Simon St. Laurent on O'Reilly Broadcasttag:broadcast.oreilly.com,2008-08-07://532009-06-03T22:08:10ZMovable Type Pro 4.21-enProgramming as Live Performancetag:broadcast.oreilly.com,2009://53.366582009-06-03T22:08:10Z2009-06-03T22:08:10ZAs I'm writing this, twenty people are watching their peers write code. They aren't looking over anyone's shoulders, or doing peer programming - they're watching mirrors of screens at the TopCoder Open, seeing exactly how competitors work their way through algorithm problems in C++, Java, and C#. Is this something we should be doing more of?Simon St. Laurenthttp://simonstl.com/
As I'm writing this, twenty people are watching their peers write code. They aren't looking over anyone's shoulders, or doing peer programming - they're watching mirrors of screens at the TopCoder Open, seeing exactly how competitors work their way through algorithm problems in C++, Java, and C#. Is this something we should be doing more of?
Writing a book by competitiontag:broadcast.oreilly.com,2009://53.362752009-05-19T16:17:23Z2009-05-19T16:17:23ZI've worked on lots of collaborative books before. Now, I'm starting on something different: a book written by competition. We're asking TopCoder participants to create a book about how to participate in TopCoder contests, the TopCoder Cookbook. Cookbooks are a natural fit for books with multiple authors, as each recipe can be fairly self-contained, sequence is less critical, and there's room for a wide range of subjects and levels related to a given topic. Simon St. Laurenthttp://simonstl.com/
I've worked on lots of collaborative books before. Now, I'm starting on something different: a book written by competition. We're asking TopCoder participants to create a book about how to participate in TopCoder contests, the TopCoder Cookbook. Cookbooks are a natural fit for books with multiple authors, as each recipe can be fairly self-contained, sequence is less critical, and there's room for a wide range of subjects and levels related to a given topic.
Personalizing the Learning Conversationtag:broadcast.oreilly.com,2009://53.361232009-05-05T14:25:27Z2009-05-05T14:25:27ZTwenty years of change are shifting technology from top-down broadcast-model documentation and training to a more conversational approach that shrinks the social distance between teacher and learner, personalizing our experience.Simon St. Laurenthttp://simonstl.com/
Twenty years of change are shifting technology from top-down broadcast-model documentation and training to a more conversational approach that shrinks the social distance between teacher and learner, personalizing our experience.
Dreaming of Rails as the Next Microsoft Accesstag:broadcast.oreilly.com,2009://53.361192009-05-05T02:39:23Z2009-05-05T02:39:23ZRails? Microsoft Access? Aren't those from different planets? Well, they may have different origins, but their similarities give me hope.Simon St. Laurenthttp://simonstl.com/
Rails? Microsoft Access? Aren't those from different planets? Well, they may have different origins, but their similarities give me hope.
Choosing your application's version of Railstag:broadcast.oreilly.com,2009://53.357262009-03-28T17:37:15Z2009-03-28T17:37:15ZRails updates versions frequently. There are a few different ways to make sure your application is running the version of Rails you think it should be, and to make sure you can run it under the version it expects.Simon St. Laurenthttp://simonstl.com/
Rails updates versions frequently. There are a few different ways to make sure your application is running the version of Rails you think it should be, and to make sure you can run it under the version it expects.
Lessons from Saturn's failuretag:broadcast.oreilly.com,2009://53.353582009-02-18T17:13:33Z2009-02-18T17:13:33ZGM's putting an end to its Saturn line shines a light on the challenge of building "a different kind of company" inside the "usual kind of company", at a time when a lot of web companies are aiming to be different.Simon St. Laurenthttp://simonstl.com/
GM's putting an end to its Saturn line shines a light on the challenge of building "a different kind of company" inside the "usual kind of company", at a time when a lot of web companies are aiming to be different.
ISBN adventurestag:broadcast.oreilly.com,2009://53.353342009-02-16T15:50:50Z2009-02-16T15:50:50ZFor most people, ISBNs are random noise on the backs of books, helpful mostly for barcode scanning at the register. For publishing folk, ISBNs can actually be memorable, magic keys for jumping from one system to the next. Of course, there are now two different flavors of ISBN, the obsolete (I prefer 'classic') variety with 10 digits, and the new version with 13 digits. Working with two sets of magic keys can be complicating.Simon St. Laurenthttp://simonstl.com/
For most people, ISBNs are random noise on the backs of books, helpful mostly for barcode scanning at the register. For publishing folk, ISBNs can actually be memorable, magic keys for jumping from one system to the next. Of course, there are now two different flavors of ISBN, the obsolete (I prefer 'classic') variety with 10 digits, and the new version with 13 digits. Working with two sets of magic keys can be complicating.
Learning like teenstag:broadcast.oreilly.com,2009://53.353102009-02-13T16:37:08Z2009-02-13T16:37:08ZThe way I learned computers back in the 1980s doesn't seem that different a path from the way teens are learning now - but both seem very different from the way that adults traditionally learn. Is there a way to improve adult learning by encouraging teen practices?Simon St. Laurenthttp://simonstl.com/
The way I learned computers back in the 1980s doesn't seem that different a path from the way teens are learning now - but both seem very different from the way that adults traditionally learn. Is there a way to improve adult learning by encouraging teen practices?
Reviving the Labs - "It's alive...."tag:broadcast.oreilly.com,2009://53.352662009-02-10T18:30:25Z2009-02-10T18:30:25ZAfter a long hibernation, O'Reilly Labs has returned, with a mix of software and code that should excite casual ebook readers as well as dedicated publishing technologists.Simon St. Laurenthttp://simonstl.com/
After a long hibernation, O'Reilly Labs has returned, with a mix of software and code that should excite casual ebook readers as well as dedicated publishing technologists.
Heroku moves forward and sidewaystag:broadcast.oreilly.com,2009://53.350302009-01-17T16:05:09Z2009-01-17T16:05:09ZI've had a lot of positive feedback from readers for including Heroku in Learning Rails. Its web-based interface is the easiest way I know to get started with Rails programming without getting trapped in installation challenges. They're changing gears a...Simon St. Laurenthttp://simonstl.com/
I've had a lot of positive feedback from readers for including Heroku in Learning Rails. Its web-based interface is the easiest way I know to get started with Rails programming without getting trapped in installation challenges. They're changing gears a...
Practicetag:broadcast.oreilly.com,2009://53.348162009-01-01T15:44:49Z2009-01-01T15:44:49ZMy New Year's Resolution for this year is simple: practice. You don't have to achieve (or even aim for) total mastery for the practice to be worthwhile.Simon St. Laurenthttp://simonstl.com/
My New Year's Resolution for this year is simple: practice. You don't have to achieve (or even aim for) total mastery for the practice to be worthwhile.
Installing Instant Rails on Windowstag:broadcast.oreilly.com,2008://53.347282008-12-22T14:16:33Z2008-12-22T14:16:33ZInstant Rails is getting old, but it's still a quick way to install Rails and start coding. This screencast shows how to download and install Instant Rails, and shows off how it works with a simple example from Chapter 2 of Learning Rails.Simon St. Laurenthttp://simonstl.com/
Instant Rails is getting old, but it's still a quick way to install Rails and start coding. This screencast shows how to download and install Instant Rails, and shows off how it works with a simple example from Chapter 2 of Learning Rails.
Templates Offer Rails New Path to Ubiquitytag:broadcast.oreilly.com,2008://53.346692008-12-16T13:42:37Z2008-12-16T13:42:37ZRails application templates, just added in Edge Rails, offer Rails developers the chance to spread their wings and bring Rails to new audiences and new capabilities - and might even help Rails lead the next generation of frameworks.Simon St. Laurenthttp://simonstl.com/
Rails application templates, just added in Edge Rails, offer Rails developers the chance to spread their wings and bring Rails to new audiences and new capabilities - and might even help Rails lead the next generation of frameworks.
Stuck Togethertag:broadcast.oreilly.com,2008://53.346612008-12-15T22:24:05Z2008-12-15T22:24:05ZBailouts are an awful thing, an admission of drastic failure. They're also a safety valve that can lessen the impact of disaster in a given area on the rest of the system. In the immediate and short term, we need to recognize that it's not just a given group whose boat is being bailed - we're bailing a very large boat that we're all riding.Simon St. Laurenthttp://simonstl.com/
Bailouts are an awful thing, an admission of drastic failure. They're also a safety valve that can lessen the impact of disaster in a given area on the rest of the system. In the immediate and short term, we need to recognize that it's not just a given group whose boat is being bailed - we're bailing a very large boat that we're all riding.
First Steps in Rails (on Heroku)tag:broadcast.oreilly.com,2008://53.344982008-12-02T17:26:20Z2008-12-02T17:26:20ZIf you want to explore Rails, heroku.com offers an easy way to get started, using a web-based interface that neatly hides the complexity of installation and database management.Simon St. Laurenthttp://simonstl.com/
If you want to explore Rails, heroku.com offers an easy way to get started, using a web-based interface that neatly hides the complexity of installation and database management.