tcpip: (Default)
Diary of a B+ Grade Polymath ([personal profile] tcpip) wrote2005-12-10 08:40 pm

December drinks, More books, Library databases, War Crimes

As the end-of-year approaches, sociability cranks up a notch. Housewarming party for [livejournal.com profile] severina_242 and [livejournal.com profile] _zombiemonkey was plenty of fun. Last Monday was the end of year dinner from the ALP indigenous affairs policy committe with a couple of Yorta Yorta elders in attendance. Last night two engagements; [livejournal.com profile] frou_frou's Circa Vintage, where everyone was dressed to the nine's of course followed by Caroline's 21st birthday gathering.

I have overspent recently on books, but that's hardly a bad thing. A good dozen books on games and network programming are on the way from the U.S. courtesy of Amazon and hot on their heels is another twenty or so gaming books. Recently I have also managed to pick up a copy of GURPS Bunnies and Burrows, which is amusing me no end.

Current interesting work project is moving a 3,000 item database (well, a flat database) to a web-based interface with PHP and MySQL. Should be easy enough and if it works I'll start doing the same for a number of other community organisations who have libraries. I'm sure however, that someone out there in the world has done this before and there must be a pre-existing template.

There's been a lot going on in the political world in recent weeks, but I'm particularly interested in the call by Harold Pinter, who has just won the Nobel Prize, that Tony Blair be tried for war crimes. We will get these bastards one day... Howard, Bush, Blair. BTW, who else has been watching The Power of Nightmares, which makes excellent ties between the stupid politics of Islamic fundamentalism and American neo-conservatism.

[identity profile] luciusmalfoy.livejournal.com 2005-12-10 12:58 pm (UTC)(link)
I hadn't read about Harold Pinter's call for them to be tried. Nor have I heard of the Power of Nightmares.

I'm going to have to go and start reading up on news again, aren't I. It's just been so hard to watch lately.

[identity profile] curufea.livejournal.com 2005-12-10 01:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Don't get me started on databases ;-p

Although I recently installed phpBB (Bulletin Board / forum) on my website, and WebCalendar = both of which use SQL databases accessed with PHP: My favourite is still by DVD catalogue using OpenDB-
http://curufea.dreamhosters.com/phptest/opendb
User: test Password: test

Now, why the dreamhosters subdomain and not my usual www.curufea.com?
Well - because OpenDB, the opensource cataloguing database, doesn't work on PHP5, only earlier versions of PHP. And the Wikka Wiki I've converting my website too (http://www.curufea.com/Wikka), only works on the latest PHP ;-p

[identity profile] jujulilianan.livejournal.com 2005-12-11 06:43 am (UTC)(link)
the power of nightmares is an excellent series!
It's available for free download on archive.org

[identity profile] imajica-lj.livejournal.com 2005-12-11 08:57 am (UTC)(link)
> Current interesting work project is moving a 3,000 item database (well, a flat database) to a web-based interface with PHP and MySQL.

Uh, are you going to train up members of this organisation in MySQL and PHP?
Does said organisation have the resources required to manage (add/edit/update/track changes/search/delete) the information in such a solution?
This is _still_ the fastest way to make information irrelevant. Unless they can afford a support contract.

> I'm sure however, that someone out there in the world has done this before and there must be a pre-existing template.

Exactly.
See Zope ...and possibly Plone (if they want to open this up as a portal)

Sorry about the first bit being "snakry" but this is a button of mine...
Community orgs have _much_ better ways to spend meager budgets than on IT.
Real value in IT means empowerment. This is the fight FOSS will win.

[identity profile] strangedave.livejournal.com 2005-12-11 11:53 am (UTC)(link)
There are actual open source library software packages around, that are better than just adding a few features to basic database web interfaces.
(deleted comment) (Show 1 comment)

[identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/_fustian/ 2005-12-12 03:55 am (UTC)(link)
I'm particularly interested in the call by Harold Pinter, who has just won the Nobel Prize, that Tony Blair be tried for war crimes. We will get these bastards one day... Howard, Bush, Blair.

Of course, Bush has already been tried and convicted. (Personally, I had the whole US administration tried in fiction back in 2003, with the final appeal on Harrison v Rumsfeld in 2023 regarded as the "official" end of WWIII.) As for the Dear Leader (and now that amendments to the Terror laws specify seditious intention requires organisations to advocate force or violence), internet project anyone?