Richard Dudley

June BADNUG Meeting - DotNetNuke 3 Basics

BADNUG will hold its next meeting on ~~July~~ June 22 at BC3's Cranberry Campus. In a break from prervious formats, the Tool of the Month ("use one, don't be one") will be the entire presentation.

Rich Dudley will present on the basics of DotNetNuke. DotNetNuke is a free, open source portal system, which can be used to create complete websites with a great amount of functionality very quickly and cheaply. DNN version 3.1 has just been released, and this presentation will cover installation, configuration, administration, skinning, module installation, etc. Version 3 has a number of new features, including several wizards that can configure a new site (such as a personal or club site) in minutes, which is extremely useful in a portal provider environment. Other new features include drag and drop positioning of modules, friendly URLs, new skins, and many new and improved modules.

With the release of DNN 3, the DotNetNuke Core Team has also begun several sub-projects. There has been much hope that DNN will be able to integrate with Community Server, but as of yet, little progress has been made. The DNN team has begun its own blogging and forums sub-project, which we'll also install and review. We'll also take a commercially available template and turn it into a DNN skin.

DNN 3 supports only SQL Server (MSDE, SS2K, SS2K5) out of the box, but Access, Oracle and MySQL providers are under development by third parties. We'll be using the April CTP of Yukon for this demonstration.

Everyone who pre-registers will receive a solutions CD containing a number of resources, including the recent DotNetRocks episode on DNN.

If you have a funcitoning laptop and would like to perform the installation along with the presentation, feel free to do so. The required configuration you need to have working is:
1) Win2K Pro, Win 2K Server, WinXP Pro (must be pro), Win2K3 Server
2) IIS installed
3) Some flavor of SQL Server 200x, MSDE or Sql Server 2005 Express
4) .NET Framework 1.1

To register, e-mail info@badnug.org. For additional information, visit www.badnug.org. Yes, the site will be upgraded to DNN 3 shortly.

Update: The June meeting is in June, not July. Doh!

Voq A11 and Windows Mobile 5

This post has been moved to http://www.rjdudley.com/blog/VoqA11AndWindowsMobile5.aspx. Pleas update your bookmarks.

[OT] Which iPod is best?

This post has been moved to http://www.rjdudley.com/blog/WhichIPodIsBest.aspx. Please update your bookmarks.

Further Adventures With Voq Smartphone

Google recently launched its Local Mobile search function, so I decided to give it a whirl from our new Red Robin. Good burger, lousy search results. Naturally, I checked out 'florist' and '16001', and ended up with donut shops and photographers. These results are pulled from some other sources than the main index, and it seems as if Google is pulling anything related to weddings with its florist results. For once, Google has some more work to do. In the meantime, try the Freckled Lemonade.

There are some other mobile search and information sources. Search Day recently reviewed them at http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/article.php/3498296.

Voq A11 Professional Phone - One Cool SmartPhone

Yesterday was Microsoft Strategy Summit in Pittsburgh, and interesting as it was, it was the final few minutes that were most memorable for me. I won the Sierra Wireless Voq Professional Phone for filling out the survey. Sweet! This is one bad-arse smartphone! This model came loaded with Windows Mobile 2003 SP1, and close to 30MB on-board memory. There's a slot for SD cards, and a groovy flip-out keyboard. Navigation is mainly done with a joystick located just below the screen, and you can sync via USB cable (cradle optional) or the infrared sensor on the top. Being a Windows Mobile-powered phone, there's all the bells and whistles that comes with that. The speaker is actually good for this type of device, and the screen is excellent. VoqMail Professional was included, which is an Outlook-type client that has native communications with Exchange--some of the rich features include continuous delivery, meeting acceptance/decline, attachments and calendering. It's even compatible with Lotus Notes, whatever that is. ;)

As excited as I am to have the phone, using it looks to be an adventure in my area. It's a GPRS phone, and doesn't work with Verizon in my area. The only carriers here that support it are Cingular and T-Mobile, two carriers that don't have great coverage in the mainly rural area in which I live. Undaunted, I headed down to the Cingular store near where I work, just north of Pittsburgh. The folks at the shop were amazed at the phone--they had never seen anything like it. I signed up for a voice and data plan, and Cingular has a 30-day cancellation policy. That was key, given the historical badness of the coverage in this area. Having a plan sold to me was relatively painless, but there were some additional steps to get the thing actually on the web.

Since the phone was not provided by Cingular, I had to set up the GPRS network myself. Doing so wasn't difficult--I had to download the developer details from another website, and punch in a few settings in the control panel, and I was off. Cingular is a DHCP-based network, so the DNS and IP settings I just left blank. This wasn't mentioned in the documentation, but I guess it's not necessary for the usual people reading that document.

So far, the data experience is pretty good. Coverage is four bars from where I sit, but driving around the next couple of weeks will tell the true tale. I'll keep you posted.

(OT) You Are Still Always Better Off With A Local Florist

Duncan Mcallyn had a lousy experience with FTD at Valentine's Day, and I followed up with some reasons why local florists are your best choice. Every Wednesday, I receive an industry newsletter, and in today's newsletter, there's more FTD news.

FTD recently kicked Vancouver Flower Co. and Lovin' Blooms out of its network for a number of violations, including “curtailment”. Curtailment, also known as “skimming” in the industry, where the sending florist charges one price, but sends a reduced order value to the receiving florist. For instance, a customer might be charged $50 for flowers, and $10 for delivery. This should be sent to the reciving florist as such. A skimmer would send the order for $45 with $5 delivery, and keep the additional $10 for themselves, plus whatever rebates and usual percentages they are eligible for. The receivng florist gets the order and fills it to the value of what was sent, but not what the customer was charged. While not completely illegal, it's certainly unethical.

IMHO, FTD's actions are very close to hypocrisy. If you notice in Duncan's post, he was charged a $10 “service fee”, which is not passed on to the receiving florist. You have to search FTD's site long and hard to find mention of this fee before you place your order. FTD is toeing the line of being a curtailer itself by calling this a “service fee”. In the customer's mind, this fee is part of the price of the flowers.

Another practice to be aware of is “order gathering”. This is where a company, which may or may not be a florist at all, creates websites that appear to be a florist in the local market. You'll see these in your yellow pages as well if you're in any size metropolitan area. We have 4 order gatherers advertising in our local YPs, and Butler is only about 40,000 people. FTD finds themselves playing in this area also, with its recent purchase of Florist.com and three other major web properties.

Finally, FTD is expanding its program with Wal-Mart. Avoid ordering flowers through walmart.com like the plague. If there is any problem with your order, you have to contact walmart.com to have it rectified. The price will be slightly lower, but there's still that “service fee“ to make up the difference. That will be a painless process, I'm sure.

My advice: find a good local florist and stick with them. You'll be amazed at the service and value you get. In my experience, there is a direct correlation between the design of the shop's website and the quality of the flowers. Think about it--design is what we do, so it should permeate into everyting we do. Order gatherers and skimmers do a great job of trying to appear local in an effort to rip you off. If you're in doubt, look for the florist's address. Most local florists will make their actual address pretty apparent (it is part of SEO after all). If in doubt, call and ask. If you need flowers in the Butler, PA area, please visit us at www.bloomery.com.

You can read more about skimmers and order gatherers (including a list of OGs) at The Florist Detective.

BADNUG Meeting April 28, Not April 4

Doh! The latest MSDN Flash has our meeting date incorrect. The real meeting date is April 28, 6:00 pm, not April 4.

The Tool of the Month ("Use One, Don't Be One") is the SQL Server Web Admin, presented by Brad West from Spang & Co. We know better than to empower just anyone with Enterprise Manager ("Enterprise Damager" as our network admin lovingly calls it), but some users can be trusted to access their databases. The SQL Web Admin is a decent compromise, allowing a great deal of management in a web-based tool. The Web Admin can be installed on any computer that runs IIS, or it can use the Cassini server for machines like XP Home that don't have IIS.

Eric Kepes will present on SQL Server 2005 Express. We all have some of those Access databases floating around out there, doing things we'd rather not think about. Bloated and underpowerd, but somehow essential. SSE may cure these ills. With its built in management and reporting tools, as well as a 'real' database engine, this version may be an Access project killer. We can all hope so, anyway. Join us as Eric demonstrates some of the features that will make our lives a little better.

iTunes Backdoor Reopened

from http://news.com.com/DVD+Jon+reopens+iTunes+back+door/2100-1027_3-5630703.html:

'DVD Jon' reopens iTunes backdoor

A group of underground programmers has posted code online they say will reopen a backdoor in Apple Computer's iTunes store, allowing Linux computer users to purchase music free of copy protection.

The release comes just a day after Apple blocked a previous version of the program, called PyMusique, in part by requiring all iTunes customers to use the latest version of Apple's software.

iTunes hack disabled by Apple

from http://news.com.com/2100-1027_3-5628616.html

Apple Computer has closed a security hole that allowed an underground program to tap into its iTunes Music Store and purchase songs stripped of antipiracy protections.

...

"The security hole in the iTunes Music Store which was recently exploited has been closed, and as a consequence the iTunes Music Store will now sell music only to customers using iTunes version 4.7," the company said in a statement.

ratbastards! That's a 20 MB download to upgrade. Ugh!

Hackers build back door into iTunes

from http://news.com.com/2100-1027_3-5625991.html:

A trio of independent programmers has released new software that allows people to tap into Apple Computer's iTunes music store and purchase songs free of any anticopying protections.
...
A test of the PyMusique software showed that it did allow the purchase of songs from iTunes, and that the songs were saved in the unprotected AAC digital music format rather than in Apple's protected Fairplay format. Songs could not be downloaded without establishing an iTunes account and paying the ordinary price for the music.

Review: Free Components For ASP.NET 1.1

Jason Gaylord has a new article on ASP Alliance reviewing free components for ASP.NET

How many times have you looked for that one component that would complete your project? Of those times, how many times have you found a component that was extremely affordable (free)? Hopefully, you found those components. If not, maybe I'll have a component listed just for you.

Within this article, you'll find lots of components that can be used with ASP.NET to assist with better design and better code. I've tried to break down the components into categories and explain what each component contains.

13 pages of free goodies. Sweet! Check it out: Review: Free Components For ASP.NET 1.1

Open-source programmer alleges Linux misuse (this is a little scary)

from http://news.com.com/2100-7344_3-5621156.html

An open-source programmer stopped by the CeBit trade show in Hannover, Germany, this week to tell Motorola and 12 other companies he believes they're using Linux in violation of the license that governs the software.

Harald Welte said the companies have embedded Linux in their products but haven't released the underlying source code, as required by the General Public License, or GPL, that governs the operating system. He tried to notify 13 companies of his complaint at the sprawling trade show, but three companies refused to accept it, he said in an e-mail interview.

Comments are open on my other blog: http://blogs.aspadvice.com/rjdudley/archive/2005/03/17/3111.aspx

Building Websites with VB.NET and DotNetNuke 3.0

This post has been moved to http://www.rjdudley.com/blog/BuildingWebsitesWithVBNETAndDotNetNuke30.aspx. Pleas updated your bookmarks.

Discount Microsoft Exam Vouchers and Do-Over Offer

From David Waddleton:

Your chances to pass any Microsoft certification exam have just doubled. Simply register for this offer by May 31, 2005, before taking your exam, and we'll give you a free second shot at success.

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/offers/2ndshot

That offer is available through Pearson Vue centers, who also have a discount exam voucher via Amazon. Expiring April 30, 2005 are this year's discount Microsoft exam vouchers. Stay tuned, I'm sure there will be another batch for 2006 starting in April.

C# and VB.NET Comparison Cheat Sheet

Steven Swafford has a sweet C#/VB.NET comparison cheat sheet over on ASP Alliance. Double bonus: you can download as a PDF or MS Word doc. Thanks, Steven!