ProgComp ’07

Thu May 03, 2007 18:38 (UTC -5)

As you may not recall, I decided to use my own script to count the number of Google web searches I performed in the month of April. The grand total turned out to be 468, or 15.6 searches a day. I didn’t realize how much I relied on Google. It’s pretty interesting.

I consider myself a pretty good computer programmer. This is a complete lie, in fact. I have much to learn and cannot write any program that people could actually use. Actually, I sort of do (see above), but the point is, I can’t really write any useful applications that you would have on your desktop, as much as I’d like to. I’m in the Programming III class at school, and it’s pretty enjoyable, mainly because it’s at the same time as the Programming II class, which is much larger and has a lot of people I know. But anyway, this year I was asked by the teacher to be part of the school’s team that will compete at the countywide programming competition that’s taking place on Saturday. The team was supposed to consist of me, Gilbert, Kenny, and Ivan, but Gilbert can’t make it, so he’s being replaced by Tanner.

I was asked to do it when I was in Programming I, and I didn’t really feel like it, but now I feel ready. I’ve learned quite a bit since then, and the sample problems that the teacher gave us seem really easy. Like, really easy. Basically, a lot of them involve calculating a value according to a formula: area given length and height, and so on. Other problems we’ve looked at were more difficult, but I’m really not sure how we’re going to be. It seems, though, that we’ll be at a disadvantage because we use an object-oriented programming language, while most of the projects can be accomplished quickly and dirtily with… the other kind. You know, the ones that use the command line and all.

Yesterday I found out that the HD-DVD process key had been cracked. It had actually been cracked for a while, but I’m slow to hear about these things. What it basically means is that it’s now possible to remove the DRM from HD DVDs, which, although it shouldn’t be illegal because there are legitimate reasons to copy movies that you own, apparently is. Yeah, they’re saying it’s illegal to possess a number. In protest, the Internet has been abuzz with people posting the number on sites like Digg, which eventually gave up on its censorship. The MPAA has apparently been trying to silence those who have publicized the number, but there’s no way they can crack down on the 13,256,278,887,989,457,651,018,865,901,401,704,640 sites that have joined in on the fun.

According to the Wikipedia article, the key has been revoked, and no new discs will use it. But it’s only a matter of time before the next key gets cracked. Why do they bother? Oh yeah, that’s right: so they can try to sell you the same content over and over again.

When I found out about the infamous number yesterday morning, I wrote it on a piece of paper and pinned it to my shirt. Two people actually got the reference, which was pretty satisfying to see. I figured the guys in my programming class would be the ones who would appreciate it the most, and I was right. They wrote it on the board for all to see, and some of them tried to commit the number, represented in hexadecimal form, to memory. Kenny suggested that the programming competition team write the number on those “Hello, My Name Is” stickers and wear them to the competition. It sounds like a great idea; I’ll just have to see if I can get the stickers. Where do you buy those things, anyway?

From the Journal of Irreproducible Results: All Theories Proven with One Graph. There are even calculus jokes in it. Yes: jokes, plural.

From the YouTubes Internet tubes: How to paint the Mona Lisa with MS Paint. Quite impressive, if you ask me.