VEXX: DevLog 3

This is going to be a short update.

I've been doing some research into browser extensions and will be making a chrome extension for VEXX. This means that VEXX should have all of its envisioned features. After I have the chrome extension working, I'll move on to firefox/safari.

* correction - I've been using the term "plugin". What I meant to say was "extension". There is a profound difference between the two.

VEXX: DevLog 2

Tidings all. This development log is long overdue, but I've been busy (sorry Joe!).

First, the bad news:

washere (VEXX prototype 1) is only marginally successful. Due to some technical garbosiosos (explained in detail later on), I was not able to add all of the functionality that I wanted to get in this version. The only major feature missing is the automatic tracking of web movement. Right now, the only way to track the sites you've been on is to use washere's address bar. Because of this, I have also removed "starred" entries for web histories. Note: make sure not to go to sites like google, they are evil and eat up VEXX (i.e. if you go to google, vexx will cease to exist).

Now, for the good news:

washere is ready for public testing. Head on over to vexx.demalus.com and sign up. Once you are on the main page with the washere bar at the top, select the "on" radio button and begin navigating the intertubes with the textbox. If you want to check out someone's profile, simply click the "View User" button and type in the name of the user. For example, if you type in "frank" and hit enter or click the button, you will be able to see my web history while using washere.

Overall, I think the proof of concept is convincing - I wouldn't be surprised if Sir Joseph and I accumulated $30,000,000,000.72 USD by Christmas. washere is currently very light on features, so where do we go from here? I was thinking that we should move immediately onto browser plugin development - which will be able to handle VEXX's tracking features. Other areas of note are friends lists, real-time updates, some actual graphics, and possibly integration with other sites.

Enjoy.

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Technical Notes:

For this prototype, I decided to use a page with a navigation frame and a content frame. This seemed reasonable at first, although requiring users to use our address bar instead of the one in the browser is stupid. To track users' actions, I tacked on an onLoad method to the content frame - so whenever it changes, I can use some simple AJAX to record the URL change. Unfortunately, calling a function in a different frame doesn't work if the frames are on different hosts. Once we have browser plugins that record web navigation, this won't be a problem. Also, the problem with frames in general is that sites (like google) can simply get rid of our frames with their own javascript...so washere cannot ever hope to achieve VEXX's design goals.

VEXX: DevLog 1

Tidings one and tidings all!

As a select few of you know, change is slowly coming to this world. A violent upheaval, born of flame and justice. From the ashes of what was will arise the next great wonder: VEXX. The masses will rejoice in enlightenment.

VEXX is not currently materialized, but it does exist conceptually. This post is part 1 of the development log for VEXX. I have been tasked by comrade Catanzariti to build a VEXX prototype - to make real what previously was not.

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Prototype 1 for VEXX will henceforth be known as "washere".

Here is what washere will try to accomplish:

• users
• streamed tracking (passive)
• special tracking (active)

There are many technologies VEXX can use to accomplish its goals. The simplest will be to build a website that uses frames to track activity. Using a simple solution is ideal for the proof of concept prototype. washere will be built using HTML, PHP, AJAX, and MySQL.

Website

In order to use washere, users will have to go to our website. The website will have two frames - an administrative frame and a web frame. The web frame will simulate a normal web browser experience. The administrative frame will have an address bar (although users will certainly be used to using their browser's address bar) and a button to highlight certain pages. The administrative frame will be responsible for streaming a user's activity to the server.

Backend

The server will use PHP and MySQL to store user information. The website and server will communicate via AJAX protocols. MySQL was chosen because it is widely supported and just works. We don't need to think about massive scaling or performance issues at this point in time.

Upcoming

I will be salvaging parts of FCMS, my content management system, to quickly get user registration and login working. I will then move on to making sure the web frame can be tracked properly.

Jean, I Tell You This

There I was - smack-dab in the middle of a homo-sapien hive. My consciousness was elsewhere, but I could feel my subconscious rising through my veins like some god-damn vision of the cosmos. I pause. The guy behind me barely avoids colliding with me. His utterances thereafter were not noted - for they were merely a part of the ambience of it all. You should have seen the horror grow on my face - but maybe you did. It was all around me. To the left, there it was! To the right, even more! Straight ahead - make it stop! And even more terrifying, it was all over me!

All of the upright mammals were wearing blue jeans. Yes, you heard me correctly - jeans in various shades of blue. Now, I'm not talking ripped jeans, short jeans, jean jackets, or jean hair products. I'm talking about straight up blue jeans. I'm willing to bet that 99% of people on this planet have at one time or another dawned blue jeans. How did this machine invade every facet of our society? I mean, can you imagine what the world would be like if Levi & co. had invented rugged, assless, skin-tight flex-pants? Besides the obvious benefit of being able to "open the hatch" whenever and wherever, what kind of madness would ensue? Can we even justify or quantify the effects that these devices have had on our collective psyche?

If You Get Some Freetime

Maybe you are wondering, "Hmm... A post on the 'Dante' Forums?! Oh wait, it's 1 April 2010!" Fear not, this is no joke - unless you're one of those people with that sense of humor.

So, if you get some free time, you might enjoy these flicks on VBS.TV. The first, is a documentary about Korea, the second Liberia. They are known as The Vice Guide to Place where "place" is the place they are going to (as you probably assumed).

http://www.vbs.tv/watch/the-vice-guide-to-travel/vice-guide-to-north-korea-1-of-3

http://www.vbs.tv/watch/the-vice-guide-to-travel/the-vice-guide-to-liberia-1-of-8

The website is a little hard to navigate, but basically I've linked to part one of each. If you scroll down, you can click on the next few parts.

Why watch these you might ask? Have you ever wondered what it was like inside of North Korea or Liberia? Well, now you can know vicariously through someone else's perspective!

Also, if you're not in a third-worldly kind of mood, I present to you the best episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force:

http://www.break.com/usercontent/2009/2/Aqua-Teen-Hunger-Force-Hand-Banana-669545.html

"Tonight. YOU."

Absolutely Fascinating

The following video is a debate at Wellington College (this is part 1 of 10). It is actually quite fascinating that this kind of a debate can even take place - let alone have so many articulate people in one place in time.