I’ve updated my genealogy site. New version of PHP and new version of TNG. Looks pretty snazzy, even if it is just using one of the pre-made templates. The data is still from 2004, but the site is all new like.
My non-blogging site, rjmaguire.com, that mainly hosts my genealogy stuff, was hacked recently. The perp found an underground published security hole in the 3rd party genealogy software I use called TNG: The Next Generation. I found a message on their support forums that describes how to close the hole and now it has. I’ve also replaced the damaged file (as they at least were kind enough to only do a minimal amount of damage).
I don’t blame the author of the software or the PHP programming language. It was an easy mistake to make. I still intend on using the software (and upgrade to the newest version even). It was my own fault for not keeping a closer eye on the server logs and on the TNG mailing list to notice that this kind of thing was going on.
I haven’t actually been able to pinpoint the exact day or time when the hack occurred. The first attempts began in mid-March. I don’t think the hack actually occurred until just a few days ago, when I noticed the page on my site was posted in a Spanish-language forum as a badge of honour as it were. Thankfully, the kids trying this stuff out aren’t really that bright, as witnessed by a lot of failures to even copy and paste correctly.
One of them actually managed to copy a couple of executables that looked like IRC server software or something, but was undoubtedly stopped cold when it had no chance of running on my server’s architecture.
So who am I? I’m a geek.
Officially, my given name is Robert, but I prefer to go by Bob. I’m half Irish and half German, but 100% Canadian. I was born in, raised, and am currently living in Regina, the capital of Saskatchewan. Having been born on October 12th, 1976, means I am now in my 30’s, and I can’t wait to see what that brings.
I’m a software programmer by trade. Having a father in the industry, I’ve been around computers practically all my life. I love problem solving and designing algorithms, and I get off on making computers do my bidding. My favourite platforms of choice are Mac OS and Unix, which means I think Mac OS X is the best operating system in the world. But I know the world needs Windows, too. I’m currently employed by a medium-sized private software consulting firm here in town.
I love movies and rarely find anything bad to say about them. My favourite kinds of movies are comedies, sci-fi, fantasy, and action. I’m a sucker for romantic comedies, but I also love a good Hong Kong shoot ‘em up. I have more DVDs than I’ll ever be able to watch, and that’s A-OK with me. Some of my favourites are 12 Monkeys, Bean, Office Space, Dutch, Hudson Hawk, Galaxy Quest, Groundhog Day, Swordsman, and Sneakers. My favourite actors include Bruce Willis, Stephen Chow, Jackie Chan, Bill Murray, and Rowan Atkinson.
I don’t watch anywhere near as much TV now as I did in the 80s as a kid. I still love to watch my early childhood cartoons like Rocket Robin Hood, Spider-Man, The Mighty Hercules, Dungeons and Dragons, Gummi Bears, M.A.S.K., and so on. The best series, past or present, is Doctor Who, and I love every British comedy that has ever been written.
Canadian Football is my favourite sport, the Riders are my favourite team, and I don’t watch NFL. I’ll watch hockey as long as it’s the playoffs or the Olympics, but will just as easily turn it off or turn to something else. I refuse to watch golf, baseball, and basketball, but I’ll watch soccer or rugby as it’s something different. Nascar is not a sport.
I have an iPod and carry my entire music collection with me. My tastes vary wildly, but there are some artists and bands I can always trust to deliver like They Might Be Giants, R.E.M., Chemical Brothers, and FatBoy Slim. I don’t know if I’ll like something until I hear it, so I have a lot of one hit wonders and chart toppers (unless it’s hip hop or from the last 7 or 8 years). I also have a lot of soundtracks and scores from movies, tv shows, and video games that I’ve enjoyed over the years. Generally, I don’t like easy listening or jazz unless, of course, I’ve heard it and liked it.
I’d love to travel, but have never done anything about it. I prefer more temperate locales, as I hate being hot and sweaty. The UK and Scandinavia are my dream vacation spots, but I could probably convince myself to go anywhere if I worked at it hard enough. My biggest obstacle is food, as I have zero imagination or courage when it comes to experimenting with food. To me, meat and potatoes is not a stereotype, but a way of life.
I collect comic books, but rarely ever read them. Much like my DVDs, it’s more about the collecting, categorizing, sorting, organizing, and recording in a database, that I enjoy than the actual spoils.
Genealogy is my favourite hobby, but I don’t hang out in graveyards like some kind of devil worshipper.
Feel free to look around at interesting sites I’ve found on the web, to check out what music I’ve been listening to, to see what photos I’ve been taking, to watch the videos I find funny, or to see what kind of consumer whore I really am.
I hate small talk, and would prefer silence instead of it. This is because I don’t read the news, I don’t listen to the news, and I don’t watch the news. Politics don’t interest me in the slightest bit, but I still vote when I’m told, usually for whoever I hate the least. I was raised Roman Catholic, and went to Catholic schools, but I don’t go to church, I don’t pray, and to me the Pope is just a nice old man. In short, I’m an agnostic, but I still like to think there is or was a higher power at some point, at that there is something for us to do after we die, whether or not it’s heaven, because life seems short enough as it is. Basically, I know right from wrong, and that’s all I feel I need. That’s my own opinion, I don’t try to force it on others, and I have no problems with people having their own beliefs and opinions.
Did I miss anything? Questions? Comments? Drop me a line.
Go Riders!
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The pdftotext tool that comes as part of this is superb for converting PDF to plain text. YMMV