Recent Posts

7626

Living Room / Re: So Apple really is a religious thing...

« Last post by 40hz on May 19, 2011, 03:42 PM »

FWIW - I primarily use what I can afford.

"Coolness," "personal choice" and "best of breed"  doesn't usually figure into the equation for me. "Good enough" is truly good enough in my world. But more out of necessity than anything else.

Which is why I need to know a bit more about the technology I own than the person who can go buy whatever they want and be done with it.

"Use it up, wear it out, re-purpose, improvise, make do - or punt!" as the saying goes. 

And I think this applies to about 80% of all computer users.  

7627

General Software Discussion / Re: Need proxy software to capture outbound http requests

« Last post by 40hz on May 19, 2011, 03:19 PM »

pfsense on one of these babies is pretty sweet. We used them at 4 different locations at my last job. Only problem we had was with some VPN flakiness that came down to a particular security setting that we had to disable (just a minor security feature - the underlying encryption remained).

- Oshyan

-JavaJones (May 18, 2011, 09:35 PM)

pfsense is also an excellent option, and probably a better choice than Smoothwall at this point if you're willing to put a little effort into "grokking" what is a much more powerful security product. Time well spent IMO. We plan on moving our clients who have not subscribed to their ISP's managed router/firewall service over to it in the near future whenever possible.

There's an excellent 4-part tutorial/how-to for pfsense over at SmallNetBuilder's website. The fourth part gets into logging and may have eactly what you're looking for. You can find the first part of the series here.

Note: SmallNetBuilder    is an excellent resource, so spend a little time browsing it when you get a chance. It's perfect for someone in your line of work. Highly recommended.  


----

Another solution you might consider if network security is a concern  is something called Untangle. I've waxed poetic about this product before so I won't repeat my earlier comments. There is a very capable free version available, and non-profits can subscribe to the full version at the same discount rate offered educational institutions.

7628

Living Room / Re: Superboyac's backup strategy revisited (revised for 2011)

« Last post by 40hz on May 19, 2011, 03:05 PM »

RAID isn't a backup strategy per se. It's a strategy for data redundancy and recovery in the event of hardware failure. RAID can figure into a backup strategy - but it's not a substitute for backing up.

RAID is also oversold. IMO it's only really useful for use on a server when mirroring (RAID1) the drive holding the operating system. That provides fail-over in the event one drive unit dies.

The only problem with this strategy on a home server is the quality of the RAID controller card or subsystem on the mobo. Quality and reliability of these "consumer" or "semi-pro" controllers varies a great deal from the more expensive and better designed "enterprise" controllers.

If your RAID controller doesn't have it's own CPU and RAM, it's "consumer grade" - and you have been warned. I've seen these types of controllers malfunction and corrupt both drives in a mirror far more often than I've seen the drives themselves fail. If you do use inexpensive RAID controllers to mirror your boot drive, do yourself a favor and take periodic recovery snapshot images. Because sooner or later - you're gonna need them.

I'm seriously thinking the next home server I build is going to be configured to use laptop-type 2.5" form factor drives. They're smaller, more energy efficient, and shock resistant than regular SATA drives. And there are some new home servers already set up to use them which look quite promising. I'll likely keep minimal amounts of user data (MyDocuments, etc.) on it, and use an external array for most of my heavy (i.e. libraries and archive) storage requirements to avoid heat issues in the server case. Something from Synology, Sonnet Technologies or Granite Digital will probably be what I use for that part.

Check out the following sites for reviews and product info:

ServeTheHome  
SmallNetBuilder  
MyHomeServer
WeGotServed

 

7629

General Software Discussion / Re: Easier way of learning HTML

« Last post by 40hz on May 19, 2011, 06:55 AM »

@techidave - Cool! Guess they changed their mind about it. Their webpage said:

You can read the book online free of charge, or you can download the complete PDF file for a small charge. Refer to the links on the right hand side of the page.

Thanks for the update.

7630

General Software Discussion / Re: Need proxy software to capture outbound http requests

« Last post by 40hz on May 18, 2011, 08:15 PM »

+1 w/skwire on Smoothwall. It's a great solution. I have several clients using it. It's easy to set up and use. And it doesn't require too much hardware to run effectively. Highly recommended. And the price is right. 

7631

General Software Discussion / Re: Need proxy software to capture outbound http requests

« Last post by 40hz on May 18, 2011, 07:15 PM »

The other thing you could do is set up a caching web proxy server and direct all network DNS requests through that. An examination of the logs would tell you what people were looking at.  But that would likely require it's own machine for best results.

As skwire mentioned it may be possible to do it on your gateway device too. Most have the ability to maintain a log of whatever network activity they handle. Usually you just tell it what you want to monitor along with the IPAddress of the admin machine on the network you want to send the data to.

But maybe it's easiest and best to just tell them all Internet use is monitored and not worry about productivity unless it obviously needs improving.

Also important - get legal advice before you start monitoring employees if they didn't have to sign a paper saying they were aware monitoring could be taking place when they started working for you. It's a legal grey area in some places. And in some states there's rules for what can be monitored, what notices need to be given, and how you're allowed to go about it. The rules vary from place to place, so do get a professional opinion before you start watching people.

Just my 2¢ 

7632

General Software Discussion / Re: Easier way of learning HTML

« Last post by 40hz on May 18, 2011, 12:09 PM »

Download a copy of the excellent (and free!) 350-page The Web Book and work your way thought it. Info and download links can be found here.

Excellent guide.  

Update: I just noticed they've introduced a fee to download the PDF since I got my copy. the online version is still available at no charge. I'm sure there are also websites that still have the PDF free for download if it's a problem for people on a really tight budget. Send the author your thanks with a small contribution once your finances improve if you go that route.  

7633

Living Room / Re: Worlds leading experts...How is this status given?

« Last post by 40hz on May 18, 2011, 11:57 AM »

@40hz - You really should consider publishing that dictionary of yours. It may actually save the world through laughter.

-Stoic Joker (May 18, 2011, 11:28 AM)

Thanks, but it's a little too snarky in most places to really be funny in a good way. I mostly use as a personal therapy exercise. People might get the wrong (or possibly the entirely correct) impression of me if it ever got out in it's unexpurgated form.

Bierce's Devil's Dictionary earned him "The Bitter Bierce" as his lasting sobriquet. And he pulled way more punches in his book than I do in mine.  Even my ever supportive GF has rolled her eyes at some of my 'definitions' and asked: "Is everything all right?" when she read them.

7634

Living Room / Re: Worlds leading experts...How is this status given?

« Last post by 40hz on May 18, 2011, 10:34 AM »

Ah cool.

All I have to do is find a brothel to solve the world's leading problems

-Daleus (May 18, 2011, 10:08 AM)

Wow! Never thought of doing that.

So that explains why you so often catch people in 'high places' frequenting brothels.

Mystery solved!

7635

Living Room / Re: Worlds leading experts...How is this status given?

« Last post by 40hz on May 18, 2011, 09:58 AM »

from the 40hz Dictionary:

"World leading expert" (n.) - (1) One who's education and experience has gained sufficient notoriety such that his or her opinion is valued above that of the more common fool. (2) A term to be placed on one's business card or website in order to fill an awkward whitespace. (3) The author of any book which has sold at least one million copies.

Since it is obvious the world is going to hell in a hand-basket, we may only surmise it is those who so expertly "lead the World" who should be held mainly responsible.

Actual usage may vary depending upon context:

In common parlance: anyone who has won a Nobel Prize or similarly distinguished themselves in their field of expertise.

In the press: anyone with a graduate degree, or extensive experience, who is willing to talk to a reporter.

In politics: any university professor or Ph.D. whose 'expert' opinion coincides with a favored political agenda. (see also: prostitute)

7636

General Software Discussion / Re: Need proxy software to capture outbound http requests

« Last post by 40hz on May 18, 2011, 07:00 AM »

+1 w/Renegade.

There are some easier to use products than Wireshark. But many are just Wireshark tricked out with a fancy UI and a 'pretty' report module. They all basically do the same thing. And most aren't free. So if it's not for business use, it can be hard to justify spending the money on them.

FWIW Wireshark's not that hard to set up or understand if you're willing to do a little reading and spend some time with it.

Just out of curiosity, what nefarious web use are you looking to check up on.  

7637

General Software Discussion / Re: Automatic document creation. How?

« Last post by 40hz on May 18, 2011, 01:08 AM »

There's a category of software called 'test generators' that will do some, but probably not everything you're trying to accomplish here. Their primary function is to generate random tests based on your selection criteria (random, weighed by subject, difficulty, etc.) from a pool of questions. Most have export options to word, PDF, and other formats. They're fairly utilitarian - so the output, while very legible, may not be up to what you're looking for if you're using InDesign. Most text publishers get around this by doing a formal "pretty typography" textbook and then include a less polished looking test booklet. Most customers for test review products don't seem to mind.

One program that's popular is PrimeExam. I had a client who did corporate training that used it. It seemed to get the job done.

A Google search for "test generator" will net you a selection of similar programs to explore.

Framemaker is an excellent program for creating large structured documents as JJ mentioned above. It's similar to InDesign, but the underlying product philosophy and workflow methodology is different enough that there will be a learning curve. Framemaker isn't a particularly difficult program to use. But it's also not a program that's easy to use correctly and effectively unless you put the time in to understand what it's about.

 

7638

Living Room / Re: Recommend some music videos to me!

« Last post by 40hz on May 17, 2011, 01:27 PM »

A recent concert with David Gilmour and Roger Waters doing Comfortably Numb:

http://www.facebook....5558573&comments

If you're a Pink Floyd fan, it's a must see.

-Renegade (May 17, 2011, 11:15 AM)

Gratifying and depressing at the same time when you think of how many years of great performances and music their fans missed out on due to that interminable squabble they were having (or still have?)...

Maybe they too have grown "comfortably numb" enough to realize it's finally time to bury that hatchet.  

But next time somebody please put a Fender Precision™ in Rodger Water's hands? He's still one of the best rock bassists that ever took the stage. And teamed up with Dave Gilmore's Stratocaster, it's a match made in heaven.

7639

General Software Discussion / Re: Software recommendations for writers

« Last post by 40hz on May 17, 2011, 11:14 AM »

You know how the average user is: not gonna send in a report of a problem.  Nothing like having even just one or two 'testers' you can count on.  Hard to come by sometimes.  

-kyrathaba (May 17, 2011, 10:14 AM)

@tajuta - you might consider pre-announcing your major new releases here with a link and ask for feedback. There's enough technically saavy people at DoCo interested in this type of app that you should get some very reliable and relevant feedback. Especially if you point out you're the developer. That makes it almost "family."

7640

Living Room / Re: Wooden Horse Art

« Last post by 40hz on May 17, 2011, 10:09 AM »

If only you could seesaw a stabler future...

-Stoic Joker (May 17, 2011, 06:42 AM)

Hey, will you stop trying to stirrup trouble?

-cranioscopical (May 17, 2011, 09:29 AM)

Yeah. It's not one bit worth the snaffle.

7641

Developer's Corner / Re: AttachMate/Novell Lays Off People - Mono Hit

« Last post by 40hz on May 17, 2011, 07:34 AM »

I wish them all the best even though I still think Mono development (without a formal "understanding" with Microsoft in place) is a very big mistake.

And I hope I'm wrong about that.   

7642

General Software Discussion / Re: Software recommendations for writers

« Last post by 40hz on May 17, 2011, 07:27 AM »

@tajuta - Yes indeed. A very big welcome from all of us at DonationCoder. Please don't be a stranger. Small developers are a big part of what Mouser's website is about.

7643

General Software Discussion / Re: Anyone using Silverlight?

« Last post by 40hz on May 16, 2011, 06:27 PM »

Me.

The Microsoft Partner website's training materials.

You have no choice.  

But I haven't experienced any problems (or epiphanies) while using it so I don't really care.

7644

Living Room / Re: Wooden Horse Art

« Last post by 40hz on May 16, 2011, 06:24 PM »

Is that Equine Pine they're using?

7645

Living Room / Re: The end of the line for cursive writing

« Last post by 40hz on May 16, 2011, 06:19 PM »

After all, how hard can it be to spell bee?

-cranioscopical (May 16, 2011, 05:14 PM)

Aunt Bea would someday like be a bee but it's just not possible.  

-skwire (May 16, 2011, 06:01 PM)

Well, at least she can still be a WASP.

7646

Living Room / Re: The end of the line for cursive writing

« Last post by 40hz on May 16, 2011, 06:18 PM »

negate the justification for spelling bee competitions

-40hz (May 16, 2011, 09:11 AM)

After all, how hard can it be to spell bee?

-cranioscopical (May 16, 2011, 05:14 PM)

Leigh says: Don't you mean 'beigh'? 

7647

General Software Discussion / Re: email troubles

« Last post by 40hz on May 16, 2011, 06:16 PM »

If I recall correctly, this only happened with messages originating from an AOL account.

-40hz (May 16, 2011, 03:16 PM)

Gotta love those nested headers, Clicking open attachment over and over for each time its been forwarded (usually about 50) ... Kinda hard to believe a mess like that can manage to not be corrupt really.

Sorry if you were trying to be kind about that little detail, but it's a pet peeve of mine.

-Stoic Joker (May 16, 2011, 05:00 PM)

I hear ya! Let that knock fall where it will.  

7648

General Software Discussion / Re: PC Lock software for "Free"

« Last post by 40hz on May 16, 2011, 06:14 PM »

They'ed be arresting us for what?

-Stoic Joker (May 16, 2011, 05:23 PM)

40hz: You'll never take me alive.

Government:  Works for us.



 

7649

General Software Discussion / Re: PC Lock software for "Free"

« Last post by 40hz on May 16, 2011, 03:51 PM »

By the way, slightly off-topic or tangent  query- : I have one seagate usb hard disk with capacity 320GB, is there any chance i can lock such drives with some sort of password when they're accessed ?

-mahesh2k (May 16, 2011, 03:17 PM)

Two words (besides the obvious two): Axcrypt and Truecrypt.  

-40hz (May 16, 2011, 09:27 AM)

40hz already gave the 2 most obvious away  

-Ath (May 16, 2011, 03:32 PM)

Thankee Ath! I think so too!

Best bet is TrueCrypt.

There's a good step by step how-to here.

There's a much more 'geeky' introduction and walk through here. Well worth watching. Cracking!

But before you do any of that, take the time to watch this video.

It features Eric Cole of the SANS Institute discussing things you need to know about and think about before you commit to using encryption as a method of safeguarding your data. In it he points out several pitfalls to "whole disk" encryption - and where the real danger to your data comes from - even if you do use encryption.

Nice little "get your head on straight intro" to the topic. It only takes five or so minutes - and the fact 'Doc' Cole looks just like a squirrel (with a Noo Yawk accent no less!) makes it even more fun.

TrueCrypt can be set up in "traveler mode" for portable use, which is what I'd recommend.

If you don't like TrueCrypt, and you're looking for something you can run from as opposed to on your flash drive to encrypt and use your files anywhere, check out the portable applications listed here.

For individual files or folders, rather than whole drive encryption, Axcrypt  (in it's portable version) is a very good choice.

I've used both.

I prefer TrueCrypt.

7650

General Software Discussion / Re: email troubles

« Last post by 40hz on May 16, 2011, 03:16 PM »

I used to occasionally encounter that if the email had an attachment. Usually it was a PDF that was causing the problem although I also saw it happen with GIFs. Probably something in the attachment process caused a malformation of the email which resulted in an inbox hang in my mail client. Saw it happen mostly when using Thunderbird, although I had clients run into it with MS Outlook as well.

If I recall correctly, this only happened with messages originating from an AOL account.

I never got to the bottom of exactly what caused this hassle. After a time it went away by itself. It's only every so often it crops up then disappears again. Most times it's only for a day or two when it does. Which makes me believe it's definitely something on some ISP's server.

Don't know if any of this helps.