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The Right Language
Nov 24, 2008 Code, Thoughts Leave a comment
They say that when you are choosing which programming language to use for a job, you should pick the one that is best for the job, not the one that is your favorite, or the one that you are the most familiar with. I agree with this idea in theory, but I’ve found that in the real world the “right” language is not always so easy to determine.
There was a time when I would have said that C++ was the answer for everything. Admittedly, that was not only my lack of experience talking, but also the fact that C++ was the only language I knew.
Truth is, the language that is “best for the job” is subjective. Some would say the best language is the one that best fits the requirements of the project, or that is the most efficient, or both. I would agree with both of those statements. However, what if the language that best fits the needs of the project and is the most efficient is an obscure language that no one on the team is familiar with and deadlines or other projects don’t allow time for the necessary learning curve? Isn’t getting the job done on time part of the requirements? If there is another widely known language that is a close second, shouldn’t it be considered? I can assure you that the ability to maintain the project after all of the original programmers are gone should be part of the requirements of every project.
There will always be the elitists, who say for whatever reason that their language is the best, end of discussion. While their suggestion may, in fact, be the best “technically”, it may still not be the best when taking into account all of the other non-technical requirements. And their stubbornness and rigidity is certainly not making them any friends in the office, of course the true elitist is either unaware of that fact, or proudly considers it part of the price to be paid to be a “leader”.
In software, there are a lot of ways to accomplish the same thing, so don’t be the close-minded jerk that thinks he/she is smarter than everyone else and the only one capable of coming up with an acceptable solution.
All sides need to be heard and evaluated. Only then can the “right” decision be made.
iPhone Camera Bug
Nov 4, 2008 Photography, Technology 2 Comments
Every now and again when I first turn on the camera and take a picture, it turns out like this. It only happens on the first shot and it doesn’t happen every time. Anyone else have this problem?
Check your settings
Oct 20, 2008 Photography Leave a comment
As I was driving around last week I saw some trees that I thought would make a good picture, but I didn’t have the camera with me. So last Saturday I grabbed the kids and the camera and headed out. I wasn’t going to make a day of it, just grab a couple of shots and be done. It’s been a while since I’ve been behind the lens. I’m a little rusty but I managed to remember to check the basics. I was going handheld on these so I checked that Autofocus and Images Stabilization were on. I wanted Aperature Priority, so I checked that it was set, checked the ISO (which I usually forget) which wasn’t right so I fixed it. Took 3 shots and headed back home. When I got the pictures loaded on the computer I realized immediately that while I did check that Aperature Priority was set, I had completely forgotten to look and see what it was set to. Needless to say, landscape pictures don’t turn out to well if only a small portion of the picture is in focus, unless that is the “artistic expression” you are going for, which I wasn’t. So I’ll be heading out again soon to reshoot. I’m just glad that these weren’t “important” shots or somewhere that I’d had to drive to for hours.