Whew!

Turns out you just need to add an IIS 7 specific section to your web.config file to get Blogengine back in the land of the living.

Gory details here: http://www.codeplex.com/blogengine/Thread/View.aspx?ThreadId=21124

Glad it was an easy fix because I don't know how long it will take to get my software to the self-hosting point, and it would suck to lose the links to this blog.

Good news! I figured out how to get MVC working on Godaddy hosting! You just have to tell IIS 7 to run in integrated mode.

Bad news! When you tell IIS 7 to run in integrated mode, BlogEngine.net gets bent!

Once I get farther along with my own MVC comic/blog software, I plan to switch this blog over to it. Until then it will look ugly and only sorta work.

I don't think anyone actually reads it, so I'm not going to interrupt the MVC work to try to get this one back up and pretty...

Trying to get back in the groove of thinking about this project.

There are lots of options for hosting a webcomic or blog. Only an idiot would try to write something from scratch.

Luckily, I AM an idiot.

To cut myself a BIT of slack for pulling a Don Quixote, I DO want to learn MVC. That is as close to a valid reason for doing this as you are going to get.

To compete with the existing software (which in some cases has a head start of several YEARS and multiple developers) I will have to replicate lots of features and add new ones.

I doubt anyone but me will ever use the software, but I still want to make it as full featured and competitive as possible.

The first requirement is that it absolutely, positively has to be designed from the ground up to handle an unlimited number of comics or blogs.

The next requirement is that it has to be as close to fully self-service as possible. I want my hypothetical customers to be able to fully manage their own comic or blog from look and feel to backups.

Next it has to hit all the expected standards and de-facto standards such as RSS/Atom syndication and working with various blogging tools such as Microsoft's Live Writer. Part of my plan is to write an extension for Live Writer to better handle comics.

Towards these goals I've started thinking about architecture. I've spent a ton of time working with big deal databases such as Oracle and SQL Server over the years and really love the power they bring to the techno-party, but they do come at a cost for a project that plans to live on the web in a hosted environment.

My current line of thinking is that it would make more sense in this project to persist the data in XML files. The ratio of reads to writes and quantity of data should be such that this is a workable solution. Basically each comic or blog gets its own XML file. That makes it a non-issue to have the creators do their own backups. They hit backup, and I hand them back a copy of their XML files(s) plus their media files.

I've worked a good bit with Linq To SQL, but this is my first foray into Linq to XML. One of the really beautiful things about Linq is that it standardizes the query language so that you can work with many different collection types with one SQL like language. This includes SQL Server, XML and plain old objects. Very cool.

I'm planning to do some experimentation with Linq To SQL as soon as I get Visual Studio re-installed. I've been using the beta version of Windows 7 for a few months and the day of reckoning has come. The beta times out at the end of the month, so I decided this weekend to install the release candidate. That means re-installing every app.

My thinking is that the data access layer will consist of objects that read/write XML via Linq. I'll have to learn more about MVC to see whether or not I'll need to implement my own caching, but it isn't that big of a deal either way. Since the model is tons 'o readers and one updater per comic or blog, it should be easy to keep one object in memory that is shared among all readers. I'll share more of my thinking on this subject as I learn more.

It's been a couple of months since I announced I was starting work on an MVC version of the webcomic hosting software and now it is time for an update!

Um. About that.

A number of things have de-railed that project until now.

First, I've been learning a ton of new technologies at work. Sharepoint, SQL Server Analysis Services, SQL Server Reporting Services, Performance Point, MDX, various-other-alphabet-soup-of-acronyms. We are pushing boldly forth into the world of Business Intelligence. Very cool stuff, but it limits the old free time at home.

Second, my family took advantage of the really good deals Walt Disney World has been offering. We did the "stay four days, get three days free" package. Long story short: best... vacation... EVER! I really hate to admit how much I like Disney World. I would love to tell you that I am a jaded world traveler who finds Disney World trite and blah blah blah, but I am not. Expedition Everest is my new favorite roller coaster. Not the fastest or biggest, but the most fun one I've ridden. The attention to detail is staggering. The imagineers spent serious time in Nepal and it shows. Artist Point is also my new favorite restaurant. Sci Fi Dine In is my second favorite restaurant.

Third, I've been dabbling in XNA game programming. I am a total sucker for games. I've been gaming since the Atari 2600.

Time to focus and get back to the MVC project.

I'm going to post a second update with thoughts on that project following this update (trying to keep them short).

I’m officially starting a project to write software for hosting webcomics using Microsoft’s MVC (Model View Controller) framework for Asp.Net.

Of course there are two main reasons for doing this:

1. Learn MVC and use it on a real project
2. Profit (well, hopefully generate revenue by hosting other people’s webcomics)

Don’t know if numero dos up there will ever pan out, but I can’t go wrong with number one unless I actually knock something else out of my head by learning MVC.

I’m only just starting to dig in to MVC but so far I like it. It is Microsoft’s answer to things like Ruby On Rails.

Kind of begs the question why I don’t just use Ruby On Rails, doesn’t it? Well my reasoning is that I can use C# and .Net for MVC (or Web Forms) and also use it for Silverlight (I want to make casual games too…). I also plan to dig-in to XNA for XBox 360 and Windows games as well. Hmm. Guess I’d better work on the time dilation device first…

This is the text of a presentation I am making for GGMUG.com (Gwinnett, Georgia, Microsoft User Group).

Rather than post the PowerPoint ppt file, I’m going to extract the text here so you can read it without downloading a file.

This isn’t a long presentation (shooting for about 20 minutes), and I’m not an MVC expert. I’m just now getting started. As I get farther along, I plan to do a feature length presentation.

I’m not posting the demo here because it is just a walk through of the basic code you get when you File:New up a project.

What is MVC?

• Pattern (Model/View/Controller)
  • Hello! 1979 calling. They want their pattern back! Smalltalk! W00t!
• Microsoft Web Framework
  • OPEN SOURCE
  • Really
  • NOT an April Fool’s Joke

Design Pattern

• Model
  • Data
• View
  • UI
• Controller
  • Biz logic and plumbing

How is it different?

• No "heavy" controls
• No code behind
• Not event driven
  
• Closer to the metal (well, more direct control of HTML rendered)
• More URL control

Why use it?

• Separation of concerns
• Test Driven Development
• Code gen
• Them Rails guys is cool (apologies to David Letterman)

Where does it fit?

• Asp.Net
  • Web Forms
  • MVC

Quick demo

• Every time the demo breaks, take a drink
• BSOD means you have to chug your drink

Good examples

• StackOverflow.com
• NerdDinner.com
• Cruvee.com

Requirements

• ASP.NET 3.5 SP1
• Windows Server that will run ASP.NET 3.5…
• Visual Studio 2008
• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Internet connection
• Electricity
• Food
• Oxygen

Links

• http://www.asp.net/mvc/
• http://aspnetmvcbook.s3.amazonaws.com/aspnetmvc-nerdinner_v1.pdf
• http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/default.aspx
• http://www.hanselminutes.com/default.aspx?showID=152
• http://www.hanselminutes.com/default.aspx?showID=129
• http://www.dotnetrocks.com/default.aspx?showNum=433
• http://haacked.com/

You know that game where everyone sits around and talks about what they’d do if they won the lottery?

Bob would go to Fiji, Carol would own houses all over and Fred would head to Montana, create a compound and start a cult. Yeah that game.

I know what I would do. Oh, I’d give some to charity, but a HUGE amount would go to buying electronic gadgets.

Well, I decided to write down the April 2009 list of gadgets I’d like to have right now to play with. Oh, I’ll tell myself some of them would make me more productive, but the truth is they are the 21st century, all-grown up version of the Tonka Trucks and Matchbox Cars I had way back in the 20th century.

Oh, and should you feel a burning urge to buy one of these goodies, just click the picture to jump over to my Amazon whatchamacallit site where I'll get a couple cents on each dollar. I figure if i can convince a few hundred people to buy these things, then I'll be able to buy one myself! Kind of like a Tupperware party. But with stuff I like.

Kindle2

 

Yeah, I want a Kindle. No, I'm not willing to shell out $350+.

I’ve been drooling over e-Ink for more than a decade. I followed all the stories back in the 90s about how it was being developed. Heck, I followed the stories about how it SHOULD be developed.

Back in my PDA totin’ days I read a slew of books on the Palm Sized Windows PDA then Sony CLie/Palm and then Dell Axim/Pocket PC.

Crazy cool feature: built in cell modem to download books darn near anywhere.

You know what I really want? I want to get Kindles for myself, my wife and my two kids. Yeah, for $1,400 we could READ BOOKS. No way to do that any less expensively… oh, wait. The library. Riiight. Paper. Seriously? Sure, you COULD read that way, but who would want to? Pfft! I just might as well be illiterate until Amazon drops their price.

Sony EBook Reader

OK, next best thing to a Kindle? Sony Reader Digital Book.

Yeah I have an ebook fetish. Bad.

Down side? $300. No cell connection.

Upside? More formats without having to pay for every frickin’ blog you want to read.

Nintendo DSi

Dual screen (one’s a touchscreen) game machine with built in wi-fi and Opera browser. That's pretty frickin' sweet!

The dual cameras are of dubious value to me. Until someone creates face tracking software for interacting with the apps.

Oh, and Nintendo needs to turn their new app store into a real app store like Apple’s App Store. No stupid restrictions on who can develop for it.

 

Downside? Stupid Nintendo stupid restrictions on stupid developers! Hopefully this will change. Didn’t we say that back in 1998?

Apple iPod Touch

This is the sweetest PDA to come along in a long time!

You know what would make this REALLY cool? If it were a CELL PHONE TOO! Think about that! Wouldn't that be TOO COOL? Maybe someday Apple will get on the stick and make a cell phone like that.

They what? Oh my.

 

Enough!

That really is enough for now. I’m starting to hyperventilate.

More gadgets and goodies later.

Been a very long time since I posted anything here.

The last post was about the first Funzietown comic, and now I'm up to number 44.

Haven't made any money with the comic, but I really enjoy doing it.

There is something about working with India ink and a pen (sometimes brush) that is very soothing.

I've been working as a programmer now for a long time, and I realize that I was really missing the purely creative act of writing. Programming is creative as well, but on the other side of the brain. When I take those left brain/right brain tests I always come out just about completely balanced between the two. I find I need activities that satisfy both sides in order to be really happy. Never thought I'd be drawing, but here I am. Granted I don't draw well, but I am improving and it is very satisfying.

Never fear technical readers! I have three long technical posts in the works. We have a GGMUG meeting next week and only one other person has signed up to speak. These are 20 minutes sessions, so I plan to be prepared to three sessions myself. After the meeting I'll convert those talks into blog posts.

Lots happening in Funzietown. I finished the first webcomic this weekend and posted it.

It is B & W at the moment, but I plan to "colorize" it later. I think I'll offer both versions. I like B & W, but so far every kid I show it to asks when I plan to add the color...

I'm pretty happy with the results. It is the first thing I have ever done like this. The art isn't great, but it is far better than I thought I could do. Basically at this point I believe that with practice I can get better.

My plans for the site are beginning to gel as well. I have a cast of characters now and lots of ideas for how to use them. What was initially a game site is rapidly becoming a learning site that contains webcomics, chapter-books, worksheets and games.

Thanks to Amazon's CreateSpace, I plan to collect the webcomics into actual books that I can sell via the site or directly from Amazon. Same goes for the chapter-books. I'm not sure if it is cost effective to publish workbooks, because there are minimum costs for each book, and I'm not sure I can hit a price point someone would want to pay for a workbook.

The other revenue stream I'm trying is Google's Adsense. Man, what a mixed bag! For anyone who doesn't know how it works, here's a quick summary. You place code on your webpages and Google reads all the words on the page and determines what ads to display. To my shock and horror, I found that if you use the word "comics" on a page you get some ads that are far from kid-friendly. One of my son's friends brought this to my attention. You see, each viewer may see different ads, so the publisher may never know what was shown to a given visitor. Yikes!

Google has a new system that allows you to preview ads before they run, more or less. You have 24 hours to reject an ad. If you don't, it will go through. Down side is this kind of makes me a paranoid, Google-checker. Upside, is I can hopefully stop anything really offensive from making it through. Not sure how well it works. So far it hasn't shown me anything that needs approval. Not sure why. I'm also trying to use the code they gave that tells their system to ignore certain sections of your page. Hopefully I can isolate the words that generate such interesting ads... Unfortunately it can take several days for those changes to filter through their system...