User: Phatmanotoo

The impedance mismatch does (should) not exist

On: Hibernate in Action

It's a very well written introduction about why do we need ORM solutions in OO applications. The chapter explains the O/R impedance mismatch...

I wish more people contributed with their POV on this discussion: do we really need Object-Relational mapping tools? What's wrong with having Object-Oriented applications work on a Relational-Data model? Why this modern insistence in that our business models have to be "fully OO"?

You will hear many times that "OO has been proved to be better suited to build large applications". I sort of agree, but then there is even more evidence to support that the relational model is the best methodology for modeling data.

IMO, when building large enterprise apps one can have the best of both worlds by applying each methodology where it really makes sense: model your data following the relational model; build your app following OO patterns and techniques.

Again, in the context of Java: what's wrong with plain old JDBC? What's wrong with not having all my database entities objectified in the language? What's wrong about working with data and not objects?

Centralized configuration?

On: Redmondmag on Dumping IE

The article does raise one valid point, though:

That IE goes to a certain portion of the registry for its configuration information makes it possible to centrally manage IE through registry-manipulating technologies like Group Policy. In short, you're not going to be configuring Firefox via Group Policy anytime soon. The decision to deploy an alternate browser is a decision to relinquish centralized control.

However I'm sure there must be a way to retain full control. At the very least I'm sure you could push the prefs.js files to user profiles, and maybe even secure them against change/deletion by the user. How do you guys do this?

Here's something to retrain your CIO/CTO

On: IT Myths

I recently came across this book, Business Information Technology. It is right on the spot, targeted at those CTOs with poor scientific or technical backgrounds. Highly recommended.

Chipsets to avoid for wardriving

On: 80% of WiFi Networks are still Insecure, Kismet Author Says

Last time I checked, the two chipmakers who refuse to reveal details to allow writing OS drivers were Broadcomm and T.I..

From the article, I see that Broadcomm is still one to stay away from. Any other chipsets to avoid?

It is: look at SRS (for forwarding services)

On: Microsoft to Deploy SPF for Hotmail Users

Also, I work for a small ISP and many of our users use our outgoing smtp server to relay mail for their work accounts that don't have VPN set up for them. All of this email will now be summarily rejected.... whoever came up with SPF is an idiot, thanks for breaking email, this is the death of it.

Whoa, hold your horses. Forwarding services? SRS is your answer. Enlighten yourself: What Email Forwarding Services Need to Know about SPF

Where are you Sun?

On: Mozilla, Opera Form Group to Develop Web App Specs

This is (again) one of those critical times at which Sun could make a difference, yet it seems that once again they'll be late.

This whole thing about "richer client experience" is aimed at business apps; to be more specific, it is mostly about trying to encapsulate the whole mess of technologies that one needs to make a web-based app (http, html, javascript, css, ...) into something amenable to a RAD-type of IDE. And I think it's just the right thing to do, when we're talking business apps it's much more important to achieve the same RAD status as traditional C/S development, than it is to get that supposedly "richer" experience.

Now JSF (Java Server Faces) is Sun's response to .NET WinForms, but... where's the response to XAML??? Sun better join forces behind Mozilla, or else in 5 years time, all business-apps development will be in the hands of M$.

SMTP Tarpits are another powerful tool

On: University Capitulates, Switches Off Spam Filters

Spamd and other means for "tarpitting" the calling SMTP are another great tool to be used in combination with RBLs and bayesian filters.

It's a strategy in layers:

• Apply tarpit to the most nasty IPs (maybe keep your own blacklist, since this could consume resources on your firewall)
• Use RBL's as the second barrier; this is what will save most resources on your smtpd sever.
• Use spam and virus filtering as the third barrier.

Re:LTSP?

On: A Different Take On PC Manus' 'Recycling' Schemes

To be more exact, LTSP is just X-Windows and diskless operation, in a nice and easier to use bundle.

You could have "diskfull" terminals having their own OS, in order to run the Xserver and then run remotely X apps on the server. You could also have diskless systems netbooting from a server, running both the X-server and the X apps locally. Or you could do both at the same time, that is what LTSP is aimed at, if I understand it correctly.

BTW, the Debian "diskless" packages give you similar functionality. Last time I looked, the LSTP packages were not in Debian because of this, anybody knows if the situation has changed?

Check out Dublin Core Metadata

On: Web Redesigned With Hindsight

You might find Dublin Core Metadata as an easier way to start than the W3C page for OWL.

To me only disk imaging does it

On: The Windows Security Nightmare

I've become so fed up with the traditional "windows rot" that I decided that only my own, full-disk-image savepoints will do.

These days hard-disks are cheap. Set up a Linux server with partimage and a large disk, boot the windows workstations with SystemRescueCD, and make your "savepoints" at those times you install drivers, etc. Make sure you partition the disk into "system" and "user data". Partimage works great even on NTFS if you're careful to defrag first.

OSS not innovative... so what?

On: FireFox and Longhorn: Meant For Each Other?

Also reminds us that OSS is wonderful, OSS is great, but for the *most part*, most OSS that has been produced so far is not INNOVATIVE. When the primary goal of a project is to clone another product (Evolution springs to mind), it's just not something that drives the realm of computing forward.

Here we go again.. People, OSS is not about competing with proprietary software in terms of innovation. It's more about taking commoditized software infrastructure out of the claws of IP (be it software patents, copyright or trade secrets).

Article fails to mention OpenGroupware

On: OpenOffice.org, MS Office 2003 Compared, Evaluated

Not prime-time ready, but it's getting there... (OpenGroupware). It's getting built on much better foundations than Microsoft's, of course.

For the time being, if you want a solution that works now and if you don't mind that it's not so closely integrated to your Office apps, you might consider Plone.

A comparison to JSF or ASP WebForms?

On: Rapid Application Development with Mozilla

With all people comparing XUL with other client/server-oriented UI toolkits... I'm surprised nobody is asking about the possible use of XUL as the UI enhancement in web applications. It's something that's been badly needed for such a long time. Just look at where the current battlefield is between the J2EE and .NET camps: the web-UI. MS came up with WinForms, Sun is counter reacting with Java Server Faces.

I have no idea about XUL, so could someone care to comment about XUL and webapps?

Only fools confuse value and price

On: Microsoft Revenue Up, Tries to Hook Third World

Microsoft is donating a pile of software to the United Nations -- retail value, $1 billion; wholesale value, maybe $1 million or so

Should have said,

Microsoft is donating a pile of software to the United Nations -- retail price, $1 billion; wholesale price, maybe $1 million or so

I'll let others discuss what the real value is in this case... (grin)

Comparison to other OSS "ERP" projects?

On: Compiere on Postgres/MySQL

I know of at least two more-or-less-big projects:

• ERP5
• Open for Business

and of course GNUe, which seems to be more of a programming framework.

Anyone care to comment on how all these projects compare to each other?