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IronRuby is now an Open Source project!

IronRuby is now an Open Source project!: On Friday October 12, the OSI approved the Microsoft Public License (or the license formerly known as the Microsoft Permissive License) and the Microsoft Reciprocal License (aka Microsoft Community License).

While many in the community have acknowledged that this was a formality, it’s good to put the nonproductive license lawyering behind us so that we can focus on delivering a great Ruby implementation to the community.

[Go!]
Source: Less is better

NYTimes DBSlayer

NYTimes DBSlayer: NYTimesThe DBacesslayer aka DBSlayer aka Släyer (as we like to call it when we’re feeling ironically heavy metal) is a lightweight database abstraction layer suitable for high-load websites where you need the scalable advantages of connection pooling. Written in C for speed, DBSlayer talks to clients via JSON over HTTP, meaning it’s simple to monitor and can swiftly interoperate with any web framework you choose.[From the Times? Cool.]
Source: BitWorking

RSD and AtomPub — Together again for the first time…

It Pays To Advertise: Joe Cheng: Configuring an AtomPub blog needs to be equally easy. For some reason, people in the AtomPub community don’t seem to like RSD (only Six Apart puts Atom endpoints in RSD). We need another autodiscovery mechanism.

Hmmm.  When I looked at RSD nearly five years ago, it didn’t seem so bad.  In any case, here’s a ticket and a patch to get WordPress to support autodiscovery of AtomPub endpoints.

[Here, here! And the peasants rejoiced! And the reason one (influential) person in the Atom community didn’t like RSD wasn’t for technical reasons, but because Dave Winer is an acquaintance, and an early supporter of RSD… and he was reviled by some members of that community. Anyway, all these years later, RSD is quietly doing its job, and should be employed for this purpose. That was kinda the point, with no preference for one API over another. Thanks Sam!]
Source: Sam Ruby

Harman Matte FB Paper

Harman Matte FB Paper: When I ask which one they prefer, the answer is unanimous. They prefer the Harman Matte FB to the other papers. It’s not even close.

Harman Matte FB was released earlier this year, but it’s not the only entry in this latest round of new papers. More recently introduced is Harman Gloss FB AL, a baryta paper with an alumina coating, and Hahnemüehle FineArt Baryta 325. Both of these papers have been extremely well reviewed. As well, Epson is kicking in with their new Epson Exhibition Fiber Paper, a paper that’s supposed to match traditional air dried F surface photographic paper and have an incredible dMax. [More paper…]
Source: James Duncan Davidson

WorldCat

WorldCat: WorldCat is a publicly accessible online interface to the holdings of all types of libraries throughout the world: currently 57,000 libraries in 112 countries. Tell it what book you’re looking for and your zip code or city, and it will pinpoint the nearest library that has the book. Same goes for magazines and journals, video and audio formats. The ability to locate an obscure book is invaluable; but it’s also tremendously useful for anyone living in a region with more than one nearby library. [Cool.]
Source: Cool Tools

The plantation the TV networks have created for them

The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs: A boring rant: The producers of content don’t like the TV network system but can’t quite see the way across the divide into my digital world. Some musical artists, like Prince, are figuring it out, but they’re isolated examples. Trust me, however, when I tell you that TV and movie people will figure it out too. These are not stupid people. And they are not un-greedy. Which means their desire for more money and more control and more freedom will lead them to apply their energy into figuring out how to get out of the plantation the TV networks have created for them. They will break free. Mark my words. [Er umm I may be on the wrong side of this issue all things considered… bring change from within?]

Recording Artist: ZFS Hater Redux

Recording Artist: ZFS Hater Redux: MWJ has responded to my last post, Don’t Be a ZFS Hater, with a post of their own: You don’t have to hate ZFS to know it’s wrong for you.

I don’t like the point-by-point quote and response format — it’s way too much like an old-school Usenet flamewar. So I will simply try to hit the high points of their arguments. [Good stuff. I can tell this. People I trust about this level of systems are really happy about ZFS.]

Looking Back on Oxygen

Looking Back on Oxygen: I had no idea what I had gotten myself into or that the woman at the podium that night, Gerry Laybourne, would one day be a friend and personal inspiration to me.[It is amazing, and a credit to Gerry and the company she built, the folks who have stayed with the company, that so many have this to say about Gerry. I’ve barely met her, and she may barely know my name at this point, but I completely understand why people feel this way about her, and vice versa. A singularly incredible group of people.]
Source: Luke Melia