iMatt :: The Blog of Matt Clare

When I write code I like to make it interesting. For example, a variable¹ named $person can just as easily be name $dude. I once wrote a Flash animation with a function² that created four rings, naturally I called it audi().

1 A value that can be set and changed.
2 Bunch of code that does something, written as a function so the function can be executed instead of recreating all of the code in it. Functions are called with their name and brackets at the end in which you can pass values in.

It’s because of this style that I really have to commend BeOS, the operating system created by Be Inc. Not only did Be and it’s owner, Jean-Louis Gassée, have the Bes to scoff at a mere $200 million when Apple tried to purchase BeOS for OSX and held out for $400 million – they didn’t get it. BeOS also has the following system functions that I could work with:

get_system_info()- The get_system_info() function tells you more than you want to know about the physical capacities of your computer….
is_computer_on() - Returns 1 if the computer is on. If the computer isn’t on, the value returned by this function is undefined.
is_computer_on_fire()- Returns the temperature of the motherboard if the computer is currently on fire. If the computer isn’t on fire, the function returns some other value.
More at www.tycomsystems.com/beos/BeBook/The%20Kernel%20Kit/System.html

I’ve been told that I can write a good E-mail – or at least one that can be undertstood. I’ve been asked for advice but generally I defer to those who got a book deal out of their’s. Ben Goodger, lead developer of Firefox (no book deal though), recently posted some advice:

..It’s great when people make contributions in the form of ideas and proposals, but it’s even better when they’re written for busy people. Here are some examples:

• Making important points up front
• Clear taxonomy of headings, and lots of them
• Writing clearly and succinctly
• No long, unbroken paragraphs or tracts of text.
• Preferring bulleted lists with clear points to paragraphs.
• Use of emphasis in formatting to make important things clear

I would add:

• Avoid pronouns. If your E-Mail is about something technical your reader will soon lose track of what ‘it’ you are talking about. It also helps with scanning.
• Try to model your sentence and paragraph structure on that of The Toronto Sun, etc.
• Put thought into the E-Mail subject, and if the original in a reply/forward exchange is poor, change it.
• Watch out for those homonyms and the spell checker. You want to be sure your message can be red.

And last, but not least (but maybe the least practised): Read back your own E-Mail (or blog posting) to yourself before you send it.