The Lone Sysadmin

• hresume - Microformats
• Default Password List

Given that it’s been out for a while I thought I should spring for the latest Apache httpd, version 2.2.0 I really like the cleanups that the httpd team has done with the configuration files, the modules, etc. I usually set bigger web servers up with separate include files for virtual hosts, especially if there is change control on the files. That way I can build a process for people to muck with the virtual hosts and leave the main server settings alone (and secure). I also appreciate the level of default security the server has.

I don’t really tax Apache much anymore. A long time ago I had a few web servers that ran on underpowered hardware, but nowadays something like a Slashdotting can be handled by a a 2.4 GHz Pentium 4, at least for a mostly static site.

• lost camera: camera unlost, but not quite found.
  Find a camera, offer it’s return, reneg, and then reneg again.
  (tags: theft canada travel)
• Beware the ‘pod slurping’ employee | CNET News.com
  I guess you’ll just have to epoxy the USB ports shut. Oh, wait, you have USB keyboards and mice… crap!
  (tags: security usb ipod privacy)
• VisionPRO at ThermostatShop.com
  For a hardware product demo, this is cool. Honeywell, you’ve sold a new thermostat (unless I find a similar one with X10 capabilities). :-)
  (tags: thermostat energy hardware demo)

Guy Kawasaki links to a post about the “Spread Firefox but don’t be a fanatic” article. Amen. Want to guarantee that I never do what you ask? Beat me over the head with it.

As a sysadmin I see this a lot from coworkers and vendors, where someone will walk up to me and tell me that I should be doing something in a specific way. I shouldn’t use Windows on my desktop, I should use Mac OS X, or BeOS, or Linux, or OS/2. I should really install Konfabulator (now the Yahoo! Widget Engine). “I can’t believe you’re not using Opera,” or Firefox 1.0.7, or Flickr, or OpenOffice, or Java 1.5. It isn’t that they’re suggesting it, it’s that I’m wrong for not seeing things their way.

I like to think I’m a smart guy, and that I’ve made the right decisions about my software and tools. All of my decisions are oriented in one direction: getting stuff done. Lots of people are like me. When folks come up and say that I should be doing something differently they’re insulting my intelligence. I do, however, respect a polite suggestion. “Hey, have you tried Flickr? It’s really cool.” Or “Hey, have you ever tried using Linux on your desktop?” Or even “Can I ask you why you run Windows on your desktop instead of Mac OS?”

I cannot think of a single vendor that has ever asked me “why did you choose X over our product Y?” without insulting me. Actually, the vendors I tend to work with are usually the ones with as little marketing as possible, because the ones that market to me always question the decisions I’ve made. They never try to find out why I made a particular decision, or even how I’m going to make a decision. “Our product is faster, better, better ROI, better TCO, makes more noise than the one you’re using.” Yeah, but you, sales guy, are a jackass.

Polite questions that don’t make me defensive are rare. If you want to promote something to me talk with me about it, not at me about it.

I’ve found that the best way to promote an idea, at least within my organization and friends, is to plant subtle hints about it. It’s the “let a hundred flowers blossom” idea — sow the seeds of your idea with a lot of different people. Water them with continued support for the idea, mentioning it, not a sales pitch. If it’s a behavioural change then change yourself, and let people see how it works with you. When you are getting more stuff done they’ll think about changing. If there’s a problem to be solved with your idea they’ll remember it. Actually, sometimes they’ll think it was their idea, no big deal. On the whole it’s better to get it right than to be right.

I’m doing this now with the idea of using del.icio.us for bookmarking for my team.

Me: “OMFG, del.icio.us is the bomb. Public bookmarks, they’re everywhere you go, and you can post them to your blog and stuff. Bookmarks in browsers on local machines is so 1996.”

Them: “Yeah. Hey, have you had lunch yet?”

Round two has been different. Since I’ve started using del.icio.us I have been storing all my bookmarks in there. People see my web browser on my laptop in presentations and they see the bookmarklets “post to del.icio.us” and “del.icio.us/lonesysadmin” on my toolbar. I field questions like “hey Bob, do you have the link to that IBM Linux tuning PDF?” with “yeah, I bookmarked it, just search for it in del.icio.us/lonesysadmin.”

And then they get it. When a few more people are in on it with me we’ll decide on a tag we can all use to group our collective stuff together.

In short, if you’re going to spread the word about something remember: people are smart and they make good decisions with the information they have. If you want them to go your way give them good, relevant information, not orders.

• Spread Firefox, but don’t be a fanatic. | Spread Firefox
  (tags: firefox popularity web)
• Google_Oppo_to_Motion.pdf (application/pdf Object)
  (tags: google government privacy search)

I just read Ars Technica’s analysis of the whole Google, ACLU, and federal government COPA thing. I really try to not get too political, here or anywhere, but in this case I don’t like where Peter Pollack leaves his analysis of:

Because the government has refused to divulge any details about what it plans to do with the information requested from Google, it is impossible for Plaintiffs to ascertain if they need to conduct their own follow-up discovery from Google. If the motion is granted, however, Plaintiffs will very likely need to obtain further information from Google to understand what Google’s response actually signifies.

In my opinion the ACLU is helping Google. Google is the darling of the tech industry right now. With another organization basically saying that Google’s trade secrets are on the line if the government compels them to release this information, will the government press forward? I think the ACLU is trying to rile up the masses, as well as force the courts to observe precedents that have been set in these cases (and possibly set up an appeal for Google if things go sideways).

Besides, I really hate the fact that the government is fishing for data to support something that’s already been dubbed unconstitutional. By the people, for the people? Heh, government is by itself, for itself nowadays.

Country and folk music is something I’ve developed an increasing taste for over the past few years. There’s just something about acoustic guitars that I fall for, that I can sit and listen to them forever. It’s really not a surprise, then, that I like Brandi Carlile’s music.

What was a surprise was the range of people that showed up to see her and the twins play last night in Madison. Older folks, lots of younger people. It was encouraging. She played a bunch of stuff from her album, but also a number of songs that weren’t on the album. Excellent stuff. I always sit as close as I can to the sound board, as the sound will be good there and watching the guys provides me with entertainment when the artist isn’t cutting it. First thing I noticed was the backstage passes the crew had. It was the album photo of Brandi and the only text was a big “ALL ACCESS.” Heh, they wish.

There were some sound issues, namely the kick drum was way too intense. I’m willing to give sound guys a break as they go from place to place, but dude, turn the drum down. I’m in the back and my beer is vibrating off the table. Overall, though, I wish I had bootleg gear because it was a really good show, with a decent turnout despite the -5 degree weather. One can only wonder what the turnout would be if she was down at the Union during the summer. What an amazing voice and band.

• UUUHHHGGG-rrrr!
  Chewbacca’s Blog. Nice!
  (tags: chewbacca blogs humor)
• LED Throwies
  (tags: led graffiti art)