other

for a project i needed to take in and send out realtime analog (composite) video. analog video input has always been a problem, but on recent laptops apple even removed the video output via dvi adapter option (i.e. there is no displayport to video/s-video adapter).
so after experimenting and going through some old hardware i had laying around, i found a solution using two devices that i last used around 10years ago.

* dfg1394 bus powered s-video/composite video to uncompressed firewire converter from imagingsource (firewire version not longer available).
* mac osx drivers for the dfg1394 from outcastsoft. works with max/jitter etc.
* an old TView Gold scanconverter from Focus enhancements. used in combo with a 5v power from usb hack and a displayport to vga adapter.

now using drupal 6.8. (prev 5.7). no stable audio module for 6.x just yet, so all my mp3s are hidden atm. in a few days i hope.

081219 edit: should be back up again now

We all know how fantastic the open-source movement is. How wonderful it is with all these people that distribute their code, schematics, data, ideas etc. for free and in such a spirit of openness. We gain so much from it and it is all really great.

But seen from the contributor's point of view, one could ask the questions: why share your hard-earned knowledge? What are the benefits and why spend a lot of time helping unknown people - often without even a thanks in return? Why give away code that you care about and that have taken lots of effort and hours to write - for free? Is it for personal fame? Is it the communal spirit or some political beliefs? Or the lack of interested commercial companies?

My personal and perhaps slightly provocative answer is that I share because of egoism / self-interest. I found that by making something public, I force myself to write more reusable and understandable code. Publicising means I will proof-read, add comments and help-files and perhaps cross platform support. Sharing also makes me reluctant to drastic change and help fixate things like interface, protocol and functionality. So after uploading code, I feel responsible to maintain it for the future throughout system and program upgrades - whether other people depend on it or not. It is the knowledge that someone _might be using it that is enough to put in that little extra effort and spend a few additional hours.
So for me as an independent software developer / artist, open-source is mainly a vehicle for caring about my own work. And it is the simple act of making it open and public that is so extremely helpful for me.

Of course this is not the only reason. It is a great pleasure to see code I have written being helpful in other people's work, get feedback from users and see my ideas being developed a lot further by other artists. I also enjoy helping out where ever I can, passing on knowledge from people I in turn learned from. And being a frequent contributor in various communities do generate paid work in the form of workshops, concerts, programming jobs and technical support.
But again - the main reason I share is a selfish, practical and simple one: I write better code because I distribute it.

sorry this place got hacked and someone overwrote all my media files (snd, pic, vid). i'm travelling atm and it will be a few more weeks until i can access the backup files and restore the archive.
- 071022 edit: ok everything should now be back in place.
- 071028 edit: and now updated to drupal 5.3

two photographers that have witnessed our gigs have put up some very nice photos on flickr. see munich and brisbane. pretty funny comments there too.