I’ve recently had several opportunities to consult on some Rails projects, mostly in an advisory role. Meaning, going into the project after the bulk of the code has already been poured, and then reviewing the code and commenting on it, or suggesting alternative/more appropriate solutions. It’s not an enviable position to be in. For...

I’ve recently had several opportunities to consult on some Rails projects, mostly in an advisory role. Meaning, going into the project after the bulk of the code has already been poured, and then reviewing the code and commenting on it, or suggesting alternative/more appropriate solutions. It’s not an enviable position to be in. For...

Today I’ve started exploring Bruce Williams’ Rails Views blog, and discovered the following nugget: “Why dig when you can just know?” This has got to be one of the most succinct formulations of the software development ‘best practices’ I’ve heard so far, and so I’ve decided to expose it here in...

Today I’ve started exploring Bruce Williams’ Rails Views blog, and discovered the following nugget: “Why dig when you can just know?” This has got to be one of the most succinct formulations of the software development ‘best practices’ I’ve heard so far, and so I’ve decided to expose it here in...

While teaching a recent worshop for Rails, I’ve introduced the Principle of Least Astonishment to the class. Also known as the Principle of Least Surprise, this principle caught my students by surprise. Not surprisingly, they all asked for a code demonstration, something that would illustrate this principle. Yield For expedience sake, and...

While teaching a recent worshop for Rails, I’ve introduced the Principle of Least Astonishment to the class. Also known as the Principle of Least Surprise, this principle caught my students by surprise. Not surprisingly, they all asked for a code demonstration, something that would illustrate this principle. Yield For expedience sake, and...

I’ve been rambling about Radical Simplicity on more than one ocassion. Please go back and search for posts on that topic if you need to brush up on this concept. Today, I’m going to briefly discuss the way that Rails offers a foretaste of this principle. If It’s Worth Displaying, Then It’s Worth Modifying Radical...

I’ve been rambling about Radical Simplicity on more than one ocassion. Please go back and search for posts on that topic if you need to brush up on this concept. Today, I’m going to briefly discuss the way that Rails offers a foretaste of this principle. If It’s Worth Displaying, Then It’s Worth Modifying Radical...

As an early Rails adopter, I am very curious about the adoption patterns of this framework. Just this past weekend I had the rare opportunity to witness first hand the inroads Rails is making into the local IT community. I’ve spent approximatelly 14 hours (7 on Saturday and another 7 on Sunday) teaching Rails from the [...]

As an early Rails adopter, I am very curious about the adoption patterns of this framework. Just this past weekend I had the rare opportunity to witness first hand the inroads Rails is making into the local IT community. I’ve spent approximatelly 14 hours (7 on Saturday and another 7 on Sunday) teaching Rails from the [...]

It’s been more than six months since I’ve decided to deliver a Ruby on Rails workshop. Emboldened by the very positive response to my introductory presentation on Ruby on Rails, I’ve zeroed in on the task of preparing the hands-on workshop on how to properly use Rails. The only problem for me was the logistics [...]

It’s been more than six months since I’ve decided to deliver a Ruby on Rails workshop. Emboldened by the very positive response to my introductory presentation on Ruby on Rails, I’ve zeroed in on the task of preparing the hands-on workshop on how to properly use Rails. The only problem for me was the logistics [...]

One of the nicest things that the satisfaction with job well done can bring is watching the after-effects unfold. Often times we are not sure why is it so important to work hard, but in actuality if you’re not working hard, you’re wasting your time. I was pleasantly surprised yesterday when Chris Dawson, whom I’ve had [...]

One of the nicest things that the satisfaction with job well done can bring is watching the after-effects unfold. Often times we are not sure why is it so important to work hard, but in actuality if you’re not working hard, you’re wasting your time. I was pleasantly surprised yesterday when Chris Dawson, whom I’ve had [...]

I’ve been playing guitar for more than 20 years now. One of the hardest things for me to learn in all these years is how to practice the guitar. In my rush to get to the point where I could play like my idols, I’ve neglected to learn how to truly practice the instrument. That’s why [...]