xset | Archive

Expression Engine and other disasterous installs

// May 31st, 2004 // No Comments » // Tech

Yeah I know I seem to spend more time blogging about blog software than any other topic but I think the technology behind the concept is one of the more exciting aspects of this whole blog furore.

My install of EE was a little badly planned (they always seem to be) and resulted in a whole loadof problems ranging from the minor to the utterly ginormous. Thanks to all those who dropped a comment to point out these issues. Today has mostly been spent identifying, testing and bug fixing the templates and the structure of the site as well as implementing one of my better ideas (which I can�t tell you about or I�d have to kill you).

The main problems were a total absence of expandability for my expandable links, and a very cool, if slightly confusing, infinite template loop on my archive pages. Both have now been fixed along with a host of other small niggles.

A couple of people have suggested that the performance isn�t up to speed but I still have an ace up my sleeve for solving that one. I haven�t enabled template caching yet (cos I keep changing the templates) and hopefully when I do the system should speed up a bit.

Oh and you may have noticed that my RSS feed has moved. As soon as I get chance I�ll stick up a global redirect but the new feed locatiopns are advertised on the left sidebar … at the bottom … down a bit … there you go.

Oh and those of you that haven�t yet – please register. It makes commenting easy (yes I know ther is a problem with remembering your info – I�m working on it) and will, at some point, give you extra features. Registration takes a few minutes and is well worth it.

I’m still alive

// May 31st, 2004 // 1 Comment » // Personal

Or just about. The recent lack of bloggage is due almost entirely to the visit of an old friend (who seems to be getting around a fair bit at the moment) and the activities resulting from said visit.

In fact I have had a very enjoyable short break. I�ve done next to no blog reading or work of any kind until today. I think I needed the time off as everything was getting a bit much. Reading the days posts was looking less like fun and more like a chore and posting was becoming more and more difficult. But I�m back and hopefully will find that things have returned to their fun and easy status, we�ll have to see.

I think I�ll be going a bit post crazy this evening as I have loads to update you all on including the latest batch of tweaks and fixes resulting from my half assed install of EE and the highlights of my friend�s stay. Hopefully I can keep it all lucid but again, you never can tell.

XSet is back … and better than ever before

// May 27th, 2004 // 8 Comments » // Tech

Apologies to those of you who popped in during the downtime.

XSet has been updated and is now running on a brand spanking new copy of Expression Engine. Hopefully there won�t be too many physical changes to the way the site looks and works but I am planning to tweak the templates for a short while to get it all running just how I want.

You�ll also notice a register/login menu at the top of the left sidebar. I encourage you to register as it makes it easier to comment and certain special features will be available to registered users … I don�t know what yet but I�m working on it.

As always if you spot a bug or have any problems then please send me and email – robert@xset.co.uk

Another one bites the dust

// May 24th, 2004 // No Comments » // Personal

Well, there’s another weekend gone.

Friday evening – worked until 10:00 pm, headed back to the pub for what was left of the night’s frivolity and adjourned to Markiss’ place for a late night drink (note to Markiss – don’t let me mix the G&Ts).

Stumbled out of there at 3 o clock; faced with the prospct of a 2.7 mile walk home. Arrived home at 4 with the sky lightening at my back. For the record, when it’s light before you get to bed you know you’re in trouble / have had a good night.

Saturday – non-event. Saturday evening, a “lovely” birthday party at a very nice hotel. ?60 later (about $107) and another night gone.

This evening; one of my father’s truly excellent Indian feasts, MIB II and then pub, home, bed, out of bed, put freshly washed bedding back on, return to bed, out of bed, write this …

Goodnight all and please take care of yourselves.

Tomorrow is another day after all.

R

Bugger it

// May 21st, 2004 // 3 Comments » // Personal

Well I made the modifications to the DCHP setup. I really should read my documentation more closely. After an hour of stalled networks and failed attempts I finally twigged that the modem/ router has to be plugged into one of the LAN ports on the wifi router rather than the WAN port.

As soon as I did that everything fell neatly into place. The WiFi network is now running properly and I’ve noticed a distinct improvement in the quality and robustness of the network.

The flip side, the laptop still won’t access the network at all. The WiFi is connected and teh router/modem can see the laptop but something isn’t happy. Anybody know why this might be happening?

But I think I can mark this down as a partial success and the new setup make the network much more exstensible.

It’s friday … it must be

// May 21st, 2004 // 1 Comment » // Personal

Just a quicky this week…

1. What’s your favorite board game?

This came up somewher else recently and my answer is unchanged. I love backgammon. I don’t play enough and when I do play I’m not very good but when I do get chance to sit down for a game I enjoy it.

2. If you had to sing a song on national TV (ala the bleh-worthy American Idol), what song would you sing?

I’d love to do something really cheesey tlike “You’re a pink toothbrush I’m a blue toothbrush…”

3. If you had to sing a duet, what song would you sing and with who?

As above but with Dolly Parton … in giant foam toothbrush outfits … in a giant bathroom set

4. If your life was made into a movie, what would the title be?

The unremarkable exsistence of a raging mind (Rocky 17)

5. If your life was made into a porn movie, what would the title be?

Lurve Bucket the sequel

6. Who would you want to play you in the movie of your life?

Morgan Freeman … what?

7. In the porn?

Oh I couldn’t let anyone else have to put up with all those beautiful women … all that physical exsersion … no I’d feel terrible if anybody other than myself were to play the part. Plus I think having my hariy bobbin man ass on a porno flick is on my list of things to do before I die.

From Easy,
8. What are some of the top bumper stickers you’ve seen or thought of?

“This is my other car” attached to a Porche
“Insured by da Mafia – you hits us, we hits you”
and one for Frank – “If you can read this GET THE FUCK OFF OF MY ASS!”

That’s the cheese for this week. Next week we have Political cheddar so expect me to not bother.

It’s rude to point…

// May 19th, 2004 // 1 Comment » // Personal

But in this instance I’ll make an exception.

A while ago I challenged you to name the feature film with the least credits and even went so far as to offer bonus points for the first person to spell the films title correctly.

Well, 10 point go to Kelly – 5 for knowing that the movie was Nosferatu and another 5 for spelling it right.

More points to come today so stay tuned.

Stand back … I’m going in!

// May 19th, 2004 // 4 Comments » // Personal

So I’ve got the WiFi working just right … which means I’m going to fiddle with it and break it again.

Why? Well according to the NetGear website (which runs slow as a dog by the way … come on people your in the comms hardware market – get yourself a PHAT PIPE!*) I don’t have it set up right at all… what … I’m a freakin designer, I don’t do network architecture, and what little I do is based solely on guesswork and a fuzzy understanding of pigeon protocol**.

Anyway, according to chez NetGear, I am not meant to have both the Wireless Router and the DSL modem / router set up as DCHP servers. The only reason they’re working at all is because I have enabled RIP on both systems and it seems to play nice. NetGear suggest that I disable the DHCP server on the Router and just use the one on the modem to handle everything… So this is what I’m going to do.

For the record, if you hear a plaintive sniffling coming from over Jersey way, I’ve broken it beyond all repair and it don’t want to play … just thought I’d warn you.

*Apologies for the gratuitous use of the PH

** yes it does exist!

You just write … right?

// May 19th, 2004 // No Comments » // Personal

In typical form I’m posting rather than actually doing what’s required of me. And I’mm not doing what’s required of me because I have writers block. Actually that’s a hopeless excuse. I know that writers (and even designers) block can be a big problem to those who write for a living and I know I haven’t really got it. I just don’t seem to be able to think of the words.

I’m meant to be penning (or in this case re-drafting) self promotional material for the comapny website and whilst I have a list of business cliches a mile long I can’t seem to get them into any kind of coherent order.

I’ve closed everything down bah word and it still ain’t coming. Oh and I’m starting to get realy pissed off with my own habit of hitting ; when I really mean to type ‘ . I abbreviate a lot and it bugs the hell out of me that after 10 years of typing I still can’t do it right.

There was no point to this post I was just hoping that maybe moving my hands over the keyboard would help … it didn’t.

;

ARGH!