Archive for July, 2007

Google’s Privacy Chief Backs T-Shirts, Not Ties

Saturday, July 28th, 2007

Google Inc.’s global privacy counsel, Peter Fleischer, wants to see t-shirts replace the tie as standard business attire, saying the tie

1. “constricts circulation to the brain”;

2. “acts as decorative camouflage for the business suit, designed to shield the middle-aged male physique, with its shrinking shoulders and protruding paunch, from feeling sufficiently self-conscious to hit the gym”.

“Wouldn’t you like to know whether your business partners are fit? Why should you trust a man in business if he abuses his own body?”

In addition, he said casual attire may also result in greater creativity.

“If your fashion editor can hardly imagine a better garment for men to exhibit their personality, power and masculinity than wearing ties, well … I work at Google. Our unofficial motto is, ‘Be serious without a suit’”

Background:

Google, like many other technology companies, allows employees to dress casually for work.

However, several of Google’s senior managers are shown wearing ties in their official photographs.

(more...)

SRM 360 as my first TopCoder experience

Wednesday, July 25th, 2007

I’m taught again that practices is the only way to success.

And say thank you to mydonne who encourages me to take part in the competition and helps me a lot patiently.

If anybody wanna try TopCoder Algorithm SRM (Single Round Match), it is recommended to install ExampleBuilder plugin into TopCoder Arena (HOW TO).

Here’s my C++ template of FileEdit plugin for VS2005.

有感于 Google 黑板报

Wednesday, July 25th, 2007

少一些广告,多一些互动

推销自己的产品对于任何公司都无可厚非,但我觉得在 黑板报 里做这些事有些不合时宜。黑板报应该是 谷歌 和基层用户沟通交流的一个窗口,而不是电视机里野蛮打断节目强迫观众收看的广告。到目前为止 黑板报 仍未发挥其域名中所提到的“blog”的功能,即毫无互动性可言,却有向读者强塞乏味的内容之动作。

少一些低级教程,多一点创新观点

要提供初级的手把手入门 教程,Google 的每个产品都有自己的 Help 就好了,有必要在 黑板报 这种官方脸面的地方刻意地显摆自己是如何如何使用自己公司的某个产品的低级功能么?如果这不是上级给这些作者施加的压力的话,那只能说明 谷歌 的(一部分)工程师心态及判断力有问题。谷歌工程师们在 黑板报 上发布自己的心得、感受、体验、想法时,多一些自己原创的观点,不要让 黑板报 越办越乏味。

少一些全文翻译,多一些谷歌观点

看多了 黑板报 的读者都会发现,黑板报 除了被用作各种产品的(非正规)广告发布平台以外,最多的用途就是一字一句翻译外文文章,翻译的用词很书面,冷冰冰硬梆梆的,和亲民搭不上一点边。如果说 黑板报 就是要“有深度地、有知识地、严肃地”探讨一些高级话题,那这种直译也就过得去了,但别忘了,黑板报 里还有太 多初级的、广告性质的文章,将阳春白雪和下里巴人混揉在一个 blog 里,是不是有些牵强?而从我的感觉来看,这些翻译的文章也只是为了凑数,为了使 黑板报 不至于荒芜。既然在做 黑板报,请有点责任心吧,写博不是哗众取宠更不是和尚撞钟。写出谷歌工程师们对一些事物的看法会比现在这些莫名其妙的内容更有读者吸引力。

另外,黑板报 不能在关键时候挑起应有的责任,不敢抛头露面,只会照着“河蟹社会”说一些很中庸的无聊内容,这样的举动在当时 谷歌无故不能访问 期间已经获得了不少网友的不满。也正如发条一针见血地指出,黑板报 所谓“在我们每一个 Google 人的心中,用户是我们最最关切的人”,这些最最被关切的用户被假设为不需要发言的“沉默的大多数”。

很早也看过洪波对 黑板报 的批评(尽管 黑板报 第一个友链就是他的 blog),自然比我能想到的要深刻许多。

# 今天看到 黑板报 更新的一篇文章后,终于忍无可忍要对 谷歌 说几句。写完发现,尽管我一直努力抵制,可仍然难逃“中庸”的影响,说了大堆却什么都没真正剖开了说 -_-|||

“国际惯例” or “中国国情”

Thursday, July 12th, 2007

Take a look at this URI: 随笔:国际惯例与中国国情对比表

WTF, Stick up middle finger to these monopolies!

Fcitx has gone

Thursday, July 12th, 2007

Fcitx has gone since July 10, 2007. We stand in silent to tribute for you, we love you.

From now on, there maybe only one choice of Input Method/Platform on Linux — SCIM, but we still missing the others which was dead.

Here’s the original text (in Chinese).