You are incorrect, it can be used to stop the page loading at all - before the first HTML/XML tag is sent to the browser.
In this case, and most other Slashdottings, the site is brought down by too much legitimate HTTP traffic - especially when large images and screenshots are involved.
Such PHP code (or similar ASP code) will drastically reduce the effect of a Slashdotting - to the point that (ideally) the server may continue to serve content to users who didn't come from Slashdot.
I personally like Slashdot, however if you dont, why do you visit the site and why do you have a username? Why do you flame me with your username and not as an AC?
our goal should be that every webpage should work with Firefox!!!
As a web developer, my goal is to make every page 100% W3C compliant. It is up to the end-users to pick the most secure and standards compliant browser, and the browser developers to make their browser secure and standards compliant.
At home and work, I use Mozilla instead of FireFox. Having Mozilla Mail and Mozilla Navigator open simultaneously all day just makes sense, plus there are more preferences at my fingertips without resorting to about:config. I dont see any benefit to switching to FireFox and Thunderbird. But on a box where I dont want mail and dont use it all the time, FireFox is my browser of choice.
that will get lazy IE-centered webdevelopers off their b*tts
Many web developers in corporate environments are instructed what browser(s) to support, and/or the technologies they are instructed to use are clearly defined by project managers or the lead developer. Unfortunately deadlines can also be strict, meaning time is only available to test on MSIE.
My point (finally)... some IE-centered developers are not lazy. Some are very talented, but their hands are tied. For example, at my new(ish) job, most pages use JavaScript and MSXML to fetch and render content. There are presumably hundreds of thousands of lines of code - the cost and time required to rewrite would be astronomical. I dislike this situation, and am pushing for Mozilla/Safari support and portable server code (Mono, PHP, MySQL/PostgreSQL, etc). I am being listed to, and it looks like new projects will be browser independent. My next goal is server independence;-)
IMHO I wouldn't say very responsive, I would say more responsive. This is on my P3 450 MHz with 640 MB RAM. Of course YMMV on a spanky P4 - in a better way!
I assumed that the cause was GTK however I didn't want to present something as fact without being sure. Thank you for clarifying it.
I have never been harmed by XHTML being served as text/html - and I do not know of anyone who has. I will continue to use the MIME type text/html until MSIE understands application/xhtml+xml (or whatever most web servers and browsers end up using). Harmful is not even the word I would use - maybe counter-intuitive or mis-specified. This is only one line sent by the webserver response in the headers - it doesn't make the XHTML "harmful" in any way.
Also, Tim Berner-Lee might have been a positive influence in the early days (an now to a lesser extent), but that doesn't mean that he "builds websites for a living". This is evident by the quality of his site. Sure, it serves it's purpose, but it's written using technology that has changed very little since 1997. The newer standards are designed to make updates easier, to make more things possible and to enrich the end user's experience. There is a big difference in job tasks between those who have a say in the standards and those who actually use the standards every day. And there would be a large difference in coding talent too.
I'm not saying XHTML is perfect, but let's face facts - it's better than HTML and it will be the markup of choice sometime in the near future. HTML will fade to the background, except for those academic zealots who are affraid of embracing change and the benefits that it offers.
XHTML Strict is a challenge for people to learn, especially when they have been coding HTML for years. They have unlearn the HTML way and change the way they design and build pages. XHTML Transitional is a nice step-up however.
XHTML was designed to replace HTML. HTML works ok, however due to its age it is not as compatible with more recent technologies such as XML. XHTML offers the good that HTML did, whilst being more flexible and "future proof".
The point is that it's XML, HTML 4.01 is far older and has been superceded.
Anyone making a new website would be foolish to use HTML 4.01. Just the same as someone who purchases a brand new car - powered by steam. It would only be a matter of time before a rewrite in XML (XHTML) would be required.
Deprecation is not a matter of opinion in the world of webstandards
Is that why the W3C site isn't written in HTML 4.01? Is that why people who make build websites for a living (like myself) code XHTML?
Just because ASP.NET serves any non-MSIE 5+ browser HTML 3.2 by default doesn't mean that it's the right choice.
And just as much invalid XHTML that you see on the internet, I bet there are more than 10 times the amount of invalid HTML. Easily.
Printing wide code can be annoying - although if the printout showed when lines wrapped with the down-then-left arrow common in some editors... that would make life easier.
But it's not as annoying as printing the output from SQL statements in M$ Query Analizer... especially when there is a text(16) field in the output that needs analising!
Fedora works fine - why dont you actually try it instead of super-imposing your impressions of RedHat 6 onto a wondeful distro...
Linux is partly about freedom and choice, and I am delighted with my choice. Surely unconstructive distro bashing should be a thing of the past by now?
I think it is click Cancel or press Escape to bypass the login screen.
Regardless, any user on Win9x could install/do/delete what they liked. Using DOS/FreeDOS provide similar flexibility (without needing to logon of course).
In many situations (like with my home PC) - physical access to the box by others is not a concern. At home I value the convenience over physical security as I know I am the only person who will sit at the keyboard. (yes I am firewalled - network security is another matter).
My point was, unlike the AC parent, I find user accounts in Win9x/ME to be useful. There are many situations where the lack of security/greater convenience is ideal - especially for 'power users' who know what they are doing - and want to do it quickly without the overhead of accounts and privs.
User accounts on Win9x/ME can offer preference/config personilisation for different users sitting at the computer. Convenience was the goal, not security. As Win9x/ME reside on FAT16/32 filesystems, any user can gain access to any file.
If one of those users wanted "complete control" of the computer - all they have to do is reboot the computer with an OS on a bootable CD (Knoppix, Gnoppix, etc). This can be done to take control of Linux, Win2K, WinXP, etc. NTFS is no obstacle, nor are the myriad of file systems available for use by a Linux installation. Encrypted file systems can prevent root access - but very few people have the time for this setup - plus recovery can be a real beatch.
The strong point of DOS is not being able to run another OS - it's being able to have more control over how you run certain applications. It can also facilitate recovery when things go wrong. The hardware requirements are less. Flexibility is a good thing. There is no need to port legacy apps that have been working flawlessly for years.
I personally dont use FreeDOS - I still have a Win98 partition with DOS installed. If I didn't own Win98 - FreeDOS is something I would explore for the rare occasions I would want to play old-school games.
DOS 6.22 (unsupported) can be downloaded free from: Micro$oft.com
My optometrist recommended that I use lubricating eye drops 2-3 times a day. I have only been using them for a few weeks - it's a little uncomfortable to use - however it provides decent relief for me. (Sometimes I miss my eye and get my cheek instead - lol)
People generally blink less staring at a monitor - meaning their eyes can get dry and sore.
My eyes feel less sore/tired after 9 hours in front of a monitor, and they dont look blood-shot. I put the eye drop applicator next to my monitor - otherwise I forget to use it.
If you do use eye drops - check the applicator for a note about using within ~30 days of opening.
Also ensure that your monitor's refresh rate is high - 85Hz is good for me. You might also want to try an LCD monitor - this works for some people.
I only ever use MSN, Yahoo & ICQ. I hate bloat ware and advertisements.
Under Linux I use GAIM - it does everything I want it to (except list Yahoo chat rooms). I have yet to explore getting my new WebCam working.
However under Windows, I use Miranda. (It doesn't require GTK). It is a very small program, uses very little memory, and has the features I need (except browsing/entering Yahoo chat rooms). Miranda rocks - it is a subtle program, but has awesome features and many plugins. If I want to use my WebCam - I have to run the Official Yahoo & MSN clients. They are overloaded with fretures that I never use and ads that I never want to see.
If I was super organised, I would take my Miranda drictory to/from work everyday on my USB 128MB stick - to keep the DB & plugins up2date.
No adds in both programs is a huge plus. Full priase for the efforts of these OSS programs!
Slashdot Mirror
You are incorrect, it can be used to stop the page loading at all - before the first HTML/XML tag is sent to the browser.
:p
In this case, and most other Slashdottings, the site is brought down by too much legitimate HTTP traffic - especially when large images and screenshots are involved.
Such PHP code (or similar ASP code) will drastically reduce the effect of a Slashdotting - to the point that (ideally) the server may continue to serve content to users who didn't come from Slashdot.
I personally like Slashdot, however if you dont, why do you visit the site and why do you have a username? Why do you flame me with your username and not as an AC?
Who is the idiot now?
Hopefully there are no serious errors - haven't the time to check!
As a web developer, my goal is to make every page 100% W3C compliant. It is up to the end-users to pick the most secure and standards compliant browser, and the browser developers to make their browser secure and standards compliant.
At home and work, I use Mozilla instead of FireFox. Having Mozilla Mail and Mozilla Navigator open simultaneously all day just makes sense, plus there are more preferences at my fingertips without resorting to about:config. I dont see any benefit to switching to FireFox and Thunderbird. But on a box where I dont want mail and dont use it all the time, FireFox is my browser of choice.
that will get lazy IE-centered webdevelopers off their b*tts
Many web developers in corporate environments are instructed what browser(s) to support, and/or the technologies they are instructed to use are clearly defined by project managers or the lead developer. Unfortunately deadlines can also be strict, meaning time is only available to test on MSIE.
My point (finally)... some IE-centered developers are not lazy. Some are very talented, but their hands are tied. For example, at my new(ish) job, most pages use JavaScript and MSXML to fetch and render content. There are presumably hundreds of thousands of lines of code - the cost and time required to rewrite would be astronomical. I dislike this situation, and am pushing for Mozilla/Safari support and portable server code (Mono, PHP, MySQL/PostgreSQL, etc). I am being listed to, and it looks like new projects will be browser independent. My next goal is server independence ;-)
IMHO I wouldn't say very responsive, I would say more responsive. This is on my P3 450 MHz with 640 MB RAM. Of course YMMV on a spanky P4 - in a better way!
I assumed that the cause was GTK however I didn't want to present something as fact without being sure. Thank you for clarifying it.
So, don't change the IM-Client, change the OS.
Not all of us have a choice at work ;-)
Yes and no. IMHO it's up to the end user to decide what their IM needs are, and choose based on that.
Miranda is a fantastic program - really small with plenty of plugins. The interface is much more responsive than Gaim - it's a very lean program.
That said, one thing GAIM can do is provide the ability to chat in Yahoo rooms. Miranda sadly can't do that (to the best of my knowledge).
I have both installed - they are both quality open source programs with very active communities.
Also, Tim Berner-Lee might have been a positive influence in the early days (an now to a lesser extent), but that doesn't mean that he "builds websites for a living". This is evident by the quality of his site. Sure, it serves it's purpose, but it's written using technology that has changed very little since 1997. The newer standards are designed to make updates easier, to make more things possible and to enrich the end user's experience. There is a big difference in job tasks between those who have a say in the standards and those who actually use the standards every day. And there would be a large difference in coding talent too.
I'm not saying XHTML is perfect, but let's face facts - it's better than HTML and it will be the markup of choice sometime in the near future. HTML will fade to the background, except for those academic zealots who are affraid of embracing change and the benefits that it offers.
XHTML Strict is a challenge for people to learn, especially when they have been coding HTML for years. They have unlearn the HTML way and change the way they design and build pages. XHTML Transitional is a nice step-up however.
XHTML was designed to replace HTML. HTML works ok, however due to its age it is not as compatible with more recent technologies such as XML. XHTML offers the good that HTML did, whilst being more flexible and "future proof".
I suggest you read the following, and heed their "guidance":
http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/
http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/Activity
And yes I understand the irony of typing invalid HTML into Slashdot whilst advocating XHTML ;-)
Deprecation is not a matter of opinion in the world of webstandards
Is that why the W3C site isn't written in HTML 4.01? Is that why people who make build websites for a living (like myself) code XHTML?
Just because ASP.NET serves any non-MSIE 5+ browser HTML 3.2 by default doesn't mean that it's the right choice.
And just as much invalid XHTML that you see on the internet, I bet there are more than 10 times the amount of invalid HTML. Easily.
I agree with you on CSS ;-)
Actually to 1999 would be nice, that was when XHTML 1.0 was finalised.
HTML 4 is a very old standard (deprecated IMHO) - nobody should use it anymore.
It would be an interesting project to use PHP and fgets() to read Slashdot and reformat it as XHTML 1.0 Strict with CSS.
It's 3 fonts really...
Bitstram Vera Sans
Bitstram Vera Sans Mono
Bitstream Vera Serif
Bitstream Vera Sans is very readable in web pages - IMHO more so than Verdana. And the mono font is ideal for when I write SQL/XHTML/etc at home/work.
http://www.gnome.org/fonts/
I dont have any problems with fonts on Fedora Core 2. The fonts look pretty decent in Knoppix 3.6 too.
PS: Bitstream fonts look great in Macromedia Fireworks, but the gimp still rocks. ;-)
Have hot cheerleader mascots. Keep them under your desk (pref @ groin level). Naturally, cheer leaders must try out... and you are the manager.
;-)
This will not only raise moral but raise nerdy appendages.
You may have to resort to the blow up kind if your department is ultra-nerdy
The trolls must be asleep - there are no "BSD is dead" posts yet.
Even though I dont use BSD, reading such comments over and over is annoying.
All this talk of Mpps and Kpps is making my need to pee more urgent.
Can someone explain what the 'pps' means? the M and K dont need defining...
It's 20 million people AC...
And more than 50 of us have email addresses.
But is it legal for the labor party to send spam?
Unless you have UPS, a generator or are using a notebook, that shouldn't be a problem as your desktop PC wouldn't be working either ;-)
The only perks I get... are free soft drinks & training. Oooh, and a fast computer. I want a notebook damit!
Printing wide code can be annoying - although if the printout showed when lines wrapped with the down-then-left arrow common in some editors... that would make life easier.
But it's not as annoying as printing the output from SQL statements in M$ Query Analizer... especially when there is a text(16) field in the output that needs analising!
And how many people buy PCs with Windows on them, and immediately format the disk(s) and install Linux?
I wonder if there will still be holes/bugs in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 SP1 in 2204?
:-)
Now excuse me while I get back to writing my "Hello World" application that will last two centuries
I used porno software to learn to speak dirty...
That's a good language to be fluent in.
Fedora works fine - why dont you actually try it instead of super-imposing your impressions of RedHat 6 onto a wondeful distro...
Linux is partly about freedom and choice, and I am delighted with my choice. Surely unconstructive distro bashing should be a thing of the past by now?
Regardless, any user on Win9x could install/do/delete what they liked. Using DOS/FreeDOS provide similar flexibility (without needing to logon of course).
In many situations (like with my home PC) - physical access to the box by others is not a concern. At home I value the convenience over physical security as I know I am the only person who will sit at the keyboard. (yes I am firewalled - network security is another matter).
My point was, unlike the AC parent, I find user accounts in Win9x/ME to be useful. There are many situations where the lack of security/greater convenience is ideal - especially for 'power users' who know what they are doing - and want to do it quickly without the overhead of accounts and privs.
If one of those users wanted "complete control" of the computer - all they have to do is reboot the computer with an OS on a bootable CD (Knoppix, Gnoppix, etc). This can be done to take control of Linux, Win2K, WinXP, etc. NTFS is no obstacle, nor are the myriad of file systems available for use by a Linux installation. Encrypted file systems can prevent root access - but very few people have the time for this setup - plus recovery can be a real beatch.
The strong point of DOS is not being able to run another OS - it's being able to have more control over how you run certain applications. It can also facilitate recovery when things go wrong. The hardware requirements are less. Flexibility is a good thing. There is no need to port legacy apps that have been working flawlessly for years.
I personally dont use FreeDOS - I still have a Win98 partition with DOS installed. If I didn't own Win98 - FreeDOS is something I would explore for the rare occasions I would want to play old-school games.
DOS 6.22 (unsupported) can be downloaded free from: Micro$oft.com
My optometrist recommended that I use lubricating eye drops 2-3 times a day. I have only been using them for a few weeks - it's a little uncomfortable to use - however it provides decent relief for me. (Sometimes I miss my eye and get my cheek instead - lol)
People generally blink less staring at a monitor - meaning their eyes can get dry and sore.
My eyes feel less sore/tired after 9 hours in front of a monitor, and they dont look blood-shot. I put the eye drop applicator next to my monitor - otherwise I forget to use it.
If you do use eye drops - check the applicator for a note about using within ~30 days of opening.
Also ensure that your monitor's refresh rate is high - 85Hz is good for me. You might also want to try an LCD monitor - this works for some people.
I only ever use MSN, Yahoo & ICQ. I hate bloat ware and advertisements.
Under Linux I use GAIM - it does everything I want it to (except list Yahoo chat rooms). I have yet to explore getting my new WebCam working.
However under Windows, I use Miranda. (It doesn't require GTK). It is a very small program, uses very little memory, and has the features I need (except browsing/entering Yahoo chat rooms). Miranda rocks - it is a subtle program, but has awesome features and many plugins. If I want to use my WebCam - I have to run the Official Yahoo & MSN clients. They are overloaded with fretures that I never use and ads that I never want to see.
If I was super organised, I would take my Miranda drictory to/from work everyday on my USB 128MB stick - to keep the DB & plugins up2date.
No adds in both programs is a huge plus. Full priase for the efforts of these OSS programs!
Mike