Web Sites, Web Sites, Web Sites.
This is Mark's new Thursday Question meme. Last week's I answered on his site, but I thought I'd answer it here this week.
1. What is your favorite site to visit? (portals, blogline type readers, etc don't count)
It depends what I'm in the mood for. News.com is probably my most regular non-portalish read, along with various blogs. My regular routine is News.com, then OSNews, then MacNewsBytes, then Drudge, then my asisaid Recent Comments page, then using my blogroll to visit other blogs. If time permits, I might go to CNN after that.
2. What site is known to be popular but you just don't get it?
I'm having a hard time digging Digg. It just doesn't do anything for me.
3. What is your biggest pet peeve regarding web site design and ease of use?
Overzealous use of stuff like JavaScript menus and Flash that just get in the way of letting me get where I want to go.
4. What speed do you surf the internets [sic] at? Reality vs ISP promise.
I surf at a promised speed of 3 mbps thanks to Charter High-Speed Internet. In reality, I get somewhere between 2.5-2.8, according to Broadband Reports.
5. What web site, which is no longer with us, will you forever miss?
I'm not really sure. Just for old time's sake, I'd go back a bit farther and say I miss the odd charm of Prodigy Interactive Services.
6. What gem of site have you just found?
SAtechBlog is run not only by a guy that loves the Mac, but more importantly, is obsessed by AT&T's U-Verse (Project Lightspeed). Suddenly, I can go to just one place and keep up-to-date on this fascinating technology.
Your Legislators at Work
Well, it seems that our government passed a bill offering tax credits for purchasing diesel engine-powered vehicles, since they are much more fuel efficient. Nevertheless, based on cleanliness requirements, no 2006 vehicles qualify for the credit. (Hybrids do, despite all the toxic stuff that goes into their batteries that will eventually have to be disposed of.)
Yes, that makes a lot of sense to me.
A Smart Idea
I've noticed more and more places that have complementary bottled water are branding that water with their name. This strikes me as ingenious, since typically one might carry a bottle of water around for several hours, and, in doing so, unwittingly serve as an advertisement for the company giving out the water. This seems to be a win-win situation, really, since the customer appreciates the water and the company appreciates assistance in “spreading the word.”
Ultimate Electronics use to give out complementary water, but ceased when they ran into financial difficulties. They seemed to be a bit ahead of the curve on the whole complementary water idea, at least around here. Maybe they should try again, but this time use private label water. it might just work a bit better for them.
Late Night Haiku XII
XXXII. A locust chirps soft,
A cry for the rush of time
To slow just a bit.
XXXIII. Signs abound to enter
The journey's new, wide roads,
But not exit ramps.
XXXIV. I ask tomorrow
What might perchance to happen.
Answers mix with noise.
Joining the Crowd
Well, I enjoyed my brief moment as t3h l33t subquery h4×0r, but in the end, subqueries seem to fall flat on their face. Two queries with subqueries were taking SAFARI 7-20 seconds to run, a totally unacceptable speed, especially since my goal with SAFARI was to build it in such a way as to allow it to be Slashdotted without performance problems. Conversely, using a join statement, I accomplished the same effect while reducing the processing time to less than two seconds (how much less, I cannot yet say, since I'm still working on developing the perfect query, but I'm expecting it to drop below 1 sec before I am done).
The road to the next generation of SAFARI progresses…
Update (10 July 2006 12:14 AM): OK, so I wanted to see if I could count the number of comments in my comments table in addition to comparing the objects (metadata) and articles (normal article stuff) table all in one query for efficiency. I ended up with what might be best termed a hybrid solution: the meat of the problem is taken care of via two LEFT JOINs, the latter one joining the results of a subquery to the main results. It seems reasonably efficient: it takes a mere 0.0274 seconds to process! How 'bout them apples?
Subqueries Take One
As you may recall, I recently discovered subqueries. While everything should seem functionally the same, you'll now be receiving subquery produced information when you view category pages. I think everything seems to be working OK thus far, although the subqueries seem to be a bit slower simply doing several queries, which suggests to me I must not be doing something right — why would initiating multiple queries be faster than one complex query?
Hopefully, I'll continue working on adding functionality via subqueries in the near future.
Oh, and about commenting or the lack of the ability to do thereof: I think I finally fixed SAFARI so that commenting should be on by default on asisaid. I'll be distributing that minor bug fix to other SAFARI-powered sites, such as Ed's, once I stabilize the subquery work a bit more.
Intelligent Stick for $29.99
Returning to the subject of the little grocery store that isn't just a grocery store, I'd like to point your attention to the fact that Aldi has been recently carrying the PQi Intelligent Stick 1 GB USB key for just $29.99. I picked mine up about a week ago, and have been meaning to say something on here ever since — I'm not sure if they have any left, but if you want one, you might take a gander at your local Aldi. Ask at the checkout if you don't see them on display as they've been keeping them in the back room to avoid theft.
Why would you want this USB key? Well, let's just say it isn't simply a large capacity stick, it is also a very small stick, somewhere between an SD card and a Memory Stick card in size. I've had a 128 meg I-Stick for about a year (which, oddly enough, I discovered for $19.99 at the Home Depot), and I find it indispensable. It is small enough that it comes with a credit card shaped protector that can hold two of the keys and then slip into the credit card section of your wallet. Because of that convenient method of carrying the key, I always have it when I need it, which was not the case with other USB keys I have, which, at best, generally can be carried in one's pocket (another thing to remember to stuff in there in the morning) or attached to a lanyard (do I really want to wear my storage device?).
The i-Stick is also really durable. I had my 128 meg stick slip out of my case into my pocket, without noticing it, a few weeks ago. I only discovered it after it had been washed and dried. I let it sit in a warm, dry place for a few days and found afterward it was no worse for wear (my data was all intact!).
If you can't guess, I highly recommend this USB key, should you be in the market. How can you beat it for under thirty bucks?
Wikipedia Time Loss
I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but sometimes when I feel otherwise inclined to do absolutely nothing, I end up spending a couple of hours surfing around the Wikipedia, reading up on random topics that somehow end up being linked together. Tonight was such a night. I had some coding to do, but it just didn't happen — hopefully tomorrow I'll have more energy.
I really do like Wikipedia — I find I learn a lot by my haphazard exploration of it that I wouldn't run into just reading other sources of information. Perhaps it is the unique perspective of having enthusiasts writing the pages that helps.
Well, I guess I'll give up doing much productive for the night. G'night!
Cooling
After a scorching July 3rd and hot July 4th, the weather has taken a cool turn, topping out at 85 degrees or so today and dropping to 66 presently at 11:56 in Mid America. I think I would have preferred the opposite, given that we did fireworks displays for friends and family on July 3rd and 4th, but I won't complain — at least it didn't rain!
How's the weather around the blogosphere this fine July?
Happy Fourth!
Well, I'm off to bed, but I just wanted to wish y'all a happy Fourth!
Hope all of you had a very nice one.
