previosuly mentioned one site that was using my GPL‘d theme.

Further on that particular aspect, somebody in Panama bought schestowizt [sic.] dot com only a few days ago. Should I feel flattered as my site is only 13 months old? Can this registration be an attempt to ‘absorb’ IBL‘s from some misspellings? I continue to wonder, but I came accoss an article titled “Para-Sites that Live Off Misspellings of Bigger, Better Sites” Just to clarify, my family name is very rare so it could not have been a coinidence.

A quick whois.net record lookup returns:

Registrant:
   Unasi Inc. (SCHESTOWIZT-COM-DOM)
   Galerias 3
   Zona 5, Panama 5235
   Panama
   +1.3094067818
   +1.3094067818
   info@domaincar.com
   
   Domain Name: SCHESTOWIZT.COM
   Status: PROTECTED

Administrative Contact:
   Unasi Inc. info@domaincar.com
   Galerias 3
   Zona 5, Panama 5235
   Panama
   +1.3094067818
   Fax- +1.3094067818

Technical Contact, Zone Contact:
   Unasi Inc. info@domaincar.com
   Galerias 3
   Zona 5, Panama 5235
   Panama
   +1.3094067818
   Fax- +1.3094067818

Record last updated on 13-Sep-2005.
Record expires on 13-Sep-2006.
Record created on 13-Sep-2005.

Domain servers in listed order:

Name Server: NS1.MY-NAME-SERVER.COM
Name Server: NS2.MY-NAME-SERVER.COM
Name Server: NS3.MY-NAME-SERVER.COM

As I compose this item, I am told by Trevor from nntp://alt.www.webmaster that the same guys snatched a domain that he had dropped. I suppose it is indeed just a case of so-called ‘para-sites’, which I consider to be flattery.

I actually noticed that my site keeps climbing in Google quite rapidly. For example, a search for ‘roy‘ had me ranked 248^th in June, 151^st in July, 99^th in August and now I appear in the top 50! Google sourcers have recently shown some interest in me; specifically, the position of System Administration/Software Engineer that maintains the google.com site. I wonder if I am permitted to blog about this. After all, I am still employed by the University…

EVERAL months ago I read about a Macromedia (now acquired by Adobe) manager who was very much afraid from a Microsoft response to Flash. A response as such was the only thing that kept him awake at night.

The Windows maker is now releasing Sparkle, which is a Flash equivalent, striving to become a ‘Flash Killer’. While there are many people who would be glad to see Flash die¹, they would not like to see a replacement, especially not one which suffers from poor cross-platform compatibility.

My guesstimate is that Microsoft will stick to their aggressive nature in order to penetrate the market, nudging Flash aside in the process. With control over so many computers, they will be able to manipulate user preferences, exploiting an existing monopoly. Does anyone still remember Lotus? It is only one among dozens of examples. Moreover, having faced proprietary formats like wma and wmv (audio and video respectively), I know that they aim to maim competing platforms (as a side-effect perhaps). Tools that promote such formats are provided by default along with bundled software for Windows users. It is common knowledge that tools which get bundled with the operating system promote proliferation by serendipity.

What are the implications to those who snub Flash already? Some of us will not need to block not only Flash, but also Sparkle, which means a bloat in terms of plug-ins. It is worrying that a Flash equivalent will soon be bound to a vendor of a platform. Very scary it must seem that the target for Sparkle output is the open Web. That is when media serves as a promotion for the operating system while crippling the opposition. I, for one, fear such technologies.

As regards unoriginality of the name, would it not be similar to renaming their Web browser Firedog? The words flash and sparkle are almost analogous (Macromedia Fireworks comes to mind too). This is by no means the first time Microsoft are copying names, slogans, or graphics.

Related item: Microsoft to Fight PDF’s

¹ Along the lines of “Flash is evil”; confer Jakob Nielson, a Web usability authoritative figure.

A heat map showing regions where high volumes of spam come from

WO sites have recently been Slashdotted, both of which provide ‘spam maps’:

• Mailinator (jump directly to map) – an almost real-time spam map, which is refreshed every few minutes and builds upon the Google Maps API
• TrustedSource Portal – seems like a service surprisingly similar to service above, which was Slashdotted only two weeks beforehand

Was there truly really a point in recommending two tools which do practically (or roughly) the same thing? The two tools are quite similar, but one could argue that they complement one another.

OR anyone with interest in the subject of security and data recovery, I hereby link to finalised slides from my presentation yestersay.

• PC Security in a Connected Environment (XHTML)
• Basics of Data Recovery (XHTML)

Both parts were composed with the audience of Ophthalmic surgeons in mind. Expect them to cover the subjects at a relatively shallow level. I am pleased to say that my session is said to have been “well-structured and delivered”.

N previous write-ups, I was repeatedly referring to modern computers that cost no more than $300 in western countries. See, for example, Expensive Developers, Cheap Hardware or Dirt-Cheap Computers. I was also once referring to the death of commercial software due to Open Source software (OSS) and pre-loaded operating systems, wherein not much user intervation or skills are required. Plenty of software gets bundled, which makes the O/S base very self-contained. So how much cheaper can computers truly get? There was some chattering about $100 computers last year. It now turns out that Intel’s cost of chips (processors) is $40 per unit.

Published: September 13, 2005, 11:18 AM PDT

Though Pentium 4s can sell for up to $637, Intel’s average cost for making a chip comes to $40, according to a report from analysts In-Stat.

The report doesn’t consider expenses related to design or marketing…

Let us remember that inexpensive computers are a big step not only towards penetration into poor homes. This can make the difference between a business with 100 workstations or 2o0 workstations, where both options may equal in term of the total cost. IBM recently suggested that Linux TCO is 40% lower than that of Windows. As Linux continue to mature, this large gap in terms of cost should continue to increase.

One can easily identify case studies where a company greatly benefits from a saturation of low-cost machines. Google, which is a Linux ‘poster child’, can afford to distribute and operate very many servers which crawl the World Wide Web. Had it not been for OSS, where would they be? One might add the fact that OSS is significantly more effective in terms of performance once compared with alternatives. It is sometimes difficult to get those facts heard, however, as it take funds to launch a propaganda.

APSKAT from COLA (nntp://Comp.Os.Linux.Advocacy) composed a very hilarious essay, which I was granted permission to duplicate. If you use Linux/Mac and possess fundamental knowledge of Windows, you will probably find the following hilarious.

Dear Abby…

Help! My computer is sick!!!

It really is, it’s got to be something serious!

Before, when I ran Windows, my computer never overstressed itself. It knew the importance of frequent breaks and had no problem letting me know when it was tired or just didn’t feel like doing anything. It took naps when it wanted, rebooted often and never did more than its share. It was always crying out for attention when it wanted it, it made me feel like I was special and truly needed for its survival. I used to shower it with expensive anti-malware programs and security software, frequent scandisks and defrags, cleaned it up often to keep it running happily along. I made sure I kept it safe from all the bugs and nasties running rampant out in the cruel world. I took it to the shop ever so often so it could be groomed and tuned up. Everything was fine!

It all started when I installed this “Linux” on it. Now, my computer just works all the time, it never takes a break! It just keeps on going and going like it was a machine! It never asks for a reboot like it used to all the time, it never rests. I’m really concerned for it, it’s like a constant workaholic, always ready to do something else, no matter how massive the task is – stuff that it wouldn’t even think of doing before! It’s downright scary I tell you! I’m really afraid that it’s going to hurt itself, but it never seems to mind at all.

Before, it was constantly crying out for attention and care. Now, it never asks for anything, it’s like it’s some sort of automaton just waiting for the next task to complete. It doesn’t slow down, it doesn’t reboot, it doesn’t require the loving care and attention it used to demand all the time. It doesn’t even succumb the to malware and nasties that used to be its major phobia. It’s like it doesn’t even care about them anymore, and it refuses to even run the anti-virus I paid so much for. It takes care of itself as if it were self-sufficient and only needs me to give it stuff to do!

It doesn’t even want all of the expensive gift software I bought for it, it comes with all of its own programs and they are all workaholics too! They do all the stuff the expensive software I bought even better and faster, but it didn’t cost me anything. I didn’t even have to go out and download them, they came with this new Linux thing.

Please, I’m begging you..what’s wrong with my dear computer? What happened to the cuddly, bloated, expensive powderpuff it used to be, and who is this sleek powerful workhorse of a beast in front of me? Please help me, I’m so confused!

Signed

  CompuConcerned

Related item: Reasons to Use Linux

DE.ORG has announced the availability of a gallery containing previews of KDE 3.5 alpha. Only yesterday, OSDir.com published a comprehensive from-start-to-finish gallery of SuSE Linux version 10, beta 3. A wide variety of window managers is shown in action; even the installation process.

More of state-of-the-art KDE screenshots:

• KDE Plasma
• KDE-Tiger Intersection