Showdown at the IE Corral

IE is garbage. I think this has been self-evident for a long time now. Those who still use it are locked in because it's 'comfortable' and because it's there. There is no effort in IE. That's why it is the most popular browser in the world. Not because it's the best, but because Microsoft decided it's better to shove something down user's throats than actually own up to competition. It's how they killed Netscape in one fell swoop.

The IE dev team recently held a little Q&A session by which they admit their browser is, frankly, behind the times, full of holes, and is weak compared to other browsers.

Isn't this Microsoft? The same Microsoft that creates innovation, that leads the way, that shows us something bett--

Oh, wait. This is Microsoft. The guys who buried Netscape. The guys who forced a browser on the world. The guys who should see the truth staring them in the face.

I suggest those IE-using die-hards, god bless your little ignorant hearts, to try Firefox, a very small download, a wonderful, easy to use, full-of-features, no fucking awful security holes, browser that does just what you want it to do and comes built in with pop up blockers and tabbed browsing.

The last two features alone are simply standard on each non-IE browser on the market, whether they're free or not. Opera is a cool little browser, for those who wish to pay for it. It too has tabs (the first to do so, I'll freely admit), and it also has a pop-up blocker.

However, this is why IE will never have a pop-up blocker: Microsoft's own websites use them in advertising. That mean's they'd be cutting their arm off by doing this. They'd lose revenue, what little is generated by pop-ups anymore (does anyone click on these things?), and websites by the dozens would cry foul to Microsoft. You'd hear the screaming for miles.

Tabs? Sure, they'll get tabs. It's a simple evolution. That 'grouped window' bullshit in Windows XP is garbage. Anyone who browses this way is simply too stubborn or ignorant (note, that doesn't mean stupid, just un-informed) to know better. They're sure there is no better way, they're comfortable with what they're using, and god help me, some of them actually like seeing a ton of minimized windows with cut-off titles and playing the which-window-is-which game.

Do I try to spread the gospel of Firefox? Sure. But not all listen for the reasons stated. But to those who might have the slightest inkling of trying something that is just universally better, and by leaps and bounds better, by peanut butter vs. peanut butter and jelly better, this is the way. This is the light.

Come on over to the revolution. IE is dead. Long live Firefox!

I Walk The Line

So Robert Scoble has an interesting post about what he thinks of the changes to Microsoft. It's also very interesting how he seems unhappy yet strangely complacent. Be sure to note what he says at the end of that post. Then, for further insight and some explanation of Scoble's thoughts, see this article. The skinny? The skinny is that Microsoft is nearing middle-age, something that is damn near unescapable.

The big idea is that Ballmer, and his wild monkey dance tactics, can somehow cut a shitload of spending (here's an example: they spend about $300k per employee) while at the same time motivating them and creating innovation.

Creating innovation. Think about that. What it means. What it could mean. How in the fuck it could work. Because honestly, I don't see it happening.

Microsoft is a monster company. They are owned by shareholders. This fact alone means that while they can throw a billion into a disasterously failing business and not blink an eye, it also means that they can't help but be the copycat and company enveloper of the industry. They specialize in finding and exploiting good ideas, not creating them.

Scoble seems to think that since small teams create good software, which is not unheard of (particularly in my line of work), that somehow this means some Microsoft coder will become the superstar of tomorrow. Which is complete, and total, bullshit. The realization that they aren't the ominopotent business of the industry is a big step for them. Admitting you have a problem is the first step in solving it. But how they go about it is their business, and the situation at hand.

I think that above all, Microsoft will flounder as they try to both 'create innovaton' (I love saying that, it's the best oxymoron I've found in a long time) and 'cut costs'. Apparently they spent four billion each year in Research and Development, yet the best business they've ever come up with is MSN. And that one's just broke even.

The XBox is failing and has lost them as much money as they wish to save each year since it's debut. They're rushing the XBox 2 out for next year and it will fail spectacularly because of the Sega Saturn factor. It's too much too early, and the market won't bear an overpriced replacement of an already sufficient system (ie, PS2). Halo 2 will be a hit, but will it resurrect the Box of X? I think not.

Microsoft should simply realize that they can't ride that wave which brought their stock price to insane levels and split it 9 times. Now they're lying in a bed they made, and they shit in it with bad ideas.

How they go about cleaning that up is part of the fun of being on the outside. Now who's got some popcorn?

My DIY

Over at DIY Games I got another mention via their news blurb about the Star Chamber: Incursions release.

These guys are too kind. I feel so...flattered.

Feeding the RSS

XML is a wonderful thing. It allows those who like to blog, as well as news sites, to share information in a quick precise way that was simply not possible a few years ago. Thanks to the explosion in XML/RSS/Atom, basically all describing the same process: breaking down their current content into an easy-to-download file (hell, even I have one), you can keep track of your favorite blogs and sites via Newsreaders. These guys have a tough racket, and there are a few windows programs, there are also web-based systems out there.

But for me? It's SharpReader all the way. Highly recommended.

If you like reading interesting content but hate tracking it down every single time. If my bookmarks look anything like your bookmarks, this program will make you very happy.

Family Matters

So we do have a few excellent and unfortunate developments in the realm of the Erwin family:

1. Ericka

She got really nasty sick on Saturday, to the point where I had to come home early from work and she had to go to the doctor. Her tonsils have always bothered her, and she got a real bad case of tonsillitus or a sinus infection, with no fever we weren't really sure (and I don't recall her ever giving me a final answer). So she got antibiotics, some cough medicine, and an order to stay home and rest.

That means she didn't get to go to work on July 4th for four hours which would've been double-time for her. Sigh. Easy money right there. Maybe next time.

Anyway, she's feeling a lot better, and for that I'm glad. I love her more every day and am very thankful that she can handle the kids so much better than I can.

2. Annie

My beautiful darling is just as wonderful as ever, and she learns more everyday. She can officially count your fingers up to 5, and how many 2 year olds you know can do that? (Don't answer that)

She also just...wait for it...slept in her toddler bed! Woohoo! And we're not talking for a short stint, we're talking throughout the night, and Ericka waking her up in the morning. That is excellent news. This segues directly into...

3. Abby

Yup, my beautiful almost-5 month old is getting more active, showing more signs of life, and is trying her best to learn to crawl. She can roll however, and that is fantastic. And now that we're past her first bout of bad diaper rash, we can move on and focus on The Happy. It's just nice to have it in the house. That's what kids do, they bring The Happy. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you don't have children.

QCon and Me

This story at Slashdot makes me think again about this year's Quakecon and if any of my friends (yes, I'm talking to you, Jimmy! (ie, Crucifax)) are going. Jeremy is included in this one as well. What about Tony? Are we peeps making the geek pilgrimage?

If we are indeed we need to get in gear and figure out plans, including hotel registrations, how much it's going to cost, if we're going to take time off, etc.

This is a get-in-contact, wouldja? Thread. Grr.

Oh, America

Happy Birthday America! It's like JRob's Birthday, only they don't fire off $10,000 worth of fireworks in his honor.

Not that they shouldn't, he's a real cool chap.

Anyway, I'm not huge on July 4th anymore. I didn't buy fireworks, and this year we didn't make the annual trip to Ericka's grandmother's in Mississippi. Not that I'm very saddened by that, because we can always go later, and the bugs down there, and the heat, are fuckin nasty. Man is it hot down there. Think of the hottest time of the year wherever you are. Multiply it. That's how hot it is.

Speaking of hot, well, mainly speaking of funny, I think this game may be the realization of every 14 year old geek's dream: to combine chess and sex. I can hear the wanking already. It's funny, really. Just looking at the screenshots makes me laugh.

In other news, I think I need glasses. I'm going blind or something, and my sight has been deteriorating over the past couple of years. Of course, I won't actually go to the eye doc until everything's fuzzy, but at least I can have some record of saying "Oh yeah, I should be going to the doctor right about now..."

Weirdness. I have lots of work on that SC Manual to do, thanks in part to this forum thread at SCWatch. I should be able to get that in tonight, hopefully along with some other content.

And...this post is done.