X-Git-Url: https://codewiz.org/gitweb?p=wiki.git;a=blobdiff_plain;f=MayBlog;h=5d26eb2c8702eaddb7337055a4705d6859828ef7;hp=541cc1cbd7ad0d28d9666cadf6c6aa50ee659596;hb=becce1c5393a931e0b7a3580e236e41c728778f8;hpb=c73dd0b7eb33df6028749d295fc4f76492727a87 diff --git a/MayBlog b/MayBlog index 541cc1c..5d26eb2 100644 --- a/MayBlog +++ b/MayBlog @@ -1,8 +1,335 @@ +The story continues in [[April2008Blog]]. + == May 2007 == +=== Thu, 31th === + +==== News Feed ==== + +Today Rasky suggested that we could use an RSS feed to notify +about new articles in the blog. + +I wanted to fulfill the same purpose, but with a totally +different approach: use git-send-email to notify a mailing-list +and tell people: "hey, just subscribe to the list!". + +My version is surely too complicated because it employs +a chain of 4 different programs (pikiwiki -> git -> git-mail -> mailman). +But I like that it can be done without even touching the wiki +engine. + +A middle-ground solution could be using gitweb's own +RSS feed: + + http://bender.codewiz.org/wikigit/wiki.git?a=rss + +But as Rasky notes, this would send notifications +also for minor edits: real blog apps would only +bother you for new articles. + +So, maybe we should filter only changesets that +contain a new level 3 header... Hmmm... This +can't be done with gitweb, I'm afraid. + +We live in an era where we can make very cool +things with very little effort. I could hack +this versioned wiki engine in just 2-3 days +because I could pick the existing PikiPiki and +combine it with the existing Git versioning +system. + +This brings me to the point: the really hard thing +in software design is choosing the right ingredients +for your sausage. Because there are many ways to +bake a pizza, but only a few of them have the +quality of being tasty, healty, dietetic, cheap +or whatever. And usually, even a good design... +err... receipe requires you to choose a few of +these qualities you care more. + +'''Q''': What do you think is the most elegant way to +obtain useful notification from this blog? + +You can choose whatever technology to deliver some +kind of "notification". You can also use any +sensible definition of the words "useful" and "elegant". + + +==== Hop hop! ==== + +Today I typed ##cvs up -dP## to update Gnash from CVS. +And I got the prompt back in less than 1s. + +"Something must be broken!", I thought! In fact, it's +blazingly fast because we're just 2ms away from Savannah: + +{{{ +PING cvs.savannah.gnu.org (199.232.41.69) 56(84) bytes of data. +64 bytes from cvs.savannah.gnu.org (199.232.41.69): icmp_seq=1 ttl=58 time=2.31 ms +64 bytes from cvs.savannah.gnu.org (199.232.41.69): icmp_seq=2 ttl=58 time=2.21 ms +64 bytes from cvs.savannah.gnu.org (199.232.41.69): icmp_seq=3 ttl=58 time=2.00 ms +}}} + +And it's not even in MIT: + +{{{ +traceroute to cvs.savannah.gnu.org (199.232.41.69), 30 hops max, 40 byte packets + 1 passport-9-16.media.mit.edu (18.85.46.1) 1.756 ms 1.695 ms 1.845 ms + 2 amtgw.media.mit.edu (18.85.0.1) 2.230 ms 1.248 ms 1.150 ms + 3 EXTERNAL-RTR-1-BACKBONE.MIT.EDU (18.168.0.18) 1.409 ms 1.435 ms 1.374 ms + 4 EXTERNAL-RTR-2-BACKBONE.MIT.EDU (18.168.0.27) 1.391 ms 1.389 ms 1.426 ms + 5 207.210.143.109 (207.210.143.109) 1.428 ms 1.505 ms 1.414 ms + 6 207.210.143.138 (207.210.143.138) 12.756 ms 2.162 ms 1.998 ms + 7 ge-2-1-0-000.ar1.qcy1.ma.gnaps.NET (199.232.44.142) 4.879 ms 2.592 ms 2.485 ms + 8 cvs.savannah.gnu.org (199.232.41.69) 2.713 ms 7.476 ms 13.328 ms +}}} + +Boston sure has a very fast WAN backbone! + + +=== Wed, 30th === + + Ciao Berni!!! Te tu sei un grande, qui dalla OTE ti si saluta con affetto!!! + +Grazie ragazzi! Il sentimento e' reciproco! Uno di questi giorni +dovete proprio venire a bere una birra qua a Boston! + +==== More Graphics Headaches ==== + +Hehe, more graphics problems keep sprinkling: XorgGraphicsCorruption. +CosmicPenguin was kind enough to offload me of the graphics related bugs. + + +=== Tue, 29th === + +==== Tracking ==== + +And if you really have too much time on your hands, try helping me out on some of +these tasks: + + * XorgOlpcTasks + * http://dev.laptop.org/query?status=new&status=assigned&status=reopened&status=closed&owner=bernie&order=priority + + +==== Weekly OLPC Reports ==== + +If you're interested in our progess at the OLPC lab, we +publish weekly executive summaries here: + + http://laptop.media.mit.edu/laptopnews.nsf/latest/news + +This is the report that mentions me volunteering for +the project: + + http://laptop.media.mit.edu/laptopnews.nsf/2e76a5a80bc36cbf85256cd700545fa5/6709ac0696003ee3852572e00083567f?OpenDocument + + +=== Fri, 25th === + +==== 60 Minutes ==== + +In this episode of the popular American show SixtyMinutes, +our founder NicholasNegroponte reveals a lot of details +about the humanitarian role of the OneLaptopPerChild project: + + http://bender.codewiz.org/wikidata/60_minutes_2007-05-20.avi + +The part about us starts approximately at 1/3 of the show. + +You may also find the last part interesting as it specifically +addresses the controversial problem of private medical centers +trying to save on assistance to homeless people. Marco, you +should see it! + + +==== GreenishBitmaps ==== + +'''Warning''': This article is rated PG0xF00F, parents discretion *not* advised. + +I've been struggling for the last few days on a the damn X server. + +In the RedHat builds, we're still using a pre-release of 1.2, +labelled 1.1.99. Now, we need to leverage some upstream work +for input rotation that is landing on the Xorg tree right now. + +Backporting is not an option, and we want to stay up to date +anyway. We'll soon be moving to Fedora 7 anyway. But even +the just-released 1.3 that will be in Fedora 7 is not enough, +because it has been branched some time ago, we must work +from the tip of the git tree, which of course has become +very unstable recently. + +I've been fighting all the week against all sort of bugs +and build problems and, believe me, it's a very energy +consuming exercise. + +The funniest thing I'm still trying to track are +these GreenishBitmaps that nobody else except me +is seeing. + +It's probably a miscompilation of some kind, but I've +long ago ran out of obvious and less obvious ideas to try +and I'm now far in the land of impossible things. + +All this time I've been in contact with a few X +hackers on IRC, including the author of the AMD +driver, but even them couldn't come up with a +magical solution. + + +==== Chat Line ==== + + Bernie, I'm Easy... + +'''Bernie''': Hello Easy!!! It's good to be chatting here in the blog! + +I saw this two photo some row below... + + But all those OLPC at the roof, what doing?? Only for furnishing or for specific utility?? :) + +'''Bernie''': Hehe... they're part of the WirelessMesh, for testing +purposes. An hispanic guy called Miguel (not the same of De Icaza) +sometimes fiddles with them. He's lucky because he's very tall. +I'd need a ladder :-) + + The office is very beautiful and the Apple Cinema Display is really very big... + +'''Bernie''': Yeah, that's the personal screen of my boss/team-leader ChrisBall. +It's 30". One day or another I'll bring here my 24" wide-screen from home. + + Do you have some new news about your new work?? + +'''Bernie''': Sorry for not updating the blog... I've been *extremely* +busy. I will do it shortly... Promised. + +=== Sat, 19th === + +==== Trip to work ==== + +I still couldn't solve the problem of getting to work +quickly. I can't afford to waste over 2 hours every +day like this. + +By now, I've tried any possible solution: + + * Car: the office doesn't have a parking lot and there's + no way to park within one mile from KendalSquare for less + than $18/day. Monthly fees start from $250. + + * Bus: I need to commute in Dudley and take line no. 1 to + MassachusettsAvenue, then walk 15 minutes to KendalSquare. + + * Bus + subway combo: The red line would get me directly + to KendalSquare, and there are several routes to get there, + but all of them require commuting at least twice. The + monthly link pass costs $75. + + * Car + subway combo: there are some cheap parkings next + to the terminal subway stations where you can leave your + car for $5/day. Unfortunately, to get there I must + travel in the opposite direction. And the whole thing + will cost $75 + $5*30, about the same of the monthly + parking fee. + + * Taxi: Costs $11-$14 * 2 every day, which makes the + monthly parking cheap in comparison. + +And even worse, the red line stops running at midnight +and bus no 1 at 1AM. Which forces me to leave from +the office very early (for my standards). + +If you want to play with the possibilities, I just +discovered that the transportation company has a very cool +web service that would have saved me a lot of time: + +{{{ + http://www.mbta.com/rider_tools/trip_planner/default.asp + From: 66 Maywood st., Roxbury MA + To: Kendall/mit Station, Cambridge +}}} + +At the end of the day, the ultimate solution is moving +closer to the office or at least close to the red line. +Maybe I could afford to spend $600 for a room, but I +don't feel like moving right now. I already have enough +things on my hands. + +''Have you considered to put a bicycle in your combo? You may replace a 10 km walk with it and open up new combinations (and ways to get wet...) -- PiroPiro'' + +==== Awful Weather ==== + +Today it's raining lightly. Yesterday I took an extra shower +in the evening :-( + +The WikiPedia was definitely right: weather in Boston can +change very rapidly. Must remember to buy a raincoat like +RichardStallman's and keep it in my backpack. + + +==== What Next? ==== + +{{{ +1. Get employed at OLPC +2. ??? +3. World domination! +}}} + +Just joking, but the truth is that I still need +to face a lot of new challenges now. + +My next problem will be improving my communication skills. +After one month of full immersion, I can still barely +understand people talking quickly to each and I clearly +express myself using an inadequately poor vocabulary and +too slowly in some cases. + +These things will improve over time, while my strong +Italian inflection is likely to remain forever. If +only I could find one, I'd attend to a course to +correct my diction now. Actors do them. + +Another crucial problem I need to solve quickly is +getting a visa that allows me to work here permanently. +There are many possibilities, but none guaranteed to +succeed. For now, I'm not thinking about it: my +employer knows better than me and will help as much +as possible. + +Last but not least, my job is not easy and requires a +good amount of commitment. All my colleagues are extremely +smart and more experienced than I am. So I need to work +twice as hard to keep up with them. + +A very nice workplace and very interesting assignments helps. +And, most importantly, I know that what we're doing here is +going to have a huge impact on the world. + +'''Andrea Grandi''': Your words give me no hopes for my future :( + +'''Bernie''': Are you planning to come here? Cool! :D + +> All my colleagues are extremely smart and more experienced than I am + +More than you? It's not a place for me then :D + +'''Bernie''': It's worth trying even if you currently think you're +not up to the job. It's a very valuable experience even if you +end up returning to your home country for some reason. + +'''Rasky''': But can you get a perm visa even without an university +degree? I thought that was absolutely out of question... I knew that +people without a degree could just get some 1-year temp visa. + + +=== Thu, 17th === + +==== More Pics ==== + +Here are some more pics of MyOlpcDesk. + === Wed, 16th === -=== Office Space ==== +==== Office Space ===== Here are a few pictures of the OlpcOffice! @@ -193,7 +520,7 @@ $12 ''EACH'', I mean. Walking home alone in the night, I may encounter some ''bad'' guys: -http://bender.codewiz.org/wikidata/text/FunWithWeapons.jpg +http://bender.codewiz.org/FunWithWeapons.jpg Better be careful :-) @@ -443,4 +770,4 @@ is your friend. As always, I'd very much appreciate being told about any mistake I make. -''Massimo: ok, let's start with those horrible contractions my poor eyes had to read: '''Won't''' and '''I'd'''. Hey Bernie! You already went back home from NYC. Ain't gonna play with ya 'nymore!'' \ No newline at end of file +''Massimo: ok, let's start with those horrible contractions my poor eyes had to read: '''Won't''' and '''I'd'''. Hey Bernie! You already went back home from NYC. Ain't gonna play with ya 'nymore!''