Sometimes I Lack Time
It's been probably a year since I last updated this site! Don't be too hard up about it though.
I've been doing a lot with going to Uni and all that jazz. This isn't a post suggesting I'll be updating more... but less, I'm starting my second year at Uni and I'm gonna be pretty busy so this might be the last post ever.
So... so long and thanks for all the Feesh!
So Be a Cool Kid!
...and use it.
After someone (with the IRC nick of _Schrmz_) showed interest in NLPad, I promptly explained that it wasn't stable and that I needed to rewrite a server. So! That's pretty much what I've gone ahead and done. I've also tweaked the GUI on the client a bit, and I am currently implementing anti-abuse features in there to prevent people with the unquenchable thirst to destroy thing s from clearing the canvas.
Feesh!; what are these features going to be?!
It'd be foolish to say when I need to test if they work wouldn't it. I'm halfway implementing a feature that'll make it impossible to say "I didn't do it!", when someone goes on a rampant scribble fest over a doodle that was edging it's way into being a piece of art. Also expect IRC-esque operators and voice (and ink) attributes on users.
Some perhaps extensive testing was carried out on the new server and new client (which now features circles!), and one of the gems of the jam was:
Not bad huh? A little jaggery though, gonna work on using Cairo instead of GDK for the drawing backend, but that won't happen till all the permission management is done.
Nonlogic Pad has moved repos, to get the latest nlpad revision bring up a terminal and fire:
svn co svn://nonlogic.org/feesh/nlpad
Happy doodling!
Constipation of the mind...
So... my last post had details of me starting Uni. That was some two months ago, so it has been quite a while since I last updated my, dare I say it..., blog.
Uni has been keeping me pretty busy, doing pretty much pointless things, which doesn't help too much. I'm not one to use the internet as my own personal diary but: Dear diary, at uni for the past 2 months I have been doing stuff that I had done at college for 2 years and I am starting to wear thin, with the knowledge that I don't really have to try hard this year as any grades I get don't affect the end result of this course.. By proxy I just summed up what I think of the course so far. I'm not one for boasting any skills I may have already that will help me a long the course, so I don't really try too hard to get an awesome grade.
This is all the course not the Uni. I'm often say stuff like "I wish I wasn't doing this year!" but I realise why it exists (not that I am any fonder of it). But the tutors and other students on the course rock something fierce so I'm not too fussed.
So off from the teen-emo-esque diary writing and onto good ol' software development.
I've been working on something called Gojo and all you poodles wanna try it out, because it's awesome. So says I. If you try it and you don't like it, then I guess it's only awesome in my eyes :|, but any program that lets you play asteroids on a wide screen monitor has to be awesome some how.
Gojo is quite similar to what RodgerTheGreat is making in java called CogEngine, 'cept it's written in C and so is automatically superior. Basically, Gojo on it's own is useless, but if you feed it in a script file, it can produce games, or even simple network applications. Gojo works by using SDL (and some satellite libs) and Lua to create a sort of games development environment which has no need to compile source code or boot strap video and audio initialisations.
Explanations don't go too far from me, so I implore you to try it out and give me any feedback you can. Feedback can also be money you know :D or beer (a.k.a the currency of the student).
Grab Gojo by the hojoes here.
If you get caught in a lab of some sort playing asteroids... tell them you are on a games development course :D...
One for the price of Two!
Yes, yes, I really meant two for the price of one.
Today is a good day. Loyal fans may remember ages ago (roughly a year back) when I fried my computer whilst trying to prove to myself that I'm capable of doing cool stuff with networking jive and so such. I inadvertently ended up destroying my motherboard and power supply in one swoop- that was very foul. Since that day, I used a notebook that I had borrowed for an indefinite amount of time whilst I completed a project for a 'client'.
A year or so has passed, and finally, I have managed to get myself a new computer, with the help of many.
I now have myself a Intel Core 2 Quad based computer and my eyes are still watering both from the speed and the joy increase from switching from a cruddy ol' notebook.
This means:
- I'll be able to develop games again
- I'll be able to compile much faster than before
- I'm harder, better, faster and stronger
- Quake 4 can only stay uncompleted for so long
Now for the second half of the post; I did say it was a two for one. So you get two updates for one read.
I am starting Uni tomorrow, at MMU - studying Software Engineering. Of course, the first year is going to be pretty bumpy, considering the first year is varied to make sure that if you don't like a course- you can jump to a different one on your second year- (I will not be doing this, and this statement gives you the right to kick me in the balls if I do*).
Tomorrow is the first part of the induction week, Monday. I am pretty damn excited to go back to learning after an unofficial gap year, but I'm pretty sure that the year off has only given me a better chance of getting the most out of this course. A list of my gap years achievements could be:
- Learning how to program in C to an intermediate/advanced level
- Learning GTK+ to an intermediate/advanced level
- Developing Nonlogic Pad
- Developing a kernel driver based off some skeletal code
- Creating a secret project for a client
- Developing Nonlogic Desktop
- Creating administrative tools for Linux used on this server
- Exposing Microsoft for the card cheating fiends they are
- Learning more about how the C/C++ compiler works
- Developing a reliable tranfer protocol on top of UDP
I'm looking forward to the second year of uni for the actual meat and potatoes of the course, but third year sounds like fun as I will be trying to work for a software company to gain work experience to help me a long my course and towards securing a job in the future.
I'd be kidding if I said I wasn't nervous, but I'd also be kidding if I said I wasn't damn excited. All I really need now, is a car and I'm sorted... so if you'd like to donate feesh a car (sans any dead bodies)...
* = I won't be honouring any promises
The F-Team
I'm afraid I don't have a catchy theme tune so you just hum the A-Team theme tune, replacing Mr. T with good ol' Feesh.
So I'm gonna be a student (hooray), and in typical student fashion I'm broke (not so hooray).
What I am suggesting is that you donate a couple of dollars to bail your favourite curiously smelling programmer out- I'm aiming for around 100 USD. I wont lie- that is quite a bit of dosh, and why do I deserve it? I've not done anything for you!
And that is where things get interesting... you see depending on how much you want to donate depends on what you get from Mr. Feesh!.
Consider me a programmer of fortune (though I'm not like some masterful guru of programming). My skills are typically in the realm of C and C++ so if you feel like you want something back for your contribution to "Get Feesh! something to park his arse on" perhaps I can create a C / C++ program to meet your needs. I don't come with any guarantee- so it would be wise to ask me if I'll accept your terms before donating your money as all donations are none refundable!
So, if you need a program making, maybe you can hire Feesh!
If you don't want something making, but you take pity on my current state of affairs regarding a place on which I may park my arse- feel free to donate anyway.
Donations on a post card to:
. Cheers guys.