Hibbitts Consulting

5 reasons why I got rid of Adsense

Wed, 3 Mar 2010 06:15:31 -0500

If you're a frequent (or even repeat) visitor then you may have noticed a slight change. That's right, no more advertising on the site. In the past, I thought it would be a good idea to run Google Adsense, in addition to a couple of affiliate programs. The thinking went something like this: "I get lots of traffic to my site. Most people don't mind seeing some advertising, and it might make me a bit of extra money." Well, frankly I've always been uncomfortable with it, and I recently decided to get rid of the advertising completely. The reason that I decided to stop advertising on my blog is trust. That's right, trust. My blog is my social currency; I use this forum to help demonstrate my skill to potential clients and to establish myself as an "expert" in the field of technology. Running cheap ads on the same site just cheapens it, and gives potential clients that little bit of creepiness that comes from knowing I'm trying to make money off them. I make money by selling my skills, expertise & experience in the field of web development. I don't need to run advertising alongside that. If anything it justs waters down my message, and causes my main form of advertisement (my website) to lose focus. In the end, I want potential clients (and everyone else) to feel good about visiting my website. I want them to get my message, and understand what Hibbitts Consulting is all about. I certainly don't want to give them the impression that I'm trying to use them for advertising revenue.
Now, I still own other websites where advertising is more appropriate. I haven't sworn off advertising, and I may still review & recommend services & product that I really believe in, but I will not add confusion to MY marketing message by advertising on my own website.
Of course, I lied. There aren't really five reasons why I stopped running ads. I figure the one big reason counts for as much as five small reasons.

How to set up .htaccess files for a CakePHP install

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 08:41:25 -0500

CakePHP is a very popular php/mysql based rapid development framework. It allows developers to quickly put together the "underpinnings" of a web application without having to re-invent the wheel. However, even the simplest of tools can have its little quirks, and CakePHP is no exception. CakePHP favors a "convention over configuration" style, which means that things have to be done a certain way, files have to be in the correct location, and classes have to have proper names. Like it says on the cover of the Hitchhiker's Guide "Don't Panic". The basic layout of any CakePHP application is the same. Basically, there are three main parts to a Cake application:

1. The core CakePHP libraries, in /cake.
2. Your application code, in /app.
3. The application's webroot, usually in /app/webroot.

The tough part is that each of those directories has its own .htaccess file:
In the Cake root directory:



   RewriteEngine on

   RewriteRule    ^$ app/webroot/    [L]

   RewriteRule    (.*) app/webroot/$1 [L]

In the App directory:



    RewriteEngine on

    RewriteRule    ^$    webroot/    [L]

    RewriteRule    (.*) webroot/$1    [L]

In the webroot directory:



    RewriteEngine On

    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d

    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f

    RewriteRule ^(.*)$ index.php?url=$1 [QSA,L]

Now, the important thing to remember here is that changes generally need to be made in the proper .htaccess files. CakePHP looks at the root directory .htaccess file & the app directory to find the webroot directory. Then it uses the .htaccess in webroot to build url parameters. So, any redirections must be propagated through all three files. Much like event handling in Javascript.
A good example of how to handle this is when you are using a stats program that is installed in a subdirectory that you don't want CakePHP to control. Let's say you're using awstats. In that case, the .htaccess file in your Cake root directory should look like this:



  RewriteEngine  on

 RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/awstats/

  RewriteRule ^$       app/webroot/     [L]

   RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/awstats/

  RewriteRule ^(.*)$ app/webroot/$1  [L]

Basically what that does is to stop CakePHP from redirecting for any request that ends with awstats. So now your stats program is outside CakePHP's control. With this you should have a basic understanding of CakePHP & .htaccess. Good Luck.

Sparkfun Free Day

Thu, 7 Jan 2010 11:08:23 -0500

Today at 11:00 am Eastern Time begins Sparkfun's Free Day. Sparkfun is an electronics hobby website that sells some really cool electronics tools & stuff, and today they're giving away $100 worth of stuff per order (per household). Needless to say this is an exciting day for geeks all over the world. Unfortunately, we're 5 minutes into it as I write this, and Sparkfun's server is hosed. This is an excellent lesson in internet marketing, both what to do & what not to do. Of course, the promotion is an excellent idea, however if they can't execute it, then they may wind up generating more resentment than customer loyalty.

We'll just have to see what happens over the next hour or so. I'll post a follow up, if I ever get through.

Upgrading to openSuse 11.2 from 10.3

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 11:40:37 -0500

I run a completely Windows free shop. That has it's good points & bad, but I'm not going to get into that question. For now, I just want to talk about my recent experience upgrading from openSuse 10.3 to 11.2. openSuse 10.3 has been my OS of choice for quite some time. Sadly, however, it has reached the dreaded "end of life" stage wherein all support, repositories, updates, etc... have disappeared completely. I have to admit that I dreaded the upgrade process, having more experience with Windows upgrades than with Linux. However, I am happy to report that this upgrade was the smoothest thing since lubricated ice. First of all, the entire upgrade can be accomplished without a network connection. That's a big deal for my personal laptop, as I use a wireless connection with ndiswrapper (Thanks Broadcom!) and I always worry a bit whenever I have to do anything involving my network connection. The upgrade DVD eased my fears, as the whole shebang is located on the DVD.

The installation is carried out flawlessly, from a very appealing screen, seen here:

openSuse install screen

In any case, once you load the DVD, then that's about all that you have to do. My home folder was untouched, all of my data (which I had backed up beforehand) was untouched, and everything "just worked". I do have to admit that I was kind of thrown by the whole Plasma Desktop thing, especially coming straight from 10.3. But I'm getting the hang of it already, and I can certainly see how helpful & intuitive the entire system is. Take a look at an example Desktop configuration from KDE:

KDE Desktop in openSuse 11.2

I had actually toyed with the idea of switching to Ubuntu with this upgrade, however openSuse 11.2 is a slick, attractive, powerful distro that I'm proud to run on my computer. For those of you who are still stuck in the Windows world of locked software, forced upgrades, and 8 hour installs, you should really take a look at any of the great Linux distributions out there. openSuse especially, as well as Ubuntu & Fedora are really very user friendly, powerful and a great replacement for Windows.

You can download the openSuse install DVD at:
Download openSUSE 11.2

These websites are Chinese Spammers

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:40:16 -0500

If you're a frequent visitor here, then you may know about my efforts to thwart various Chinese SPAM networks. These networks are a major source of internet SPAM, and are causing major throttling of worldwide networks simply because of the mass of their SPAM traffic. Recently I began using the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre's WHOIS database to identify the source of these SPAM attacks, and filing SPAM complaints with the appropriate registrar. To date, I have seen no action on any of my complaints, leading me to two conclusions. Either the Chinese registrars are willing participants in the blatant SPAM traffic emanating from China, or there is a massive backlog of complaints, and it's taking them a long time to work through them. So, in the spirit of GI Joe ("Knowing is half the battle."). I am going to start publishing a list of the websites that are associated with these SPAM attacks, along with a basic review of each site. Hopefully, this will help to inform the public, and lessen the threat of SPAM.

The following websites are major sources of SPAM:
1. http://www.uggmart.com - This site advertises cheap "authentic" Ugg boots. There are numerous complaints about them with various BBB's.
2. http://www.love-ugg.com - Another Ugg boot knockoff site - be warned!
3. http://www.ugg2you.com - Are you beginning to see a pattern here?
4. http://www.topuggsale.com - Another Ugg knockoff site. I think I'm definitely going to be staying away from Ugg boots.
5. http://www.ladyugs.com - This is getting monotonous...
6. http://www.bayuggs.com - Yawn...
7. http://www.uggshow.co.uk - Interesting...This one has a.uk domain name, yet it's IP address is registered in China. Hmmm...
8. http://www.hideboots.com - This one claims to be an "official" Ugg distributor. I wonder if Uggs knows that.
9. http://www.ezugg.com/ - Really, guys, this is getting ridiculous!
10. http://www.topsalelist.com - Finally non Ugg related SPAM.
11. http://www.timberboots.co.uk - They must mean the UK that's in China, you know...
12. http://www.brawboots.com - Back to Ugg's. Hey stick with what you know, right...
13. http://www.olugg.com - These are "100% Authentic". Rigghhhttt....
14. http://www.officalsale.com - Back to the Timberlands.

OK, there were some others that I deleted before this started to become a real problem. In any case, since I've started keeping track, all of the SPAM has originated from a subdomain of 163data.com.cn. I'm investigating them right now, and as I come across more information, I'll post it here.

Finally, a quick thought. The whole point of this post is to remind everyone out there that the internet can be a dangerous place. While my problems with Chinese SPAM are more of an annoyance than a real threat, it's symptomatic of the entire SPAM issue. So, backup your data, use best practices for data & browser security, and above all, stay safe!

Ugg Boots & Chinese Spammers

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:41:56 -0500

Chinese Spammers have hijacked my blog. OK, not really, but apparently China is now a major source of spam. In my case, I'm in the midst of fending off "comment attacks", where hundreds of comments get left, each one filled with links to some cheesy website. In fact, yesterday alone, I deleted over 1300 comments, with the vast majority linking to various Ugg boot websites. Both the comments and the websites themselves are Chinese based websites, and my Spam reports seem to have fallen on deaf ears with the Chinese registrars. Some quick research reveals that China is now such a haven for spammers, that actual internet use is threatened in that country just because of the volume of spam traffic. For instance, so many Chinese IP addresses are blacklisted across the internet that emails sent from China have a 70% chance of failing to arrive at their destination.

In any case, some legitimate comments may have been deleted during this running battle. If your comment was deleted, then I can only apologize, and ask for your help in the war on Chinese Spam and Ugg Boots.

Family Guy sells out to Microsoft

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:16:35 -0500

For the upcoming Family Guy special, you won't see any commercials. However, that doesn't mean that you won't be bombarded with advertisements. It just means that the advertisements will be woven into the show itself. This is not a new concept, in fact this is a retrograde step to the early days of television, when Lucy and Ricky would break the fourth wall to tell their viewers about Ovaltine or Lucky Strike cigarrettes. However, given Family Guy's brand of irreverent humor, I'm afraid that this is not going to work. As you can see from this preview, it's just not funny.

Microsoft seems to have forgotten a fairly basic rule of advertising: Tailor the message to your viewers. Of course, I may be wrong and the special may make comedy history, but if it doesn't, then it will serve as a reminder to all businesses. Make sure your advertisements reach your target market.

Ohm's Law

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:39:24 -0500

On a personal note, I am a huge fan of the webcomic XKCD. You generally need to be a geek in order to get it, and this one is no exception.

The 5 Best Online Project Management & Collaboration Tools

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:30:58 -0500

When working on any software project, it is highly important to be able to plan, manage & track the project. Project management is a highly sought after skill & project management software is a billion dollar per year industry. So what's a small business owner to do, when good project management software is expensive & hard to use. Luckily, online project management software has been flourishing lately. These tools are SaaS, or software as a service tools, meaning that there is no installation. They run online, and all you need is a web browser. However, as with anything else there are good, bad & indifferent choices. Some are expensive, some are underpowered and some are just too darn complicated to use. So, without further adieu, here are my top 5 choices for managing projects online.

1. Collabtive
After trying all of these choices, Collabtive is what I have settled on for my own use. Collabtive is a user friendly, nice looking, powerful online project management tool. Collabtive is intended for small to medium-sized businesses and freelancers, and it fills that role nicely. In addition to a completely hosted commercial version, they also offer custom installation and customization of Collabtive. It's major features include Projects, Milestones, Tasks, Basecamp import, Timetracking & Reporting. Collabtive is also freely available as an Open Source download under the GPL. That means that if you do have access to a web server, then you can download it and install it on your own server for free. This is the option that I use, having created a new subdomain of hibbittsconsulting.com as a project management portal for my clients. Collabtive is a powerful tool for online project management, and in this freelancer's opinion is the best of breed when it comes to freely downloadable and installable options. Hosted versions are available for 10� to 40� per month.

2. Basecamp
No project management software list would be complete without Basecamp. Basecamp is the current "Big Dog" of online project management. Loaded with powerful features, and an excellent user interface, Basecamp is a delight to work with. In addition to common project management features, Basecamp includes instant messaging tools, file storage, CRM modules, iphone integration & integration with third party tools. However, it is solely available as a hosted solution, meaning that you must sign up for an account with Basecamp and cannot download the software. They do offer a free version, however it is limited to one user & one project at a time. I did attempt to use it for a while, but I'm too busy for the single project version to be useful, and too cheap to spring for the paid version. Pricing runs between $24 & $149.

3. GoPlan
Another completely hosted solution, GoPlan is a relative newcomer to the field of online project management. It's relatively powerful, offers Basecamp data import plus most other common project management tools. Some of it's main features include file versioning, which is a neat addition to the project manager's toolbox, and the use of gmail style tags. GoPlan has an excellent user interface, and is another highly powerful piece of software. The best part, however, is their free plan which allows up to 3 separate projects, 2 users & up to 5 clients. With that amount of access the free plan is just about right for a freelancer or small business to actually get some use from it. Their paid plans run anywhere from $10 to $80 per month and include larger amounts of storage, more users & more features.

4. ClockingIT
ClockingIT is a completely free application. You can sign up for a free hosted account, or download the code and install it on your own servers. Like Collabtive, this is a feature that I really like. The only reason that I didn't choose ClockingIT is that it is written in Ruby on Rails, and I have little experience with Rails apps. clocking IT has one of the best user interfaces out there. With charts and graphs liberally sprinkled throughout, it makes keeping track of your projects a breeze.

5. OnStage
OnStage is another completely free online project management app. However, the free version of OnStage has no restrictions, although it does place some rather obtrusive ads throughout the interface. If you can get past the ads, then OnStage is a pretty powerful project management tool. One of the things that sets it apart from other tools like BaseCamp is the ability to create Gantt charts. Otherwise it is comparable to most other project management tools in features. The only real downside to OnStage is the ads, which are fairly confusing for a client to see when he or she first logs in.

After trying many online (and offline) project management tools these have been the five that I am most satisfied with. My decision to go with Collabtive for my own client portal was mainly based on the ability to download and install the software on my own servers. However, all 5 of these tools do at least offer a free plan that will allow you to try before you buy. I highly recommend trying at least one of these tools for anyone whose business deals with discrete projects. Engineers, web developers, consultants, marketing consultants, designers can all benefit from a tool that helps them to plan, manage & track their projects.

Your Customers Don't Trust You!

Tue, 8 Sep 2009 15:48:34 -0500

A recent study by the UK's Office of Fair Trading, the British counterpart to the US's Federal Trade Commission, found that over 30% of online shoppers were afraid to make purchases online. Far and away the biggest reason for this fear was the fear of "identity theft" or of credit card fraud. That's a pretty frightening statistic, but it does shed some light on two major points about your small business website. The first point is that your website has to gain and keep the trust of your potential customers. Secondly, your pool of potential customers just increased by 30%. That's right, if you can implement a few specific measures to ensure that potential customers see your website as being trustworthy, then that 30% of the population is available to you.
There are a few specific things that you or your web developer can do to ensure that your website is trustworthy. The very first thing is to make sure that your website clearly displays several contact methods. If you have a business phone, make sure that it's clearly displayed somewhere on your site, along with multiple email addresses and your physical address. Just knowing that a real person is just a phone call away, can have a huge impact on how much users will trust your website. Second, take the time to create and publish a privacy policy. Granted it's generally a dry, boring document, but your customers will feel better knowing that you have an official policy for dealing with their personal information. And while we're on that subject, always hold your customer's information in the highest confidence. One slip can destroy your online business, so be careful. And finally, publicize your commitment to security. If you're a member of the Better Business Bureau, then place their badge on your website, if your website uses antivirus or other security software to protect your customer's information, then make sure that your customers know that. The perception of security is almost as important as the security measures themselves, at least from a marketing perspective. Once your customers know about the security measures that you have taken, they will feel better about giving you their credit card information, or their email address, or their phone number, and you will see more visitors turning into customers.