Month: August 2003

XML Security C++ 1.0

The XML Apache Project has released XML Security C++ 1.0, a C++ library that implements XML digital signatures.  This is the first stable release.  I have used Java version of the package but haven't tried the C++ version, so I don't have any opinions other than that the library depends on C++ versions of Xerces and Xalan which tend to support latest standards at the cost of larger footprint and lower performance than other XML and XSLT implementations.

Still, it is nice to have alternatives to XML Security Library (XMLSec) by Aleksey Sanin.  Latest version of XMLSec is 1.1.0 released on August 5th.  XMLSec uses LibXML2 which was written by Daniel Veillard for Gnome project.

Both libraries are cross-platform and Win32 binaries are available.

This makes me wonder why there isn't a C++ version of Batik.

Garriage?

Recent posts elsewhere about gay marriages and XML namespaces mixed in my head somehow and got me thinking about the naming aspect of the gay marriage controversy:

What if we called it garriage instead of marriage?

I know it is silly, but I have silly thoughts when I am silly.

Good Patents and Bad Patents

According to a federal jury in Chicago, this frivolous patent is worth $521 million.

It is:

"A system allowing a user of a browser program on a computer connected to an open distributed hypermedia system to access and execute an embedded program object."

In plain language, it's a bleeping patent on plugins for web browsers.  Is that novel enough to warrant patent protection?  I don't think so.  Compare this to a Korean company that came up with a way to shoo mosquitos away by generating sound from cellphones.  Now THAT is worth awarding a patent on and their $600K per month revenue is honestly earned money.  Not THIS crappy patent that could cost us half a billion dollars via Microsoft Tax.

Living IRC Server

Frequenting #joiito IRC channel got me thinking about IRC which is still a wild technology in my opinion.  For some reason, IRC technology has stood still while its cousin Instant Messaging surged forward.  One idea I had recently was Living IRC Server.

Living IRC Server is an IRC server enhanced with AI and designed to strive for survival.  For a server to survive, it must be useful.  To be useful, IRC server must encourage participation, enhance user experience, and market itself using allowed mediums like web pages, feeds, e-mail, IM, etc.

For example, not everyone is equal in any given IRC channel.  There are key individuals who can make or break a chat session or channel.  On #joiito, Joi Ito is a key person.  Joi and a few others often act as catalysts, encouraging participation, new topics, and informally mediating conflicts.  Making their messages more noticeable (i.e. increased font size, underline, or highlighting) so they don't get lost heir messages can impact the IRC channel's survival.

Marketing-wise, IRC server might send an IM notice to inform and invite individuals to join a session.  For example, if conversation level is low or turnover (popping in and out) is high, IRC server can notify catalysts with information that might entice them into joining the conversation like "Joi, there are 24 people in #joiito.  Their names are…"

Service bots spamming for survival, eBay server taking self-initiated actions to enhance auction participation, etc.  It's a confusing picture of what might be ahead that both intrigues and disturbs me.  Imagine a Match.com bot whose primary survival goal is encouraging marriages.  That bot could keep introducing new prospective spouse even after your marriage since there was no mention of 'everlasting' in the survival goals.

Making of Apache Geronimo

It turns out that Apache Geronimo will arrive earlier than I expected because it will ship with a forked version of JBoss called Elba, forked by a group of former JBoss contributors who formed Core Developers Network, a JBoss support company.  JBoss is crying foul saying only JBoss has the right to offer JBoss code base under non-LGPL license.

The question is who owns the copyright in open source projects like JBoss?  Code Developers Network group members have apparently written major components of JBoss like CMP 2.0, so the picture is fuzzy at this point.  As I written before, open source world mirrors what goes on in the commercial world.  It's a dog-eat-dog world.

Calling All Interaction Architects

Bruce Tognazzini, rather well known UI designer, say it is time UI designers got some respect.  In his It's Time We Got Respect article, he starts off rightly so with proper branding of the profession.  He suggests unifying 'soft' titles into one powerful and memorable name: Interaction Architect.  Sounds about right and the name is good too.

I am all for this except there are those like me who are more than just a Interaction Architect, a hybrid of various talents.  My background domains are Game, System Software, Desktop Application, Developer Tools, Web Application, Wireless Applications and GUI.  My roles are Architect, Leader, Designer, Manager, Prototyper, Implementor, and Entertainer.

I am clueless as to what my title should be.  Swiss Army Knife seems appropriate but doesn't reflect the focus and passion that powers me.  Not having a good name for one's profession can be very frustrating.  Not only that, my ambiguous role often cause confusion and turmoil in companies large enough to have political atmosphere.

Heck, it also confuses me enough to pause whenever someone asks me what my profession is.  In the past three years, I have been occasionally using:

I am a Rainmaker.  I do anything and everything, including moving mountains with chopsticks, to make it rain.

I am sorry if I danced on your back in the frenzy…

Portrait Update

I got tired of my picture, so I took a new one.  No glasses this time but with a four day old beard.  My hair is so thick and thorny that wife can't kiss me and my son has learned to avoid me when I have beard on my face.  A good way to torment people I love.

I wish I could grow a full beard instead of four islands of hair.  My father had full beard when he was in highschool and I was told that my grandfather was practically covered with hair, chest and all.  So the hairy gene weakened over three generations to a point where all I can muster is a distraught accountant look.

What is really unfair is that the baldy gene hasn't weakened at all.  According to my father, the gene will fire when I am about 50.  Great.  I got less than ten years to go.  I hope they come up with the antidote before then.

Idealistic Fools in Korea

Every country has their share of idealistic fools.  Here are some pictures of idealistic fools in Korea via OhmyNews.

Standing on top of a tank is not an act of peaceful protest

I am thinking explosive American flags…

South Korean university student associations are riddled with fools like the ones you see above.  If Korea wasn't my mother country, I would have demanded Bush to pull American troops out of Korea and let these ungrateful bastards rot in Kim Jong-Il's infamous prisons.  Since it is, I don't know what to say but apologize for their behaviors.  Another example of my double standards.  *sigh*

Update #1: South Korean government has issued arrest warrants for the Korean students in the pictures.

Update #2: Most Korean newspapers are condemning the act and police are actively searching for members of Han-chong-ryun who planned the act.  Good.  FYI, Han-chong-ryun is a illegal student organization which has strong influence over most Korean university students.

In my view, it is cult-like in that its members are brainwashed and opposite views are not tolerated within its rank.  Apparently, Internet failed to break up their highly selective consumption and interpretation of information.

Current Han-chong-ryun chairman held a press conference saying the act was a peaceful demonstration.  Very funny.  I don't remember Ghandi pushing British soldiers around.

Evangelizing ASP.NET

When I look at www.gotdotnet.com and www.asp.net sites, I can't help wondering why Microsoft chose to stop there.  It would have been far more interesting to let developers run and showcase live ASP.NET applications instead of just having workspaces and downloadable files.  If ASP.NET ISPs can do it, Microsoft can do it too and it won't cost them much either.  Scoble should do it for Longhorn as well to demostrate the remote WinForms applications written specifically for Longhorn.