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The Netocrats

Title: “Les nétocrates” (in french)

Author: Alexander Bard, Jan Söderqvist

Edition: Léo Scheer

Abstract:Feudal lords, capitalist bourgeoisie then knowledge netocrats. Three historical eras, three ways to structure the society. In netocraty, the last paradigm, netocrats architect their power on contacts and knowledge sharing. No more fields and castles or industries and funds. Only matter relevant informations, spread cautiously with the righ people. 

As barbars, netocrats are coming with new rules, objectives, ambitions. Conservative positions are swept without. In that society secret management is more important than money. Real and virtual networks are invisible kingdoms where power links are redefined.

Curators, nexialists and eternalists are the three nodes typologies authors introduce to describe the netocrats network.

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Book: Design Patterns in Ruby

Title: “Design Patterns in Ruby”

Author: Russ Olsen

Edition: Addison Wesley

Abstract: Getting better in Ruby using the Gang Of Four holy knowledge. From today I will read a chapter once a while and put my comments here. Reading such traditional sciences is a must-done for any hacker.

Pattern I: Template Pattern

Template Pattern aim to re-organize your code when a part of it only has to be flexible. Templates offer though an Abstract Class a kind of Interface. Using Hooks, available methods are easily over-ridden inside sub-classes. Main and central methods remains in the Abstract base Class and specializations are implemented inside children classes. Nothing complicated here but a pattern that allow us to easily modify of an Object by subclassing it.

Example: Change the behavior of WEBrick by adding a new template.

Pattern II: Strategy Pattern

A modern rule is “you can always delegate more”. Strategy Pattern extract the algorithm out into a separate object. Based on a Strategy all sub-classes (strategies) provide a different approach of the same action. The user, called the context, is implemented in a distinct Class and consequently there is a nice and strong separation between him and strategies.

The most direct connection with Ruby are Procs. A Proc is a chunck of code embeded in an Object. Doesnt that sound like a Strategy?

Example: Rdoc parsers can be extended using a new strategy

Book: Les Eclaireurs d’Antoine Bello

Title: “Les éclaireurs”

Author: Antoine Bello

Edition: Gallimard

Abstract: The Reality Falsification Comity is back. Sliv will try to get more explanation about the final and real aim of the organization. Not a great suite just a typical one. The universe described in the first volume “Les falsificateurs” was terribly inspiring. Nothing really new come in this one.

Book: Metaprogramming Ruby

Title: “Metaprogramming Ruby”

Author: Paolo Perrotta

Edition: The Pragmatic Programmers

Abstract: Knowing Rails is necessary to understand how modern web frameworks work. But soon, you’ll hear there is something behind and Ruby will be the real big  step for you to be a Rails hacker. Sure, you’ll be amazed by Ruby flexibility. You’ll see objects everywhere and start to know why Rails is so amazing. Then will come real questions. How does ActiveRecord let me see so easily any DB through an object oriented model? Why is it so simple to modify native Rails behaviour and extend Rails library? Since that book, Metaprogramming Ruby, there is for me one answer: MetaProgramming.

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