http://www.brendonwilson.com The personal web site of Brendon J. Wilson, a software developer living in Vancouver, British Columbia. Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:39:26 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en A US Ninth Circuit court ruling this week has asserted that computers are like luggage and are therefore subject to searches at borders and airports. This is a scary revelation for anyone in the computer industry who is practically inseparable from their laptop. Unlike luggage, a laptop is a vessel for ... http://www.brendonwilson.com/blog/2008/04/25/uh-oh-tsa-can-search-laptops/ As part of my continuing bid to try and help get things cooking in Vancouver, I've decided to run for a position on the Board of Directors for the Simon Fraser University Alumni Association. Thanks go to Aaron Cruikshank for suggesting this wonderful opportunity to give back to my alma ... http://www.brendonwilson.com/blog/2008/04/22/sfu-alumni-association-board-nomination/ Leave it to the American media to spotlight an obviously overlooked and unsung Canadian (and Vancouver) success story: Robin Sparkles. (This is a spoof. It appeared on "How I Met Your Mother" tonight. It should not, under any circumstances, be considered an endorsement of schmaltzy 80's girl softcore hair-rock ballads) http://www.brendonwilson.com/blog/2008/04/21/vancouver-success-story-robin-sparkles/ I've been a bit annoyed at Quicken in the past, but my recent experience has put me over the edge. Now, in fairness, it's not all their fault. It's also my bank's fault. This is a rant. You've been warned - so let's take these on one at a time, ... http://www.brendonwilson.com/blog/2008/04/16/quicken-hsbc-insanity/ I'm getting good comment flow on my "Change Begins At Home" post over on Techvibes. While I'm not especially pleased with myself for stooping to unjustified generalizations and muckraking, it seems to be getting the right response. There is thoughtful discussion starting, and people are getting involved. That's a good ... http://www.brendonwilson.com/blog/2008/04/12/traction-in-the-vancouver-startup-discussion/ I've started writing about Silicon Valley, my experience there, and what BC can learn from it over at Techvibes. First post is "Escape from Silicon Valley" - a light fluffy intro, with a side of "get your ass in gear" to set the intended tone for the series. http://www.brendonwilson.com/blog/2008/04/04/writing-at-techvibes/ Well, ask and ye shall receive. It appears that Radiohead is continuing the experiment it started with the release of "In Rainbows" by releasing one of their songs' source tracks. The band has released five "stems" to the song "Nude" (one for each of the bass, voice, guitar, strings/fx ... http://www.brendonwilson.com/blog/2008/04/01/the-radiohead-experiment-continues/ Since moving back to Canada, I have a major problem with the country drop-down list just about every web site on the planet seems to use: an alphabetically ordered list of countries. You're cruising along, trying to enter information as fast as possible, and you run straight in Cambodia. Yes. Cambodia. ... http://www.brendonwilson.com/blog/2008/04/01/a-revised-country-drop-down-list/ Roughly once a week, I get an email from someone in India, Thailand, China, or some other far-flung corner of the world who is fervently working on their final undergraduate project, their master's thesis, or some other coursework and wants me to help them. Don't get me wrong, I like ... http://www.brendonwilson.com/blog/2008/03/26/no-i-will-not-do-your-homework/ I've been a longtime fan of Rands' blog for his great insights into engineering management and Jane Goodall-like understanding of developers and other nerdkind. I somehow missed one of his posts, The Nerd Handbook, which is painfully on the mark. It is essential reading for anyone (including significant others) who ... http://www.brendonwilson.com/blog/2008/03/25/the-nerd-handbook/