December 2009 Archives

Here's the latest batch of style errors that I've made all my life.

She was here, however, he was there.

This is a run-on sentence. The comma before "however" should be a semicolon. It would also be OK to have "however" start a new, second sentence. I'm pretty sure that "however" is an adverb in this sentence, but I've been using it as some sort of magic conjunction that has special punctuation rules.

She believes he is there. Which is true.

I've always thought the second sentence was a sentence fragment, and if I were editing someone else's text, I'd dutifully change the first sentence's period to a comma and combine the two. I think I thought this because I looked at "which" as a conjunction. But "which" is a perfectly good pronoun, and it can be a perfectly good subject of a sentence.

The powers that be have informed me that the home-office thing wasn't working out, so on Monday I started visiting various spots within mid-Peninsula commuting distance. Here's my report so far:

• Hacker Dojo: Mountain View, just a couple exits south of Google. Pros: it's built specifically for people like me. It's inexpensive ($100/month) when compared to a real office rental. Quiet. Good internet. Lots of parking. Python/Django questions can be answered immediately by simply speaking them loudly enough for people around me to hear. Good community. Reportedly kid-friendly if I want to stop by on the weekends and happen to have the kids in the car. Cons: because it's on the opposite side of Google from my home, morning traffic is horrendous. Currently opens at 10am, which is late for me. The history of the building (former stained-glass factory) causes me to expect the bong to be passed around to me any minute now. Very cold in the morning.
• TechShop: Menlo Park. Pros: Feels like I'm 40 minutes into a Star Trek TNG episode (sample dialogue from neighboring workbench: "Dude, I totally ordered a sensor bearing, but when it went into its return arc...."). Good commute. Endless take-a-penny-leave-a-penny parts bins so I can finally empty my home closets of junk from projects past. Various pint-sized robots around me provide inspiration for video-game themes. Same price as HD ($100/month) if I pay a year in advance. Cons: As a software guy who neither builds animatronic handbags nor wishes to add jet propulsion to his commute car, I feel out of place here. Earplugs generally required to get any work done. Like HD, chilly in the morning. Free popcorn is not seasoned. Kids below age 12 are absolutely prohibited for insurance reasons. Constant risk of suffering injury from neighboring projects.
• Local public library. Pros: Free (pro because it costs me nothing). Reasonably functional internet. Cons: Free (con because money no longer has filtering effect). Doesn't open until 11am, so I've never actually been there. If I visit the bathroom, my computer will be either stolen or used to view porn. Borrowed books must be returned in two weeks.
• Local coffee shop. Pros: Lets me pretend I'm 22 years old again. Cons: No free internet. Unless I'm drinking 16 ounces of coffee every 20 minutes, I'm not truly welcome there. Too many overheard conversations that make me want to get up as a self-appointed Angel of Darwin and strangle the participants.
• Google parking lot. Pros: Free internet. Chance of being invited to free lunch. Cons: Risk of heat exhaustion if I don't roll down the windows.
• Real rented office. Pros: It's my place. Cons: Expenses likely to outweigh revenue. Overkill for one person.

Have I missed any other candidates?