links for 2008-05-17

• Johann Hari - Archive
  (tags: brain drugs progivil)
• 100 Must-Read Books: The Essential Man’s Library | The Art of Manliness
  (tags: books list)
• Project2Manage
  (tags: free project management)
• 64 Manliest Movies
  (tags: film list)

DNS query GetHostByName double check (Happy Xmas)

Happy Xmas to all!

I was showering some minutes ago. And I was thinking about the fact that “Security is an illusion”. Then I thinked about the fact that the first entry in my resolv.conf is an OpenDNS IP and the second is the one of my ISP. So, if someone malicious get into OpenDNS’ servers or my ISP’s ones, they can get a lot of informations. That’s no doubt about it: getting into a DNS server is a big shot.
So, then, I thinked about an ipotetical gethostbyname() that does n queries to the n DNS servers specified in the /etc/resolv.conf and tell me if there are differences.
Of course if I query about “yahoo.com”, I may get tons of different results, but if I query about small ISP’s services (or banks’) I’ll be glad knowing if two DNS servers give me two differents IPs.
Maybe I’m talking about “already in the wild” solutions? Or maybe this is the regular functioning of the OpenBSD’s gethostbyname? (Don’t think so).
I’m gonna check if I can do something on a Linux system first, or on a Bind installation, because maybe this work can be done via Bind, making it checking others DNS’ replies.

Ok, sorry for that bullshit, today is Xmas here in Italy, so… happy Xmas again!

Another little idea for Google (please hire me!)

Heya Big G,
how are you?  I’m fine, thanks!
I’ve an idea that can join two of your products and I’ve had it while surfing the web. Since I don’t use only your Google Reader to keep me updated but I’m also used to surf the web, and you own both Google Analytics and Google Reader… why don’t you mark on my Reader an article as “read” if I already read it given that you already know that I’ve read it (thanks to Analytics)?

Sincerely your,
Paolo

Saturday, Metro Olografix Hackin Party

At the beautiful Palazzo Sirena, Saturday and Sunday will take place the Metro Olografix Hacking Party. After looking at the abstracts I think I’ll go on Saturday, after the lunch and I’ll come back home before dinner if I don’t meet someone I know or I know someone I meet :)

May the TomTom be with me! Just kiddin: it’s only 90Km south and the road is plain simple.

See you there!

Joost invite

Well, I’ve got a couple of Joost Invites and nobody of my friends knows what Joost is wants it. So I think I can give them out just here. I’ve thinked about it after looking at the actual second place of the Technorati’s “Top searcheas” that looks like the title (and so the permalink) of this post… Let’s see if they are so popular like it seems…

Edit: sorry guys! No more invitation left! :(

RailRoad diagrams generator

Today I found a fantastic script in Ruby that take in input a RoR application and output the model and the controller diagrams. It’s very very handy, usefull and well done. It’s called RailRoad (as you guessed from the permalink of this post).

I should write one for CakePHP :P

The Sartorialist

What about a Web 2.0 user-driven web-site TheSartorialist-like where people upload photos of other people from the street, and then judge them, so that all togheter can “study” what’s going on in the streets? I would love a site like that. Paolo wanna try to code something? What? Do you don’t have time? But this can be your occasion! We already have someone that can do the graphic interface FOR FREE, he’s reading us…

My ADSL modem router journey

I’ve just rebooted my 3Com ADSL1/2/3/+/etc because my ping on Battle.net (I usually play DotA) was something around 500ms and with one of my site was around 1 sec. After the reboot I came back to my previous normal ping of 130-140ms for Battle.net and 70ms with my site.

This the 4th router I’ve used here at home in quite 4 years. I’ve melted a Netgear, I tried a Korean one, an unnamed Taiwanese one (both throw-ed to the trash) and now I’m using this 3Com that I’ve bought for its name. I’m used to keep them turned on 24/7, using them with max 4 computer. Is it so hard in 2k7 to have an ADSL/modem/router that does its job WELL? What I’ve to buy next? A Cisco?

Italia.it

Oh
my
Gosh!

What a shame! Do you believe that a site could have be paid 45.000.000,00 €uros? And 80.000,00 €uros only the logo? And that site seems to come from the dinosaurs’ age?

There’s is a *double*, yes, *DOUBLE* flash intro, that although is skipable, it’s been showed to the user even if he already has seen it! Then there are also that UGLY URL that will not help Search Engines…

I don’t want to talk more about it and its MANY flaws. Only the word SHAME came to my mind and if I try to think of what kind of website (or “portal” if you wish) can came out from 45.000.000,00 €uros I begin to cry…

I want to thank all the Italian politicians because of that shame and for all the others shames they keep on doing every single day God give us!

Thanks,
Paolo

P.S.: HTML 4.01!

natalykorah

I’m used to search on Google the nickname &&/|| the email@domain of the users that register with my hi-traffic WP site, and I usually do it after the notification mail arrives in my inbox.

Today has been the day of the nickname “natalykorah ” and I’ve found that this seems to be a bot, or you can try to explain me how the hell he results to be registered in *so many* forum/blog in just a couple of days? Let’s take a look on Google/search?q=natalykorah!

I dunno why this bot registers in every place it can, maybe for spam purpose, maybe trying to exploit some vuln, but in my log this bot came directly to the wp-register.php page, so I’m going to delete it right now and ban* the domain.

[ *ban thanks to the Registration Blacklist Plug-in ]