finally updated:04 Sep 2004 20:04 UK time
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Number of Comments: 281
Number of Words: 17,006
First Comment: 15 Jan 2004
Final Comment: 03 Sep 2004

Number of Topics Posted: 6
First Topic: 28 Jan 2004
Latest Topic: 12 Aug 2004
WhenItemComment
03 Sep 2004   Where's Philo?   Last seen two weeks ago with the 'ump, here: http....   >>  
   Which forum would Ch....   http://discuss.joelonsoftware.com/default.asp?pg=p....   >>  
   Yuk!!!   I don't think the 'themed' forums will work - if o....   >>  
   Smokin' theme for Ff....   Noia 2.0   >>  
   "The Joel Spolsky's ....   Hi Stephen - I sort of knew the reason for the di....   >>  
02 Sep 2004   New discussion board....   "There" not "their", "survives" not  "suriviv....   >>  
      Their have been a number of suggestions like that ....   >>  
      Funnily enough, since Joel mentioned this it may c....   >>  
   "The Joel Spolsky's ....   A general question: what aside from competence wou....   >>  
01 Sep 2004   CEOs being paid to o....   ...and since that wasn't so much a pop at you as a....   >>  
      Muppet - funnily enough sending personal data ove....   >>  
26 Aug 2004   Just finished The Cu....   In fact it's illegal to sell most things in Imperi....   >>  
   shocking, misleading....   Might I draw everyone's attention to this paragrap....   >>  
25 Aug 2004   Building a Wiki   Tim When I pointed my browser at localhost:2500 I....   >>  
   Manual transmissions....   Yes - transmission type is a matter of personal pr....   >>  
24 Aug 2004   Manual vs. Automatic....   That'd be it then - an N reg Ford Galaxy probably ....   >>  
      Mr Jack - not in my experience, so perhaps (a) I'v....   >>  
23 Aug 2004      '...and would spend half my life in stoplight traf....   >>  
   Anti-anti-virus   A mate of mine worked for a bank when the 'I love ....   >>  
20 Aug 2004   Does your employer m....   Yes - 9.30-5.30 (although they don't quibble about....   >>  
   Microsoft pays for i....   I think the lesson I really get from all this is *....   >>  
      I think you'll find it's called The Grauniad from ....   >>  
      'this does prove that the English, have no idea h....   >>  
   Automatic vs. manual....   tut tut...should be "clutch & brake".  Mr....   >>  
      mmm... no. Our Ford Galaxy's automatic box is fin....   >>  
      Good god - Art think my entire country are flaming....   >>  
19 Aug 2004   Google Censoring sit....   Is it just me or is arguing over which industrial ....   >>  
18 Aug 2004   Next big thing?   3D laser printing linked to affordable cad-cam. ....   >>  
   Google Censoring sit....   For the sake of peace and harmony (and because I r....   >>  
      I think you'll find that the religous tolerance bi....   >>  
      So to summarise as best I can: •Google obeys loc....   >>  
13 Aug 2004   The Olympics   Yes - Australia did have penal colonies. It was de....   >>  
      According to the Royal Navy's website there's a NA....   >>  
12 Aug 2004   Do remember the boss who banned e-mail?   >>  
12 Aug 2004   Do remember the boss....   The filming covered up to Christmas and at that po....   >>  
11 Aug 2004   Microsoft Revolution....   Somehow I can't see anyone I know coughing up a mi....   >>  
10 Aug 2004   Sacrificing parts of....   Answering the OP's 2 questions: (1) no because I'v....   >>  
06 Aug 2004   Fog Creek Marketing   Mr Analogy - perhaps you're right. I tend to take....   >>  
      Yeah, Joel does have a tendency to be absolutist i....   >>  
      I think we all knew what he meant. Aside from....   >>  
   CNN: CS School Break....   Portent - you do realise you've just described the....   >>  
05 Aug 2004   Pedant: Blah Details....   In UK English detail takes an 's' for the plural: ....   >>  
   Weapons software   Unfortunately nemesis the OSA applies even if you ....   >>  
03 Aug 2004   Your typical program....   'Do Brits still eat bangers and mash?' Yes - ye....   >>  
      Come on muppet, I'm sure there are some American f....   >>  
      My definitions are as follows: Bubble & squeak:....   >>  
      weekdays 2 blood pressure tablets, brown asthma ....   >>  
30 Jul 2004   System Administrator Appreciation Day   >>  
30 Jul 2004   Combating SPAM   The short answer is 'Practice'. The longer an....   >>  
28 Jul 2004   SPAM   I've had 2 false positives in about 6 months with ....   >>  
   Polish me no Patents   I think you'll find the problem is invalid (or dee....   >>  
      In Britain 90% of cases are settled out of court.&....   >>  
26 Jul 2004   Third, er, sixth, er....   I have the depressing feeling this thread should b....   >>  
   Inquirer/Register:Wh....   mmm...if you really think that it's all about anti....   >>  
25 Jul 2004      Mark - over here one of our most famous BBC journa....   >>  
23 Jul 2004   A keyboard curious q....   Funnily enough a charity I used to work for had a ....   >>  
      Helpfully, alt - Print Screen does a screenshot of....   >>  
   pet projects that fi....   '... is almost, but not quite, entirely unlike...'....   >>  
22 Jul 2004   Why Microsoft Wins   Partially true but on the upside these lads are wo....   >>  
21 Jul 2004   I want to start my o....   I hate getting up at some ungodly hour of the morn....   >>  
   Handwritten Document....   The answer there Chris, is to cheat ;-)   >>  
      Can I just confirm - in the event of power failure....   >>  
19 Jul 2004   Does term "Troll" co....   Sideshow agreed - but just a tad important from th....   >>  
      Mr Analogy  - It would be more accurate to sa....   >>  
15 Jul 2004   Disgruntled techies ....   According to The Register a few days ago the lad w....   >>  
   IQ-ism   http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/057507419....   >>  
13 Jul 2004   Old farts lack respe....   muppet - Let's go through them. Yes at 27, you....   >>  
      In the title you could easily replace the word pro....   >>  
12 Jul 2004   Bram's Law: What Cus....   The trouble is what people say they want isn't alw....   >>  
09 Jul 2004   Firefox extensions   Oh and of course Shellblock 1.0 which patches yest....   >>  
      ieview - for the reasons you gave. sage & rss r....   >>  
08 Jul 2004   Slashdot   Try setting the link to your website as your slash....   >>  
06 Jul 2004   Gadget Addiction   Option (1) Have children. They require a lot of t....   >>  
05 Jul 2004   Paul Graham says we ....   Jon - for the Zero bug thingy, try: 'The Joel Te....   >>  
03 Jul 2004   Adult ADHD   Jon - Four years of date possibly - it was roughly....   >>  
02 Jul 2004      Away from work, my wife & I are specialist foster ....   >>  
01 Jul 2004   Speech Recognition: ....   Christopher -  happily that sourceforge proje....   >>  
28 Jun 2004   Blogs written by gee....   mmm...thinking about this replace diary with journ....   >>  
      A blog is just an on-line diary. Strangely diarie....   >>  
25 Jun 2004   Not a bug?   I think it's a kit-car special. (BTW I only have ....   >>  
23 Jun 2004   "Sharepoint... Share....   Why do think they call us BOFHs?  Excuse me I....   >>  
21 Jun 2004   8 yr old game design....   Try http://www.gamemaker.nl/ .    >>  
   Byte shift   Back in the mists of time I was taught that a nibb....   >>  
18 Jun 2004   Why Web apps Won't r....   In seems to me that, in very general terms, sysadm....   >>  
16 Jun 2004   Racing car aficionad....   Sassy - they might be racing techniques but I use ....   >>  
      Ah but outside of rush hour (and the consequent tr....   >>  
      Funny, I've always found automatics faintly unnerv....   >>  
   Customizing yourself   I think you'll find the ability to hide a tattoo h....   >>  
   Work relationship tu....   Hand them a loaded water pistol each and ask them ....   >>  
   All is revealed   Mozilla is the development platform with all the b....   >>  
15 Jun 2004   "Trivial" Things   Relax - most of those use 1 of 2 rendering engines....   >>  
   He is back, He is ba....   Funny - I do like Opera (I even paid for it) but I....   >>  
   All is revealed   mmm...I'll be very happy once we hit 1.0 and the e....   >>  
   Looking for URLS of ....   Hi Sathyaish - since I was one of the guilty parti....   >>  
   Where's Joel ?   Thinking about Umbria for his holidays - according....   >>  
   detecting a sinking ....   In my experience senior managers having impromptu ....   >>  
14 Jun 2004   Retro Computers   Well not useless to me...except (a) I already have....   >>  
      Given it's a UK sale - probably.    >>  
      You mean your garage *doesn't* look like that?   >>  
12 Jun 2004   JOS Disaster recover....   I think it's a little early for panic  - it's....   >>  
11 Jun 2004   Questioning the mast....   ged - I think the reason for elections is to allow....   >>  
      They also write clearly and concisely, explaining ....   >>  
   Oh No, Not New York ....   Well Mark, since "Planet of the Apes" was based on....   >>  
10 Jun 2004      Thanks chris- I'm relived to hear it.    >>  
      I think Philo meant that Prague is used in a lot o....   >>  
      ...and in the scenes set in the UK the news progra....   >>  
      The majority of the US media (i.e. film + TV) is b....   >>  
09 Jun 2004   Lluna, browser-locat....   alternative definition: to type complete drivel in....   >>  
08 Jun 2004   Good news   Ged , JWA you're both right - Sun bought StarDivis....   >>  
   Whats the deal with ....   name withheld: I will agree that security counc....   >>  
07 Jun 2004      name withheld... Personally I don't have a grea....   >>  
04 Jun 2004   The thing I hate mos....   Funny - I quite like it.  But then it usually....   >>  
   smart people   Way off topic but Edward III also has the distinct....   >>  
      You must remember most thinkers feel what they do ....   >>  
   Ayn Rand   Er...yes I am a little touchy on the subject of Pl....   >>  
      Having never read Ayn Rand's work I was going to k....   >>  
   What is time?   Dimly remembered (from the late 80s) I think you'l....   >>  
03 Jun 2004      1 An asymmetric dimension of space-time with the a....   >>  
   Computer Crash Paral....   A quick search and from a news article 2 years ago....   >>  
   Need something cheap....   Will free of charge do? CD BurnerXP ( http:/....   >>  
02 Jun 2004   Is this even legal? ....   mmm...it depends how your local law covers the dis....   >>  
01 Jun 2004   Self Defence   I've long hair, a beard you could hide a badger in....   >>  
   Why does Windows nee....   Philo - since I indirectly started this thread per....   >>  
30 May 2004   But, but... I though....   Philo Since in truth any system can be made se....   >>  
      I'm surprised no one has mentioned where Apache go....   >>  
28 May 2004   Nomic World: By the ....   I think that the main reason that traffic to joelo....   >>  
27 May 2004   Chris Stone on Open/....   I can see the cash difference between a consultant....   >>  
      BlaZ - they got you mixed up with Oren. Blank....   >>  
25 May 2004   Screw math...   Hear, hear...bring back base 12 for currency whils....   >>  
24 May 2004   Engineering failures....   blaZit - Roman buildings used to collapse with mon....   >>  
21 May 2004   Future of desktop de....   I suspect a major part of the push away from centr....   >>  
   my gripes with Offic....   Simon - I think that's more of an expression of Mu....   >>  
   How long is too long....   Anything over 48 hours according to the European W....   >>  
20 May 2004   The Apprentice - UK   Things haven't changed a great deal -  all we....   >>  
   Why doesn't Opera ge....   The default skin for Opera 7.0 irritated the hell....   >>  
19 May 2004   Lots and lots of fre....   (1) Start your own business (2) sleep off the nig....   >>  
   The Apprentice - UK   Oh joy - we get to watch desparate money-fixated m....   >>  
18 May 2004   And so it begins   Not directly relevant I know but today we received....   >>  
   insomnia   I should imagine they kicked the little buggers ou....   >>  
      Steve Because I've got three kids and don't wan....   >>  
      The important question is: are you getting enough ....   >>  
   Tired of getting rip....   I suspect VAT is more of an excuse than a reason ....   >>  
14 May 2004   Why 30 days?   On a less flippant note - a month is just about lo....   >>  
      Blame the moon and the fact no one wanted to deal ....   >>  
   Why bonuses are NOT ....   Stephen - that's a fair summary. I hadn't sent it....   >>  
      You might find it worth looking up a guy called 'F....   >>  
   Hey, hey 16K (someth....   Everytime this comes up I promise myself I'll get ....   >>  
   Media coverage of in....   Possibly Paulo. Unfortunately I doubt you can....   >>  
      Right that's it - either I'm loony or the rest of ....   >>  
13 May 2004   Americans rejoice. I....   To illustrate Stephen's last point my surname is M....   >>  
      I think most places tend to perceive everywhere el....   >>  
11 May 2004   Witty   The IT media covered it, but the mainstream media ....   >>  
10 May 2004   Unexpected results i....   Result two was unexpected (and interesting) - but ....   >>  
   kibibytes, methodolo....   Stephen - it's a fair cop. Philo - I don't read....   >>  
      The question is Philo - do you know Old English or....   >>  
      "stella" not "Estella" - (over-enthusiastic Firefo....   >>  
      I've always maintained that where other languages ....   >>  
   M=K=Thousand   Just because the international body with the statu....   >>  
   Does commissioning a....   It is of course possible to have an unbiased study....   >>  
07 May 2004   Mono released/Used i....   Can I just check - everyone does know that any pat....   >>  
06 May 2004   Open Sourcers: What'....   I'd include Monty Python (my favourite is 'Bicycle....   >>  
      There does tend to be a certain twisted logic to F....   >>  
   Anyone use 'My Docum....   I repointed "My Documents" to my nicely organised ....   >>  
05 May 2004   Why do fax machines ....   Faxes are cheap (they start around £50) and can be....   >>  
22 Apr 2004   Diversity initiative....   Just to back up Tapiwa, I'm English but my family ....   >>  
20 Apr 2004   Auuuggghhh!  Ad....   or Spybot S&D ( http://www.safer-networking.org/ )....   >>  
   How incompetent am I....   mmm...it did get a little unpleasant back there Ph....   >>  
16 Apr 2004   Snacking on Dogfood   To be fair, you can only expect someone to use a t....   >>  
   "The Apprentice" (sp....   I don't object to the topic at all but I don't thi....   >>  
11 Apr 2004   Employees are nothin....   SME = small / medium enterprise. Back to the ma....   >>  
01 Apr 2004   Distance Learning Wh....   By the way, for anyone that doesn't know, the Open....   >>  
      I have studied with the OU (a Certificate in Busin....   >>  
   Do you think SharePo....   No.  It will grab a fair chunk of the market ....   >>  
   IT subculture the ca....   There was a book out a few years ago called 'Crash....   >>  
   Personal computer se....   I don't mind what security software they bundle - ....   >>  
   Gupta announces RAD/....   What an elegant sense of timing... Our database....   >>  
31 Mar 2004   cultural implication....   Hey, Philo - myself, my father, my grandfather and....   >>  
      I suppose someone has to ask...is anyone here call....   >>  
   So, I dropped on you....   Easy version - the Channel Islands are the last bi....   >>  
30 Mar 2004   cultural implication....   Now there's a thing - according to 'yournotme' th....   >>  
25 Mar 2004   Poll: What car do yo....   a) A knackered 10 year old Nissan micra that gets ....   >>  
   Slowest computer   We keep a P160 with Win95 around to drive a printe....   >>  
   Microsoft fined $616....   Let's see one estimate has the EU population at 37....   >>  
24 Mar 2004      naaa...you can leave the dll's there - let's face ....   >>  
      Only if said car manufacturers (1) Impose terms wh....   >>  
      In the event that they actually have to write a ch....   >>  
23 Mar 2004   Wives and Entreprene....   Funny thing is, with us, my missus is the risk tak....   >>  
   Communist Western Eu....   Stephen I know we're at risk of becoming a pantomi....   >>  
      Simon - how about these 3 from a site giving WW2 t....   >>  
      Simon - I was thinking more of the help the US gov....   >>  
      Actually there are parallels between Britains entr....   >>  
20 Mar 2004   But are you happy?   Bella - a quick trawl of the wen found this: '....   >>  
19 Mar 2004   But are you happy?   >>  
19 Mar 2004   Information Overload   I use the RSS reader extension on Firefox.  I....   >>  
      I find the level of duplication across new sources....   >>  
   But are you happy?   Some nice theories. However, you don't think ....   >>  
      It's also worth remembering that City & Guilds....   >>  
18 Mar 2004   EU "Competition" Com....   Huh? Well I could think of a number of flaws - bu....   >>  
      Huh? You do realise that you've just used almos....   >>  
      I'm no great lover of the EU but I find it a bit d....   >>  
17 Mar 2004   Lies on CVs   Lying on a CV is a sacking offence more or less ev....   >>  
   Financial transparen....   Tapiwa Having spent most of my working life in....   >>  
16 Mar 2004      If it doesn't have permanent staff the main issue ....   >>  
   Tip of The Day: Usef....   In my experience 'Real Live Users' don't use tips ....   >>  
12 Mar 2004   Feel of working at F....   Since we appear to have wandered in Arts student w....   >>  
11 Mar 2004   Currency Conversion   Try http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/m3?u .    >>  
10 Mar 2004   your sleep pattern   mmm...I'm a night person, my wife a morning person....   >>  
08 Mar 2004   Microsoft customer s....   You've had a right git of a week, haven't you? Wh....   >>  
05 Mar 2004   Software for babies   We had something similar.  A couple of years ....   >>  
02 Mar 2004   Cubes vs. Offices - ....   I think I could safely say that cubes would be mor....   >>  
01 Mar 2004   Rich Dad, Poor Dad   Funny you should mention this - I got this out of ....   >>  
29 Feb 2004   Absolute and Relativ....   From memory WordPerfect 5.1 had absolute and relat....   >>  
28 Feb 2004   Some reasons not to ....   The usual in the UK is for 25 year mortgages *but*....   >>  
27 Feb 2004   Anyone see this?   ...and back on topic - the whole prison call centr....   >>  
      Slightly off topic, that episode of Monty Python w....   >>  
   Leap Year Date Probl....   I thought the Feb 24th thing was a bit weird so I ....   >>  
   Daydreams   Daydreams yes - practical reality no. More to t....   >>  
26 Feb 2004   Hackers reverse engerneering patches...   >>  
26 Feb 2004   More on Career Paths   The impression I get is that when you ask a techni....   >>  
   Spam filtering on se....   The impression I get is that the policy tends to c....   >>  
   Best argument agains....   I think that last one (from 'X's inner voice') was....   >>  
      In the charity, non-profit & small business sector....   >>  
25 Feb 2004   How to calculate odd....   If I needed money for an operation I'm *not* going....   >>  
   Best argument agains....   correction That should read '...rewrite it mys....   >>  
      x I was referring to a very specific case. Loo....   >>  
      Since the developers currently get paid from the a....   >>  
      Agreed -  please note however OP's error.   >>  
      If memory serves, I think the 'Q' licence only let....   >>  
      mmm...I've just gone and had a look at the intervi....   >>  
      To expand slightly - we didn't take the code escro....   >>  
      Not have to pay for code escrow in the event that ....   >>  
      As I've said before, the philosophical background ....   >>  
18 Feb 2004   Office furniture   Our nearest Ikea has a bargin section where the se....   >>  
16 Feb 2004   How discouraging   Yeah alright - its (belonging to it) doesn't use a....   >>  
      I really need to finish my coffee before I post. ....   >>  
      Don't worry too much about the grumbling. You'll ....   >>  
14 Feb 2004   Sincere question abo....   Some projects are happy with forks some aren't. ....   >>  
12 Feb 2004   You and your classma....   I'm just vaguely in touch with 'em so: I'm better ....   >>  
   What's Your Greatest....   Don't they - bloodly hell!  Let me guess ....   >>  
      Personally I like Dilbert's answer in the Dilbert ....   >>  
      That's funny gwyn - when I'm interviewing I'd rath....   >>  
      BTW I'd like to say interviews are just about the ....   >>  
      I think the answer depends on context. If you....   >>  
11 Feb 2004   Democracy Revisited   You might like to look at www.advogato.org. They ....   >>  
   Oh boy. ANOTHER secu....   After what we might call an interesting day, not a....   >>  
      Elephant - speaking from complete ignorance, my un....   >>  
      Philo - in my extremely unglamorous role as sysad....   >>  
      I don't know about anyone else but I'm having trou....   >>  
   Democratic Administr....   You might also want to google for "web of trust".&....   >>  
      In general you've described a wiki. However, yo....   >>  
   Two blank spaces aft....   Shouldn't that be ¡No Way! ? (What does slightl....   >>  
      I think you're meant to be surprised by an exclaim....   >>  
10 Feb 2004   Leveraging Computer ....   Bioinformatics is the use of computers to handle b....   >>  
   SMS/Text Messaging   In Britain I think it's "officially" SMS - which a....   >>  
   Two blank spaces aft....   :- is one of those things our English teachers tol....   >>  
      No - for the vorpal bunny it's hare, hare  -u....   >>  
      # is usually called hash. A real pound sign l....   >>  
      Yes, I was taught the double space after full stop....   >>  
09 Feb 2004   Firebird 0.8 -> F....   Thanks Jan - very relieved to hear it :-) Any w....   >>  
      I've tried it and it does seem to render faster th....   >>  
   Programmers and eati....   If memory serves the usual procedure with any exer....   >>  
      "...eating Hobbit" mmm...A modest proposal to the ....   >>  
      It doesn't follow if you cook that you'll eat prop....   >>  
06 Feb 2004   and the winner of the Mike Rowe auction is...   >>  
06 Feb 2004   Embedding Flash in d....   Whilst great things might well be achieved I suspe....   >>  
05 Feb 2004   Free Software Discus....   Try the Free Software Foundation at www.gnu.org ....   >>  
   Best email/newsgroup....   David (not Davis) - sorry.  Teach me to be sm....   >>  
      Davis - If memory serves shouldn't that be 'myob'?....   >>  
   Proper typing techni....   With the exception of the right hand alt (which ov....   >>  
03 Feb 2004   DVDs and customer ab....   Rather than more people want it on DVD - I'd bet t....   >>  
      Simon Grin broadly, say 'but listen to this it'....   >>  
      Philo get your credit card out: http://www.bbc....   >>  
      I agree having to sit through adverts is a pain. ....   >>  
01 Feb 2004   Mike Rowe Soft The F....   Just as I thought this whole thing couldn't get an....   >>  
30 Jan 2004   Programs that write ....   We used PETs at school as well. At the time (~198....   >>  
29 Jan 2004   Clearing the air on ....   ...the OSS community will probably never clone Del....   >>  
   Joel - how'd you do ....   They're usually called cubicles in Britain.    >>  
   MikeRoweSoft - the e....   Bids stand at $2,025.  Like I said - bright l....   >>  
28 Jan 2004   MikeRoweSoft - the epilogue   >>  
28 Jan 2004   Need some kind of fr....   ( http://www.squirreldome.com/cyberop.htm ) Tr....   >>  
   being a good followe....   Read 'Monsterous Regiment ' - and learn how to ma....   >>  
26 Jan 2004   Is "grammer" an alte....   er...yes I spell it grammar as well. I was re....   >>  
      Yes- especially where American English differs fro....   >>  
   Sir Bill Gates   No - a few hours & some coffee later and I sti....   >>  
      How much of a discount do you think Gordon Brown w....   >>  
19 Jan 2004   Stupid Move on the P....   Everything that's been said about trademark law is....   >>  
15 Jan 2004   What's so special ab....   Having your own office means you can read this for....   >>  



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