School and stuffJabber, Personal Commentary
I am currently attending grad school, and have been for a year+ now. I still don't regret the decision to stay. Today I learned about the "dynamic programming" technique, which I'd heard a lot about, yet never fully understood. The presentation was clear, I came away understanding what it was about, and I really don't know if I could have read something as clearly as I understood the presentation.

But it's getting tough. I like to say that for me, grad school is a race between my desire to learn things that I believe I can't learn as quickly or as well in the "real world", and my desire to stop jumping through homework hoops, with a healthy dollop of "I've worked this hard for the degree, I might as well keep going" as I get closer to the end. (That last factor may well end up carrying me.) People often laugh when I say that, but it's not really a joke; I'm surprised more people don't put it that way.

Why do I bring this up now? Because while the homework I'm doing tonight, from the class where I just learned about dynamic programming and two applications of the technique I wouldn't have guessed at in a hundred years, is at least reasonable, the next assignment coming down the pike from the next class is going to suck for me. The assignment will be to (drumroll please...) write a framework. In Java. In an assignment written for two people where I can't find a second person that can even come close to keeping up with me. (There are such people in my class, but they all have partners already. For some reason, I know virtually nobody in that class, and virtually everybody in my other.)

Hmmmm... that sounds familiar. Oh, right, I just spent my entire Spring Break writing (the beginings of) a framework! One that people are actually excited about! And planning on using! Oh boy, I can't wait to work in Java on this assignment! The last one only ate about 30 hours, I'm sure this one will be easier! (Actually, since I flatly refuse to work with the same partner again, it will at least be easier to schedule.)

I'm seriously considering asking if I can continue work on the Jabber framework and ask for credit on the assignment that way. I don't know if it'll fly, but perhaps it's at least worth a try. Otherwise, my development on the Jabber framework will be coming to a screeching halt later this week, when the assignment is made.

I emphasize my in the last paragraph because I'm not trying to hold the Jabber framework to my chest here... if anybody wants to code something, feel free. As we go along, the capabilities get more and more orthogonal, especially once I get notification going. But I admit I don't expect anything for a bit. ;-) It's still young.

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