Geek is Chic

dustyprogrammer:

YA DIGG?

If you want to get your own follow these instructions!

1. Log into Facebook

2. Enable developer mode, if you haven’t already. To do this, type “developer” into the Facebook search box, click the first result (it should be an app made by Facebook with a few hundred thousand users), and add the app.

3. Jump into the developer app (if Facebook doesn’t put you there automatically, it should be in your left-hand tool bar)

4. Create a new app (don’t worry — you wont actually be submitting this for anyone else to see/use). Give your shiny new app any display name and namespace you see fit. Read through and agree to the Platform Privacy agreement. This is the step you need to be verified for.

5. Ensure you’re in your new app’s main settings screen. You should see your app’s name near the top of the page

6. Look for the “Open Graph” header, and click the “Get Started using open graph” link.

Create a test action for your app, like “read” a “book”, or “eat” a “sandwich”

7. This should drop you into an action type configuration page. Change a few of the default settings (I changed the past tense of “read” to “redd” — again, only you can see this unless you try and submit your application to the public directory), and click through all three pages of settings

8. Wait 2-3 minutes

9. Go back to your Facebook homescreen. An invite to try Timeline should be waiting at the top of the page

And you’re done! We’ve seen this work quite a few times now, so it should work without a hitch for just about anyone.

Thanks to TC for the tip! 

zmotula:

A few things you can try when you are stuck in code design:

Break it down. Tearing code into a separate library will force you to make the interface nice and clean. The “congitional load” will also go down: you will have smaller amount of code to consider when thinking about the application design. Which brings us to a related point:

Abstract. A library is a black box. Black boxes are good. You don’t have to trouble yourself over their inner workings, all you have to deal with is the outer interface. Abstraction is one of the key tools for dealing with the computer, because if you were to deal with memory bits or circuit signals instead of higher abstractions, you would drop with a foam in your mouth in about two seconds. So make your life easier and abstract aggressively – for example, don’t hesitate to separate code into standalone classes or functions.

Backtrack. During design you must commit to some choices that will shape the following work. If you find yourself in a dead-end, don’t forget that you can backtrack and reconsider some of the previous choices. Making big changes is more work and more risk, but the potential advantage is huge.

Compromise. Sometimes you bang your head into a wall just because the immediate requirements are too strict. What if you could compromise on X? Would that make a difference? You might be able to fulfill the original requirements later, building upon the simpler design that was made possible by the compromise.

Keep it simple. Don’t write heroic code. When design is too complex, it’s usually going to hurt. When it hurts, undo. This is basically the main commandment of design that all of the others stem from.

Finish it anyway. Best design comes from iteration. Most of the time you can’t make the design perfect at the first attempt. In fact, most of the time you won’t get it right at the second attempt either. If you’re stuck for a long time and no matter what you try you can’t get further, simply get it working somehow. You might find a good solution later.

Don’t despair. Design is hard and always will be. There are too many choices and no silver bullets.