technoweird

10 Things To Do With Your Old Computer

2008-08-17T10:56:00.000-07:00

1. Create a Server
If you’re into web development or gaming you could turn your old computer into a server. The easiest way to do this would be to install a server OS and possibly buy a few new parts to make it run a little quicker. After this connect it to the internet and away you go. Here are a few tips on setting up your own server.

2. Play Multiplayer Games

Get a family member or friend playing along with you on your favourite multiplayer games. Make sure that your old computer can handle whatever games you’re wanting to play before getting the other person. Most web-based games should work fine on your old system.

3. Install a Different Operating System
Here’s your chance to get to know a different OS. If you’re a Windows person you could install a version of Linux on your old machine. Linux supports a wide range of older hardware. Debian Linux is well suited to slower machines, and it is also friendly and well documented enough for beginners. If you’re a Mac person you could try out Windows XP, or maybe even Windows 98 (old school).

4. Donate Your Old Computer
If you really have no use for your old machine, call your local school or school district and see if they want it. Many districts have minimum donation standards, so be sure to ask. Some PC makers have their own donation programs. Gateway buyers can request a donation form, which, when validated by a recycling center or charity group, entitles them to discounts on future purchases. This will get the computer out of your hands and will help someone out (maybe even giving you a little cash).

5. Turn it into an Aquarium
Lately people have been turning their old CRT monitors into really cool aquariums. Basically you take a perfectly fine but old Cathode Ray Tube monitor, strip it of all of its parts (except for the glass at the front), make it so it doesn’t leak and fill it with a plethora of colourful fish. The upside of this is that you get a really cool aquarium in your house, the problem is with the construction. Unless you build a box and place it inside the monitor, making it leak proof can be a very hard job.

6. Create a media center
Turn your old computer into a media center. Large hard drives are becoming cheaper and cheaper. If you want to upgrade to a new computer but don’t want to leave your old computer in the dust you could just slap in a few large hard drives and turn it into a repository for all of your media. Using Windows XP Media Center you can hook up your TV to your old computer and watch all of the movies you’ve “bought legally” and all of the music files that you’ve downloaded bought.

7. Create a Render Farm
If you’re into editing videos or graphics this will mean more than to your everyday user. A render farm is basically a cluster of computers that are used for the purposes of rendering graphics and/or video. If you had 5 old computers you could network them together and render your videos roughly 5x faster than before. While the cost of electricity, the excess heat caused from having this many computers, and the extra room needed might make you wary of having this many computers, the benefits can be greatly than the costs. Frantic Films provides a great suite of software for your render farm.

8. Take it apart
If you really want to know how a computer works you could take it apart. I’ve taken apart five or six old computers and it really helps you understand how a computer works. Did you ever wonder how a CPU is connected to a motherboard? Are you not sure how to remove a hard drive? Do you want to practice inserting and removing RAM modules? An older computer is an excellent practice PC for maintenance and upgrades.

9. Make an office mascot
This one might seem silly/stupid to some people but I’m being totally serious. During those long days of compiling your code why not make an office mascot out of your old computer. You could dress it up, attach things to it, maybe even attach it to an RC car and have it zoom around. Get creative and I’m sure you’ll have your co-workers laughing at you in no time (maybe they’ll help create it).

10. Drop it from a high building
This is my personal favourite but shouldn’t be done without adult supervision. Now of course if you are an adult go right ahead! Dropping your old computer from a high building can have extremely satisfying results. While this might not be the most environmentally friendly alternative it can provide extremely exciting results as it slams into the earth and smashes into a million pieces. To prep the crash area make sure there is no one standing there. Then drop away and watch it fall to its inevitable grave.

- http://devjargon.com

Geek to Live: How to set up a personal home web server

2008-08-17T10:53:00.000-07:00

A web server is software that continuously runs on a computer and allows other computers to download documents from it. This text that you're reading right travelled over a network connection from Lifehacker's hosting web server to your browser. Web servers are usually loud, scary, headless machines in cold windowless rooms, but you can run one under your desk at home.

Why would you want to run a home web server? Maybe you want to download files on your home computer from anywhere. Like, say, your digital music collection. In this how-to, we'll set up a home web server that lets anyone (with the right password!) connect to your computer and download your MP3's from it, for a nice way to share your music collection with friends, or play a song from your home machine at the office for co-workers.

Please note: Running a server on your home computer is a risky undertaking, and before you start, make sure your computer has all the latest patches and security updates, and that you've done a thorough spyware and virus scan. This tutorial is for advanced users who feel comfortable editing textual configuration files and exposing port 80 on their home computer to the internet. As always, a strong firewall with explicit user-set rules is recommended. Still game? Carry on.

Let's get started.

What you'll need:

1. A Windows PC [1]
2. An always-on broadband (DSL or cable) internet connection

Step 1. Install Apache HTTP server. [2]

First and foremost, disable and stop any other firewall or server software you may have running, including Windows Firewall, Skype, Trillian or any other instant messaging applications. This is extremely important, and if it's not done, can cause the server installation and startup to fail miserably. These programs and services can be started and used again as usual once we're done setting up the web server.

Download Apache HTTP Server from here, using the link next to "Win32 Binary (MSI Installer)." Start the installation wizard. Accept the license agreement and use the default location for the Apache files, in C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\. When you reach the screen prompting for server information, enter your own email address and homeip.net [3] as the domain information, like so:
Complete the installation wizard using the "Typical installation" setting.

When it's done, open your web browser and go to http://localhost/. If the page you see reads, "If you can see this, it means that the installation of the Apache web server software on this system was successful," you're golden. [4]

Step 2. Configure Apache to share documents from the right folder.

Say you want to make your music collection downloadable using your new web server [5], and all your music files are located in C:\Gina\My Music. Using a plain text editor like Notepad, open the C:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\conf\httpd.conf file. This is Apache's configuration file, which looks long and scary, but most of the defaults will work just fine for us. We just have to change a few things.

In this httpd.conf file, comment out the line that starts with DocumentRoot and add another with your directory, like this:

#DocumentRoot "C:/Program Files/Apache Group/Apache2/htdocs"
DocumentRoot "C:/Gina/My Music"

Then, comment out the line that starts with <Directory "C:/Program... and add another with your directory, like this:

#<Directory "C:/Program Files/Apache Group/Apache2/htdocs">
<Directory "C:/Gina/My Music">

Last, about 20 lines below that <Directory line, there is a line that reads:

AllowOverride None

Change it to:

AllowOverride All

When you're done, save httpd.conf. Then, click on the Apache icon in your taskbar and choose "Restart." If Apache restarts successfully [6], you edited your the file correctly. Visit http://localhost/ in your web browser. This time you should see a listing of your music files. Woo-hoo!

Step 3. Password your web site documents.

But we don't want just anyone to be able to download your music. Your bandwidth is precious, and we want to secure things a bit. Let's create a password prompt.

First, open a command prompt (go to the Start menu, choose Run, then type cmd.) Change to the Apache bin directory by typing:

cd "C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\bin"

Then create a password file by typing:

htpasswd -c "C:\Documents and Settings\Gina\my_password_file.txt" gina

Replace the path with the path of your new password file (which should in any folder EXCEPT the web server's document root.) Replace gina with the username you want to use. When prompted, enter the password you want to set up. Once you've done that, a password file will be created.

Now we want to apply that login to your music directory. Open up a new file in a plain text editor like Notepad. Copy and paste the following into it:

AuthType Basic
AuthName "This is a private area, please log in"

AuthUserFile "c:\Documents and Settings\Gina\my_password_file.txt"
AuthGroupFile /dev/null

<Limit GET POST PUT>
require valid-user
</Limit>

Make sure you replace "C:\Documents and Settings\Gina\my_password_file.txt" in the text with your own password file created above. Save this new file IN YOUR WEB SERVER DOCUMENT ROOT (in this case, C:\Gina\My Music) and name it .htaccess. Don't forget the dot in the beginning, before .htaccess. So, in this case, we're saving the file as C:\Gina\My Music\ .htaccess.

Note: If you're using Notepad to create your .htaccess file, when you save the file, put quotes around the filename - ".htaccess" - so that Notepad doesn't automatically put a .txt extension on the file. If there's a .txt file extension, your password won't work!

Now, using your web browser, go to http://localhost/. You should be prompted to log in. Enter your username and password you set up in your password file. Rock!

Step 4. Congratulate yourself. You've got a home webserver running.

If you are NOT behind a firewall, you can access your web server from other computers by typing your computer's IP address into a web browser's address bar. If you're not sure what your IP is, visit What Is My IP to find out. If your IP is 12.34.567.890, then type http://12.34.567.890 into a browser's address bar. [7]

If you ARE behind a firewall (like a wireless router), you'll need to open up port 80 on the firewall and forward it to your computer.

- http://lifehacker.com

A Note to Google Users on Net Neutrality

2008-08-17T10:40:00.000-07:00

The Internet as we know it is facing a serious threat. There's a debate heating up in Washington, DC on something called "net neutrality" – and it's a debate that's so important Google is asking you to get involved. We're asking you to take action to protect Internet freedom.

In the next few days, the House of Representatives is going to vote on a bill that would fundamentally alter the Internet.

That bill, and one that may come up for a key vote in the Senate in the next few weeks, would give the big phone and cable companies the power to pick and choose what you will be able to see and do on the Internet.

Today the Internet is an information highway where anybody – no matter how large or small, how traditional or unconventional – has equal access. But the phone and cable monopolies, who control almost all Internet access, want the power to choose who gets access to high-speed lanes and whose content gets seen first and fastest. They want to build a two-tiered system and block the on-ramps for those who can't pay.

Creativity, innovation and a free and open marketplace are all at stake in this fight. Please call your representative (202-224-3121) and let your voice be heard.

Thanks for your time, your concern and your support.

Eric Schmidt
--> http://www.google.it/help/netneutrality_letter.html

Yahoo Messenger Online Presence To Your Page

2008-08-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

Online presence allows people to see if you are currently online and using Yahoo Messenger. To add online presence, you simply need to add some HTML to your web page.

If a Yahoo! Messenger user clicks your online presence, an instant message window will open for them so they can type you an instant message.

Add YM Online Presence to your page
Copy and paste the HTML text below into your webpage. Be sure to replace out "YAHOO_ID_HERE" with your own Yahoo! ID

--------

<a href="http://messenger.yahoo.com/edit/send/?.target=YAHOO_ID_HERE"><img border="0" src="http://opi.yahoo.com/yahooonline/u=YAHOO_ID_HERE/m=g/t=0/l=us/opi.jpg"></a>

<a href="http://messenger.yahoo.com/edit/send/?.target=YAHOO_ID_HERE"><img border="0" src="http://opi.yahoo.com/yahooonline/u=YAHOO_ID_HERE/m=g/t=1/l=us/opi.jpg"></a>

<a href="http://messenger.yahoo.com/edit/send/?.target=YAHOO_ID_HERE"><img border="0" src="http://opi.yahoo.com/yahooonline/u=YAHOO_ID_HERE/m=g/t=2/l=us/opi.jpg"></a>

<a href="ymsgr:sendim?YAHOO_ID_HERE" border="0"><img src="http://opi.yahoo.com/online?u=YAHOO_ID_HERE&t=5"></a>

<a href="ymsgr:sendim?YAHOO_ID_HERE" border="0"><img src="http://opi.yahoo.com/online?u=YAHOO_ID_HERE&t=6"></a>

<a href="ymsgr:sendim?YAHOO_ID_HERE" border="0"><img src="http://opi.yahoo.com/online?u=YAHOO_ID_HERE&t=7"></a>

<a href="ymsgr:sendim?YAHOO_ID_HERE" border="0"><img src="http://opi.yahoo.com/online?u=YAHOO_ID_HERE&t=8"></a>

<a href="ymsgr:sendim?YAHOO_ID_HERE" border="0"><img src="http://opi.yahoo.com/online?u=YAHOO_ID_HERE&t=9"></a>

<a href="ymsgr:sendim?YAHOO_ID_HERE" border="0"><img src="http://opi.yahoo.com/online?u=YAHOO_ID_HERE&t=10"></a>

<a href="ymsgr:sendim?YAHOO_ID_HERE" border="0"><img src="http://opi.yahoo.com/online?u=YAHOO_ID_HERE&t=11"></a>

<a href="ymsgr:sendim?YAHOO_ID_HERE" border="0"><img src="http://opi.yahoo.com/online?u=YAHOO_ID_HERE&t=12"></a>

<a href="ymsgr:sendim?YAHOO_ID_HERE" border="0"><img src="http://opi.yahoo.com/online?u=YAHOO_ID_HERE&t=13"></a>

<a href="ymsgr:sendim?YAHOO_ID_HERE" border="0"><img src="http://opi.yahoo.com/online?u=YAHOO_ID_HERE&t=14"></a>

<a href="ymsgr:sendim?YAHOO_ID_HERE" border="0"><img src="http://opi.yahoo.com/online?u=YAHOO_ID_HERE&t=15"></a>

<a href="ymsgr:sendim?YAHOO_ID_HERE" border="0"><img src="http://opi.yahoo.com/online?u=YAHOO_ID_HERE&t=16"></a>

Analytical Quiz

2008-07-22T09:44:00.000-07:00

There are 5 houses that have different colors.
In each house, there is a guy from different country.
Each one loves a unique drink, cigarette, and pet.

None of them likes the same drinks, smokes the same cigarettes, or has the same pets with the others.

Question: Who owns a "fish"?

Hints:
The guy from British lives in a red color house.
The guy from Sweden has a dog.
The guy from Denmark loves tea.
The green color house is located right on the left side of the white color house.
The guy in the green color house loves coffee.
The guy who smokes PallMall has a bird.
The guy who lives in the middle likes to drink milk.
The guy in the yellow color house smokes Dunhill.
The guy from Norway lives in the first house.
The guy who smokes Marlboro lives next to the one who has a cat.
The guy who has a horse lives next to the one who smokes Dunhill.
The guy who smokes Winfield loves to drink beer.
Next to the blue color house is where the guy from Norway lives.
The guy from Germany smokes Rothmans.
The guy who smokes Marlboro lives next to the one who drinks water.

Albert Einstein invented this puzzle a century ago. He claimed that
98% of people in the world will not be able to solve this puzzle.

Are you the one in the 2% ????

How to create multiply theme while OFFLINE

2008-07-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

Pretty simple, huh? Now let me explain in details how we gonna do it. Once you master the technic, you'll never want to live without it. Beside save your time, it also speed up your design time. Trust me.

Objective
- make offline copy of your Multiply pages, and
- work on that copies instead

Make offline copy
Open your main Multiply page, and save it to your local space (harddisk, flashdisk, etc.).

But before hitting that [Save] button, make sure you check the option on how you will save that page. To make it simple, save it as "Web Page, HTML only".

You can find this option near the [Save] button. Please remember the location where you save this page. Name this file according to the base theme and page where it comes from, eg. (makoy_mainpage.html)

Then run your favourite text editor
- Linux :gedit/KEdit,
- Mac : textMate
- Windows :Notepad, etc.

and open the HTML you just saved before. Pay attention to the beginning part of the file, like the screenshot below.

You need to change the line which I circled with red color. That particular line will serve as your local theme. So change the line into a local CSS filename, eg. (makoyCustom.css), without any subdirectory information (see the screenshot below). Don't forget to save your changes afterwards.

Still with your favourite text editor, create a new and empty file with the same name as your changes, eg. (makoyCustom.css), and save it as with .css file extension in the same location as your previous HTML. That's why you need to remember the location, as I mentioned above.

That's it! Now open the HTML file in your browser, while working on the text editor with your new theme code. Just refresh the browser each time you need to see the result.

------------------------
Complete offline copy

To overcome the situation when your Internet connection is cut, then save the HTML as "Web Page, complete". By this you will have a single HTML file and a new subdirectory with similar names with HTML file. This subdirectory contains all the necessary files to display the page properly. The disadvantage of this method is, you might have old copy than your current page online.

Important pages

This is a list of pages which I consider to be important for designing theme. I have copies of each of them with every base theme. Depending on your preference, you might not need all of them.

- main page ( http://userid.multiply.com )
- calendar ( http://userid.multiply.com/calendar )
- guestbook ( http://userid.multiply.com/guestbook )
- table view ( http://userid.multiply.com/links )
- contacts/groups ( http://userid.multiply.com/contacts )
- RSS feed info ( http://userid.multiply.com/feed )
- profile ( http://userid.multiply.com/profile )

Make every filename unique with combination of base theme name and source page, eg. makoyCalendar.html, makoyGuestbook.html, etc. And don't forget to change the same line in red accordingly inside those HTMLs.

Now you have an offline collection of theme pages, ready to be used anytime. Another advantage is, you can try new themes by copying the existing CSS code without install it first.

Cheers!!!

Billy Graham : Technology, faith and human shortcomings

2008-07-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

About this talk
Speaking at TED in 1998, Rev. Billy Graham marvels at technology's power to improve lives and change the world -- but says the end of evil, suffering and death will come only after the world accepts Christ. A legendary talk from TED's archives.

Changing the Color of Text and Links in Multiply.com

2008-07-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

- General text on the page
body {
color: ;
}

- General links on the page
a, a:link, a:visited {
color: ;
}

- Text inside boxes:
.itembox {
color: ;
}

- Text in the rail (where you see the headshot):
.rail {
color: ;
}

- User name at the upper right portion of the page:
span.signoutid a, span.signoutid a:visited, span.signoutid a:link {
color: ;
}

- Settings & logout at the upper right portion of the page:
a.signoutid, a.signout, a:visted.signout, a:link.signout {
color: ;
}

- Global navigation bar when logged in (My Multiply, My Site, My Network, Post, Search):
.header .globalnav li.gnopt a {
color: ;
}
.header .globalnav li.gnoptsel a {
color: ;
}

- Global navigation bar when not logged in (My Multiply, My Site, My Network, Post, Search):
.header .globalnav a.select {
color: ;
}

- Links just below the post (edit/delete, share, etc):
.ritemactions a, .ritemactions a:visited, .ritemactions a:link {
color: #900 ! important;
}
.litemactions a, .litemactions a:visited, .litemactions a:link {
color: #900 ! important;
}

- Post dates in the boxes on your main page:
.posteddate {
color: ;
}

- Captions of albums on your Photos pages (if set to thumbnails, of course):
.albumthumbnails, .albumtitle {
color: ;
}

- Captions of videos on your Video pages (if set to thumbnails, of course):
.videothumbnails, .videothumb {
color: ;
}

- Navigation menu links (not 'active' ones):
a.topt, a:visited.topt {
color: ;
}

- Navigation menu links ('active' ones):
a.toptsel, a:visited.toptsel {
color: ;
}

- New navigation links when viewing photos in an album:
div.prevnextphoto a, div.prevnextphoto a:link, div.prevnextphoto a:visited,
div.prevnextphoto table td {
color: ;
}

Of course, you can also change other properties, not only the color, for example:
div.prevnextphoto a, div.prevnextphoto a:link,
div.prevnextphoto a:visited, div.prevnextphoto table td {
color: ;
font-weight: bold;
font-size: 14px;
font-family: sans-serif;
}

Links always have 3 states:
a, a:link --> normal links (not visited/hover)
a:visited --> already visited links
a:hover --> state when you 'mouse-over' a link

And you can set a different color for each one of them, for instance:
a.toptsel {
color: ;
}
a:visited.toptsel {
color: ;
}
a:hover.toptsel {
color: ;
}

PS:
- you can also use this site for the color --> http://wellstyled.com/tools/colorscheme2

- you can also use the color name instead color code

ex:
color: #ffffff; = color: white;
color: #000000; = color: black;

FREE Xoopit Invites

2008-07-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

What is Xoopit?

Supercharge your Gmail

Xoopit is a new way to view your mail. Discover and share all the photos, videos, and files in your Gmail.

Browse photos
The best way to view and share photos in your email

Watch videos
See all the videos your friends are sending you

Manage files
Get out of email attachment hell

for an invite leave your gmail in comment or mail me mark[at]technoweird[dot]com

credit to bobreyes

to may babe

2008-07-19T04:50:00.000-07:00

Fallin
Yeah yeah.. oh hmm I don't know how
I don't know why
But girl it seems
You've touched my life
You're in my dreams
You're in my heart
I'm not myself
When we're apart

Something strange has come over me
A raging wind across my seas
And girl you know that your eyes are to blame
And what am I supposed to do
If I can't get over you
I come to find that you don't feel the same

Cause I'm fallin'
Girl I'm fallin' for you
And I pray your fallin' too
I've been fallin' fallin'
Ever since the moment I laid eyes on you

I lose my step
I lose my ground
I lose my self
When you're around
I'm holding on for my life
To keep from drowning in your eyes
Girl what have you done to me
To make me fall so desperately
To think that I don't even know your name
No, no
How am I supposed to live
If I can't get over this
You decide you don't feel the same

Cause I'm fallin' fallin'
Girl I'm fallin' for you
And I pray your fallin' too
I've been fallin' fallin'

Will you stay or will you go
Heaven, heaven knows what my future holds
Questions, questions linger on my mind
Day break from day break to dark of night
I'm fallin' I don't know what's come over me

Can't you see that I'm fallin' fallin'
Girl I'm fallin' for you
And I pray your fallin' too
I've been fallin' fallin'
Ever since the moment I laid eyes on you

Don't give Microsoft the remote control

2008-06-08T07:27:00.000-07:00

If you put Microsoft at the center of your home entertainment system, be prepared to hand them the remote control, literally.

Following reports that digital television viewers were blocked from recording the new season of NBC's "Gladiators", Microsoft confirmed that it is preventing users from recording the show. They claim they were acting on behalf of NBC, and are in line with regulations set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in disrupting computer usage based upon the so-called "broadcast flag" that was transmitted alongside the show.

A Microsoft spokesperson told CNET News, "...Windows Media Center fully adheres to the flags used by broadcasters and content owners to determine how their content is distributed and consumed."

What is the broadcast flag?

The broadcast flag is a sequence of information transmitted alongside television programs as a kind of digital order telling viewers to not do certain things, such as record the show or share it with a friend.

Many of the large media companies and the FCC tried to make obeying the broadcast flag a law. However, the Electronic Frontier Foundation took the FCC to court, and US Court of Appeals ruled that the FCC had exceeded its authority, and that no such law could exist. Despite this ruling, it appears that Microsoft has decided to work directly with media companies to implement these rules anyway, restricting how and when you watch television.

Building such a system is no trivial task. To do this, Microsoft has gone to great lengths to restrict users from saving a television program to their computers, we call this kind of functionality an "antifeature," because it takes more work for Microsoft to prevent the user from saving the program, than if they were to leave just the default behavior alone. So instead of letting you record programs as you normally would, it locks you out and deletes the show before you can save it.

However, Microsoft hasn't just made a little tweak to their software to do this -- they have compiled an entire system built upon antifeatures. This antifeature platform is integrated into their Windows Media software and forms the basis of their Windows Vista operating system, and they are working hard to convince companies like NBC, that Microsoft can be in control of how and when you get to watch television. As creepy and as ridiculous as it may sound, this is their business strategy, and by getting this control, both the television and movie industry and computer users will be tied to Microsoft software.

Don't be fooled into their claims that they are following regulations by the FCC -- the court ruled that the FCC has no power to make such regulations. This is also claimed as a measure just to stop unauthorized file sharing, yet what Microsoft is doing is trying to make sure that they are on every end of the market, from how it is delivered, to how you watch it. As Ars Technica reporter Jacqui Cheng puts it, this is not about Microsoft preventing people from sharing files without permission, "[i]t's about the ability to strictly control how we consume content"[2].

Microsoft wants to have that control, and this software is the way they are trying to get it. Software that is designed in this way is known as 'DRM', which stands for 'Digital Rights Management', and yet it is really just another way to restriction how consumers interact with things on their own computers and devices. Because of this restriction, we refer to DRM as 'Digital Restrictions Management'.
The alternative to DRM: free software

By far the best way to avoid DRM, is to refuse to use software that is infected with it. Better yet, you should choose software that tries to do the opposite of DRM -- software that gives you complete control. This kind of software is called "free software," and it is based upon the idea that software carries certain freedoms to you:

*

The freedom to use the software for any reason you wish -- including to the ability to hit the save button when you* wish.
*

The freedom to examine how the software works and make changes, similar to a car engine -- you can remove the bugs or soup it up.
*

The freedom to share the software with your neighbor, like photocopying a newspaper article or sharing class notes with a classmate.
*

The freedom to share your modified software with other people, similar to how mathematics and science have worked for centuries.

Now you may not be a computer programmer, or know how to understand or change computer programs, but there are plenty of people out there who do, and they are likely already making the kinds of fixes and changes you'd like to see, or are often part of a community willing to make those changes for you.

There are thousands of free software programmers, and many thousands of free software programs, and even complete free software operating systems. You usually won't find annoying antifeatures in a program, and if there were one, you can rest assured that other programmers will have removed it by the time you get to use it.

Conversely, software that doesn't give you these freedoms is software you cannot control, and we think that kind of software doesn't belong on your computer. We say, 'free software, free society' -- with free software, if we are each in control of our machines, then we are all in control of how we use them and what we use them for.

And, don't let Apple fool you into thinking that they are the alternative to DRM and Microsoft, they, too have their own DRM schemes, and seek to control the world in their own way, from branding their DRM music player, to entrenching the world in their proprietary formats and DRM music purchasing programs.

The alternative to Windows and Apple is software that you control, software that is guaranteed to give you all of the freedoms you need to be in control. Free software.

There is a good chance you are already using free software, directly, such as using the Firefox web browser, or indirectly, by visiting a Web site that is sending you web pages with the Apache web-server. However, there are also entire, user-friendly operating systems that you can install on almost any laptop or desktop computer. So, if you are running Windows or Mac OS, consider replacing these with a free software based GNU/Linux operating system, such as gNewSense[3].

Using free software will take the control out of Microsoft's hands. With free software, you are in control.

[1]: You can read Mako Hill's article on antifeatures, here: http://www.fsf.org/bulletin/2007/fall/antifeatures/

[2]: It should be noted that this writer refers to a person that shares files as a "pirate," we think this is a bit of an extreme description that should be avoided.http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080514-nbc-vista-copy-protection-snafu-reminds-us-why-drm-stinks.html

[3]: gNewSense, a free software distribution of GNU/Linux http://www.gnewsense.org/

badvista.fsf.org

What's wrong with Microsoft Windows Vista?

2008-06-08T07:11:00.000-07:00

Microsoft's new Windows Vista operating system is a giant step backward for your freedoms.

Usually, new software enables you to do more with your computer. Vista, though, is designed to restrict what you can do.

Vista enforces new forms of “Digital Rights Management (DRM)”. DRM is more accurately called Digital Restrictions Management, because it is a technology that Big Media and computer companies try to impose on us all, in order to have control over how our computers are used.

Technology security expert Bruce Schneier explains it most concisely:

Windows Vista includes an array of “features” that you don't want. These features will make your computer less reliable and less secure. They'll make your computer less stable and run slower. They will cause technical support problems. They may even require you to upgrade some of your peripheral hardware and existing software. And these features won't do anything useful. In fact, they're working against you. They're digital rights management (DRM) features built into Vista at the behest of the entertainment industry—And you don't get to refuse them.

DRM gives power to Microsoft and Big Media.

* They decide which programs you can and can't use on your computer
* They decide which features of your computer or software you can use at any given moment
* They force you to install new programs even when you don't want to (and, of course, pay for the privilege)
* They restrict your access to certain programs and even to your own data files

DRM is enforced by technological barriers. You try to do something, and your computer tells you that you can't. To make this effective, your computer has to be constantly monitoring what you are doing. This constant monitoring uses computing power and memory, and is a large part of the reason why Microsoft is telling you that you have to buy new and more powerful hardware in order to run Vista. They want you to buy new hardware not because you need it, but because your computer needs it in order to be more effective at restricting what you do.

Microsoft and other computer companies sometimes refer to these restrictions as “Trusted Computing.” Given that they are designed to make it so that your computer stops trusting you and starts trusting Microsoft, these restrictions are more appropriately called “Treacherous Computing”.
Even when you legally buy Vista, you don't own it.

Windows Vista, like previous versions of Windows, is proprietary software: leased to you under a license that severely restricts how you can use it, and without source code, so nobody but Microsoft can change it or even verify what it really does.

Microsoft says it best:

The software is licensed, not sold. This agreement only gives you some rights to use the software. Microsoft reserves all other rights. Unless applicable law gives you more rights despite this limitation, you may use the software only as expressly permitted in this agreement. In doing so, you must comply with any technical limitations in the software that only allow you to use it in certain ways.

To make it even more confusing, different versions of Vista have different licensing restrictions. You can read all of the licenses at

http://www.microsoft.com/about/legal/useterms/default.aspx.

It's painful to read the licenses, and this is often why people don't object to them. But if we don't start objecting, we will lose valuable freedoms. Here are some of the ridiculous restrictions you will find in your reading:

* If your copy of Vista came with the purchase of a new computer, that copy of Vista may only be legally used on that machine, forever.
* If you bought Vista in a retail store and installed it on a machine you already owned, you have to completely delete it on that machine before you can install it on another machine.
* You give Microsoft the right, through programs like Windows Defender, to delete programs from your system that it decides are spyware.
* You consent to being spied upon by Microsoft, through the “Windows Genuine Advantage” system. This system tries to identify instances of copying that Microsoft thinks are illegitimate. Unfortunately, a recent study indicated that this system has already screwed up in over 500,000 cases.

Free software like GNU/Linux does not require you to consent to these absurd licensing terms. It is called free software because you are free to make as many copies as you want, and to share it with as many friends as you want. Nobody will be monitoring your actions or falsely calling you a thief.
What you can do to help protect your freedom

There is a battle underway between those who value freedom, and corporations such as Microsoft who wish to profit by taking that freedom away. DRM and absurd licenses are at the heart of that battle. Please join us on the side of freedom by saying NO not just to Windows Vista and other DRM-enabled products, but to proprietary software in general. Instead, use non-DRM, “free” software such as the GNU/Linux operating system. You can get your work done while ensuring that your rights and freedoms will not be restricted now and into the future.

badvista.fsf.org

Fedora Project leader on Fedora 9

2008-06-08T06:56:00.000-07:00

Find out about the new features in Fedora 9 straight from the source–Paul Frields, the new Fedora project leader. He talks with us about the massive changes in KDE4, the new (and improved) LiveUSB features, and the many, many people that helped get Sulphur off to a running start.

What Windows V.I.S.T.A Means

2008-06-08T06:50:00.000-07:00

Wallpaper featuring a quote by Steve Ballmer.

Favicon for your webpage

2008-06-07T23:08:00.000-07:00

A "favorite icon" or favicon (pronounced fav-eye-con) is a 16x16 pixels icon that appears next to a website's URL in the address bar of a web browser. If you are using a browser that supports tabbed browsing, the favicon will also appear next to the page's title in a tabbed document interface. If you look at the top of this page, at the left hand corner of the address bar,

That is the favicon for this blog. If you are using Firefox or Opera, you will also see that icon in the tab. If yours is a personal blog, a good icon will be your personal photo.

Adding a favicon to your blog is a good way to distinguish your blog from the millions of other blogs. To add a favicon, you need to generate a .ico format file, a place to host the file and add 2 link elements in the section of your template. To generate the .ico file here and to host it, you can go to multiply, blogger and google webpages. You need to have ready a roughly square graphic saved to your hard disk.

Copy and paste the favicon link after the tag

<link rel="icon" href="YOUR LINK"> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="YOUR LINK">

replace the YOUR LINK with your Favicon URL like this --> http://i25.tinypic.com/2elgq5d.jpg so it becomes:

<link href='http://i25.tinypic.com/2elgq5d.jpg' rel='icon'/><link href='http://i25.tinypic.com/2elgq5d.jpg' rel='shortcut icon'/>

My Name Means

2008-06-07T22:53:00.000-07:00

What Mark Anthony Diaz Means

You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated.
You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want.
You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. And you'll knock down anyone who gets in your way!

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.
You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.
You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.
You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.
You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.

You are a seeker of knowledge, and you have learned many things in your life.
You are also a keeper of knowledge - meaning you don't spill secrets or spread gossip.
People sometimes think you're snobby or aloof, but you're just too deep in thought to pay attention to them.

You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people.
You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts.
You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life.
You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home.
You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble.

You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out.
Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia.
Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person.

You are well rounded, with a complete perspective on life.
You are solid and dependable. You are loyal, and people can count on you.
At times, you can be a bit too serious. You tend to put too much pressure on yourself.

You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in.
You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising.
You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row.
You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace.
People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality.

You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.
You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.
You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.

You are incredibly wise and perceptive. You have a lot of life experience.
You are a natural peacemaker, and you are especially good at helping others get along.
But keeping the peace in your own life is not easy. You see things very differently, and it's hard to get you to budge.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Love Stories : Ang Comsci at ang Anomaly

2008-06-07T22:22:00.000-07:00

Isa akong logical na tao. Logical, ibig sabihin hinahanap ko ang mga rason para sa mga bagay at nagdedesisyon din ako base sa mga rason na ‘to. Mahilig akong magisip, at ito ang paborito kong pastime. Nakakalibang ang algebra, at math naman ang paborito kong subject. Mabilis rin ako sa minesweeper. Sigurado akong kaya kong ibreak ang record mo. Pati na rin siguro sa tekken kaya kitang karnehin. Na-solve ko rin ang rubik’s cube nang walang nagtuturo. At kahit nung bata pa lang ako kung kelan pa lang ako nagsisimulang magisip, sisiw lang kahit yung pinakasopistikadong jigsaw puzzle. At oo, bago pa man ako mag-aral, nung mga tatlong taon pa lang ako, sa unang beses kong makakita ng game-and-watch, sinabi ko sa sarili ko na balang araw e gagawa ako nito. Tamang tama, parang planado, at naging comsci nga ako.

Planado na ngang talaga, at parang kalkulado ko lahat ng mga mangyayaring sunod sa buhay ko. Hawak ko ang Algorithm, ang perpektong Pseudocode ko. Lahat ng mga mangyayari alam ko na, na parang program na ako mismo ang sumulat. Oo, lahat.

Lahat siguro alam ko na.

Pwera ka.

Oo, pwera ka. Ikaw lang siguro yung hindi ko nakalkula. Malamang nga, ikaw pa lang yung nakarating dito sa pinaka-loob ko kung saan nakasulat ang matibay at napaka-walang maling source code ko. At doon nagsimula. Nakaramdam ang robot. Nakalimutan nya ang rason, at nagsimula syang malito. Biglang ikaw na lang yung naging rason. Ikaw na lang. Bakit, sino ka nga ba? Kung ikaw ang millenium bug, malamang hindi ako Y2K ready. Wala akong alam sa ganitong sitwasyon, pero bakit parang ikaw na lang ang alam ko? Unang beses ‘to sa buong buhay ko, sa tinagal ng run-time ng algo ko, pero kung Tekken ang buhay, eto ako, naka-hold ng forward, hindi man lang nag-tag, at handa nang mamatay.

Ikaw pa lang siguro yung nakarating dyan sa source code ko, o sa pinaka-kaluluwa ng isang taong katulad ko kung tawagin, kung saan ako pinaka-mahina, pinaka-hindi nagiisip, pinaka-talunan. Ano bang ginawa mo, at parang gusto kong sabihin sa buong mundo na mahal na kita? Hindi. Hindi lang siguro yun dahil sa mga mata mo na kaya akong lunurin, pero maging masaya pa rin na nalunod ako. Hindi. Nawala na ang rason, pero bakit parang wala pa ring mali?

Kung Java program ako, isa kang Exception na hindi ko alam i-throw. At siguro, kung sa C, kahit magcompile hindi ko na magawa. Ikaw ang Anomaly ng Matrix ko, at kahit si Agent Smith o Merovingian e natalo mo. Ikaw na nga ang “why”, pati ba ang “what” ikaw pa rin? Sabihin mo naman sa akin kung pano mo ‘yon ginawa. Bakit? Ikaw ba yung The One? Kung ikaw nga, at alam kong ikaw nga, sana ayos lang sa’yo.

Alam kong sinabi ko na sa’yo lahat, pero hindi ko alam kung naniwala ka. Pasensya na kung wala na akong magawang iba para maniwala ka. Salita. Yun lang. Pero hindi naman kasi “mahal kita” lang yung gusto kong sabihin e, marami pang iba. Hindi ko lang alam kung pano sabihin, o kung ano yung katumbas nun sa salita. Oo, hindi ko mahanap yung salita. Kahit siguro saan language – kahit sa C++ o Java, Pascal o Cobol, VBScipt o JavaScript. Kahit sa mas kumplikadong Assembly Language, o machine language. Kahit sa mga 1s at 0s ng binary, mga true o false ng boolean, o kahit saan pa.

Pagpasensyahan mo na ang nakayanan ng isang comsci na walang alam sa salita, pero ngayon, uulitin ko, at maghihintay ako sa sasabihin mo, kahit kailan pa yon at kahit anuman yon, gaya ng sinabi ko sa'yo: Mahal kita...

If Operating Systems Ran The Airlines

2008-06-07T22:00:00.000-07:00

UNIX Airways
Everyone brings one piece of the plane along when they come to the airport. They all go out on the runway and put the plane together piece by piece, arguing non-stop about what kind of plane they are supposed to be building.

Air DOS
Everybody pushes the airplane until it glides, then they jump on and let the plane coast until it hits the ground again. Then they push again, jump on again, and so on...

Mac Airlines
All the stewards, captains, baggage handlers, and ticket agents look and act exactly the same. Every time you ask questions about details, you are gently but firmly told that you don't need to know, don't want to know, and everything will be done for you without your ever having to know, so just shut up.

Windows Air
The terminal is pretty and colourful, with friendly stewards, easy baggage check and boarding, and a smooth take-off. After about 10 minutes in the air, the plane explodes with no warning whatsoever.

Windows NT Air
Just like Windows Air, but costs more, uses much bigger planes, and takes out all the other aircraft within a 40-mile radius when it explodes.

Windows XP Air
You turn up at the airport,which is under contract to only allow XP Air planes. All the aircraft are identical, brightly coloured and three times as big as they need to be. The signs are huge and all point the same way. Whichever way you go, someone pops up dressed in a cloak and pointed hat insisting you follow him. Your luggage and clothes are taken off you and replaced with an XP Air suit and suitcase identical to everyone around you as this is included in the exorbitant ticket cost. The aircraft will not take off until you have signed a contract. The inflight entertainment promised turns out to be the same Mickey Mouse cartoon repeated over and over again. You have to phone your travel agent before you can have a meal or drink. You are searched regularly throughout the flight. If you go to the toilet twice or more you get charged for a new ticket. No matter what destination you booked you will always end up crash landing at Whistler in Canada.

OSX Air
You enter a white terminal, and all you can see is a woman sitting in the corner behind a white desk, you walk up to get your ticket. She smiles and says "Welcome to OS X Air, please allow us to take your picture", at which point a camera in the wall you didn't notice before takes your picture. "Thank you, here is your ticket" You are handed a minimalistic ticket with your picture at the top, it already has all of your information. A door opens to your right and you walk through. You enter a wide open space with one seat in the middle, you sit, listen to music and watch movies until the end of the flight. You never see any of the other passengers. You land, get off, and you say to yourself "wow, that was really nice, but I feel like something was missing"

Windows Vista Airlines
You enter a good looking terminal with the largest planes you have ever seen. Every 10 feet a security officer appears and asks you if you are "sure" you want to continue walking to your plane and if you would like to cancel. Not sure what cancel would do, you continue walking and ask the agent at the desk why the planes are so big. After the security officer making sure you want to ask the question and you want to hear the answer, the agent replies that they are bigger because it makes customers feel better, but the planes are designed to fly twice as slow. Adding the size helped achieve the slow fly goal.

Once on the plane, every passenger has to be asked individually by the flight attendants if they are sure they want to take this flight. Then it is company policy that the captain asks the passengers collectively the same thing. After answering yes to so many questions, you are punched in the face by some stranger who when he asked "Are you sure you want me to punch you in the face? Cancel or Allow?" you instinctively say "Allow".

After takeoff, the pilots realize that the landing gear driver wasn't updated to work with the new plane. Therefore it is always stuck in the down position. This forces the plane to fly even slower, but the pilots are used to it and continue to fly the planes, hoping that soon the landing gear manufacturer will give out a landing gear driver update.

You arrive at your destination wishing you had used your reward miles with XP airlines rather than trying out this new carrier. A close friend, after hearing your story, mentions that Linux Air is a much better alternative and helps.

Linux Air
Disgruntled employees of all the other OS airlines decide to start their own airline. They build the planes, ticket counters, and pave the runways themselves. They charge a small fee to cover the cost of printing the ticket, but you can also download and print the ticket yourself.

When you board the plane, you are given a seat, four bolts, a wrench and a copy of the seat-HOWTO.html. Once settled, the fully adjustable seat is very comfortable, the plane leaves and arrives on time without a single problem, the in-flight meal is wonderful. You try to tell customers of the other airlines about the great trip, but all they can say is, "You had to do what with the seat?"

Mininova Heads Towards 5 Billion Downloads

2008-06-07T21:32:00.000-07:00

The Pirate Bay may get all the headlines, but BitTorrent directory Mininova continues to grow. Stats from the site above (some are public, some via a non-published link) show the site is quickly racing towards 5 billion downloads after having only passed 4 billion February 18.

On comparison, Mininova comes out ahead on traffic. The Pirate Bay doesn’t offer a download figure, only concurrent users, with the site having passed the 10 million user mark in January. Both Alexa and comScore rank Mininova in front of The Pirate Bay, Alexa ranks The Pirate Bay at 101 to Minivova’s 52. comScore records over 30 million monthly page views for Mininova to Pirate Bay’s 24 million.

The break down of what is being downloaded is interesting. Video (movies and TV) make up 60% of the downloads on Mininova vs 19.55% for music. TV Shows are the most popular category at 38.7%; if we presume the music industry is broken based on illegal downloading, wouldn’t the demand for TV shows also demonstrate that the TV business is in trouble as well, even as services like Hulu try to offer a legal alternative?

One thing that can be taken away from these stats: that BitTorrent isn’t going away, its general usage and acceptance in the community is accelerating despite attempts by the RIAA and others to harass users.

- techcrunch

Yahoo Messenger Multiple Log-In

2008-06-07T21:27:00.000-07:00

after i decode some Y8Multi.exe i saw something you can login with multiple id's on the same yahoo messenger without any download or patch. :D

as you can see the image there is 2 yahoo messenger, 1 is my old yahoo account and 1 is my default account.

there is a 2 steps, the hard step and the easy step.

hard step here
- Go to Start --> Run or use Windows Keyboard Logo + r for vista. Type regedit, then hit enter.
- Navigate to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER
---> Software
---------> Yahoo
------------> Pager
---------------> Test
- On the right pane, right-click and choose new Dword value .
- Rename it as Plural.
- Double click and assign a decimal value of 1.

easy step here
- open notepad (i hope you know where you find notepad)
- on the notepad window type these

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Yahoo\pager\Test]
"Plural"=dword:00000001

- after you type it save the notepad with .reg extension name (your_file_name.reg for example)
- after you save it go the location where you save then right click on the file and choose Merge

That's it done!
Now close registry and restart yahoo messenger.
For signing in with new id open another messenger

okay, para hndi magmukang joke ang lahat see may system tray

as you see my system tray there is a 3 yahoo messenger icon ;D

that's it

Cheers! :D

Translator Bar Widget

2008-06-07T21:16:00.000-07:00

its my rebuild version of Translator Bar Widget, you can use in your blogsite

old version

new version

<br /><center><br /><form action="http://www.google.com/translate"><br /><br /><script language="JavaScript"><br /><!--<br />document.write ("<input name=u value="+location.href+" type=hidden>")<br />// --><br /></script><br /><br /><input value="en" <br /> name="hl" type="hidden"/><br /><br /><input value="UTF8" <br /> name="ie" type="hidden"/><br /><br /><input value="" name="langpair" type="hidden"/><br /><br /><input onclick="this.form.langpair.value=this.value" title="Arabic" value="en|ar" type="image" height="22" src="http://mark.diaz13.googlepages.com/Arabic.gif" width="32" name="langpair"/><br /><input onclick="this.form.langpair.value=this.value" title="Chinese Simplified" value="en|zh-CN" type="image" height="22" src="http://mark.diaz13.googlepages.com/Chinese.gif" width="32" name="langpair"/><br /><input onclick="this.form.langpair.value=this.value" title="Dutch" value="en|nl" type="image" height="22" src="http://mark.diaz13.googlepages.com/Dutch.gif" width="32" name="langpair"/><br /><input onclick="this.form.langpair.value=this.value" title="French" value="en|fr" type="image" height="22" src="http://mark.diaz13.googlepages.com/French.gif" width="32" name="langpair"/><br /><input onclick="this.form.langpair.value=this.value" title="German" value="en|de" type="image" height="22" src="http://mark.diaz13.googlepages.com/German.gif" width="32" name="langpair"/><br /><input onclick="this.form.langpair.value=this.value" title="Chinese Traditional" value="en|zh-TW" type="image" height="22" src="http://mark.diaz13.googlepages.com/Chinese.gif" width="32" name="langpair"/><br /><input onclick="this.form.langpair.value=this.value" title="Greek" value="en|el" type="image" height="22" src="http://mark.diaz13.googlepages.com/Greek.gif" width="32" name="langpair"/><br /><input onclick="this.form.langpair.value=this.value" title="Hindi" value="en|hi" type="image" height="22" src="http://mark.diaz13.googlepages.com/Hindi.gif" width="32" name="langpair"/><br /><input onclick="this.form.langpair.value=this.value" title="Italian" value="en|it" type="image" height="22" src="http://mark.diaz13.googlepages.com/Italian.gif" width="32" name="langpair2"/><br /><input onclick="this.form.langpair.value=this.value" title="Japanese" value="en|ja" type="image" height="22" src="http://mark.diaz13.googlepages.com/Japanese.gif" width="32" name="langpair2"/><br /><input onclick="this.form.langpair.value=this.value" title="Korean" value="en|ko" type="image" height="22" src="http://mark.diaz13.googlepages.com/Korean.gif" width="32" name="langpair2"/><br /><input onclick="this.form.langpair.value=this.value" title="Portuguese" value="en|pt" type="image" height="22" src="http://mark.diaz13.googlepages.com/Portuguese.gif" width="32" name="langpair2"/><br /><input onclick="this.form.langpair.value=this.value" title="Russian" value="en|ru" type="image" height="22" src="http://mark.diaz13.googlepages.com/Russian.gif" width="32" name="langpair2"/><br /><input onclick="this.form.langpair.value=this.value" title="Spanish" value="en|es" type="image" height="22" src="http://mark.diaz13.googlepages.com/Spanish.gif" width="32" name="langpair2"/><br /></form></center><br />

Top 10 Paying Technology Majors

2008-06-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

#1 Information Technology Management

* Average Annual Salary - $107,830

IT managers supervise information technology departments and ensure that all systems run smoothly. Students who major in information technology management earn a significant salary after graduation. Earnings are often dependent on employer and experience level, but in general, IT professionals with an MBA earn 46 percent more than IT pros with a bachelor's degree.

#2 Database Administration

* Average Annual Salary - $85,092

Students who major in database administration work with database systems to ensure that everything is secure, organized and working properly. Most database administrators work for search portals, Internet service providers, government agencies and data processing firms. Earnings can vary by industry; database administration majors who work in computer systems design and similar industries tend to earn the most.
#3 Software Engineering

* Average Annual Salary - $84,122

Software engineering majors develop and test computer software and systems. Most software engineers specialize in either systems or applications. On average, engineers who work with systems earn slightly more than those who work with applications. A bachelor degree is almost always necessary for either specialization, but a graduate degree is usually preferred.
#4 Video Game Programming

* Average Annual Salary - $80,886

Video game programmers work with various software systems to program games for computers, consoles, and other gaming devices. Students who specialize in video game programming earn an average of nearly $66,000 in entry-level positions. Programmers with more than six years experience can earn in excess of $100,000.
#5 Computer Programming

* Average Annual Salary - $71,623

Computer programming majors write and test computer programs. A degree is not always required, but it is easier to secure a job with some type of education or certification. Most programmers start out at nearly $50,000. The best paid programmers earn $100,000 or more per year.
#6 Web Development

* Average Annual Salary - $68,571

Web developers create and program content for a website. Although a degree is not always required in this industry, many employers prefer to see some type of education or proof of expertise. Most web developers start out at around $50,000 and earn in excess of $80,000 after accumulating a few years of experience.
#7 Network Engineering

* Average Annual Salary - $68,391

Network engineering majors are responsible for the design and implementation of Local Area Networks and Wide Area Networks. A degree is almost always a must to secure a position as a network engineer, and certifications are highly recommended. Network engineers with more than five year of work experience can easily earn $90,000 or more.
#8 System Administration

* Average Annual Salary - $66,388

System administration majors design, install and maintain computer systems. Some system administrators are also responsible for supporting entire networks. A degree is not always required; experience and certifications can sometimes be substituted for a formal education. However, system administrators who have at least a bachelor's degree tend to earn the most.
#9 Network Management

* Average Annual Salary - $64,638

Network managers manage a variety of different networks, including computer networks and fiber optic networks. Students who work in network management may end up working as an operator, administrator or planner. Experienced network management professionals can earn almost twice as much as entry-level professionals.
#10 Game Designer

* Average Annual Salary - $61,538

Game designers make video games for computers, consoles and other gaming devices. A degree is not always required to work as a game designer, but it will be helpful. Although the video game design industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the tech sector, the field is very competitive.

From: DegreeDirectory

FTP Codes

2008-06-07T21:03:00.000-07:00

The following codes appear in the 'dialog' box within your FTP program.
These codes come from the FTP server, telling you the status of your requests.

For example, when you attempt to connect to an FTP site the server returns codes 150 (Connecting) and code 226 (Complete).

Below you'll find a list of the FTP return codes with an explanation of what each means.

500 Series: The command was not accepted and the requested action did not take place.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
500 Syntax error, command unrecognized. This may include errors such as command line too long.
501 Syntax error in parameters or arguments.
502 Command not implemented.
503 Bad sequence of commands.
504 Command not implemented for that parameter.
530 Not logged in.
532 Need account for storing files.
550 Requested action not taken. File unavailable (e.g., file not found, no access).
551 Requested action aborted. Page type unknown.
552 Requested file action aborted. Exceeded storage allocation (for current directory or dataset).
553 Requested action not taken. File name not allowed.

400 Series: The command was not accepted and the requested action did not take place, but the error condition is temporary and the action may be requested again.
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421 Service not available, closing control connection.This may be a reply to any command if the service knows it must shut down.
425 Can't open data connection.
426 Connection closed; transfer aborted.
450 Requested file action not taken.
451 Requested action aborted. Local error in processing.
452 Requested action not taken. Insufficient storage space in system.File unavailable (e.g., file busy).

300 Series: The command has been accepted, but the requested action is dormant, pending receipt of further information.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
331 User name okay, need password.
332 Need account for login.
350 Requested file action pending further information

200 Series: The requested action has been successfully completed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
200 Command okay.
202 Command not implemented, superfluous at this site.
211 System status, or system help reply.
212 Directory status.
213 File status.
214 Help message.On how to use the server or the meaning of a particular non-standard command. This reply is useful only to the human user.
215 NAME system type. Where NAME is an official system name from the list in the Assigned Numbers document.
220 Service ready for new user.
221 Service closing control connection.
225 Data connection open; no transfer in progress.
226 Closing data connection. Requested file action successful (for example, file transfer or file abort).
227 Entering Passive Mode (h1,h2,h3,h4,p1,p2).
230 User logged in, proceed. Logged out if appropriate.
250 Requested file action okay, completed.
257 "PATHNAME" created.

100 Series: The requested action is being initiated, expect another reply before proceeding with a new command.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
110 Restart marker reply. In this case, the text is exact and not left to the particular implementation; it must read: MARK yyyy = mmmm where yyyy is User-process data stream marker, and mmmm server's equivalent marker (note the spaces between markers and "=").
120 Service ready in nnn minutes.
125 Data connection already open; transfer starting.
150 File status okay; about to open data connection

techcrunch : Single User Interface For Twitter And FriendFeed

2008-05-07T03:47:00.000-07:00

Note: Unless you are a Twitter and/or FriendFeed addict, this post isn’t for you.

Twitter / FriendFeed desktop client Alert Thingy just released version 1.3 of the software.

It is now a fully functioning client for both services (reading and writing). They’ve also added an easy Flickr uploader - just drag a photo into the application and upload it to Flickr.

The thing I like most about the new version of Alert Thingy though is that you access Twitter and FriendFeed in a single window and a single interface (Twhirl, a competitor, requires two windows). That means less desktop space is used. They are also de-duping Twitter messages (since they also appear in FriendFeed), a nice touch.

Switching between Alert Thingy, Twhirl and even the newer browser sidebar with similar functionality is trivially easy - there are no real switching costs. That means all of these products will be in a constant battle over features. That’s great for us users. And since Alert Thingy and Twhirl are more side projects for their parent companies (Alert Thingy is built by Howard/Baines, Twhirl is owned by Seesmic (a company I invested in), there’s little danger of one app driving the other out of business.

Im now planning to switch back to Alert Thingy based on the new features. The current version of Twhirl is freezing periodically as well, requiring regular restarts.

- techcrunch