Plus what?

C++. You know, the programming is not really all that hard. And while creating an algorithm in plain English can be rather involved, it isn't all that hard either. But getting the darn compiler to work... well, that has proven difficult. It's funny, you'd think they'd have some documentation that'd make it easy enough for someone to just get started. I spent over an hour this morning going around in circles simply trying to figure out how to compile and run a simple test program, without first having to figure out about forms and objects and projects... Sheesh!

I finally figured out a way to do so using the command prompt. But I've yet to figure it out within the Borland C++ Builder GUI. Ah well. The command prompt should serve for now.

I believe I shaved three years off my life this morning by the stress of it.

So I've decided that I need to become a programmer, at least initially. I called around to try and find someone I could hire to write me some code, and hopefully tutor me a bit. But I'm tired of waiting. Today's fortune cookie:

You think too much.
Today means action.
Carry out your plan.

And so, that is what I'm trying to do. I've got a conference coming up in New York at the end of this month. It's the big Industry Conference for Applied Research Field. If all goes well, I'll have a working proof of concept to show around. I'd really like to create some buzz. I want people to be surprised and impressed by what I show them.

How could you do that? What did you do? I mean, wow!

That's what I'd like to hear. And the answer would be... sign this non-disclosure agreement please, then I'd be happy to discuss it with you.

I'm close. I'm really close, at least for this initial proof of concept. There's a lot more work (A LOT MORE WORK!) left to do. But that's the exciting part. The point I'm trying to make now is to demonstrate that certain things are possible, even if they haven't been considered before. To some extent it's creating a market for a product that people don't yet think they need.

But we're not talking an umbrella sun hat with a fan. What I'm trying to create will have real-world, everyday applications. It's just people have gotten used to what they've got. Maybe it's like the first cordless phones, or the first digital text files. Before they came along, most people didn't think they'd have cause to walk in the garden while talking on the phone, or read a memo without holding a piece of paper.

I've been working on the algorithm for various proofs of concept. If all goes well, this first one will land me some consulting work, and at least one patent application. There's more to come. But this is a start.

And so, I'm becoming a bit of a programmer.