Asymptomatic

There must be intelligent life down here

Burning the TV
February 17, 2012

London Bridge is falling downLet’s just get this out there right now: I watch way more TV than most of you. Yes, it rots my brain. Yes, I know that if I read or coded or did anything else I’d likely be a better person. And yet, I feel a certain need - call it an addiction - to the American OTC crack cocaine that is cable/broadcast television.

Suffice to say, I’m not satisfied with the status quo. Sure, I’d rather be a better person, or at least not be nailed to the couch like the typical American potato, but I’d also rather not pay for the privilege of having my brain rotted by the typical gutter-sludge quality of what passes for entertainment around here. So here’s the new plan: We’re going to cancel our TV subscription.

What Open Source Means To Me
February 17, 2012

I’ve been a strong open source advocate even since I discovered the movement for myself over 10 years ago, going by my online nickname “ringmaster”. People often scoff at how I can give my time up for free projects, but I see the benefit differently.

Last year, I quit my job to go out on my own, using open source as a tool, and all evidence says it’s worked out pretty well. Last October, I found myself in Melbourne, Australia, working as a contractor on a reasonably high profile project, with people I’ve met through my connections in open source.

Doubt
February 09, 2012

CPYesterday, I tried to explain this concept to Nana: How I wake up in the morning with certain knowledge in my head, and I don’t know where it came from. During the day, people pay me to tap that knowledge and make use of it. They act on my advice and, to me, it’s so strange that anyone would listen to what I say, much less make important decisions based on it. And I seem to have gotten to a point in my career that I can tell people they’re crazy for listening to me, and they still do so, in spite of my protestations.

But it’s doubt. Really.

Passport Two
February 08, 2012

Ugh. I’ve just concluded a day spent exclusively searching for my passport. I’m going on another trip to Australia, for work again. The folks at ACER seem to think it worthwhile to have me on-site for some of the more complicated things we’re doing this month, and I think that’s probably a good idea. But searching for the passport has been… an ordeal.

On the plus side, my office is cleaner than it has been in quite a while.

Rebuilding Civilization
February 08, 2012

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about a portion of a book by Vernor Vinge, A Deepness in the Sky, which describes a unique way that a civilization of interstellar traders, the Qeng Ho, deal with worlds they visit that do not meet their technical sophistication.

To quickly summarize: Imagine you are a member of a race that trades goods across stars. You set a course for where you find it likely to find intelligent life, hoping to find someone to trade good with, but are unsure exactly what you’ll find when you get there. Upon arrival, the intelligent life there hasn’t progressed beyond the bronze age. What do you do?