New Blog: Code -- Sean Gilligan on Software Development

I've started a new blog about some of the software development topics I've been involved in lately. Development of iPhone applications using both the native (App Store) and webapp approaches is my current focus. I decided to call the blog code.msgilligan.com because the intended audience is my peers in the open source community and in industry. If you're interested in those topics, please give it a visit. I will continue to post here from time to time...

GMail and Google Groups not playing nicely

I've been annoyed for months that when I send email to a Google Group, I don't see my own post in the thread I receive via IMAP. I finally did some research and it seems there is nothing I can do, so long as I am using the combination of GMail and Google Groups. I found this discussion of the issue in Gmail Help Discussion and I also reported the issue to Google.

If I understand correctly, GMail filters the message because it is a duplicate of a 'Sent' message. But even with duplicate suppression the message should be still be able to be tagged or filtered and/or make it back into the IMAP inbox.

The issue does not occur with other mailing lists that I am a member of. If anyone has any answers, I'd love to hear them.

Night Owls: Now they tell me...

I've been working hard for years to move to an earlier schedule (kids have helped a lot with that) and now they say "Night Owls Stay Alert Longer Than Early Birds!"

So now, I'll switch back to a later schedule and, after 10 years, they'll publish a study that generates the headline "Night Owl Cancer Risk!"

Damn you behavioral researches, health researchers, all of you...

iPhone App Store Billion App Countdown

Apple will soon reach the milestone of 1 billion iPhone applications downloaded. Apple has a countdown page and a promotion. What I find especially amazing is the conclusion that the average user has downloaded about 30 applications! (Given that Apple has sold about 30 million iPhones and iPod touches)

I've got 91 Apps in my iTunes so I've downloaded about 3 times as many as the average user (I may have deleted a few), but I'm an iPhone developer and I download apps for competitive analysis or just to see what's going on in the market.

30 applications per user is simply amazing and bodes well for the future of Apple, their competitors, and for mobile developers.

Sabotage Cuts Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Phone and Internet

MercuryNews.com reports Sabotage suspected in widespread phone outage in Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties. I can't believe that after 9/11 we are still so vulnerable. 911 emergency service was disrupted in some cities. Greater physical security and redundancy are both needed.

I woke up this morning without DSL Internet and with neither voice or data working on my iPhone. I went to Lulu's Octagon downtown to try to get a connection and a barista out front said "Happy Stone Age Day!" and I new I was out of luck. Fortunately two friends with offices at NextSpace took in this dazed refugee and let me use their working Comcast Internet.

Amazing!

Sensibility in River City: Iowa Court Overturns Gay Marriage Ban

Today's New York Times (Iowa Court Says Gay Marriage Ban Is Unconstitutional) reports that the Iowa Supreme Court has overturned a 1998 law banning gay marriage.

“The Iowa statute limiting civil marriage to a union between a man and a woman violates the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution,” the justices said in a summary of their decision. And later in the ruling, they said: “Equal protection under the Iowa Constitution is essentially a direction that all persons similarly situated should be treated alike. Since territorial times, Iowa has given meaning to this constitutional provision, striking blows to slavery and segregation, and recognizing women’s rights. The court found the issue of same-sex marriage comes to it with the same importance as the landmark cases of the past.”

The Founding Fathers of the United States wisely preferred a constitutional republic to ("pure") democracy. The Bear Flag proclaims that California is a republic.

The California Supreme Court will soon decide whether 41% of eligible voters* can deny a minority group a fundamental right. Three cases challenging Proposition 8 were heard together on March 5th and a decision will be announced soon. The decision will likely hinge on legal technicalities like the difference between an "amendment" to the California Constitution and a "revision" or the definition of "inalienable". Whatever one's position on the issue of "gay marriage", I hope we all can agree that it is fundamentally wrong to allow less than 41% of the population to dictate which rights a minority group may have.

* Proposition 8 passed with 52% of the vote and 79% turnout.