Windows Live Messenger and its annoying bugs

Warning: Big rants below.

I’ve been using Microsoft’s (in)famous instant messenger app since version 4.6 which came out in 2001 (back when it was called MSN Messenger). Between then and now, I’ve seen it undergo a lot of changes. Some of them were great (like the ability to send files, which was introduced in version 5). Others were more questionable (winks, added in version 7). But if there’s one thing that never seems to change between versions of WLM, it’s the bugs.

Retro Game Awards

Modern games owe a hell of a lot to their predecessors – almost every game stands on the shoulders of those created before it. Modern first-person shooter games have a lot to thank Wolfenstein for, and without Populous, the entire genre of ‘god games’ may not even exist today.

As well as being forerunners for the incredibly popular games industry, retro games are some of the most innovative and fun ever produced. That’s why I want to pay homeage to some of those games. I’m a big fan of the Megadrive (aka Genesis) and SNES – I grew up with them – so a lot of the games in this article will be titles from those consoles (although quite a few old PC titles will probably find their way in).

So, without further adieu, the first lucky game in the Retro Game Awards is…

A bit of info about me

I thought I’d kick off my blog by telling you a bit about myself.

My name is Kris, I’m 20 years old and I’m currently working towards a BSc (hons) in Computer Science. I’m from Stockport, which is a town just South of Manchester (birthplace of David Dickenson and Yvette Fielding… we’re so proud).

I’m a huge computer geek, so I like to program for fun when I get the chance (not very often since I started at uni). When I’m not holed up indoors I like to travel and see new places. My girlfriend and I have a habit of taking dozens of photos of ourselves wherever we go. Some people might think that’s vain but I see it as a chance to capture memories!

I like to write, which is exactly why I started this blog. I get a lot of thoughts running through my head at once, and up until now I’ve never really had anywhere to write them. As I’ve discovered from reading other blogs: one person’s idle ponderings are another’s treasure.

Programming-wise, I’ve been using C++ for a few years, and have a pretty solid grasp of how things are programmed. Since I started my second year in university, I began using C# (which I’d never even touched before) and fell in love with its beauty and simplicity (having said that, most things are beautiful and simple compared to C++…).
So, I’m still in the process of learning C#, but I’m getting there quickly, especially with the help of my fantastic lecturers and all the tools they provide at the uni (even if Visual Studio does run as slow as hell on their computers).

Check back for more programming related posts, if I think of anything!

First post!

Hi folks, I’ve been visiting blogs on wordpress for a long while (quite a few years) now, and I’ve finally decided to create one of my own!

Over the time you’ll probably see bits and pieces of the following:

• Small articles related to computers and programming. This includes games, software, computing theory, etc.
• Ideas for games, applications, websites and other things.
• Articles about games and stuff made by other people.
• Things I’ve made, either for university or for fun.
• Rants. I’m full of rants!

I’d like to dedicate this blog to my beautiful girlfriend, Paula, who inspired me to start the blog. I love you!

PS: I think I’ll work on a new layout soon. The default one is kind of… well, you know. It’s the default one. Look at all the wasted space!!! You could park a jumbo jet on either side of this paragraph!