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Why Open Source? – Part 2
Last month, I joined with several developers in explaining my reasoning behind working with open source software. Like many others, I am involved in open source projects because I enjoy working with the community. Last night, I only reinforced that. For some time, I’ve been hosting all of my various WordPress websites on a multisite […]
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Open Source Decision Making
Earlier this week a member of the WordPress community, Jacob Santos, aired his concerns with WordPress’ decision making process on the oft distracting WP Hackers mailing list. His argument, in response to a WordPress.org forum thread regarding 2011 roadmaps, comes from the idea that WordPress development is not driven by community input. On the one […]
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Merry Christmas
I’m never really been a fan of Christmas music. Chalk it up to two winters working retail in large malls and shopping centers, listening to endless reprises of the same tired old music over and over and over and … you get the picture. You can only listen to recordings from the 1950s or a […]
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A Quick GPL Overview
From time to time, the GPL comes up in less-than-friendly conversation regarding WordPress. Everyone has their own opinion of what the license means, and strings of “but I am not a lawyer” litter every discussion. This turns any lively discussion into a heated debate because “well this is what I think” quickly turns into “you’re […]
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Fear
I’m afraid of heights. No, that’s not quite right. I’m really afraid of heights. More so than any other thing or situation I’ve ever come across, being up high terrifies me in a way few can ever understand. The thing about this kind of fear is that it’s irrational. I have no reason to be […]
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Object-Oriented JavaScript
First a caveat: JavaScript is a prototype-based language, not an object-oriented language. Now that we have an understanding of that very important fact, let’s learn how to use JavaScript as if it were object-oriented. A few weeks ago, I was asked to teach a couple of my colleagues how to code with JavaScript. We’re building […]
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Consider the Source
Open source is fantastic because you can build upon the code of others. It’s also horrible because you can build upon the code of others. This means someone can take a well-developed plug-in, make one or two minor changes, and redistribute an almost identical system to yours while taking all of the credit. So, as […]
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Why Open Source?
This past week, several people related to the WordPress project have been discussing their motivations for working with free and open source software. There have people explaining the new business leads they get from being prominently listed as open source developers. There have been others lamenting the fact that free development is, by nature, free. […]
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The Robustness Principle
Working in software, I get to learn a few rules that are specific to programming that can be easily applied to regular life at the same time. One of the more recent ideas is known as Postel’s Law: Be conservative in what you do; be liberal in what you accept from others. In programming, this […]
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Things Found in the Forest – Part 1
Dawn came too early for Chris. He rolled over in the tent and struggled to pull the sleeping bag over his eyes, hoping to delay the inevitable for a few more minutes. Morning meant everyone would be up, alert, and wanting to do something when all Chris wanted to do was go home. It could […]