Jimmy the Geek

Web Site Development

I gotta show off...

My daughter approached me a few weeks ago asking about creating a website for the PTA at the school where my grandkids attend.   Oh yeah, Jamie just happens to be the PTA President. 

I asked her what she had in mind.  Let's see... interactive calendar, content management, dropdown menus, etc.  I decided to take it on as a donation to the PTA.  With everything they wanted, it was going to be pretty spendy.  I'll use it as part of my portfolio and as a tax deduction.  They'll end up with a professional website with all the bells and whistles.

So, I'm probably around 60% or 70% finished with it.  I've got the databased calendar up and running and am just getting started on the content management system (CMS).  CMS allows the end users to add/edit their content online without having to code anything.  Pretty popular stuff these days.

I even photoshopped an Orca whale, the school mascot, to fit in the header.  All the water and mountains to the left of the whale...  it wasn't originally there. 

Check it out, I'm pretty happy with it so far... 

Crestwood Elementary PTA

100 Earliest .com Domain Names...

This is pretty interesting stuff... there are some big players in this list!   

To the left is a diagram of the first two nodes on the ARPANET.  On the right is a 4-node ARPANET diagram.  Both were  drawn in 1969.  The ARPANET later evolved into the Internet.

Be sure and look at the second page of this post...

Rank	Create date	Domain name
1.	15-Mar-1985	SYMBOLICS.COM
2.	24-Apr-1985	BBN.COM
3.	24-May-1985	THINK.COM
4.	11-Jul-1985	MCC.COM
5.	30-Sep-1985	DEC.COM
6.	07-Nov-1985	NORTHROP.COM
7.	09-Jan-1986	XEROX.COM
8.	17-Jan-1986	SRI.COM
9.	03-Mar-1986	HP.COM
10.	05-Mar-1986	BELLCORE.COM
11=	19-Mar-1986	IBM.COM
11=	19-Mar-1986	SUN.COM
13=	25-Mar-1986	INTEL.COM
13=	25-Mar-1986	TI.COM
15.	25-Apr-1986	ATT.COM
16=	08-May-1986	GMR.COM
16=	08-May-1986	TEK.COM
18=	10-Jul-1986	FMC.COM
18=	10-Jul-1986	UB.COM
20=	05-Aug-1986	BELL-ATL.COM
20=	05-Aug-1986	GE.COM
20=	05-Aug-1986	GREBYN.COM
20=	05-Aug-1986	ISC.COM
20=	05-Aug-1986	NSC.COM
20=	05-Aug-1986	STARGATE.COM
26.	02-Sep-1986	BOEING.COM
27.	18-Sep-1986	ITCORP.COM
28.	29-Sep-1986	SIEMENS.COM
29.	18-Oct-1986	PYRAMID.COM
30=	27-Oct-1986	ALPHACDC.COM
30=	27-Oct-1986	BDM.COM
30=	27-Oct-1986	FLUKE.COM
30=	27-Oct-1986	INMET.COM
30=	27-Oct-1986	KESMAI.COM
30=	27-Oct-1986	MENTOR.COM
30=	27-Oct-1986	NEC.COM
30=	27-Oct-1986	RAY.COM
30=	27-Oct-1986	ROSEMOUNT.COM
30=	27-Oct-1986	VORTEX.COM
40=	05-Nov-1986	ALCOA.COM
40=	05-Nov-1986	GTE.COM
42=	17-Nov-1986	ADOBE.COM
42=	17-Nov-1986	AMD.COM
42=	17-Nov-1986	DAS.COM
42=	17-Nov-1986	DATA-IO.COM
42=	17-Nov-1986	OCTOPUS.COM
42=	17-Nov-1986	PORTAL.COM
42=	17-Nov-1986	TELTONE.COM
42=	11-Dec-1986	3COM.COM
50=	11-Dec-1986	AMDAHL.COM
50=	11-Dec-1986	CCUR.COM
50=	11-Dec-1986	CI.COM
50=	11-Dec-1986	CONVERGENT.COM
50=	11-Dec-1986	DG.COM
50=	11-Dec-1986	PEREGRINE.COM
50=	11-Dec-1986	QUAD.COM
50=	11-Dec-1986	SQ.COM
50=	11-Dec-1986	TANDY.COM
50=	11-Dec-1986	TTI.COM
50=	11-Dec-1986	UNISYS.COM
61=	19-Jan-1987	CGI.COM
61=	19-Jan-1987	CTS.COM
61=	19-Jan-1987	SPDCC.COM
64.	19-Feb-1987	APPLE.COM
65=	04-Mar-1987	NMA.COM
65=	04-Mar-1987	PRIME.COM
67.	04-Apr-1987	PHILIPS.COM
68=	23-Apr-1987	DATACUBE.COM
68=	23-Apr-1987	KAI.COM
68=	23-Apr-1987	TIC.COM
68=	23-Apr-1987	VINE.COM
72.	30-Apr-1987	NCR.COM
73=	14-May-1987	CISCO.COM
73=	14-May-1987	RDL.COM
75.	20-May-1987	SLB.COM
76=	27-May-1987	PARCPLACE.COM
76=	27-May-1987	UTC.COM
78.	26-Jun-1987	IDE.COM
79.	09-Jul-1987	TRW.COM
80.	13-Jul-1987	UNIPRESS.COM
81=	27-Jul-1987	DUPONT.COM
81=	27-Jul-1987	LOCKHEED.COM
83.	28-Jul-1987	ROSETTA.COM
84.	18-Aug-1987	TOAD.COM
85.	31-Aug-1987	QUICK.COM
86=	03-Sep-1987	ALLIED.COM
86=	03-Sep-1987	DSC.COM
86=	03-Sep-1987	SCO.COM
89=	22-Sep-1987	GENE.COM
89=	22-Sep-1987	KCCS.COM
89=	22-Sep-1987	SPECTRA.COM
89=	22-Sep-1987	WLK.COM
93.	30-Sep-1987	MENTAT.COM
94.	14-Oct-1987	WYSE.COM
95.	02-Nov-1987	CFG.COM
96.	09-Nov-1987	MARBLE.COM
97=	16-Nov-1987	CAYMAN.COM
97=	16-Nov-1987	ENTITY.COM
99.	24-Nov-1987	KSR.COM
100.	30-Nov-1987	NYNEXST.COM

Did Al Gore invent the Internet?
Read on...

JimmytheGeek.org is official!

WoooHoooo!

I've been trying to register JimmytheGeek as a domain name for a couple years now, but the .com and .org flavors just haven't been available.  A lot of geeks must be named Jimmy because the name sure is popular! 

Just by chance, I checked it again today and JimmytheGeek.org was available.

I jumped all over it!  I went to Network Solutions and registered that sucker so fast it made my head spin! 

I created a new namespace on my host server and set the Network Solutions dns to point there.  After a few hours, the new domain name propagated throughout the Internet and should be accessable anywhere in the world.

For the moment, I've got it set to simply redirect to this Blog.  You won't see the jimmythegeek.org in your address bar.  But I'll be working on that.

So now you can browse to http://www.jimmythegeek.org and get here.  A much easier address to remember.

Cool!

Browser resize utility

I was digging around on my GoToGeek website and came across this Browser Resize Utility that I put together several years ago. 

I was developing a commercial website and needed to test it in different screen resolutions.  I researched the javascript tags that had to do with screen size, browser size, and actual browser window size available and soon had the code up and running.

Simply select the resolution you want and browse to the page you're testing.

If you'd like to see the source code, simply open the page, right-click, and select View Source.

http://www.gotogeek.com/uploads/resize2.html

Reminiscing...

I was thinking today about how much the Internet has become such a part of our lives.  It's mind-boggling to see the changes over the past twenty years.  Sorry Al Gore, but I was surfing way before you 'invented' the Internet!

I first logged onto the Internet around 1987 from an IBM-PC clone by telneting to a  UNIX box via modem and using LYNX, a text-based browser (similar to the photo to the left).  There wasn't much to see back then, but I was immediately taken by the experience.  Being able to link to computers around the world was just amazing to me.  Now we take it for granted.  It's too bad because, even now, every time I bring up my browser I still feel some of that amazement. 

Shortly after my first Internet experience, I started seeing [picture] in the midst of all the text.  What the... there are supposed to be pictures?  Then I started hearing about browsers that would actually display those pictures.  I obtained a very early version of a Mosaic browser and was off and running and never looked back.    Most of us were using DOS3.3 and Windows 2.x was the GUI then.  Internet Explorer didn't even exist back then.

I see you...

Well... I don't actually see you, but this is a "cute" little doo-dad anyway:

The info is generated by a ping sent to danasoft.com and the .jpg is generated from the header information.  There's nothing fishy about it... it's how the Internet works.  Web servers need to know where to send the web page you request... it's like a return address... and that info is in the header of your request.

Your operating system and browser type, when properly used, can be used to send a compatable web page for your system.

It's all on the up-and-up, but it's still disconcerting to see info about your system on someone's web page!