Monthly Archives: May 2005

teched scheduling – no can do

Just Rambling

okay – would you all please get OFF of the www.msteched.com site for a little while so I can look at the session schedules, too? 🙂

The site has been timing out and I just can’t get at the session schedules or the tool to let me schedule. Hopefully, they will have the promised RSS feed ready SOON so we have easier access to the info. I would definitely be interested in using Rob Rohr’s OneNote tool to schedule my sessions, but he can’t finish it up until the RSS is available.

http://www.AcehAid.org

PC Connection doesn’t seem to grok the security problems in the world

Just Rambling

I ordered something from PC Connection yesterday. Their site is awesome — quick and easy to get around. The ordering process was quick safe and I’m sure very secure. I have no problems with that.

However, since I was a dummy and typed in my credit card info off the top of my head, I did get a number wrong. So they sent me an email about it.

I originally deleted the email along with all of my other spam. It was from a girls’ name (@pcconnection.com but I didn’t notice that quickly enough) and the subject said Order ######## (with the real number in there) like so very many spam emails that come through the pipe.

This is what the email looks like (except I have masked the name of the sender as well as what might be the direct line etc…)

——————————–

We are ready to ship your order but the credit card has declined.  Please call us at the number below between 9am and 1am Eastern Time.  Thank you,

The name is in  “reply blue” text as is half of the fax #. The hyperlink is to file:\\pcconnection.com, which of course fails. Therefore you would resort to calling the phone #. The phone # is not the same as the phone # on the website. So I came to the conclusion that my email and order # were scraped from somewhere along the pipe and not secured as I’m sure the credit card info was and they were luring me to call a different phone # to give my credit card details to god knows who!

I did call the phone # on the website and got my cc cleared up but had a long chat with a customer service rep about the fact that most professionals I know would advise everyone and anyone to ignore such an email and they should really reconsider how they communicate with their clients about stuff like this.

Sheesh!

http://www.AcehAid.org

SQL Server 2005 login problems

Tools

I had a very strange problem with SQL Server 2005 April CTP today that I have “solved” but just want to put it out there in case anyone has this happen too!

I installed VS2005 Beta2 and SQL Server 2005 April CTP Developer on a completely repaved clean machine. There is nothing else on the box.

I did this before I went to D.C. so that’s about 2 weeks ago. I ran through all o fmy demos and everything worked great. I went away for a week and still didn’t turn that machine on for another week, until today. I was unable to log into the sql server from code or from the Mgmnt Studio interface, not even into the default database. On both the lowly user or even the admin account, I was getting “invalid user”. I couldn’t run any of my demos from Visual Studio. I tried all kinds of stuff and finally gave in and uninstalled and reinstalled and everything is now fine.

I would be very interested to know if anyone else has had this behavior. I know it’s just a beta and expect wierdness, but am still curious.

http://www.AcehAid.org

For Dog Owners

Purely Personal

This is not something I normally do, but is why I do have a “Purely Personal” category on this blog!

>
> TOP 10 (8 actually. The other 2 must have gotten deleted in  forwarding)
DOG PEEVES ABOUT HUMANS
>
> 1.  Blaming your farts on me…  not funny…  not funny at all!
>
> 2.  Yelling at me for barking …  I’M A FRIGGIN’  DOG!
>
> 3.  Taking me for walks, then not letting me check stuff out.  Exactly
> whose walk is this anyway?
>
> 4.  Any trick that involves balancing food on my nose … stop it!
>
> 5.  Any haircut that involves bows or ribbons.  Now you know why we
> chew your stuff up when you’re not home.
>
>
> 6.  The slight of hand, fake fetch throw.  You fooled a dog!  Whoooo
> Hoooooooo — what a proud moment for the ‘top’ of the food chain.
>
> 7.  Taking me to the vet for the “big snip”, then acting surprised
> when I freak out every time we go back!
>
> 8.  Getting upset when I sniff the crotches of your guests.  Sorry,
> but I haven’t quite mastered that handshake thing yet.

http://www.AcehAid.org

Team Foundation Server licenses in the box for small shops

dotNET

Well, wouldyalookatdat?!

MS is going to include 5 seats for Foundation Server with any of the team system skus.

This will make lots of people happy.

However I am scratching my head a little because, if I understand Thom’s explanation correctly the other night at VTdotNET, Foundation Server is aimed at huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge shops with lots and lots and lots of developers.

Anyway, I know a few small companies in Vermont that will be happy to hear this!

http://www.AcehAid.org