The Tube - where everything is clean

#10 School assignment : My way through computers - Piece of life

, Saturday, December 12th 2009 @ 5:03:35pm

Here is my assignment due December, 14th. It gives me a reason for updating this blog. =)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My way through computers

As far as I remember, I likely was 11 years old or so when my father came home with this strange and interesting “box”. Not that I didn’t know what a computer was, as a matter of fact, my best friend had one and I can’t count how many times I went to his home to see what it could do. That being said, when my father brought one into my house, I clearly was thrilled.

“Our” family computer (and I insist on the “Our”) arrived and I knew it was a big step into my actual life. My father used it to improve some photos he took (he’s always been passionate about cameras and he’s a really good photographer), my mother used it to type down some of their reports, and my brother, my sister and me mainly used it for school assignments.

You have to remember, back then, there wasn’t any internet and everything was local and stayed that way. Then came, my older friends (particularly Axel – aka Nkeeza aka Nkz -) who taught me the joy of “trying to master” his computer. I do say “trying to” because at the first attempt, I installed a new anti-virus software without even bothering what the old anti-virus still present would say: it didn’t like its new companion and blocked the entire computer, forcing us to give it to a son’s friend of a friend of my parents who knew his way with computer.

My parents weren’t so pleased with me installing new software programs after that incident. That’s why I found a way to format the hard-drive disk in case this type-of problem would happen again.
My friend told me, you just have to be in DOS Mode and type “format c:”, then confirm and no more data remaining.
That’s what I did, deleting with that the folders of my brother. I wasn’t stupid I knew that right after formatting I would have to reinstall a new OS, and my friend nicely lent me his CD of windows (it was Windows 98 I reckon). This could have had a happy ending whether my friend told me I would need the drivers for the multiple cards (sound, graphic)… He didn’t and this new freshly installed computer was unusable, the graphic were in 6bits of color, there was no sound and I just had realized what mistake I made.

Once again, my parents sent it to the son’s friend and I started to realize that everything you do has consequences, even to a computer. I calmed down and started to discover video games on computer and I remember that was amazingly attracting (as much as time-consuming, my grades from this time could tell you about that).

Then Internet came by the big door, bringing with it a 56k modem and an –extraordinary- expensive subscription. Contrary to my brother who went online to be entertained, I thought I could do much better with this support.

My friend (him again) told me about programming languages and that I should try it. I started with Visual Basic, I didn’t understand what I was doing but the simple fact to teach a computer to do things you want just amazed me.

The rest is just succession of random events that occurred in my life. I brought a computer on my 13, put it in my bedroom and never messed with the “family” computer ever again. I also bought computer magazines to see what this new unfamiliar universe was made of. I really liked this “machine” and everything hidden inside it.

I was 15 (give or take) when, in the beginning of July, Internet went off for several days. I was in a hurry to write my thoughts on something, not a physical diary, not a “sky-blog” (It’s a popular blogging platform related to a French radio Skyrock) because I didn’t want anything so personal being shared with everybody and most of all, I always hated that radio and the kind of people affiliated with it. In French, childish teenagers are called “des kikoo-lol” or “des kevins” and skyblog is their internet’s lair. So I decided to make my own blogging system, something that would be the way I want it to be. I coded my project in php and luckily for me, I’m what people would call a self-made man.

My project is now 5 years old and is called “We.Blog System” (www.weblog-system.org is rented under my name), I have my own French blog (blog.dotbosam.info) and an English version as well (thetube.dotbosam.info). My system is used by a couple of friends of mine and is soon to be released for the public. Without a project like that, I wouldn’t have uncovered things that are needed for what I want to become in the future: an entrepreneur. My project is almost complete and another one is on track, although this one is secret and the foundation of my future “company”, I know I couldn’t have become myself if it wasn’t for that computer 10 years ago.

0 Commentary

#9 Just a few - Dictionary

, Saturday, June 6th 2009 @ 12:06:54am

Sometimes when I'd feel like it, I'm going to write words that are unusual or uncommon, or that i always keep forgetting.

Don't mind me

whirlwind = un tourbillon
a breeder = un éleveur
to kowtow to = à se plier à (dans le sens être obligé)

endeavor = tentative, effort
antsy = nervous, impatient
drive = nom : 1. entrain 2. pulsion 3. promenade 4. marche 5. allée 6. avenue 7. conduite 8. attaque 9. impulsion 0. drive 11. coup droit 12. dynamisme 13. énergie

haywire = détraqué

0 Commentary

#8 Keep up the good work ! - Piece of life

, Friday, January 16th 2009 @ 10:44:47am

Long time no see, and it only takes a in class session to get back at writing.

First off, happy new year 2k9!

... this isn't the end

0 Commentary

#7 Helen - Piece of life

, Wednesday, July 16th 2008 @ 11:42:44pm

Okay, this ticket isn't really going to be a "normal" one (who is able to determine normality nowadays anyway?) because it's going to be about a girl.

Helen is one of the first English girls I met at Alex's house (Alex being a host family for foreign students or simply tourists). Why am I writing about her? It's simple: i miss her.

First off, we always got along well and this, as soon as i engaged in conversation with her (and Steph). I've known her for 2 years (yeah that's about it) and lately, we - sort of - got closer... I never had imagined how nice it felt to actually uncover this mystery veil that prevented us from expressing our feelings because to tell you the truth: i never pictured her as my "potential" girlfriend. This being perhaps because of the bloody long distance separating us or the fact that long distance relationships can be harmful/sad and bring a lot of jealousy in between .

So now, why am i writing about her and not the other girlfriends i had before? hum... she is English of course! :lol:
I'm kidding, she's different from the other ones and "we" having started "this" by being friend first has played a valuable role. It's not like i didn't know her and i played everything with a large amount of luck with me; i know her (not fully i admit but i "know" her as in "her", her habits, her hobbies) and I think i like every sides of her as a friend and obviously as a boyfriend.

I need to write about her because i tend to like her a little more day after day and I know it's not going to make September come quickly while I'm writing but it releases some pressure and i can observe myself with an outsider point of view.

I still have a few questions about how things will remain in our relationship. Sincerely I think i could wait for her as long as we have stated our relationship as "a love relationship" first (or an ongoing one for all i know ^^). I don't want to be pushy or to give my opinion in order to make her want what I'd like to have. That is not my goal but i need to write what I wanna fight for because it's my blog, isn't it?

I'm not a psychic and i can't predict the future so i don't know how communication will evolve between us, sometimes we don't understand each other (it's rare i confess but that exists). I definitively think there's gonna have a to be a time to adjust even if we are able to speak both English and French.

Helen, I miss you and now that I have seen you as my future girlfriend and I can't stop thinking about as my babe it feels great and It feels great to know you feel the same way and we could be great together.

Luv ya babe!

Tu me manques.

0 Commentary

#6 Main differences: English VS American Pt.1 - Main

, Friday, March 14th 2008 @ 11:06:23pm

I noticed when watching UK series (I usually am fond of US series btw) a few differences, slightly differences but still.

Skins (not to tell which one) lovely UK series VERSUS American ones (pick yourself up which one too).

In the UK dialogs you find a really big deal with the common sentence "I like someone" being replaced with "I fancy someone".

fancy is the spotted word! UK people say that word a lot, it is almost lovable and yet strange when you're not used to.

To fancy, that's one, the big difference also is when you say "a lot of things", we normally learn "a lot ..." or "lots of ..."; well, wrong choice UK people say "load of", not a major difference you'd forgive me but still!

Why don't we learn that at school? Why don't they both use a different word for the same meaning? Helen told me that was about an old form, something UK hasn't forgot. That's weird!

Same thing with "lade" (or lad, how do i write it down ) meaning "boy". That's almost as UK has stayed an old country with an old package of old words. If i could compare it with anything, i'd say Québec and France (Québec is still using old medieval words or phrases that we lost a long time ago - we evolved they didn't - ). I don't say that in a bad way, it also has his purks.

I think that you have to have a constantly evolving language otherwise you'd become as dead as latin. UK to me aren't upgrading their language and maybe (what am i saying i sure ain't !) I'm wrong but that's the way i see it. My point of view is harsh i know, please throw me rubbishes in the commentaries ^^

I have noticed a few more but i can't develop there. That'd be Part2's topic.

>> What else have you noticed in US series that aren't in UK series?

(Helen, you can help but don't say the whole thing, you'd be cheating and that's not fair lol!

)

0 Commentary