Comments on: Hackers at Think New Orleans http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/ A Community Notebook Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:42:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: John foster http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/comment-page-1/#comment-133217 John foster Sat, 23 Feb 2008 06:18:26 +0000 http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/#comment-133217 Hey Alan, Just picked this up last night and realized that my problem was a bad Implementation of cgi on iis. I'll be trying again on linux in the morning. Still hope to be done by Sunday, but with an incomplete dev environment it's tough to commit. Also, I've been working with eruby, are you using rails? Hey Alan,

Just picked this up last night and realized that my problem was a bad Implementation of cgi on iis. I’ll be trying again on linux in the morning. Still hope to be done by Sunday, but with an incomplete dev environment it’s tough to commit.

Also, I’ve been working with eruby, are you using rails?

]]> By: Alan Gutierrez http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/comment-page-1/#comment-132297 Alan Gutierrez Wed, 20 Feb 2008 20:33:21 +0000 http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/#comment-132297 John Sounds like you are learning fast. For my Ruby app, I'm going to create a web program that takes a text export of an iChat script and turns it into a pretty HTML display of the iChat script. I'll be using the CSS and markup from Chatbubble. http://www.tikirobot.net/wp/2008/01/29/announcing-chatbubble/ So it's Ruby on Rails, without a domain model. Just a controller. What gets me about Ruby on Rails: Do I need to run a Webrick server for each Rails app that I run. (If so, that's lame.) Alan John

Sounds like you are learning fast.

For my Ruby app, I’m going to create a web program that takes a text export of an iChat script and turns it into a pretty HTML display of the iChat script. I’ll be using the CSS and markup from Chatbubble.

http://www.tikirobot.net/wp/2008/01/29/announcing-chatbubble/

So it’s Ruby on Rails, without a domain model. Just a controller.

What gets me about Ruby on Rails: Do I need to run a Webrick server for each Rails app that I run. (If so, that’s lame.)

Alan

]]> By: John Foster http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/comment-page-1/#comment-132203 John Foster Wed, 20 Feb 2008 14:49:36 +0000 http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/#comment-132203 Alan, I wanted to give you a quick update on my Ruby project status. I have the CGI and the IO working now, but need to work out a few bugs with the two talking to each other. I also need to take a look at security. So far this has been a great learning experience. I'll probably send you the finished product over the weekend. As for coffee, I'm pretty tied up at work this week so I won't be able to make it. What are you working on? Alan,

I wanted to give you a quick update on my Ruby project status. I have the CGI and the IO working now, but need to work out a few bugs with the two talking to each other. I also need to take a look at security. So far this has been a great learning experience. I’ll probably send you the finished product over the weekend.

As for coffee, I’m pretty tied up at work this week so I won’t be able to make it. What are you working on?

]]> By: Alan Gutierrez http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/comment-page-1/#comment-131862 Alan Gutierrez Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:52:45 +0000 http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/#comment-131862 John I'm going to spend the day with Ruby tomorrow or Thursday. I have a little project that I want to implement in Ruby. If you'd like to hang out for a while at a coffee shop and talk Ruby, or rather hack Ruby for a while, let me know. Is anyone else interested in a coworking meetup? Alan John

I’m going to spend the day with Ruby tomorrow or Thursday. I have a little project that I want to implement in Ruby. If you’d like to hang out for a while at a coffee shop and talk Ruby, or rather hack Ruby for a while, let me know.

Is anyone else interested in a coworking meetup?

Alan

]]> By: Alan Gutierrez http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/comment-page-1/#comment-131861 Alan Gutierrez Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:50:20 +0000 http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/#comment-131861 New Orleans Ladder We are here now and we're focused on communications in the recovery. Think New Orleans is a Creative Commons resource of recovery information and a place for informed comment on the recovery. The technologist at BarCampNOLA are ordinary folks with ordinary jobs. The people who helped me with the New Orleans Wiki during the flood are the same. Some folks who attempted to add order to a flood of information. Where there was information available, there was too much information available. We're not in control of cell phone towers. We don't have an outsized notion of what is possible. If the communications infrastructure failures concern you, you should take that up with the FCC. That is a problem of government and of money. It is nothing that a group of web developers can speak to with authority. At BarCampNOLA this weekend, I told folks about <a href="http://squanderedheritage.com/" rel="nofollow">Squandered Heritage</a> and we worked on improving the website for the <a href="http://thebayouboogaloo.com/" rel="nofollow">Bayou Boogaloo</a>. No one was talking about how information technology saved anyone during Katrina. It was failure. IT fell on it's face. People with MSN accounts found that their 2 MB quota was reached with all the frenzied communication and that all their messages were bouncing. People with regular email a Tulane lost all their email because their was no backup mail server, when the email protocols provide for this. SMS messaging was all that was available for only some of the cell phone networks. People had no way to communicate with New Orleans for about a month. I don't know that computer professionals were absolutely useless during the flood. There was an effort where people combed the NOLA.com forums, created a comprehensive list of persons missing and sought, and set up a phone bank to call the numbers that people left behind. <a href="http://katrinahelp.info/wiki/main.html" rel="nofollow">KatrinaHelp.info</a> And there was a people finder website launched in 24 hours after the levee breach. <a href="http://familymessages.org/" rel="nofollow">Family Messages</a> But, information technology did not shine in Katrina. Agreed. I wouldn't fault individuals for that failure, however. New Orleans Ladder

We are here now and we’re focused on communications in the recovery. Think New Orleans is a Creative Commons resource of recovery information and a place for informed comment on the recovery.

The technologist at BarCampNOLA are ordinary folks with ordinary jobs. The people who helped me with the New Orleans Wiki during the flood are the same. Some folks who attempted to add order to a flood of information. Where there was information available, there was too much information available.

We’re not in control of cell phone towers. We don’t have an outsized notion of what is possible. If the communications infrastructure failures concern you, you should take that up with the FCC. That is a problem of government and of money.

It is nothing that a group of web developers can speak to with authority.

At BarCampNOLA this weekend, I told folks about Squandered Heritage and we worked on improving the website for the Bayou Boogaloo.

No one was talking about how information technology saved anyone during Katrina. It was failure. IT fell on it’s face. People with MSN accounts found that their 2 MB quota was reached with all the frenzied communication and that all their messages were bouncing. People with regular email a Tulane lost all their email because their was no backup mail server, when the email protocols provide for this. SMS messaging was all that was available for only some of the cell phone networks.

People had no way to communicate with New Orleans for about a month.

I don’t know that computer professionals were absolutely useless during the flood. There was an effort where people combed the NOLA.com forums, created a comprehensive list of persons missing and sought, and set up a phone bank to call the numbers that people left behind.

KatrinaHelp.info

And there was a people finder website launched in 24 hours after the levee breach.

Family Messages

But, information technology did not shine in Katrina. Agreed. I wouldn’t fault individuals for that failure, however.

]]> By: New Orleans News Ladder http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/comment-page-1/#comment-131696 New Orleans News Ladder Tue, 19 Feb 2008 07:16:34 +0000 http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/#comment-131696 I have just had it explained to me by someone older than anyone I have seen here that there is a vital difference between a "Hacker" and a "Cracker"...in an emergency a "Hacker" will figure out how to transmit and recieve information down a bob-wire fence if neccesary while a "Cracker" will die of starvation trying to put together a game of cache-up? I really appreciate that y'all are focused here on the "Now" of life in New Orleans. But...but....the storm leveled that playing field... I do not see anyone here addressing this issue. How do you run a network when disel fuel might be strictly rationed by the neighborhood "armed command" militia group, provided one is lucky enough to even have armed protection? How do you get a contiguous signal out over 3 consecutive parrishes (roughly 300 miles) when every line is down? Carrier Pigeons? I do not jest. You gonna use pigeons? Semaphor ===.===...===.===.===...=.===.=...=.=.=...=.......===.=.===.=...===.===.===...===.=.=...=? Semaphore? Radio? Please note that NO News Ladder covered BarCamp a month ago and support the venture whole heartedly but...it was like being in Jurassic Park watching the city burn while listening to people actually seriously freaking out over their cell phones going down. That is all I'm saying. I have just had it explained to me by someone older than anyone I have seen here that there is a vital difference between a “Hacker” and a “Cracker”…in an emergency a “Hacker” will figure out how to transmit and recieve information down a bob-wire fence if neccesary while a “Cracker” will die of starvation trying to put together a game of cache-up?
I really appreciate that y’all are focused here on the “Now” of life in New Orleans. But…but….the storm leveled that playing field…
I do not see anyone here addressing this issue. How do you run a network when disel fuel might be strictly rationed by the neighborhood “armed command” militia group, provided one is lucky enough to even have armed protection?
How do you get a contiguous signal out over 3 consecutive parrishes (roughly 300 miles) when every line is down?
Carrier Pigeons? I do not jest. You gonna use pigeons? Semaphor ===.===…===.===.===…=.===.=…=.=.=…=…….===.=.===.=…===.===.===…===.=.=…=?
Semaphore?
Radio?

Please note that NO News Ladder covered BarCamp a month ago and support the venture whole heartedly but…it was like being in Jurassic Park watching the city burn while listening to people actually seriously freaking out over their cell phones going down. That is all I’m saying.

]]> By: New Orleans News Ladder http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/comment-page-1/#comment-131679 New Orleans News Ladder Tue, 19 Feb 2008 06:16:07 +0000 http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/#comment-131679 I am aware that this conference is to develope cybernetic solutions to New Orleans networking now, today... Please forgive my bourgeois nievete but software, computers, cell technology and particularly hackers were useless, absolutelely useless, during the flood. But even without the flood, there were no Cell towers within a few hundred miles. Do you have secret technology? I really appreciate what I think your trying to do here...It is great to wire-up New Orleans but the only place we got a line out of the city was at the pay phones in the French Market. Otherwise you had to have satelite or HAM radio with a generator which meant divuldging your location at night... I just do not see you folks addressing this. If/when such a thing as Katrina happens again, how will you folks transmit vital information. · · · — — — · · · Again, my apologies for sounding rude and ignorant, but I was there during the flood and all this fine teck-talk sounds as if many of you were not. I am aware that this conference is to develope cybernetic solutions to New Orleans networking now, today…
Please forgive my bourgeois nievete but software, computers, cell technology and particularly hackers were useless, absolutelely useless, during the flood. But even without the flood, there were no Cell towers within a few hundred miles.
Do you have secret technology?
I really appreciate what I think your trying to do here…It is great to wire-up New Orleans but the only place we got a line out of the city was at the pay phones in the French Market. Otherwise you had to have satelite or HAM radio with a generator which meant divuldging your location at night…
I just do not see you folks addressing this. If/when such a thing as Katrina happens again, how will you folks transmit vital information.
· · · — — — · · ·
Again, my apologies for sounding rude and ignorant, but I was there during the flood and all this fine teck-talk sounds as if many of you were not.

]]> By: Matt http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/comment-page-1/#comment-131606 Matt Tue, 19 Feb 2008 02:11:50 +0000 http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/#comment-131606 Hey Barcampers, Yea, it was a good weekend. As far as the ruby links above, I could also suggest two more books from the pragmatic programer's. I haven't read the pickaxe book, because I was more interested in rails than just ruby, so I went with the <a href="http://pragprog.com/titles/rails2/index.html" rel="nofollow">Skate or die book</a>. It's a fantastic intro to Rails and explains the motivating concepts really well. And then if you're actually thinking about producing something you might wanna look through <a href="http://www.pragprog.com/titles/fr_rr/index.html" rel="nofollow">Rails Recipes</a>. It's a selection of "best of" patterns, but very dry for the beginner. If you're just interested in ruby and not rails, ignore me ;) M. Hey Barcampers,
Yea, it was a good weekend.
As far as the ruby links above, I could also suggest two more books from the pragmatic programer’s. I haven’t read the pickaxe book, because I was more interested in rails than just ruby, so I went with the Skate or die book. It’s a fantastic intro to Rails and explains the motivating concepts really well. And then if you’re actually thinking about producing something you might wanna look through Rails Recipes. It’s a selection of “best of” patterns, but very dry for the beginner. If you’re just interested in ruby and not rails, ignore me ;)
M.

]]> By: Aaron Lozier http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/comment-page-1/#comment-131457 Aaron Lozier Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:44:12 +0000 http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/#comment-131457 Hey guys, It was good working with you on Hack Day in New Orleans this weekend. I'm glad to have been of some help, as you have some very interesting projects in the works. I will continue to keep my eyes on the Bayou Boogaloo site and if I have any ideas I will definitely let you know. Also if you ever need any help on whatever, feel free to drop me a line. Thanks! Aaron Lozier/Comit Technologies/Lafayette, Louisiana Hey guys,

It was good working with you on Hack Day in New Orleans this weekend. I’m glad to have been of some help, as you have some very interesting projects in the works.

I will continue to keep my eyes on the Bayou Boogaloo site and if I have any ideas I will definitely let you know. Also if you ever need any help on whatever, feel free to drop me a line.

Thanks!

Aaron Lozier/Comit Technologies/Lafayette, Louisiana

]]> By: Dave http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/comment-page-1/#comment-131443 Dave Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:58:28 +0000 http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/#comment-131443 Hey gang, I found a great link to some fantastic FREE wordpress themes at <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/01/08/100-excellent-free-high-quality-wordpress-themes/" rel="nofollow">Smashing Magazine</a>. They are grouped into several categories (magazine style, simple, clean, advanced, etc). Nice meeting everyone last weekend. I had a great time. Keep nerding it up in NOLA. Hey gang, I found a great link to some fantastic FREE wordpress themes at Smashing Magazine.

They are grouped into several categories (magazine style, simple, clean, advanced, etc).

Nice meeting everyone last weekend. I had a great time.

Keep nerding it up in NOLA.

]]> By: John Foster http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/comment-page-1/#comment-131441 John Foster Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:50:24 +0000 http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/#comment-131441 Thanks for the info. I stepped through the online tutorial last night and also found another ebook that looks interesting: http://www.share-ebooks.com/mr_neighborlys_humble_little_ruby_book_jeremy_mcanally Thanks for the info. I stepped through the online tutorial last night and also found another ebook that looks interesting:

http://www.share-ebooks.com/mr_neighborlys_humble_little_ruby_book_jeremy_mcanally

]]> By: Alan Gutierrez http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/comment-page-1/#comment-131439 Alan Gutierrez Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:43:09 +0000 http://thinknola.com/post/hackers/#comment-131439 John Here are the Ruby resources that you need... <a href="http://www.pragprog.com/titles/ruby" rel="nofollow">The Pick Axe Book</a> But, if you have about 30 minutes, you might want to step through ... <a href="http://tryruby.hobix.com/" rel="nofollow">try ruby! (in your browser)</a> Which is a creation of <a href="http://whytheluckystiff.net/" rel="nofollow">Why the Lucky Stiff</a> who also wrote the Creative Commons book <a href="http://poignantguide.net/ruby/" rel="nofollow">Why's (Poignant) Guide to Ruby</a>, which you might want to stumble through. The Pick Axe book is <em>the</em> book on Ruby. John

Here are the Ruby resources that you need…

The Pick Axe Book

But, if you have about 30 minutes, you might want to step through …

try ruby! (in your browser)

Which is a creation of Why the Lucky Stiff who also wrote the Creative Commons book Why’s (Poignant) Guide to Ruby, which you might want to stumble through.

The Pick Axe book is the book on Ruby.

]]>