About willcode4beer.com

Random bits of developer geek stuff

This is my random collection of stuff on the web. Its more or less my junk drawer. Bits of photos, notes from projects, and things I forget but, like to have available.

My personal blog contains general ramblings. I also collaborate with a friend on a developer blog where we bring up issues faced by professional developers. You might even find some tips on how to get into it. Of course, some times we just rant on about nothing. Tis the nature of the blog.

About the code on this site

Most of the code found on this site was developed (and is used) on Linux. The shell scripts may work on Windows with cywin but, I haven't tried. I haven't tried on a Mac either, however, since OSX is based on BSD, I would not be supprised if things worked there. Again, I haven't tried anything on a mac.

YMMV

Technologies and services I use for the site

Server

Served up using Tomcat 5. I am also use one of my favorite design patterns, the Template Filter. This lets me have a common look and feel for all of the pages while letting me stay focused on content. Maybe later I'll post the code up under the design section.

DNS

I've added a link to my DNS provider (ChangeIP.com). They provide a dynamic DNS service. Basically this means that your DNS entries have very short expiration times. So if you need to host a site from a server without a static IP address, you either want a service like this or someone else to proxy you. I've used them since 2002, back when I hosted the site from my living room over DSL, and then to a cable modem. Currently, I am using a hosted service. Although I really don't need dynamic DNS with a hosted service, its nice to have the flexibility if I need it. Also, if I need remote control of my living room machine, I can just give it a sub domain. I have been pretty satisfied with their service. The truth is I have never used their customer service. Maybe its a good point that, the need has never arisen.

They also have free domains and mail forwarding but, I have never used those services. So, there's my experience, nothing spectacular, its always just worked well for me.

Hosting

For my hosting I use Just Virtual Dedicated Serves (JVDS). They were recommended by a friend. This service has always been great. I basically get root access to a virtual server to do whatever I want. Its just like using my box at home. The price is pretty good too. The best part is that I can run whatever server I want, I just have to install it. I have used the customer service and have always been very satisfied. Its easy to reach a real human and, they always address any problems immediately. They also have always followed up after addressing issues. In this crazy world of IT and the web I have never found service as good as these guys and gals provide. The only downside is the amount of disk space provided (3GB in my plan, although you can get more) but, its still pretty good when compared to the competition.