Grok Description matches for Tuesday, February 25, 2003
GrokA matches for Tuesday, February 25, 2003

Tuesday, February 25, 2003

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