Jython is a really neat language

I just spent a day learning Jython, and I kinda like it for several reasons:

1. I know Java and like quite a few of its features. You can access any Java classes (including the Swing classes, encryption, ANYTHING Java) from a Jython script.

2. While you can access all of your Java classes from Jython, your Jyton script doesn't have all of the rigid requirements of a .java file. For example, you can create multiple classes in a single Jython script.

3. You don't have to compile Jython. You can compile it if you want (compiling creates all of the appropriate .class files), but you don't have to. The fact that you can deliver an editable script with all of the power of Java is appealing to me.

4. The language is fairly easy to learn.

The sources I used for reference are:

Learning Jython: http://wiki.python.org/jython/LearningJython

Python Library Reference: http://docs.python.org/lib/lib.html

Python Reference Manual: http://docs.python.org/ref/contents.html

Python Regular Expressions: http://www.amk.ca/python/howto/regex/

If you think IT has confusing/conflicting standards, just look at any other industry

The case in point (for me, at least), is with trying to find fittings for some tubing I'm dealing with. I'm trying to find some fittings for a hydraulic steering system I'm working on. Easy enough, right? Wrong.

It turns out that there are several different standards that are used to specify the threads on the fittings. Some of these standards are compatible/equivalent and others are not. And as far as I can tell, every company out there enjoys using a different standard for their labels. For example, an "AN-8" fitting (aka dash 8 or -8 or -08 or AN-08) is equivalent to a JIC 1/2" fitting, which is the same as a SAE J514 37° 1/2" fitting. This might lead you to believe that a half inch is a half inch, but you would be wrong. NPTF, NPSM and SAE J5143 fittings all have different (and incompatible) specs for their threads.

That's already more than most people would ever want to know about tubing and fittings. And that's in an industry that's been around for over 100 years, and which has tangible, physical products that anyone can test and verify as valid or not. Now consider the computer software industry: no physically verifiable deliverables, fairly young, full of people coming up with new ways of doing things every day. There's a loooong road ahead, and along that road, the people who can make the different pieces work together will always be in demand.

So this week I'm trying out a Sprint Broadband card. It is EVDO Rev A so it suports up to 1.8mbit connections.

I wonder where those 1.8mbit connections are...

I'm sitting in Minneapolis with the card in MacBook, right next to a Window, and at best I am getting 20k per second on downloads. That is EDGE speed - not EVDO speed. The best I've got is 79k per sec - at home within line of site of a tower.

I may trying Verizon or AT&T, but this Sprint card is going back.

Free Wifi...

I'm working from my remote office this morning, AKA - Panera. I see the sticker that says Free Wifi, I agree to the Terms and Conditions - but it never says I have to buy anything.

My issue is all of these people that are getting tickets for "stealing" Wifi, if there is no purchase required - how is it stealing? I smell a Seinfeld episode for this one.

Another thing, why are/were cities putting money into Municipal Wifi? They have thousands of poor, not enough Police Officers or Firemen, they are cutting art/band/sports from school - but they have Wifi? Why is Internet a right? Get off your ass and open a book.

10 Dirty secrets of working in IT

I found this in another blog this morning - it is so true.

http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/hiner/?p=546