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An explanation from the author: This isn't a startup, it's just an idea I thought would be cool. I'm announcing it on HN first, hoping to get technical and aest

by bdr 17y ago

An explanation from the author: This isn't a startup, it's just an idea I thought would be cool. I'm announcing it on HN first, hoping to get technical and aesthetic feedback before I throw the URL around. The two browsers in the submission title are the only ones I have on this machine. Right now it doesn't run as smoothly as I'd want in FF3. There are a couple big optimizations ideas I have, but I was comfortable enough to post this without them. Was that a mistake? If you can try it out in some other browsers I'd appreciate that. I have no idea what IE will do. That's all. Hope you have fun.

ekiru 17y ago
It also works fine in Chrome.
yread 17y ago
works OK in Opera 9 and 10
- Pistos2 17y ago
  If it works in Opera, then it is too CPU-heavy on this older machine. I don't understand what it is, and can't interact with it.
  - Torn 17y ago
    Using opera 10 beta, and all I see is a grey screen :(
- endtime 17y ago
  Confirmed, works in Opera 10b2.
anigbrowl 17y ago
Looks like it already arrived at 4chan :)
davepeck 17y ago
This is oddly entertaining. Could you explain how you represent the "world" in the AppEngine data store? (Also, could you use cookies to bring me back where I left?)
- bdr 17y ago
  It's really simple. This was my first App Engine project. There's only one model, Tile, that has contents, namespace, and x/y coordinates. The contents field is a string representing the text in this tile. The namespace tells you what page the tile belongs to (e.g., /newsyc), and the coordinates are relative to the starting position. Namespace, x, and y are part of the keyname, so contents is the only model property. I don't create a tile until someone writes to that area. I don't want to use cookies, but I'm thinking about implementing some kind of directions feature. ("Where am I?" "How do I get to X?") But I also want to keep the system really simple, so I don't know.
  - davepeck 17y ago
    I assume you only construct a tile if someone types in it; not if someone simply scrolls over it? How large are the tiles?
    - bdr 17y ago
      Correct, and 8x16.
      - davepeck 17y ago
        Got it. I ask because the tile size will seem to directly impact the amount of data store contention (aka the number of db.TimeoutExceptions). It would be an interesting study to look at contention rates (percentage of failed datastore reads) vs. tile sizes when the app is under load. (I also assume you make use of memcache, though I further presume that typing implies an immediate db put().)
        bdr 17y ago
hyperbovine 17y ago
doesn't load on my iPod so I can't speak to the functionality but I'd just like to commend you on not choosing some idiotic name like Floovr or Meeerrblap or Dooglity or Phlambo or Hogchaw or Speebu for your project. Makes it that much easier to take seriously.
- joshu 17y ago
  i think you could make some good money as a naming consultant. "Meeerrblap denontes speed, reminds the user of flapping, perhaps like a glorious seagull."
  - joshu 17y ago
    And no, I have no idea why that specific sentence came to mind.
patcdr 17y ago
It actually runs better in IE8 than it did in Chrome on my work machine...

by bdr 17y ago

ekiru 17y ago

It also works fine in Chrome.

yread 17y ago

works OK in Opera 9 and 10

Pistos2 17y ago
If it works in Opera, then it is too CPU-heavy on this older machine. I don't understand what it is, and can't interact with it.
- Torn 17y ago
  Using opera 10 beta, and all I see is a grey screen :(
endtime 17y ago
Confirmed, works in Opera 10b2.

anigbrowl 17y ago

Looks like it already arrived at 4chan :)

davepeck 17y ago

This is oddly entertaining. Could you explain how you represent the "world" in the AppEngine data store? (Also, could you use cookies to bring me back where I left?)

bdr 17y ago
It's really simple. This was my first App Engine project. There's only one model, Tile, that has contents, namespace, and x/y coordinates. The contents field is a string representing the text in this tile. The namespace tells you what page the tile belongs to (e.g., /newsyc), and the coordinates are relative to the starting position. Namespace, x, and y are part of the keyname, so contents is the only model property. I don't create a tile until someone writes to that area. I don't want to use cookies, but I'm thinking about implementing some kind of directions feature. ("Where am I?" "How do I get to X?") But I also want to keep the system really simple, so I don't know.
- davepeck 17y ago
  I assume you only construct a tile if someone types in it; not if someone simply scrolls over it? How large are the tiles?
  - bdr 17y ago
    Correct, and 8x16.
    - davepeck 17y ago
      Got it. I ask because the tile size will seem to directly impact the amount of data store contention (aka the number of db.TimeoutExceptions). It would be an interesting study to look at contention rates (percentage of failed datastore reads) vs. tile sizes when the app is under load. (I also assume you make use of memcache, though I further presume that typing implies an immediate db put().)
      - bdr 17y ago

hyperbovine 17y ago

doesn't load on my iPod so I can't speak to the functionality but I'd just like to commend you on not choosing some idiotic name like Floovr or Meeerrblap or Dooglity or Phlambo or Hogchaw or Speebu for your project. Makes it that much easier to take seriously.

joshu 17y ago
i think you could make some good money as a naming consultant. "Meeerrblap denontes speed, reminds the user of flapping, perhaps like a glorious seagull."
- joshu 17y ago
  And no, I have no idea why that specific sentence came to mind.

patcdr 17y ago

It actually runs better in IE8 than it did in Chrome on my work machine...