Problems With Databases

My MT blogs were down this morning because there was some sort of trouble connecting to the MT database. That's one of the problems with database driven blogs (as most of them are), they work only when the DB is up. I know a broken DB is rare and is just one of those things that happens but my thinking is that if the html is just sitting there on the server, then I should be able to read it, even if the DB is down. So the connections aren't working... so what? Just disable those connections and show me my html. That's what was so frustrating about this outtage, because MT doesn't generate the templates on the fly, all the html is fully built.

Anyway, it's just frustrating. I think I'm back now.

Quoted in Rhizome

My musing were recently (May, 2004) quoted in Rhizome.org. The Social Construction of Blogspace quoted my Weblogs Will Save the World article from last year. Cool.

In case you don't know, Rhizome.org is cool, cool, cool. It's this Web art-creative community thing that has educated and inspired many Web enthusiasts. Check it out. And the fact that they linked to one of my articles helps my opinion of them too. ;o)

And here's the non-registration link from the Ryan Griffis. Maybe blogs really will save the world?

Live Wireless Sipping

Right now I'm blogging from the parking lot of Matrix Printing in Midtown Memphis. I'm sitting in my SUV and having no trouble picking up a strong signal. I'm "sipping" wireless Web access for free, sort of "borrowing" a bit of bandwidth. The radio is tuned to ESPN and I'm listening to the Sunday Night Football game while I surf the Web and check game scores on ESPN.com.

I spent 10 minutes driving around Midtown Memphis and so far I found eight wireless feeds (with my antenna impaired 2002 PowerBook) and half were NOT using WEP. I'm sort of grateful that Matrix Printing doesn't have WEP enabled or else I wouldn't be posting this from their parking lot.

Well, I can't say that this is a practical way to get Internet access but it works in a pinch. I was headed to Cafe Francisco on my lunch break but it was closed. And so now I'm here. :o)

The lesson here, I guess, is to enable that Encryption folks. Keep your networks safe. Today it's me, tomorrow it could be Joe Hax0r.