Tag Archive
for Geek
Tagged as: Geek, Useful
Apr
15
You might have heard of a wiki. Then again, you also might not have heard one it. It’s a method of displaying user-modifiable content. That is, it can be changed by the people looking at it. This is different than things like this blog where I and I alone get to write. The wiki has been gaining notoriety since it allows the collaboration of knowledge, especially over the Internet.
The name wiki gets its name from Ward Cunningham, developer of the very first wiki. It’s actually Hawaiian in origin (wiki means fast), but you can read more about that at Wikipedia’s (appropriate since it’s one of the most well known wikis) page on the wiki.
The TiddlyWiki
So now that we’ve got the foundation knowledge in place, I wanted to share about the TiddlyWiki. (It still strikes me as an amusing name.) It is touted as a personal non-linear personal web notebook. I like to think of it as a central place where you can store whatever you want. It’s pretty easy to use after some initial adjustment. It is a single html file just like any old webpage.
To use it just open it up in any web browser, and you’re ready to go. Double-click on things to change them, and you can start creating new tiddlers (entries) and deleting ones that you don’t need. Saving your changes saves the information into that exact same html file. So all of the data and the framework are contained within a single file. As long as you have a web browser, you can modify your file. And what computer out there doesn’t have some sort of a web browser nowadays?
This file is the perfect size for a portable usb drive. It starts off empty at about 250KB, but it doesn’t grow all that quickly since only the new text that is added is stored.
The TiddlyWiki is a method that is open to different uses. And there are many.
Some uses for TiddlyWiki
- Web Journal - save links and articles that you find online
- Blog - extremely easy to write and publish (just put the html file on a web server and it’s published)
- Personal Journal - just have the file with you wherever you are, and it’ll be safe from prying eyes
- Collaborate on projects - one person can write and the changes will be instantly available for anyone else to see
There are many ways to store information. You could write it on paper, you could just remember everything, you could use a Microsoft Word document, whatever. So here are some reasons why you’d use a TiddlyWiki instead of one of those other methods.
Advantages of TiddlyWiki
- Basic tags (which allow you to quickly see all entries with a particular tag)
- Quick searching as you type into the search box
- Self-contained (it’s a single file)
- Portable (I guess that’s always relative, but it’s small in size)
- Interactive feel
Server-side Implementations
Personally I’ve been using a version of this that’s on my server. I tried a couple of different products, but MiniTiddlyServer was the easiest and most straightforward for my PHP-enabled server. All I needed to do was download the zip file, put it onto my server, and off I went! Update: Check out my own TiddlyWiki
For those without their own server, TiddlySpot seems like a reasonable free solution.
Tagged as: Amusing, Geek, Seen-Around
Feb
15
The common thought is that nerds, geeks, and dorks are one and the same. However, I don’t think so. Semantics, shemantics, you say.
Although they seem very similar, I’m gonna have to go with a “yeah I don’t think so.” Looking them up online doesn’t provide definitive results, but I am still convinced. (Looking them up online does prove amusing because apparently the first definition of nerd is “a stupid, irritating, ineffectual, or unattractive person.” Stinks to be called unattractive in the dictionary.)
First off, the most important thing to note with any of these terms is that they can have both negative and positive connotations. I think that it mainly depends on your self-awareness. So if someone calls you a nerd, and you think of yourself as a nerd, then it’s not so bad. However, if you think that you’re a cool guy and you get called a nerd, all is not right with the world. As in many things in life, the failing of some expectation will result in your disappointment. And sadness. And low self-esteem. You get the point.
Alright so back to the matter at hand. (Hm I thought there was a rap song with “back to the matter at hand,” but I can’t find the song, let alone one that I could listen to in order to verify that. So…you get a small lame comment about how I tried and failed to remember a rap song of old.) Okay back to it, really now.
Here is the breakdown of the different types (at least in my mind):
- Nerd - intelligent, industrious, understands things
By day I’m a software engineer. (By night a superhero, but that’s another matter.) So I’m obviously a little biased if I give a good definition for a word and also remind everyone that it can describe me. But whatever, it’s what I actually think.
Some computer programmers (but by no means all of them) generally tend to be of the sort of people that want to delve deeper into understanding issues than others would. They want to truly understand how something works rather than just settling for using the end product. In the case of computer programming, while everyone else is content with looking at websites, using applications, and generally enjoying the products of the computer programming, the programmers themselves are working to create those products. And if they’re not creating them, then they’re trying to understand them.
Some of them might not be like that, but those are the kind that will end up not being very good at what they do. Those are the ones that do not have Professional Integrity. They’ll also end up being your boss, but more on that later.
In a general sense, nerds can be from all different backgrounds. But I think that they can generally be described as someone who is willing to study and do the work in order to learn the stuff. I’m not quite sure that someone who is naturally gifted with intelligence but who doesn’t utilize it can be categorized as a nerd. No, I take that back. They cannot be categorized as a nerd. They’re just smart and lazy. Really, how much worse can you get? I think that most people would rather be dumb and hard-working than smart and lazy.
Nerds can often be found in libraries, hunched over books, or wondering aloud about their surroundings. “Nerd” seems to be used most often in a complimentary way when describing others.
Someone can very well be a nerd, and you wouldn’t be able to tell from the outside appearance. The stereotype of the nerd is a skinny guy with glasses and a pocket protector. But something that I learned in college is that the surfer dude can be just as much of a nerd as the stereotype. He just hides it better. Much better.
The unfortunately sad thing about the term nerd is that it doesn’t just apply to those that work hard. They actually have to be good at whatever it is that they’re doing, whether school or work. Someone that works hard but who still is not as successful is just that, a hard worker. (Of course, a hard worker is still better than a smart lazy person.)
Basically, nerds rule. They’re even better when they know that they’re nerds and are not socially inept.
- Geek - Interested in things that others are not interested in, know a lot about their interests, but usually do not understand underlying principles
So I mentioned before when talking about nerds that there are computer programmers who will end up not being very good at programming. Unlike the more kindly description that I have above about nerdy computer programmers, these geek programmers fall into another category. And yeah, that category is lower.
Courtesy of Flickr user ClausM
In their work they will do things that they have no idea the meaning of. Unfortunately, they will sometimes correctly stab in the dark and get something right. That will only reinforce their thinking that their way is working. Stumbling, somehow they manage to get others to help them so that they eventually finish whatever it is that they’re doing.
I generally liken geeks more to IT (Information Technology) type of people rather than computer programmers. These are the people that know how to use a computer very well, but who would not be able to program “Hello World.” They can fiddle with and modify settings and properties to no end. They love computers, but they don’t actually know how a computer works. Of course, not all IT folks are like this. In my experience, it just seems like they can more generally be described this way.
Even beyond the IT people, geeks can be interested in a wide spectrum of topics. They will often be interested in technology-related things. I think that it’s because not everyone understands these things. Since geeks do not have skills in some areas of life, they want to have an area of expertise where others could not compare to them.
So yes, geeks are the types of people that are not only interested in Star Trek, but who will also dress up to go to the premiere. They’ll also buy collector cards, read forums online, and read every single book about Star Trek. Obsess much? Yes they will. But you don’t know where the Klingon Galaxy is located relative to our current position in space, do you??
Geeks come in all shapes and sizes. Of course, those are usually the odd shapes and sizes. They are generally not as hard to spot as the nerds because of their disregard for what others think of them. Their clothes don’t match, and they might occasionally offend others with their insufficient personal hygiene.
Still, geeks have their strong points. They are dedicated to what they like. They don’t really care that much what other people think about them. And they generally rule the Internet. However, they don’t rule sports, social situations, or tangible environments. They’re awkward in situations that they’re not accustomed to (like the aforementioned) and tend to do things that give away their geekdom like go on incessantly about their favorite topic when the real topic is something entirely different.
- Dork - Foolish, stupid, clumsy
There’s not really any two-ways about it, “dork” is not too good of a term. Obviously if someone is using it in an endearing fashion, it’s not too bad. And if someone says it about themselves, it’s usually in an amusing and self-deprecating way. But the term itself doesn’t have too much positive spin on it.
Dorks are the type of people who will do silly things. That’s not to say that they’ll necessarily be the ones making grand gestures to make people laugh. But they are comfortable enough with themselves to do things like put a “dork” box on their head and laugh at themselves.
If the dork is aware that they are a dork, then it’s funny. If they’re not aware, then it’s painful to watch such a socially uncomfortable person try to get by. Now I’m not sure whether they feel awkward or if they feel at ease with themselves in those situations. All I know is that it’s sometimes hard for me to watch.
Once again, there are good traits in the dork. The self-aware dork is able to not take themselves too seriously. They are able to do what they want without caring about others’ opinions. And even the dork who is not self-aware is able to make others feel more comfortable simply because of their silliness. Nobody feels the fool when they’re next to someone who is more foolish.
The funny thing is, I’m all of these things.
Tagged as: Geek, Learn, Software
Oct
25
Hard drives consist of many bits, configured in a particular way (of which the explanation is far far beyond the scope of this blog post). But needless to say we like to view the hard drive as a block of space that we can store things in. The hard drives each have partitions setup on them, the most common case being a single partition for the operating system and all of the data.
However this is not exactly what a lot of people want. Sometimes they want different partitions because they want different operating systems on the same computer, but more often it’s just because they want some kind of division between their data and their operating system, applications, etc. For more reasons, check out the purpose of partitioning according to wikipedia.
When you install an operating system for the first time, it has a partitioning tool that allows you to choose how you want to partition your new hard drive. Well often if you buy your computer retail then they’ve already set it up for you. But if you were to actually go through the entire process yourself, then you’d likely partition the hard drive with the operating system installer’s tool.
But then, what if your hard drive is currently set up differently than you want? What do you do once your data is all over your drive? Well you have a couple of choices. You can either completely format (and erase) your hard drive and start from scratch. This is obviously not going to be your first choice if you have data on your hard drive already as that would involve backing up and restoring all of your data. That seems like a rather long process unless you’re having serious errors and really do want to start from scratch (which is sometimes the desired outcome). So the other option is to use some software to re-partition your hard drive while maintaining your data.
Norton PartitionMagic Replacement
Many people know about Norton PartitionMagic in order to do exactly this task. But after eschewing that (in my mind) expensive software, I would highly encourage everyone to check out the free and open source Parted Magic. That is what I used! It’s a LiveCD (which means that you download it, burn it on a cd, insert it into your computer, and boot off the CD. It utilizes the Gparted application for the partitioning duties.
It was a snap to use when I recently upgrade my Ubuntu installation from Feisty Fawn (7.04) to Gutsy Gibbon (7.10) (don’t you love the alliterative names, I know that I do).
In order to use just:
- Defrag your hard drive
- Download the .iso image
- Burn to a CD as a disk image
- Insert into computer
- Boot to the CD (you might need to change a BIOS setting or two in order to do this)
- Create, resize, modify your partitions and keep your data intact!
Tagged as: Geek, Internet
Oct
22
With Google increasing the size of Gmail to a bit less than 4 GB last week, I got to thinking about them as a company. They’re ubiquitous to anyone in a developed country because they are the de facto standard for search engines as of today. And they’re good at what they do, they’re real good.
However they’re obviously not all knowledgeable or almighty. They’re not God. Although I suppose that they could be a god to some. Anyways, not everything that they do is superior. But the fact that there is so much Fanaticism about Google that you should get an indication that something is up. And I’m not down with that. (Ha…ha…I guess that I still get amused by things like Up Or Down, Same Difference.)
Whatever the case, I know that for me they’re taking over more and more of my Internet profile. They have my e-mail with Gmail, they are starting to get some of my documents with Google Documents, they have a lot of my searching (although as of late I’ve been trying to be Winning With Blingo instead of going directly through Google), search all over the place with Google Maps, and I use Google Reader to peruse my RSS feeds. Update: I forgot about the obvious Google Analytics, Google AdSense, and the now Google-owned FeedBurner that I use for this blog. That’s a lot of Google products if you ask me.
But even more than the fact that Google is being used so often, they scare me for other reasons. The fact that they are creating portions where you are required to have a Google login (such as collaborating on documents) is understandable but at the same time rather monopolistic-leaning if you ask me. I’d wish that they’d allow create methods by which to create opportunities for people without having to create Google logins (easy as that may be). People need/want/love choice. And some people choose not to have a Google account. Arguments that they don’t need to use shared collaboration ignore the fact that they might need to. And then there are even scarier things like Google Web History (where they keep track of everything that you access from their site) and impinge on my personal life while also laying down the path to even scarier types of behavior.
I can see how as they get bigger and try to innovate, they could tread on territory that I’d much rather they stayed far away from. Somethings are more important than having perfectly relevant ads or a computer that can predict what you want to know.
Their well-known unofficial motto is “Don’t Be Evil,” I can’t help but get the feeling that the change of evil increases as corporations do. And Google is getting to be the big boy on the block. As big of a proponent as I might be for capitalism at work, that doesn’t mean that I always need to support the entities involved. I’m keeping my eye on you, Google.
Tagged as: Geek, Mac, Software
Sep
25
Well after Unboxing My MacBook Pro, I got right on getting my new computer setup the way that I wanted it. A big part of this is downloading and installing applications that I want to use. Macs are often purported to be ready to use out of the box. While generally true, there are many areas where I already knew of a application that I preferred to use over the installed one (if the installed functionality even existed). For those interested, I’ve included a list of the programs that I installed. Check it out and maybe you’ll find something useful for yourself!
Oh and I grouped the applications into categories so adding up the number to 17 might take a little bit of mental math on your part. Then again, you could just take my word for it.
- Utilities
- Quicksilver - A very popular application that allows you to access a lot of things through a single interface. It allows you to treat things as objects, which is very cool and very useful.
- Virtue Desktops - A virtual desktop application that has cool effects. Unfortunately this project is no longer under development because of the impending Spaces feature of the next version of Mac OS X (Leopard). It’s still a good one, though.
- smcFanControl - Monitor and increase the speed of your fans. This is pretty useful to use on my MBP because even though it seems stable, it can get hot. I raise the fan RPM for higher load situations.
- Monolingual - On suggestions, I realized that there was unnecessary space taken up by localization files. Found this easy-to-use program that will remove the localization files for all of your applications! Saved a couple of GB.
- AppCleaner - When you delete things on a Mac, they give you the impression that you’re completely done. That there’s no hassle of “uninstalling” programs like in other operating systems. But that’s not entirely true. They will actually leave things behind. Use this free application to completely remove applications when you want to get rid of them!
- Productivity
- Open Office - This free cross-platform suite of office programs is great! This requires that X11 be installed as well, but in truth this is an excellent substitute for purchasing Microsoft’s suite. Check it out at least before purchasing MS Office for a large amount of money (compared to free).
- Web
- Firefox - The (now) ubiquitous open-source web browser is a must. I would try Camino (and I still might), but I love the extensions on Firefox too much at this point.
- Adium - The Mac OS X port of the popular Gaim (now Pidgin) chat client.
- CyberDuck - A great FTP and SFTP browser. If you don’t know what FTP and SFTP are, then you won’t need this, but if you do then this is absolutely a good application to look into.
- Programming
- Xcode Developer Tools - A necessary first step if you want to develop applications for Mac OS X. It’s an Integrated Development Environment that I’ve only tinkered with to make some sample apps but with which I fully intend to use in the future.
- Aquamacs - My favorite text editor (Emacs) lives as a fully native port to Mac OS X. Nice. Really, really nice.
- iTerm - Some nice features (tabbed sessions, bookmarks) to have on top of the default Terminal.
- Media
- GIMP for Mac OS X - The best full-featured, open-source image modification program I know. Needed to install X11 from the Install DVD, but that’s no big deal. Don’t think that they’re going to make a Cocoa version of this, but I just found GTK+ for Mac OS X so that GTK+ apps (like GIMP) can run the apps without X11. Maybe I’ll try to see if I can help out with that project…
- VLC Media Player - This media player can handle anything and everything (okay almost) that you throw at it.
- iRecord - Going to (haven’t yet) use this program to schedule and use my MBP as a Digital Video Recorder through my cable box. What does that mean? Hopefully being able to record HD content to my MBP! VLC is necessary for this task as well.
- Audacity - An excellent program for recording and modifying audio. Pretty necessary for me right now since I’m in the process of digitizing a good-sized vinyl record collection.
- Handbrake - A DVD ripper. Never used, but have heard lots about. Will be useful if I want to watch a DVD without taking the DVD with me.
I’ll probably have another post about getting interested in setting myself up with programs that will help in utilizing cross-platform applications. Let me know if you have any others to add, and I’ll consider using it if it suits me. Found any of these to be useful and you hadn’t heard of them before? I’d love to hear (and I’m sure the developers of the applications would too!).
Courtesy of Flickr user 
Courtesy of Flickr user 
Courtesy of Flickr user