Yet Another Eliot Blog

Updates from September, 2009 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

• ty 1:19 am on September 20, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  Normally I think this isn’t the best idea… 

  Normally, I think this isn’t the best idea. Putting effort towards a solved solution seems like a waste of time. Why go with the crowd? Development should be fun. Below are a few reasons why some deviate from the path.

  

  Complexity can be a reason to do this. When you are trying to write code there are probably at least a dozen libraries that you can use to solve your problem. Any library can have the functionality you need and a lot more. As a developer I have asked myself the question, why learn this API? I can write a solution on my own before I finish learning this API. I think some of us lived through this once or twice. A great thing about development is this, you can write just about anything. However, it’s going to cost you.

  Speaking of cost, cost can be another reason to restart an effort. For example, Microsoft’s Visual Studio has a few hundred dollar price tag. I can easily see someone saying, “That costs too much. I will write [fill in the blank] on my own.” Great packages have come from this line of thinking. The word Linux comes to mind.

  Finally, the need to reinvent. I know, I am really ground breaking with this one. But sometimes, people feel they have to re-do what has been done. It’s not logical at all, but it happens. A non-logical epiphany inspires a new logical approach. Now that is irony.
   

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• Eliot 12:52 pm on September 13, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

  Travel Planner: Westin Virginia Beach 

  I haven’t been to the beach in years. So I decided to grab the family and head there. The destination this trip was Virginia Beach. The trip was pretty nice. I remember reading an article about more Americas will be traveling domestically instead of traveling aboard in the current economy. I believe to this be fact.

  I decided to travel during the week. I was pretty shocked to see a lot of people were at the beach on a Monday through Wednesday. I remember going to a pretty empty beach in the past. Again, this was not the case this time. It was nice seeing so many people enjoy themselves.

  I stayed at the Westin. It’s about ten minutes away from the boardwalk. The rooms were pleasant and the pool was clean. I didn’t get a chance to check out the gym, but from a glance it seemed well equipped. If you are in the area and looking for a place to stay, check it out. I truly enjoyed my stay. If you do stay there, please share your thoughts about this hotel. I would love to here about them.

  

  The hotel was great but my funniest experience during the trip was not at the hotel. There was this guy boogie boarding. He asked a few people to move down the beach so he would not injure anyone while riding the waves. I thought, hey…thanks for warning and I moved. Well, two other guys didn’t get the memo. They happen to jump into the wave the boarder was ridding. All I heard was, “Get out of the way!” I turned and saw him kick one of a guys in the face. I thought ouch! Some people have to learn lessons the hard way.