Monthly Archive for April, 2006

Storing Images inside Databases

Published on April 30, 2006 in Info Tech. 3 Comments

The Problem (issue)
Okay, so we’re doing our first all-night code session (or hackathon according to the talented folks over at the OpenBSD project) on this new eBusiness web portal I keep telling you all about, and an important discussion ensues between me and Dan – our PHP guru. It’s about whether images for the Bazaar, Art, and Pharmacy modules should be stored as files in well-named folders, or if we should just use a BLOB (Binary Large OBject) field in the database tables. Hmmmn. From my own personal experience, I’ve always felt more comfortable letting the O/S (operating system) handle the static file system chores…until I saw this.

An enlightening SQL dude
Well, being the self-proclaimed Internet whore that I am, I simply went to my Mozilla Firefox search box, which defaults to Google, and entered the following query: storing images in databases.

Here’s the info right from the horse’s mouth:

Many times I have read comments that its better to have a pointer to the image be saved in the database and the image be managed by the operating system.
Here is some insight about the pros and cons of managing images in the database.
Here are some of the Pros for storing the images in the database as a better choice and the application in which the images will be used can count on the benefits of a database system.

The benefits of storing the images in the database include:

Scalability: Although file systems are designed to handle a large number of objects of varying sizes, file systems usually are not optimized for a huge number of small files.
Database systems are optimized for such cases.

Availability: SQL server has availability features that extend beyond those provided by the file system.

SQL Server replication is a set of solutions that allow you to copy, distribute and potentially modify data in a distributed environment.

Log Shipping provides a way of keeping a stand by copy of a database in case the primary system fails.

As far as the cons for it are concerned
Storing the image in the database increases the database size dramatically and obviously the overall performance of the database is degraded.

Conclusion
Well, this debate is sure to continue until the cows come home, and most politicians (over HERE) are no longer corrupt. :-)

Fat chance!

However, I want to give serious props to SQLdude for really giving me some food for thought. And isn’t this what the Internet is supposed to be all about. God damn it, but I totally looooove this cyber space thingy! Anything and everything is available right at your fingertips – merely for the asking (from places like Google). Of course, you have to be ever so careful to avoid it’s “dark” dubious corners (zones).

Oh well…I gotta jet. I’m supposed to finalise the categories for the Bazaar so that our web visitors can post items (kitchenware, electronics, toys, auto parts, clothing, etc.) in appropriate CATEGORIES which should make searching easier for you and me alike.

Happy “spirited” computing!

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10 Reasons Why Blogging is Good For Your Career

Published on April 25, 2006 in Info Tech. 3 Comments

Write on!
Today is one of those days where I totally got immersed in cyber space, and was enthralled by a bevy of insightful web content on numerous websites. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. You can have my TV (aka the Idiot Box) and the stupid radio. But please don’t disconnect me from the “active” world – er Internet. :-)

Well, here’s some info for IT pros on why you should blog. Are you looking to make a career move? Or do you simply want to progress to the next level in your field of expertise? If you answered yes, then I suggest you dip your feet in this blogging thingy.

Write for the right reasons
Personally, I write because I have a lot of thoughts and ideas running through my head that I need to get out. In IT, I find that writing about a topic or technology helps to reinforce said material in my long term memory. Furthermore, I’d like to delve into the realm of Advertising and Film Production, but from the point of view of creating snazzy ads or flicks that have pizzazz and mass appeal. I don’t know about you, but I find that a lot of allegedly “creative” stuff today is soooooo god damn BORING that I feel like taking a puke in the producer’s direction.

By the way, you should see the ads I’ve cranked out for our new eBusiness web portal here in Africa. I have scripts and details about what each scene entails. Stay tuned!

So, why is blogging good for your career? Well, the dude (or dudette) at this link has 10 good reasons.

1. You have to get noticed to get promoted.
2. You have to get noticed to get hired.
3. It really impresses people when you say “Oh, I’ve written about that, just google for XXX and I’m on the top page” or “Oh, just google my name.”
4. No matter how great you are, your career depends on communicating. The way to get better at anything, including communication, is by practicing. Blogging is good practice.
5. Bloggers are better-informed than non-bloggers. Knowing more is a career advantage.
6. Knowing more also means you’re more likely to hear about interesting jobs coming open.
7. Networking is good for your career. Blogging is a good way to meet people.
8. If you’re an engineer, blogging puts you in intimate contact with a worse-is-better 80/20 success story. Understanding this mode of technology adoption can only help you.
9. If you’re in marketing, you’ll need to understand how its rules are changing as a result of the current whirlwind, which nobody does, but bloggers are at least somewhat less baffled.
10. It’s a lot harder to fire someone who has a public voice, because it will be noticed.

Animals?
Well, since I’m in Africa, I figure it’d be nice to spice up my blogs with some kool pics of wildlife from over HERE.

I hope you enjoy them. :-)

Upcoming blog entries
I have so much unfinished stuff (er articles) stored in my GMail drafts folder that it’s high time I complete them.

Here’s what’s coming soon to MaxTheITpro:

  • Way to go Samsung
  • Amazing FireFox browser tip
  • Experiment a little: TRY a DIFFERENT Search Engine
  • Windows Vista: A BAD Corporate Citizen?
  • Sportsvite.com looks like a WINNER
  • Very Interesting Software – Issue 1
  • Are you a People Person? The art of Schmoozing
  • Mind Your Business with FREE Open Source Solutions
    (I’ll be talking about FREE ERP/CRM/SCM apps for SMEs)
  • How to use GMail to as your Blogger.com editor
    (I use GMail to edit all my entries thanks to its nifty spell checker)
  • Kool Mobile gadgets and Accessories

As you can see, I’ve got some good stuff cooking in the wtiting lab.

Oh well…I’m outta here.

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Change is very good: Say goodbye to MS-Exchange

Published on April 21, 2006 in Info Tech. 2 Comments

Are you too tied down to CHANGE?
Do you sometimes feel like pulling the hair out of your head? Well, that’s if you’re one of those unlucky souls in the IT department who has to maintain the Microsoft Exchange groupware beast. You see, a lot of IT shops in the Windows world are beholden to the Exchange/Outlook stack in order to function properly. This is an unfortunate outcome. Let’s just say that both applications are ANNOYING to say the least in terms of manageability, bloat, bugs and security risks that seem to surface regularly.

Small business: Watch out
Now, according to John C. Dvorak, who just happens to be my favorite Tech columnist in the whole wide world, Exchange is too pricey for most budgets. Take a peek at his on-the-ball (as usual) observation:

“Though there’s no doubt that Exchange’s integration with the Microsoft Outlook client, groupware features, and shared contact lists are handy, companies may object to its cost and complexity. The cost of running Exchange includes Windows Server. Unless you like paying Microsoft a small fortune (up to $8,000 for 25 user licenses for Windows Server and Exchange), you might consider a Linux solution.” {source: Life Without Exchange}


Decisions, decisions
Although Dvorak discussed 6 alternative Exchange solutions, I was quite intrigued at his mention of OpenGroupware.org (see screenshots). Once again, I present the word right from the horse’s mouth:


This Exchange alternative (aka OGo) provides contact management, group calendaring, resource planning, task management, e-mail, document and project management, news, and Palm syncing, all available via a Web interface. An Outlook plug-in is available. You can manage accounts, groups, and server configurations using a Web interface. The Projects application lets you share documents and link projects with contacts, tasks, notes, and appointments. The server runs on Linux or Windows. Cost: Free.


One thing that impressed the heck out of me about OpenGroupware’s brain trust is that they really understand their mission. This part made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside:


Use Open Protocols
We find it even more important to support open protocols than to provide the source code for a groupware solution, since open protocols provide the real freedom of choice for the customer and allow integration into existing IT infrastructures. Groupware is in a miserable state when it comes to interoperability, we try to fix that issue by cleanly documenting all the protocols used by the OGo reference server and by building protocol bridges.


Are you listening Micro$oft? These kind folks are committed to using “open protocols.” By the way, please take your proprietary Outlook PST file format, and shove it. Ditto for your Word doc file format, too. No wonder so many customers are locked into your products, and are too apprehensive to seek greener pastures.


Okay, end of rant. :-)

Wrap up…more on Dvorak
To conclude, I urge you to take a look at Dvorak’s timely article, and give Exchange the boot. He’s always a step ahead of everyone in terms of where IT is headed, or where it ought to go. I’ve been a big fan of his ever since I got into computers thanks to an amazing high school Coop-Ed work term in Computers & Accounting at Computing Devices Corporation (now General Dynamics Canada).

I’ll never forget his insightful Inside Track columns (now in PC Magazine) in PC/Computing (now defunct), which kept me up to date on all the important goings on in the computer industry. He truly is a legend. Oh, he’s also joined to the hip with PC Magazine as chief editor (I think), which I also give credit for helping me to lose my “IT virginity” back then. After all, “knowledge is power” and I learned a lot simply from reading followed by “doing.”

Oh, you should see his non-IT blog: Dvorak Uncensored. I’m sure you’ll get a riot out of his Fixing California’s Problems blog entry where he proposes to split the sunshine state into 3 states: Northern California, California, and Southern California. Once again, I agree with his logic 100%.

John, thank YOU for making a difference in my LIFE!!! Much love.

By the way, here’s wishing you smooth sailing in your Exchange/Outlook ordeals. For those of you who simply need a better email client, I suggest Mozilla Thunderbird. You’ll have a different (and better) outlook on emailing and contact management once you take it for a spin. Guaranteed. Heck, if it’s sister, Mozilla Firefox (web browser), can obtain over 100 million users in record time, there’s no doubt this bird’s going to soar very high – and fast.

Happy computing!

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Telkom South Africa: Can a Company be this Hated?

Published on April 10, 2006 in Info Tech. 11 Comments

The cat’s out of the bag
It’s no secret to any one who really knows me about how much I detest monopolies. Why? Because, in the long term, they do nothing but stiffle innovation, and prevent certain natural events from taking place. Now, when it comes to monopolies, I believe that telecom companies (I see them as cockroaches) do more harm than good because their actions can directly (and indirectly) prevent a nation from reaching or realising its true economic potential.


I say this with confidence based on comparing different societies. For example, look at the rapid pace of broadband Internet innovation in places like Sweden, Japan and South Korea in comparison to Kenya, South Africa, and, yes, even the USA to a lesser degree. Did you know that most Koreans can get 10+ Megabit connections to the Internet? Heck some Swedes can even get 100 Megabits/sec DSL connections right now for US $79.49. How unfair.

Today, we’re going to take a good look at what has to be one of the most hated monopolies I’ve ever seen in a very long time. Please allow me to introduce you to Telkom SA – aka Hellkom. I urge you to follow the links.

Hellkom on Earth?
BTW, I love this South African website, Hellkom.co.za, which is a grassroots site determined to get Telkom SA to reduce its ridiculous broadband prices. Do you want to see how pissed off they are? Well, take a quick peek at this poignant Digg.com discussion: Worst ADSL offering in the world? As a self-proclaimed Internet whore who’s dependent on reliable broadband Internet access in order to get work done, I just want to show my support for all the affected users in South Africa. So here’s a big “shoutout” to the spirited folks over at the MyADSL.co.za forums who are keeping the pressure on Hellkom (er Telkom SA) via MyADSL. You can also get there by typing MyBroadband.co.za. Like I said, a lot of people in South Africa are pissed off at Telkom SA for “Information super highway robbery.”

Thou shall not hate
Good lords, I’ve never seen a telecom company so hated by its customers in all my life. I know people hate (or hated) AT&T, Verizon (merger of GTE and Bell Atlantic), NYNEX (acquired by Bell Atlantic which is no more) et al, but this is scary. Check this out: www.ScrewThePublic.co.za. Yikes, if Telkom SA ever gets any real competition, me thinks even the cockroaches (click on pic above) that infest the company’s toilets will be jumping ship. After all, they’re probably getting ripped off too with all the nice lavish toilet bowls, furniture and what not that’s most likely clean as a whistle due, once again, to the obscene profits Hellkom’s raking in. LOL.

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Tracking Jumbo Elephants with PostgreSQL, Flashcom sucks, Shirky rocks

Published on April 4, 2006 in Info Tech. 4 Comments

Short & Sweet
Well, after writing Part 1 and Part 2 about my web hosting nightmare a few days ago, I just feel like writing some random IT thoughts going through my head. The last bit below is a glaring example of how to piss of potential customers before even lifting a muscle.

* Tracking Jumbo elephants via GPS/SMS & PostgreSQL?
I’ve been meaning to send a quick email to another IT pro (software engineer), David Gachuche (see pic on right), regarding the exciting work he’s doing tracking elephants throughout Africa. He got my attention at his New Year’s Eve 2005/06 party in Karen (a town about 15 minutes from downtown Nairobi) when he told me that he was using PostgreSQL – the world’s most advanced open source database – in a serious location-based application right here in Nairobi. I want to get his thoughts on the project, and also to pick his brains about using GPS data points in a slick Real Estate web application that I have on the back burner in the Beta Zone at our Labs.

Get more info here: Using texts to save Kenya’s elephants (BBC) | same article in The Seoul Times | GIS/GPS Experiences with PgSQL?

* Clay Shirky’s Writings About the Internet, Economics & Culture, Media & Community, Open Source
This amazing lecturer from the US is absolutely brilliant. He’s 100% correct on everything he says with regards to wireless, telecom and Internet politics. I’m going to shut up and let you see for yourself. PLEASE (pretty please?) read these gems by him: Wireless Auction Follies | Permanet, Nearlynet, and wireless data | ATT and Cable Internet Access | Fame vs Fortune: Micropayments and Free Content | Weblogs and the Mass Amateurization of Publishing | The Internet and the Size of Government | Web Traffic and TV Ratings | Language Networks.

This is article is my favorite so far because it has huge implications: Customer-owned Networks: ZapMail and the Telecommunications Industry.

Telecom execs from Telkom Kenya, Telkom SA, and similar telecom monopolies with their heads stuck in the sand should read this because they are so behind the times holding their respective nation’s economic prosperity hostage due to sheer greed. And the public just sits back and takes the boot in the ass more or less. Of course we know government is partly to blame because of the huge revenues that fills their coffers – legally or behind closed doors. I always thought a government was to serve the best interests of its people. Oh well.

* Flashcom’s Customer Service SUCKS
I’ve been meaning to write about this new startup called Flashcom that appears to have some amazing CDMA fixed wireless broadand technology that should put the fear of god in Telkom Kenya and VSAT operators. Actually, I see their bloody TV commercials every damn day, and I’m like, “Hmmn, these guys seem like they got their sh!t together.” Wrong!!!!

So I send an email to CustomerCare@Flashcom.co.ke a WHILE back (Feb 15/2006) indicating that I’d like to get more info on their service offering, and if it’d be possible for me to drop by and take the technology for a spin so that I can write about it here. I also suggested that they need to step up to the plate and offer an unlimited data package similar to Africa Online’s iBurst service. If they just do this one simple thing, then all of a sudden, the Internet dynamics in this region will change overnight because, like I said, their technology is sound.

Well, WEEKS later, I still haven’t heard a clue from anybody over there. Like, is that really a legit company, or is it just a front doing some nefariously ILLEGAL activities here in Kenya? LOL. ;-)

Oh well, let’s just say that Flashcom is OFF my LIST. See ya…wouldn’t wanna be ya.
Heck, even an employee from Africa Online noticed how crappy Flashcom’s customer “care” is. He’s right! Customers are not going to gravitate towards Flashcom, so his company is safe – for now. ;-)

BTW, if Flashcom were to set up shop in South Africa, I’m sure they’d get a boat load of business. Why? Because of this. Heck, I’ve never even dealt with Telkom SA, and I already hate em with a passion. “Die Telkom, die!”

Get more info in my next blog post: Telkom South Africa: Can a Company be this Hated?

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My Web Hosting Nightmare: Part 2 of 2

Published on April 2, 2006 in Africa, Health, Info Tech, Life and Opinions. 10 Comments Tags: , .

I’m back!
Well I woke up at 9 AM after I went to bed at 4 AM this morning. You’d think I’d sleep for 7 or 8 hours, but I didn’t. You see, when I’m in a country with amazingly nice weather, I just can’t seem to stay in bed for too long. Ditto when I was growing up in Barbados. Now in Canada, I’m quite capable of sleeping for 8 hours when it’s (gasp!) Winter time.

Take a hike
Anyhow, I went for a nice 1 hour jog – to clear my head – through Parklands, downtown Nairobi, and 2 nearby campuses of the University of Nairobi (U of N). Boy did I need that! My body and mind are “one” once again. I actually feel very relieved and calm. One thing though…keep your eyes on the road when you’re attemping to take a recreational jog in this city lest you end up on a one-way trip to the mythical land of Hades.

A stroll down memory lane & some “pleasant” distractions
Oh, I didn’t notice the cute skirts up at “U of N” either on my jog. Come to think of it…do I ever miss campus life (see here | here | here | here | here) at the University of Western Ontario (aka UWO). I knew I should’ve tried out for the cheerleading team since I don’t recall seeing too many women in my CompSci classes. BTW, I forgot we had a “Beaver” Hall residence on campus. The sheer irony…well, for those who know what I mean. LOL. :-)

Medicinal shrooms – how I love thee
On another note, too bad I didn’t bring down some of my medicinal mushrooms (Reishi , Shiitaki, Cordyceps, Maitake , etc.) from Canada, which I usually purchase from Ottawa’s Rainbow Natural Foods. Truly powerful (almost “magical”) stuff that’ll change your outlook on life – forever.

Ya don’t believe me? Read for yourself.

The study of medicinal mushrooms through the last three decades has proved its many beneficial outcomes and has been followed by the rapid development of manufacturing businesses dealing with commercial cultivation of mushrooms. In 1999, world production of mushrooms amounted to US$18 billion, roughly equal to the value of coffee sales.3,4

Medicinal mycology has deep and firm roots in fungi’s traditional uses in the medicine of the Far East. For centuries, Chinese and other healthcare practitioners employed mushrooms to treat various diseases. They valued the power of some mushrooms as divine (e.g., a special goddess was associated with the reishi mushroom). Reishi is also considered a symbol of happy augury and good future, good health, longevity, and even life with the immortals. The use of medicinal mushrooms has gone beyond medicine itself: different schools of Taoism employed reishi and other mushrooms as purifiers and promoters of mind and spirit.5 {source: Review of Medicinal Mushrooms Advances: Good News from Old Allies by Solomon P. Wasser, Ph.D., Dr.Sci. (Biol.)}

In addition, this short blurb is also an eye opener. But I wish they’d mention Cordyceps , which are my favorite natural adaptogens as they’re simply amazing for those who are into athletic pursuits and good all-around health – like me. {get more info: here | here | here | here | here}

In fact, an estimated 38,000 species of mushrooms, most provide a wealth of protein, fiber, B vitamins, and vitamin C, as well as calcium and other minerals. And at least three species have demonstrated phenomenal healing potential: maitake, shiitake, and reishi. These medicinal mushrooms have been shown to boost heart health; lower the risk of cancer; promote immune function; ward off viruses, bacteria, and fungi; reduce inflammation; combat allergies; help balance blood sugar levels; and support the body’s detoxification mechanisms. {source: Healthcastle.com }


Okay, enough of the lovely (and healthy) distractions. Remember, I’m still going through a web hosting nightmare, and no amount of cute skirts are going to make me lose my focus (ponders for a while). Go ahead, try me! Make your day! :-)

Customer dis-service continued
So, as I was saying at the end of my previous blog entry, my pal called the owner (Michael) from Afrohosting (see Whois). He in turns tells us that his host, Rackforce , shut him down because “one of his customers was sending spam from their account.” Now, I refuse to believe that a reputable company like Rackforce would throw out the baby with the bath water. It just doesn’t make sense.

After about 2 or 3 days, Michael did the most incredible disappearing act I’ve ever seen. Not even David Copperfield could match this. Incidentally, the web developer for our new site told us that Afrohosting had a lot of business with some NGOs based here in Kenya, and that they are all pissed. Again, Michael has fallen off the face of the earth. I presume he’s entered the 4th dimension. “Earth to Michael – come home!”

Cut your losses
Now, our new EBusiness web portal needed a reliable web hosting company to deliver the goods. Since Michael must’ve went into the Federal Witness Protection Program , we decided to cut our losses and find an alternative – pronto. Why?

Well, it’s sort of embarrassing when you’ve got interested investors, potential web partners, and web affiliates trying profusely to access your site only to get a blank screen. Actually, the pic to your above left is what appears when I “tried” to access Afrohosting.com on April 1/2006 at 5:18 PM. Oh, the suspended.page link you see in that JPEG image takes you to the screen which is captured in the next pic right below. How professional – not!

A shocking discovery
Now, it turns out that Michael’s Afrohosting.com company is NOT even hosted by Rackforce. What a bloody liar! The only speculation we’re going on right now is that he fu#ked up royally, and now his business is a goner. Perhaps he didn’t pay his bills? No one will ever know. Oh, if any of you guys see him, please tell him to send us a credit for our remaining web hosting plan. Also, if your hands are near his neck, please deny him some air. Where’s Lord Vader from Star Wars when you need him? :-)

Afrohosting.com goes “incognito”
This is almost too funny folks. But according to a Whois lookup for Afrohosting.com, it appears that their DNS servers are being hosted by (laugh) Incognito Networks. See the 3rd screenshot on this page below this text. What an ironic twist, eh? How very fitting since Michael has gone incognito on his alleged clientele.

Oh well, ya live and learn. Right?

What’s with the healthy stuff BTW?
So why the heck did I mention medicinal mushrooms in my IT blog? Well, IT, if approached from a negative perspective, is a very stressful profession when you take the following into account: Missed delivery dates, unrealistic expectations, security vulnerabilities, bugs, viruses, in-experienced users screwing things up, creeping featuritis in new apps, pointy-haired bosses {also see here|here } who don’t know jack squat about real IT, and the sheer increased complexity of today’s systems.
On the other hand, medicinal mushrooms have a calming Zen-like effect on the entire body, which is a possitive thing. They actually aid in reducing stress on your system – guaranteed. And you can take the bank.

The best things in life are FREE
Look, I’ve always made healthy living my firstpriority in life. Yes, even over a damn computer loaded with all of my favorite geeky stuff! Why? Well, if your health takes a serious nose dive, it doesn’t really matter how successfull you are, or how many material possessions you own. You see, I find that most of my IT colleagues have become slaves to their profession, and it’s come back to bite them right in the ass – in the form of BAD HEALTH and habits. Two to 4 large cups of coffee per day – with 3 sugars? Yikes, that’s a recipe for disaster! Better them than I.

All I’m trying to say is to learn from your experiences. In this case, I will make sure that my associates understand the need to truly scrutinize who they select to host their precious commercial “data” cargo (websites) next time.

But here’s the thing. After almost a week of being offline, and looking through the window from the outside, I realise that, “Hey, it’s NOT the end of the world.” This BTW is also my 1st sacred principle in life. In other words, the site was backed up, and no data was lost, so “chill dudes.” :-)

Ultimately, your health is the most important thing you have going in life. And it’s free when you enter this world. If your body gets a virus or encounters a serious malfunction, then it doesn’t really matter what happened to your data yesterday. Right?

And that’s my point.

BTW, don’t forget to follow the advise for choosing a web hosting company which is in the conclusion section of Part 1 of this blog. It’ll save you a ton of time. Trust me!

Happy computing.

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