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Whhhhaaaat? Noooooooooooooooooooo. I mean he was the voice for the dark side, but this is sad news. 
Jeremy Falcon
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The weather satellites and communication satellites are useful no doubt about that. But has any useful discovery been made on ISS? There are experiments taking place out there, what is the outcome of those experiments?
modified 13 mins ago.
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Every bit of SVG parsing C code I've seen
1. Expects the XML to be loaded as a string into memory
2. Constructs an in-memory representation of the basic XML document (parsing floats, and enums and such, but essentially a similar parsed tree as the XML)
That's not good on an embedded device. The minimum size of a practical SVG is about 10-20KB. I've seen them over 100KB easy.
So I have to rewrite this code to peephole parse, which I've done before but ran into stability issues in that code I think? I can't be positive because my backtraces were being blown up.
I'm trying to process it mostly top-down, rendering as I parse to reduce memory requirements, even though it still requires certain things like CSS styles to be kept around.
I have an XML peephole/pull parser that I wrote and works well enough, so that part is good, but I don't know the SVG spec that well. I've mostly just ported other people's code to make it go.
The other issue is I can't use the STL, and it would definitely make my life easier.
Check out my IoT graphics library here:
https://honeythecodewitch.com/gfx
And my IoT UI/User Experience library here:
https://honeythecodewitch.com/uix
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Years ago I read the book, The Art of Doing Twice the Work In Half the Time[^], by Jeff Sutherland (one of the 17 signatories[^] on the original Agile Manifesto)
The original 12 principles [^] were great guidance (not a methodology).
Anyways, that book was really good & offered A Methodology (SCRUM) that could be used by Companies to create a (paraphrase) "system for creating software which was flexible.") But of course companies took it and made it so Legalistic that it devolved into garbage.
Of course, Agile (which is different from Agile Scrum) & Scrum have both been so altered by so many consultants and books that none of it means anything to anyone any more.
If You Read Nothing Else, Read This Quote About Agile (or watch the video)
I was watching this 9-year old video of Allen Holub and he makes this statement (click here[^] for the moment he makes the statement in YouTube video)
Allen Holub "By the same token, Agile requires constant feedback and constant interaction with users which means that an actual end-user of your software must be in the room while you are developing. If you're not doing that, you're not doing Agile."
My Reply
Well, then, glad we had this little talk. No one is doing Agile, then.
POLL: The Big Question
Have you ever been on a project where the user actually sits in the same room (or even building) as the developers?
I've worked for numerous companies for >33 years in IT & I've never seen this done. Ever.
I can't even remember having an actual user in the same building for a half day.
Have you ever been on a project where you've had a User's time 100% of the time during the project -- the entire time the project is being developed?
Steve Jobs : iPod
The story is that Steve Jobs wanted 1000 songs in his pocket. Yes, we could probably consider him the User and he had Ultimate Power & Authority and so he was able to drive to a product like that.
Netflix? Spotifiy?
Yes, there have probably been some "developer-driven" projects like that (Netflix? Spotify?) but they are so ridiculous that they should _never_ be held out as examples.
Summary
Agile is 100% fake.
Multi-Headed Hydra Monster
The only way it isn't fake is because it is a Multi-headed Hydra Monster.
Every time you hack one of the monster's heads off (Scrum[^] begone!) another head grows back SaFE Agile[^].
modified 1hr 20mins ago.
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raddevus wrote: Agile is 100% fake.
100% true (IMHO) at least in the form it is usually practised.
raddevus wrote: Have you ever been on a project where the user actually sits in the same room (or even building) as the developers?
Yes, many times. It was less practical for users to come with their equipment and ship/boat to my office so I would go out and spend a few days/weeks at user's site/boat/ship writing the program based of his/her feedback. I remember staying on a ferry between Hirtshals (Denmark) and Oslo (Norway) for a whole week writing a navigation program. That was way before ECDIS[^] systems were almost everywhere. I would take breaks while sailing through the Oslo fjord because it is so darn beautiful 
Mircea
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Mircea Neacsu wrote: Yes, many times.
!!!!
Was this specialized hardware? Or extremely custom stuff or something?
What was the product (in general, if you cannot speak about specifics)?
Very interesting.
Do you think this would work -- be possible -- for most software? I mean, "i've never seen users that want to have to provide more than a few sentences before they are bored and ready for me to go program it."
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It was mostly data acquisition software for hydrographic and dredging work. It had to connect to different hardware like GPS, echosounders, tide gauges, etc. It is a rather narrow field but the program was not custom made; just adapted to specific needs and growing by integrating those needs. In a lot of cases new users were very happy to discover features that have been requested by previous users.
Edit: Now I read your whole message 
raddevus wrote: Do you think this would work -- be possible -- for most software?
Most probably yes. The two requirements I see would be that A) the software can really help the user in his job and B) the programmer has the humility to accept that user is an expert in his field and not try to teach him how to do his job. Once the user sees that the program will really help him he will become very invested in its success.
Another story from the field: brand new dredging vessel in France with a bridge that looked like starship Enterprise with 20+ monitors for different systems. One of them was ours (and a rather smallish monitor at that). Captain that had worked with us to iron out all small issues was presenting the bridge to visiting officials and, pointing to our system says: "...and here is the jewel of the bridge, the system that shows how the dredging operation advances...". Needless to say I had a very warm feeling inside.
Mircea
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Yeah, that makes sense to me for "specialized" application (probably expensive to pay for your time too, I'm guessing).
But I've never seen an instance of external software made for masses where they can sequester a user.
I could be wrong, but I've never seen it myself.
And I also know users -- they are so bored with IT / App Dev that they can barely speak two sentences about what they actually want.
I had internal users (tech support) who
1. drew a winform exactly as they wanted it
2. said the winform must appear in the app when the user holds the left button down. (As soon as the button is let up, the winform must disappear.)
3. This winform would display extra data that was displayed nowhere else (bec they didn't like to see a lot of data at once.
I made the winform look exactly as they wanted it. Even down to the colors they asked for.
THey said this functionality was extremely important.
I created a video of the functionality and asked them to watch it.
I never got any response that they viewed the video.
I finished the functionality and got a call from
tech support mgr 6 months later: "Where the hell is the data? Why didn't you put that feature in?"
Li'l ole Me: Uh, did you left click and hold it when you're on a row of data?
tech support mgr: Oh...
They don't even look at or use the functionality they beg for and design themselves.
There's no way they gonna sit in a room for months. No freakin' way!
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I agree, there are users like that. For me, it was mostly when the "user" coming up with the requirements was a middle manager not the one really using the app.
raddevus wrote: Yeah, that makes sense to me for "specialized" application (probably expensive to pay for your time too, I'm guessing).
True, our software was rather specialized so people were motivated to have it working. And you guessed correctly, I was decently paid 
Mircea
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raddevus wrote: Of course, Agile (which is different from Agile Scrum) & Scrum have both been so altered by so many consultants and books that none of it means anything to anyone any more.
It's amazing how many people don't know this. Agile (in the sense I know of it) can be implemented by Scrum, Kanban, or Extreme Programming (XP).
raddevus wrote: Well, then, glad we had this little talk. No one is doing Agile, then.
I didn't watch the full video, but IIRC to do XP properly called for something like that. It was the OG in Agile implementation. Thankfully, it died out like the fad it was.
But... couple things to note...
1) Just because someone is able to give a speech doesn't make them the arbiter of truth. I mean maybe, but maybe not. People need to believe in something authoritative in a system humans agree on that seems authoritative... like giving a speech.
2) The end user isn't always John or Jane Doe sitting at home. In the enterprise an end user could mean the business. They are your customers since they are asking to you to make a product on behalf of the customers sitting at home. So, to that degree, the "end user" should be in a tight feedback loop.
3) This dude just might be one of those uptight dudes who can't evolve. I dunno. Maybe he's not. Maybe he's awesome. I didn't watch the video. But, Agile has come along away since the early days of implementations like XP.
raddevus wrote: Agile is 100% fake.
This is where most people get it wrong. Agile is a set of guidelines and philosophies, but it's not an implementation of said philosophies. To use OOP parlance, it's an interface. But, it ain't gonna do crap unless there's an implementation.
And guess what... all those implementations are not the same: Scrum, Kanban, XP, etc. Thus Scrum is not Agile and Agile is not Scrum, but Scum is an implementation of Agile principles. Which is to say, any hard rule would come from Scrum, etc. and not Agile. I dunno if that dude conveyed that in his speech, but if he didn't... I wouldn't trust him regardless if he has a microphone in hand.
So, Agile isn't fake, it's just guidelines and most people don't really know the difference. This is straight from the Agile Manifesto (which is way more authoritative than that dude):
- Satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
- Welcome changing requirements, even late in development.
- Deliver working versions frequently.
- Bring business people and developers together.
- Build projects around motivated individuals.
- Engage in face-to-face conversation.
- Measure progress with working versions of the final product.
- Promote sustainable development.
- Pay continuous attention to technical excellence and good design.
- Keep it simple.
- Use self-organizing teams.
- Regularly reflect and review.
Number 4 is of particular importance, but that does not mean have some end user sitting over your back when you code. That's some XP nonsense that died off thankfully.
Jeremy Falcon
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Btw, if I had to distill Agile into a one liner it would be this:
Iterative development and tight feedback loops.
That tight feedback loop will move the need for anyone standing over your shoulder.
Jeremy Falcon
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No updates in "The Insider News" for over a week.
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Agreed, I'm missing my daily dose of snappy remarks. Hope all is well??
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I had almost decided to come make a post inquiring about how one immigrates and acquires the same vacation plan.
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"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity. - Hunter S Thompson - RIP
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Second time in my life and second time in a row that I get an anagram as penultimate choice.
GCS/GE d--(d) s-/+ a C+++ U+++ P-- L+@ E-- W+++ N+ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5? X R+++ tv-- b+(+++) DI+++ D++ G e++ h--- r+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
The shortest horror story: On Error Resume Next
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Ok, I have had my coffee, so you can all come out now!
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Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have. -Anon
And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music. -Frederick Nietzsche
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"A little time, a little trouble, your better day"
Badfinger
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