Xah Programing Blog Archive 2011-09

Space-cadet Keyboard and Lisp Machine Keyboards

Technology for Knowledge in Past Decades

the Death of Dennis Ritchie, John McCarthy, Steve Jobs, and Hackers

Why X11 Color Names Are F�ckedup

Quote from Wikipedia X11 color names:

In computing, on the X Window System, X11 color names are represented in a simple text file, which maps certain strings to RGB color values. It is shipped with every X11 installation, hence the name, and is usually located in ‹X11root›/lib/X11/rgb.txt.

It is not known who originally compiled the list. The list shows a continuity neither in selected color values nor in color names, and many color triplets have multiple names. Despite this, graphic designers and others got used to them, making it practically impossible to introduce a more stringent and logical alias list.

Why it's like that? Because it's the unix philosophy!

Time to reread: The X-Windows Disaster.

The lisp derived functional language Qi, now has a home page at shenlanguage.org.

the Death of Dennis Ritchie

Emacs Cygwin gunzip Problem

Any programing language, that uses keywoards like BEGIN END instead of any [({brackets})] , is a f���edup language.

Emacs Lisp, Perl, Python: Building a Multiplication Table @ http://xahlee.blogspot.com/2011/10/emacs-lisp-perl-python-building.html

Stephen Wolfram: The Background and Vision of Mathematica

“Stephen Wolfram: The Background and Vision of Mathematica”
plt scheme lisp logo 1996
PLT Scheme's logo, ≈1996.

Updated: A Lambda Logo Tour

Semantics of Symbols: Use of Unicode Subscript Digit Characters

Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse

Programing Language: LISP Syntax Problem of Piping Functions.

Why Doesn't Google Chrome Cache YouTube Videos?

Being a efficiency nerd, i have this unhealthy obsession about the efficiency of internet bandwidth use.

For example, if i'm watching a youtube video, and if it so happens that i don't want to watch it anymore, i usually take the trouble of right-click and stop downloading, even i still want to stay on the page (say, reading the comments), as some kinda sense to reduce “waste”. (even though my internet bandwidth is fast, unlimited, and far underused)

As another example, when the tech of live audio broadcasting thru internet (aka internet radio) started to show up in ≈1999, where people can listen to it just like radio, like, leaving it on all the time, my thought was that, “O my f���ing god, who invented such a thing that is extremely inconsiderate in using resources”.

Of course, i know that these are extremely silly concerns, but i simply just have it in me, and continuously trying to brush such idiotic thoughts away. (i should know, cuz i wrote a ton despising those “hacker” coders who habitually diddle their code for the “idiom” f���, thinking that they'd squeeze a few cpu cycle out of it, ⁖ in particular, the perl mongers peddles this idea, which i think died out gradually starting in ≈2001 to ≈2005.)

But anyway, i have a question, which prompted me to write this. When you watch a youtube video, after you finished watching, sometimes you went to watch others or do something but happened to land on the same page and want to watch it again. I'd thought that Google Chrome would have cached the video, so it doesn't have to re-download the 30 or so megabytes again. But apparently, it doesn't seem to be the case, because you can see the downloading progression bar going. Why's that? Is Chrome's behavior dependent on your net speed or it does always re-download? I can't figure why it won't cache.

Source plus.google.com

keyboard buckling spring
buckling spring mechanism.

Guide to Computer Keyboard Key Switch Mechanisms

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