Hobbits In Rivendell

Caution Raised Ironworks

July 28, 2011

9:26 am

I wonder about this city. Really, I do. There have been some truly horrible potholes around the block, on my way to work. I’ve almost been hit by a car, which skidded after hitting one of them. Finally, after many months of enduring the potholes, the city has gotten around to repairing the road damage (only after having installed two new bike-lanes, mind you!).

I wonder about this city, though, not because they’re lame about repairing potholes, nor because they install bike lanes before they repair obvious damage to existing roads, but because they lay asphalt over top of utility covers. Yes, that’s right: they lay asphalt over top of utility access and then go back and have to cut away the freshly-laid asphalt.

Seems that there could be a solution to this, no? No. Makes work, I suppose.

-D

Patent? Copyright? Oh, no you didn’t!

by David T. Macknet

July 27, 2011

8:25 pm

3 Comments on Patent? Copyright? Oh, no you didn’t!

Rant

I’m disturbed a bit after having read this article: http://www.chicagolawyermagazine.com/Articles/2011/07/01/infotechcolumn-07-2011.aspx. Read the last paragraph and think upon what it really means for those of us who write code.

When I think about code, I think that, well, I wrote it. Sure, I wrote it when I was employed by XXX company. They have it, they “own” it. But do I not, also, own it? Why is it that copyright / patent law should be able to dictate that my prior employer owns my code exclusively? Can I not also own that code? After all is said and done, they still have that code. They still get the benefit of using that code. Why should it be that they get to slap some other company for using the same concepts?

The next company I work for will need for me to build the same kinds of things that I built for the last company (after all, I focus on companies who need my services and skills, and I’m very skilled in a very narrow area). I’ll no doubt use the same methodology as I used for the previous employer. Am I violating copyright by using the concepts inside my own brain? According to U.S. copright law, well, yes, I am. I’m “stealing” from my previous company.

I wrote the code. I thought of the code. And now I’m “stealing” the code. No – I really don’t think so.

In “the days of old,” coders would bring their code with them. That was one of the reasons people hired old coders: they’d have a wealth of code when they came. Today, though, such things are copyrighted / patented, so that the “old coder” is essentially no different from the “young coder” except that the “old coder” is … well, older, more likely to die, or retire. How is this better for the world? How does this improve things?

Copyright / Patent Law is entirely broken. Its purposes have been subverted for the profit of a few and only serve the interests of those few.

Copy at will.

Creative commons license: attribution, non-commercial, derivatives OK.

-D

When to Photograph

by David T. Macknet

July 24, 2011

12:52 pm

4 Comments on When to Photograph

Photography

Our friend over at Short Sights discusses whether it’s OK to take photographs, and the pressures on photographers by those who think it’s not OK to photograph something. It’s definitely a balancing act, knowing when it’s OK to photograph and when not. We’ve said that wherever we end up next I’m going to link up with a local paper & ask to take photos for them, just so that I can get a press pass – that might make some things better in the minds of those who complain. On the other hand, here in the UK that means that the photos I take would fall under a different section of the UK Data Protection Act … at least, if I were going to use them for commercial reasons.

I’ve had people come out and ask me about what I’m photographing (usually it’ll be the architecture), but mostly it seems that they’re interested in chatting about photography, rather than caring that I’m taking anything from them or that I shouldn’t be taking photos to begin with. There have been a few people who have complained in earnest, but they’ve generally been people without knowledge of the applicable laws. I usually approach them in several steps: 1) show them the picture I just took, 2) explain to them why I found it interesting, 3) explain to them that the Data Protection Act permits me to take such photos, 4) ask them if they want me to delete the photo (and then keep it anyway). Of course, when I’m speaking with them I’m careful to smile the “tourist smile” and to make sure that my accent sounds as “Hollywood” as possible: being a tourist seems to put people here in a different frame of mind and they’re much more helpful and forgiving.

Of course, when I’m trying to take candid shots of people I’ll usually just shoot without aiming and hope that I get something decent (as in the three women from the help-desk where I work, out for lunch, to the right). Sometimes I’ll resort to using a remote shutter-release cable, with the release in my pocket, so that people don’t even see my hands near the shutter-releases on the camera. Other times I’ll use T’s wee camera, as it doesn’t make any noise while shooting. That’s not to say that I’m doing something which I think to be wrong – just that people get weird about photography sometimes, and it’s much easier to not have to go through the rigamarole of them noticing that I’m shooting.

Short Sights also mentions that there are some things which you’d feel obligated to photograph, such as a riot or something. For me, that has meant shooting such things as Orange Marches, here in Scotland. Mostly, though, I try to avoid anything of the sort, even though I have insurance on the camera equipment. And there are times when I know that I’d be putting myself in a bad spot for taking photos, particularly as the world seems a bit crazy about the whole “terrorism” thing and has turned to terrorizing photographers in turn.

As the technology gets better and smaller, though, I think that it’s going to be inevitable that people will be able to photograph anywhere, at any time. The only people who will be singled out and punished are those of us with the large cameras, even though the resolution on them is not so great as the newer, smaller ones. So, how can we change the perception that a large camera means something different than a point-and-shoot? Perhaps on the next upgrade I’ll go with something truly wee, just to avoid the controversy.

-D

Links

by David T. Macknet

July 22, 2011

6:25 pm

1 Comment on Links

Links

I’m going to take a bit of a different approach to the links this week, and perhaps from here on out. T. points out that while I share what I find interesting, I’m not actually sharing my opinions of these things. So I’m going to make a bit more of an effort to get these out in smaller batches and to comment upon them as well, rather than simply pointing out one or two really cool links, although please do read Pneumatic logic board made entirely from wood doubles as desk/organ – a wooden computer / musical instrument is just … awesome!

I tend to follow things which are of interest to me as well as following things which are of interest to other people’s research. If there’s something that I’m leaving out which is of interest, please do let me know.
Continue reading “Links” →

Project Management: A photo essay

by TadMack

July 19, 2011

5:38 pm

6 Comments on Project Management: A photo essay

Miscellany

…let me take you down, ’cause I’m going to… Strawberry Fields… Just add a tiny bit of water, and a long, slow cooking time. Later, as little sugar as we can get away with, and this time we also added fragrant lime zest and juice, to preserve the color, as much as possible, and add a little bite in what can sometimes be just a bit too sweet. Both the strawberry sauce and the rich, dark preserves, sweetened with brown sugar, turned out beautifully.

Never at any other point in our lives are we judged as harshly or scrutinized as thoroughly as we are when we are in school. We met a guidance counselor for the university, who, finding that D. is a PhD candidate, remarked, “After completing a PhD, many students are relieved at the idea of 9-5 employment.” Indeed.

If you suddenly had the burden of the last 65,000 words or so lifted from your brain, you, too, might find yourself buoyed, and bewildered by the incredible lightness of your being (five points if you can identify the author within two seconds) (Sorry. Reflex. Was remembering school…). D. has often said that he’s a fairly simple person. “Either I’m happy, or I’m stressed.”

It’s so nice to see “happy” again.

(“Nice” is such an unbelievable understatement.)

So much to do these days suddenly emptied days – weddings to attend, fruit to find, flowers to photograph, random women to anoint with thick henna paste… Okay, wait. That last one we don’t advise just anyone try with any random woman. First, pick someone wearing shorts nearby, whom you can be certain won’t clock you one upside the head. Next, one must beguile said woman, and approach them whilst they are reading, and utterly ignoring everything but their book. Then, the ensuing grunt of assent means that as long as you can get them to hold their book or pick-and-tap on the computer one-handed, one can do whatever one pleases with the other hand. Or, leg, as the case may be…

The librarians smile when we come in with our huge bag. We, who were weekend regulars for two years suddenly vanished for the last two. They may have wondered at our reappearance, thinking us gone back to our country, but no. We only just now have realized how circumscribed our lives had become, under the burden of student budgeting, stress, work, and more stress. Reading absolute nonsense from the new fiction section makes a weekend afternoon feel like a holiday.

And so the summer – thunderstorms and rain showers notwithstanding – finds us savoring various projects. How are you?

Links

by David T. Macknet

July 13, 2011

3:57 pm

Pretty Ships, etc.

by David T. Macknet

July 10, 2011

11:22 pm

Leave a comment on Pretty Ships, etc.

Glasgow

Another weekend, another wedding. Huzzah! Fortunately, we were merely guests at this shindig, which meant we enjoyed our time, and actually put down the camera! We only brought the small one, too, so that some of us would not be tempted to go the Unofficial Photographer route, *cough.* Chatting with friends over the scrumptious reception meal – an all vegetarian spread, for once! – gave us the comfortable feeling of being at a church potluck. Bemused, we went home to get out of our shiny, sequined outfits. (Well, some of us had sequins and gold beads and ribbons. The rest of us wore a dashing Bond-esque tux.)

It was a ceremony of “smells and bells,” as our friend C. put it – a lot of lovely incense, and bells, but we didn’t have quite the understanding of the service, although we had the program in English, and the priest – whose English was staggering under the weight of only six months in the UK – did his best to make sure we were all with him as he went along.

So, this was wedding #2 during which the couple participated in faith rituals that they did not believe or share. We couldn’t help but remark on the similarities to the last wedding. The couples both shared the same half-anxious, half-amused expressions, the same fumbling responses, the same bemused glances at the priest’s explanations. They endured a language they didn’t understand, and rituals they don’t profess, and why? T said it over dinner, “Well, these guys really love their parents…”

From the showers of flower petals to the ghee-drizzled fire to the incense and the rice tossing, it was an unique cultural experience. We were glad to be invited, and came away with plenty to consider.

Post-wedding, a lovely long – sunny! – afternoon stretched before us, so we decided we wanted to go to the shore. This weekend was the midpoint of the Tallship Regatta, and we went with our friend C. out to Greenock to look at the tall ships. Many of the ships set out from Waterford, Ireland last Tuesday, and have been making their way to the Firth of Clyde for the races which were held all weekend long. With their sails furled, they weren’t as interesting to T., but D. and C. happily swanned through all 800,000 attendees (or so it seemed) to photograph every angle while T. quietly mutinied.

The waterfront was absolute madness with all of the people (and the bands, and the food vendors, and the craft fair and the midway and the food stalls). It was also a bit crazy to see all of the masts jumbled together, gathered from all over the world just for this weekend. From Americans to Australians to Norwegians to Russians, there were sailors on hand in uniforms of every stripe, massive peaked caps, the small bowl type, and somehow, every fifth pedestrian was either a pirate or a sea captain. All that was lacking were peg legs and parrots…

The clouds were piled high, like sculpted whipped cream, which meant that it was quite windy. Fortunately, although it was very sunny, and freckles popped up and skin bronzed, we never got overheated. Indeed, C. kept saying that it was “fresh,” which is apparently a euphemism for “freezing in the shade!” The color of the sky, the water, and just the general fairground atmosphere of flags whipping in the breeze was just lovely, though. We wish that we’d been able to see the ships sailing, but driving around through the countryside was itself a treat. Just to get away from the city seems to be something we’ve forgotten how to do! – To take a small break from the work and worry of wrapping up PhD studies and wondering where we’ll land next was just what we needed.

The PhD Thesis / Dissertation (if you’re in the UK it’s the former; in the US it’s the latter) has been sent to D’s supervisors for a final review prior to submission to the committee. Depending upon who’s counting, it’s either just over 66,000 words or just under 104,000 words … and it’s supposed to be between 70 and 100,000 words. Sigh. So to be within the letter of the rules, it’s either 1) expand the text by 4,000 words or 2) cut out an appendix. Here’s hoping that neither of those are the option and it’s accepted as is for submission!

-D & T

Wordle

by David T. Macknet

July 7, 2011

7:17 pm

2 Comments on Wordle

Glasgow

As the end of this PhD thing approaches (I submit a hopefully-final draft to my supervisors on Monday), it occurred to me that it’d been quite some time since I did a Wordle of my work. Below are the two earlier wordles and the one from today. I suspect that there’s not going to be much changing about the thesis, or at least not enough new words added to affect the wordle.

February 9, 2009

July 3, 2009

July 7, 2011

After this next run-through with the supervisors I’ll do any corrections they think I need and will hopefully be able to submit that for the viva. The viva will take place sometime between September and October, I’ll do any corrections arising from the viva, and am expected to graduate in November.

-D

Links

by David T. Macknet

July 6, 2011

7:51 pm

Oxford Did WHAT?

by David T. Macknet

June 29, 2011

10:27 pm

5 Comments on Oxford Did WHAT?

Rant

As Leila points out, some enfeebled, grammar-deficient numpty has decided that Oxford University no longer requires the Oxford Comma. True, it’s only their “branding” people who have been given the go-ahead to be tumshies, but you’d think that somebody would have at least given it a bit of thought!

I suppose that expecting marketing to actually, oh, consult a grammarian is asking a bit much? The Oxford Comma serves to separate items in a list. Without it, lists become unclear.

There are clearly three items in this list:

The fashionable colors are red, green, and blue.

There may be either two or three items in this list:

The fashionable colors are red, green and blue.

The first example is the “Oxford Comma” – it tells you that the list keeps on going and consists of three items. The “and” in there just makes things flow a bit better, but really is optional; it’s perfectly valid to say:

The fashionable colors are red, green, blue.

True, we may not be accustomed to hearing things spoken without that “and,” but I’ve certainly used sentence constructs without the optional “and” and had them not stand out as awkward – because I was using the Oxford Comma as it’s intended and knew that the silly “and” wasn’t the important bit; the Oxford Comma was!.

This rant isn’t about standards, nor resisting change in standards. This rant is about language as an exact tool, being used to convey an exact meaning. If it ceases to function in that manner – if you’re using finger-paints instead of a drafting pencil – then language becomes even more ambiguous and communication becomes more difficult. Leave out punctuation if you want to be intentionally obtuse, or poetic, or vague; if you want to communicate clearly, learn to use it properly!

What next? Will Oxford perhaps abandon the apostrophe? Will they not see the need to distinguish between plural, singular-posessive, and plural-posessive? I don’t know why I even bother. Numpties.

-D

Glasgow:
NY:
Grinnell:
Roswell:
Berkeley: