10 Great Snake-Oil Gadgets > Wired.com
Nov 18, 2007 Funny
Wired.com now has an article about 10 gadgets of questionable repute.
OK, fine, if you don’t want to click on the link, here’s a rundown (a.k.a. spoiler) of the gadgets.
- Q-Ray Bracelet
- Orbo
- Danie Krugel’s DNA Search Device
- Harmony Chip
- Philip Stein Teslar Watch
- Screen Mist
- MPion MP3 Player
- Harmonic Products’ MP3 Ion Maker
- Beech Stereo Knobs
- Dowsing Rods*
Now, the Dowsing Rods are not necessarily a sham, but the jury is still out on that one.
Now for my grammar-nazi blurb: on the Wired page, it says Harmonic Products’s, beckoning the speaking style of Golum. Not that my grammar is perfect, mind you, with my blatant overuse of commas, but still…this is wired dot com!
Ah well. If you want to know more about these somewhat vague products, read their article.
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I Fixed the Glitch…
Nov 5, 2007 Blogging, Web Design
TSP: Themes! is running again. I just had to pop the hood and delete the link to my Amazon store via phpMyAdmin (which I had to fumble through, because I don’t really know that much about mySQL…and I couldn’t get to the login page due to being redirected).
It seems that you cannot use certain text strings on runhosting, even if you are within the terms of service guidelines…and they won’t give you a list of text strings that are not allowed “for security reasons”. Nice.
So now I need to get more theme stuff for that site. Submissions, anyone?
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Runhosting is crap.
Nov 4, 2007 Blogging
(this is a conversation I had with tech support for my wordpress themes site)
thesugarbuzzproject: Why has my website been redirected to your homepage? I assume that you are part of the company/reseller that I had my hosting through.
You are now speaking with TJ of Sales Department.
TJ: Hello
TJ: Your domain has not been redirected to our homepage
TJ: it forwards to our page because of an error on your site
TJ: 404 or 403
TJ: please let us know your domain name
TJ: yep — a 403 error
TJ: sugarbuzzthemes.mywebcommunity.org
thesugarbuzzproject: 403 error?
thesugarbuzzproject: could you please explain that?
TJ: yes
TJ: forbidden
thesugarbuzzproject: why would that be?
TJ: This is caused by the presence of the forbidden on our servers string “amazon.com”
TJ: it is repeated twice within your html code
TJ: I am sorry but you will need to remove it
TJ: to have your page display
thesugarbuzzproject: ok…but i have a question.
TJ: of course
thesugarbuzzproject: doesn’t the account allow me to offer my own advertising?
thesugarbuzzproject: according to the TOS i believe it was within the allowed guidelines
TJ: yes, it does
TJ: but unfortunately we have been having much trouble with users on free accounts
thesugarbuzzproject: I am an affilliate with amazon.
TJ: making links to sites like amazon, ebay, etc.
TJ: for malicious reasons
TJ: (e.g. phishing sites)
thesugarbuzzproject: i understand that.
TJ: this is why this has been disalbed for security reasons
thesugarbuzzproject: ok.
TJ: thank you for your understanding
thesugarbuzzproject: so i can’t actually use my own affiliate program advertising…
thesugarbuzzproject: even though it is within the allowed tos.
TJ: well, you could, if you would remove these strings
thesugarbuzzproject: so i can’t link to amazon.
TJ: no
thesugarbuzzproject: is there a list of unacceptable urls to link to somewhere so i can prevent this in the future?
thesugarbuzzproject: or a way that I can get the restriction lifted?
TJ: this is not just about URLs
TJ: this is about all sorts of text strings
TJ: like porn
TJ: bank
TJ: credit card
TJ: etc.
thesugarbuzzproject: i understand cross site scripting, phishing etc.
TJ: the list is huge and we also do not provide the whole of it
thesugarbuzzproject: i don’t generally publish credit card, bank, porn, etc.
TJ: ;)
thesugarbuzzproject: ok…so if I am trying to host a serious blog with advertising, i could be redirected for just about anything i put, and have no way of knowing whether it violates the rules or not.
TJ: that’s not true
thesugarbuzzproject: even though technically it’s ok with the TOS.
thesugarbuzzproject: i’m not trying to be a pain, but it sounds that way.
thesugarbuzzproject: if there’s no list of restricted url’s…
TJ: technically, it is not ok with the TOS to have forbidden words in the first place
TJ: so please do not dispute this
thesugarbuzzproject: and there is no way to know what words are forbidden….got it.
thesugarbuzzproject: sorry to be a bother.
TJ: if a person would know these words
TJ: they would know how to bypass these security checks
TJ: right?
thesugarbuzzproject: only in theory. but one can’t run a business (with advertising) appearantly without being in violation.
TJ: a business can be run under a business hosting plan
TJ: where these restrictions are not in power
TJ: same goes for the personal hosting plan
thesugarbuzzproject: so in other words, i’d have to pay for something that the TOS says I should be able to do without cost to get hosting that allows me to do whatever I want with it.
TJ: This is not true as I explained
TJ: and the restriction is not negotiable
thesugarbuzzproject: i’m not trying to get it lifted. i’m trying to understand why i can’t have a list of things i cannot do, while the TOS says that I can.
thesugarbuzzproject: i would understand if it were porn, credit cards, etc. that is illegal.
thesugarbuzzproject: but a link to amazon is not illegal.
TJ: 1. it is your guess that the TOS says you can’t do them
TJ: 2. the TOS always says security is a top priority
TJ: please do not argue this with me
TJ: I cannot provide the list
thesugarbuzzproject: i agree that security is important.
thesugarbuzzproject: # Your account content MUST comply with the parameters stated in this Agreement. Web content requirements exclude the publication of illegal content or content considered inappropriate otherwise. Customers should get in touch with a LeadHoster representative regarding any inquiries over this matter.
TJ: if you are running a normal blog, you won’t have these strings
thesugarbuzzproject: it’s a blog linking to wordpress themes, using advertising to help earn enough money to purchace a better hosting plan.
thesugarbuzzproject: i have a normal blog at wordpress.com, but they don’t allow advertisments.
TJ: How can I help?
thesugarbuzzproject: # LeadHoster does NOT allow sites that provide any content, points of distribution, or \`links\` to sites that:
- infringe on any third party`s intellectual property or proprietary rights, or rights of publicity or privacy;
- violate any law, statute, ordinance or regulation;
- are defamatory, trade libelous, threatening, unlawfully harassing, abusive, pornographic or obscene;
- contain viruses, Trojan horses, worms, time bombs, cancelbots, corrupted files, or any other similar software or programs that may damage the operation of another`s computer or property of another;
- contain Proxy, Pirated or Hacking / Phreaking Software (Warez) - Any software that is copyrighted and not freely available for distribution without cost. ROMs, ROM Emulators and Mpeg Layer 3 files (MP3) all fall under this jurisdiction; Torent sites or links to Torent sites;
- has Adult Sites (content) - Any erotic or pornographic material, links to adult sites, or advertisements for adult sites;
# Use of phishing or mimic sites are strictly prohibited on LeadHoster, any user suspected in such activity will be terminated WITHOUT refund and a legal action will be started to the final extend of the law.
thesugarbuzzproject: well, for starters, it’s silly to say i can have a legitamate advertisment, but not link to the site that i’m advertising for.
thesugarbuzzproject: and it’s also bad to think that i can put what i want (within reason), but if anything that i put on the site is on a list of banned things (which i cannot have access to AND can be changed at any time) it will be redirected AND I can get that fixed, but would have to pay.
thesugarbuzzproject: sounds a tad like extortion.
thesugarbuzzproject: but i’m sure you just work for the company, and i know it’s not your personal fault.
TJ: thanks
TJ: Sir,
TJ: If I had to explain to every single person who accused the company of extortion
TJ: that there is no way of verifying a user under a free account
TJ: while all customers on advanced plans are verified over the phone
TJ: and that we have *many* free users
thesugarbuzzproject: i’ve used other hosting that verified free users using sms text messages with a pin number.
TJ: and trust them eventually
TJ: what seemed to be the problem with that other hosting?
thesugarbuzzproject: too much downtime
thesugarbuzzproject: and eventually, i couldn’t log in to the account due to database errors.
TJ: I do not wish to argue with a reasonable person such as yourself any further
thesugarbuzzproject: i do appreciate your help.
thesugarbuzzproject: thank you.
TJ: thank you for your understanding
TJ: I hope you will manage to work this out
thesugarbuzzproject: i’m sure I will. thank you. have a nice day.
TJ: thanks, you too
TJ: bye bye
Your party has left this session.
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Tags: 181, 192, 234, 237, 262, 349, 352, 413, 423, 72, 76, 80
Frustration
This morning, at 2 A.M., the time changed. It seems the news reports forgot to update their clocks, because it’s wrong at the bottom of the TV screen.
I’ve been discussing evolution and religion with a dude via email. He’s not getting it. He just keeps saying that religion is bad. He thinks that just because I’m religious means that I subscribe to everything that the catholic church, television evangelists, and anybody that claims to be a preacher has to say. No matter how many times I say this, he refuses to hear it.
It’s sad, but frankly, I’m sick of discussing it with him. He’s so bent on changing what I believe, using the bible out of context to make me question it, and ridiculing me for not believing in evolution. I just want to give up.
It’s not that I don’t care. It’s that I just get tired of fighting against circular logic with no real scientific proof (other than what they have made up), telling me that no matter what I say I am wrong.
What is it with atheists? I have never, NEVER, met an atheist with a REAL argument that doesn’t revert to asking question after question, pretending that they aren’t getting answers (even when they are), and eventually just tell us how foolish we are to not accept what they believe.
I haven’t said he was foolish at all. I’ve been going out of my way for a long time fighting an argument that he initiated, all because of some posts I made on a political website.
Well, whatever. I’m sick of it all.
I don’t mind answering questions about my faith and beliefs, but when I say I’m not affiliated with certain religious groups, quit throwing their rhetoric and lies at me in an effort to get me to feel stupid. If I don’t believe in it, don’t assume that I do.
I need more coffee. This low-octane stuff just isn’t cutting it this morning.
In other news, I broke our main computer. Actually, Bill Gates broke it. For some reason, it refused to reboot (or even give a display) after installing the Bonus Pack for Windows Media Player. I had to throw together another machine, install XP pro on it, and configure everything. Fun stuff.
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