Hi! I'm Horia Dragomir. I am a passionate web developer, snapshooter and guitar enthusiast based in Timisoara, Romania.

#lunilazece2012

So, we’re having a movie night. Monday night, at ten. We’ll be seeing 2012 at Cinema City( Iulius Mall )

I’ve booked 14 19 20 seats for the show, but there is room for anyone who wants to come. People that have RSVP`d so far:

Me +1, obviously
Jimmy +5(!)
Dora + crinutza
Raka +1
Adi Eblog
Clawd
Camytzi
Nebuloasa + Raul
Richie
Dan
UOvidiu +1
Ovi Sîrb + Corina
Anda +1(ily)
Paul +1(Dani)

Edit: made additional 5 seat reservation.

Edit: we’re now 20 on 19 seats. I’ve already made three reservations… anyone else?

You can RSVP here, by commenting, or via twitter, using the #lunilazece2012 hash tag. Edit: we’re already overbooked!

Edit: Jimmy decided to go with his own gang some other time. Sorry about the mess.

We’re meeting at CinemaCity at 21:20

Well, thank you, one and all, for coming.

Posted on the 12th of November, 2009 | 17 Sexy Comments

How Software Gets Done

Today, we saw the release of the PocketFox logo. We’re all anxiously waiting for this mobile version of Firefox. We’ve actually been waiting too long. And that’s a problem.

It seems to be taking forever. This means that the developers are busy polishing the product, getting it up to 99%. It will probably be released then, almost bug-free. But what are we to do in the meantime? Ever heard of Release Early, Release Often? The sooner you get your product out to the masses, the sooner it’s used, the sooner you get feedback on it, the sooner you can focus on the 20% of the functionality that will please 80% of the users.

Worse is better, kinda like less is more, is a model that holds in this fast changing world. We are already used to bugs, aren’t we? We don’t care. We just want those nifty features. That’s why Opera has taken the browser market by storm. They’re pushing Beta’s to users. And we love it because we get to play with the new toys, not to mention have a say in the final product through our feedback.

–

When you’re taking forever planning the perfect first kiss, you’re missing the point. The point is that it’s supposed to be a kiss that you’ll enjoy. It does not have to be one to tell you grandkids about. You’ll have plenty of other stories to tell them.

In life, like in software, too much planning and polishing hurts. It’s quite rare that someone discovers a gem of an idea, spends years turning it into reality and being a total hit.

The things we use most today, all started as rough products, that were then blessed by progressive improvement. Twitter, facebook, youtube, yahoo, gmail, telephones, TV, pens, paper, houses, clothes.

It’s through progressive improvement that relationships will grow. The first step is to plant a seed, take some action, make a choice!

The rest will follow.

Posted on the 9th of November, 2009 | 2 Mouth-watering Comments

So You Want Respect, EH?

We all need respect. When we’re teenagers, we want our parents to respect us. Then, when we’re a bit older, our peers. Maybe our teachers, who want our respect themselves.

I think respect is one of the most desired things on this Earth. Yet, so few people actually have it.

The main reason is that a lot of fuckers demand respect. From teachers to bosses to politicians to parents to spouses to lesser lovers to garbage men. You cannot do this. It simply does not work like this.
Also, there are a lot of boys and girls going to sleep at night, spooning with their covers, just wishing they’d have some respect.

The first thing you need to do in order to gain respect is to not ask for it. You shouldn’t even wish it. That’s because respect is earned, not given. You should just be yourself, act the way you feel you should and others will respect you. Or they won’t. Or the ones you were hoping to respect you won’t while others will. Or the other way around. In any case, it’s none of your business, but the respect you will earn, you’ll earn the right way, and it will truly be respect.

When demanding respect, the best thing you’ll get is fear. And fear, my dear friend, is not respect. False respect at best is what it is. Adoration, that too is not respect. Then you might also get hate, get rejected. That too is not what you’re after. The only reason you’re getting that and not the respect you were after is because you tried the wrong way, imposing it as a condition.

You simply cannot force a person to feel something in particular. You may guide them, but in the end, it’s all up to them to do the feeling.

Now replace respect with love.
Yes, that’s why you’re not getting any of the good stuff!

Posted on the 8th of November, 2009 | 18 Smart Comments

… and Getting Back

’cause I’ve been giving for a while now.

That’s not to say I feel cheated, or that I’ll stop giving. But I have been missing the point.
You might realize that all the good you do, you do for two reasons: to actually do something good and to make yourself feel better. It’s the stroke you get from being helpful, from the thought that you’ve made someone’s life better, from feeling like you made a difference.

So, you could say that selflessness is selfish at its core.

For me it was all the more selfish, since I did not like others helping me, or giving me something in return for a good deed of mine. If you just thought ‘money,’ you have issues. This has nothing to do with money. It’s about giving and letting others to give back.

When you don’t let others return your favor, they will — at some level — feel like they owe you. Not to mention that you’ve given yourself a stroke, but denied them their own. Obviously, not every favor can be returned, and some good deeds are done just for the sake of doing them. I’m talking about the cases when there are no hidden agendas, when two people share actual feelings in doing something that is not retched.

Now it’s all that better for me. I still get to be useful, and help people out however I can. Just that now, not denying their giving back, I get to see even more joy in their eyes.

Posted on the 4th of November, 2009 | 3 Exquisite Comments

The Night Ride

Tonight, Tudor pulled me out of my den. It all started with a text message and continued with his coming over to pick me up for a ride.

Seeing Timişoara at night, with clear streets, no angry drivers, no sad faces crawling about was just what I needed after a Flashing day. Also, seeing how some streets are a delight to drive down, seeing workers busy at night, making the town better, seeing the faded city lights through the blurred windows as we whooshed by was more than uplifting.

It was also relaxing to just sit down — in the car, obviously — and just chat about everything and nothing.

–

I’ve spent the past two months setting my sleeping habits straight, waking up at twenty-five past seven, trying to go to bed before three in the morning, against my nature. Even doctors have been calling me a night person since I turned sixteen.

I may own my world all day long, but I still belong to the night.

Posted on the 30th of October, 2009 | 8 Remarcable Comments

It’s All About You, Baby!

Everything worthwhile will have its dilettantes!

Discos are a great example. Most people go to the disco to shake their ass. A lot of people go to the disco to find dates. That’s all fine and dandy, as long as you find your date while dancing. Or after you’ve danced for a while and you’re catching your breath.

Whatever you do, the first reason for your being in a disco should be dancing. That’s it. If you’re hoping to pick up someone, that’s fine too. Just don’t let that be the ONLY reason you’re there.

I say this because, if that is indeed the case, you probably don’t like dancing all that much. You’ll probably end up just standing there, creepishly checking out all the other people who are having fun. It’s just like going to the library to pick up a person. It only works well if you actually like reading. Otherwise you’re a fraud. People will see through that, eventually. And even if they don’t, what kind of relationship are you really starting? A one night stand? A one-weeker? Probably shallow, meaningless relationship?

Are you that desperate?
The best way to pick up people is by doing the things YOU like! If you don’t like to dance, don’t go to discos. If, however, you like football, go to the game. You’re bound to make a hell of a lot more new friends that way. If you like beer, you’ll probably feel right at home in a pub. And that’s where you’ll probably find your next date. And if you do, you’re probably great for each other, since you met each other doing something you both enjoy.

Don’t be the fucker in the disco that just sits by the dance floor, drooling over the tits and sweaty necks. Don’t be the fucker who goes to the opera just to be seen coming out of the opera house. Don’t be the fucker who grows long hair just because you think you’ll be a smash with the ladies. Don’t get your boobs done if you’re actually a bookworm.

Don’t try to be someone else to get a date. You’ll be left with nothing. Enjoy yourself, and those who matter will love you for it.

Posted on the 19th of October, 2009 | 17 Extraordinary Comments

Thank You, Jerry!

Jerry woke up this morning with a chill in his spine. Last night was colder than usual, and he forgot the bathroom window open. He then ate hearty, and left for work.

Jerry works for a small time Internet Service Provider. It’s not grand, but it pays the bills and is what’s seeing his 13 year old through school. He’s not an office rat, because he doesn’t know much. No. He spends his time on the field. Rigging new houses and apartments or fixing faulty switches and cables.

It had rained. A lot. With hale. Jerry has had a busy week. All those cables knocked down, all those furious, outraged subscribers. Jerry had to face them all. And he did. He spent most of his work time outside, in the drizzle, in the cold. His standard issue winter vest was working for him, but you can’t wear mittens when you’re dealing with cables all day long. And Jerry likes the summertime more than anything else.

Jerry has not been thrilled this week. But, back to this morning, and when he got to work. The visit to the office was brief. Just to clock in, meet with his partner, the driver and get a prioritized list of places he needs to go today.

They start going through the list, fixing the torn up cables as they go. Park the car, pull out the ladder, stand up the ladder, climb up the ladder and up the pole, and start fiddling with the web of cables and wires and filth that’s up there. Four hours after starting work, they make their way to the end of the world, where one particular family has been out of an internet connection since Monday. They are pissed.

But, relentless Jerry sets up the ladder, climbs up the pole, yanks a few cables, plugs in a new one, and leaves without saying a word. From his window, Horia Dragomir witnessed Jerry’s brief display of skill and courage. It was over in matter of minutes, but the show was glorious. Horia then checked his router and, sure enough, it was finally working.

–

Thank you, Relentless Jerry for finally fixing my Internet connection.

Posted on the 16th of October, 2009 | 2 Intelligent Comments

A Shift in Social Interaction

When I was a kid, I changed houses a lot. This means I always had to make new friends.
So I became good at this. And after a while, I got really good at making people out, and realizing what they could/would mean to me.

Then, the internet happened. As I started spending time online, I could see some of the friends there as well. IRC, Mail, IM and then social networks were the means for this.

It was simple: you had a friend you could hang out with, they had an email account, you sent them emails. They had a social network account, you could befriend them. You could interact, in an eerie sort of way. And that was good, considering most people had curfews and had to be in at a certain time.

Now, things have kinda changed.

You can befriend anyone on any social network. You can follow anyone on twitter. You can read any blog you like. You don’t have to actually know the person. For me, it works like this:
Social networks, I tend to keep clean. I don’t like adding people I don’t actually know. On twitter, I tend to follow people not because I like them, but because I like what they say. So I do follow people I’ve never actually spoken to. And blogs, well. That is totally different, but I read mostly tech stuff, and about 20 blogs from Timisoara, which do belong to people I know.

Another thing that’s different now is that actually knowing someone no longer means you’ve met them. Sure, it’s better if you do, but it’s no longer required.
I’ve made friends on last.fm, with whom I now chat regularly. Only one of them is from Timisoara, and I still haven’t gotten around to seeing him in person. I got picked up by a guy from India because he liked my shared items on Google Reader. And he’s a great dude that did not want me to outsource my business to him. He just wanted to chat. I’ve been there to see how a girl made it in to Cambridge, though we’ve only talked and jammed online. I’ve ‘harassed’ people on their blogs or on twitter. Now we go out for beer together. All the real jobs I got, I found over the internet. The list goes on.

And this scares me.

I’m now in a very strange state, struggling to close down the virtual interaction. But then, with some people, it’s hard to keep in touch, let alone go out and grab a cold one. With others, it’s damn impossible, since they’re from different continents. So I surrender some of my principles, and keep talking, laughing and sharing online. Because, sometimes, that’s all we’ve got.

Just think about it. Do you remember when the phone used to be an impersonal means of communication? It still is, but it sure is not perceived as such anymore, now is it?

Posted on the 11th of October, 2009 | 9 Coarse Comments