Category: Blog

First, I've had this conversation with other programmers.  The more programming languages you've worked in, the easier the next one is.

Which is rather shocking to find out that a friend who followed me in computer science at Southern Mississippi didn't have the same experience as I did.  Also, it's apparently an unique experience which is why most employers don't get me.

I learned BASIC and FORTRAN in high school.  Special program — outreach by Jackson State (FYI – I am NOT from Mississippi, just spent 2 years of high school and undergraduate there).  At Southern Miss, I did FORTRAN in introductory, then Assembly, then COBOL, and then Programming Languages, where we did at least three programs in each major type of language.

I played a lot with APL, and friends and I were working on an IDE for APL, written in APL as a side project.

As required classes, we had to write an Assembler and a Compiler.

As a professional, I've done work in COBOL, Pascal, Assembly, C#, Java, PHP and have written apps for both Windows Phone and Android.

I've taught Pascal, Visual Basic, and Java and C#.  So yeah, programming languages are just programming languages.  In fact, a lot of the time, I have to have a Window open with basic commands.  I was known to start writing in Visual Basic when we were in Java.  Hey, it make the kids pay attention 🙂  Played with Python too, and outlined a course for kids in it.

So Swift is just another programming language with it's own flavor, and it doesn't look like that big of deal.  Just started delving into it.  By yeah, Alfred, I think it is doable.

And Xcode isn't a bad IDE, I like that the tutorial I found was written by Apple and is a playground.

I've been installing the tools I teach with.  Microsoft Office products, Scratch, setting up bookmarks etc.  So far, the only thing I don't like is that everything is backwards.  I'm also not sure I like the trackpad.

Oh, and I have the memory coming for the MacMini.  Oddly enough, it's a mid 2010 machine.  I'm short of surprised it's that old.

I have Java and Eclipse installed, and able to write and run a small program.  So I'm basically using what I'm familiar with.

It's not bad.  Though I still can't work with it on an exercise bike (I do that with my Surface tablets all the time).  Too big and bulky.

Which reminds me, I need to check on my MacMini memory.  I've had a MacMini 2 for a while, however, I have decided that for development I need a portable device.

So I went to the Apple site and the chat convinced me I needed a Mac Book Pro.  Of course, I have to touch something before I buy so I want to one of the local stores.  The salesman taught me a cute trick, which makes the Mac work like the Windows Key — command space bar.

He also suggested I increase the memory on the Mac Mini.

Anyway, I ended up buying a MacBook Pro at Best Buy.  Older model.  It's heavy after messing with the Surfaces, that's for sure.   It isn't going on any trips anytime soon.

I've got xcode loaded on it.  I'm still trying to figure out how my student made a website with it, but that's my first exploration.  Also need to figure out how to do Java with it, but that's not pressing since I don't have any students enrolled in Java.

FYI: I discovered my blog posts are hitting Facebook automatically so I'll be posting the messing posts over the next few days.  Or not.

I created a pretty website, I really like for the American Beagle Relief Network, I’ve got it up on Azure as http://ambrnet1.azurewebsites.net/

However, GoDaddy has donated web hosting space, and I am trying to move it to http://www.ambrnet.org which is a currently a straight html/css website.  It is a PLEX website.

Here’s the error I get when I load the website to GoDaddy.

I’ve tried creating an empty website and it get the same error.

This was created with Visual Studio 2015, as a website and I’ve deleted any of the login requirements.

I’d appreciate any help.

On 04/30 I reached 81% sleep efficiency with my Microsoft Band. Check out my full session!

This is why I like the Microsoft Band over the Apple Watch

https://dashboard.microsofthealth.com/sharedevent/Sleep?eventId=kurl%3a%2f%2fprodphswus.dns-cargo.com%2fprod-pod-wus-0x0%2fac888546-a152-407c-b6f7-692de10fab00%2fevent%2f2519402202269257770

S

Sent from my iPhone

Yeah for me!

I managed to find my old Typepad app and restore it to my new iPhone. Checking to see if it works.

I am definitely keeping the iPhone.

Yes, I still have a SIM in a Windows phone so I haven’t completely abandoned it, but I’m probably going to give one of my Lumnia 950s to my husband.

The apps on the iPhone are easier to use, though there are a few I things I haven

And I’m using a Microsoft Bluetooth keyboard with my iPhone and with one button can switch it to the Windows phone.

I wrote this post as a email.

Sent from Outlook Mobile. Yes, it works with gmail.

I went to the Apple Store yesterday and came home with an iPhone.  I haven’t completed given up on Windows yet, I’m still have a SIM card in a Lumina 950 XL – and use it for my work account.

Windows phone is still hands down for doing Office apps, but I haven’t done much with the iPhone yet.

I do have 15 days to completely decide.

I still LOVE my Surfaces.  I just wish more technology supported the Windows phone.

I’m even going to dabble with writing some apps.

I’m using a full monitor, keyboard and mouse with my Lumia phone to post this entry.
 
It is an email message, but it’s still great. I’ve got the monitor, keyboard and mouse from my Mac mini hooked, primarily because they were the handiest. It’s not something I’ll use often, but great for setting up something new.

And because I can here’s an affiliate link from Amazon:

It would fit well in a go bag with keyboard mouse.

 
Even better if I were presenting on the road, since I do have portable keyboards and mice I can use. According to how you look at it, fortunately or unfortunately I don’t do that any more.
 
Doesn’t mean if I won’t in the future, but a few people turned me off on it totally and it did involve a lot of social anxiety.
 
Sent from my Windows 10 phone

It seems that all phases of my life have been suffering from frustration. 

The dogs (see the dog blog).

Diabetes

Technology

I started to do what I thought was a simple change and found out that the project isn’t as upward compatible as we would like.  A lot of the old code needs to be refreshed and modernized, and I’m not up for the task.

I have pushed at it, but it refuses to budge.

So I’m taking a break and working on some of the things I’ve been learning. 

Jekyll:

So I have set up http://www.kweaver.us – which is hosted on Azure and got it working with Jekyll.  This is a sandbox I can play in for a while.

.NET:

I’ve been meaning to update the American Beagle Rescue Network site for a long time. to be easier to maintain, and be a .NET website.  So I have started on that.

I’m not leaving Open Live Writer entirely, as it is my favorite tool, and hopefully will be working with Jekyll soon.

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There are all kinds of ways to work through frustrations – sometimes working at them sideways works.  Usually does for me.