Lozzi Solutions

Cosmetic Changes for Fiscal Year 2008

2008-08-04T05:39:02Z

You may or may not have noticed a change here at Lozzi Solutions. With my most recent post I briefly described a few things that have been happening. If you have time, I'd like to hear what you are up to and that request was not meant as a holier-than-thou request but sincerely, I'd like to know what other developers are up to. If you have a blog where you discuss your work you're welcome to link to it from here, briefly describing the new projects you're currently on or about to take on.
]]> While I love Georgia, being in the technology sector, change is a good thing, right? After careful consideration, I've decided to go with what you see now: Verdana. I find it to be a more professional and technically appealing style compared to the previous I was using. For the time being, the section and entry headers will remain in Georgia fashion, but the bulk of the content will be in Verdana.

Similar to the changing of the font, regarding text-align'ing I've decided to justify the content instead of simply left-aligning it. Considering the content that is on these pages, I think I would like it to be read like a book, or a newspaper. I think books and newspapers have it correct when they justify their content and for me at least, it makes it easier for me to read faster and efficiently. I can only hope that as a result of the new look your experience here will be the same.

There were also some backend changes to the Movable Type system. Specifically, the About page is no longer a separate blog but it is now apart of the main system. This wasn't too difficult to accomplish but it required a level of understanding about the template system that is making MT 4 so widely popular. The change is unnoticeable and is very difficult to determine unless I told you about the design. Before, in the absence of adequate time, the About page was its own blog, much like the Resources and Projects sections are. This was done so as to deliver the sections with their own kind of content, separate in large part from the main blog system. With all the posts added to the Resources section, it would make for difficult maintenance had it been apart of the main system.

When I think about the audience I'm trying to reach, I think you're probably an adept and well read individual. If you're reading this site, you probably like to read a lot and more importantly, you probably like to program and/or develop systems. At least, this is the target audience for this site. If you're not any of the above, I apologize for wasting your time, but this ain't no ordinary blogging journal. My goal is to increase the quality of user experience as it relates to this site and the content herein. If it's possible, I'd also like to attract that non-technical audience if only in an effort to present the beauty of the art we study.

Agree or disagree with the changes that have been made? Maybe you'd like to see content that you have yet to see? Feel free to contact me or contribute to this post by leaving a comment.

What Are You Doing?

2008-07-29T22:22:05Z

This summer has been particularly tough in regards to branching off and adding code to projects that were started in the past. In an effort to publish what I've been working on since the spring semester ended, here's a brief discussion on what's been happening. Care to share what you have been doing? Projects
The Lozzi Solutions subversion repository is now online, currently with a private project that is under development and a public project that contains portion(s) of this site. To download public repositories, make sure you have svn already installed and follow the directions on our repository main page. If you need access to the private section(s), contact me. This repository will be used to house all of our past and present as well as our future projects. It links together with the code already discussed under Resources and currently houses one of the projects from the Projects page. Check them out at your leisure and stay tuned for upcoming releases.

Certifications

As it relates to work, I studied for and passed the CompTIA Network+ certification program. While very generic and entry level, I felt it was time for another certification to add to my resume and overall I'm glad I did it. I read the Exam Cram 2 book in a weekend and during the week leading up to the exam I tested myself with practice exams. I feel that what I had going for me in this exam, ultimately, was my experience at Sun. Although a lot of the exam topics are outdated, there were some good portions directly relevant to my job.
For the fun of it, I just completed the reading for the Linux+ exam also by CompTIA. I'm planning to take that exam very soon as most of the studying is complete. While I was studying for the Linux+ exam, I figured what the heck? I'll close out the CompTIA exams by studying for the Server+ exam. I just bought that book last week and I hope to have that certification if not by the end of the summer, then by the end of the year - after the upcoming fall semester.
After that, I plan to be done with CompTIA and I was going to go the SCSA route from Sun since I've been working with Solaris for the past year; it just seems natural to go after that one. I finished reading the study material for that exam as well, but understanding that Sun certifications tend to be particularly tough I'm giving myself more time to polish up the memorizing.
If and when I get the SCSA, I was planning to go the Ubuntu Certified Professional route by acquiring the LPIC-1 and LPIC-2 certifications.
Since I am still in school and I am in a networking systems support position in my profession, only after accomplishing these certification goals will I consider making the change from systems support certifications to software development certifications. I am particularly looking at the SCJP by Sun and will probably need a lot more time with that one. It's really too bad there are no international-wide certifications based on C/C++, otherwise they would be my main focus versus the SCJP.

Employment
July 9th marked my one year anniversary at Sun. Woohoo! Things around the office have changed so much in the past year, it's too numerous to mention in this blog post. Suffice it to say, I've had the pleasure of taking part in Sun's efforts to cut back on expenses and the whole process has been quite the learning adventure.

Education
This week closes out the last week in my summer course that I decided to take at the last minute. It's been really tough this particular summer taking a course for ten weeks, simply because I thought I would get my own personal projects done or at least worked on. With so many things going and this course combined, my personal projects have had to sit on the back burner. But I suppose when it's over I'll look back and be happy I decided to get it over with.

Hobbies
Last weekend I began reading Mastering Regular Expressions, 3rd Edition, and as a result I am kicking myself for not reading this book sooner. It's such a great read and after five chapters, I have to say that I did not expect it to be such a joy to read. Considering that the subject of Regular Expressions(regex) can be a dry topic to cover, Jeffrey Friedl made his book so approachable that I'm having difficulty putting it down.

When will I have some time to kick back and truly relax? I'm hoping August. What about you? What have you been up to?
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The JavaOne Experience - 2008

2008-06-17T23:50:20Z

San Francisco is a great city. Sure, like any city it has its negatives but there's a great number of positives about the city too. Of course there's the weather, much nicer than New England. Transportation is much more accessible than a place like Boston(the streets are also wider to account for this system) and there's plenty of great things to do and see. James Gosling, the Chief Architect of the Java language, eating breakfast right outside a bagel shop. I would've said hello, but come on, he was eating. Besides, currently we're coworkers... distant coworkers. Nevertheless, how weird would it be if I asked for something like an autograph? If the roles were reversed I certainly would think it's weird, but that's just me. Plus, I'm merely proficient with the language, I'm no architect; thus what would be the topic of conversation? In retrospect, maybe the topic would be Sun Microsystems.

I've put up some pictures in the gallery. This being my first JavaOne, and largely being unsatisfied with the quantity of pictures taken, I hope to take more the next time I attend as I now have a better grasp of what occurs at an event like this. One of my favorite pictures is of Orientals in formation next to the arts center practicing fan technique at about 8:30 am PST in the morning, and it's not even conference related.

In case you didn't know, JavaOne is the conference of all conferences if you're into Java. Some of the brightest minds come from all over to meet and talk about the latest with the Java platform. Heck, simply walking around the Moscone Center is enlightening. I won't go into details about the conference's sessions because you can find that information spread out all over the JavaOne website, and the content is extensive.

One of the benefits of an event such as this is the chance to keep your ego in check; programmers' egos can tend to increase when they shouldn't... events like this are a nice reminder that there's always better than you. With this in mind, it's a great opportunity to go up to someone that might have been speaking about something like... say concurrency, and ask them about oh who knows, something related to maybe its pitfalls in present day computing. The point is, it doesn't matter if you are in fact a novice, there's plenty of information to be gobbled up at this event, and if you are more skilled than a novice you can still learn from the masters.

The most entertaining session I attended was a topic I know absolutely nothing about, titled "Duke Riding the Geospatial Wave". As you might be able to tell, it concerned geography and map navigating; to say the least and declare my non-knowledge. The session was very engaging by encouraging attendees to simply yell out when they have a question or something to say. It was exciting because the speakers broke out into a small argument amongst themselves over how efficient something like Google Maps is compared to a Microsoft version. The guy from TomTom also openly and admittedly bashed Microsoft which is always good for a few laughs. I don't know if the argument was staged... it certainly didn't appear to be. In retrospect I recall an attendee asking a question which ignited the argument. Fun fun fun. In the end, it was definitely educational to learn of some of the API's used for development of geographical navigation systems and have a few laughs too; which is difficult to say for some sessions that can be the equivalent of sitting by yourself in a quiet library(but fortunately these are a small few).

Another notable session that comes to mind is the release of a new programming language by Sun Labs, named "Fortress", which apparently has the ability, or will have the ability to read and evaluate natural mathematical statements in their truest form, rather than having us programmers abstract their form into the language. Thus, imagine something like the quadratic equation being represented in its natural form with the basic mathematical syntax, rather than having to alter it to allow incorporation into the source code. Pretty cool. Although, one of the strongest debates concerning this parsing of statements was the parser and compiler. Just how can it perform this analysis of mathematics statements unlike any other language? Discussed at the site for this project, you'll note that this parsing ability is still literally under construction, but pretty neat overall if you think about it. I think I enjoy abstracting mathematics statements in my programs... though it'll be interesting to see this ability when it arrives. The Fortress project is headed up by Christine Flood, also of Sun Labs.

The last session I'll talk about that I really enjoyed was related to robotics, specifically, a fully Java written and autonomous robotic car, named "Tommy Jr.". Perrone himself talked about how the code that was written for this feat includes the ability for realizing when it's at a stop sign, checking height measurements(think drive-thru's with height restrictions!), and passing other vehicles, to name only a few of the basic things human drivers have to assess every day. I guess what was the most fascinating about this equipment is that unlike radio controlled robotics, such as remote controlled toy cars or planes, this car is fully operated and controlled, and therefore makes decisions through the use of, all-Java code. Put another way, no human intervention is required! Finally, little did I know there was actually a competition for robotics of this nature! Tommy Jr. competed in a DARPA sponsored event not once but twice, and placed reasonably well- Go Java!

They handed out all sorts of geek goodies every day and as part of the conference package you're treated to a breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack - of which the food was really good. I would always get the loaded turkey club, side of pasta and awesome brownies. If the conference organizers didn't get anything else right, their food was at least awesome. But all in all they did get it right, which is why I'll be attending again next year.

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Firefox Still Cannot Install Extensions by Default

2008-05-25T21:27:12Z

Nope. Almost two years ago the infamous unknown error -203 bug surfaced when you would try to install your favorite add-ons. Personally, I never experienced it back then, but after upgrading my systems to Ubuntu 8.04 "Hardy Heron", this problem appears to be ever more present. Aggravated over the failed attempts at installing the most essential add-ons like Web-Developer and Googlebar, I went looking for the source of the problem.
]]> unknown error, which really doesn't help us. What is of value is the information after this error report. To be precise, the error is shown in a popup. The popup for either Firefox 2 or 3.0 b5 says something to the effect of:

Firefox could not install the file at

https://addons.mozilla.org/...../googlebar-0.9.15.11-fx+nx.xpi

because: Unexpected installation error
Review the Error Console log for more details.

-203

For Firefox version 2, when you go to view the Error Console you might see something similar to this:

installLocation has no properties
file:///usr/lib/firefox/components/nsExtensionManager.js

For the beta version, when you go to view the Error Console you might see something similar to this:

installLocation is null
file:///usr/lib/xulrunner-1.9b5/components/nsExtensionManager.js

For both of these errors if you look to the right of them you might see what line number they're located at in that file. As you might be able to surmise, simply edit that file with your favorite editor after this line(3738 or 3938 depending on the browser version):

var installLocation = this.getInstallLocation(item.id);

and insert this line immediately after it:

if (!installLocation) continue;

Save the file and restart Firefox. At that point you should be able to install your add-ons.

I'm not saying this is guaranteed to work for you, what I am saying is that it worked for me. This patch was found at the bug's launchpad site amongst the user comments. If you view that bug and what the users had to say, you'll be able to tell that this patch might not work for everyone, but that page contains other fixes that you could try if you still have problems.

At last, my add-ons are installed and everything is fully functional in both version 2 and the beta version... for now.

The 2008 JavaOne Conference, San Francisco

2008-04-27T10:24:44Z

This year the cards are apparently in my favor- I'm heading to the JavaOne Conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco for May 4th-9th. It's my first time at a software development and/or computing conference so I'm quite excited. Some pretty notable speakers are going to be there talking about all the latest in the industry and where they believe the industry is going. Sure, I could probably read this stuff online- but I'm sure I don't have to tell you in-person experiences can make or break the topic. Besides, because I'm a student of an accredited university- I'm attending this year for free, so I really couldn't afford to pass this up.

The first day consists of a mini-conference called CommunityOne and starting on Tuesday is the official JavaOne conference. I've handpicked my schedule for the week and it's pretty full(try here if the former doesn't work). I hope to see a few attractions before the conference gets too busy, the Golden Gate bridge for example. If you don't understand the abbreviations and topics listed there on that schedule don't worry, I'm hoping to take copious notes and document my travel experience on here. ]]>

I Never Expected "Thinking" Would be a Disappointment

2008-03-23T20:27:53Z

Just so you know where I'm coming from, I consider myself an upper-level intermediate Java programmer, which means mostly nothing other than the fact I have had my share of books to peruse in my day. Not just Java books either, but a multitude of books in almost a dozen different languages. Out of all of them, Thinking in Java, 4th Edition, has got to be the worst I've ever read - in terms of presentation. ]]>
This book's greatest downfall is in the way the content is displayed, mixed with its ridiculous size. The latter of which Mr. Eckel comments about in the introduction, in my opinion brushing it off as if to say and paraphrasing, if size is the only concern in a trade off with quality content, I'll take the quality content any day. What Mr. Eckel fails to realize, or maybe it was the fault of his publisher, was that content display really does matter. There are no pictures, no designs and no graphics(even in the GUI chapter) of any kind whatsoever. Java is a language that most programmers might associate with GUI's, in this respect how you can write a book on Java without a display of an intended GUI design? I expect this of C and C++ books, and even these are more display-friendly.

At only a mere 1500 pages, I got to almost 800 fully read pages, comprehended, tested and tweaked before I completely burned out and simply got fed up with its style. I was growing tired long before page 250, but I did my best to stick it out. I've decided to use the rest of the book only as a reference and will read a chapter I'm more interested in(concurrency) before calling it completely quits. What I need to stress - the material presented is not advanced, its actually quite beginner to lower level intermediate. So critics who might say one is not intelligent enough to fully grasp this book's style are simply incorrect, even advanced Calculus books contain images to assist in bringing the point across. My argument is not about pictures, it's about presentation. Even the book's font is disastrous, as one reviewer stated on Amazon, oh the agony.

I had high hopes for this book, but all in all, the code you can acquire from this book might be worth reviewing, but ultimately Mr. Eckel and his publisher need to take lessons from Kathy Sierra and Burt Bates(even the Deitel brothers!) on how to properly present material.

JDK vs IDE

2008-02-27T19:16:19Z

A topic arose recently in a course I am taking. The IDE Dr. Java, chosen by the instructor of the course, has a serious problem regarding Java SE 6 update 4. Since I have chosen not to curse my system with such a degrading piece of software, most of the problems I hear are just that- hearsay. Apparently Dr. Java cannot compile source code if the JDK is update 4. However, if update 3 is used then source files can be compiled. The question becomes, do you stick with the IDE or do you value the update of the JDK more?
]]> fixes a number of bugs should be reason enough to completely forget the IDE and use a basic text editor or another IDE. But I recently found that the Professor has not severed his ties with the university he graduated from and wouldn't you know it- the IDE comes from that university's computer science department. Looks like old habits are tougher to break even with the highly educated.

Recently, I expressed my distaste for this course's late start, and it's my opinion that the students should use a text editor with the new JDK if they're totally new to the Java language. IDE's are a load of bad habits waiting to happen for a newbie, this is nothing new. But it strikes me as a problem of group think if folks in a class decide to choose their IDE over the JDK. Technically, you're not developing IDE software- what you're developing is software based on the JDK. You can develop the same software without an IDE, so why take the risk and go backwards using an outdated JDK when you can simply get the latest? It just doesn't make sense. The answer seems to be so obvious to me, and that's not to say I am holier than thou, just simply use the rules of deduction here. Screw the habits you've developed or the likeness you have for the way the IDE displays its code, if it doesn't incorporate the latest upgrade in the language it was developed for in the first place- junk it.

Did I Mention IBM Rocks?

2008-02-13T22:39:29Z

Last week I sent in a service request to have my T43's keyboard replaced. I submitted it through their online form and like magic a new keyboard was sent out to me using DHL's next day service. I called in to make sure I was being sent a new keyboard as this was the first time I had asked for one in the three years I've owned my Thinkpad, but this was unnecessary as when I called in the keyboard had already shipped! Needless to say I was once again amazed.
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Placing this request for a new keyboard for my T43 Thinkpad. My current keyboard is growing further and further damaged. I can install this myself but I need one shipped to me. Thank you.

Simple right? And without question, they sent it that night- technically the morning, at 4 am. The box came with the keyboard neatly wrapped in a static protected bag further wrapped around by Styrofoam to protect from shipping, and also the screws necessary for installation. The online request form requires system information to check for a valid warranty. Now if you don't want to install it yourself for any reason you can obviously send your laptop back to their local depot station and they could do it for you. Otherwise, the installation is as swift as four screws and an adapter to plug in and that's it.

Some of the most damaged keys that I found were just about everything below and including the home row as well as the Enter key and many punctuation keys. It was one of those situations where a number of keys or a combination of keys when pressed would not provide the expected outcome I had intended. Oddly enough the number row and directly below it were not that bad off. As a programmer, a keyboard can grow damaged very quickly, especially on a laptop, and it's nice to know a company like IBM is unquestionably there to support their customers at every issue they face. Their goal is to make you more productive, from a hardware standpoint- at least that's how I view their service.

Spring Ahead

2008-02-02T22:47:00Z

The spring semester began last week at UMass Lowell and so far it's been good to finally be back at the university. Last semester I studied elsewhere and the semester before that I vacationed. Having acquired that all important calculus course from the last semester, plans have changed slightly. When I last wrote about education it was unknown whether the school I was at would offer computing courses this spring or if I had to split my course times between two schools. Now it's not even a question - I'm once again a full time student at UMass.
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U.S. History Since 1877 (43.112)
Computing IV (91.204)
Calculus III (92.231)
Discrete Structures I (92.321)

The first course listed above satisfies both a general education requirement and my interest in the latter part of U.S. history. Nothing special here but good old US of A history. Cool professor and a really engaging classroom as it is primarily a discussion based course.

The second course is where my distaste is so far with this semester, in that we have not done anything. Three days we met last week for class and I know it's only the first week, but this is the fourth course in a sequence and I expected that it would pick up right where the third course left off with or without a brief refresher. Needless to say, I'm a bit disappointed as I had higher expectations. I expected to be writing programs within the first week, but not just any programs, but applications with substance or real specifications, none of this hello world crap - hello world was the first day in Computing I years ago. In the other three courses we are already into many chapters and had homework handed out on the first day of class. All the professor did this week for Computing IV was talk about how to log into the course's Google group, and explain how to edit the course Wiki. He even mentioned a little about an IDE, but come on - this is stuff that could be learned as the course progresses or stuff that a student should know already or they don't take the course. Can we get started already?

The third and fourth courses are pretty serious math courses with nothing really to speak of that's quite important, other than the fact I am and will be enjoying discrete structures for the near future - I just find it to be a fascinating and relevant area of mathematics, as far as CS is concerned.

So that's the schedule for this semester, and let's not forget Sun on the days I don't have class. Nevertheless, if you need to contact Lozzi Solutions please do so and rest assured you can expect a quick response.

(for more info on schedules and program progress see the About page's listed schedules in the sidebar)

One of the BEST beginning books on Java

2008-01-11T01:34:32Z

This review might be a little a one-sided as I have had previous experience working with Java. What this review is not - is a review from a Java beginner. But ultimately, I found Head First Java, 2nd Edition, by Kathy Sierra and Bert Bates, to be an incredible learning tool. Since being hired by Sun in July of 2007, I have slowly but surely been trying to acquire more relevant knowledge as it relates to my position and the overall company, and recently I began to think intensely about sharpening my Java skills. ]]> SCJP), pushing off Network+. It's interesting to me, given the current views on the language, due to the fact that I have a course in Java coming up in the Spring, Computing IV which is going to be my first full course on the language since I began my career at UMass, having started with C and C++. I decided to sharpen my skills in Java and chose Head First to start off.

The book's style of writing is very visual, providing roughly 50% text matching up with 50% pictures on a page by page basis. The authors' belief is that true learning is assisted through visual aids, and I completely agree after reading their book. Some reviews state the book being a close resemblance to the Dummies series of books. However, I found this style incredibly better than the Dummies style - the latter often trying too hard to be funny, but with Head First it just came naturally and was more enlightening. It was such a delightful read that I was able to keep a chapter to two chapters a day reading schedule, given my very busy schedule. This might not be possible for an absolute beginner and to add, I would not advise it - read it more slowly and fully digest the material. I sped through concepts I was solid on and slowed down on concepts that I felt needed more attention.

Head First made concepts such as stack and heap organization more clear. I felt that after being a somewhat proficient C/C++ programmer for a few years, reading about the platform-provided garbage collection really brought home the mandatory garbage collection concepts previously learned in the earlier languages. Learning more about the Java SE 5/6 API and its history also made its navigation more understandable and clear. Concepts such as threading and networking were what I found most fascinating and Head First did a solid job covering these topics. If you're a newbie, this book will take you gently through the foundation of Java but likewise if you're not a beginner this book serves only to strengthen the fundamentals of Java. What I think the authors really made clear, most of all, is that programming can be and is supposed to be fun. This book reinforced the fun factor in programming and is an absolutely 100% recommended, must-have.

Synchronizing with Unison

2007-11-14T05:07:26Z

I love this program. Sure, it's probably been out for a very long time, and a big thank you goes out to Ben Pierce at the University of Pennsylvania, but only recently I discovered that I have a significant need for this type of program. How? I was updating files across systems to the point where I finally had had enough and since I remembered that I use a synchronizer with my music collection I decided on the idea of finding an adequate and all purpose synchronizer application for my storage. ]]>
There's two versions, textual and graphical based. Ben keeps a user manual on his site that is easy to read and I got mine up and working real fast as a result. I prefer the GUI for this program because I like to visually grasp the differences between the pair of roots and decide in advance how to propagate. It's also a bit of fun to watch it in action, something you can't get from the text version.

You might not even need the manual if you're running the GUI as it's pretty self explanatory - it starts by asking you for the first root and if it's valid it will then proceed to ask you for the second root and then check its validity. Once the two roots are defined it zooms into action.

After about five days of using this sweet program I have cut down on version updates dramatically, such that I can't imagine to put a number on it. All I know is, I'm not spending nearly as much time as I used to with this task. If you have multiple machines/systems/platforms that need uniformity - try this gem out. Did I mention it's also open source? That's right, free. Honestly though, I'd like to send Ben a donation... but I don't have PayPal setup. I'm considering setting it up just for this program.

Nice work Ben!

IBM Lives Up To Their Reputation

2007-10-05T20:51:21Z

For approximately four months I've put up with a noisy fan on my IBM T43 14.1" Thinkpad. Usually I would apply pressure to the left hand side where the fan sits, press downwards and the fan noise would cease. But, within about three minutes the noise would come back and I would consistently put up with the noise and the re-applying of pressure to where the fan sits. However, recently in the past two weeks the noise has grown so loud that it's intolerable and I figured it was now time to call IBM support to see what they can do.

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They reiterated to me over the phone the warranty they graciously give with a new laptop system, standard 3 years(so far, I'm at 2.2 yrs of ownership). I called them on Monday and the next morning I received a fully insulated prepaid shipping box made specifically for the T series. Form fitting Styrofoam, plastic to cover the laptop, parts check-off sheet, label and shipping tape. I checked off the necessary items and left a call back number due to a BIOS password I employ should they not be able to bypass it. Per their request, I shipped my laptop without a hard drive, battery and power cord. No worries about data being lost!

I got it shipped by DHL, their choice, later that afternoon on Monday. I then called them on Tuesday to make a change of address and again to my surprise found they had already received the laptop at approximately noon this past Tuesday. I was told that I should receive my laptop fixed by Wednesday or Thursday, however if they don't have a part then I would receive it by Friday at the latest.

I decided to call them once again on Wednesday to get a status report, just for the heck of it because their customer support was so nice to talk to over the phone, I'm not joking. Looking at my cell phone before the call I noticed that an unknown number tried to contact me at about 11am, at which point I was in class. So I called them back at about 4pm and found they did need the password to bypass BIOS so they can test the system. Being late to the phone on Wednesday, they completed the repair on Thursday.

It was finally delievered today - Friday. If you do the math, had I not had a BIOS password setup and had I contacted them at the earliest possible time, I most likely would have received it by Wednesday or Thursday. It appears their repair process and speed was slowed down by my actions. Go figure. Hey, it's not every day you expect that a company be as top notch in their customer support and warranty repair service(as fast as a 3-day turnover!) as IBM is. My previous laptop had a warranty service turnover of 14 days, yuck. So to me, 3 days is incredible! (disclaimer, I am not an IBM employee - just one very satisfied customer)

I opened the package to find that my system was repaired by a one Chukwunwike Onyeagba. Thank you sincerely sir or madam. Did I mention that s/he not only fixed my fan problem, but replaced my LCD with a new LCD - that's right, a NEW LCD, and BIOS updates amongst other misc parts such as screws, hinges and cleaning. Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?

IBM definately gets an A in putting the customer first. If my experience isn't enough for you, the book Computer: A History states why IBM has led the industry in customer support for as much as 50 years. A point which is evident to me this past week and is very difficult to disagree with when my past laptop's manufacturer's turnover rate was a long 14 days with a strong language barrier to boot.

All I wanted was the fan fixed... sheesh. I think it's safe to say I will probably never buy a laptop that isn't an IBM-Lenovo in the future.

Quotes From The Computing World

2007-10-01T04:07:09Z

Here are some quotes that I gathered because of their significant relation to the field of computing. Of course, there are many out there and the inclusion of all would be impossible. At this point in my career, these are just a few of the many that I can relate to. The first is one that I find fantastic and well thought out, written by one of the bright folks at MIT. It's a long one and was decided to be kept unedited due to its deep meaning. So here it is in full.

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I think that it's extraordinarily important that we in computer science keep fun in computing. When it started out, it was an awful lot of fun. Of course, the paying customers got shafted every now and then, and after a while we began to take their complaints seriously. We began to feel as if we really were responsible for the successful, error-free perfect use of these machines. I don't think we are. I think we're responsible for stretching them, setting them off in new directions, and keeping fun in the house. I hope the field of computer science never loses its sense of fun. Above all, I hope we don't become missionaries. Don't feel as if you're Bible salesmen. The world has too many of those already. What you know about computing other people will learn. Don't feel as if the key to successful computing is only in your hands. What's in your hands, I think and hope, is intelligence: the ability to see the machine as more than when you were first led up to it, that you can make it more.

-Alan J. Perlis

For a long time it puzzled me how something so expensive, so leading edge, could be so useless, and then it occurred to me that a computer is a stupid machine with the ability to do incredibly smart things, while computer programmers are smart people with the ability to do incredibly stupid things. They are, in short, a perfect match.

-Bill Bryson

If your project doesn't work, look for the part that you didn't think was important.

-Arthur Bloch

Lovers of problem solving, they are apt to play chess at lunch or doodle in algebra over cocktails, speak an esoteric language that some suspect is just their way of mystifying outsiders. Deeply concerned about logic and sensitive to its breakdown in everyday life, they often annoy friends by asking them to rephrase their questions more logically.

-Time Magazine, 1965

A programmer is a person who passes as an exacting expert on the basis of being able to turn out, after innumerable punching, an infinite series of incomprehensive answers calculated with micrometric precisions from vague assumptions based on debatable figures taken from inconclusive documents and carried out on instruments of problematical accuracy by persons of dubious reliability and questionable mentality for the avowed purpose of annoying and confounding a hopelessly defenseless department that was unfortunate enough to ask for the information in the first place.

-IEEE Grid

Messy desk? Maybe this will clear up any misunderstanding...

The programmer, who needs clarity, who must talk all day to a machine that demands declarations, hunkers down into a low-grade annoyance. It is here that the stereotype of the programmer, sitting in a dim room, growling from behind Coke cans, has its origins. The disorder of the desk, the floor; the yellow Post-It notes everywhere; the whiteboards covered with scrawl: all this is the outward manifestation of the messiness of human thought. The messiness cannot go into the program; it piles up around the programmer.

-Ellen Ullman

HP Director Fails with IE7

2007-09-22T17:01:22Z

Having had the last semester off I haven't had the need to use my scanner much. I use it to scan some important documents like a syllabus, homeworks and labs reports as well as graded work during the semester. When I attempted to use it this past week to scan some things, HP Director would not open, even though it appeared like it would eventually open by showing the hourglass which would subsequently disappear. I toyed with the whole HP application for a bit and found that HP Photo and HP Document Viewer would open and function properly without a hitch. So what was happening to HP Director?
]]> HP suite of applications and then reinstalling it to find the same problem persisted you might imagine my frustration slowly growing. I didn't have the original install CD and downloaded the whole application from HP, so I thought maybe something was wrong with the download. I thought it would be a simple fix and maybe it was something I was overlooking, but when all else failed, I turned to Google. It turns out to be a very popular problem with HP and Internet Explorer 7, turning out to have an annoying fix by using the Alt-Space combination. This combo was not enough to rectify the problem - I wanted it fixed.

Without turning into a general Microsoft bashing post, let me just say I like a large number of their products, primarily Visual Studio and Excel. But the main reason for my liking of Microsoft may be because I have to like them - most of the quality programs out there, such as this HP suite only run on Windows(unless there's a Linux driver you would like to inform me about). Otherwise I'm approximately 90% of the time in Linux. One thing for sure I don't like about Microsoft is IE, and finding that IE7 could be the problem didn't surprise me much.

My solution to this problem as suggested by the HP forum members was to remove IE7 completely. After that HP Director(the best application of the HP suite) started and worked as it should and now everything is great. I installed IE7 when it first came out to examine it and maybe see if I could have an alternative to Firefox... to see maybe if Microsoft wised up... Nope, Firefox still rules the browser domain. Even while working in Windows I use Firefox, so you can look at this post as one more reason not to use IE, no matter what version you have.

Lozzi Solutions Goes Back to School

2007-09-04T21:35:13Z

Like most students around this time of the year, I'm heading back to school starting tomorrow the 5th, after a semester off. It was a well deserved time off and in that time I found a great job. This semester I'm doing something I haven't done in my entire computer science(CS) education - not taking a computing related course during a semester. I wanted to slow it down a bit until I complete the majority of the math requirements. After the calculus requirement is finished I'll be heading back to UMass Lowell to finish my CS degree. ]]>

Calculus II
Intro to Chemistry
Principles of Biology I

The last course in the list, Principles of Biology will satisfy a quantitative elective for my primary university, UMass Lowell. Chem is only an intro and if I like it enough I'll continue with it in the spring by taking Chemistry I, which has more emphasis on science and engineering applications than the intro and is also transferable back to UMass.

The reason for not taking any computing courses during this semester and the next is that I simply can't at the school I am attending. I have downgraded from UMass to a nearby community college(CC). Before transferring to the community college I completed the lower level computing courses, which I would have typically found at the CC. Since the CC doesn't have upper level computing courses, I can't take them - obviously.

For these two semesters only, since I'll be taking no computing courses I have decided to shoot for the goal of finishing the calculus requirement. I have carefully planned out which courses to take and which courses will transfer back to UMass. From the list above, only numbers 1 and 3 will be transfered back which is fine with me. I'm taking chemistry because it interests me greatly. At UMass there is a requirement of taking Physics I and II for the CS program. After speaking with an advisor at UMass, I found out that the faculty there are currently voting on a proposal that was passed to the CS committee on whether it is alright to substitute the physics requirement with Chemistry I and II. The only other way to take chem and get credit for it is to go the bio-informatics route, a route which I haven't yet decided. If I don't want to go that route, I still would like to take chem instead of physics. So this vote is crucial to me. However, since the proposal was so positively accepted by the committee, the upcoming vote looks to be positive as well.

Lozzi Solutions is likely going to be slow during this semester as education will be taking up most of my time, not to mention my ongoing employment takes up some time too. Regardless, if you need to contact or consult with me send me an email and we will try to work something out. I am always open to a variety of projects and if time permits would be happy to work on whatever you might be interested in. I may not be taking any computing courses this semester but that doesn't mean I won't be computing! For example, I am slowly studying for the SCJP, which can be my computing course substitute.