by Matt | Mar 30, 2004 | Imported Entry
Yesterday went from mostly crappy to “WTF” in about 15 minutes. Sad part is that it was my own fault. Yeah. I was mucking about in the registry trying to clean up after the virus (see last post) and since the virus uses a name that’s extremely similar to fairly important actual windows processes, I more than likely deleted a few of them. I found this out the hard way after nothing would open, run, etc. So, I tried a windows rescue disk. No luck. Then I tried a bootable windows xp cd and a “repair” install. That didn’t work either. Finally I ended up formating the drive and completely reinstalling. Thankfully I had learned from past disasters to put my windows install on a tiny partition all by itself. So, I lost my tiny 5G windows drive. Whoppie. It’s back up and running now, sans virus and well, everything else. I still have all my programs installed on my D: and E: drives, but try telling something like Office to run without registry entries. So, stuff like that will probably need a reinstall. Oh well. It could have been worse I suppose.
I’m still kind of curious as to how it got in. I keep on top of things like virus definitions, scanning incoming files and having my firewall nice and tight. I’ll have to do a bit more checking. Luckily it probably didn’t do much in terms of “backdoor” usage. I doubt it could have changed setting on my router to let itself back out. So, that’s probably good news.
Freaky though.
So now it’s back to work.
by Matt | Mar 29, 2004 | Imported Entry
What a wonderful day. Really glad I installed Norton AV this morning. I’ve had both the OptixPro and Lithium viruses for a little over a month and didn’t know it. Nifty!!!
Fuckers.
That shit has been delt with. Luckily they were backdoor viri and not the serious “I’m going to mess up your harddrive” type. Thankfully there’s no evidence they were ever used. I’m behind both a router AND a software firewall (BlackIce). I doubt much of anything got in and/or out. Still, it’s scary. I think I might add Zone Alarm to the mix, but that might be overkill.
The scary part is that Norton seems to think they came in the latest install of WinAmp. At least, that’s why it’s quarrentined it. Weird huh?
by Matt | Mar 27, 2004 | Imported Entry
I just had a great idea for a program. I think it would probably take all of 15 minutes to write too. Then again, I don’t program, so I don’t know. Anyway, I thought it would be a fantastic idea if there was a program that emailed you whenever an update to your DC or DC++ que occured. DC++ keeps a log file of completed downloads, just a simple text file. All the program would have to do is keep an eye on that file for changes. If the file gets updated (ie: a download finishes) the program could send a quick email to a user specified address. That’s it. Nice and simple. Anyone think they want to take a stab at it?
by Matt | Mar 24, 2004 | Imported Entry
Well, while I’m waiting for the BF:1942 server we play DC on to stop playing Kursk, which blows, I figured I’d put in my two cents on Moveable Type 3.0. Apparently it’s the topic of some debate, mostly related to it’s move to a centralized comment authorization system, called TypeKey. It’s of course an option and you don’t have to use it but the basic idea is that people sign up, for free of course, and register themselves with a central service. From there you now have the ability to comment on anyones journal/news site/etc that is using the service. While I’m all for a more spam free comment system I’m not sure a centralized system is the way to do it. I don’t want to have to tell people to go sign up for something just so they can talk to me. It seems a little rediculous. Plus I’m really not a fan of centralized anything. Not that I’m some consipiracy nut or anything, I just don’t like people having information about me that don’t need to. I’m not even afraid of the possibility that someone might hack their system. What would happen? They’d get a big list of sites and people that use the system and big email lists to spam. Whoppie.
If you remember, I was all excited about it when it was simply labeled “comment registration”. I thought that would be cool. Then, I could just add all you guys to a list and if someone new wanted to leave a comment I would have to give them the ok. Which would cut my comment spam to nill. Not that MT-Blacklist isn’t doing a FANTASTIC job, because it is, but it would be a precautionary messure instead of a clean-up job. So, now that I know what it is, I don’t really plan on using it. I can’t see the benefit. I’m sure larger journals and news sites will benefit greatly. They’ll have a registration system they don’t need to maintain or even think twice about. Good for them. Seeing as how it’s just a few of us around here, I’d be more inclined to just delete the questionable comments when they arise.
Oh well. It was a good idea. Also, I’ve been reading just about even CSS manual, tutorial and helpfile I can get my hands on. I should start working on a completely CSS driven page shortly. Of course theres three days of long photo shoots between here and the weekend… but I’ll tell you about that later.
Matt out.
by Matt | Mar 23, 2004 | Imported Entry
After a lot of soul searching and various inspirations from across the web, I’ve decided what I’m going to do with this journal. Don’t worry, it’s not going anyway, just getting a well needed upgrade.
Remember that redesign I mentioned about a month ago? Don’t worry, it’s still alive and kicking. But, like Emeril, I’m kicking it up a notch. Adding a little flavor never hurt anyone.
I’ve also become inspired by the CSS Zen Garden. I want you to visit that link and to notice the links on the side, the one’s for different designs. I’ve slowly started understanding the important role CSS can play in design and I think that site, in it’s mission, has demonstrated something that I’ve been yearning to do for quite some time. They have, get this, 85+ designs for that site. Each one different. Same content, completely dynamic. THAT is good code. I think an O’Riley book is on it’s way. I’ve never been this jazzed about design before. And I’m an artist for friggin’ sake.
I’ve also noticed a few trends I will be trying to stay away from, although I’ve apparently already stumbled onto one of them. First, this “center column” design is apparently the hottest thing since toasted bread. I can’t find a “trendy” journal without it. Also, tiny background patterns are apparently standard at this point, to the degree that I’m starting to think someone is passing around a disk with simple tiled backgrounds on it and I just haven’t received my copy yet. There’s also an abundance of journals that focus on the web as it’s subject. A few sites about web design are fine, but when every web designer has a blog devoted to web design itself, on their web page that they designed, showing off other examples of their design, it’s gotten a little out of hand. It’s also trendy to be a blogger in NYC. Then again, those New Yorkers have a pretty high opinion of themselves so I’m probably just hearing of their wonderfulness from other fucking New Yorkers. By the way, fuck Jeter. Lastly there’s topics of conversation. Most often the interesting journal I’ve found usually don’t talk a whole lot about day to day activites. I have a horrible habit of doing just that. It’s not that my days aren’t filled with interesting tid bits, but honestly, who really cares about what I had for lunch?
Then there’s the issue of writting styles themselves. I don’t have one. Unless you count bad grammar and horific spelling as a style. I do suppose there’s a certain way I phrase things, a deep and rooted prediliction for sarcasm among other things. Then again, I don’t do it very well do I? I really should have taken more creative writing courses. My sense of humor and quirky expressions really only shine when you see the faces that go along with them. I should really be experienced in person. Most of you know this.
So, what exactly am I saying with all this? Basically I’m saying that I hope to improve my writing, mention less mundane things and try to go off on far more tangents while trying to keep the controversy level “in the same ballpark” if you will. I’m also going to stop half assing my designing. I’ve finished that last redesign but never got around to using it. Know why? Because I didn’t want to have to redo all the HTML and a whole new set to stylesheets and all the other wonderful things that come with a full redesign. Yet, if I follow the examples I’ve seen, all I’ll really need to do is set up one page and have it reference whole new CSS sets. This way I can continue to change my designs while not having to recode much of the site. I think that a fairly obtainable goal.
Now I just have to find the time to do it.
by Matt | Mar 22, 2004 | Imported Entry
So many things to do, so little time to sleep in. Actually, that’s not true, I slept in quite a bit this morning. Then in order to be lazier than nessisary, I’m not going to do much of anything. I should get my oil changed, do my taxes, call loan people and discuss a few things, pay bills, clean the apartment, do laundry and gernally help society by being a useful person. I might throw a load in the washer. Maybe.
Other minor things of note might include the release of Battlefield Vietnam which I received as a weird present from my boss. Not that it’s weird that I got a present, but that it’s weird that I was given something to slack off at work with. Unreal Tournament 2004 is also out. I gave the demo a whirl and it seemed to be what UT2k3 should have been. It’s quite a bit more refined and polished. The downside to all this is that I can’t play either of them at home, or at least not well. BF:V is really choppy but playable and UT4 is only playable at something like 800×600 with all sorts of things turned off. At work on the XPS gaming rig, they fly. It’s making me jelous. I also just finished my Stanley Cup winning season of NHL 2k4. Just in time to tempt me to buy the new Splinter Cell that comes out tomorrow. Don’t worry, I’m paying bills first, long before I even consider it. If I do have money to get it, I wonder if the Xbox or PC version would be more worth while? I’m a big fan of the PC version obviously, but if it’s unplayable, what’s the point? The Xbox would look good and be playable but I would curse the controls on a regular basis. It would also mean I would have to try out Xbox live to play online, something I could do with the PC version for free. I dunno. I’m torn on that one.
Also, randomly, we’re having a bit of a movie night this friday. We’ve reserved the theater here in the apartment complex which has a big screen and surround sound. I might also lug the Xbox over there for post and pre-movie enjoyment. I’m not sure what to bring for games though. I have Fusion Frenzy, it’s my only “party” game. Any other good choices out there for multiplayer fun?
That’s about it. Time for a little lunch.
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