“Fail”tendo

Nintendo planned to launch some new internet enabled features for the 3DS for the popular Pokémon games…

However,  these have been postponed because of network issues, caused by excess traffic to their online systems for 3DS and Wii-U.

So they plan for new services, but couldn’t handle any additional load?  Like 5 new Wii-U systems that were sold for Christmas,  or the dozen or so e-shop cards that were being redeemed…  Wow – Fail.

Not only that but now their online Current Network Status page even joined the party…

java.io.IOException: Server returned HTTP response code: 407 for URL: http://www.nintendo.co.jp/netinfo/en_US/index.html ##fail##

Fail is right…

void find_largest ( uint * a, uint32 b)

/* This is the worlds least efficient array search 
 * intended to be order n^2 - changes the input array as a side effect, and 
 * besides that violates a few other coding best practices
 */
void find_largest ( uint * a, uint32 b)
{
    uint array[b], i, ii, *j= a, *k = a, max;

    for ( i=0, k=a; i < b; i++,j++)
    {
         array[i] = *j;
         for (ii=0; ii < b; ii++)
         {
             if (array[ii] > max) max = array[ii];
             if (max > k[ii]) k[ii] = max;
         }
    }
    return k[ii-1];
}

 

Time for an Open Source Rant

<rant>

As I have previously stated, parts of Linux and parts of the open source world are ok, they provide some utility.

But I have problems with the gospel that drivels from these paragons of design, telling us it’s the future and the way forward, and they’ve brainwashed too many in the positions of influence so we’re stuck trying to make stuff work with things programmed by someone as their HOBBY.

I work – to deliver on time – to sell product – to make money.  It’s capitalism.  It’s business.
Open source – is at it’s root socialist and maybe even communist.

</rant>

The Agile Politician

So – if you are at all familiar with SW development, you know there is the classic waterfall development model, and then a bunch of new methods that “cut down on unnecessary clutter” to deliver “faster  and leaner” development.

The most pushed one of these is “Agile” development.

Well – I have been thinking about it and it sounds exactly like what politicians do…

  1. Say alot, maybe even promise some things, deliver nothing especially no documentation
  2. Talk alot, do nothing
  3. Have daily scrums
  4. When pressed on progress – both say that due to the transition of the process the current efficiency has been diminished.
  5. When pressed on why it took longer than before – both say that it’s because of the last guy working on this who screwed it up.
  6. Instead of collaborate – blame.

So – what do you say?  Are as SW Programmers politicians at heart?  Or just those that promote Agile Development?

Top 10 Reasons I’d hire a SW programmer ahead of Albert Einstein

10.  What good does a theory do me?  I need algorithms and equations.

9.   Albert might have been a wiz at mathematics and physics – but could he do boolean algebra in his head?

8.  Paper notebooks vs. electronic revision control

7.  Chalkboard vs. Smartphone & Tablet

6. Albert doesn’t qualify: doesn’t have a degree in Computer Engineering or Computer Science.

5.  Theories published via Scientific Journal  vs. theories published via Wikipedia.

4.   If you say embedded device programming to Albert Einstein – he’d think you were mumbling about a ring you’d lost in the garden.

3.  There’s an APP for that…  and one of the millions of them will even calculate the theory of relativity – beat that Albert.

2.  Albert may have spoken multiple languages, but SQL, C# and Ada were not among them.

1.  Duh – Albert is dead.

 

Just Add Memory

You’d think that adding memory to a PC would be straight forward.

  • Power Off
  • Open the case
  • Pop out the old memory
  • Insert New
  • Close the case
  • Power on

And Bob’s your uncle.

But – it never turns out that way!

I figured I’d upgrade my 4 year old MSI mobos with some more memory,,, and for one – it won’t blasted detect both DIMMS now ( and yes I did check the MOBO manual which says you have to use DIMM slot 1&3 or 2 & 4 if you are not populating all DIMMs).

The other – bought at about the same time – I thought could take the one old DIMM add a new one and double it’s memory too – well I would never have guessed that it was using DDR not DDR2 like the other board.

At some point I’ll have to figure out what to do with:

a) why the PC won’t detect both  DIMMS

b) what to do with 2 1 GB DDR2 DIMMS  – I could try it in this MOBO – but if it won’t detect 2 DIMMS why would it work with 4?

Why is it that ISPs assume the user is an ID-10-T?

So why is it that everytime my internet service has an issue, and I call tech support that I get treated like an ID-10-T error?

– Well I’m sorry sir.  But can you connect your modem directly to the PC?

Oh so that you can inconvenience me more than being without internet service – I have to rip up my cabling and unplug stuff to make it *less reliable* – this sounds like a good idea.

– No we can’t test this through the router that has been working fine for the last 2 years.

Why?  Because it doesn’t allow you to follow your fault tree?

– I’m sorry sir, but what operating system are you running?

What does that matter?  I’m telling you it won’t login, and won’t connect.

– I’m sorry sir for your troubles but we’ll have to route this to second tier support.

Arghhh!

As of now – I’m still waiting for round two of the customer is an ID-10-T.

To be continued…

Round 2:

I call back with my trouble ticket because I hadn’t heard from them. And the response was we tried to call you sir, and no one answered so we closed the trouble ticket…

– What? When?  When did you try to call?

Turns out – they could not have called when they said they did…  They re-open the ticket and finally someone actually does call does a detailed line test from the DSLAM to the modem and says everything is fine – we need to schedule an in home check (they mean home invasion).

So I mention this issue to the IT guy at work – and he says “Sounds like your modem is dead” – try a new one.. So on the way home – I pick up a $40 ADSL2+ modem, and voilá everything connects again.  And 5 times faster download too!!!!

So in conclusion – always trust the IT guy at work – he knows more than tech support because he’s had to figure out how to fix everyone elses screwups.