I’ve decided to start using a real editor for all of my text editing needs. I’ve installed emacs and I’ve associated all of my text-based file types with it. Even for simple scratch notes during the day I’m using emacs. Because it is so hotkey intensive, I can be real productive with it. My pinky is a little sore but other than that, I’m lovin’ it.

Got signed up at del.icio.us. It’s something I’ve been meaning to do for a while and haven’t had the time to do it. With as much jumping around between machines as I’ve been doing lately, and with a number of folks requesting “good links about…” I figured it was about time. If I get a chance I’ll throw a link list down the side of my blog depending on the blog category you are reading.

Wow. Two months and no posts. It’s been real busy to say the least.

Hacking Netflix on the new-releases at Netflix feed. [Scripting News]

YES!!

I’ve signed up for Netflix. I know I’m late to the party but I’m pretty sure it is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Netflix gives me the movies I’m interested in, on my own timetable. It’s like having the power to program your own pay-channel.

Cable always used to frustrate me because they’d run the same movies all month. And while some premium channels do a decent job of programming, there’s still a huge chunk that does nothing for me. That’s the reason you have to get five HBO’s and three Showtimes. Or go digital and it really gets nutty. I guess the theory is if you give me enough channels, at some point, there’s bound to be something worth watching.

Blockbuster is no help when you want something that’s been out for a while or wasn’t itself a blockbuster. There are smaller, independent rental stores that carry documentaries and indie films, but unless you live nearby, are you going to go to the trouble?

Now, I just maintain a list of movies Christy and I want to see on the Netflix site and the movies magically show up at my house. Before, I tried keeping a list of stuff we wanted to see but the list is never around when you need it, either to add to it or have it with you when you’re making a selection.

I like the simplicity of the process and the Netflix site, but I had to make three suggestions, right off the bat:

– The site needs community features. I’d like to suggest titles to my friends and family. The site could have a “suggestion queue” that would allow a user to accept or deny suggestions.made by others.

– Let me share my list. I’d like to be able to share my Netflix queue with friends and family and I’d like to see others.

– Let me get at (and even manage?) my queue programmatically. It would be cool if I could get my queue or even my recent movies as XML that I could then stick on my blog. How about a web services API like Amazon and Google have done?

Of course, none of these ideas really drive revenue for Netflix so I’m not holding my breath. I got the old “Thanks for your suggestions” form letter from customer service. At least they responded. No matter. I am still a huge fan.

Reported a litterer this evening at the Don’t Mess With Texas web site. Quick. Easy. Satisfying.

Very informative and balanced article in Wired this month on IT outsourcing to India. Check out The New Face of the Silicon Age.

And therein lies the opportunity for Americans. It’s inevitable that certain things – fabrication, maintenance, testing, upgrades, and other routine knowledge work – will be done overseas. But that leaves plenty for us to do. After all, before these Indian programmers have something to fabricate, maintain, test, or upgrade, that something first must be imagined and invented. And these creations must be explained to customers and marketed to suppliers and entered into the swirl of commerce in a fashion that people notice, all of which require aptitudes that are more difficult to outsource – imagination, empathy, and the ability to forge relationships. After a week in India, it seems clear that the white-collar jobs with any lasting potential in the US won’t be classically high tech. Instead, they’ll be high concept and high touch. [Wired]

I agree with the author–It hurts that some folks are losing their jobs as a direct result of overseas competition. But, this is the new deal so let’s adjust. I know hardcore programmers may not feel the same way, but I get more enjoyment out of the “high concept and high touch” aspect of IT than sitting down and cranking out low-level code for months on end. If other countries can do a higher quality job “…at the wages of a Taco Bell counter jockey” then that’s how it should be.

DigitalThink Preps E-Learning Service Update. DigitalThink will bump up capacity, speeds performance and adds more reporting capabilities in a new version of its hosted L5 Learning Delivery System to be launched on Friday. [eWEEK Technology News]

I haven’t done any DigitalThink classes in a while but I really liked what they had to offer when I took a Java course from them about six years ago. The only gripe I ever had was one of their live mentors wasn’t checking homework very closely. A colleague submitted an assignment that was obviously wrong (didn’t even compile) but the mentor returned it with “Good job!” comments. DigitalThink handled the issue and we didn’t see any problems after that.

D-Link how I took you for granted! Your blazingly fast wireless connection was assumed to be what everyone else on the block was getting, but no! I threw you away like an old acoustic modem in favor of my Centrino processor. What was I thinking? Centrino can’t hold a candle to you, D-Link! What a fool I was. You had a special way of talking to my D-Link base station–it said so right on the box but would I listen? No. Listen, D-Link, I was a complete ass. Would you consider gracing my new laptop with your presence? I shall warm up a PCMCIA slot just like you like it. Say you’ll take me back! Please?! I spit on Centrino!

My new laptop has an Intel Centrino processor so wireless is built-in. It was working fine at the office. And, I could connect to several of my neighbors’ networks ; ) but I couldn’t connect to my own. This evening I finally realized I was falling victim to the broadcast SSID “feature” in Microsoft’s Wireless Zero Configuration functionality. It turns out if you aren’t broadcasting your SSID but another network is, XP will always connect to the network broadcasting the SSID no matter what you try. Here’s the FAQ item on D-Link’s site. As soon as I turned SSID broadcasting on, I was a-okay. My WEP encryption key will keep my front yard from turning into a cybercafe.