September 2009
10 posts
CSCI E-207 Week 4 Update →
I am going to need a LOT of luck. Harvard Extension CSCI E-207: Introduction to Computational Theory The first homework was very difficult. The second homework is just as hard, though starting…
CSCI E-131b Week 4 Update →
We are already in week four of the semester, yikes! And I am sorry that I have not been able to blog as often as I liked. Instead of a detail summary of the material that I am going over, I will…
CSCI E-168 Week 4 Update →
So far the R&R class has been pretty easy for me. Note: I was a little familiar with the language about four-five years ago so I have a bit of a leg up in early in the semester. I am learning a whole…
CSCI E-207 Introduction to Formal Systems and... →
Theory scares me. It is probably because I have tried to avoid it my entire life. Maybe it is because I consider myself a practical person, not a theoretical person. But to be honest that is not a…
CSCI E-168 Building Web-Based Software with Ruby... →
Introduction I decided to take the Ruby and Rails course because it’s been one of those things that I haven’t gotten around to. I feel like I’m so used to Python that picking up Ruby would make…
CSCI E-168 Building Web-Based Software with Ruby... →
Lecture Observations We’ll learn Ruby fundamentals, meta-programming, Rails fundamentals, Rails plugins, and Rails deployment.
We will not learn File I/O, Threading, Rails Internals.
Minaswan…
CSCI E-131b Communication Protocols and Internet... →
Lecture Observations To understand the internet architecture, you must understand the foundation.
The course is not a course on specific products (Cisco, etc).
It’s also not a programming course.
CSCI E-131b Communication Protocols and Internet... →
Conversions and Numbers 1 Byte = 8 bits Mbps is Mega-bits-per-second MB is Mega-bytes Kilo = 10^3 Mega (Mbps) = 10^6 Giga = 10^9 Speed of Light is 2.3 * 10^8 on a wire 100ms is a good…
Communication Protocols and Internet Architectures... →
For Fall ‘09, Harvard Extension is offering a Communication Protocols & Internet Architectures with Len Evenchik. The meetings are Mondays from 5:30-7:30 PM. I decided to take the class because…
from harvard import education →
I recently decided to start taking some Computer-Science classes at Harvard University’s Extension College. During the next three months I plan on sharing my education (as legally possible). If you…
August 2009
4 posts
Keeping your AppEngine projects loaded in memory →
After creating a new google app-engine project you might notice a delay when accessing your site. What gives?! You thought this was Google right? Stuff deployed on the app-engine should be…
Wave Rocks and Sucks because... →
So I was playing with wave and I was actually able to delete a few people’s conversations… Sorry! I really didn’t mean to… *sigh* While perusing a waves I came across one named …
Google Wave Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) →
I found this on a Wave and though it was worth putting up on a public blog. Cheers! WaveFAQ
This is a public FAQ. Please feel free to edit the top portion, keeping it clean and…
Google Wave First Impressions, Sorry Google! →
I recently logged onto Google Wave with my developer’s key and here are my initial and raw impressions. Please keep in mind that Wave is in a development state and any of the issues I may be…
Google App Engine (Java Flavor) and Google Wave →
Yesterday I began my journey using the Java-version of the Google App Engine. I love the Python implementation but I have noticed there are much more Java jobs out there than Python jobs. It’s super…
July 2009
14 posts
So you've written a .java file, now what? →
This is part of a series where I am posting a few of my common threads from the Introduction to Programming (Java) course that I’m teaching. After writing a .java file, there are a few steps that…
The Command Prompt →
There are a few threads I use every semester and I will be posting them on my blog for future reference. This blog covers accessing the command prompt. To open the command prompt in windows: …
Creating or Editing a Java File →
This is part in a series where I blog some of the common threads from my Intro to Programming course. Writing a Java program requires the use of a text-editor. And any will do actually.
Python Generators in Plain English →
A buddy of mine needed help understanding what a generator was in Python. He tried searching the web but unfortunately the web is not kind to the non-uber-technical. If you don’t want to read,…
WGBH Redesign →
Tomorrow, I’ll get the opportunity to talk to the WGBH folks. While doing a little bit of research I noticed that their homepage looked a little stale and decided to procrastinate and redesign it….
Getting Virtualenv to Run on Your Mac →
I’ve seen a lot of chatter on the django-user-groups about using the virtualenv utility. If you’re running multiple apps on various environments, maybe one on Django v96 and something slightly…
Installing pip and ipython on a Mac →
Way back when I met Alex Clemesha and Dorian Raymer, two talented surfers/pythonistas, who recommended iPython. For some reason I never knew of it and it became an indepensible tool when…
A Puzzling Take Home Interview Assignment →
If you really want a challenge, give the following a shot. I received it a while ago and I thought it was quite challenging… and oddly fun. For this assignment I was required to write a Java…
Stuff in a Cup, A Logic Interview Question →
Okay, so the interviewer didn’t prompt me with “stuff in a cup.” I’m certain it was marbles, pebbles, or maybe it was coins. Anyhoo, the question was: What’s the fastest way to determine which cup…
The Fibonacci Number, A Logic Interview Question →
I’ve seen a share of logic questions recently and I’d like to share and discuss them. Obviously, my answers aren’t the best out there but you may be able to use them to help you find some direction.
Interview Questions from a Government-Influenced... →
Occasionally the same questions come up but it’s nice when you get a few new ones thrown your way. Here are several questions that were prompted for a generic Software Engineering position. This…
Interview Questions from a Start-Up →
I have also recently had a phone-screen with a Start-Up located in the Boston metropolitan area. Here are the questions that were asked for a Python/Java related programmer position. Maybe when you…
Interview Questions from a Mid-Sized Company →
I’ve recently interviewed at a mid-sized company, probably best classified as a “Start-Up.” This took place near the Boston metropolitan area. Unfortunately, I may have not answered all of the…
June 2009
2 posts
Full Django support on the GAE, 1.2.3? →
Gosh… It looks like I have a lot of porting to do. Google just released the 1.2.3 version of the App Engine which includes full support for Django 1.0.2. What this means is that I can now ditch…
All I want in life is a 13” Macbook Pro…
May 2009
1 post
Naked Domains for Google App Engine, (WWW)ahoo! →
After several months of frustration, I can finally assign a Google App Engine project a www domain easily. No more URL Frames *shudders* or Redirects! Cheers!
In the past, when trying to…
April 2009
7 posts
The Bear Minimum - Decision Making, The If... →
What would you do if somebody asked you the question: Are you ready for some football?! If you like football, I’m sure you would say something like “I can’t wait, I looOOove the {{insert Team…
blip.fm is the new hotness. I’m @deadcakes, tune in!
The Bear Minimum - Variables and Simple Arithmetic →
In order to program, you need to be familiar with some basic algebra concepts even though you don’t need to be any decent at math. The following should make sense to you and you should be able to…
The Bear Minimum - Simple programs using "Hello... →
Whenever you try learning a new program language, I guarantee that you’ll run into the phrase “Hello World,” among others like “Foo Bar.” HelloWorld is a simple application that prints out a phrase…
The Bear Minimum - Finding and Installing the... →
In order to write code all you really need is a keyboard and a text-editor. You don’t need anything special at all! You can even write code with a pen and paper, but I doubt a computer would ever…
The Bear Minimum - Finding your path →
Since most people are Windows users, you will probably have to modify your path variable to make programming a little easier for you. If you’re using Ubuntu or OSX this should already be set up for…
The Bear Minimum - Introduction →
The Java programming language can be daunting to learn. Especially for you, someone with little to no programming experience! Learning a programming language is like learning a spoken language such…
March 2009
4 posts
One of my classes is starting today! It’s “Introduction to Programming,” I hope things start off well.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/21/health/research/21alcohol.html?_r=1&em
Darn, today I found out I’m not allowed to eat red meat or drink beer.
I hate coming back to work after a nice relaxing weekend to encounter a “WTH” problem. I think our SVN server may be out of space… I’ve never seen this issue before — “svn: Can’t open file […] Input/output error”
February 2009
21 posts
“Stick with what you know and travel light; if you only carry a hammer then all...”
– Roedy Green
“You don’t need great skill to write unmaintainable code. Just leap in and start...”
– No Skill Required - Roedy Green
Hmmm… will coolbook help keep my Air from overheating?
Programming on a MacBook Air →
I program. I plan systems. I build them. I design them. So why aren’t I using a MacBook Pro? The main reason for this is that I’m frugal and that I’m a coffee house junky. When I noticed that…
I got picked up next semester at UCSD-E. Want to learn Java or Python? Sign up: http://extension.ucsd.edu/studyarea/index.cfm?vAction=singleCourse&vCourse=CSE-40028
Posting from my Macbook Air
I love it! What a deal. Check it out, the Apple Refurb store. They have Airs at a great price.
40 impressive single page websites →
Hmm I wonder if I can get Yurlp on there… One of these days Donnie!
davidkaneda:
Great list — people really seem to focus on detail when they have one page to convey a message.