Older blog entries for tcurtis (starting at number 7)

25 Aug 2002 (updated 25 Aug 2002 at 04:06 UTC) »

After a month of taking it easy around the keyboard, I'm back. I've taken steps to improve my hands and wrists. From wrist braces, to a new chair, I'm hoping that my hands and wrists will behave themselves.

I've asked for some help with the gnome-applets docs. The docs themselves are written, but there are a few omf/scrollkeeper things that need attention. I'm not very knowledgable in this area, and so I've asked for some help. I am trying to learn, but it would be nice to have the fixes and modifications done sometime before GNOME 3.0. I'm also working on the GnomeICU docs, which I hope will be ready by the time the GnomeICU crew decides to release 1.0.

My hands are complaining again. I'm not sure what exactly they are complaining about: using my mouse, using emacs' key sequences, or just being at the keyboard for so long.

I've tried a few things. One was to make an .Xmodmap file and map my PC keyboard to a more SUN keyboard (swap the Caps Lock and Ctrl keys). That worked for a bit until I had to use another computer. So lately I've just remapped my most commonly used emacs commands to the function keys. I have twelve of them, so I might as well use them.

Nothing more on the GNOME front. Still working on docs, still working on omf's and the like.

It has occured to me, whilst trying to track down an omf/scrollkeeper problem, that we don't have docs about the GNOME document system. We have docs on omf files, and on writing style, but nothing on the system it self. I think I'd find this usefull, since I'm basically having to learn alot of this trying to track down the above mentioned problem. So I'll try to keep jotting down some notes and maybe make some sort of outline so that a document could be made.

I've also been amazed at how many "correct ways" there are. Since GNOME 2 has been released, I've seen many emails, and IRC discussions flaming developers, because they didn't implement something the "correct way". Many of these seem to conflict as well: one person says that one way is the "correct way", whilst another informs us of a completely different "correct way". I now have more of an understanding of what the UI teams must deal with. I think they are doing great work.

Speaking of great work, the GnomeICU team is really working hard. The GnomeICU port to Gnome 2.0 is looking really sharp! Things keep changing which makes documenting difficult at times. ;) I'm also looking forward to the next release of this app too. GnomeICU will totally "rock out".

Happy Canada Day! Ok, so I've missed it by a few hours, but my heart is in the right place. I had these great plans to go to a museum (which was free due to the occasion), and catch the fireworks on Parliment Hill. Didn't do any of it. Instead Roberta and I just chickened out and stayed home. Watched a movie, cooked some hotdogs... nothing all that special. I don't feel too bad since it was unbelievably hot today. I don't mind the heat so much, as the humidity. Luckily, there's air conditioning.

I'm excited to hear that the GNOME team is already looking ahead to 2.0.1. So, I'm working a bit on the gnome-applet docs that need attention. It would be nice if I could look at the GDM docs as well. It occured to me today that I had never tried out GTK+2's AA feature. I now have this feature working, and don't think I can ever go back. I'm also finding myself very fond of Metacity, the window manager.

I met pete from Gimpnet yesterday. We had been trying to meet for quite sometime now. From bad weather on a Canada day, to train switches getting frozen, things just never seemed to work themselves out.

We decided to meet at the OLS front desk. I really wish I had enough money to go. Just from the front lobby, it looked like alot of fun. I figured I'd be able to catch up with some people at the parties, but apparently you need to have registered to do this. Oh well. It just strengthens my resolve for next year. :)

In other news, the government decided to give me an $80 cheque. Woo-hoo!

GNOME 2.0 is out! This is the first major release I have been a part of. There is a certain amount of pride knowing that I contributed, however small, to a project so widely used. Yes, there is a certain amount of pride involved here.

jfleck: Congratulations! I'm sure you'll do a fantastic job.

The G8 protests went more-or-less smoothly. The very first was in November, and despite a few broken windows, spray paint, and tax dollars used to control a mob of some that weren't there so much to protest as to "Take the Capital", it went smoothly. This week, the police did not wear their riot gear. They also tried very hard to have an open dialog with protesters. This must have worked , because even the protesters said they felt everything was very much in control, and that they did not feel threatened by law enforcement. From the images on the local news, it seemed the police made their roll to be supervisors rather than human barricades.

Email vs. Telephones:

I've had many discussions with family members on this topic. Most of them either do not have and see little need for a computer, use a computer only when forced and get frustrated with them, or just generally despise a medium that they deem so impersonal. But their main argument is that it is too time consuming, especially considering they have a phone across the hall that will allow them to speak to any individual at any time. I don't agree. Take for example, how voice messaging effects this equation.

In January, I'm hopping to start finishing my Computer Science degree. I've picked a school in Montreal, because it is close and the tuition is quite low. For about a week now, I have been phoning Admissions to speak to someone regarding obtaining a registration package. So far this person has not been at her desk when I call. No problem, I'll leave a voice mail. I have done this twice now, and only yesterday have I gotten a response... when I wasn't home. I came home last night to hear a message left by this contact at the university asking me to call her back.

Now in no way do I fault the individual working for the university. Work can get hectic, and you have to prioritize to get work done. This "phone tag" that she and I seem to be playing, is very much like email messaging. Only in this case it is more expensive. Similar to email, I've had to phone this individual, leave a few messages, to which she responds by leaving me a message. This is exactly what I do when send email. Send an email or two to inform or ask something of someone. They respond. Then I may respond if appropriate, and so on. Phoning long distance in Canada does cost, so despite the fact that Montreal is reasonably close, I've had two long distance calls charged to my phone bill.

Not only has phoning not been advantageous, it has actually cost me to use the phone. Had I been given the email address of this contact, correspondence would not have cost me, and I may already have a registration package on its way over to my house. Granted, had she been there, none of this would be much of an issue, but their isn't any certainty. Email allows you to prioritize and answer at your convenience. At times this can be inconvenient if your messages are being ignored, but for the most part, I can say I've had positive experiences with email. I suppose the real issue for many of my family members is not so much about convenience, and how impersonal the medium is, so much as a generation gap.

25 Jun 2002 (updated 25 Jun 2002 at 23:14 UTC) »

Wow. A Journeyer! Thanks to all of those that "sponsored" me. I just had some fun adding myself to the different projects to which I have contributed.

A few days ago, I was finally able to meet telsa in person. This was a new experience for me, because I have never met any fellow GDP/GNOME people face to face. With OLS comming up, I may meet more.

I've been experiencing pain in my wrists with all the typing, and drumming I do, so I've been running about changing my keyboarding and drumming habits. The first thing I noticed is that I put my left hand through crazy calisthenics using FSF Emacs. For some reason, I never use the control key on the right side of the keyboard. Is this common? As for drumming, I know exactly what to do. I recently started taking lessons, and as a result, I've come to realize I grip way to tighly with my index finger and thumb. I'm going to take it easy music-wise and just concentrate on changing my technique.

24 Jun 2002 (updated 24 Jun 2002 at 23:13 UTC) »

I've had reservations about doing this. Some of my friends frequent the "normal" diary pages to satisfy their voyeuristic thirsts for lonley or disturbed individuals willing to completely open themselves up and explain why they dumped so- and-so, or why they like weird sardonic poetry. I'm a private person so the above never really appealed to me. However, I know many who write here, and most of what I've seen is quite interesting and seemingly therapeutic. So... I'll give it a try. I'm not the most interesting person, but wierd things seem to happen to me or around me from time to time. Like say hamsters in the couch...

The other morning I was woken up by loud BANGs and THUDs over my head. So I go upstairs only to see my mother trying to take the couch apart. It turns out one of my sisters let her hamster loose, and it crawled into the couch. I mean into the couch. The thing somehow crawled right into the mesh. I'm happy to say we expect both couch and hamster to make full recoveries.

GNOME 2.0:

I was in charge of getting the gnome-applets docs ready for the gnome2.0 release. I didn't get everything done, so I guess it'll have to wait for whatever 2.0-bugfixed version gets released. The GnomeICU developers are working hard to get a version out for GNOME 2.0, and I'll lend a helping hand with respect to the documentation. Jeremy and friends have done a lot of work and GnomeICU is looking really good.

Music:

I'm not at all very political, but I should point out that the recent release of the RIAA's rates for Internet broadcasters has ticked me off. I have no problem with radio and Internet-radio having to pay the artists they are making money off of. However, stations like Monkey Radio (http://www.monkeyradio.org), that are freely broadcasted, and is simply there to expose people to different, more underground or non-common music, have to pay these fees. And of course, these fees will more than likely not go to the artists featured at Monkey Radio.

So sadly, Monkey Radio has "closed shop", and I can no longer have the station play whilst hacking or doing documentation.

I'd like to publicly say "'til we meet again" to dcm and Dan Mueth. Both have decided to leave GNOME and persue their interests elsewhere. Though I have spoken to both privately, I would just like to give a big thanks to these men, as they have helped me alot throughout my GDP work. Thanks guys, and good luck.

Wow. That was alot. And I do feel... somehow better...

New Advogato Features

New HTML Parser: The long-awaited libxml2 based HTML parser code is live. It needs further work but already handles most markup better than the original parser.

Keep up with the latest Advogato features by reading the Advogato status blog.

If you're a C programmer with some spare time, take a look at the mod_virgule project page and help us with one of the tasks on the ToDo list!