CS Skills FTW! (for the Web)

Posted May 12, 2008 at 9:37 PM | Tagged as: Computing, Quotations, Web Stuff, Women! | Comments Off

Five ACM experts have contributed to the twelfth edition of Deborah Morley’s college textbook, Understanding Computers: Today & Tomorrow. One of them, Chandra Krintz, Vice Chair of the ACM Special Interest Group on Programming Languages, answered the question, Are programming skills necessary to be a Web site developer today?

Yes, more than ever. Web sites today are dynamic, interactive, complex, and highly adaptive to appeal to the specific and changing needs of the individual users and consumers that constitute today’s competitive commercial markets and popular Web communities. Programming languages have evolved to support existing and emerging Web technologies. Developers today must be able to use effectively a wide range of high-level programming language technologies, such as Java, AJAX, Ruby/Rails, Python, ASP.Net, and PHP, and to adapt quickly to new languages, frameworks, and practices. Programming expertise enables developers to implement efficiently dynamic Web page content, as well as the distributed and layered systems through which Web pages interact with databases and other back-end applications. In addition, strong and marketable programming skills today include team-based work styles and pair programming, test-driven program deployment, agile workplaces, and use of visual and interactive development environments. Programming skills are key to the success, productivity, and satisfaction of today’s Web developers.

Rhythm is the Power

Posted May 8, 2008 at 6:59 PM | Tagged as: Duran Duran, Music, Photography | Just 1 Comment

I’m sitting in the airport waiting for my flight to Las Vegas. Am I on my way to a conference or convention? Nope. I am on my way to see Duran Duran on their Red Carpet Massacre tour!

They’re playing two shows in Vegas, which will be my fourth and fifth on the tour. So far, I’ve seen them in Concord (where I had a front-row view, a woman made it on stage and grabbed Simon’s butt, and I got backstage to meet Simon, John, Nick, and Roger), Santa Barbara (to which I brought a different camera and also got to hang out backstage), and Los Angeles (where I got to do some celeb sightseeing and took some video).

I realize I say this a lot, but it seems that few people listen to me — if the Durans are performing near you, go see them! This show incorporates the costumes and electronica set from their Broadway run, both of which were great. The set and lighting is all new. The band is well-rehearsed and they’re clearly having fun every night — you will too! Just go already! (I’m tired of hearing that you wish that’d you’d gone!)

And for yet another teaser, here’s the U.S. tour promotion video:

Photos and videos from Friday and Saturday nights in Vegas now online, too!