KC Lemson relates a story about how imprecise terminology can lead to mistakes, and points out in the end that such mistakes can be avoided with a little proactive thought. I know I have been tripped up in conversations where I assumed the terminology being used meant the same thing to the person I was speaking to as it did to me, only to find out how wrong I was later. KC has a good lesson and story: 

"... To him, this was basic vocabulary. He knew that registry keys are on the left-hand side of regedit and have folder icons, whereas registry values are on the right-hand side of regedit and have different icons depending on their type. To me, “registry key” was just a part of the vernacular I'd learned and there were different types of registry keys, such as DWORDs, strings, etc."

Hi, my name is Greg, and I can't type to save my life.

It's been five minutes since my last typo. I have been typing since before I can remember. I've always had troubles getting the words right, and from an early age I knew I was just different than the others. I guess I just never learned. I can spell just fine, I just can't type.

That's why I love ieSpell, a program I discovered accidentally when I started using dasBlog for my web log a while back.

This is a great Internet Explorer add-in. It's free for personal use, it works well, and it helps me fix my typos so I look less stupid (note that I won't place full responsibility for whether or not I look smart on a computer program - that would be unfair, after all).

My blog software's web interface has a rich-text editor that does some simple HTML formatting and takes advantage of ieSpell if you download and install it, which is cool. But once I have it installed, I get to use ieSpell anyplace in IE where I might need it. For example, what if I am writing a comment in a HTML text box on someone else's web log? I can use ieSpell to check my prose in the form text box before I click the submit button on the page. So, as long as I'm not saying anything completely idiotic from a opinion or factual standpoint, it makes me look smart(er). I like that.

Update: ATTWS/Cingular customers with newer model RIM devices (like the 7290 for example) may find this method does not work. If so, call your service number and tell them you want them to activate your HTML browser on your device. It will be like wireless magic, and you'll be all set.

WAP browsing not working well for you? Feel the need to see the Google graphic when you go to do a search? Are the sites you're trying to browse simply broken when you try to view them on your RIM device in WAP mode? If you have a RIM Blackberry with the newer software, do this (mine's a RIM 7280 on AT&T Wireless, your mileage may vary):

1. Go to the M-mode web browser.
2. Choose Options.
3. On the keypad, type “RBRO” (without the quotes). An additional five or so menu items will appear.
4. Click on “Browser Configuration.”
5. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and look for the “Constrained Content Mode” field. Change this from “WML Only” to “Unconstrained.”
6. Click the wheel and choose “Save Options.”
7. Again, go to “Browser Configuration.”
8. Scroll down a few lines from the top to “Content Mode.” Change it from “WML only” to either “WML & HTML” or “HTML only” (your choice).
9. Click the wheel and chose “Save options.”
10. That's it. You can now browse HTML, graphics and all - just make sure your bandwidth allocations won't mean a big bill at the end of your billing month!

http://groups-beta.google.com/

The beta is on for the next version of Google Groups. Not only does it look a lot like GMail, when I go to the site, it logs me on with my Google GMail account ID automagically. I can mark topics with a star () and then click on the "My starred topics" link to do a quick search list of anything I've previously flagged with the star - a lot like the way it works in GMail, go figure.

Plus, I was able to create a new group right there on the groups web site, in about 2 minutes. Worth keeping an eye on.

It looks like come September you won't have to wait for a day or two or three anymore for Domain Name Service changes on the big-two TLD's to propagate when you add a domain (and possibly when you make a DNS change - still trying to figure that one out) on the Internet. All I can say is - what's taken so darn long?

In an email notice, Matt Larson of Verisign says:

"VeriSign Naming and Directory Services (VNDS) currently generates new versions of the .com/.net zones files twice per day.  VNDS is scheduled to deploy on September 8, 2004 a new feature that will enable VNDS to update the .com/.net zones more frequently to reflect the registration activity of the .com/.net registrars in near real time.  After the rapid DNS update is implemented, the elapsed time from registrars' add or change operations to the visibility of those adds or changes in all 3 .com/.net authoritative name servers is expected to average less than five minutes."

What that means is fast propagation of .com and .net DNS registration information on the primary Internet domain servers. From the Verisign DNS Rapid Update FAQ page:

How long will it take from when I register a domain or make a change to an existing domain on my registrar's web site until I see the change in DNS?

It depends on how the registrar's systems work and how long it takes the registrar to communicate your request to the .com/.net registry. Once the registrar successfully submits a command to the .com/.net registry, the new domain or changes to an existing domain should be visible in DNS on average within five minutes.

It happened this evening. I am sitting here, trying to figure out (without getting out of my chair)  what the darn thumping sounds are around the outside of my house, and I realize all of a sudden that the moths are out in force tonight for the first time this year, and they're hitting the windows as they try to get to my interior lights.

What a weird feeling - it took me a while to figure out what the noise was. Sounds like there are a lot of them out there. Early July - that's about right. Time to put the bug lights in the outside fixtures.