Chris Da Silva

I am Chris da Silva. Maybe you are 'Chris da Silva', too...

ChrisDaSilva is, in fact, one of many so-named HumanBeings on PlanetEarth.

It may or may not be well-known that the last name "da Silva" (or its alternate iterations "Da Silva", "Dasilva" or even "daSilva") is quite common -- try searching for it using any good SearchEngine (e.g. Google). Similarly, last names "de Silva", "di Silva" and "d'Silva" (including iterations/combinations thereof as illustrated above) can also be found.

Additionally, in many cases, people have chosen to completely drop the 'da'/'de'/'di'/etc. (I do not know what this part of the NameConstruct? is called, though the grammatical term 'conjunction' incorrectly comes to mind.) i.e. had I chosen to drop the 'da' from my name, it would read 'Chris Silva' instead.

The combination of last name "da Silva" and first name "Chris" is quite common also because of the numerous names for which "Chris" is short -- Christopher (mine), Christian, Christine, etcetera -- and all their "foreign" counterparts, such as Christoforo, Christovao, Christianou, Christobal (if spelled with an 'h'!, which I think not normally!)

So what is your point?

If your name is also Chris da Silva, then let me first WELCOME you, my name-brother/-sister.

Secondly, let me ask this of you:

As I hereby stake my Wiki Territory in the name of further self-education (about all things Wiki (WikiWiki), in a WikiWikiSandbox sorta way), might I ask that if you share the same name and wish to create a page about YOU - your own HomePage - please choose another UserName for use in WikiSpace. Consider using your middle name as well, or append an abbreviation for your country -- until May'04 I was in Hong Kong; you are more likely to be in Western Europe or South America, if not North.

Thirdly, if your name is also Chris da Silva, and you do choose to create your own HomePage to describe yourself in WikiSpace, I would be delighted if you added your UserName as a Link. Right here, between the HRs:

OTHER 'Chris da Silva's :

(None, so far, have ventured into WikiSpace and/or left their mark here...)

But Peter da Silva hung out here some years back... -- DougMerritt

Thanks, Doug! I've heard the name 'Peter da Silva', but it's possible that it's almost as common as 'Chris da Silva', so the probability that your 'Peter' and my 'Peter' are one and the same.. seems quite small. -- ChrisDaSilva

So it seems (Q3,2005) that, while many exist, few - if any - seem to be aware of WikiWiki.. Or perhaps it is simply because those who are aware of WikiWiki are making more direct (and perhaps valuable) contributions to this WikiWiki, and the overall theme of programming and its parallel topics, OnTopic. -- ChrisDaSilva

Fourthly, and in the interest of adding more signal to (admittedly what amounts more to) noise, would anyone care to PleaseComment on methods to increase efficiency, when working with SearchEngines, of searching for people by name, when their names are, like mine, prone to being mis-typed, mis-represented, or otherwise?

The thought here being -- with a barely perceptible nod to PeopleProjectsAndPatterns -- that the many different ways a ThirdParty may "write" (for example) the name 'Chris da Silva' could, in all likelihood, get lost in the vast ocean of data that is the PublicDomain of the WorldWideWeb.. such that if I, for example, were to attempt a WebSearch? for topics / website content mentioning my name, and if the author of such content mis-typed my name, I would either

a) miss the content entirely; or
b) need to attempt searches, myself, of each possible iteration I can think of to try to find it.

The greater difficulty being -- in my case especially -- that my name is far from unique! Not only would the correct spelling (using both 'Chris' and 'Christopher') result in numerous SearchEngine results, but the 'mis-spelling' of my name is just as likely to offer hundreds of results, most of which would be for the 'correct spelling' of someone elses name.

So HOW would I approach any sort of 'filtering' to find only pages that mention me? :) (Q3 2005)

More directly in line with Programming and SoftwareDevelopment, I seek guidance and hope someone might AnswerMe: (and fully realising that if/when this section grows, it may be moved to a separate WikiPage of its own; I can only hope that such editor / WikiMaster / WikiGnome will leave a link here - thanks!)

With regards to programming for, say, GameController?s, and considering an example where both MouseDevice? and JoystickDevice? are Active and concurrently recognised by the system (and hence the game), so far most games allow for a choice of one or the other. XOR situation. (If I'm not mistaken, those games which use OR rather than XOR allow each device to 'interrupt' the other.. whether or not that was intended.)

The Question, then:

Assuming two (identical, by brand and model) MouseDevice?s connected via two main USB ports (as opposed to two USB ports on a USB 'hub' connected to one 'main' USB port(i.e. motherboard)), HOW should one approach the coding so as to differentiate between the two incoming signals?

Purpose?

Imagine, for a moment, reverting to older games like Pong, but using one MouseDevice? per person. Or perhaps combat / fighting ArcadeGame?s (a la Street Fighter, or the older Double Dragon).

Concern?

USB allows for multiple devices (up to a limit) to be connected via one main (motherboard) USB port. The USB hardware, in communication with each device, is able to distinguish between each. Once you attach MultipleInstances? of essentially the 'same' device, how does one guarantee the ability of the computer to distinguish between signals of each of the twin devices?

Okay, so I think I've asked rather a lot. My search technique may be so utterly rubbish such that someone may even AnswerMe by saying that this has 'already been done'. I hope that if you do, you might provide me with a URL for reference? I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!

( CategoryHardware, CategoryGameProgramming )

NOW, a bit (a nibble, a byte, or more?) about me, Chris da Silva:

Hong Kong-born Portuguese, British educated, with a University degree in a business major from Purdue in Indiana (USA); I've been messing with computers since my dad sat me down in front of a Sinclair ZX-81 Spectrum...

Long story short, I discovered Wiki (WikiWiki) around the end of 2003, and had only taken time to learn more about it around April 2004 -- hence this page.

I am, inherently, a ProofReader? -- much thanks to all friends and dorm-mates at college who came to me to proof-read their works -- and I'm looking forward to contributing to all forms of Wiki (WikiWiki) and to encourage its acceptance. (Q3 2005) Looks like I can contribute as a part-time WikiGnome. A great opportunity to learn while reading/editing.

I'll let you know when any Wiki-related CultureShock hits me..!

Right. (Q2 2004) First 'draft' -- let's see how this goes.....

Not bad for a first. Still want to figure out how to CR/LF just one line without necessarily leaving a blank line between (e.g.) a paragraph header/title & the body...

Mail

Could not be done! Use bullets. Those: * !

Great Start Chris! Welcome aboard. I had two Da Silva teachers in college in Montreal: one was old-fashioned (and a little nut): he was teaching Roman civilization and his brother was more together and teaching philosophy. Isn't Da Silva also an Italian name? -- Elvis Da Silva.

Thank you.:)I was under the impression that "di Silva" was the "Italian version"..!:]..and I don't like the bullets. Heh. Separated too much. Thanks, though. -- ChrisDaSilva

Reminder to self (and useful pointers for other WikiNewbies) -- see TextFormattingRules and GoodStyle

CategoryHomePage, CategoryNaming (and, for the time being, content of CategoryHardware 1/2 to 3/4 way through, above.)