I've noticed that for some reason the Akismet spam filter on my WordPress Blog has got the habit of sometimes filtering out legitimate comments out as well as correctly filtering out spam comments.
I don't know if this is Akismet related or WordPress related, but thought I would post about this problem.
Roland
Friday 22 October 2010
Thursday 21 October 2010
Ubuntu Lucid Lynx Desktop Edition vs Ubuntu Maverick Meerkat Desktop Edition (Follow up) UPDATED
Due to a request in a comment to the original post I'll be doing a full detailed review of both Ubuntu Lucid Lynx and Ubuntu Maverick Meerkat including an upgrade review and a comparison review over the weekend and it will go live on my Blog sometime on Monday.
Due to unforeseen circumstances I'll be starting work on my full comparison review tomorrow and will be posting the review on Wednesday at the earliest
Roland
Due to unforeseen circumstances I'll be starting work on my full comparison review tomorrow and will be posting the review on Wednesday at the earliest
Roland
Wednesday 20 October 2010
Is Twitter Value Spam
I've noticed a search on my Blog asking is twittervalue spam.
Twalue is not spam but a site that converts your twitter account into a $ value that is your twalue and gives you a choice of posting your twalue to twitter or not. It's just for fun though.
Roland
Twalue is not spam but a site that converts your twitter account into a $ value that is your twalue and gives you a choice of posting your twalue to twitter or not. It's just for fun though.
Roland
Spam Comments On Blogs (Follow Up)
I'm having this rant today because when I checked my Blog this morning I found out that WordPress had found three lots of Spam Comments.
When I checked the Spam folder I found out that the Spam Comments were the same, just on three separate Posts, and these comments were all advertising the same Porn website.
Now I have no problems with people looking at Porn if they want, but what I have a problem with is advertising this porn in comments on my Blog especially when none of the posts that were subjected to were even talking about Internet porn.
Luckily WordPress has a spam filter so I was not notified that I had got Comments that needed approving. I know people use Blogger because they can make money from using Google Adsense to advertise on their Blog which makes it superior to WordPress but if Blogger doesn't filter comments then I'm glad that I chose WordPress even though I can't bake any money from my Blog I can at least stop crap infesting my Blog in Comments.
Rant over
Roland
When I checked the Spam folder I found out that the Spam Comments were the same, just on three separate Posts, and these comments were all advertising the same Porn website.
Now I have no problems with people looking at Porn if they want, but what I have a problem with is advertising this porn in comments on my Blog especially when none of the posts that were subjected to were even talking about Internet porn.
Luckily WordPress has a spam filter so I was not notified that I had got Comments that needed approving. I know people use Blogger because they can make money from using Google Adsense to advertise on their Blog which makes it superior to WordPress but if Blogger doesn't filter comments then I'm glad that I chose WordPress even though I can't bake any money from my Blog I can at least stop crap infesting my Blog in Comments.
Rant over
Roland
Monday 18 October 2010
Spam Comments On Blogs
I'm writing this post to highlight a new spamming trend that I have fallen victim to, and that trend is spam comments on Blog posts.
I've received many spam comments on my Blog recently, I don't know if it happens on other Blogging services like Blogger, but it happens on WordPress but thanks to the anti-spam feature on WordPress I don't get notified by email about these spam comments and can delete them from my WordPress Blog Control Panel.
I'll be really upset if spam comments on Blog Posts gets out of hand an ends up ruining Blogging like it has done for email.
Rant over
Roland
I've received many spam comments on my Blog recently, I don't know if it happens on other Blogging services like Blogger, but it happens on WordPress but thanks to the anti-spam feature on WordPress I don't get notified by email about these spam comments and can delete them from my WordPress Blog Control Panel.
I'll be really upset if spam comments on Blog Posts gets out of hand an ends up ruining Blogging like it has done for email.
Rant over
Roland
Tuesday 12 October 2010
Otter BOX Defender Series Case Vs A Normal Case
After purchasing an Otter BOX defender Series case for my BlackBerry Curve 8520 I've got to say it's well worth the money as it feels a lot stronger than the generic Hard case that I bought.
The clear cover that goes over the keypad protects it from getting dirty and bits getting in to the phone through the keypad, The Hard shell feels a lot stronger than the the generic hard case that I was using previously and I like the clear protector that goes over the camera lens to protect it from getting scratched and the silicone outer skin is a lot stronger than a normal form fitting silicone skin and I like how their is a flap that covers the Micro USB port and the headset socket to protect them from letting dust into the phone. The only open parts of the case are just the microphone on the bottom of the case and the speaker on the top of the case as well as the handset speaker for non headset or speaker phone calls. The provided belt clip holster is a nice addition to the package as the Otter BOX makes the phone very bulky and heavy. The plus point of having a heavier and bulkier phone is that you are less likely to drop the phone compared to an un protected Curve as they are very light.
Roland
The clear cover that goes over the keypad protects it from getting dirty and bits getting in to the phone through the keypad, The Hard shell feels a lot stronger than the the generic hard case that I was using previously and I like the clear protector that goes over the camera lens to protect it from getting scratched and the silicone outer skin is a lot stronger than a normal form fitting silicone skin and I like how their is a flap that covers the Micro USB port and the headset socket to protect them from letting dust into the phone. The only open parts of the case are just the microphone on the bottom of the case and the speaker on the top of the case as well as the handset speaker for non headset or speaker phone calls. The provided belt clip holster is a nice addition to the package as the Otter BOX makes the phone very bulky and heavy. The plus point of having a heavier and bulkier phone is that you are less likely to drop the phone compared to an un protected Curve as they are very light.
Roland
Monday 11 October 2010
My move from Ubuntu Maverick Meerkat Netbook Edition to Windows 7 Ultimate Edition
After suffering technical issues with the Release Candidate of Ubuntu Maverick MeerkatNetbook Edition I decided not to Download the final version and instead decided to go back to Windows 7 Ultimate Edition.
As Windows 7 supports all of my hardware except my Umax Scanner it made more sence to go back to Windows instead of staying with Linux, especially as it takes less messing about to geteverything working correctly and seems to suffer less glitches in rebooting, shuttingdown etc. Ubuntu would sometimes refuse to shutdown, reboot or hibanate but instead log me out and I'd have to hold the power button down to power off.
Roland
As Windows 7 supports all of my hardware except my Umax Scanner it made more sence to go back to Windows instead of staying with Linux, especially as it takes less messing about to geteverything working correctly and seems to suffer less glitches in rebooting, shuttingdown etc. Ubuntu would sometimes refuse to shutdown, reboot or hibanate but instead log me out and I'd have to hold the power button down to power off.
Roland
Friday 8 October 2010
Ubuntu Maverick Meerkat Unity Netbook Desktop Bug
I've discovered a bug in the Unity Desktop of Ubuntu Maverick Meerkat.
I don't know if this is related to it still currently being a Release Candidate or whether it's a general bug in Unity, but when I logged into the Unity Desktop this morning I had an error saying no Driver found use the Desktop Edition when logging in. A quick re-boot solved the problem, will let you know if this bug goes away in the final release or whether it's still there in a later post after I have upgraded to the final release on Sunday.
Roland
I don't know if this is related to it still currently being a Release Candidate or whether it's a general bug in Unity, but when I logged into the Unity Desktop this morning I had an error saying no Driver found use the Desktop Edition when logging in. A quick re-boot solved the problem, will let you know if this bug goes away in the final release or whether it's still there in a later post after I have upgraded to the final release on Sunday.
Roland
Thursday 7 October 2010
Ubuntu Maverick Meerkat Desktop Edition vs Netbook Edition
After trying out the Release Candidate of both the Netbook Edition and Desktop Edition of Ubuntu Maverick Meerkat I've come to the conclusion that my favorite Edition has got to be the Netbook Edition as it's the only Edition that has brought anything new with the cool Unity Desktop. I can't comment on the other Ubuntu flavors such as KUbuntu, XUbuntu, MythBuntu, Ubuntu Studio, Edubuntu, LUbuntu and Ubuntu Server as I've not tried these versions.
I'll report more on Maverick Meerkat once it is officially released and I've upgraded my Netbook to the official release, but so far it's looking to be in my eye the best Netbook Edition that I've tried. The Desktop Edition needs Overhauling before I'd consider ditching the Unity Desktop for the standard Gnome Desktop though.
Roland
I'll report more on Maverick Meerkat once it is officially released and I've upgraded my Netbook to the official release, but so far it's looking to be in my eye the best Netbook Edition that I've tried. The Desktop Edition needs Overhauling before I'd consider ditching the Unity Desktop for the standard Gnome Desktop though.
Roland
Ubuntu Lucid Lynx Desktop Edition vs Ubuntu Maverick Meerkat Desktop Edition
After Installing the Release Candidate of Ubuntu Maverick Meerkat Netbook Edition yesterday I thought I'd login to the regular Desktop and compare it with the Desktop Edition of Lucid Lynx and the only thing that has changed in this release to the previous release is that the clock is the new clock with the pop down calendar when you left click on it. The Connection manager still uses the old graphic and the volume control is the old style modern looking on that is present in the previous release and not the old blocky volume control that is in the Unity Netbook Desktop.
Roland
Roland
Wednesday 6 October 2010
Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat Netbook Edition Release Candidate
Here are my findings after installing the release candidate of Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition as outlined in this post.
Network Manager has been given an overhaul and is now more like the signal strength meter of a cell phone when using Wireless and Mobile Broadband (don't know what it looks like when using a wired Network Connection, the Volume control has lost its cool visual appeal but that could be due to it only being a release candidate at the moment. The clock has had a major overhaul and now contains a drop down calendar when you left click on it.
The Ubuntu Menu has had an overhaul compared to the beta version that I installed in Lucid Lynx. it now has a more visual front page that takes you to the full menu if the option you click on contains more than one program. The full Ubuntu menu is reached by clicking on the Applications option on the Launcher.
You are now no longer restricted to the Unity desktop when you install the Netbook Edition of Maverick Meerkat as you also have the option to login to the full Desktop Edition from the login screen compared to Lucid Lynx that was restricted to the Moblin Desktop unless you had installed another Desktop.
You Ideally need an always on Broadband connection that you can connect to by a wired modem, wired modem with wireless router if you have Cable Internet or a combined wireless modem router, 2.5GB of free HDD space and be plugged into the mains via your charger, you have the option to download updates and 3rd party applications during the install ( I declined these options as I'm going to upgrade to the official release once it comes out on Sunday). The instal takes slightly longer than with Lucid Lynx but it is nowhere as near as long as OpenSuse 11.3 or Windows.
Roland
Network Manager has been given an overhaul and is now more like the signal strength meter of a cell phone when using Wireless and Mobile Broadband (don't know what it looks like when using a wired Network Connection, the Volume control has lost its cool visual appeal but that could be due to it only being a release candidate at the moment. The clock has had a major overhaul and now contains a drop down calendar when you left click on it.
The Ubuntu Menu has had an overhaul compared to the beta version that I installed in Lucid Lynx. it now has a more visual front page that takes you to the full menu if the option you click on contains more than one program. The full Ubuntu menu is reached by clicking on the Applications option on the Launcher.
You are now no longer restricted to the Unity desktop when you install the Netbook Edition of Maverick Meerkat as you also have the option to login to the full Desktop Edition from the login screen compared to Lucid Lynx that was restricted to the Moblin Desktop unless you had installed another Desktop.
You Ideally need an always on Broadband connection that you can connect to by a wired modem, wired modem with wireless router if you have Cable Internet or a combined wireless modem router, 2.5GB of free HDD space and be plugged into the mains via your charger, you have the option to download updates and 3rd party applications during the install ( I declined these options as I'm going to upgrade to the official release once it comes out on Sunday). The instal takes slightly longer than with Lucid Lynx but it is nowhere as near as long as OpenSuse 11.3 or Windows.
Roland
The New Unity Desktop Beta vs The Moblin Desktop in Ubuntu 10.04 Netbook Edition
When you Install the Unity Desktop Beta onto a Ubuntu 10.04 Netbook Edition system it Installs side by side with the default Moblin Desktop and you select which one that you want to login to on the login screen, The 10.04 Netbook Desktop is the default one though.
Once the Unity Desktop is loaded up it looks similar to the default Netbook Desktop with the Panel on the top of the screen showing the Left to Right: Ubuntu Menu, Network Manager, Battery Indicator, Sound preference, Mail and Broadcast Message, Time, Social Networking Menu and Session Menu.
When you click on the Ubuntu Menu you now get a drop down menu with Search feature instead of the show Desktop action in the old Desktop.
The Side Bar/Desktop has been cleaned up significantly since 10.04. Instead of having a tabbed Desktop you have a sliding side bar that houses your favourite programs, Trash can and quick access to the Programs and Files and folders. There is also access to a Mac OSX feature that shows all your open windows as thumbnails.
As this is only a Beta version of the Unity Desktop and running on top of Ubuntu 10.04LTS Lucid Lynx and no 10.10 Maverick Meerkat it doesn't have all the updates that 10.10 will contain. If I can get hold of a disk Image of the Pre Release version of 10.10 Netbook Edition I'll download it and give it a try. In the meantime here is a rundown of all the new features of the different Editions of Ubuntu 10.10.
For more on the Unity Desktop please visit this Blog.
Roland
Once the Unity Desktop is loaded up it looks similar to the default Netbook Desktop with the Panel on the top of the screen showing the Left to Right: Ubuntu Menu, Network Manager, Battery Indicator, Sound preference, Mail and Broadcast Message, Time, Social Networking Menu and Session Menu.
When you click on the Ubuntu Menu you now get a drop down menu with Search feature instead of the show Desktop action in the old Desktop.
The Side Bar/Desktop has been cleaned up significantly since 10.04. Instead of having a tabbed Desktop you have a sliding side bar that houses your favourite programs, Trash can and quick access to the Programs and Files and folders. There is also access to a Mac OSX feature that shows all your open windows as thumbnails.
As this is only a Beta version of the Unity Desktop and running on top of Ubuntu 10.04LTS Lucid Lynx and no 10.10 Maverick Meerkat it doesn't have all the updates that 10.10 will contain. If I can get hold of a disk Image of the Pre Release version of 10.10 Netbook Edition I'll download it and give it a try. In the meantime here is a rundown of all the new features of the different Editions of Ubuntu 10.10.
For more on the Unity Desktop please visit this Blog.
Roland
My move from OpenSuse 11.3 to Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition Part 1
Installing Ubuntu 10.04 Netbook Edition
After reading about the impending release of Ubuntu 10.10 on the Ubuntu website and after some Googling to find out what the new features are going to be in the Netbook Edition of Ubuntu 10.10, and finding out that it will have a new Unity Desktop instead of the old Moblin desktop that was in Ubuntu 10.04 Netbook Edition I thought that I would ditch OpenSuse 11.3 for Ubuntu 10.04 Netbook Edition and update to Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition when it is released on Sunday. I'm currently Installing the Beta of the Unity Desktop on to my running 10.04 Netbook Edition. I'll add a post about Unity when I've taken it for a test drive.
I'll add part 2 of this two part post on Sunday when I get 10.04 Netbook Edition updated ot 10.10 Netbook Edition.
Roland
After reading about the impending release of Ubuntu 10.10 on the Ubuntu website and after some Googling to find out what the new features are going to be in the Netbook Edition of Ubuntu 10.10, and finding out that it will have a new Unity Desktop instead of the old Moblin desktop that was in Ubuntu 10.04 Netbook Edition I thought that I would ditch OpenSuse 11.3 for Ubuntu 10.04 Netbook Edition and update to Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition when it is released on Sunday. I'm currently Installing the Beta of the Unity Desktop on to my running 10.04 Netbook Edition. I'll add a post about Unity when I've taken it for a test drive.
I'll add part 2 of this two part post on Sunday when I get 10.04 Netbook Edition updated ot 10.10 Netbook Edition.
Roland
Monday 4 October 2010
My move from Windows Vista to OpenSuse Linux 11.3
After previously using Ubuntu Linux 10.4 and then OpenSuse 11.2 and upgrading to OpenSuse 11.3 I had to go back to Windows Vista. I now thought it was time to move back to Linux and OpenSuse 11.3 and my Advent 4213 Netbook runs a lot faster than it did under Windows Vista and Goggle Chrome opens up immediately compared to the long wait that I had under Windows Vista that resulted in multiple copies of Goggle Chrome being opened due to repeatedly clicking on the Goggle Chrome Icon on in the Start Menu.
The KDE Desktop is clean and uncluttered, the use of widgets on the Desktop instead of Icons makes for an incredibly customizable Desktop as you can add widgets to the Desktop, System tray or the Task bar. I would recommend adding a Desktop widget for the Recycling Bin/Trash Can or as they call it in Linux the Waste Basket.
The Task Bar looks very similar to the new Task Bar in Windows 7, if it wasn't for the very different style of the Task Bar in Windows 7 you would be mistaken for thinking that Microsoft had just copied the Task Bar straight from KDE.
The Start menu is much more cleaner in KDE than it is in Windows with a Universal Search Bar sitting at the top of the Start Menu with the main part of the Start Menu split up into 5 tabs. The first tab that you see is the Favourites tab that is similar to the Pinning Area on the Windows Start Menu, the second tab is the Applications tab which is similar to the Programs option on the Start Menu, the third tab is the Computer tab which is similar to the right hand side bar on the Windows Start Menu, the fourth tab is the Recently Used list which is like the area between the Pinned Applications list and the Programs option on the Windows Start Menu, the final tab is the Leave tab it's a bit like the Shutdown options on the Windows Start Menu but you also get the option to Lock the Computer.
OpenSuse 11.3 comes with loads of free software ranging from Office Software to Development tools, there is literally thousands of applications supplied on the DVD if you chose to purchase a boxed set it comes with a Dual Layer DVD that contains the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of OpenSuse and a CD that contains Non Open source Software and comes with a printed manual and 90 days free phone and e-mail installation support. If you chose to download OpenSuse from there website you have to download the 32-bit and 64-bit versions separately as they have to be burned to individual Single Layer DVDs also I'd advise you downloading the Non Open source Software CD as well. With the downloaded version you lose the printed manual and the 90-day support but the OpenSuse Forums have some very helpful members that can help you out with anything that you are stuck with.
I'll do more follow-up Posts as I find other things that you need to know rather than edit this post to add stuff.
Roland
The KDE Desktop is clean and uncluttered, the use of widgets on the Desktop instead of Icons makes for an incredibly customizable Desktop as you can add widgets to the Desktop, System tray or the Task bar. I would recommend adding a Desktop widget for the Recycling Bin/Trash Can or as they call it in Linux the Waste Basket.
The Task Bar looks very similar to the new Task Bar in Windows 7, if it wasn't for the very different style of the Task Bar in Windows 7 you would be mistaken for thinking that Microsoft had just copied the Task Bar straight from KDE.
The Start menu is much more cleaner in KDE than it is in Windows with a Universal Search Bar sitting at the top of the Start Menu with the main part of the Start Menu split up into 5 tabs. The first tab that you see is the Favourites tab that is similar to the Pinning Area on the Windows Start Menu, the second tab is the Applications tab which is similar to the Programs option on the Start Menu, the third tab is the Computer tab which is similar to the right hand side bar on the Windows Start Menu, the fourth tab is the Recently Used list which is like the area between the Pinned Applications list and the Programs option on the Windows Start Menu, the final tab is the Leave tab it's a bit like the Shutdown options on the Windows Start Menu but you also get the option to Lock the Computer.
OpenSuse 11.3 comes with loads of free software ranging from Office Software to Development tools, there is literally thousands of applications supplied on the DVD if you chose to purchase a boxed set it comes with a Dual Layer DVD that contains the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of OpenSuse and a CD that contains Non Open source Software and comes with a printed manual and 90 days free phone and e-mail installation support. If you chose to download OpenSuse from there website you have to download the 32-bit and 64-bit versions separately as they have to be burned to individual Single Layer DVDs also I'd advise you downloading the Non Open source Software CD as well. With the downloaded version you lose the printed manual and the 90-day support but the OpenSuse Forums have some very helpful members that can help you out with anything that you are stuck with.
I'll do more follow-up Posts as I find other things that you need to know rather than edit this post to add stuff.
Roland
Saturday 2 October 2010
Bullying and Threatening behaviour on Facebook
I've been forced to write this Post after being subjected to threatening behaviour on Facebook for the second time in as many years.
The first time was last July and my cousin threatened to kill me because her and most of my dads side of the family were not invited to my wedding and she thought that her and the rest of them had got a god given right to be at the wedding. I reported her to Facebook for threatening behaviour and they did nothing about it.
The second time was today when I had a go at my wife's Aunt when she had a dig at me for Blogging while I'm unemployed and her cousin/my wife's aunts Daughter didn't like the fact that I just didn't sit back and take it but bit back so she threatened to rip my head off. I've just blocked her on Facebook as I know there is no point in reporting her to Facebook for threatening behaviour as the people that run Facebook don't care what goes on on there site.
Since I posted this another one of my wife's cousins as started on me. I've done nothing to cause this abuse, they've started it by sticking there nose where it's not wanted.
Rant over
Roland
The first time was last July and my cousin threatened to kill me because her and most of my dads side of the family were not invited to my wedding and she thought that her and the rest of them had got a god given right to be at the wedding. I reported her to Facebook for threatening behaviour and they did nothing about it.
The second time was today when I had a go at my wife's Aunt when she had a dig at me for Blogging while I'm unemployed and her cousin/my wife's aunts Daughter didn't like the fact that I just didn't sit back and take it but bit back so she threatened to rip my head off. I've just blocked her on Facebook as I know there is no point in reporting her to Facebook for threatening behaviour as the people that run Facebook don't care what goes on on there site.
Since I posted this another one of my wife's cousins as started on me. I've done nothing to cause this abuse, they've started it by sticking there nose where it's not wanted.
Rant over
Roland
Microsoft sues Motorola over Android phones
After reading this article on the BBC News website I can't help but wonder who will be next on Microsoft's hit list, will they go after Research In Motion over their Blackberry Smartphones and say that RIM have infringed some obscure Microsoft Patent on Push email or the use of a Homescreen that lists your upcoming calendar appointments, emails/SMS messages and your upcoming tasks. Microsoft are as bad as News Corp/ BSkyB at trying to crush any competition.
I'm betting that the next two to be involved in a law suit will be RIM and Apple over the BlackBerry Homescreen and iPhone/iPod Touch Homescreen having a launcher bar at the bottom of them.
Why does every company have to be so greedy and want to take the competition down. These patients that Microsoft are alleging have been infringed have not technically been infringed by Motorola and instead have been infringed by Google as they are the ones that have put contact, calendar and email synchronizing into Android not Motorola so doesn't that mean that Microsoft should go after Google and not Motorola?
Rant over
Roland
I'm betting that the next two to be involved in a law suit will be RIM and Apple over the BlackBerry Homescreen and iPhone/iPod Touch Homescreen having a launcher bar at the bottom of them.
Why does every company have to be so greedy and want to take the competition down. These patients that Microsoft are alleging have been infringed have not technically been infringed by Motorola and instead have been infringed by Google as they are the ones that have put contact, calendar and email synchronizing into Android not Motorola so doesn't that mean that Microsoft should go after Google and not Motorola?
Rant over
Roland
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