Jon Galloway

I've been using the Google personalized homepage for a while as a simple "heads up display". 

UPDATE: A new version of Cropper with these changes has been released. Grab it here: http://blogs.geekdojo.net/brian/articles/Cropper.aspx

Identicons provide a nice visual indicator that's unique to each user on a website. It's unique since it's based on the user's IP, but it's not possible to recover the IP by looking at an Identicon so each user's privacy is protected.

Code Puzzle #2 posed the following task: Write a simple function which generates fake but passable surnames (read more here). As I'd hoped, I got several great submissions with a range of interesting approaches. I'd like to say that we're all winners, but the rules were clear: "This is a fixed contest; my solution will win first place."

I'm talking to you, Mr. Thymmet! Step forward and be counted, Ms. Betusen! It's time for another Code Puzzle! My solution will be posted on Friday, 1/12. Get to work!

I tend to keep things down to business on my blog, but after having been tagged three times I decided go with this "Five Things" meme. I'd been planning to write a Hello World thing for my 500th post anyhow. Here goes: