Dilbert - Programming Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Dilbert’

4 Dec 2009

google wave You wouldn’t put it past them, and now they’ve done it; Google has reinvented email.

The news has reached most people by now, but just in case you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, I’ll start out with an – admittedly oversimplified – explanation. Because that’s the thing with Google Wave: everybody knows it’s cool, but few people really know how to explain it.

The ‘old’ concept of email is still pretty much based on paper post. People sending static messages to other people. Everything is based on the process of sending and receiving. When working in the group, this poses a number of problems. For example, Reply to All creates a new static message, and again sends duplicates to everyone involved.

In contrast, Google Wave creates one dynamic copy, and hosts it in the clouds. Everybody reads one and the same message. And that’s just the core idea. People can edit the message (hence, dynamic) and even put their reply right in the middle of it! Unless turned off, people can read up as you type, and you can edit messages with multiple people at the same time. That, dear people, is Google Wave.

Learn more about Google wave in this 1 hour and 20 minute looooong video.

google wave gadgets list

Another important aspect of Google Wave are the gadgets. These are in fact small web-applications that can be embedded in a wave. When you first start using Google, you’ll notice the two that are present by default; the Yes/No/Maybe- and Map Gadget. But anyone with a bit of programming knowledge can create their own. Below are five that everyone should add.

Invity

Ever noticed how time-consuming it can be to create a multi-person Wave? Instead of adding them all manually, it’d be real nice to have a decent grouping feature. Until then, we’ve got Invity.

Invity is actually a robot (yes, as in a chat bot), but it’s more useful than many gadgets. Instead of installing, just add pw-invity@appspot.com on Wave.

google wave gadgets list

To create a group of contacts, add them to a wave together with Invity. You can then create a new group. The next time you want to create a Wave, simply add the Invity, and invite everyone over! Easy as that.

Napkin

google wave gadgets list

Napkins are known to serve as an outlet for creativity, and now you’ve got one in Wave. You can use it to draw a quick doodle beneath your message, or even draw simultaneously with your friends.

Ribbit Conference Gadget

google wave

This begins to show how far Wave has left the conventional email threads behind. With Ribbit’s gadget (free for now, but probably not forever), you have VoIP in your inbox. You can call your friends from a Wave and even create a conference.

iFrame

No pretty picture here, but any one would fit. An iFrame allows you to open a window to any page on the internet. You can use it to add virtually anything; a flash app, the latest Dilbert cartoon, a stock gadget — whatever you can find online.

Here are the Gadget XML and Installer XML. You can use these links to respectively use, or install the gadget in Google Wave.

Know any other cool Google Wave gadgets or robots? Tell us your favorite in the comment!

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Tags: chat bot, core idea, Dilbert, gadget, google, I Can, Invity, message, programming knowledge, wave, web applications

9 Hilarious Websites To Visit When You Need To Kill Time

In: tutorial

24 Nov 2009

hilarious websites We all have our bad days. A laptop that gets stolen, keys that disappear into the drain and those mothers-in-law.

When you’re having one of those days, we all need to be cheered up.

Actually, even without having one of those days, most people can use a good laugh. And because none of your friends know any good jokes to tell, MakeUseOf comes to the rescue.

Below is a compilation of hilarious websites you can visit for a good dose of humour. Of course, this list is not complete, by far. If you think we missed something, add it in the comments!

Comedy Videos

Need a laugh now? First stop; online video. The net is filled to bursting with videos that make you giggle. Dry British humour or slapstick entertainment, it’s your call. On most hilarious websites like these though, it’s often the latter.

hilarious websites

Today’s Big Thing isn’t ‘only’ a humor site. It was created to aggregate the coolest videos on the net, every single day. Although more subjects are covered, a laugh is often included. Want to play safe? Go to the funny videos channel.

hilarious websites

CollegeHumor is one of the most hilarious websites on the web. You’ll find very funny pictures and essays, but mostly videos. Most videos are aggregated from all over the internet, but you should also check out the CollegeHumor Originals – these are made by the CollegeHumor staff and are more often than not of supreme quality.

hilarious videos

Break is an online video sharing community. Unlike YouTube though, it only focuses on funny videos. With no other filters than the community machine, quality is not always guaranteed, but the funniest videos of the web get born on sites like these.

Funny Webcomics

Next stop, webcomics. For more inspiration, be sure to check out 5 Great Webcomics You Should Read and 10 Great Online Gaming Webcomics.

dilbert Dilbert is (the second is XKCD) one of the best geeky webcomics. That is, the main character is a bit of a geek, but it’s accessible for everyone with a taste for dry humor.

A MakeUseOf favorite, Dilbert is about personal geeky problems and the day-to-day hilarity of a highly dysfunctional business.

hilarious videos

Explosm’s humor is a tad less delicate. It mostly involves almost brutal sadistic jokes and disgusting punchlines. If you enjoy the weird and indelicate funnies, this one is for you. Not always safe for work, though.

Since Explosm has multiple authors, the quality and ‘funniness’ is not always consistent, though. You might have to skip a few to get to the good ones.

hilarious videos

Wulffmorgenthaler is a hilarious, often one-drawing comic. And its humor is often even drier than Dilbert’s. Not always safe for work either, as you might see a naked Easter bunny once in a while, but rarely anything ‘disgusting’.

Parodist News Channels

It’s important to watch real news. But also boring. Give your news a twist with these fake news channels. Beware – a touch of cynicism is advised.

hilarious video clips

The Onion News Network (ONN) is one of the most popular fake online news channels there are. With everything performed and produced with incredible realism, it’s not uncommon to realize the ‘fake’ only halfway through the video. Of course, the subjects are often so excessive, they just can’t be missed.

Don’t watch without a sense of humor and perspective – the ONN is not afraid to touch sensible subjects.

hilarious video clips

The Daily Show should be known to all. It’s a satirical news show on Comedy Central, hosted by the magnificent Jon Stewart. Most ironically, he was chosen as America’s ‘most trusted newscaster’ earlier this year in an online poll by Time Magazine. Which might be justified if you can read behind the sarcasm, but would otherwise be just very sad.

You can watch a few funny excerpts, and even entire episodes if you live in the US internationally!

4chan

This is one excessively funny website, belonging in all, yet none of the categories above. With their background, a separate mention is nothing but righteous.

hilarious pictures

You might know them as the guys behind Lolcats and the Rickrolling meme. Most people know them as the biggest retards on the internet. And that’s not an insult, it’s their legacy, carried high. 4chan is a free-to-join anonymous forum with boards for – well, almost everything. Although serious discussions occur, most is filled with pictures and craziness (refer to the above screenshot). Not too right in the head and willing to browse the endless forums? Hilarity ensured!

If you’ve got any other tips, be sure to mention them in the comments below. What are your favorite funny websites?

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Tags: America, british humour, collegehumor, Dilbert, Don, funny pictures, hilarious websites, humor, jon stewart, MakeUseOf, news, online, Read, US, video, YouTube

Dilbert Revisits Twitter [PIC]

In: web resources

24 Nov 2009

You may remember that a couple months ago, Dilbert and his co-worker convinced his boss to join Twitter so they could track his updates and slack off accordingly.