JERVIS DOT WS

IE8, Standards Mode

IE8 (Due out later this year), will render in “Standards Mode” by default.

Web developers of pages that work nicely in IE7 and nothing else can request IE8 to use IE7’s mode via the “http header/meta tag approach”. Hopefully this move will enable much better cross browser and developers of troubled sites will invest the time in becoming standards compliment.

A big thank you to the IE team for doing the right thing for the future of the Web.

More Info:

Firefox Add-ons

I like to browse with Firefox from both Windows & Linux, and find a number of plugins useful. I have just installed these on my freshly reloaded laptop and that reminded me to share them with you all.

British English Dictionary – Allows spell checking of forms and text fields
IE Tab – Windows only but good for viewing sites that rely on IE’s rendering engine (EG: OWA)
SwitchProxy Tool – Great for testing Proxy Servers
HTML Validator – Useful for checking web code
Firebug – Edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page
FaviconizeTab – Allows you to reduce tab to favicon size, ideal for email etc

Updated: 2009-02-17 to include Firebug
Updated: 2009-08-25 to include FaviconizeTab

/TAGCLOUD /TAGGED

I have had New Tag Cloud installed on my blog for a while but have not go around to sorting the CSS & HTML to display it how I wanted. However, a new version has been released, 0.3, and I have upgraded and sorted out getting it set up. I also upgraded my WordPress install at the same time. You can see my Tag Cloud in the right hand side bar. Enjoy!

Leap Year???

Well, if you were on site installing exchange on leap year day then you have my sympathy. In a series of news items, the reasons for techies everywhere having problems have been reviled, and not just for problems with Exchange.

First, the 25-year-old leap year bug infesting Microsoft Excel…
Next hit, Exchange, SQL Server 2008, Windows Small Business Server, and Windows Mobile.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/04/microsoft_admits_to_exchange_leap_year_bug/

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/04/sql_server_hit_by_leap_year_bug/

User contributed content, any value?

When users write content, is it of any value? Do we trust what we read? Can we trust what we read?

Let me ask you a question, do you value this? I am only a user, just like you. So does this make my words valuable or worthless, the answer is one only you know. The choice you make however is yours and only yours, one man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure.

Take this one step further, what about other sites? Social Networking sites and blogs, readers should be aware that the source or quality of data maybe questionable. But if the site looks genuine, how do you know? Well this is what people should learn, validation and picking trusted sources. Do you use this site as a source for information, or my opinion? Is it the same thing? You decide.

Where does this leave “open” sites like wikipedia, millions could edit the content, it could be very poor quality… However, in reality any open system has less contributors than its possible to have, and you normally find they strive for quality. This is true in some of these “open source” style sites like wikipedia as it is in the open source software community.

I trust the majority of content on wikipedia, you may not. Some people strive for quality content, some have another motive. The bottom line is that the user must be given the skills to make these choices.

We are the Web

We have moved from a time when the web was written for us, a source for information, published by big companies and geeks. Now we are all the web, whether we are geeks or not. With the latest changes to the way people interact online being a good example. “I will put the pictures on my profile” you can here one person saying to another in the pub. Many people live an online life, and don’t even realise it.

Web services will become easier and easier to interact with, we will see the lines between off line and online merge even further, as do desktop and laptop. Devices will be even more internet friendly, and still remain small enough to carry with you. An ever increasing number of applications will work through your browser, not be installed on your PC. Technologies like Ultra-wideband and WiMAX will help expand our ever connected world, locally & globally.

The web is alive, we are powering it.

Windows & FOSS

A number of people ask me:

Where is the best place to buy office?
Do you know any good sites to get freeware and shareware?
Where can i get a free app to do…..

So here is my answer to them, they run windows, they don’t know about FOSS, they may never run Linux or even take the time to consider it. Why not start people on the road to a greater understanding about software as well as giving them a great app. OpenDisc replaces TheOpenCD project of days gone by, and its a great thing. One disk packed full of great quality FOSS for Windows.

Don’t just show them one app, give them a disk full of apps, then tell them there is much more where that came from!

OpenDisc also provide a nice list of apps that are on the disk, available here. Maybe next time you help some one with their PC, or re-load windows for them, see if you can install some or all of these apps. They will thank you in the long term.

BBC iPlayer Update

I am a bit behind on postings lately, but I have been meaning to post about another iPlayer development. Its now available through a streaming service, based on flash. This helps people on non-microsoft platforms access the content. It is also quick and easy to use, if you have a quick ish connection (Its ok on my 1mb ADSL). Good Work BBC.

See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Moving a MySQL Database

I have moved hosting provider, and I have had to move the database too. Here are the commands I used to shift the database from one server to another.

To export the database:

mysqldump -h DBSERVER -u DBUSER -p DBNAME > DBNAME.sql

Substituting DBSERVER with the hosts adddress, DBUSER with your MySQL username on the current server and DBNAME with your database name. You will be prompted for your password, after you will have a file in the current working directory called DBNAME.sql containing your entire database.

To import the database:

mysql -h DBSERVER -u DBUSER -p DBNAME < DBNAME.sql

Again substituting DBSERVER, DBUSER and DBNAME but thistime with your new servers information. You can also change the database name and user at this point, providing the change is reflected in your web apps config.