Channel 9 - Discussions by Scott.Esbrandt

Coffeehouse - How often do you change your desktop?

Scott.Esbrandt — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 21:42:37 GMT

Since I'm completely compulsive I change it at least once a week. I spend too much time in front of a computer to keep looking at the same background.

Coffeehouse - How should Media Player be improved?

Scott.Esbrandt — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 15:23:18 GMT

I would chuck the whole UI, no one wants a big bulky media player, and keyboard controls would definitely help. Take a page from winamps book.

Coffeehouse - The Office (BBC version)

Scott.Esbrandt — Mon, 21 May 2007 14:53:57 GMT

Free love on the Free Love Freeway!

ScanIAm wrote:

Red5 wrote:
jamie wrote: Randolpho wrote: Wow. I think the NBC version of the Office is comedy gold, one of the best comedies out there. To hear folks talk, the BBC version will wash my car, too. because we all saw that first - so the new version couldnt surpass the originali love steve carell - but rickyG ..just made you feel even that much MORE uncomfortable.. especially the ephisode where he sang his old rock tunes with garethYeah, but he sounded pretty good, if that actually was him playing and singing.Gareth, grab my guitar....

See, that was exactly what made me so uncomfortable....first off, I HATE people singing at/to/near me. Second, the plot of his little ditty was vague enough that his toady mentioned that the girl was dead.I do recall laughing my (I need to watch my language) off when he responded

Coffeehouse - The Office (BBC version)

Scott.Esbrandt — Fri, 18 May 2007 15:27:23 GMT

jamie wrote:

david brent's long lost cousin?

wow. there is an uncanny similarity here. I can relate, I've been compared to Garreth Keenan many times, I dont have a picture to share though at the moment.

The BBC Office is so funny, Ricky Gervais is a genius, I dont know how he can deliver his lines with a straight face sometimes. The US Version is pretty good, but lacks the real "mockumentary" feel. The US version characters seem like actors, whereas the BBC versions characters seem like real people being filmed, which makes the absurdity of what goes on that much more entertaining.

Coffeehouse - Recommend Design Patterns books

Scott.Esbrandt — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 13:36:08 GMT

irascian wrote:

I can't lay my hands on it at the moment but there's a good Patterns book by Martin Fowler that gives the examples in Java and C#.

There also used to be some good free books from the Microsoft Patterns and Practices group. "Enterprise Solution Patterns using Microsoft.Net" is something you can download for free and print out, or if you prefer order as a book from Microsoft Press. From the same team there's also "Integration Patterns".

I have Fowler's book, "Refactoring: Improving the Design of Exisiting Code", which is a very very good read. If the patterns book is anywhere near that caliber it should be real useful.