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I agree that anyone questioning this issue should read these books.

Also, understand that databases come in sizes and scales, too. Indeed, this often comes up in solicitations for job applicants to work with such databases. One such value point is whether or not table unloading/reloading is a "reasonable operation" or not. There are databases of tens of gigabyte size, typically up to 100 million rows (assuming some average bytes per row), for which doing maintenance can involve an unload or, at worst, some kind of fast export. Then there are bigger ones for which this is an entirely unreasonable thing to do for which maintenance must be done using the same SQL interface that updates and queries on it are done.

One thing the Greenspun books can show you is that there are other ways of using databases in the construction of Web sites besides as simple containers for accounting, purchasing, or clickstream data. In particular, one can serve pieces of Web pages from the database and images stored as blobs. This is especially easy if one uses a facility like MetaHTML. This does, of course, have the side effect of placing those pieces fetched that way beyond the reach of search engines. OTOH, some sites want to achieve precisely that effect.

Let's try an experiment - Decide which of the following quotes are from Andre, and which are from Zippy the Pinhead:

1. "Thus we may have finally won the removal of CPRM from your HARD DRIVE!!
2. "OKAY!! Turn on the sound ONLY for TRYNEL CARPETING, FULLY-EQUIPPED R.V.'S and FLOATATION SYSTEMS!!"
3. "WOOHOO WOOHOO WOOHOO WOOHOO WOOHOO WOOHOO!!!!!!! "
4. "BINGO! Give that DOG a DOOLY from the FAIR! (GOOD MORNING!!!!, again)"
5. "Tex SEX! The HOME of WHEELS! The dripping of COFFEE!! Take me to Minnesota but don't EMBARRASS me!!"
6. "This new command could be used a seed for encrypting content, but before you go NUTS - This command is only reporting sections of the IDENTIFY page command. NOT TO WORRY, 30 (thirty) minutes and the HACK to disable it is complete...... "
7. "I'm thinking about DIGITAL READ-OUT systems and computer-generated IMAGE FORMATIONS.."

answers below

Farther down.

Here they are!

Answers:

1. Andre
2. Zippy!
3. Andre
4. Andre
5. Zippy!
6. Andre
7. Zippy!

IN a more serious vein, it does sound like the hard drive problem either won't happen or will be easy to overcome... YOW!

ZOW!

Seems like metahtml is a similar tool and is open source; it was used to create the outstanding zippy the pinhead filter, which makes all web browsing a pleasure. I only wish there was a way to integrate the zippy filter into my everyday life so I could filter conversations, meetings, and television programs through it....

Seems like metahtml is a similar tool and is open source; it was used to create the outstanding zippy the pinhead filter, which makes all web browsing a pleasure. I only wish there was a way to integrate the zippy filter into my everyday life so I could filter conversations, meetings, and television programs through it....

Maybe it works different, but if I had any reason to view Bank of Amerika's pages now, it would be through the zippy filter. Fuck 'em!

Zippy the Pinhead writes with some welcome news:

Remember the RealNetworks vs. Now I'm having INSIPID THOUGHTS about the beautiful, round wives of HOLLYWOOD MOVIE MOGULS encased in
PLEXIGLASS CARS and being approached by SMALL BOYS selling FRUIT.. Streambox case a few weeks
ago? Well, the judge has decided to lift the injunction against Streambox. .. Now I think I just reached the
state of HYPERTENSION that comes JUST BEFORE you see the TOTAL at the SAFEWAY CHECKOUT COUNTER! They can
now resume developing and selling their nifty RealAudio tools."


...It's the only way to read slashdot!
---
pb Reply or e-mail; don't vaguely moderate.

They state that the smeG server and the Zippy metaHTML servers are gone, but the Zippy server can be found here.

If you're working for a corporation building a marketing website, it's extremely funny stuff. Microsoft has blocked it somehow. Check out some /. goodness:

Book Reviews: The New, New, Thing
Posted by JonKatz on Friday October 29, @09:34AM EDT
from the Seeing-Over-Horizons-in-Silicon-Valley dept.
Michael Lewis' "The New, New Thing" focuses on mythic Silicon Valley entrepeneur (and Netscape founder) Jim Clark to explain how Silicon Valley really works. He is the MELBA-BEING... the ANGEL CAKE... XEROX him... XEROX him -- It's a great read, but the author perhaps admires his ego-maniacal subject a bit too much.
( Read More... | 8741 bytes in body )

Linus Torvalds Turns 30 and the Kudos Roll In
Posted by Roblimo on Friday October 29, @09:12AM EDT
from the never-trust-anyone-over-30 dept.
Roberth Edberg writes "The Swedish birthday congratulationlist for Linus Torvalds (creator of Linux) is increasing every minute. Look! A ladder! Maybe it leads to heaven, or a sandwich! Will he have an world record in individual birthday congratulations? Even the Swedish Linux World site, made news about it. It was a JOKE!! Get it?? I was receiving messages from DAVID LETTERMAN!! YOW!! Why not follow the example and make lists for your own country?" Linus Torvalds turned 30 yesterday, October 28, 1999. Happy (belated) birthday, Linus!

Look what it did to a story on the front-page of slashdot:

Roberth Edberg writes "The Swedish birthday congratulationlist for Linus Torvalds (creator of Linux) is increasing every minute. How do you explain Wayne Newton's POWER over millions? It's th' MOUSTACHE... Have you ever noticed th' way it radiates SINCERITY, HONESTY & WARMTH? It's a MOUSTACHE you want to take HOME and introduce to NANCY SINATRA! Will he have an world record in individual birthday congratulations? Even the Swedish Linux World site, made news about it. Wow! Look!! A stray meatball!! Let's interview it! Why not follow the example and make lists for your own country?" Linus Torvalds turned 30 yesterday, October 28, 1999. Happy (belated) birthday, Linus!

rOD.
--

Hey, thanks for posting that. I thought we might as well use it to do the obvious:

Hackers. You can't even use the word without ticking someone off. Life is a POPULARITY CONTEST! I'm REFRESHINGLY CANDID!! Upholders of the status quo hate that the existing state of affairs is being undermined by sociopathic cybervandals.
[...]
Of course, we don't endorse hacking of any kind. But it's an integral part of Web culture, and like anybody else, we love a sensational story. I'm meditating on the FORMALDEHYDE and the ASBESTOS leaking into my PERSONAL SPACE!! So read on for our favorite hacks of all time

The Zippy filter is still around. For anyone who hasn't seen it, you should really check it out. It's just about the funniest thing on the web: http://www.metahtml.com/apps/zippy /welcome.mhtml

Since it hasn't been mentioned yet, I will add Meta-HTML to the list. My company uses it for everything, including our intranet. I have built an object oriented module for it that offers a MOOish functionality -- which in my opinion is the best solution for an intranet.

www.metahtml.com

Contact me for info on the OOM/MOO.

Their stuff is at http://www.metahtml.com/. You can make an online shopping cart fairly easily, and the old version is GPL'd. Personally, though, I think the syntax of the language sucks... I wouldn't use it for any large projects.

PHP3 is a much nicer language, and is MUCH more powerful. There are a few shopping cart systems written for it you could tweak into whatever you want. Check the sample code links from http://www.php.net/