daem0n.org

It's been a while since I posted, and there is a good reason for that. I've actually been productive!

I finally went ahead and registered in the iPhone Developer Program and I am starting to mess around there and work on my first iphone app.

The backend for my custom mvc framework that's powering this site is also coming along. I have a friend of mine who needs some help with a project and I feel confident that my database model is already mature enough to take on the task (with only 3 days of development behind it!) The Create an account section on this site is up, but there's a few bugs that I gotta work out soon as I get some time.

Ooh and almost forgot, I'm done with week 1 of my new hardcore diet and exercise routine and I am pleased to announce I dropped 7 pounds in 7 days :) BEAT THAT SLIMFAST! rofl. Today is cardio again (blah) and my legs are fucking shot from the leg workout on Friday, but oh well, just gotta tough it out.

As for other news, my web hosting and design company, XS Web Solutions has upgraded servers. We now have a sick i7 server with 12 gigs of ram and 10TB of data transfer on 100 mbit :) I might relocate this blog onto that box and just keep the private sections pointed to my home server, but we'll see what happens.

School wise, I even finally stopped being lazy and requested some transcripts to be sent to FAU so I can get a few credits restored that I took at PBCC. I also met with my academic advisor and did some more planning to try and make sure I complete all requirements to graduate this winter :)

All in all, it was a good week.

When I first started this little personal portal / blog site, I was initially expecting a little project to help keep my web programming abilities sharp and updated. As I got deeper into the project, I started really getting into the code and making it a personal goal to do everything as beautifully as possible. I first thought I could get away with just having a simple page and controller class, but as I started getting to more advanced functions of the page with more database interaction, I realized having a model class is necessary.

Now, I've developed some database access layers in the past for companies I've worked for, so I could have just taken the guts of one of those, but I decided to rewrite a completely new model/db class from the ground up and do this right. I guess the best part of doing personal projects is not being in the constraints of a time critical project, or taking orders from ridiculous CEO's that have no understanding of what it takes to build a backend. I get to write this on my own terms, my own time frame, and my own rules :) So, expect minimal updates until I get the model/db to a more usable state.

It's so funny, I was just having a conversation about this topic a few days ago with my girlfriend, and today I stumble upon this article that solidified my views.

Communication skills, not coding skills, are a developer's greatest asset in a bear economy

This is so true. It is so important to be able to communicate effectively with your employer, co-workers, clients, etc. You would not believe the countless stories I hear about the issues of poor communication in the IT and Development field.

Today's developers must be equally effective in the conference room as in their cubicles. They must be fully engaged, not merely in the software design and implementation process but in the business itself. For many programmers, that means learning not just a language but a whole new set of skills.

Unfortunately, this is also true, most programmers these days are horrible in the social environment, and I truly believe that is what separates the average code monkey from the successful IT industry leaders.

Software development doesn't need more typists, secretaries, intermediaries, or middle managers. What it needs are more skilled, engaged, communicative, responsive, assertive developer-analysts -- the kind who can understand, influence, and guide development efforts, rather than simply taking dictation. The shrinking economy makes this need ever more acute -- so for those who can fill the bill, the opportunity has never been greater. For those of you who are still trying to decide which language to learn next, on the other hand, I don't envy you.

Couldn't have put it better myself.

Read the full article: http://www.infoworld.com/d/developer-world/coder-your-days-are-numbered-849

So I've been wasting plenty of time working on the framework for this site and I must say it's coming along quite nicely :D After getting some necessary pieces working properly in the backend, I finally got the Uploads system working again. So for any of you people that need to send me some quick files, that's all back up and running. (Although the Private? feature is not working, and won't be until I get user accounts/registration up, which should be within the next few days at the pace im going.)

Just playing around and coding some stuff... Feel free to explore ;) More to come soon, this blog/site will be an ongoing project. Everything you see here is custom coded by myself, expect to see alot of my lil nifty scripts to get updated and put here as well. I might even showcase a lil portfolio for my coding and design work. *shrugs* boredome is amazing, isn't it? :D

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