The Codebelay Blog

Author: barce

  • Definitely Worth Reposting About the Facebook IPO – Infographic

    I saw this on Mashable and got permission to repost this awesome infographic about the Facebook IPO.

    Infographic created by: Accounting Degree Online

  • Oracle Breaks MySql.com’s Search

    If you go to the MySQL web site, and do a search on data type integer, you’ll notice something strange. The first result is a MySQL newsletter from May 2010.

    It wasn’t always like this. A few years ago I blogged about how Sun broke MySQL. Sun went on to claim that MySQL working out of the box was something that was broken with MySQL, even though lots of sysadmins every where relied on this to get servers up and running quickly.

    If you compare the search with what they have on Google, you’ll see that the first result and the many results below are *all* relevant.

    Why do large organizations break what works?

  • Startup Investment in the San Francisco’s 94105 Zip code

    I’ve just moved to San Francisco. It seems that every coder I know is moving back to San Francisco these days. There’s a good reason for it. Thanks to people who want to figure out how to invest 10000 dollars – startup investment in certain neighborhoods has gone up as high as 300% since 2009.

    Katerra

    Founded in 2015 by former Tesla interim CEO Michael Marks, Katerra raised a total of $865mn. The funding was secured exclusively from SoftBank Core’s Vision Fund. The company is based in Menlo Park and specializes in offsite design and construction solutions that are disrupting the US residential construction market. To fuse architecture and design prefabrication techniques into a linear, end-to-end design-build process through offsite ‘constructuring’ of cross-laminated timber, windows, walls and other components scored by its own end-to-end supply chain.

    Let’s take a look at the 94105 zip code in San Francisco.

    Investment in this area since 2005 looks like this (in millions of US dollars):

    A more detailed analysis can be found in this spreadsheet.

    Are you part of a startup looking to move into the 94105? WeWork, which is also in the 94105 and where I’m currently working, has lots of space available. We’re leasing about 5000 square feet at low prices which should accommodate a startup of 50 – 75 people, if you’d like to get started, check this online brokerage.

    Thanks Crunchbase for the raw data.

  • The Most Popular Cat on Instagram Faces Castration

    On Instagram, the wildly popular app, and iPhone app of the year, there’s an account run by Afra. She has a cat named Uncle Liu. Apparently, this awfully cute cat will get castrated unless… well, check out the picture of the cat below and then the note Uncle Liu’s owner left.

    Can you help? It looks like the only way to get in contact is on Instagram.

  • Upgrade Your Rails Facebook App to SSL

    On October 1st of this year, Facebook will be requiring that all apps on Facebook must support HTTPS (SSL).

    I’ve provided a guide below which I’ve used for apps I’ve worked on that are Rails based.

    This guide shows you how to change your Rails Facebook App into an app that supports SSL using Passenger and Apache2.

    Step 1: Get an SSL cert or roll your own.

    Dreamhost.com made it very easy to add an SSL cert for just $15.00 / year.

    I tried out my app out using a locally signed certificate which seemed to work just fine:

    openssl genrsa -des3 -out server.key 2048
    openssl req -new -key server.key -out server.csr
    cp server.key server.key.org
    openssl rsa -in server.key.org -out server.key
    openssl x509 -req -days 365 -in server.csr -signkey server.key -out server.crt

    Step 2: Install and compile Apache 2

    Get the latest version of Apache: http://httpd.apache.org/download.cgi.

    Configure and compile Apache:
    ./configure –prefix=/usr/local/apache2 –enable-rewrite –enable-so –enable-ssl
    make && make install

    Step 3: Configure your Rails app

    gem install passenger
    passenger-install-apache2-module

    Step 4: Edit your Apache 2 config files:

    Edit httpd.conf. For example:

    LoadModule fcgid_module modules/mod_fcgid.so
LoadModule passenger_module /Users/jimbarcelona/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/passenger-3.0.8/ext/apache2/mod_passenger.so
PassengerRoot /Users/jimbarcelona/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/passenger-3.0.8
PassengerRuby /Users/jimbarcelona/.rvm/wrappers/ruby-1.9.2-p290/ruby


    Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
    AllowOverride All
    Order allow,deny
    Allow from all


Include conf/extra/httpd-vhosts.conf
Include conf/extra/httpd-ssl.conf


IPCCommTimeout 40
IPCConnectTimeout 10

# TODO: change this to production if you are on production
DefaultInitEnv RAILS_ENV development
SocketPath /tmp/fcgidsock

    Edit extra/httpd-vhosts.conf:

    
  ServerName berkeley.l33tcave.com
  ServerAdmin wwwadmin@berkeley.l33tcave.com
  DocumentRoot /Users/jimbarcelona/rails_apps/github/hipsterhookups.com/public
  ErrorLog /usr/local/apache2/logs/rails_error_log
  RewriteEngine On
  
    AllowOverride All
    Options -MultiViews
  
  RailsEnv development

    Edit extra/httpd-ssl.conf:

    #   General setup for the virtual host
DocumentRoot "/Users/jimbarcelona/rails_apps/github/hipsterhookups.com/public"
ServerName berkeley.l33tcave.com:443
ServerAdmin you@example.com
ErrorLog "/usr/local/apache2/logs/error_log"
TransferLog "/usr/local/apache2/logs/access_log"

# needed for rails
Options Indexes ExecCGI FollowSymLinks
RewriteEngine On
RailsEnv development


AddHandler fcgid-script .fcgi

  
    AllowOverride All
    Options -MultiViews

    Be sure to add your SSL certs in the httpd-ssl.conf too!

    Step 5: Start Apache

    # check syntax
    apachectl configtest
    # start apache
    apachectl start

    Step 6: Go to facebook and use https for canvas URLs

  • Low Status and High Status Technologists

    There are many technology companies where the coders are low status. A good example of one is Yahoo. Paul Graham points out that Yahoo tried to spin itself as a media company where flashy sales guys and executives in suits tricked the company out of the importance of technology.

    Coders as low status is the rule in most US companies except for maybe the Silicon Valley.

    What do I mean by low status? Don’t coders make better than average wages? I am not talking about raw capital here. I am talking about social and “track record” capital which are both zero sum games.

    I am talking about who gets invited to social events reserved for elites in a city like Los Angeles and who doesn’t. Very few techies in SoCal are part of that social register. In San Francisco, it’s very different. You can be a techie like Marissa Mayer, and on the red carpet and have people comment on your awesome date or outfit.

    On one side you have a company run by technologists and on the other you have a company run by everyone else.

    Manipulating computers is “easy.” They simply are not as smart as we are. Manipulating people is hard, and actually the best manipulators are the ones who don’t show themselves to be that. When a product is technology, you have to wonder about the folks doing the “hardstuff,” the manipulating of people. Is it really contributing to the product or are they using their gift to create an inequitable, and in the case of Yahoo, profit ruining situation?

    My personal bias is that technologists should rule a company. I’m completely in line with Mark Suster when he writes that the startup that’s most worth funding is all technologists. My reasons for this build upon Mark Suster’s in that you don’t have to “translate things into English.” It’s kind of insulting when I hear the phrase “translate things into English.” It puts the blame on the person on the team most equipped to solve the problem. The person, who wants “things translated into English,” is the problem, not the coder.

    A company where coders do not have to translate into English and just can talk about solving technology problems in order to get the highest ROI possible is the most efficient. Be sure to maintain a good reputation online to attract potential clients. A company specializing in online reputation management for individuals can help in this regard.

    Maybe with such a dynamic it’s no wonder most of the prestigious families in the US still think a career in tech sucks.
    So if you are looking for work as a coder, how do you tell if your work will be considered low status or high status work?

    • Does the CEO have a technical background? If she does, you’re in for some fun and get to call many of the shots in the same way coders at Facebook can.
    • Does the software process *not* rely on rock stars? If one person is the key to fixing many issues, it is a sign of a software process gone awry. This is how Facebook ships code, and it’s worth a critical read.
    • Is there talk of outsourcing?

    Unfortunately, only 1 of the 3 things listed above can be found out during the interview process. If you’re at a company where coding is considered low status, what can you do? Stay tuned for my next blog post.

  • 25 super engaged followers thanks to BestCoworking

    This is a quick plug for the BestCoworking group on Facebook. I got 25 really super engaged and diverse followers in about 1 hour of engaged social media effort. I skipped lunch, and it was worth it!

    I want to thank Stacey Soleil for putting this group together.

  • Setting Up Cucumber and RSpec on Padrino

    This is a quick guide on how to set up Cucumber and RSpec on Padrino.

    I’ve created a simple test app on github that reflects the steps written down here.

    1. Create the app:

    padrino g project todo -t cucumber -d sequel -b

    2. In the Gemfile use rake 0.8.7:

    gem 'rake', "0.8.7"

    3. In features/support/env.rb comment out “require ‘spec/expectations’” so it looks like:

    # require 'spec/expectations'

    At this point ‘cucumber features’ should work and should return a failed test for adding two numbers.

    Also at this point, if you create any models, then bare specs for them will be created in the ‘spec/models’ folder.

    Please feel free to leave questions or comments if you’ve got a different way of setting things up on Padrino.

  • How To Test Image Uploads With MiniTest On Padrino

    This week I got to pair program with Oren Golan whose last high profile job was at Border Stylo. While there, he wrote a series of excellent blog posts that I highly recommend reading. The one that caught my eye was his post on MiniTest, that’s a lighter version of RSpec.

    We created a Padrino app that uses the Sequel gem as an ORM for SQLite.

    We tested a raw file upload and the uploading capabilities of Carrierwave.

    The working test is on http://github.com/barce/test, and to run it just clone the repo and type the following:

    cd test
    bundle install
    padrino sq:migrate:up

    Here’s the test:

    # put this into the test/test.rb file
require 'rubygems'
gem 'minitest'
require 'minitest/autorun'
require 'rack/test'
require '../config/boot.rb'

class TestManualBadgeType < MiniTest::Unit::TestCase
  include Rack::Test::Methods

  FILE2UPLOAD  = "/Users/jimbarcelona/pink-pony.jpg"
  UPLOADEDFILE = "/Users/jimbarcelona/repos/oren/forks/test/test/pink-pony.jpg"

  def app() Test end

  def setup
    if File.exist?(UPLOADEDFILE)
      File.delete(UPLOADEDFILE)
    end
  end

  def test_opload
    post '/', 'file' => Rack::Test::UploadedFile.new(FILE2UPLOAD, 'image/jpeg')

    assert_equal last_response.status, 201
  end

  def test_carrierwave_201
    post '/carrierwave', 'file' => Rack::Test::UploadedFile.new(FILE2UPLOAD, 'image/jpeg')

    assert_equal last_response.status, 201
  end

  def test_carrierwave_file_exist
    post '/carrierwave', 'file' => Rack::Test::UploadedFile.new(FILE2UPLOAD, 'image/jpeg')
    assert_equal last_response.status, 201
  end
end

    Now you’re ready to run the test upload:

    cd test
    ruby test.rb

  • In LA Coders Are Scared To Take Risks

    In Los Angeles, it’s pretty hard to find good coders for a startup in this market. I’d say even harder than in Silicon Valley. Social media experts are easy to come by here, though. Why? Most coders in LA are scared.

    To start things off, I just want to say that I’ve tried and swung for the fences at an LA startup at a very reduced salary. I am still smarting psychologically and fortunately no longer financially from it, but as soon as I’m strong enough, like tomorrow, I will start swinging for the fences again.

    I’ll talk about perks that companies in LA offer, the difference between the labor force in LA and Silicon Valley, and what companies can do to hire new recruits for a startup. No matter what the size of your business, even if it’s only a part-time gig, an arizona tax ein is an important tool to have.

    Perks

    Most startups provide the following perks:
    1. A new laptop
    2. A new phone
    3. 1 to 2 telecommute days per week because the LA traffic is awful.

    More established companies like Google & Microsoft can provide on top:
    4. a stipend for further education ($2000 – $10000 / year)
    5. daycare
    6. “free” lunch — we know that this means shorter lunches and higher productivity
    7. gym
    8. trips to conferences like SxSW or the Web 2.0 Expo or Macworld

    With the new Google office opening in Venice there will provide further strain on a small pool of coders.

    The Talent Pool: LA vs. Silicon Valley

    The pool is interesting. (source: http://www.calmis.ca.gov/htmlfile/msa/sf.htm & http://www.calmis.ca.gov/htmlfile/county/losangel.htm )

    Silicon Valley Information Technology Workers (excludes hardware, e.g. Apple, Intel, financial software which would total 387,000): 49,900

    Los Angeles Information Technology Workers (excludes hardware, financial software which would total 758,000): 106,100

    Despite having a smaller pool of talent, Silicon Valley tech workers’ companies are able to produce 1% of the GDP of the United States or $174 billion annually.

    Compare this with Los Angeles which despite having sheer numbers will only produce $10 billion this year.

    Silicon Valley produces $3.8 million per worker and Los Angeles roughly $90,000 — just enough to keep the lights on.

    How do we account for this discrepancy?

    I did an informal survey of different Los Angeles based Information technology companies. One common theme: although espousing a culture of innovation, and although some are very profitable, most are simply not cutting edge, and some are very behind the times. This means that Los Angeles is not taking advantage of innovations in automation.

    Let’s take MySpace which many used to be a flagship of Internet technology in Los Angeles. In most Silicon Valley Startups, coders know SQL, a major scripting language as well as HTML and CSS. However MySpace had positions solely for just HTML/CSS, a trend that harkened back to the 90s when web pages were manually created.

    Another Los Angeles great, eHarmony.com, uses 40 to 50 engineers for its matchmaking algorithm and servers, whereas OKCupid.com uses only 10.

    Also, the *big* main factor is that if you look at the graduating class of 2011 from Stanford for CS and compare it with UCLA, UCLA has only 60 CS majors out of 800 going to startups. Stanford has half!

    How do you recruit? How do you get unscared?

    The pool is so limited but deceptively so. In LA the coders are there, more than there are in Silicon Valley. The options seem to be:

    1. Train people willing to take the risk on a startup.
    2. Entice folks in already cushy Fortune 1000 jobs or similar to jump ship.

    I’ve done option number 1 a few times already and it can take 6 months to a year assuming they’ve got the chops. Option 2 is still a bit of a mystery to me. If you have any thoughts for making LA coders take more risk, please feel free to comment below.