Dear @CDP1802, I hope you don't mind if I use these two gems in my presentation. They really cracked me up, and at the same time are so true!!!

I wanted to ask for some advice. I am kind of at a standstill - split between just stopping whatever it is I am learning or continuing to dig through it. Introduction First of all let me tell you about my programming skills. I've come from university where we did only a tiny bit of "real" java programming. Most of it was exercises. For my first and second jobs I've used mostly python + django which I still use at every opportunity. However, at my current job - I use a lot of java. Now - coming back to it after 5 years, I find a lot of good things about it. I really like the pure interfaces, generics, enum classes, Collections and more. But I find it hard to figure out which technologies I should learn. Or which are worth learning. So now comes my problem. Recently (about 1 month ago) - I stumbled onto OSGI spec, and some presentations about it. I became really interested in it. Conceptually it sounds great. There is just something elegant about it that I can't explain. I've read the first version R1 Spec - and I must say I actually liked it. I mean - I have never read a spec for anything before, but this one I actually understood. When I started looking for an implementation of OSGI - I found multiple ones out there. I've read the OSGI Equinox book - but found it way to complicated, bogged down in Eclipse-specific details and very hurried towards the end. Then I came across the wonderful free book by Neil Bartlett called OSGI in Practice - which I am almost done reading. I must say it is a gem. It backs away from Eclipse-specific way of explaining things and teaches you things incrementally. Questions Ok, after explaining all that my question is "What next"? I mean should I proceed with development using Equinox or Felix OSGI implementations or look for some kind of framework built on top of these implementations? I have started looking at Spring Source DM (or tc? I am confused by their naming). Spring Source docs say that I should stay away from pure OSGI - as it is too complicated, so I can make to many mistakes and also Spring Source dm is better. However after being shocked by the sheer amount of download size, it's own server, maven requirement and configurations that I had to install - I quickly changed my mind about Srping Sourc

You actually made me google that heading... how dare you make up news like that!

Did anyone have a chance to look at the http://gr1d.org/ site? Supposed to be some kind of "programming game". Got it in the newsletter today... EDIT: I'm asking cause the site is down it seems.

The podcast I'm listening to (Security now with steve gibson) swears by Spinrite hard-drive repair/recovery. Supposedly after running that on his laptop it may even boot: SpinRite

You know what's cross platform? Da web! Just write a web app that will use your old code and your are done. GUI design? Throw together some html and css. As good as any UI library that is cross-platform, if not better. Cost? 0

Text file. Version controlled. Done. Next problem?

Oh my, one more manager in the world is born... I've used fogbugz before. They have some nice features, and are much more pleasant to use for programmers than any other issue trackers out there: http://www.fogcreek.com/fogbugz/[^] I am sure you could wrangle in some requirements in there.

Sooner or later someone has to mention it: Vi Gvim (for windows): http://www.vim.org/download.php#pc In windows I set gVim as default thing to open .py, .html, .tex files, but use Notepad2 for my .txt. In linux it's vi or gvim for everything.

Haha.. so true..

That's a nice chart! I think that anything in 16:10 (8:5) is the nicest looking. My 24" monitor is 1920x1200 while my tiny laptop is 1280x800.

Hello, I am not sure how applicable my advice would be to you, but I was also looking for a "perfect" financial app. The solution I propose may sound strange and I thought so as well at first, but for the last few months I've got great use out of it. What's more is I keep using it cause it's kinda rewarding to see the moneys u spent, whereas with previous desktop apps I end up using them for a week and give up because they were too time consuming, frustrating or complicated. Anyways I remommend EasyMoney for Android. Yes it's a mobile application. But let me say that it beats any quick-shmoooks-money hands down. It has budgets, bill reminders and your transactions. Link Advantages over conventional desktop app: 1. much faster startup 2. easier user interface 3. don't have to wait to get home to enter a transaction 4. easy to check the status of your financers/balance anytime 5. allows me to set and check my budgets on the go 6. has some reporting built it Oh yah, and you get a nice chrismas present too, by gettting Android phone for it ;-) I recommend the magic, but if you like the expandable keyboard go with G1.

Well, this is when I stop arguing. If all your experience is real I surrender!

Nickolay Karnaukhov wrote:

Since then I mainly working with two fields in web development: PHP+MySQL and ASP.NET(C#&VB)+MSSQL.

In this I can offer you only my condolences. I don't wish either of those (php/asp.net family) onto anybody. Out of curiosity - have you tried python?

A hoy! I'm originally from Ukraine, chernivtsy :-) I am not sure I am smart enough to tell a distinction between a good or "real" programming language and a bad or a "fake" one. Maybe you have the experience with a few of them? Which ones did you personally use? I think it is not so much a language as the programmer. If you pick up a book like "Code Complete", you'll see that there is a different between programming "in" a language (using only the features that the language has) and programming "into" a language (making up for the "missing" features using good practices). Now, I think today, almost all of the so called "bad/fake" languages you refer to, are grown-up over the years and matured enough to actually support good programming practices.

Right... :doh: I don't know how I missed that obvious definition! Hm.. one thing bugs me though. Guide is more bearded than Bjarne. What gives? Do you meat to tell me that.. that ... C++ is not real, and it was python all along???!!!

"between managed/interpreted languages and real ones" Oh wow, that one made me chuckle in the office. do enlighten us about those real languages pleaaase! :^)

Youtube link or it didn't happen! X|

Which work of Emerson is that quote from?

I have. If you use anything else then windoze that's what you get!

Piece of junk. Make sure it damn works everywhere first that roll it out. What's more, this crap is now used in many websites, for things that don't even require it. Must the world learn the flash lessons all over again? http://twitpic.com/2oegl[^]