I started to be interested in programming since I was about 14 years old. As I remember, this passion came out from my passion for computer games. I wondered, how people can create wholes worlds. So I started to mess around with computer and I discovered they are much more complicated then just games. I always get fun from creating something and the process of creating with computer gives the unlimited possibilities. Now there are three major things about programming that turn me on:
- The passion for creation things and generate visible results.
- The passion for solving problems.
- Making people just a bit happier – I like to know that someone uses the results of my efforts (and I like to get feedbacks, too).
What kind of bridge would you like to build over Atlantic?
Photo by Julian Nitzsche
We all know well beam bridges, cantilever bridges, arch bridges, suspension bridges, cable-stayed bridges and truss bridges. But the main question is – why there is no bridge over Atlantic.
The thing is to put the goal at the first place. If you need to reach USA from France, you don’t need a bridge. You’d better to take a jet.
It is weird that a lot of people still construct the bridges over Atlantic. They think in terms of functions and implementations details but not goals. It is weird and sad – it takes a lot of time and energy to resist these people.
We are glad to announce an major update of our Talerka iOS application project.
It supports iPad (including The new iPad) and English localization (including all recipes’ texts).
Android version will be updated soon as well.
I discovered a strange bug with indexed png on the new iPad (aka iPad 3) and I wish to share my knowledge.
The problem was the strange line at the bottom of the image on retina (@2x) image in indexed png format. Here is the graphical explanation of a problem:
The black line is not a part of image itself; it is an artifact of the New iPad drawing subsystem (CoreGraphics?). The worst thing that in the Simulator everything looked fine, and I have no the New iPad to test on… So some time passed before I figured out what was happening. I replaced images by RGB png (thank you, ImageMagick!) and everything was OK.
To convert indexed png into RGB png install ImageMagick (via ports):
$ sudo port install imagemagick
and use script (it takes all PNGs in the current directory, converts them into RGB and also removes alpha channel by making background white):
#!/bin/bash
for f in *.png
do
filename=$(basename "$f")
extension=${filename##*.}
filename=${filename%.*}
echo converting ${filename}.$extension
mogrify "./${filename}.$extension" -type TrueColorMatte -background white -flatten +matte -type TrueColor -define png:color-type=2 -depth 8
done
To represent the user experience after update up to Mac OS X Lion imagine someone switched brake and accelerator pedals in your car
I’m not a big chief, but while looking from the bottom to the top I can give advices (good and obvious as always).
Hey, guys at the top! People at the bottom (regular managers, programmers and other staff like me) are taking an example from you.
This is important for you to know that, because we are trying to be the same as you (and you want us to work harder).
If your are watching youtube videos on your working place – don’t be surprised that the productivity fell down (we are watching youtube just like you).
If you are eating bad fast food right at your table – don’t wonder why we are carrying the same shit to ours places (and why ambulance takes us away. Fast food leads to gastric ulcer).
There are a lot of books describing “how to make people work” and “how to motivate people” but the best way is to show them an example.
I had a clash about credits in my program some time ago.
The company that ordered this program from me strictly prohibited to notice my name and my site in the credits.
I signed up, but I can’t say I share this position and I would like to explain, why (maybe, Eugene is reading this article right now and it will change his mind? This is one of the reasons why I’m writing this post, by the way).
I will not touch the questions of law and ethics of the credits prohibition (although, from the side of law and ethics the problem can be resolved easier).
I will explain my position from the side of the potential prohibiter – the businessman, who do not now should he give credits or not.
So, why credits prohibition is a weak position for you business?
Let’s find out the possible reason of such behaviour. (Leave aside the possible messy design of the “About” screen; there are a lot of ways to solve this problem).
I see the only one strong reason – the wish to hide the names (and contacts, thanks to Facebook) of the workers.
So the question is “why do I want to hide the names of the workers”.
The best reason that I invented is “I’m afraid that my potential customers will address directly to my worker(s), not to my company”.
This is a fail for a number of reasons:
- There should be an obvious reason why the customers should appeal to your company. If there is no such a reason – I have a bad news for you: you are out (it’s just a matter of time). There are some ways to create a program: you can hire programmer or order an application from a software company. There many reasons why the second way is often preferable. You should make accent on these reasons and do not try to kill all freelancers in the world.
- You assume that your workers can compete with your company and even win in this competition. If this is really true, your business is in danger, because looks like that you are not in it (but if your company is more than just a simple sum of its parts then you are ok). From other side you are turning your workers against yourself. “If he thinks that I’m as strong as he, I am strong as he.” You lost at the moment when you started to compare your business and you workers.
- Business is some kind of collaboration, isn’t it? By rejecting the idea of showing the names of your workers your are giving a message to them that they are not a part of the team (and you are turning them against you, again).
- You should be proud of your workers and provide their names proudly in your product. The workers should be proud of working in a such nice company and proudly observe their names in the credits list. There is no intersection of interests: the interests of the company do not intersect with the interests of the workers (until one your workers decides to raise his own business). You can promote your workers, they will glorify you – and everyone will be happy.
I’m not sure if the idea of competition between worker(s) and company is right. By the way, this is the only reason I found out.
Maybe you have other ideas?
– How long will take this task to do?
– That’s depends on what kind of programmer we will hire.
– Let’s take we will hire average programmer.
– Are you serious??
Are you kidding me? The best programmer cost two times more than average and produces ten times more product.
With average programmers, we will never be the best.
I’m proud to announce the first version of Talerka application for iOS, maden with Andrey Azarov. I was glad to work with Andrey. That was a very interesting experince, and I hope that work on iPad verson will be even cooler! So enjoy Andrey’s site, dedicated to food’s recipts and install our new application. Hope you’ll like it! Note: iPad version as well as english translation will be available soon.
I made a small investigation of iOS device and version usage.
I did not count devices older than iPhone 3G and iOS older than 3.2, but according to http://www.marco.org/2011/08/13/instapaper-ios-device-and-version-stats-update their part is lesser than 2%.
Here are the results:
iPhone devices statistic:
Only 6% users use iPhone 3G and 2-th generation iPod and the major part (3/4) maiden up by iPhone 4/iPhone 4S.
iOS version statistic:
Almost 3/4 of users switched to iOS 5 as well.
So I think that the conclusion is simple: if you are not Facebook or Google and if you have no enough resources to support older iOS version, drop of the support of old devices and iOS version. Do not waste your time and efforts to support iOS older then 4.0 and to optimize your code to run smoothly on device older than iPhone 3GS. Or read this perfect article by Joel about drums and software optimization.
I picked up and accordion and do not regret.
