// do something here » What were they thinking?

Is this string numeric?

BP — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:47:50 +0000

This VB code was brought to my attention. It is meant to look at a string variable (prefixText) and decide if the string is numeric or not, and return a data set (ds) by using a different method based on the result of the numeric test. (As always, this code is in a heavily used production environment.)

If Left(prefixText, 1) = "0" Or Left(prefixText, 1) = "1" Or Left(prefixText, 1) = "2" Or Left(prefixText, 1) = "3" Or Left(prefixText, 1) = "4" Or Left(prefixText, 1) = "5" Or Left(prefixText, 1) = "6" Or Left(prefixText, 1) = "8" Or Left(prefixText, 1) = "9" Then
    ds = New Users(_ConnStr).getUsersListByNumber(prefixText)
Else
    ds = New Users(_ConnStr).getUsersListByLastName(prefixText)
End If

I have some great ideas on how to improve this code. The first thing I would have done was to use OrElse instead of Or, it would speed things up tremendously. And I would also have added in the test for the “7″ character.

Rack mounted server… Strap mounted server… Same difference.

BP — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 23:32:55 +0000

While the set up pictured below was not our equipment, I am still kind of glad that our servers are not hosted at this facility any longer.

I wonder if the volume on this TV goes to 11…

BP — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:32:00 +0000

Way back in 1984, I came to the enlightening realization that the bulk of my life is spent in the spaces between Spinal Tap moments…

Check out part of this advertisement for a 32″ Emerson LCD HDTV that I received in my e-mail inbox from Tiger Direct:

I have heard that Dobly audio is awesome. Too bad they weren’t selling a 32′ diagonal television for $299.99, I might have bought it.

RIP

BP — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:43:51 +0000

I have just learned by accident that the venerable tag is now unsupported in Internet Explorer 8. Needless to say, I am guessing that my desire to usher the blink tag back into common use (circa 1994 or so) may not get off the ground now.