VT Rampage Game Questions Taste and Freedom of Speech

A college student's review and thoughts on the recent posting of a video game depicting the tragic events at Virginia Tech on April 16th. Please read with an open mind!

read more | digg story

Post Graduation Updates

It’s been far too long since I’ve been able to write a post. Some good news though – a lot of time has opened up so that I may write some more!

On December 15^th I graduated finally from Radford University. Even though I stayed one more semester than I thought I would have – I still graduated a semester early. With a career already established, the transition from full-time student to full-time employee hasn’t been such a culture shock.

With increased free-time, what will I do with it? Honestly that is a great question. I may do some much needed relaxing, something I’ve put off since June at least. There are always projects outside of work that I could dedicate my time to and be productive. Then again, the more I push it the more stressed I’ll be down the road.

The holiday season is upon us and I’m thankful I’ve taken care of 90% of my shopping. Still have a few items to purchase for those special loved ones, which isn’t as bad as buying for all of them at once!

Congratulations to all of my friends that graduated with me Saturday. I wish each and every one of you the best in your future endeavors. I know you’re all going to do great things!

Facebook Project

The schedule has been very hectic lately as I'm finishing school and taking off with my new promotion.

For those interested in seeing my MSTD 335 project which focuses on Facebook, check out the link below:

The Facebook Frenzy - The Social Platform and the Society That Deems It Important.
http://www.bobbyhash.com/facebook

I'm cheating on PHP with CSharp and ASP.net

Cheesy title, don't ya think?

At least its better than public void Welcome To Yet Another Blog {

System.Response.Write(Thanks for Reading);
}

The new development position is full of new things to learn. It's an AJAX environment, so kudos for me finding something that interests me. PHP has been my cup of tea for development for the past few years. So why did I take on a position with ASP.NET, something I have minimal experience in?

It's quite simple - I can apply my proven design expertise, food for though and at the same time convert my open source madness to the Microsoft framework. Fortunately its working out very well, once I figured out a few syntax requirements.

More coming soon, especially to my AJAX casestudy series.

And yes - I know the class at the top is crap.

Ajax Case Study: Personal Touches on the User Experience

Since 2005, the term AJAX has become a norm for web developers and designers alike. What many may confuse for a new language is actually a bag of tricks many developers and web hackers have been utilizing for a few years now. I too found a bold interest when Jesse James Garrett of Adaptive Path first spoke about AJAX a few years ago in his article AJAX - A New Approach to Web Applications. It suddenly put into perspective a lot of mumbo jumbo my professors were ranting about.

Now, two years later I have the great opportunity of applying these techniques to some of the web applications that I am developing for ResultsTel Inc, a telecommunications company that I proudly work for. I have the great privilege of working with a genius developer in a data driven company. When you work for a data driven company, you will always need a quick and effective method to pull the data that is requested at any given time. This is where we, the developers at Results come into play. The applications that we develop are geared toward who exactly will be requesting specific queries from the database. Each one is very different in form, look, and feel. AJAX is the common ground though, allowing many techniques to join binary hands to create an open gate for users to obtain the essential elements that their success depends upon.

An Update!

Okay, it seems as though my blogger/google is showing up all in German. I now realize I shouldn't have taken Spanish as my foreign language!

All jokes aside, it's been a busy few weeks. I am transitioning from the site in Galax to the Results Corp as a systems developer. I must say now that my job satisfaction is increasing tenfold. To do what you have a passion for really enables one to enjoy what they do.

I have a few blogs that I'm getting ready to release at Dorm-Room-Biz focusing on div visibility through javascript and how it will enable more dynamic user interface. Keep on the lookout for that.

Castlevania - The Dracula X Chronicles has proved to be well worth the wait. I picked the game up Wednesday afternoon and had already unlocked Symphony of the Night within 2 hours. Since then I have progressed almost entirely through the revamped version of Rondo of Blood. I may post a review of the game once I complete it.

Until next time - happy programming and do what you all enjoy most in life - have fun.

Updates - October 7, 2007

Sorry for the lack of updates lately - a lot has been progressing in my life.

I recently received a promotion - more details coming soon.

Also - I am now writing for Dorm Room Biz. As I post material there, I will post teaser posts on this blog to link you to DRB.

RU to Host Entreprep Summit

I thought I would pass along this article about a summit coming up at Radford University.

My good friend Chris Pund is one of the mastermind's behind this, so be sure to check it out!

http://www.radford.edu/NewsPub/September07/0919summit.html

Flirting with Disaster

While enjoying a cup of coffee at McConnell library at Radford University, I sat down to read a few articles in Wired magazine. One that really jumped out and maintained my attention was an article by Nadya Labi entitled "Flirting with Disaster" (or "An IM Infatuation Turned to Romance. Then the Truth Came Out" for you online readers).

The article focuses on an online relationship that focused primarily on a 45-year-old man and a "17-year-old girl". The man was posing as both a father and son, whereas the 17-year-old was falling in love with the son. Not to spoil anyone's read, but the relationship becomes one giant dramafest, ending in the man killing his competition that was flirting with the girl AND with the girl actually turning out to be the 45-year-old mother of the girl she was pretending to be.

This article is a great read mostly because it focuses on an issue with new media. On the Internet, how safe is it really to know who you are talking to? I know from previous experience that it is hard to really zero in on exactly who a person is.

Take myspace for example - millions of people login everyday to post bulletins, chat with friends, and to meet new people. Just for the record, how easy is it for one to be able to tell the other person is legit? I've taken some crazy steps in the past to "prove" if you will, that the identity is legit.

• Try to see if you have any common ground - common friends, family, associates, etc.
• Make them take a picture that only they could on the spot - lessens the fact of them stealing another photo from someone's page

Overall, this story really brings up an interesting topic. How safe is social networking? How can we protect ourselves against this? Why is it that people feel the need to pretend to be someone that they are not? Ah, the interesting subjects this brings up!

Castlevania - The Dracula X Chronicles

I just recently purchased a PSP off of a friend and to my joy - there is a Castlevania game being released this October.

Castlevania - The Dracula X Chronicles focuses on my favorite series of the chapter. The game will be a remake of the never before released "Rondo of Blood", which was a Japan exclusive Castlevania title. The coolest part about this release that it will include two nifty unlockables - the original Rondo of Blood and Symphany of the Night!

Rondo of Blood made an impact when it was released for the PC-Engine in Japan. It brought to life a new vision of the series, especially with the character Richter Belmont. Fans were delighted when this game was "coming" to the SNES. I was excited, especially because I was 10-years-old at the time and video games were a cornerstone of my entertainment. When Dracula X appeared in the states I was stoked. Others were not so much because Dracula X wasn't exactly direct port of Rondo of Blood - but rather an interpretation. The stages from what I've seen were redesigned. The music held strong through!

Symphany of the Night was a great release and probably the holy grail of the entire series. I remember getting the second edition of PSM magazine (which I still own by the way) and it covered this game in depth. I had to have it and the purchase came soon there after. The game was brilliant among other terms, combining side scrolling action, rpg elements, and a soundtrack that would stun even the greatest composer. Unfortunately that game has never been returned to me..... hint hint clue clue!

For your reading pleasure I've included a few links and the trailor that is floating around YouTube. The chronicles have me excited to say the least. October 23rd can't come fast enough!

• IGN coverage of the game
• 1up.com coverage of the game
• Highscore coverage
• The Castlevania Dungeon - the ultimate resource of Belmont gaming!
  

Tips for working at home

In this installment I will look at the benefits of working at home versus working at the office. For those of you that have been lucky to experience both are encouraged to give their feedback.

It is everyone's dream to be able to work their own hours, arrange the work schedule around their lives and not have to go into the office on a daily basis. For the past 4 years I have worked in various fields as a telecommuter. It has had its benefits but it also has a lot of headaches that are included in the package.

Working at the office entails a lot of experiences. You are in a team environment, dedicated solely to getting the job done while seeing that the company succeeds. You have a reason to leave the house and more reason to work your way through the ranks.

The Benefits of the Office

• Variety of people to interact with
• Resources available to you at little to no cost
• You can ask someone in the matter of seconds if you have a question
• Provides just enough change of routine so that you don't entirely hate your home
  

The Downside of the Office

• Constant interuptions - with more people equals more (and sometimes unwanted) communication
• Time away from friends and family - it can take a toll on you socially
• Staying at the office too much could result in increased stress and fatigue
  

Working from Home is breath of fresh air. You can choose the hours you work, complete other tasks while you work, and more.

For myself - working at home entails modulating my work. I can go to class, come home to knock out an hour of work, go back to class and repeat the process throughout the day. Another upside is if I get too frustrated with what I'm doing - I can release the frustration during a 10 min break. The best part about home - those breaks can include PS2!

The upsides of working at home:

• Save on traveling costs
  
• Work from the comfort of a couch, desk, or recliner
• Choose when you finish your work
• Complete work with less distractions
  

The downsides of working at home:

• You have to make sure your resources are up to speed
• You have to be an even greater master of time management
• You must steer clear of distractions at home when you finally decide to work
• Communication between coworkers and employees can become difficult
  

Midway through the week

The new schedule is a breath of fresh air. In a way it reminds me of how young I am and has in other ways awakened my zest again. I really want to get submerged in web development again. Time will only tell how this will all pan out.

Class so far is fairly easy. I wish I knew how much I had it made during my undergrad years. Easy days, easy work - no real responsibility.

Well, I'm now off to kill a pile of work which includes:

• Development of a web report/database interaction
• RU School of Communication Web Site
• Covers for a few guides for RU Athletics
• Mailing list program for RU Athletics
• and more!
  

Setting up the home office

Radford University resumes its fall schedule on August 20th (this upcoming Monday). With that coming around the corner, it means that I will be adjusting my work schedule, with part of my hours coming at home.

To assure that I have a comfortable working environment, I went out and purchased a few essential items (desk, comfy chair, office supplies, etc.). I hope it works out well, because at home I can finish more of my work with less distractions. Granted, it may put a snag into my IT job, but I can always run to the office if something major happens right?

I will be in class Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I will be reporting to the office on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and maybe some Sundays and other various times depending on the workload/time of month, etc.

Wish me luck, it's gonna sure be a test of my time management skills.

Abundance of projects

I don't know how I let so many projects sneak up on me. Currently I have been working/have worked on:

• New Alpha Kappa Psi: Omicron Sigma CMS driven site
• Results - Galax/XM advertisement web site
• 3 web reports for ResultsTel Inc
• Covers for RU Athletic Media Guides
• New Phi Beta Lambda CMS Web Site
• Launch of HMediaWeb.com

Each project has their own flavor, ranging from graphic design to dynamic programming and even into static placement. I will post links to all of these in the upcoming weeks.

Comparing a college day to a work day

Definitely my days in college were much different than my days now at work. I have a few classes this fall, but those days will be different than my days in recent years. Let's take a look and compare.

College Mornings
Nothing beat being 18 and not having anything to do other than going to class. In college, most classes started at 10am for me, rarely before 9am. Granted, my first college class was a Cisco Networking course that started at 7:30am. This was back when I definitely wasn't a morning person! Back to the subject - while I was at community college, this meant crawling out of bed, driving a mile down the road and going to class. At Radford University it was even more convienent - just roll out of bed 3 mins before class and run. After class was finished I'd hit the Bonnie for breakfast or go back to my dorm to take an enjoyable (and probably well needed) nap.

Work Mornings
I wake up typically around 6:15am, shower and try to be out the door by 7:15am or 6:45am. This gives me plenty of time to drive, depending on the location I am leaving from (Radford Home or my Parent's Home). I begin my workday around 8am. By noon, I've already completed an abundance of data entry, updated forms, and have taken care of various IT related issues.

College Day
Days in college were fun. I'd go to my classes for the day, have lunch with a friend or two, then I'd find something to get into. Sometimes it meant going to the library, but most of the time it meant chillin with one of my fraternity bros.

Work Day
Work isn't college. A lot of my time is spent keeping on top of things, taking care of conference calls, keeping documentation, entering data, and more. There's not a lot of time to waste! Interact with very many different people and I must always keep my composure.

College Night
College nights are why we all go to college. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING beat going out with my friends to a college party and living it up. The amount of people you could meet, the spontaneous energy around it all, and the memories that you'd still talk about for weeks (and years I've found) all made it worthwhile. Going to bed was NEVER before 3am.


Work Night
I'm never up past 11pm and wore out by 9:30pm. I usually reflect on the day, look forward to the weekend, and overall relax as much as possible. Hangouts are are during the week.

Compare and Contrast
Work and College are a like. There's a lot of work to do and I have to work with a lot of people to get the job done. They differ tremendously in terms of seriousness though. College is very carefree whereas work is not. You have to be on top of your game due to the competitiveness. College has competition too, but it isn't the type of competition you see when earning money is involved.

I recommend to those of you in college to enjoy every second of it that you can. To my fellow coworkers in the real world - I hope you made many memories while in school. It'll definitely make icebreakers with the coworkers a lot more interesting!

ASP.NET .. Meet AJAX

At work I've been working with our developer to create a report for our agents to track some of their call/sales data.

This form is trick because of the amount of information that it will be obtaining. In some ways it is easy, but the flowchart itself provides a lot of forks in the road.

The form will be dynamic, with some of the fields populating from a database table. When agents answer specific items with "Yes", a window will appear with more options. Vice versa, if they answer "No" then another window will glide in. This will obviously be done with AJAX. I just hope the dataflow is an easy process. In all reality, this will be my biggest AJAX project since I started toying with it earlier this year.

At the moment I have designed 90% of the layout. From here it will be on to the table creation for the database, creating the javascript to work options in the form, and finally on to the ASP.NET controls for interacting with the database.

ASP.NET has been a smooth transition. I feel I am picking it up much faster than originally thought. I respect the technology now, it's no PHP in my eyes, but it definitely packs a violent punch that delivers results!

*In NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM was that a pun directed at the company I work for... haha*

HMediaWeb.com

While HMEDIAPRO.com is down, be sure to stroll over to www.hmediaweb.com!

HMediapro.com

Well, its been a crapshoot for the past two months. I am happy to say though - HMediapro.com will be back up and running by the end of the week.

I am moving over the entire domain/hosting to a Netfirms. Nothing personal - just didn't really enjoy the last company's service.

I apologize to all of those that have tried reaching www.hmediapro.com in the past few months. It has been an inconvenience to us all and it will be something I will stand to see doesn't happen again.

Feature Fools

As a college student I have a few years under my belt in terms of using social networking. I've been around since the debut of Myspace, Facebook, and Xuqa. Now, a few years later I shall look at the three applications and see how they rank up.

Myspace
Back in 2003, www.myspace.com was a very simple place to set up a profile and meet online friends. At the time Friendster.com had a major share of the newest idea on the horizon - social networking. Over time though, Myspace became more and more popular, especially in 2005. What set Myspace apart was the fact you could customize your own profiles with html codes. Now in 2007 Myspace has a variety of features, including but not limited to:

• Myspace Jobs (utilizes Snagajob.com postings)
• Comedy and Music profiles (for those of us that would rather not pay for music)
• Blogs
• ChatRooms
• Events
• Classifieds
• Horoscopes
• Schools/Univerities
• MySpaceIM
• Music
• Filmmakers
• Profile Editor
• SMS Alerts
• MySpace TV
• Mobile

That may look like a lot, but it really branches out for the various mediums that attract our attention. It's not just a way to make friends anymore - Myspace has quickly become a highly attractive promotional tool. What else will they bring to the plate?

Although they are feature-full - this won't keep me happy. The website isn't dependable at all. The fanbase is too large for the servers to handle. I would highly recommend updating the equipment to hold the bandwidth that the users require or at least.. investing in some better technology than Coldfusion :).

Facebook
Facebook started with a simple idea - make an online contact listing with a photo to attach to the information. It worked splendid for quite some time. It was also very nice because only college students from various networks had access to it. Take that spam!

Then.... Facebook added features - something which they have proven to lack effectiveness. For example, in the later 2006/earlier 2007 period, Facebook launched a feature that allowed for members to track what everyone in their network was doing (literally). Many have labeled the feature as a "stalker" tool. All it really is though is an RSS feed.

Facebook's next reasoning - allow the release of the Facebook API so that developers can create their own tools for Facebook. Is this the way to get the features people want? Yes. Is this the way to drive users like me up the wall? YES!

Now, rather than a feature here and there, I have my contacts sending me requests for using various applications that are just plain stupid - see below:

• Movies Friend
• Horoscope
• X Me
• Zombie
• Beer
• Top Friends
• Poke Me Pro

The list literally goes on. Rather than helping the user connect to their network, they can sign up for applications that allow them to be "zombies biting other zombies", "giving a beer to a friend", or whatever. Since 2006, Facebook has lost its true niches that set it apart from Myspace. It has lost its community sense by opening up to the public and it has lost its pure simplicity that set it apart from the decorative Myspace. At least it's developed in PHP...

Xuqa
Xuqa.com was rather nice when it jumped into the field in 2005. It found a niche in the college market by encouraging the posting of photos from college parties. Collegehumor.com anyone? Another feature was that you could earn peanuts to buy E-items to send to friends. Granted, these features alone were very nice when Xuqa first debuted. Who really wants to stay on the Internet and do this for the rest of their free-time though?

Xuqa found a new way in 2006 to seperate itself from the two social networking giants - make the social networking scene a competition. Just read their tagline -

"Xuqa is a network of 1,000,000+ University Students. Compete with your friends to be the richest and most popular person in the world!"

Nice. Now we can earn peanuts, add people for useless reasons and claim the realm of being the Internet social networking's most popular person. Where is the bragging rights for that gonna hold against .. reality?

Overview:
As you can see, these tools have changed the social life we live. In ways it has made it easier to meet new people, promote businesses, and spread ideas to a greater number of people with less work. In other ways though it has just cluttered our social space with useless tools that will furthermore make our spare time just that - useless. The future is limitless for social networking. I just hope the big guys can use their power for the greater good.

Employee Appreciation Day

Sometimes work gets boring. Then there are days that break the mold.
Today at work we had an Employee Appreciation day to - you guessed right - show appreciation to our employees.

We brought in a dunking booth and allowed employees to buy throws. Why would we charge them to throw on THEIR appreciation day? The reason - to raise money for charity. I must say it was a fun experience, even yours truly was dunked a few times.

I hope to see more events like this in the near future. It's an effective tool for improving internal company relations and takes away the norm of sitting in the office!