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Entries from March 2007

Coles and Woolworths not selling Baby Panadol

March 31st, 2007 · 14 Comments

Here’s an interesting point, Coles and Woolworths do not sell Panadol for babies, not very convienient. The reason I understand it as being so, is because they could get sued if someone were to buy Panadol from there, and overdose or so forth. Notice they still sell Adult tablets, and the Large bottles (designed for [...]

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Tags: Random

Quoting Jobs – theoretically

March 30th, 2007 · No Comments

When a plumber quotes a job, he takes a look at the issue, can quickly identify what he will need to do, and get to work fixing the issue. The same applies to an electrician. The same applies to a carpenter. The same doesn’t apply to a Web Designer, Web Developer, or a Programmer. Here’s [...]

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Tags: Programming · Random

Advertising blindness

March 29th, 2007 · No Comments

Here’s something interesting. If you see the same ad enough, so much so, that you see it regularly, do you notice it more or less? You notice it, perhaps less or the same, depending on the ad, and you generally ignore it. It’s called Ad blindness. And it affects many people. Those who see the [...]

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Tags: Programming · Random

Something interesting with programming

March 28th, 2007 · No Comments

One thing I find amazing is how inconsistent some developers can be when developing on a project. Take the open source project, Trixbox for example. In one application installed with Trixbox, you can actually manipulate some users fantastically. In the same application, you try and manipulate any of the other users, and.. well, you can [...]

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Tags: Linux · Programming · Random

Shonky Customer Service / Support

March 27th, 2007 · No Comments

A lot of us have had it before, the company that can’t do anything right, or the company that just annoys you in anything they do. Many users are simply tolerant of this, and put up with it. I base this simply on the general reactions of those who get “sick” of something. They don’t [...]

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Tags: Random

Labor’s FTTN plan, bringing the future sooner

March 26th, 2007 · 1 Comment

According to some popular media outlets, they currently claim Labor’s FTTN proposal brings the future to us today. I disagree, not entirely, but I disagree, here’s why. Many other countries have FTTN networks. Technology is moving at a rapid pace also, which means that by the time they get the first node near me, technology [...]

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Tags: Random

Failure to Act is Negligence

March 25th, 2007 · 1 Comment

Here’s an interesting thought. If you are alerted to investigate and cease activities, either you, or someone who pays you to service them, and you don’t do anything to stop them from further activities, are you liable, for assisting the person to do those activities? As a service provider, they generally have the responibility to [...]

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Tags: Random

Another not so big win for Labor (in NSW)

March 24th, 2007 · No Comments

Labor has won the State election today in NSW. We have yet another 4 years of Morris Iemma. Let’s see if he actually comes good on the promises. His campaign consisted mostly of “it’s been work in progress, let’s keep going”. Morris, my key aspects that I want fixed in 4 years, or I don’t [...]

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Tags: Random

Script Kiddie at it again

March 23rd, 2007 · No Comments

One host I am with seems to be a target of some kid that holds a personal issue against the company. A few weeks ago, the kid researched an exploit in Kayako Support Suite, a web based support software application, and sent emails out to the customers it contained, advising them to change host, and [...]

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Tags: Random

NSW Stupid Registration Prices

March 22nd, 2007 · No Comments

Here is something I would like addressed within the next election: Registration costs and CTP. In QLD, to Register a V6 Commodore, you are looking at $680. In NSW, Under 25, Register the same V6 Commodore, you are looking at $861. That money doesn’t get us better paved roads either, so it isn’t going to [...]

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Tags: Random

Labor broadband plan (next budget deficit starter)

March 21st, 2007 · No Comments

Labor has a plan, to bring everyone, nationally, 12Mb/sec broadband using fibre to the node. Not a bad idea, and at a cheap enough cost. I’m sure the extra %age that can’t get anything faster than 8Mbps for extortion prices (me) would be thankful. However, Labor just has a history, and on that history, is [...]

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Tags: Random

Raising a child, is it hard? Or is it?

March 20th, 2007 · No Comments

Contrary to popular belief, I form the opinion so far, that raising a child isn’t exactly “hard”. It simply requires common sense. The tasks involved aren’t somewhat difficult, for example, you change a nappy regularly, you feed the child when its hungry, you clean up after it, you take care of it, you comfort it [...]

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Tags: Random

HOWTO: Log a kernel panic.. It can be done!

March 19th, 2007 · No Comments

Ever find yourself in a position with a server which you can’t watch a kernel panic on, and wonder, how the hell can I find the cause of this issue, with no access to the console, and no way of logging the kernel panic to disk? It just so happens the situation has happened to [...]

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Tags: Linux

Care of Property

March 18th, 2007 · No Comments

One point that comes to mind is the maintenance and care of property, be it a rental property, someone elses property, or your own! My point is to show that care of peoples property is just as important as care for your own. Would you want someone coming into your house and smashing all the [...]

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Tags: Random

Paper gone to waste. Who’s responsible? The Giants.

March 17th, 2007 · No Comments

What businesses waste the most paper, and why? Interesting question.. Here are some on a short list: 1. Telstra. A $22.00 bill doesn’t require 5 pages. 2. OTEN (TAFE NSW). A majority of the paper they send out can actually be delivered online. 3. Any business that is yet to consider electronic archiving of files. [...]

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Tags: Random

The Almighty Whirlpool Hard at Work

March 16th, 2007 · No Comments

I wrote recently of a issue about Netspace, where we were shaped since the 10th of March, incorrectly, due to a system stuff up. Since that time, I’ve continued to be on Netspace’s rear, trying to get a resolution to my problem, and had very little success. So little that I infact also made a [...]

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Tags: Random

Stone Age Online Systems

March 15th, 2007 · No Comments

Since my move in early February, Netspace have gone from good, to… hopeless. I created a thread about the problems with moving, here: http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=687866 What happened at that point was Netspace incorrectly provisioned my service as a 512/512 service, instead of the original (and requested) 1500/256 service. It took them approximately 3 weeks to solve [...]

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Tags: Random

Netspace Stuff Ups Continue – no resolution

March 14th, 2007 · No Comments

I’m appauled at Netspace’s recent stuff up and the length of time its taken them to even have an “adequate” look at it. You see, we are on a 20 + 20GB plan, and have only used 10GB + 10GB of that plan. However, we are shaped. We aren’t supposed to be. They were called [...]

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Tags: Random

HOWTO: Configure a Linksys SPA-3102 ATA to a VoIP Provider on ADSL

March 13th, 2007 · 8 Comments

Here’s a full guide on how to setup a Linksys SPA-3102 VoIP ATA to use a VoIP Provider for ADSL Connections, step by step. Place the SPA-3102 in a place that’s convienient for you, generally next to your ADSL modem is ideal. Here is how everything connects, looking at it from a view of Phone [...]

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Tags: Networking · VoIP

Bigpond’s Supplier is NOT Telstra Wholesale

March 12th, 2007 · No Comments

A question on a lot of minds is, with the cost of backhaul to Tasmania being so expensive (up to 30 times more expensive, compared to backhaul from Melbourne to Brisbane, Adelaide or Perth), how is Bigpond offering plans that are much below the cost other ISPs would have to pay? Interesting question, fair question. [...]

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Tags: Random

Effective ISP Advertising

March 11th, 2007 · No Comments

Here’s a simple way for ISPs to increase their customer base.. Imagine advertising a cost / value comparison? So, the advertisement would play something along the lines of: Tired of waiting for downloads? Tired of paying too much for “fraudband” ? We can assist. For just $40/mth, you get a massive 4000MB of data, yes, [...]

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Tags: Random

Netspace Issues Again. They haven’t disappeared yet

March 10th, 2007 · No Comments

I moved a little while ago, sticking with “reliable”, “World Class Customer Service” ISP, Netspace Online Systems. The name says it all, your System, Online. They do live up to that. Fantastically. The issue they don’t live up to is “World Class Customer Service” (lack thereof). When I arranged my move on the online system, [...]

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Tags: Random

HOWTO: Set Dial Tones / DTMF Tones on the Sipura / Linksys devices

March 9th, 2007 · No Comments

Some people seem to have this problem, they push buttons on their handset, and their ATA isn’t registering the tones, on the push button tone system (DTMF). Like Phone Banking for example, or choosing menu options. The solution is rather simple, and only requires just a few setting changes. Login to your devices web interface, [...]

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Tags: Random · VoIP

Script Kiddies and Development Bugs

March 8th, 2007 · No Comments

Servers Australia was a victim of a 10 year old script kiddie (or the equivilent in brain dead individuals). The script kiddie spammed the client base of Servers Australia through a bug in the Kayako Support System, sending messages that would lead unsuspecting customers to believe the sender of the messages was Servers Australia themselves. [...]

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Tags: Programming · Random

Shhhh!

March 7th, 2007 · No Comments

It’s about time a certain company got a reply, telling them to stop spewing rubbish. It’s all I’m saying.

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Tags: Random

Whirlpool Survey Results, and Bad News for Wild I&T

March 6th, 2007 · No Comments

Today, I have yet more to say on Broadband. The Whirlpool Survey results for the 2006 year have been finished, they are located here. The leaders with regard to value, speed, and service seem to be Internode and iiNet. Internode seem to be leading with Whirlpoolians, as they are basically the ISP of choice, despite [...]

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Tags: Random

Government with huge broadband announcement

March 5th, 2007 · No Comments

Apparently the Federal Government is said to be announcing something ‘substantial’ about Australian Broadband Infrastructure. My guess at the moment is it’ll be some of the Broadband Connect funds being decided on how they would be spent (or at least which method of ‘broadband connect’-ing they are favouring of those offered. I doubt that Telstra [...]

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Tags: Random

Music to my ears (or not)

March 4th, 2007 · No Comments

I promised in my last entry that I wouldn’t talk about some topic or something, so that isn’t going to happen tonight. Nope. No discussion on a particular topic. I like varieties of music. I’m not really for or against any particular flavour of music, that is, until it gets excessively too much of that [...]

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Tags: Random

Online Radio? Impartial Telstra Debate Website

March 3rd, 2007 · No Comments

I’ve had a few ideas today. 1. Online radio. The only two major providers of it, for Free, are Internode, and the 3FL mirror. Internode restrict it to it’s customers. 3FL is accessible to all, via PIPE. Thanks, they aren’t greedy to those suffering contracts they disagree with. We could use some more radio stations [...]

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Tags: Random

VoIP and PSTN Failover

March 2nd, 2007 · No Comments

The question remains, will PSTN still have life in it, after VoIP gains greater than 50% market capitalisation? Previously, I have stated that my current stance on this is the PSTN should be always used where appropriate, due to calls to 000, and so forth. Sorry, but VoIP just doesn’t have the same reliability that [...]

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Tags: Random · VoIP