Month: August 2004

If you are any kind of a geek, you’ll be checking your web site’s access_log on a semi-regular basis to get an idea of who is linking to you.  Call it an ego trip if you must 🙂 but, of late, it has become a little more annoying.

You see, spammers have started “referer spamming” (sic) where they spam your referRer logs with URLs that don’t really link to your site in order to get link backs, con people into visiting the URLs, or hopefully find some sites that publish their web site log stats/analysis.

I know it is tempting to believe that jennaloveshack.com or somesuch loves to link to your pages, but this really screws up the logs.  And, so I have taken to firewalling the offenders and it is proving remarkably effective.  So for your perusing pleasure, the “bad guys” list provided in PeerGuardian format (which I convert to ipfw firewall rules):

 

Link Referrer Spammer:66.6.223.190-66.6.223.190 Care Initiatives linkref spammer 123gotcash:63.227.76.25-63.227.76.25 Linkref spammer:66.119.34.39-66.119.34.39 Linkref spammer:216.104.196.225-216.104.196.225 Linkref spammer:212.253.2.204-212.253.2.204 thebestofnet.com spammer:194.228.211.200-194.228.211.207 linkref spam:148.244.150.52-148.244.150.52 Possible linkref spammer:195.244.37.80-195.244.37.80 Hacked / scanner machine:80.109.48.242-80.109.48.242 whois.sc / nameintelligence “bot” ref spam:64.246.160.0-64.246.191.255 petalsnetwork.com/se/coral-springs-florists spammer:211.157.8.41-211.157.8.41 teens-photo.com spam:12.22.85.3-12.22.85.3 teens-photo.com spam:12.33.10.164-12.33.10.164 refspam:211.157.8.44-211.157.8.44 refspam:209.44.12.250-209.44.12.250 catagoryhound.com linkspamming their own service:205.236.189.0-205.236.189.255

 

Since I added firewalling to those networks/ips, my referer log is much cleaner and my irregular ego boost can continue largely uninterrupted.

Microsoft is launching a cut down version of Windows XP, as "Starter Edition".  This version will feature (or rather not feature) limited graphical capability and will only allow the user to run three programs at once.

Full story at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3554084.stm

"… in an effort to halt the rise of low-cost Linux software"
"…  it hoped the new software would also help deter consumers from buying pirated versions of its XP system"

I don’t see a XP Retarded Edition helping in either of these battles.

So Stelios is launching easymobile using all the usual orange livery that all the easy* companies under Stelios’ control use.

However, now Orange (the mobile phone company) is upset at his planned use of the colour orange.

Stelios says there is no problem.

How ironic after Stelios started suing any company using the word "easy" or "easy" in their company name.

This is a mini-rant. 🙁

So, I’ve got an Orange contract phone and the wife has a Orange pay-as-you-go phone, both are in my name.  Tried calling her, except the stupid Orange network has assumed that since she didn’t answer one call and it dropped to voicemail, then all future calls should immediately go to voicemail.  Her phone doesn’t even ring.

I figure this will reset if she calls to collect her voicemail – except neither her nor I know how to do this.  Personally I detest mobile voicemails and the first thing I do on my phone is permanently have it removed.   Thus the solution is to do the same to her phone.

No problem you might think.  Both phones are in my name, I’ll just call up Orange and they’ll sort it.  Not on your nelly mate.

Orange contract customer service don’t help with PAYG phones and the (very helpful) guy told me I would have to call 07973100451.   “Ok, thanks for your help”, I replied and proceeded to call the supplied number.

So, I call the number and immediately the standard Orange female recorded message informs me “This number is permanently barred”.   Excuse me?   I call customer service to clarify.  Turns out you have to call from a land line.

So not only will Orange contract not help with Orange PAYG, Orange contract actually block you from phoning Orange PAYG.  Perhaps they are afraid of people moving from contract to PAYG.  What a stupid, stupid setup.