Received 2 November:

Hello,
Thanks for your report. We apologize for any inconvenience you may have
experienced. The issue you described should now be resolved. If you
continue to experience difficulties, please respond to this message, and
we’ll investigate further.

Sincerely,

The Google Team

Now I am VERY pleased to get my accounts back – but – why? The accounts were disabled without an explanation and re-enabled – without an explanation. Should this make me happy – or confused – or mad?

Maybe I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth

I note that I am not the only one who has experienced this “phenomenon”. Multiple reports are around in the Internet including ones on Cnet’s News.com , a classic one at Google Blogscoped , and that story on ZDnet.

So where to from here? I guess there are multiple options, including abandoning Gmail. BUT I don’t really want to do that – the search capability is too valuable, and the price is unbeatable!

So – Guess I go double (Quadruple?) redundancy. All mail going to my main gmail archive will also be forwarded to another gmail account. Together with my Home PC mail files and their backup on a secondary PC that should help prevent further major problems?

Importantly, the second Gmail archive will be opened independently; that is – not from an invitation from my first account. It seems Gmail may disable all subsidiary accounts as well as a main one!

Meh!

As you may have read, for reasons known only to Gmail, my original Gmail account was disabled.

Being a sucker for punishment, I still want my Gmail for both its archiving and storage capabilities. Setting up a new account was easy. Figuring out how to move the 3000 odd emails I have in Outlook express was another matter!

Naturally, I am not the first to try this (for which I am TRULY grateful!) and some judicious Googling helped me out. In essence, emails in outlook express (and outlook) are stored in what seems to be a non standard/proprietary format. Or at least one not in common with Mozilla’s Thunderbird and I guess Gmail. Therefore, the files need to be converted FIRST and then uploaded.

The way I did it was detailed here and here. In essence, I download and installed Firebird, Let it import all my outlook express emails (yep it left the originals in place) and then uploaded them to my new Gmail account using Gexodus .

Couple of pointers:-

Firstly, after installing Thunderbird and allowing it to convert my outlook-express files, I could not see them in the inbox area! I then had to IMPORT the files (about 3 seconds work) with the TOOLS -> IMPORT dialogue.

Next I went looking for the profile folder , and was surprised it seemed so small. It was only AFTER I opened each sub-folder in my Thunderbird email interface that the profile folder seemed to populate properly.

Secondly, I found the default SMTP server in Gexodus was unresponsive, and used gsmtp183.google.com instead.

I initially pointed the system at my Inbox file in my profile and set the system running.

It ticked away, about 200 emails – then stopped. Said it was finished ! HUH!

Then I figured it out – Gexodus does NOT recursively work its way down through the sub folders of the inbox – you have to select each one individually – if that’s the way you want to go. The easy solution – simply move ALL email from the sub folders to the inbox within Thunderbird.

The upshot – all my 3000 emails (including their attachments) are back in Gmail. The original sender IDs are intact. Unfortunately the Dates simply reflect the upload date; I can cope with that.

I am still using Outlook Express, and forward a copy of all incoming and outgoing email to Gmail as I outlined some time ago.

NOW if only Gmail can explain why they deactivated my old account in the first place!

As my main blog details, my Gmail accounts have been disabled out of the blue.

Not happy.

PLEASE have a read and let me know of any solutions I haven’t tried.

Just a quick note that I have updated my main blog to WordPress 2.01. A painless procedure IMHO and kudos to the WP team for the rapid availability of this update

As always, I followed their upgrade instructions very closely (especially about backing up!).

Well, I finally got around to it today, and ‘upgraded’ my main blog to WordPress 2.0 as I had planned.

It is the first time I had tried anything like this so I did it with some trepidation! initially I tried it on a development/trial site, then went for the live version.
The steps I took are listed below.

Quick version : downloaded and unzipped WordPress 2.0, changed the wp-config.php to point correctly and up-loaded all the files. Ran the upgrade script.

Longer version:

Backed up my MySql wordpress file and my .htaccess file
Deactivated all the plug-ins
COPIED the details from my wp-config.php file
Download WordPress 2.0 from here and unzipped it locally
Updated WP 2.0 ’s wp-config.php with the database name, user name and password I had copied.
Uploaded the files & directories using FileZilla, to the correct directory (root in my case) and allowed the new files to replace pre-existing files of the same name.
Ran the upgrade script in the wp-admin directory.
Had a gin and tonic to celebrate……

It really was that simple. I admit I then deleted some redundant files/directories that had been relocated in WordPress 2.0; but that was easy. I also added a line to my .htaccess that I needed from before.

Reactivating the plugins waited until I had checked them against the “official list” of known compatibilities. I only had one that failed the list and it was redundant given the new features of WP 2.0 . (I think that list is official anyway )

BTW – there is no doubt that some of the best guides to wordpress issues are written and available at Podz wordpress guides, and there is a great one on upgrading to WP 2.0 here too.

So – off and running. Will Blog the changes I notice, likes and dislikes as I come across ‘em.

Let me know what you have done, the problems – if any.

For those who don’t know, the official release of Firefox 1.5 is out!

Firefox 1.5 is out of beta and available for download!
I’ve installed it and have it up and running with only a small “problem”. Several of my extensions were incompatible and the auto-upgrade process couldn’t find the new version for one of them. I did however, and now its running well!
What’s new? Well – check out the options screen – new layout and a few new options. It also seems faster. It has drag and drop tabbed browsing and will automatically update itself if you want it to. (Official Release notes for 1.5 here , but for a really comprehensive list see this)

Anyway, time to play with the new release

Agghh… Yet again my external (non-WordPress.com) host has failed me

After becoming a refugee from my previous host (they had sold the business, but forgot to tell anyone, and the new owners were a disaster), I decided to try a WordPress.org recommendation. Not being ENTIRELY stupid, I did some research on them and picked one with a long track record and good reviews. They offered up-to-date WordPress installs, good bandwidth etc etc…..
Looks like everyone else was looking too… Not long after joining, the uptime became downtime +++.
My email was answered quite professionally, citing moving to new servers, inadequate staff (presumably growing fast!) and a promise that all would be well “soon”. Also offered pro-rated refund which was appreciated. Decided to stick it out – but no go. Up time around 75% according to my independent monitor.

So – Now have ANOTHER host – multisite account with Site5 - similar deal. Great reviews (and I know this one is growing fast!). They seem to cope better with the growth though.

I REALLY hate moving servers…..

Will publish an entry on picking a web host shortly – but with my track record…

p.s. If you want to know who I WAS with contact me via The Silent Deep. I know they ARE trying, so won’t publish their name here.

Well, it’s been a while coming but now its up and running! Podcaster News Network is ‘live’ at www.PodcastNews.com.
My take on this is it’s essentially a podcast aggregator that combines specific (subscribed/selectable) news shows – each of 5 minutes, into one downloadable show that you can take with you. They offer tech-news, weather, entertainment, politics, health, education, sport etc etc. It differs from a classical aggregator in that it has specific,designed ‘casts of 5 minutes each with the aim to provide succinct and relevant comments to fit the time frame.

The Podcaster News Network has been developed by the team at RawVoice to offer you short 3 – 5 minute podcasts, produced by our own PCN podcasters. You customize your daily news by choosing podcasts from various categories. By creating a PCN User account (sign up takes about a minute) you will then have the ability to select as many podcasts as you like and create a custom newscast. This custom news cast can then be listened to straight from the site, downloaded to your home computer /mp3 player or subscribed via a single RSS feed.

This is a bit of a paradigm shift that deserves watching, and certainly has potential. So far the process has been painless with subscribing and collating a series of podcasts for my interest, but there is still a way to go to fully ‘flesh out’ the categories that are available. For example – as I write this the ‘weather’ , ‘travel’ and ‘world news’ categories are empty although there are 20 available podcasts overall..
Site design looks excellent and professional.
This has the potential to be something both important AND big. It has the possibility to be the first formal Podcast based news forum, allowing a single outlet for news and information from the grass roots podcasting community.
It certainly bears watching.

Well, as I’ve said before I have recently returned to the fold and started re-investigating the ‘net.

After several weeks of looking, trying, learning, being confused and experiencing sudden enlightenment (!), I have come to these conclusions about the way the well-informed, net savvy person is using their Internet!

Firstly, you have your own domain name. Preferably a “vanity” one that is immediately identifiable! Smith.com has more cache than albertsmith.com and far more than albertFsmith.net! At the very least, this allows you to have a persistent email address despite changing ISPs over time. Make sure you have bought a 5 or 9 year lease on the name. Quite possibly you have also bought domains for your family, relatives, and acquaintances.

However, despite this you have at least 1, probably 2 or 3, and quite possibly 4 Gmail addresses (personalised) as well as an (unused) Hotmail address and a (rarely used) Yahoo address! Note the personalised nature of these. You have to get in early – be an early adopter- to get the name you want. Gmail (2.6GB and counting) is currently the correct currency for web based mail, spam protection and possibly file storage. It’s true that those who can remember the existence of Yahoo Briefcase may also use that, but – hey – everyone seems to have forgotten it. Anyway – it is only a paltry 30Mb or so – not big enough for the modern Netizen.

To access the net, Firefox is the answer! The cognoscenti have abandoned Internet Explorer (understandably) because of security concerns and overall clunkiness. Sure- there are a few Safari and Opera users – and Flock has just appeared, but they are still very low on the radar. Perhaps the really savvy are using the new beta version of Firefox.

Having ‘net access at home and work, you use an online bookmarking service – like Del.icio.us – as well. This allows you access to all your ‘marks where ever you are.

The need to be up with the latest – and the fact that there is less time to look around the ever increasing ‘net means that RSS feeds are a part of your life. You have an aggregator running on your desktop 24/7 and may well use an online service like Newsgator as well. If you are truly switched on, you synchronise the two, so as to avoid repetition.

Digital photography is now the rage of the century, and -of course- the net has influence here too. Flickr is the site for personal photographs; either the free or the paid version. It is one of the few places that Yahoo has beaten Google to the punch. Sure, Google does have “Hello” but – I mean really! No competition at the moment.

If you have a photo storage application that you use online – you will also need the opportunity to show them off and write about them. Enter the Blog!

EVERYONE who is ANYONE has at least one Blog! (There are 19.6 Million of them!) Preferably hosted under your own domain name, but it is acceptable to have one hosted for you:-
• WordPress.com has significant prestige (invitation only until recently), as does Typepad.
• Blogger – may it rest in piece- is now a SPLOG haven and increasingly becoming deprecated (a peculiarly net-centric term).

You have your own host? Then you use either WordPress or MovableType. You have major antispam measures – either as plug-in or as a farmed out service such as Akismet. Your Flickr account is integrated with your Blog, so the world can see your photographic genius.

Don’t forget to put some Google Adsense advertisements on your Blog. It MAY help a little bit toward the cost of you web life. However, you realise that – realistically- you are never going to make a million dollars this way.

You don’t just write of course, you TALK! Undoubtedly you ‘own’ your own SKYPE ‘address’ – again it’s the vanity model – you got in early. Problem is – if you get in too early you have no one to talk to! Do you have Skype-out for that reason? There are other VOIP type services of course – it’s just that Skype kind of got there first. Now that EBay have bought it we wait to see what they will do with it!

On the move and on the go, you take your information with you. Podcasts downloaded to your iPod or other MP3 player give you updates on what’s going on. You even listen to Podcasts about other podcasts to help you choose your podcasts! You may – or may not – choose to use iTunes, but you have been downloading from the iTunes Music store anyway.

Speaking of downloading. Bittorent is your friend. The increasingly legitimate uses of this medium have consolidated its position – you just need the client that suites you. You probably have used several so far and appreciate the increasing simplicity of the interfaces as time goes by. You use this for online TV shows and video podcasts – as well as other royalty free (cough) music and videos.

Lastly, you have your own online peer group – and you congregate in a few chosen locations. Slashdot (of which you are a member) and Digg are frequent recipients of both your attention AND your opinions.

So that’s the state of play at the moment. This is a fluid but exciting time, and things are always going to change.
I wonder what I will be seeing this time next year?

I came across this as a link at Geek news central, as well as noticing it on Digg amongst other places. There is rarely something that makes me stand back in awe and amazement – and also makes me mad as hell – but this is one of those times.
The people at Sysinternals – who have developed the Root Kit Revealer to detect the worst possible forms of computer invasion – have now found a Root Kit installed by Sony as part of their DRM. – A poorly coded root kit too! AND, from all reports, it is NOT covered in the EULA.

Mark’s Sysinternals Blog: Sony, Rootkits and Digital Rights Management Gone Too Far
The entire experience was frustrating and irritating. Not only had Sony put software on my system that uses techniques commonly used by malware to mask its presence, the software is poorly written and provides no means for uninstall. Worse, most users that stumble across the cloaked files with a RKR scan will cripple their computer if they attempt the obvious step of deleting the cloaked files.

The awe and amazement is a reflection of the detailed and comprehensive analysis they took to discover this critter and the fact that they posted each step along the way. The depth of analysis was common 20 years ago with a small DOS system – but within a windows machine nowadays – and using many routines that they wrote themselves I think that they deserve an award.
PLEASE go to their site and read this – then take your Sony merchandise back and ask for a refund.

HOW DARE THEY INVADE OUR MACHINES! HOW DARE THEY !

Anyone thinking class-action?

(also posted on The Silent Deep – because I’m really angry!)