Server trauma

Huge apologies to anyone who has been put out in the last 24-36 hours by incsub server performance. In an attempt to configure backups to maximise performance the tech. people set up a system that basically crashed everything :( and then, most annoyingly, as the server was just overloaded rather than ‘down’ – didn’t stop the process to allow the system to get back up and running again.

As well as typing in lots of capitals to them at the moment I’m also investing in several more Gig of RAM to support the server straight away and looking into purchasing a dedicated SQL server to run edublogs dbases off… annoying as it’ll cost thousands to properly maintain but in the RAM doesn’t sort it I’ll do that immediately.

I found out my text message this AM and have been scrabbling with it all day on and off, in the future please SMS (DO NOT CALL) +61 405 703 923 . Two reasons not to call, first up if you get your timezone wrong I’m more likely to tell you to ‘eff off, go back to bed and ignore you for weeks afterwards… and secondly I’m more likely to get your message and do something about it if you text… can be days between me checking my voicemail.

Sorry again to anyone who’s been inconvenienced… it’s our first big stuff up in a couple of years and regardless of new jobs and commitments I’m 100% committed to providing the best possible environments to edublogs.org users and those who have domains hosted at incsub, at whatever cost. So it will be sorted, promise.

Update: Eeek, apparently we’re under a ‘huge’ DDoS attack, dunno who by or why though? DO these things have to have a reason? Any hints / tips while the tech people are working on it.

Finally, the penny drops

It might sound odd, it definitely sounds hypocritical, and could well be seen as altogether tame… but after that stupendous game this morning I actually feel, for the first time since I touched down here over 6 and a half years ago, like an Australian. Seriously, small things may sway the weakest of men, but I’m not altogether sure if this is entirely accurate any more. Sheesh!

BTW, check out some of the great reader pics we’re getting… and what do you reckon to the song :)

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  • mikes web log » I’m becoming a green man
    "from September be project managing the Green Man project at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. We are going to create a virtual green man who will help visitors explore" Double kewl :)
  • Scientifically Thinking… » Details are Weeds in the Curriculum
    "Not all details are weeds. When a student grows a concept, the details grow as leaves and little rootlets. Those are details that students attach to a larger, meaningful structure in their mind, and details that support and strengthen the overall understanding as students connect them into place. Notice the shift to details that students are uncovering and connecting. Weeds are the details strewn about by teachers." Kewl!

Australia v England World Cup 2006

England WC victoryThings are almost too good at the moment… am settling into a beautiful home with a beautiful family, exploring a new job that is so good it almost begs description (just imagine being able to turn those dreams of yours into reality – welcome to my job) and just to top it all off the World Cup is about to start… does it get any better?

Seriously though, did I mention the World Cup? Yes, that Cup, the one with ‘World’ in front of it. That one. That’s just about to start. Good.

And I find myself in an interesting position. As I wholeheartedly swore my commitment to Australia I did make note of the absence of any compulsion to support the [insert sport here]roos and, with the obvious exception of The Ashes, didn’t really think it would be an issue. I mean, most Aussies seem to prefer the barmy army to their own fans… so that’s cool right?

But now, with Australia’s first qualification in 32 years, it has come to football… and believe me, it’s a whole different game. Not just because throughout my life I’ve only really been a true supporter of one team, England, but also because dammit, it’s my game, it’s our game. It’s not competing for space with cricket (wrong season), rugby (wrong sport) or any other strange computation of balls and teams. Certainly none that feature 18 huge men-a-side playing in vests on a cricket oval playing ‘catch’ with a rugby ball. It’s absolutely everything and every four years (bar, ahem, the odd 1994) it sees me fall into a heap of excitement, nerves and a blend of optimism and panic that really nothing else comes close to matching.

So am I ‘barracking’ for Australia or England? Well, both of course. But when it comes down to it, there really isn’t a shadow of doubt. C’mon En-ger-land. Come-bloody-on.

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  • BBC staff fight plans for Web site advertising – Editors Weblog
    "More than 150 BBC staff members are fighting the corporation’s plans to introduce advertising to its international news Web site"… so that they can complain about the use of taxpayers funds to provide services outside of the UK.
  • MediaGuardian.co.uk | Press
    "The Guardian will become the first British national newspaper to offer a "web first" service that will see major news by foreign correspondents and business journalists put online before it appears in the paper." Obvious but nice.
  • Publishing 2.0 » Billy Bragg Walks Away From MySpace
    "The troublesome fine print informs users that by posting any content, “you hereby grant to MySpace.com a non-exclusive, fully-paid and royalty-free, worldwide license" Oucha… space for a site that doesn’t do that I reckon.

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On retraining at 30…

Phew, working as an editor is no easy meal ticket I can tell ya!

Seriously, the last few days have been as challenging and exhausting as they have been exhilarating and interesting. There simply is no comparison between a Uni environment and a News Room… they’re like diametrically opposed worlds, one relaxed almost to the point of being comatose (sans the frustrations to keep you awake at night) and the other like a ADD dream-come-true. I kinda like the latter!

Anyway, just wanted to raise my head above water, gasp a little, and apologise if I’m not getting back to you / utterly unresponsive or generally behaving rather poorly on the correspondence front… am sure things will get into more of a rhythm down the track but at the moment post 7PM is a time of recuperation rather than communication.

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