This page is an archive, possibly an out-of-date one. You’ll find newer weblog postings at So… and more about norm on his homepage.

The short-form week of 9–15 Nov 2009

16 Nov 2009; last modified 13 Mar 2011

The week in review, 140 characters at a time. This week, 65 messages in 69 conversations. (With 3 favorites.)

This document was created automatically from my archive of my Twitter stream. Due to limitations in the Twitter API and occasional glitches in my archiving system, it may not be 100% complete.

Monday at 09:27am

Evernote's use of a flat folder structure and nested tag structure seems a little odd.—@ndw

In a conversation that started on Monday at 09:30am

Opera has full-screen mode, nice for presentations, but interprets CSS differently from Firefox. Oh, joy.—@ndw
@ndw That's the Joy of CSS! Can you post some examples? Might be able to ask some people.—@abcoates
@abcoates Turns out it was some default margin-top or padding-top on H1. Set explicitly, I get similar results in both. Similar enough.—@ndw
@ndw OK. I've seen that people distribute "null CSS" (name?) stylesheets to fix all defaults to the same known values, may be worth finding.—@abcoates
@abcoates @ndw they are normally called "resets". Googling "css resets" will find a bunch.—@jtauber
@jtauber @ndw Thanks for answering that implied question for me!—@abcoates
@abcoates you had a question mark after "name" so I took it as an explicit question :-)—@jtauber
@jtauber True, I was trying to be explicitly implicit.—@abcoates

Monday at 09:46am

RT @ndw: #Opera has full-screen mode, nice for presentations, but interprets CSS differently from Firefox. Oh, joy. http://bit.ly/t8tzu—@abcoates

In a conversation that started on Monday at 12:26pm

Attention Rupert Murdoch: People are watching your TV news channel for free! Stealing! Quick, pull it off the air so you're not exploited!—@anildash
@anildash But that's not true, is it? The advertisers are ostensibly paying on the (foolish) assumption that I pay any attention to them.—@ndw

Monday at 12:52pm

Wondering if there's any way to get CSS list-style-images to be bottom aligned with the text instead of top aligned.—@ndw

In a conversation that started on Monday at 03:51pm

Generally, working on my own is great. But sometimes, like today, you get a big order and you want to go out with the team to celebrate.—@michaelhkay
@michaelhkay tweetup for Mr.Kay!—@grechaw
@michaelhkay Raising a virtual pint!—@fiberartisan
@michaelhkay deputize a few folks from your local for the evening ... congrats—@cutlass
@michaelhkay Well, congratulations at least!—@ndw

Monday at 05:17pm

I'm happy to be flexible and help my coworkers when I can, but my time is no less valuable than yours just because I don't have kids.—@CcSteff

Monday at 10:14pm

Beware: just received DM phishing attempt from what I'm assuming is the hacked account if someone I follow.—@ndw

In a conversation that started on Tuesday at 05:00am

At @johnlsheridan's desk. There is fudge. I will not eat it.—@JeniT
@JeniT you would have been very welcome to the fudge btw—@johnlsheridan
@johnlsheridan It's good for me to exercise willpower every now and then :)—@JeniT
@JeniT I can resist anything, except temptation.—@ndw

Tuesday at 12:21pm

♺@dorzey 10 Geeky Laws That Should Exist, But Don't - http://shar.es/akIBO—@ndw

Tuesday at 03:04pm

If you need to ask whether we need a meeting or not, then we don't need a meeting.—@robc2

Tuesday at 04:06pm

Finished my slides for the inaugural New York Mark Logic Users Group meeting! Come see! (Tomorrow evening.) http://dev.marklogic.com/—@ndw

In a conversation that started on Tuesday at 04:38pm

♺@docbook I turned 17 today.—@ndw
♺ @ndw: ♺@docbook I turned 17 today.—@david_megginson

In a conversation that started on Tuesday at 05:01pm

Change Proposal for HTML5 dt/dd http://burningbird.net/node/82—@shelleypowers
@shelleypowers "The HTML5 spec...redef...dt/dd...dt [is now] a figure caption when used in a figure element." Cue sound of brain exploding.—@ndw

Tuesday at 05:22pm

♺@docbook I turned 17 today. (via @ndw) // DocBook: you were only 10 when we wrote a book together, now you're driving and staying out late.—@ronhitchens

In a conversation that started on Tuesday at 05:34pm

fixed link: RT @ndw Finished my slides for the inaugural New York Mark Logic Users Group meeting! Come see! http://developer.marklogic.com/—@peteaven
@peteaven dev.marklogic.com doesn't work for you? It works for me!—@ndw
@ndw That's not working for me. Thought maybe I whacked the url on cut-paste for the RT.—@peteaven
@ndw crazy, came home and tried it, now it works. must be something about the network at the office.—@peteaven

In a conversation that started on Tuesday at 07:03pm

I copied a VMWare Fusion VM and it assigned the same mac addr to both. KB not helping. How to get VMWare to reassign the address?—@ndw
@ndw Edit the .vmx file is easiest.—@ceri
@ceri Thx. Didn't really want to manage them myself. Restarting @vmwarefusion twice(!) seems to have fixed it.—@ndw
@ndw when you first start the VM after you copy it choose "I copied it" and you will get a new mac addy and uuid.—@Kevkill
@Kevkill that's the theory. I swear I got collisions the first few times I started them, but the problem did fix itself eventually.—@ndw

Tuesday at 07:54pm

RT @ndw: I copied a @vmwarefusionFusion VM and it assigned the same mac addr to both. How to get VMWare to reassign the address?—@fiberartisan

In a conversation that started on Tuesday at 08:33pm

whoa. I'm reading my own documentation to figure out what the hell I was thinking when I wrote this.—@peteaven
@peteaven been there, done that. Next: reading the source because you don't believe your own docs. Been there, too!—@ndw

In a conversation that started on Tuesday at 09:43pm

Employer forced McAfee security install. Install reached midpoint, instantly lost network! 6 hrs later, learned it's a "known issue"! ARGH!—@SheltieJim
@SheltieJim Time to consider running Linux on your work computers? :-)—@jpcs
@jpcs suggests Linux as cure for IT dept incompetence, unlikely to work. Cure for Windows, sure... Will he help me install/configure?—@SheltieJim
@SheltieJim Pop in the CD/DVD and follow the instructions. It's pretty much the same as any other OS these days.—@ndw

Tuesday at 11:05pm

RT @ndw ♺@dorzey 10 Geeky Laws That Should Exist, But Don't - http://shar.es/akIBO <love Peet's law>—@sheilaloring

Wednesday at 07:55am

Go uses the C '*' and '&' business for pointers to things. I wonder why. I certainly haven't missed them since I stopped programming in C.—@ndw

In a conversation that started on Wednesday at 10:12am

Two live events back to back this evening. One for IAB at the Mermaid Theatre about online things then one on History at RIBA.—@stephenfry
@stephenfry Finally saw the I2 debate on youtube. Bravo, sir! (Like you need affirmation from me. Heh.)—@ndw

In a conversation that started on Wednesday at 11:00am

XQilla was previously called Pathan (before it could do #xquery) http://bit.ly/mFNMf @kingargyle @michaelhkay—@jpcs
@jpcs @ndw, it's not really an option; too many required tools run only on Windows. I'm slightly trapped. My own fault, of course...—@SheltieJim
@SheltieJim I know the feeling. I'm trapped on OSX by Photoshop and Lightroom. Well, technically I suppose I could...no, really, I couldn't.—@ndw

Wednesday at 11:08am

Rolling towards NYP via NHV #amtrak493 #amtrak93—@ndw

In a conversation that started on Wednesday at 11:32am

I *hate* it when I push "Home" instead of the shutter when I'm trying to take an iPhone photo. Usually happens when I'm in a hurry, natch.—@ndw
@ndw, flight? Flight?! I need diff docs! Sorry you lost your connectivity...inconvenient timing (always, eh?)—@SheltieJim
@SheltieJim Tomorrow. You have my word.—@ndw
@ndw Not to worry...Jonathan figured out (with Carine's help) how to produce them today. Hope all is well w/you!—@SheltieJim

Wednesday at 12:25pm

♺@peteaven 2 grammar girls rap about wack youtube comments http://bit.ly/2omMgZ #awesome—@ndw

Wednesday at 12:31pm

♺@peteaven 2 grammar girls rap about wack youtube comments http://bit.ly/2omMgZ #awesome (via @ndw)—@duck1123

In a conversation that started on Wednesday at 05:09pm

Arrived 1230 Ave of Americas. If you're coming to NYMUG tonight, see you soon!—@ndw
@ndw "Avenue of the Americas" or 6th Ave? :) http://bit.ly/9mg9Y—@david_megginson

Wednesday at 05:11pm

If you're coming to NYMUG late, come to the 49th street entrance as, apparently, that's the only one open after 7p.—@ndw

Wednesday at 05:13pm

Not that I expect any of my peeps to dis me by coming late, of course. Heh.—@ndw

Thursday at 03:33am

The sanitation dept collects garabage in the garment district at about 3:30a on Wednesday mornings. Guess how I know this.—@ndw

Thursday at 03:39am

Okay. So it's Thusday morning. I should still be asleep.—@ndw

In a conversation that started on Thursday at 05:22am

eXist 1.4 is released :-) A HUGE update - XProc, XForms, XQuery Debugging support, performance increases, and of course bugfixes #existdb—@adamretter
@adamretter Congrats!—@ndw

Thursday at 09:13am

♺@itoddhttp://tod.nu/closure | I don't know what's more scary: errs in the lib, or how you have to code to get efficient JS.—@ndw

In a conversation that started on Thursday at 09:55am

NYMUG went well. Traveling home. If you weren't there, you missed the big surprise and now you have to wait for me to blog it.—@ndw
@ndw how very cruel of you :))—@livetechdocs

In a conversation that started on Thursday at 11:25am

In Starbucks apparently my name is Greg or George or (unreadable scribble)—@dajobe
@dajobe That's your name everywhere, we just call you Dave to confuse you.—@ndw

Thursday at 01:10pm

New HTML5 Barbie: "Namespaces are hard!"—@shelleypowers

Thursday at 03:18pm

♺@xmlgrrl Jason (@textfiles) is thisclose to reaching his goal. Help him out - and make digital-history history! http://is.gd/4TxJZ—@ndw

In a conversation that started on Thursday at 03:20pm

A documentary about text adventures. Wonderful, happy memories!—@ndw
@ndw name? link?—@jtauber
@jtauber It was in the preceding tweet. Send this man money! http://is.gd/4TxJZ—@ndw
@ndw somehow missed it — thanks!—@jtauber

In a conversation that started on Thursday at 04:21pm

Verizon should offer iPhone users a "test drive a Droid for 90 days" plan without fancy fees, restocking charges or a 2-year commitment.—@robc2
@robc2 Yes, they should.—@ndw

In a conversation that started on Thursday at 04:27pm

when @ndw commands, I obey. $50 to a good cause. http://is.gd/4TxJZ—@distobj
@distobj I didn't know I had such power. I'll have to think carefully before my next command. :-)—@ndw

In a conversation that started on Thursday at 06:55pm

****! Tidy doesn't do XML Catalogs; w3.org is giving me 503's for the HTML DTD; and the build for norman.walsh.name uses tidy. F*** me!—@ndw
@ndw use a proxy?—@nicferrier
@nicferrier Yes, some sort of system proxy I guess. PITFA.—@ndw
@ndw Try John Cowan's tagsoup, which is much less judgmental than Tidy http://bit.ly/1ABDPJ—@bobdc

Thursday at 07:11pm

@ndw holy cow norm, just 15 minutes ago I had the same problem with tidy and the XHTML DTD not being resolved !!!—@DALDEI

Thursday at 07:12pm

@ndw I had to revert to removing the doctype, but then &nbsp; was an error !—@DALDEI

Thursday at 07:20pm

Dang it! It isn't even tidy, it's Saxon trying to read an XHTML file.—@ndw

In a conversation that started on Friday at 07:44am

"Oracle rejected the claim that MySQL competes with its core database software" - who are they kidding?—@michaelhkay
@michaelhkay @ndw It's all kabuki, ya know!—@SheltieJim

Friday at 08:22am

No furnace=no hot water=I'm working in my PJs until the heating company fixes our furnace.—@ndw

In a conversation that started on Friday at 09:06am

@ndw Cool. For XSLT 2.0 in ML, do you have a native implementation, or do you use a 3rd party tool?—@vojtechtoman
@vojtechtoman It's a fully native implementation.—@ndw
@ndw Impressive.—@vojtechtoman
@ndw Oh thank god. ... just in time for us to have started rewriting everything for eXist too ;)—@gcarothers

In a conversation that started on Friday at 09:30am

[via @ndw] On Mark Logic and XSLT 2.0. Interesting how XQuery vendors are getting into XSLT. http://norman.walsh.name/2009/11/12/nymugg.—@michaelhkay
@michaelhkay Also, according to this discussion (http://bit.ly/3ytI8W)), XSLT users are getting into XQuery. A very powerful combination.—@StephenBuxton
@michaelhkay eXist currently embeds Saxon for XSLT 2.0 which is great, but we are working on a Native implementation for db performance...—@adamretter
@adamretter [a Native XSLT implementation for db performance] But don't forget that CPU cycles off the db server are often more plentiful.—@michaelhkay

In a conversation that started on Friday at 09:34am

@ndw XSLT 2.0 in the #xml database is a great idea I've been hoping to do for a long time. You beat me to it :-)—@jpcs
@jpcs Reminds me that when the XQuery 1.0 requirements were published, Evan Lenz showed that XSLT 1.0 met them all.—@michaelhkay

Friday at 10:04am

Friday at 11:10am

Friday at 11:15am

@ndw happy to hear it went so well. + the post was great. really built to the BIG reveal. nicely done! & thanks for the shout out.—@peteaven

Friday at 12:09pm

RT @michaelhkay: [via @ndw] On Mark Logic and XSLT 2.0. Interesting how XQuery vendors are getting into XSLT. http://bit.ly/4DTlu11.—@StephenBuxton

In a conversation that started on Friday at 12:13pm

@ndw: Is it correct to say: ``the test-suite specified by the working group'' in the context of XProc?—@sindoc
@sindoc That sounds OK to me, it's definitely a product of the WG.—@ndw
@ndw Thanks I was simply wondering whether the suite was formally approved—@sindoc
@sindoc Uhm. It's not formally finished, so I'm not sure what state of approval you mean, but it's what the WG is officially using.—@ndw

In a conversation that started on Friday at 04:28pm

Looking forward to the weekend! Cookie Saturday! Hoping The Prisoner remake on AMC doesn't suck. Not optimistic.—@ndw
@ndw I'm looking forward to it with trepidation myself. We'll see.—@bsletten

Friday at 05:10pm

@ndw thanks ! forgot to set Tivo for The Prisoner ! The preview was sorta weird,—@DALDEI

Friday at 06:04pm

Native #XSLT2 implementation in #MarkLogic ! What a program !! RT @ndw: The NYMUG punchline: http://norman.walsh.name/2009/11/12/nymug #xml—@innovimax

In a conversation that started on Friday at 07:25pm

Found a little water on the moon, and all of a sudden, we're going to colonize it. Dumb as bricks.—@shelleypowers
@shelleypowers Not dumb! We should have been colonizing it BEFORE we found water. Not saying it would be easy, but come on, THE MOON!—@gcarothers
@gcarothers Presence of water doesn't change low gravity. I'm not sure humanity is ready to become boneless, palid, puffy blobs yet—@shelleypowers
@shelleypowers "become boneless, palid, puffy blobs yet" ... Looked around recently? See WALL•E, who cares, THE MOON!! Maybe just a hotel?—@gcarothers
@gcarothers I think of all the places on earth I want to visit someday, and the moon just doesn't have the appeal.—@shelleypowers
@shelleypowers The intellectual appeal of the moon: we need to be somewhere else in 4b years. That's one small step.—@ndw
@ndw The intellectual appeal of the moon ? What does it mean ? Please ! It is poetic imaging or else ?!—@MafiaDeadMan
@MafiaDeadMan We need to be somewhere else in 4b years. Maybe we can, maybe we can't. We ought to start now. The moon's a start.—@ndw
@ndw I can understand the romance. I grew up convinced we'd be living in space in my lifetime.—@shelleypowers
@shelleypowers It's romantic, sure, but also practical. In 4 billion years, give or take, we have to be somewhere else.—@ndw
@ndw I sound like a curmudgeon, but when people think we have an out, that science will take care of things, they don't make good decisions—@shelleypowers
@ndw In 100 years, give or take, if we don't focus our attn on fixing this world's problems, what happens in 4 billion years won't matter—@shelleypowers
@ndw Since 1950s, we don't need to deal with problems on the earth, because tech will take care of it. Same tech will take us to moon.—@shelleypowers
@gcarothers OK, a hotel works.—@shelleypowers

In a conversation that started on Saturday at 04:38am

“Si vis pacem, para bellum” == “If you want peace prepare for war".—@mdavid
@mdavid But also remember, "you cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war."—@ndw
@ndw I disagree. Preparing for war doesn't mean going to war. It simply means being ready and able to fight, if necessary, for your beliefs.—@mdavid

Saturday at 03:06pm

RT @innovimax: Native #XSLT2 implementation in #MarkLogic ! What a program !! RT @ndw: The NYMUG punchline: http://bit.ly/1yOXMa #xml—@fgeorges

Saturday at 03:14pm

Watching "Failed XML Standards" go by on #xml-dev. Electing to stay out of the fray.—@ndw

In a conversation that started on Saturday at 04:31pm

Are there any frameworks for iPhone happy web sites besides "iui"?—@ndw
@ndw jqtouch is a good (ui) framework, despite the incomplete/misguiding docs.—@ruidlopes
@ndw Did you look at iWebKit? Both look good but I went went with iWebKit instead of iUI because it supports textareas. http://iwebkit.net/—@avernet
@avernet Thanks. I'll look at iWebKit.—@ndw
@ndw there is iWebKit at http://iwebkit.net/ although I haven't tried it.—@dajobe

Saturday at 04:32pm

In other news, "Plymouth" gin makes a quite fine martini. #buzzed—@ndw

Sunday at 09:38am

"reglide" - to glide again. #sevenletterscrabblewords—@ndw

Sunday at 09:51am

In a conversation that started on Sunday at 01:44pm

Found May/Jun '92 Shareware Magazine in a box in the basement with a review (ad?) for my then-product "Sfware". #nostalgia—@ndw
@ndw Almost 20 years, waw! :-) Still on CTAN, if that's the same one... (mmh, working on CXAN right now, is this a sign? :-p)—@fgeorges
@fgeorges No Sfware was for hacking HP bitmapped softfonts. Turbo Pascal on an IBM XT, as I recall. Way before my introduction to CPAN—@ndw
@ndw Are you really sure: http://bit.ly/2fRkQx ;-)—@fgeorges
@fgeorges Gosh, I missread CTAN as CPAN. I had no recollection that I submitted those to CTAN. Wow!—@ndw
@ndw Speaking of C*AN, I gonna announce the #expath Packaging support for Calabash, based on the current SVN, in case you wanna have a look—@fgeorges
@innovimax Yeah, that's the one. I had *no* idea it was still online anywhere. I can't build it because I've lost the sources for a lib.—@ndw

In a conversation that started on Sunday at 05:40pm

There is no sound on this earth that promises pleasure so thrillingly as the Dr Who theme tune *tingle*—@stephenfry
@stephenfry ain't that the truth!—@ndw