Google Web Toolkit

As in a few weeks my colleagues and I will start working on new piece of software using GWT, a technology none of us has worked with, I've decided to document my steps towards becoming an absolute guru familiar with the platform.

Not so long ago I had a choice to implement my third year project using GWT, but in the end I went for JSF with Primefaces sprinkled with some JavaScript magic. While I haven't had a particularly enjoyable experience with JSF 2.1, as at times it felt quite difficult to mix with other technologies (e.g. jQuery), I still rate it quite highly overall. On the other hand, I have mixed feelings about GWT, and am most concerned about the cumbersome deployment process. Also, using JNSI to wrap JavaScript is something new to me.

Ok, so step 1 is watching Ray Ryan's presentation on a set of best practices used to construct high performance web apps in GWT.

The decision

Reflecting on my decision to revive this blog, I thought I might as well jot down the reasons behind it.

Mainly it's the domain name. After all this time I still find it inspired, unique really, so I was quite keen on keeping it.

Secondly, I still have quite an emotional link to it, even though most of the content is rubbish. Therefore, I will begin filtering posts, getting rid of Youtube music videos, copyrighted material and so on, and keep only the entries I consider worthy of a place on the new blog.

Last, but not least, I simply found it easier to change my Blogger account and re-use this old blog, rather than go through the whole process of setting a new one up. This said, Google has made a right mess of Blogger, the new dynamic templates are absolutely awful, making my browser crash in a matter of seconds. I am now using a standard `Simple Template`, as I considered a switch from the cool classical Blogger black background white text template absolutely needed to give the blog a more professional colour scheme. But I am really unhappy with the current design and will fiddle with the templates over the coming days.

Time, such a wonderful concept

I suppose that writing the first few words after 3 long years on a zombie blog is always going to be difficult. In a few years time, I imagine myself going back to this very post and cringe at every little spelling mistake or simply be amused by its structure and predictability. Or maybe be annoyed by the childish ideas, just to get comfort in the false belief that I've matured over time. Will I reach a point when I won't be bothered by this ? I guess only time will tell.

For the time being, I will do just that. Since this is by no means a brand new blog, but rather a forgotten collection of slightly inebriated ideas of a younger me, I will not relinquish the joy of self-criticism. Quite possibly, by the time you are reading this, those posts would be long gone, finally joining the half-baked ideas which triggered them.

It's now time to look forward and think about the purpose and audience of this blog. As, for the time being, it is only me who accesses this blog, it will function as an open journal. Whether it will turn into a technical blog, a place for venting my day to day frustrations, or a home for my opinions on a larger array of subjects, I only hope I will share ideas which will somehow have a positive impact.

Stephen Hawking's Universe

EP6: An Answer To Everything

Is there a theory that will encompass everything in the known universe? Inflation theory, quantum mechanics, string theory.

Here's the link to the playlist.

Stephen Hawking's Universe

EP5: Black Holes & Beyond

Are black holes real? Ultraluminous quasars and supermassive black holes, wormholes, and singularities.

Direct link to the playlist.

Stephen Hawking's Universe

EP4: On The Dark Side

What is the destiny of the universe? Dark matter, WIMPS, MACHOS, neutrinos.

Link: Click Here

Stephen Hawking's Universe

EP3: Cosmic Alchemy

What is the universe and everything in it made of? The creation of matter, the building up of elements in stars.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucleosynthesis

Link: CLICK HERE