Current Projects - Future Ideas - General Ramblings http://www.daveandal.net/alshed.htm en-gb Dave And Al.net http://www.daveandal.net/alshed.asp alex@stonebroom.com alex@stonebroom.com All good things, they say, must come to an end. Meanwhile, in what must obviously be an amazing coincidence, the gibbering and generally incoherent ramblings that make up my occasional diary are also moving on to pastures new. Yep, at last I've got myself a real blog, which means I'll probably not be able to fall off the edge of the world for three months at a time like I do now. And, being a full-time 'Softie, I'll probably also have to write something technical each week. Or at least something with a bit of technical content. Or with a technical-sounding title... alex@stonebroom.com 2008-06-19T00:00:00-00:00 http://blogs.msdn.com/alexhomer It's official - scientific proof is now available to show that creating the documentation for a complex software product is actually three times harder than writing the code. Maybe it's because I'm newly unemployed that I found time to discover this amazing fact. Want to know more? See the technical description buried within the dark and often unfathomable depths of my most recent ramblings... alex@stonebroom.com 2008-05-21T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed/unemployed/default.htm It's becoming obvious that reading newspapers when you get past middle-age is bad for you. With a good pair of glasses and a 500 watt bulb, I can generally make out the text on the page, but I still end up re-reading bits because I just can't believe that I read them right the first time. But its the rise in blood pressure, and having my wife beat me over the head when I keep doing the Victor Meldrew (One Foot In The Grave) "I don't believe it!" thing, that is most harmful to my health I reckon... alex@stonebroom.com 2008-03-16T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed/16bytes/default.htm So, the time has finally come for this rambling, itinerant, and semi-competent author-stroke-developer-stroke-trainer to cast aside his independence, sell his soul to the devil, and throw his lot in with the people who have provided him with the platforms and tools that supported him for the past too-many-years-to-remember. alex@stonebroom.com 2008-03-02T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed/sellingmysoul/default.htm Another fiendish mystery.... After losing my memory (the RAM kind) last month, I discover that my airmiles have disappeared this month. There I was thinking I might get a seat near the front this time, but it turns out I can't event book a seat at all. I can see I'll be spending ten hours sitting on a box in the hold, or maybe even two weeks in the departure lounge. alex@stonebroom.com 2007-12-27T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed/xmas2007/default.htm A couple of months ago, I promised I would file a report on our new Acer iDea 510 Media Center. So here's the good news - it's superb! Of course, I ended up rambling on about other stuff as well, such as how caching can come back to bite you, and how - even today - some Web sites seem to disapprove of people using Internet Explorer. alex@stonebroom.com 2007-11-19T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed/screensaver/default.htm Right in the middle of probably the most hectic month in the schedule for my current project, my wife managed to persuade me that we needed to spend a week somewhere hot, foreign, and beach-equipped. I suggested the back garden, which has a fishpond and - as I've been so busy - would seem like a foreign place, but I was finally defeated by the weather. Chilly with occasional rainstorms (and pebbles rather than nice soft sand) didn't seem to match her expectations, so I ended up being bundled onto a 'plane and delivered unceremoniously to Tenerife South airport. Isn't it amazing how persuasive wives can be? alex@stonebroom.com 2007-10-13T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed/tenerife2007/default.htm In motoring terminology and railway circles, an upgrade is basically a hill. And a severe upgrade is usually a steep hill that takes some climbing - especially for the old steam engines that required a banker at the back to give them a push. OK, so I'm getting old and I get puffed easily, but thankfully managed the most recent developer-oriented code upgrade with amazingly little effort. But I fear the most severe upgrade on the horizon is the seemingly ever-recurring Media Center issues... alex@stonebroom.com 2007-09-21T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed/upgrading/default.htm It sometimes seems like my life consists of backing up computers. But I was amazed to discover that the latest version of TrueImage can cope with the weird types of machines I always seem to end up buying. Just a shame the machine wasn't as good as the backup software - even if I did have a few choice words to say about Acronis and their trial versions. One day I'll be rich enough to employ someone to do all this stuff, and I can spend my days with a desktop Zen Garden, or playing Mah Jong on Vista. alex@stonebroom.com 2007-08-16T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed/yetmoredriveimage/default.htm At last I'm joining the ranks of the digital have's, even though I'm renown for being a technophobe when it comes to hardware. OK, so I may end up becoming a lot more familiar with tractors and general farming practices, but at least I can still collapse in an armchair after a long day documenting some complicated and half-built software (and watch some simple and half-baked TV programs). I could perhaps even squeeze in the joke about whether someone who used to like farm machinery is an extractor fan - or maybe not. alex@stonebroom.com 2007-08-09T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed/goingdigital/default.htm I suppose that ESB will, to those more familiar with alcoholic beverages, conjure up images of a product from the delightful Redhook Brewery, rather handily located only a few miles from Redmond in the village of Woodinville (sidetracking, surely if it's a village in a wood, it should be called Villeinwood?). Memories of many a happy hour spent within the confines of their welcoming hostelry! However, despite this rambling, the ESB I'm referring to this month is actually the Enterprise Service Bus - a new guidance package that integrates with BizTalk Server 2006 to enable a truly enterprise-level, cross-platform, and comprehensive architecture for Service-Oriented Application (SOA) development. alex@stonebroom.com 2007-06-28T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.codeplex.com/esb/ Usually, my rambling and somewhere-near-monthly diary entries tend to focus on just one topic at a time. These topics may be exceptionally varied (for instance, from DNS and VPNs one month to Planet Rock radio and visits to computer stores to buy light bulbs the next), but in general I do try to confine myself to a single theme each month, and wander aimlessly off only into semi-related areas. This month, however, I've broken with tradition to the extent that I actually need to provide a Table of Contents. alex@stonebroom.com 2007-06-05T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed/disconsolate/default.htm It's hard to admit that she's well past her useful shelf life, starting to show her age, and not as agile and responsive as I would like. Or that she's been ready for replacement with a younger model for a while. Is it really surprising that I crave something with sexy curves and performance to match? - after all, I'm a man. So, my dear DELILAH, your time is up. Your warm and cozy spot in my server rack is about to be filled with something better able to handle the needs of a computer geek (and part-time network administrator) like me. alex@stonebroom.com 2007-04-29T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed/domainupgrade/default.htm Maybe I have found my true goal in life ... and even escaped a large fine at the same time. And without encountering rotten fruit along the way. Or perhaps the effects of temporarily escaping from the cattle-class airline cabin have induced some stranger-than-usual view of reality. Mind you, I find that visits to Florida can have that kind of outcome without any additional input. But we did have a good time at the ASP.NET Connections Conference, even if they seem to have built the hotel in a different state from the car park... alex@stonebroom.com 2007-04-03T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed/florida2007/default.htm I reckon I've discovered a major problem with Sat-Nav devices. They don't work very well when someone has completely reconfigured the one-way system since the maps were created. In fact, I think I wore mine out in Birmingham last week. I'm sure I heard the poor lady inside it swearing when I refused to turn left for the umpteenth time. And she still sounds distinctly hoarse from shouting at me. And all because I was trying to get to talk to people about how they need to make their Web sites more accessible to disabled visitors... alex@stonebroom.com 2007-02-06T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed/satnavaccessibility/default.htm For some time I've been concerned that the analysis of browser types for visitors to our site was not as accurate as it could be, so in the end I decided to rewrite all the code to give more accurate results. I was proud of the result, but disappointed that we were not making better use of all the historical data we've collected, so I added some new charts that show up to five years of browser analysis data. Try them out - go to the Traffic Pages section of our site and select the NEW! links... alex@stonebroom.com 2007-01-30T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/traffic.htm An outrageous assumption of capability means that I'm now having to learn more than I really wanted to know about design patterns. However, the good news is that you can help. Assuming, of course, that you can steel yourself to plough (plow) through the dense undergrowth that increasingly typifies my diary entries. And you also get to hear more about my experiences with the Soundbridge Internet Radio. So go on, be "Web 2.0" and read more inside... alex@stonebroom.com 2007-01-07T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed/designpatts/default.htm I live in a forgotten and desolate part of England that modern technology barely touches, and where few national corporations seem to realize we exist. I suppose this would be useful if I was one of those US mountain hermits with a huge arsenal of weapons and a plan to derail the world's governments. However, it's somewhat less useful when I just want to be an ordinary Joe Public and partake of the offerings of the digital world out there. alex@stonebroom.com 2006-12-25T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed/xmas2006/default.htm I just can't believe that we spent a week in Las Vegas, never gambled, and only went outside the hotel to visit a computer shop! I wonder if when a man is tired of Vegas, he's tired of life? Still, I never tire of being able to rant (wildly) and ramble (confusingly) to the unfortunate delegates who find themselves trapped in my conference sessions, too shy to stand up and leave. And this month I seem to have drifted into the world of memorable quotations, take a high-level view of how the other half lives, and have both electrical and facility problems. alex@stonebroom.com 2006-11-22T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed/connfall2006/default.htm Mind you, the fact that the seaside in question is probably just about as far as you can get from the coast here in England, and includes rowing boats with fairy lights on, makes it a bit different from the more usual Florida (or Blackpool) vacation jaunts. But it's a lot nearer home. And, as a bonus, this months scribbled notes contain some technical content as well - including a brand new conspiracy theory. alex@stonebroom.com 2006-10-23T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed/matlockbath/default.htm Maybe having to bash the router against the side of the server cabinet, swear profusely, and wiggle the on/off switch a couple of dozen times is a good early indication that a hardware failure is looming on the horizon. Still, it helped me learn about ADSL routers in general, and configuration in particular. If you're struggling with a BT NO-NAT ADSL connection and a D-Link 504T or 524T Router, this may be some help. alex@stonebroom.com 2006-10-02T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed/notworkrouter/default.htm At last, a proper holiday! OK, so it rained and I also picked up a nasty pain in the wallet, but it was wonderful to have a few days away in such a very beautiful country. Mountains, rolling countryside, deserted beaches, history, and picturesque villages ... what more could you ask for? Well, some sunshine would have been nice, but I guess it wouldn't be called the Emerald Isle if it didn't rain so much. alex@stonebroom.com 2006-09-22T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed/ireland2006/default.htm Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a Simply Annoying Technical Advance? Or is it just Stupid And Tremendously Aggrevating? Mind you, I'm almost a computer hardware technician now, as you'll see if you think you can face reading about my experiences with my rather cute, very loud, and extremely hot new toy. alex@stonebroom.com 2006-08-29T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed/sata/default.htm Just made it! Managed to squeeze an entry in my diary for July, so I only missed one month! I have no idea how these people can do a blog where they add new stuff every day - I can't even manage every month. Still, this month I've gone all technical and ramble about mathematics instead of the usual exotic foreign destinations and conferences. Although passports do seem to get a mention, and you get cute pet pictures as well. alex@stonebroom.com 2006-07-31T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed/waxingmath/default.htm Dans la Francais! Yes, we were off to the Continent in May for the European leg of the ASP.NET Connections Conference tour. The South of France in Spring - who could ask for more? Well, as you'll expect, I still found plenty of things to grumble about. Maybe I'm turning into a grumpy old man. And, you don't get to escape from the by-products of my camera this month either, though the mixture does contain a bit of science, some religion, something for gardeners, and one especially for motor racing fans. alex@stonebroom.com 2006-05-06T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed/nice2006/default.htm Florida sunshine! At last, a brief escape from the gray and wet Spring days of England, and the chance to soak up some sun. Yes, it was conference time again, with a trip to ASP.Connections in Orlando, Florida. I spent a week talking to attendees, presenting sessions on ADO.NET, XML, and various other Web stuff, and (as usual) eating too much food. But it is a great conference, and the hotel and surroundings provide a great backdrop for a week away. We found time for some sight-seeing (as usual), which means you get some more vague and unrelated pictures to squint at, in addition to me moaning about the way that I get treated by Web sites and email servers. alex@stonebroom.com 2006-04-10T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed/florida2006/default.htm Well, at least it is the respect that a few people are using it to access our site. As part of the regular updates to the traffic information we publish, I added a category for Vista/Longhorn this week. You can't say we don't keep up with new developments in the operating system world. However, I have had to drop RISC-OS to make room for it - but as we never get more than a couple of visits a week from such systems, it seemed the best option. Meanwhile, apologies to those who found the Traffic Information Web Service not working last week. It seems the upgrade to the V2 release version of the Framework broke it. But it's fixed and working now... alex@stonebroom.com 2006-02-13T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/traffic.htm Where did Christmas and the New Year go? Maybe it was the 'flu, or maybe I just slept through it all. Well, when I wasn't doing woodwork anyway. Seeing as there didn't seem anything to write about this month, I thought I'd write about writing about nothing instead... alex@stonebroom.com 2006-01-31T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed/xmas2005/default.htm Previous Projects - Past Ideas - General Ramblings. alex@stonebroom.com 2005-12-31T00:00:00-00:00 http://www.daveandal.net/alshed2005.htm