Famous?

After having a number of emails with Jeff Atwood last year, I hinted about having a book of Programming Books which most programmers have, I think I coined it a "programming porn pile".

Today Jeff has added it to his blog, so therefore I am famous on the Internet Tubes.

http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/001108.html

Internet Explorer 7 Problems

If after some recent updates December-07 the following errors occur.

• User Accounts is not accessible : MSHTA / Script Errors
• You cannot access HTTPS sites
• Others probably
  

If these are the case, redownload Internet Explorer 7 redistributions and uninstall the current version and do a fresh reinstall, then get the single update from Windows Update, everything should be fixed. :)

Sarkie

Restart of Blog

Hi anyone, I have decided to restart this blog and to try and make it a weekly thing, a bit like the very professional coding blog (www.codinghorror.com/blog) which I see as a perfect Blog. I am currently at University working on a number of things, so if anything I find interesting I will try and make a post about it and such.

Currently on the agenda will be.

• Java SE Bluetooth Server
• Jave ME Bluetooth Client
• C# progress bar for File Copy using unmanaged code
• C# Code Samples
• C# and DirectX (For a Game)

I will hopefully making any posts of topics in the week news which I find interesting, that should be commented on, Tech News, Game News, World News.

I might do some Tutorials for the limited Coding I did on the USEMP Project, I tried to work with Michael Russell from (www.romsteady.net) which in the end fell on it's arse, that might get restarted when I have free time, with the new SDK (Portals in Sin Episodes ?? :D).

This year is very much about my University course, so expects posts on Networks / Oracle DB Computer Graphics Techniques / Internet Application Development.

Cheers.

USEMP

Since I am working with Rom over at www.romsteady.net/blog, on the Unoffical SiN Episodes Multiplayer, so I will post my progress and such. Screenshots and text based.

Stay tuned.

QA - Are users the new QA Testers?

Now I have been into Computers a long time, and software for a while. When I have made a piece of software, I have always tried to test all possible scenarios and if found a problem fix it.

Now with my "Year in Industry" my boss loves to test, we test so much, it gets boring, but every time we test, we always find something major we missed the last time, but once we have finished all this testing, we will use other people to trial it, and they will find their own bugs. But once all this is over, the product should be able to run out "in the wild" for a long time, before any bugs are found that really need fixing.

The cost to my boss is huge, we have pushed back our deadline so many times, and this software is tiny, therefore I see why many companies take time to produce applications and games, testing that must take lots of time, and different scenarios.

So when I see Games, give deadlines I see that, they must be finished, or there about's. So when they release I expect a game that can be played through, default scenario, not going off and trying to break it to go without a hitch. Now even though I love SiN and actively a part of Ritualistic, I think that their show stopper bugs were unfortunate, because most of the game is playable unpatched, the U4 Labs bug, although pretty shitty, is good at finding pirates. :) But the bug related to spawning shit loads of enemies was a bit unfortunate, but due to a late idea in their schedule to code the Arena mode for e3. Since I'm sure they were nearly done with their testing.

So I see Testing as part of the game creation, not part of the after idea, Design, Create, about to ship the game oh yeah shit TESTING woops. "Give them two weeks that will be enough."
Now I am not saying testing doesnt happen, but sometimes I feel that it wasn't a big part of the plan than it should be.

The reason I made this post, is because of the state of affairs with new games such as Dark Messiah. It gets released, and not many people can play it, PC end, I'm sure 360 is the same probably less, since it is one system, if it works, it works. But on release, so many people in forums complained they couldn't fix, some silly things like Graphical settings, LOW = LOW, MEDIUM = MEDIUM, HIGH = um MEDIUM, woops, forgot to include that. Many people needed a 512 Gfx to play, it crashed, some people couldn't get up a ladder, lots of people got the same error. Now it's a big game, Arkane may be small, but I'm sure Ubisoft could have helped with getting QA testers in and such?

Also, my gf has just got a new computer system at work, their old one was shit, simple example for a house.
Name: Can only be singular i.e. not Mr and Mrs Smith,
So if a couple they are a Business
Business= Mr and Mrs Smith
But since they are a business, they don't get taxed the way they should, so things need to be worked around, this was build inhouse, so if anyone complains, they get defensive, "IT WORKS, IT MUST BE YOU!!". My Gf emailed them the situation "Please read the manual" was the response, RTFM if I ever saw one.
But now they have a new system, but basically she said it sounds like it isn't 40% complete, they are giving it to her to use, watching her, and noting any fixes, this means Testing to me.
First part of software should be anaylsis, look at how old system is wrong, fix it, improve it, dont fucking break t.

Now with the introduction of online, Steam and Xbox Live, Ps3, Wii, if they fuck up something, they just patch it afterwards, its ok, we get report, we repro it, we fix it. Is this an ok mentality, sure its fixes it, sure it's probably a bit more expensive, but is it just?

Steam and Valve is a little different, they seem to add content to their games after release, and improvement, not massive fixes, CS:S seems the exception, but the only problem is the fact the engine isn't properly coded in my opinion, too many Windows Errors, rather than their own errors.

I like to use

try
{
angry method, that may fail
}
catch(Exception e)
{
Log Error e.message
MessageBox.show(Please email me with your log);
}

So I can see what died, and probably, why, and include maybe a stack trace, too many times do I see in forums, Windows boxes, they haven't properly defensively coded for. This also includes Steam.


Now my question is?

Is QA a dying art? Should programmers, test, have minimal testing, then release and fix it after? I feel this is a stupid idea, but seems to be on a lot of peoples minds, mostly those whose money is being spent?

Publisher: Release it April 1st
Developer: It wont be reader
Publisher: It has to be, we have made arrangements for advertising and such
Developer:But it wont be reader
Publisher: Cut corners, make it happen

Now in this scenario, it may be released, but the amount of errors ensued, will be great, now for all the problems Half Life 2 had-d-d-d-d on its release, I experience one error in Episode 1, and when it did, it sent a report to Steam (Firewall told me) it didnt happen again. But I think this is better. A bit like Vista's built in report, that when I beta tested, actually seemed to work, and their Answer fixed my problem.


Rant over, I have wrote a lot, probably a large bad ass rant, but thought I'd get it out on "paper"

Sorry, gone Phising be back later.

Lately there has been a MASSIVE increase in phishing attempts, and I have even got emails into my gmail passed their filters, so rather than replying using my Steam username and password.

I emailed google, saying that I had received an email from a random german host, trying to send details to a gmail account, they must have done something, because the phisher got scared.

[code]

Dear Steam User,



It has come to our attention that a massive emailing had occured.

About 2000 people had recieved an eMail.



We ask you not to blame exe099 because he was most likely chosen randomly, instead of exe099 it could be YOU.

There is NO proof that he was the one who was sending the emails. Gmail will not take any action because the emails were NOT sent form Gmail.

Whoever sent them could make the "reply-to" ANYTHING.

We are investigating the case.



For now we ask you to consider that scam email as a regular failing spam, and so it is.



Thank you.

SteamPowered Staff.
[/code]

Seems I got them spooked :)

I also like to download suspicious .exes that are blatant trojans / spyware, use my Vmware that my boss kindly gave me a license for. Most are spyware toolbars, I've a few cute ones.

One was an irc bot, that connected to an irc server, and just sent lots of details, I guess opened a port aswell

two was one that replace Msn messenger, and probably caught lots of email and passwords

three was a Steam fake, that was in VB6 (Cute) and looked like steam, filled in username and password, then emailed google using their smtp. ( I emailed google, but they havent got back to me)

Nice

Game Review - FEAR Extration Point

I have already done a Prey review, but I felt it was a bit crap to release, I'll try at this attempt.

Basically this game is just an extension of all that is FEAR, in the same way it is boring to play. Much hype about FEAR was it's whizz bang engine, the only problem it scaled piss poor, so people was quit good machines but not £500 cards, it looked god awful. But with this in mind, there wasnt much to look at, cool windows, grey walls, grey enemies, little girls with black hair, dark corner, bits of light.

Now the original FEAR was good in places, 2 in fact, one was a lift part, when you climb up it and the girl was at the top, that scared me. But a few scares, doesnt make a good FPS, you had to run around an office building, each level looking the same as the previous, fight some enemies, have a crap "cutscene" with your mother and such.

Now the extraction point (XP) is an expansion pack (XP) (Near enough :D ), basically does all of this with a few more additions, train tunnels, very repetitive and a hospital, also allowed me to fall asleep, one part I enjoyed in this game, was approaching a door, turning round and the world behind me had changed, but yet again, one of the many clouds has a silver lining.

They also added 2 new guns, a laser type gun, which looked something out of a 1960's show, and gun like the one in Matrix in the helicopter, I enjoyed it, but it was a bit off aim when using.

There was also a new enemy, like the invisible ninjas, some more invisible monsters, this I actually enjoyed, most people are scared of what they don't see, then what they do. Hence Blair Witch Project (2 doesn't count) was such a hit, people's mind's scare themselves, they can think of horrors which will scare themselves. So more invisible enemies, and/or voices, FEAR tries to do this, but seems to fail in places.

If you enjoyed FEAR, or if you just enjoy FPS this isnt that bad as an expansion, you get more levels, more crazy Japanese horror film knock off attempts. and of course the over used Matrix Time formula, the only time I felt this worked, was probably Virtua Cop 3.

I don't know if this is a good review, or if I have attempted it correctly, so comments are useful, and so is money.

New Server

Hey Guys, I am still blogging but not really having time to publish the posts, just put in enough detail so I can remember. And I have also done a Prey preview, but don't think it is worthy of showing yet.

Side Note: Using a friends old computer I have created a new server which will be running.

Windows 2000 SP4
Apache 2
PHP 5
MySQL 5
Sin Dedicated Server
WinBNC
UltraVNC
FTP

I think that is it, since this will save me money from using my "big" computer as my BNC
and FTP server.

:)

Microsoft Training Videos

Ricky Gervais, based on the UK office have fun :-)

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9076288729387457440

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=959125392868390030