James Turner

James Turner, contributing editor for oreilly.com, is a freelance journalist who has written for publications as diverse as the Christian Science Monitor, Processor, Linuxworld Magazine, Developer.com and WIRED Magazine. In addition to his shorter writing, he has also written two books on Java Web Development ("MySQL & JSP Web Applications" and "Struts: Kick Start"). He is the former Senior Editor of LinuxWorld Magazine and Senior Contributing Editor for Linux Today. He has also spent more than 25 years as a software engineer and system administrator, and currently works as a Senior Software Engineer for a company in the Boston area. His past employers have included the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Xerox AI Systems, Solbourne Computer, Interleaf, the Christian Science Monitor and contracting positions at BBN and Fidelity Investments. He is a committer on the Apache Jakarta Struts project and served as the Struts 1.1B3 release manager. He lives in a 200 year old Colonial farmhouse in Derry, NH along with his wife and son. He is an open water diver and instrument-rated private pilot, as well as an avid science fiction fan.

Developer Week in Review: Java on trial

Developer Week in Review: Java on trial

The trial of the century continues, cat feeders and coding, and PHP sites at risk.

by  | @blackbearnh  | +James Turner | 11 May 2012

Google and Oracle continue to duke it out in court, with more than just Android at risk. One developer uses cat feeders as a way to look at good software, and the PHP developers take a second try at fixing a critical bug.

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Developer Week in Review: Are APIs intellectual property?

Developer Week in Review: Are APIs intellectual property?

APIs may be IP, and C remains popular, even when obfuscated.

by  | @blackbearnh  | +James Turner |  4 May 2012

We look at the legal status of APIs and how the Oracle versus Google suit may be affecting it, along with the relative popularity of languages and the world's worst C programs.

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Developer Week in Review: Everyone can program?

Developer Week in Review: Everyone can program?

There's a big gap between easy-to-use tools and competent programming.

by  | @blackbearnh  | +James Turner | 13 April 2012

Apple is the latest in a long line of entities that want to bring software development to the masses. Here's why that idea, in general, is doomed to fail.

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Developer Week in Review: When giant corporations collide

Developer Week in Review: When giant corporations collide

Oracle and Google head to trial, Microsoft and Linux are BFFs, and the dirty secrets of game cheats.

by  | @blackbearnh  | +James Turner |  6 April 2012

If Microsoft and Linux can kiss and make up, why is Oracle having such a hard time getting along with Google? Elsewhere, a look inside elaborate game cheats.

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Developer Week in Review: Google I/O's ticket window opens and shuts in record time

Developer Week in Review: Google I/O's ticket window opens and shuts in record time

Google I/O reg disappoints many, Microsoft shares, and happy birthday to gcc.

by  | @blackbearnh  | +James Turner | 29 March 2012

Google I/O registration was there and gone so fast you might have missed it if you blinked, Microsoft is sharing more of its code Apache-style, and the leading compiler package in the world celebrates a milestone.

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Developer Week in Review: The mysterious Google I/O machine

Developer Week in Review: The mysterious Google I/O machine

A Google I/O puzzler, more sandbox mayhem, and Go prepares to take wing.

by  | @blackbearnh  | +James Turner | 22 March 2012

While we wait to sign up for two of the major conferences of the year, Google has released a brainteaser, Java suffers another security breach, and a new language prepares for takeoff.

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