Memorable October for open source
In case you haven’t noticed, October has been a really phenomenal month for open source software. My favorite database management system, MySQL, has released version 5.0. A great alternative to Micro$oft Office, OpenOffice.org, has finally set version 2.0 of its office suite loose. And everybody’s favorite new Linux distro, Ubuntu, just released version 5.10 (code name Breezy Badger).
And November promises to be a great month also as the Mozilla team is set to release version 1.5 of both Firefox and Thunderbird within a few weeks.
Lots of free software that’s better than the stuff you pay all that money for? It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…
Sphere: Related ContentWatch out for flying raccoons
In phonetics class this week, we’ve been studying vowel production. As it turns out, there are a LOT of vowels that humans can articulate. Somehow the topic of conversation drifted to chicken alarm calls (don’t ask me how) and Dr. Beckman told us about a research project from a few years ago. Apparently bioacousticians (how’s that for a job title?) in Australia studied the specific conditions under which chickens produce their various alarm calls. Read more
Sphere: Related ContentFirefox is coming (again)
Yeah, I know. Firefox is already here and the savvy ones among you have been using version 1.0 for nearly a year. Well, in case you haven’t heard, the new and improved Firefox 1.5 will be available in just a few weeks! Believe me when I say that it’s a significant improvement over 1.0. How do I know this? I’ve been using the nightly test builds for a few months now. It is faster, more stable, more secure, and has a great new update system. No more 6MB downloads just to get a minor security update. The new system just downloads the changes in a nice little package (probably around 300-500 kB).
And major websites out there that don’t work properly in Firefox are becoming an endangered species thanks to a volunteer army of “tech evangelists”. I’m talking webmail, banking, photo sharing, news sites, and more. Even CNN Video works with Firefox again! So if you’re not using it already, why not?
Sphere: Related ContentTools of the trade
Something I’ve noticed during my first month of grad school is that linguists use a lot of tools. What I mean is that it’s not enough to become grounded in the theory of the various sub-fields within linguistics. One has to get proficient with the tools in order to do much of anything. So far I’ve started using Praat for phonetics, R for statistical analysis, LaTeX for scientific typesetting, and Python for programming. And I’ve just begun to scratch the surface of what each one is capable of doing. (As an aside, all four are completely free and open source!)
My professors tell us routinely about the “dark days” before these tools were available (not that long ago actually). I’m reminded that recent advances in technology – hardware as well as software – have played a major role in pushing comp ling from the fringes into the mainstream. It really is a great time to be in this field. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the next five years.
Sphere: Related ContentWe’re number one on Google!
Now that I have your attention, I’ll point out just how meaningless this actually is. Having worked in the web development field for a few years, I know a thing or two about search engine optimization. For instance, being #1 for a phrase in an African language that nobody is going to search for probably won’t help me very much. Now if my site was #1 for something like computational linguistics, then I’d be celebrating.
Between you and me, I’d settle for being the top result for my own name. Given how common it is, that would be a good challenge. I’ll keep you posted on my progress.
Sphere: Related ContentBack in the saddle again
For the benefit of anyone who doesn’t know, I just started a five-year Ph.D. program in linguistics at Ohio State University. Packing up the family and moving all the way from Phoenix to Columbus was not a decision that Karin and I took lightly. Admittedly we had become quite comfortable with our house, our jobs, and our new role as parents. At the same time, though, we knew there was something else out there that we needed to pursue. The whole transition process has been arduous and frustrating at times, but things have worked out remarkably well. Read more
Sphere: Related ContentThe meaning of Alimadzi
I’m sure you’re curious, so I guess I can let you in on the secret of what Alimadzi means. OK, it’s not actually a secret. I just haven’t taken the time to explain it to very many people.
Alimadzi is a phrase in Chichewa, the national language of Malawi. In case you’re not aware, I lived in Malawi from 1997 to 1999 while working as a Peace Corps Volunteer teacher. Anyway, it’s actually two words so it’s usually written “ali madzi“. The literal translation is “he is in water“. Most of the time it’s yelled from the sidelines of a football (soccer) match after one player is so outmaneuvered by another that he literally appears to be playing underwater. Seeing as how barefoot six-year-old kids played football much better than I did and would blow by me like I was standing still, I heard this A LOT.
I thought it was pretty funny and liked the sound of the words so much that I decided to adopt it as my standard username. I registered this domain about two years ago to use for e-mail and now (finally) I’m starting the website. I guess the name really fits, doesn’t it?
Sphere: Related ContentYoung grasshopper
I’m realizing that I have quite a lot to learn about WordPress and how to mold this site into what I have in mind. Fortunately there is no lack of documentation available. Writing a post is fairly straightforward and I was able to add another page without too much fuss. These pedestrian tasks, however, are just the tip of the iceberg as far as what WordPress can do.
I guess after creating websites from scratch for a few years, I’m very particular about how I want a site to look and function. I chose WordPress in the first place because I knew I wouldn’t have the time to create and manage something “home-grown”. WordPress is open source, actively developed, very solid, and extremely customizable. What more could I want?
So don’t be alarmed if the site undergoes a lot of changes in the near future. I’m just playing with my new toy.
Sphere: Related ContentHello world
Although I’ve read a lot of blogs during the past few years, it has taken me until now to actually start my own. Better late than never, I suppose. And out of all the blogs I’ve ever read, I never went back to look at anybody’s very first post. How do you start one of these things anyway? Is a simple “hello” sufficient or am i supposed to lay out some grand manifesto of what I hope to accomplish through blogging? Read more
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