Pandemonium Medicine Show

I'm getting really tired of every single website having it's own password policies. I'm sure everyone else is as well. About 10 years ago there was an effort by authors of Usenet client applications to develop a Good Netkeeping Seal of Approval. The practices it describes are intentionally minimal. The GNKSA doesn't specify how to write a Usenet reader but it does specify many important details that every client should follow.

This type of best practices effort for Internet applications is required now more than ever. It is incredibly frustrating that nearly every site and (ahem!) even different sites by the same company has a different policy for managing details such as permitted and acceptable passwords, account and password recovery mechanisms, email change policy, etc.

I have been doing a lot of work using virtual machines (the simulates-a-computer kind not the Java kind). Since all of the virtual systems are NATed or have no networking and because I'm mostly doing driver development I am generally logged in as root and not using a password. Obviously, this has usage and security implications. For one thing, I can't assume that there is any kind of safety protection. If I screw up then the machine is screwed up. This applies to the security as well. If I do something stupid like download random software or go to arbitrary web sites then I could easily screw up the virtual machine.

So far I haven't managed to corrupt, infect or otherwise damage any of my virtual machines. I've found it kind of interesting how the direct knowledge that I have no "safety net" when operating these machines has impacted my thinking and choices. I've found I am a lot more thoughtful and cautious about the actions I take. I spend more time considering implications before hitting return. I'm coming to think that perhaps working in this way is possibly a good thing. Having to be certain before committing to actions has actually saved me time. I've made fewer repairable mistakes and frequently changed my mind as to how to correctly proceed rather than just barging ahead.

The moral of the story is (as usual) make good backups, play safe and be brave.

I noticed another site, the Daily Beast, is now offering a "View as Single Page" link for their longer articles. Nice. Thanks. The Christian Science Monitor and New York Times also offer a "Single Page" link for most of their content. I have to ask though, why would anyone assume that I'd prefer the multiple page layout? I understand completely that breaking an article into multiple pages increases your advertisement impressions but is it really worth annoying your readers that much?

The worst sites are invariably computer gaming review sites. It's not uncommon to see 20 "page" articles (and sometimes with no way to jump ahead or Table of Contents). Given that the ads they are showing are generally the least profitable Adwords terms and they have no other sources of revenue it's perhaps understandable that they julienne their articles.

If print media is going to successfully transition from paper to online then making their product easy and pleasant to access has got to be more of a priority.

I really like the new CBC Radio One show The Point. It's a breath of fresh air to hear from viewpoints that aren't defined and chosen solely by political affiliation. It's also a lot more interesting. So far the selection of guests has delivered some really smart, incisive, surprising and informative discussion. And it's not ever been strident, ignorant or boring. Great stuff!

Calling number identification is definitely a mixed blessing. I missed a call today while making my lunch. The call appears on my phone's display as being from the Sun main switchboard number. This mean that the call could be either an external call which was forwarded to my direct line by an operator or the automated attendant or it could be a call from another Sun employee. Unfortunately I'll probably never know who tried to call me. Whoever it was didn't leave a message and I can't call them back. I think I'd feel happier if I didn't know that I had missed the call. When I can't sleep tonight agonizing over who it was that called I will be cursing Theodore Paraskevakos, the inventor of caller ID.