Category: Miscellaneous

Keep calm and carry on: Taming the siren call of overwhelm and overwork


If you are constantly overwhelmed and too busy - something somewhere somehow is wrong. Read on to learn more about my journey from an overwhelmed, feisty, flustered newbie to an equanimous, calm, collected professional with arguably more impact. 

2012 in review


The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog. Here's an excerpt: 600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 12,000 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 20 years to get … Continue reading 2012 in review →

Are developers better than testers?


A lot of people view testers as second-class citizens; probably because QA guys rarely 'create' stuff like devs do (although they sometimes do original work creating test frameworks and platforms). They are more similar to editors who verify the work of authors. However, testers are just as important as developers; without QA the end product … Continue reading Are developers better than testers? →

Reflection : Arcane parts of Software Development


I first came across reflection when I needed to develop a PHP framework for my former firm. I started by reading the fuel source code (fuel is a PHP framework) and came across the reflection patterns in the boot strap. I seem to have a lot of first times with PHP. Well I have come … Continue reading Reflection : Arcane parts of Software Development →

What you should know about HTTP


Everyone seems to know that the web runs on HTTP, but what is HTTP all about? HTTP stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol; an application-layer protocol that the web runs on. Implemented as a client-server model; HTTP defines how clients should make requests to servers and how servers should respond. It is a stateless protocol because servers … Continue reading What you should know about HTTP →

Sorting Algorithms


Sorting involves ordering elements of a collection. For example, dictionaries are sorted alphabetically, numbers lists could be in increasing or decreasing order.  Sorting is important and can be applied in various context, especially those that have to do with massive data. The efficiency of a sorting algorithm is related to the number of elements it … Continue reading Sorting Algorithms →

Access a webpage inside an Android Activity


While working on an Android app, I needed to get people to sign into Facebook however I didn't want them to leave my app. The simple solution was to launch the browser through an intent; however, this was going to stop my activity which was unacceptable. I wanted a solution that enabled users to sign … Continue reading Access a webpage inside an Android Activity →

Opennigeria… the time is now!


It is comforting to know we have great software craftsmen who are passionate about what they do and are willing to make a change. The Nigerian software sector, though nascent, is slowly growing and gaining momentum. There are developer events, meetups, startups and competitions. However; despite several boot camps, developer meetups, hackathons and several cool products; there … Continue reading Opennigeria… the time is now! →

Some of my favourite web destinations


Yeah, I blog 'weekly'; Ok ok; I try to blog weekly; now that's better huh? This week, I'll be writing about the blogs I follow quite often. Yah; I follow them often to get the gist and stuff like that. They might not be to your taste but do look through first before taking a … Continue reading Some of my favourite web destinations →

My Android experience


It was in May and one of my old friends called me and after exchanging pleasantries, we somehow got talking about the Android Developer Challenge. Being typically my old lazy self, I waved it off and said I wasn't interested because I didn't KNOW how to program Android; however he persisted and got me to … Continue reading My Android experience →

learning jQuery


I stumbled upon Rebecca Murphy's jqfundamentals and found it to be a gentle introduction to jQuery. Well, I use jQuery a lot - well, let's just say I copy prefabricated solutions - so I felt it'll do no harm to learn how to write jQuery itself. So far it's been lovely, Rebecca's piece is great … Continue reading learning jQuery →

I’m beginning to hate PHP?


While working on a new web application, I felt somewhat bored because I was going through my same old cycle all over again – there was nothing challenging or exciting to me. My first thoughts was that I was getting used to PHP but deeper thoughts proved me wrong. It boiled down to two options … Continue reading I’m beginning to hate PHP? →

This Lagos life sha…


This one no be belly button again oh, na door knob! Door knob That was the funniest tweet I saw this week. I wonder what was going on the author's mind. There is no end to amazing stuff from Lagosians. Lagos is a crazy,tough albeit exciting place to live in and I'm slowly adjusting to it. … Continue reading This Lagos life sha… →

Make I confess…The dogs chased me…


It's been ages since I posted last! Thanks to a pretty tight schedule. Well, we're back and revamped. I remember a particular experience I had growing up; I'd been sent to buy something. The vendor's house was a notorious no-go area; it had three fearsome ferocious mean bad dogs. I was already pretty scared and … Continue reading Make I confess…The dogs chased me… →

And you thought you knew all programming languages…


Have you ever heard about the esoteric Programming Languages. An esoteric programming language (sometimes shortened to esolang) is a computer programming language designed either as a test of the boundaries of programming language design, to experiment with weird ideas or simply as a joke, rather than for practical reasons. There is usually no intention of … Continue reading And you thought you knew all programming languages… →

Ipad… Cool


The ipad is simply marvelous; a crisp display, fast processing speed and great battery life. But without internet access it's not all that much fun. I like its uniqueness and the way Apple has captured the market. I tried the iTunes store and found it to contain lots of innovative and wonderful apps - there … Continue reading Ipad… Cool →

Stop Piracy


One of the evils plaguing the software industry is piracy. It is not right to steal software or copyrighted work. The sad reality is that nearly everyone is involved in some form of piracy or the other. From fake unlicensed Windows Operating systems to books to software suites, people steal/crack/pirate software. One of the motivations … Continue reading Stop Piracy →

Language Rankings


There seem to be all sorts of rankings; university, SEO, hospital and all imaginable groups. I stumbled on this ranking and it caught my eye immediately. Why? It's the first time I'll be seeing such, moreover I'm a programmer and I need to stay informed about current trends in the industry to avoid losing my … Continue reading Language Rankings →

Actually, Linux might not suit your tastes…


Since this blog has been screaming Linux and all its good for days, I guess readers might have been tempted to try it out. So I decided to write about some of the challenges - yes challenges and not problems - I face using it. So why might Linux not be such a good choice? … Continue reading Actually, Linux might not suit your tastes… →

Make cheaper calls…


The cutthroat competition between the major telecommunications operators in Nigeria keeps getting  hotter. This is good news for all of us - I mean consumers. Tariffs keep falling and the steady stream of exciting new offers highlight the intense rivalry between the telecomm giants. I personally have three SIM cards already - all in a bid … Continue reading Make cheaper calls… →

Why do I prefer Linux to Windows?


I've been posting about the benefits of Linux for days on end now. I guess most people would like to know why I'm so particular about Linux. Well these are my reasons for choosing Linux over Windows: Its Free Yeah, free as in 'awuf'. Although some distros are not totally free, some are. This gives me … Continue reading Why do I prefer Linux to Windows? →

My favourite web destinations


Most of us surf the internet and have websites that we frequent. Today I'll share my favourite websites with you. FacebookFacebook is probably the most addictive website I know, it has this uncanny ability of holding my attention and calling me back - I heard Mark Zuckerbarg said something along this line too. I bet … Continue reading My favourite web destinations →

Increase your Productivity


Here are some reasons for low productivity and some tips for getting more done in lesser time. Doing too many things simultaneously Some people claim to be be masters of multi-tasking and seem to be able to do too many things at once. Truth is, they end up compromising their own productivity. Humans have only … Continue reading Increase your Productivity →