• Other: Engineering Survey

      - What versioning system do you use?
  - What is your IDE/Code Editor of choice and why?
  - Assuming a particular problem could be solved best in any
    language (which is certainly never the case amirite?), what
    would be your language of choice?

  - Here are a variety of tools/methods used in various programming
    circumstances:

     A.) Debugging
     B.) Code reviews
     C.) Unit testing
     D.) Technical Design Documents
     E.) Pair programming
     F.) Prototype

     1.) Best practice / Used daily
     2.) Occasionally / Sometimes
     3.) Would like to use more
     4.) Would like to use less
     5.) Impractical
     6.) Last resort / Infrequent

    - for( each lettered option ) list applicable numeric options;
    - Sort letter list in order of observed practicality;
    - Assume a perfect world, sort letter list in order of preference;
    - Sort letter list in order of frequency of use;

  - Given the choice to choose between fixing a bug that few are
    likely to encounter, and a feature that you're certain will make
    your project shine, both of which you estimate will take the
    same amount of time to accomplish -- which would you choose?
    why?

  - Tabs or Spaces?
  - Design up front or as you go?
  - Meta-programming: Holy grail? Practical? Waste of time?
  - Is the STL useful for game programming? Tools programming?
  - Is programming an art?

  - As engineering teams grow, is it more productive to structure
    the team as a group of peers or a hierarchy of engineers with
    clearly defined roles?

  - At a senior level, should ones career be a learning experience?
    A teaching experience?

  - What is your favorite debugging trick?

  - What is your favorite area of game programming?
     ( Circle all that apply )

        1.) Graphics
        2.) Physics
        3.) AI
        4.) Engine Architecture
        5.) Networking
        6.) Other _____________________

  - Procedural Content Generation
     ( Circle all that apply )

        1.) Pie in the Sky
        2.) The future
        3.) A nice idea
        4.) Useful
        5.) Needs more reasearch
        6.) Lacks artistic touch

  How would you finish the following sentences?
    - Refactoring is ______________________________________
    - Extreme programming is ______________________________
    - Copy and paste is ___________________________________
    - Open Source _________________________________________
    - Visual programming is _______________________________
    - Hungarian notation is _______________________________
    - Garbage collection is _______________________________
    - Code duplication is _________________________________
    - Mind maps are _______________________________________
    - White space is ______________________________________
    - A good tool should __________________________________

  - What do you think is your most impressive coding feat so far?

  • Run your car with Mr.Fusion

    These guys converted a honda to run on syngas from a gassifier. A current day Mr.Fusion, so cool!


    Convert your Honda Accord to run on trash – More DIY How To Projects

    All the parts for the basic system, if you weld it yourself are available for something like $1200. Controller board is arduino based and the plans & cad files are open source!

    http://www.gekgasifier.com/

  • Work in Progress: See the factory for the trees?

  • Other: DROID

    Linnea and I just got our new phones this week, and so far I’m really impressed. We decided on the Motorola Droid because of it’s full qwerty keypad and buy one get one free deal that we managed to take advantage of.

    The phone’s definitely a huge step up over my previous blackberry, and I was pleasantly suprised to find several apps for services I already use, available for the phones.

    Currently I have installed: WordPress, YouTube, Mint.com, Twitter, NYTimes, WoW armory & WoW auction house.

    The most impressive feature for me though is the browser, which is almost as fast on 3G as it is on our home wireless network.

    I’m really looking forward to writing some apps for it myself… perhaps I can use it to control the fireworks show this year?? =)