Day: November 10, 2002

Here’s a little teaser for you.  In addition to some schoolwork this afternoon, I also wrote up a quick proof of concept client for Radio’s XML-RPC based AggregatorAPI.  After frustration (I’ll tell you later), I ended up using Visual Studio .NET and Cook Computing’s XML-RPC library.

I hope to turn this proof of concept micro-app into something potentially useful.  I’d also like to share some of my experiences with writing and debugging XML-RPC apps, and writing for Radio, but that will have to come a little later.  For now you’ll just have to wonder.

Expect to see a recount of my experiences later this evening.

The BBC reports that parents are freaking out about America’s Army: Operations.

A computer game devised by the US Army has come under fire from parents anxious that it glorifies violence.

The army hopes that the game, America’s Army, will help it to attract the tens of thousands of young people it needs to join its ranks each year.

The game allows players to go through a virtual army enlistment and basic training.

More controversially, they then go on to more advanced training, including marksmanship.

The shooting part of the game is so realistic, the computer screen even moves in time to the digital soldiers’ heavy breathing.

Yes.  The game is realistic.  Actually, it’s probably the best and most realistic first person shooter that I have played, and I’ve played a lot of them.  I’m not a parent so I can’t see things from the same perspective.  I do know however that I’ve been playing first person shooters since the 386 days, and computer games in general since I was a little kid, and I’m not out shooting people on the streets.

Computer games, TV violence, movie violence, and other external factors are easy scapegoats when something goes wrong.  I’m not convinced that they are the root of the problem.

Russell Beattie shares his experiences with developing for really expensive cel phones.  He touches on SDK shortcomings, J2ME headaches, and some cool stuff too.  It’s definately worth a read even if you’re not considering developing for the platform.

Alan Cooper imparts 14 principles of polite applications.  I’ll read it in depth in the morning, but right now #4:

Polite Software Has Common Sense.