What I've been up to this week

I thought I might just write about some of my exciting job experiences this week. This is a geeky one.

I love my job. I work for a Christian charity called Adventure Plus as both an activity instructor and the IT Systems Administrator. As I have no subordinates on the IT side of things, this basically makes me the whole of the IT department, which can be any of fun, exciting, liberating, disheartening, horrific, terrifying, lonely, intense, hectic, stressful, rewarding and impressive on any given day. It's usually some combination of the above. The main reason for this is that I can count my IT qualifications without having to start counting. I have none. What I do have is a wealth of experience, an understanding of how technology works, a brain and a willingness to learn. This means that I go into problems with a good idea of what I want to achieve, a reasonable idea of what that will entail, and sometimes a vague idea of exactly how complicated it will be.

This week, I set up a new Primary Domain Controller for our office systems.

In layman's terms, that's the bit that makes logging on to a computer work. It means the computers know who you are, whether your username and password are correct, and what to do with that information (usually allow you some degree of access, set up a couple of shared drives, and apply some default settings). Our current server was originally set up before I started at A+, and runs Microsoft Windows Server 2003. I have no prior knowledge of Windows servers, Active Directory, roaming profiles, Group Policy, or any of a number of other things it pertains to do. This means that when something doesn't work, it takes me an age to figure out why and attempt to fix it. Also, it transpires that we don't have enough licences to allow all our computers to connect at once.

The new server runs Ubuntu 10.04 (Linux) and Samba 4.0, which is currently in heavy development. There is no sign of Windows or Microsoft anywhere on the new server, however I can log in as a Domain Administrator and use exactly the same management tools that I've been using on Windows from any computer that's part of my test network.

Roaming profiles work.
Group policies work.
Login and update scripts work.
Syncing the time works.
I even joined an Ubuntu desktop to the domain to see if I could. I could.

In one week, I have gone from having a computer with nothing on it to a fully working server that is more functional than our current Windows server. The operating system, and all software used so far, are not only free, but open source, and developed by communities of individuals. The running costs, from a software and licence viewpoint, are zero.

In one week, I have learned more about how to make Samba work as a PDC than in over two years attempting to learn the nuances of Microsoft Server 2003.

Now, I'm certainly not saying that there is anything fundamentally wrong with the setup that is in place. What I am trying to point out is that sometimes all the information you have about how to go about something is wrong, and actually there are simpler, better solutions if you just look for them.

Just to finish, I do not mean this to come across as arrogant. I am under no illusions as to my own abilities, and I've worked with Linux, and command line tools before. I had blocked out the next three weeks to get to the point I am now at with the new server. I was expecting to hit massive problems. I owe an awful lot of thanks to the helpful people on the #samba-technical IRC channel, and the people who wrote the HOWTO guide that got me most of the way there. I'm off canoeing down the Thames for a few days next week, and it's great to know that I'll be coming back to a shiny working server, rather than one in tatters.

By the way...

The company I work for have a sponsored event going on next week.
I have another blog where I'll be writing about it.
There's also a Twitter feed which will have updates.
Also, I've created a clever map that show where we'll be (it'll be tracking my phone down the river).
You could sponsor me if you like.

Microsoft Office 2010

So I've spent most of the day installing Office 2010 on all our work PCs, then getting people to test it, mainly by carrying on with what they were doing previously on OpenOffice 3. The move back to MS Office was a management decision to standardise across the office, originally asking if it was possible to 'standardise to different versions of Microsoft,' leading me to believe that some people either a) aren't familiar with what 'standardise' means, or b) are under the impression that so long as it's from the same company, it's the same product. I'll find a suitable car analogy soon enough, I'm sure.
Anyhow, having sourced Office 2010 Standard edition at a Charity discount rate and played with it for a day or so, I have to say... I don't hate it.
This will come as something as a surprise to most people who know me, and so I think I need to explain myself.
I dislike being told that I should buy expensive things because "they're better" or because "you get what you pay for." I consider myself to be very discerning, fairly intelligent, and capable of making my own informed decisions. To borrow a line from the Matrix, I believe "you have to make up your own damn mind" about many things. My past experiences with Microsoft have given me the view that their software is a) overpriced for what you get, and b) not substantially better than what you can get for free. However, I think somewhere in the last decade they've realised they need to step up their game to compete with open source software. Office 2010 seems responsive, well thought out, flexible, and, dare I say, worth what we paid for it.
But therein lies the one remaining problem: I was buying in bulk, and getting a hefty charity discount. In fact, the suite we've got includes the same software as the Home and Business version, for less than the retail price of the Student version. Is it worth £190? I don't think so. Do I think that, at the price we paid, it was a good investment? Definitely. Read into that what you will.

The evidence

Well, the Christmas cake is eaten, the snow has melted, the kids are back at school, and I've just cut together all the footage from my secret filming shenanigans. Behold!

A few questions remain:

• The Wise Men reside in the loft. How did they open the loft hatch? They must be wise indeed!
• How is it they always know where the manger is? A small internal star? Incredibly precise maps? Sat-nav?
• Where did the Wise Men learn how to operate heavy (Lego) machinery?
• Why did the living room camera fail to record? Sabotage???
• What will they get up to next year?
• What should I do with this evidence now? They have committed no crime, and to try to stop them would seem (at best) unsportsmanlike.

I'm not sure I have answers for any of these, but if I come up with anything, I'll post it here.

Concern mounts

As Christmas nears, and we plan to go touring the country visiting relatives and the like, I have some concerns regarding certain 'visitors' to the house around this time of year. I refer, of course, to our Three Wise Men from our Nativity set. These fellows, when left to their own devices, can get up to all sorts of mischief. They will use any means necessary to reach the rest of the crew. Last year I found them fashioning a rudimentary belay system to better manage the stairs - as you can imagine, with all the new housemates, I'm a little concerned as to what they'll get up to!
To that end, I'm planning on rigging the house with cameras to catch these 'wise' men red-handed, and hold a formal court proceeding if any property damage should occur. I'll post what I find on here early in the new year.

Our housemates

Over the last few months, we've got several new housemates. Some are large, some small. I thought I'd introduce them all.

Harold the houseplant

In March of this year, our first housemate arrived from Burford Garden Company. He's a rubber plant, who requires water around once a week, to which we lovingly add some BabyBio. He's grown somewhat since his arrival, and we're wondering about taking some cuttings to give to friends.

Harold in March. Bottom of stairs

Harold today. Top of stairs

Harold is low maintenance, but far more interesting to look at than many other plants. He has red tips on each of his stems, where new leaves periodically appear, the red becoming the vein of the leaf itself.

Josh Jones

Josh is the largest and most mobile of our housemates, and the only one that contributes financially. Others might refer to him as a 'lodger', but that is an ugly, commercial term that in no way accurately reflects our relationship. Still others might refer to him as a 'pet', but that too barely scrapes the surface of our relationship. Josh is a friend who lives with us, and helps with cleaning, cooking, and socialising. We lived with him once before, so when he was looking to move out in September, we invited him to move here. I lost my office, but we gained so much more. If you too are inspired, adopt an Adventure Plus employee today!

Josh in a boat

The fish

I have always loved fish. I don't know why. For my birthday this year (in April), I received a fishtank from my sister, which was rather exciting. I then saved my pocket money for several months and finally, one day in September, we went to Yarnton Nurseries to visit the Oxford Aquatics Centre. I am now the proud owner of four fish: two Guppies, and two Harlequin Rasboras. Given that fish don't tend to live a long time, I've named them simply: Yellow, Black, Thing One and Thing Two (that's mainly because I can't remember that they're Rasboras without looking it up - that and the Dr Seuss connection).
I have discovered that with my cameras (the one on my phone, and an old Fuji FinePix) it's astonishingly difficult to get good close-ups of my fish, so please excuse the blurriness:

Black and Yellow at the front of the tank. You can just make out Thing One behind

The best shot I could get of Thing Two

The fish are doing well, although the tank got a little green this week. I'm hoping to get an algae eater to help with the cleaning, along with a couple of other pretties (maybe some barbs or tetras), although that may be delayed given the six inches of snow on everything at the moment.

Douglas

Last year we bought a real Christmas Tree, who journeyed with us all the way to Nottingham and back over the holidays. When Christmas was over, we took him outside to enjoy a bit of fresh air, and there he thrived! This year, we've brought him back in, and he has taken up residence in Harold's usual spot (which is why Harold is now at the top of the stairs, sulking). He's only little (under four feet tall), but he's hardy and we like to think he dreams of one day being a giant tree, hence Douglas the Fir.

Douglas with adornments

I hope you enjoyed getting to see our little family here in Witney. It may be unusual, but these guys make our house a home.

Marcus Brigstocke is a genius

On this week's Now Show, Marcus Brigstocke states that the COP15 have fallen into 'a spiral of inspired inanity' that seems to have been written by Dr Seuss.

What follows is my transcript of what came next:

The delegates came and the delegates sat,

and they talked and they talked 'til their bums all went flat.

Then a delegate said of the country he knew

"We must do something quick, but just what should we do?"

So they sat again thinking and there they stayed seated,

sitting and thinking the planet's been heated.

"I think", said a delegate there from Peru,

"that we all must agree on some things we could do

like reducing emissions, at least CO2"

So they nodded and noted then vetoed and voted

and one of them stood up and suddenly quoted:

"It's the science you see that's the thing that must guide us!

When the leaders all get here they're certain to chide us".

So they sat again thinking about what to think

then decided to ponder what colour of ink

to use on the paper when they'd all agreed

to be selfless not Greedy McGreedy McGreed.

"But how do we choose just what colour to use?"

said a delegate there who'd been having a snooze.

"We need clear binding targets, definitive action,

we must all agree clearly without more distraction!"

So they sat again thinking of targets for ink

but the ink in their thinking had started to stink

and they started to think that the ink was a kink

in the thinking about real things they should think.

"If the climate needs mending then this is our chance,"

said the nuclear delegate sent there by France.

"We need to agree on one thing to agree on:

something we all want a fixed guarantee on"

"Yes," said another who thought this made sense,

"some value for carbon in dollars or pence!"

But the mention of money and thoughts of expense

had stifled the progress and things became tense.

The fellow from China with a smile on his face

said "Who put the carbon there in the first place?"

"Wasn't us" said the US then Europe did too.

Then a silence descended and no words were spoken

'til a delegate stood up, voice nervous and broken.

"Is there nothing upon which we all can decide,

'cos on Wednesday my chicken laid eggs that were fried!"

"We all like a singsong!" said the bloke from Down Under

but then the great hall was all shouting and thunder!

Policemen had entered and were wearing protesters

who they'd beaten and flattened like bloodied sou'westers.

The police had decided to down-play this crime

with 'prevention detention' and beatings in rhyme.

The greenies, who'd shouted and asked for decision

were now being battered with lethal precision!

All sick of inaction and fed up of waiting,

all tired of the endless debated placating

they'd risen up grating, berating and hating

so the police had commenced the related abating.

Ban Ki-moon put his head in another man's lap

and was last heard muttering something like "Crap."

But the chap next to him said "It's more like it's poo,"

so the great hall debated not what they should do,

but how to decide between "Crap", "Cack" and "Poo".

"It is poo!"

"It is cack!"

"It is crap!"

"We agree!"

which was written and labelled as Document Three.

"I think if we all find one thing we agree on,

then maybe Brazil will be left with a tree on."

So they sat again thinking of trees in Brazil

and of glaciers which had retreated uphill

and they thought of the poor folks whose homes were in flood

(but less of the protesters covered in blood).

They pondered the species so nearly extinct -

it's as if they all thought that these things might be linked!

"We need a solution, we need action please,"

said a lady who'd come from the sinking Maldives.

The others all nodded and said it was fact

that the time must be now not to talk but to act.

Then Obama arrived and said most rhetorical:

"Action is action, and not metaphorical".

"Wow", they all thought, "he must mean allegorical."

"I love it when Barack goes all oratorical!"

"But the problem I have is that Congress won't pass it!"

"Bugger," said Ban Ki, then "Sorry," then "Arse it."

Then Brown said "I've got it! Now how does this strike you?

It's simpler when voters already dislike you."

He suggested the EU should lead from the front

so the Mail and the Telegraph called him something very unpleasant indeed.

So the delegates stared at the text with red marks on

ignoring the gales of laughter from Clarkson.

No-one was satisfied, nobody won

'cept the morons convinced it was really the sun

...and they blew it and wasted the greatest of chances.

Instead they all frollicked in diplomat dances

and decided decisively right there and then

that the best way to solve it's to meet up again

and decide on a future that's greener and greater

not with action right now but with something else later.

Written by Marcus Brigstocke for the Now Show