Brian's World

Offense

Grr I am frustrated at the moment. Same topic as last time, less structure and sensibility. This blog was handwritten so I am typing it over. Calculus class was boring I think so I wrote it… it will be changed while I type.

Well this weekend I did some research, learning more details about the specific message board problems.

The manager has attempted to abandon the old system and use a PowerPoint. Let us start with some technical details. The message board is installed on a Windows 2000 machine connected to the school’s domain. It accesses a shared network drive on one of the school’s servers to store the messages and announcements. The Display reads from the files at a certain interval and updates the screen. The secretaries share a program that can modify the text files. Why does it work? The chance of the secretaries clicking update at the precise moment the Display is trying to read the file is low to none. To further prevent this, the display will not read the file if it has an error, skipping to try again.

A PowerPoint shared on a network drive is not capable of doing this. Why doesn’t it work? Microsoft Office puts a lock on a file that is being accessed by a computer to prevent someone else from modifying it. The though is in a business, two individuals cannot change the same file, overwriting each other’s changes. In this case, it prevents everyone from changing the screen. Another problem is how PowerPoint presents, when in “view” or “full screen show” mode, PowerPoint takes steps to prevent the lose of the presentation by loading it into memory or a temporary file. Not only are you locked out with the read/write issues, but also a design limitation in PowerPoint.

I am also disturbed by the theory behind this logic. The manager is a Mac user. People use Macs to be different or achieve a functionality of their liking. In my eyes, the message board program is the equivalent of a Mac. Both are proprietary, only working with certain compatibility… the message board was only tested on one machine. When a Mac breaks you call the Apple people, when the Message Board breaks, you should call the Message Board people. The message board “thinks differently.” Its third-grade logic design overcomes the obstacles of a network. Both rarely crash (only when the network share server dies), and when they crash… they crash hard. Both systems are understood by few, but the few who know them can work them great.

See, the manager only knows Mac. The school is a windows place and the message board is a windows application. He forces students to learn how to edit video on a Mac, the only platforms he will buy. He refuses to learn how to work the message board, quite an incongruous situation if you ask me. He as no logic or technically understanding of PowerPoint to determine is as the better system.

What should I do?

{{This is where you start thinking of comments}}

Moving on is not an option. Everyone tells me that but I do not want to. I have no need to loose involvement in an organization. I did that with scouts and I regret it weekly. Too many of my peers and “adults” have said, “forget about it, let go, move on” Why though? Because that is what they did in college? Well maybe I want to do college differently. Maybe I do not need to cut old ties to better myself. I think the best thing I can do for myself is continue to accumulate, I have no mistakes that are life changing I pretend never happened. High School was not a bad experience for me; honestly, I would like to be there right now. See my posts about the educational system for more information, and if you cannot find those let me know and I will write them.

My arms continue to shave and I am not eating well as I did about two weeks ago.

Then I hear kids are getting in trouble for fixing things! What gives? When I went to high school, you were thanked for fixing something. I though learning was a priority, not an offense,

Now I have no clue where to go with two projects. I have been developing a new message board to work with the next generation of networking and windows (IPv6 / Vista) that will knock your socks off… but is it even worth it anymore?

Who knows about project two…. Not me