Ok, so i've bought my ticket, now I'm attempting to step off the platform and ride rails. The ticket, is a little 300 page book entitled "Ruby on Rails for Dummies". yep thats me.
So they say, "Its so easy, you can get an application made in no time at all". Well they were right! in about 20 minutes (after installing the software) I had already made my first application, complete with a database, a front end to view the data, and a back end allowing me to update the database online (without needing to access MySql directly). Only one problem... how do I get this online?
Should be simple right? I know, I'll go to the book! even a dummy has to be able to put their site online right? I mean seriously, what good is any website if you can't actually browse to it online? Even when I was first learning HTML, and wrote my very first "Hello World" site the real excitement came when I actually uploaded the file and got to see it through my browser. Surely the author of this Dummies guide wouldn't rob me of this joy right? WRONG!
After 8 hours of exacerbated searching to book and the net I gave up on my first day of learning this new incredible software!, nothing in the book about it (unless you wanted to set up you own web server at home, but with my system and my shoddy internet connection you'd really have to be a dummy to consider that option). No mention in the book! None AT ALL about how to put a site online via a hosted web service!
It was days later, when browsing the computer section at my local Borders, when I noticed another book entitled "Deploying Rails Applications". What's that you say? An entire book, just on the subject of getting your stinking site online?!? how friggin difficult could it possibly be? and why does it need to be this way? After skimming the pages I found out that there are several other pieces of software which are made especially for this task! Wow, don't you think that they would include this in the editing software?
Rediculus!
So, yea I haven't given up on this language yet, but if this language is ever going to replace the old standards its going to have to become a whole hell of a lot more user friendly, because I don't think there are that many people who are as patient as I am.
Why i don't own an apple, yet.
Ok so yea i've heard that apples are great, they run everything flawlessly right, no viruses etc... so why don't I own one? Well it's very simple. I CAN'T AFFORD IT! So you say, well really when you think about all the time you wast debugging your machine, and all the work lost because of faulty hardware/software how can you afford not to get one? so i'll break it down for you.
Here are the specs for a PC Desktop that i just built this on tigerdirect.com (as of July '08 the prices are correct), keep in mind here that i didn't just choose the absolute cheapest crap here, i could have made this for a lot less money if i had tried:
3.4 GHz Intel dual Core +
Motherboard bundle $119
Sony 20x DVD re-writeable drive $29
Patriot 2 gigs 667 ram $39
Xion case w/500 watt PSU $69
good cooling fan (tubes and stuff) $29
512MB graphics card $49
Acer 22" widescreen LCD $229
Wireless keyboard and mouse $29
3.5" internal card reader $19
3 piece speaker set w/sub woofer $29
250 SATA gig hard drive (seagate) $59
Total Price $703
Now lets compare that to a Mac that i might possibly buy:
20 inch IMac, (stock, no add-ons) $1499
CPU 2.6 Ghz intel dual core
Memory 2 gigs 800 mhz
320GB Sata drive
Mouse/keyboard
8X dvd drive
256MB Graphics card
do these things come with card readers?
Ok so at first glance it's obvious which of these systems is more powerfull. and of course its less than half the price of the Apple, but thats not the only reason to buy a PC, for me.
the thing is, I already have most of these componants, and if i want to upgrade my system I don't need to buy a new keyboard/mouse/harddrive/cardreader/Monitor etc.. In reality I upgraded my system for under $200!
But you say "Well our operating system is better and it will save you time/money" Well it's going to have to save me at least $1200 worth of time, and it better save it within 3 years because at that point i will need to trash whichever system i get and buy a new one because it will be obsolete.
And who's time is it saving? Mine? no it's saving my bosses time, and that sounds like more his concern than mine.
"But aren't you sick of your system crashing all the time and having problems?"
Honestly no, you know why? because i am not an idiot, i know what i can and can't do with my system, i know how to keep it virus free, i don't overclock it or do anything stupid like that so NO. my system is pretty much stable. and in the rare event that everything goe's haywire I have a backup.
"So you're just a Microsoft loving idiot?"
No, i hate them of course like any sane man, and i havn't spent a dime on any of their products so there.
Here are the specs for a PC Desktop that i just built this on tigerdirect.com (as of July '08 the prices are correct), keep in mind here that i didn't just choose the absolute cheapest crap here, i could have made this for a lot less money if i had tried:
3.4 GHz Intel dual Core +
Motherboard bundle $119
Sony 20x DVD re-writeable drive $29
Patriot 2 gigs 667 ram $39
Xion case w/500 watt PSU $69
good cooling fan (tubes and stuff) $29
512MB graphics card $49
Acer 22" widescreen LCD $229
Wireless keyboard and mouse $29
3.5" internal card reader $19
3 piece speaker set w/sub woofer $29
250 SATA gig hard drive (seagate) $59
Total Price $703
Now lets compare that to a Mac that i might possibly buy:
20 inch IMac, (stock, no add-ons) $1499
CPU 2.6 Ghz intel dual core
Memory 2 gigs 800 mhz
320GB Sata drive
Mouse/keyboard
8X dvd drive
256MB Graphics card
do these things come with card readers?
Ok so at first glance it's obvious which of these systems is more powerfull. and of course its less than half the price of the Apple, but thats not the only reason to buy a PC, for me.
the thing is, I already have most of these componants, and if i want to upgrade my system I don't need to buy a new keyboard/mouse/harddrive/cardreader/Monitor etc.. In reality I upgraded my system for under $200!
But you say "Well our operating system is better and it will save you time/money" Well it's going to have to save me at least $1200 worth of time, and it better save it within 3 years because at that point i will need to trash whichever system i get and buy a new one because it will be obsolete.
And who's time is it saving? Mine? no it's saving my bosses time, and that sounds like more his concern than mine.
"But aren't you sick of your system crashing all the time and having problems?"
Honestly no, you know why? because i am not an idiot, i know what i can and can't do with my system, i know how to keep it virus free, i don't overclock it or do anything stupid like that so NO. my system is pretty much stable. and in the rare event that everything goe's haywire I have a backup.
"So you're just a Microsoft loving idiot?"
No, i hate them of course like any sane man, and i havn't spent a dime on any of their products so there.
Did you get that?
I came to an interesting realization the other day. There are two types of students, (ones who actually want to learn anyway) the ones that sit in class and try to take down every word that the teacher says, and those who barely write a thing. I am of the latter, and I think i am the better for it.
Back when i was in school (way back) other students would say "How come you're not writing this down, what are you a genious or do you just not care?". The thing is, if i were to write everything down, then i would be taking my attention away from the teacher, and i would not be able to write down the inflections in his voice, nor would i be able to write down what he was doing with his hands at the moment he said any particular words. And to me, that is important information. If i were to write something down, it would probably just be some fact that i could later look up, so what is the point?
Even if i could write down every single word the teacher said verbatim, i still would not understand what the teacher was saying, because essentially, words are meaningless! Take the word "Table" for instance. You and I both get an image of a table in our heads right? but it's not the same table. even if said "Oak Table" you still would not have exactly the same table in your head, in fact no matter how many words i used to describe this table, there is in fact no way to completely accurately describe it to you. Therefore the word "table" is practically meaningless.
So as your reading back your notes, you will find that you are using you'r own definition of the words in those notes and may or may not get the actual idea behind them.
So toss the freaking notes kid! Pay attention!
Back when i was in school (way back) other students would say "How come you're not writing this down, what are you a genious or do you just not care?". The thing is, if i were to write everything down, then i would be taking my attention away from the teacher, and i would not be able to write down the inflections in his voice, nor would i be able to write down what he was doing with his hands at the moment he said any particular words. And to me, that is important information. If i were to write something down, it would probably just be some fact that i could later look up, so what is the point?
Even if i could write down every single word the teacher said verbatim, i still would not understand what the teacher was saying, because essentially, words are meaningless! Take the word "Table" for instance. You and I both get an image of a table in our heads right? but it's not the same table. even if said "Oak Table" you still would not have exactly the same table in your head, in fact no matter how many words i used to describe this table, there is in fact no way to completely accurately describe it to you. Therefore the word "table" is practically meaningless.
So as your reading back your notes, you will find that you are using you'r own definition of the words in those notes and may or may not get the actual idea behind them.
So toss the freaking notes kid! Pay attention!
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