A big boost for RSS

June 24th, 2003

[Original Link] I love the BBC.

Strong Typing vs. Strong Testing

June 24th, 2003

[Original Link] Bruce Eckel on why Python programs, even fairly substantial systems, can work so well despite it being such a weakly-typed language. Python has been my favourite language for about six or seven years now, though when I want a GUI I usually use the web, and hence usually write PHP code because it’s so tightly integrated with Apache. PHP, though, is just PERL with some of the more horrific parts taken out. Neither can ever achieve the elegance and readability of Python.

Frodo failed

June 23rd, 2003

A friend sent me this image entitled “Frodo failed” – I think it’s brilliant.

Amusing picture

Quote seen in a mail signature

June 22nd, 2003

All men are mortal. Socrates was mortal. Therefore, all men are Socrates.

(Woody Allen)

[untitled]

June 19th, 2003

It’s only as I start setting up a new machine with a hosting company that I realise how much I liked my old Cobalt RaQ. This new machine comes with Ensim’s WEBppliance software, which is pretty good, but not as good as Cobalt’s. I’m writing some notes which might help anyone else just starting with Ensim after being used to more regular Linux machines.

Great URLs of our time….

June 18th, 2003

[Original Link] Neil McIntosh writes:

I thought Who Remembers Me (in Web watch) had an amusing URL — http://www.whoremembersme.com/ — in accidentally incorporating whore members, but this pales before the URL used by Powergen’s Italian company, http://www.powergenitalia.com/
Thanks to the current NTK #294 for the link. [onlineblog.com]

WET11 ethernet bridge & DHCP

June 17th, 2003

This will be of little interest to most people, but somebody may find it on Google and be grateful! I have seen a few queries about this out there, and I’ve hit the problem twice recently, so I thought it worth posting.

If you a have a WET11 wirless ethernet bridge or similar product, and you’re having problems getting DHCP to work across it, it may be that your DHCP client is not setting the ‘broadcast bit’ in its DHCP query. I fixed this on my Linux DHCP server by adding:

always-broadcast on;

at the appropriate point in /etc/dhcpd.conf. See the dhcpd.conf man page for more info.

Right of reply

June 16th, 2003

[Original Link] If I criticise you in my blog, you may soon be able to demand the right of reply. Perhaps. An article by Declan McCullagh is causing some concern on Slashdot, where they’re wondering what would happen if Microsoft decided to respond to every criticism!

Still, this is only in Europe and may not be enforceable even here. I wonder if adding an unmoderated ‘comments’ feature to a blog would be enough to satisfy the legislation?

Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’

June 12th, 2003

[Original Link] Walt Mossberg gives a very balanced account of his experiences with a Segway. Pun intended. [Thanks to John Naughton for the link.]

Internet calls to challenge telephone companies

June 10th, 2003

[Original Link] Dan Gillmor on the inevitability of internet telephony. We use it regularly for most of our transatlantic calls….

Wonderful news

June 4th, 2003

[Original Link] At long last, Apple’s splendid iSync is starting to support a much larger range of devices.