The life of Sandra Marriott

Posts in category Technology

Today was a good day…

Oct12
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Sandra

First off, please let me start by saying I am NO sysadmin. I do not like dealing with servers other than for basic web stuff.
I have gone as far as installing XAMPP on my work PC so I have a local version of a LAMP server to emulate the server conditions for our various websites.

I have been worrying a lot recently about the level of programming that was going to be required of me for a forthcoming project that will connect our websites at work which are hosted out there on various servers in cyberspace, with our own database server held locally here at work behind a firewall, all via a SOAP interface. Our local database will have to be updated in real time from each of our websites (we have a few…).

I installed a copy of our chosen CMS on my local machine. It all works fine – except that my XAMPP installation doesn’t have a configured SMTP server. Unfortunately, I need the SMTP server to work as due to the fact that there will be various SOAP calls made from links sent in emails from the CMS (such as email validation), so I need to be able to send mail on my own PC. FUN!!

XAMPP comes with MercuryMail but it is not configured – why would it be? Every server setup will be different. After spending an entire day trawling countless web pages to find a way to configure MercuryMail, I stumbled upon this gem http://www.zoe.vc/2008/mercury-mail-transport-system-fur-externe-mail-konfigurieren/?lan=english and hey presto, I now have a working SMTP server on my PC! The thing to understand here is that not every email host will allow relaying through any port. Luckily, anyone can sign up for a Gmail account, and so far, as long as you use port 587 and NOT 25, all seems to be good!

I am actually quite proud of myself for setting up MercuryMail as this kind of thing is not my forte!

Once this was setup, I was able to test the first part of the extension I had written for the CMS in readiness for adding my first SOAP call. And hey presto! The basic form of my extension worked!

So, today was a good day…and long may it last!

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And still they come…

Jul13
2010 1 Comment Written by Sandra

After yesterday’s rant about comment spammers I have today received an email from (yet another company) soliciting work for web design and SEO for the Blackmore Players website.

These people clearly use scrappers to get web address as they haven’t bothered to check our rankings – we’re top 2 for phrases like essex amateur dramatics, essex amdram etc. I know what I’m doing! and the design is quite good now as well – certainly better than it used to be!
The site is clearly about an amateur theatre group, and most people in this country would understand that most amateur sports and arts groups and not going to have the cash to splash on a web agency…there is no real business requirement.

So, please, if you ever get these generic emails that offer web design beyond your wildest dreams, and taking you to the dizzy heights of page 1 on Google without giving any indication they’ve looked at your website (and no, “we’ve looked at your website” does not mean they have), hit the junk button and consign it to the depths of your spam filter.

I do sometimes send out emails on behalf of my web design company that do solicit for business, but it is normally because I’ve heard of a business, looked them up on t’interweb and cannot find them. However, my email will be specifically about the business I am emailing.

Please help us rid the world of shiesters who are just after your money!

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Comment spamming

Jul12
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Sandra

I am so fed up with the comment spam on this site.

I got so angry this morning I outed a spammer who had left their twitter id!

Not only does it waste my time, I get very frustrated with the whole, ‘this is great information’ type comments left on my posts about Pam. If you’re not going to even read the post then you can just go f*ck yourself your moronic retards.
It’s people like this that help keep the reputation of the SEO industry in the sewer.

I use a spam filter so none of that nonsense will ever see the light of day, but you lot wind me up with your inane drivel all with the aim of getting a link back to your pile of piss website where you hope to scam some idiots out of their hard earned cash.

I would just like to say that I do welcome comments from those of you who have actually read the blog post you are commenting on, and if you have something worthwhile to say and want a link back to your own site, then I’m more than happy to oblige, but comment spammers…well, DEATH TO ALL COMMENT SPAMMERS!

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Android kicks Windows Mobile 6 Ass!

Dec30
2009 10 Comments Written by Sandra

I’ve had my new free upgrade to the new HTC Hero running Android for a few weeks now. And I LOVE IT!

You can take your iShite and shove it up your ass! I don’t need to create playlists on my PC and THEN transfer to the phone, I don’t HAVE to download music from iTunes, and the Apple advert tells lies – you can get tens of thousands of Apps for the G2 – only on the iPhone my arse!

My other half had the G1 which was a true Google phone, and he thinks the new G2 is a step backwards, but I am coming from a Windows Mobile 6 platform that was slower than a wounded snail on a go slow! I loved my old MDA Compact IV (T-mobile’s version of the HTC Touch Diamond) and if it had the Android operating system it would have been my most perfect phone since the Nokia 8850 (shhh don’t tell James – Nokia hater!).

The G2 (HTC Hero) is so easy to use and as I am a Google girl, makes it really easy to use my email, calander, picasa, any other Google applications, twitter, facebook, ebay etc. I love my new Hero so very very much.

I’ve downloaded loads of free apps, to help with shopping, to listen to music, to play games – there’s anything you can think of! Favourite so far has to be the barcode scanner app that lets you take a photo of a barcode and search online for alternative places to buy. That and an amazing Sudoku game!

I haven’t been this excited about a phone in years – thought I was getting too old to be impressed by new phones, so I’m pleased someone has finally given me a phone to drool over!

I don’t have a bad word to say about it – for a slightly more balanced view, I’ll post a link to James’ comparison of the G1 and G2 – when he eventually writes one!

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