Mind Mapping

Been looking for a java based cross platform alternative to TheBrain http://www.thebrain.com/ for some time and just found this, FreeMind http://freemind.sourceforge.net/

Also here is a curses based 'hierarchical notebook' called HNB http://hnb.sourceforge.net/ .. enjoy!

Standards, standards, standards... open?

• ITU ( International Telecommunication Union ) http://www.itu.int/publications/default.aspx

• NGN ( Next Generation Network ) http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/2001-2004/com13/ngn2004/index.html

• ITU-T ( Recommendations ) http://www.itu.int/rec/recommendation.asp?type=series〈=e&parent=T-REC
• ITU-T (Recommendations X ) Information technology - Open Systems Interconnection - Security frameworks for open systems. http://www.itu.int/rec/recommendation.asp?type=products〈=e&parent=T-REC-X
  
• X.805, X.810-X.816

• Audiovisual and Multimedia Systems http://www.itu.int/rec/recommendation.asp?type=products〈=e&parent=T-REC-H
• International Numbering Resources http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/inr/index.html
  

• RFC's ( Request For Comments )
  
• IETF http://www.ietf.org/rfc.html
• FAQs.org http://www.faqs.org/faqs/ ( Internet RFC's and 'other' RFC's )

• ITIL ( IT Infrastructure Library ) http://www.ogc.gov.uk/index.asp?id=2261
  
• 3G http://www.3gpp.org/
• COSO and COBIT ( Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies ) http://www.sox-online.com/coso_cobit.html
• ISACA ( Information Systems Audit and Control Association ) http://www.isaca.org/
  
• ITGI ( IT Governance Institute ) http://www.itgi.org/
• Sarbannes-Oxley http://www.sarbanes-oxley.com/ ( Publicly traded U.S. companies. )
  

Password posts / blogs and tech blogs....

Passwords and Passphrases:

• [Windows] Robert Hensing http://blogs.technet.com/robert_hensing/archive/2004/07/28/199610.aspx
• [The Great Debates: Pass Phrases Passwords 1] http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/secnews/articles/itproviewpoint091004.mspx
• [The Great Debates: Pass Phrases vs. Passwords 2] http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/secmgmt/sm1104.mspx
• [The Great Debates: Pass Phrases vs. Passwords 3] http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/secnews/articles/itproviewpoint110104.mspx

Password and Recovery Tools ( Commercial and Free ):

• Winternals ERD http://www.winternals.com/products/repairandrecovery/
• @Stake LC http://www.atstake.com/products/lc/
• UBCD ( Ultimate Boot CD ) http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/
• STD Knoppix http://www.knoppix-std.org/
• Rainbow Tables ( Pre-computed attacks ) http://www.antsight.com/zsl/rainbowcrack/ http://www.rainbowcrack-online.com/
• Bart PE http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

Tech Blogs:

[MSDN - Microsoft Developer Network] http://blogs.msdn.com/larryosterman/default.aspx

Longevity = Portability, Security, Mass acceptance?

OK, so I'm basically wondering why I am frustrated ( spiritually! )... one possible answer is I haven't *created* anything in a long time. I add value to projects and script now and again in relation to work, but most of what I do is related to 'Risk Management' and 'Information Security' from a process, network and application / system standpoint... thus it's mainly advice, recommendations and some design and architecture ( this bit does involve 'creating' usually... )

I haven't done any art, cartooning, flash, web pages, video etc in a long, long time ( last was probably http://indigo.ie/~nodecity )... I have sort of decided to go back to proramming [something I used to hate in University...http://www.cs.ucd.ie/ ] but am finding more uses for it these days... usually however, I 'script' with perl for some quick and dirty stuff.. e.g. text parsing + regexp and bolting together other apps and scanning scripts to automate real time network reports etc...

Firstly, what struck me was that if I was going to create something I should get the most 'bang for my buck', and it should be cross-platform, interoperable, open source/standards and have a great deal of flexibility ( from GUI development to low level access to memory etc [speed and efficiency must be taken in to account here also..). It should also be beautiful, concise, intuitive and easy to hack on - easy to prototype on... after reading Paul Graham's take from 'The Python Paradox' http://www.paulgraham.com/pypar.html and Eric S. Raymonds take in 'Why Python' http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/3882 I decided to put some time and effort in to the Python language. I first had to do some bits and pieces on my new Mac Mini to get Python playing happy with an extra toolkit called Tkinter ( TK Interface ) to allow for some GUI programming...

Secondly, I started thinking about OS choice again... perhaps NetBSD or my beloved OpenBSD would make more sense? [Again depends on function || hardware and / or also desktop (FreeBSD) / server / intranet / internet / extranet / ] Maybe go back to Fedora Core? Try out Solaris 10 ?

Then perhaps standardise on a window manager like twm ( as it somes with X ), FVWM or go for something lightweight and extensible like Fluxbox, shell-wise sh / bash but what about rc anyone? ( Guess that breaks the 'lowest common denominator' thrust? ) .....
I guess when you come full circle you have to really look at the title of the post.... I am looking for longevity and a perceivable 'Return on Investment' on the time and energy I am going to invest both professionally and personally.. and subsequently many factors [ some external / market related ] come in to play...

Anyway for your and mine own viewing pleasure; some interesting links for posterity:

- Python http://www.python.org/
- DivX based Python video tutorials http://ourmedia.org/node/11134 and Dive Into Python http://diveintopython.org/ not forgetting O'Reilly's http://python.oreilly.com/
- Tkinter http://www.pythonware.com/library/tkinter/introduction/ and http://wiki.python.org/moin/TkInter
- DJB stuff.. http://cr.yp.to/ focus especially on his software... qmail, djbdns, daemontools and ucspi-tcp

Note: I also recently switched to Camino http://www.caminobrowser.org/ as my browser [on Mac OSX] as Firefox 1.0.4 kept crashing!

Note: Camino now seems to be grumpy with Blogger http://www.blogger.com/ :( , back to Safari http://www.apple.com/safari/ which is not fully supported by Blogger either? Double DOH! Anyone wanna' run three browsers?

Lands I have visited....

Some very interesting Internet research sites and handy stuff you may not have seen before (some *very* techy and some not! ) :

• [research] CAIDA Coopertaive Association for Internet Data Analysis http://www.caida.org/
• [research] Internet II http://international.internet2.edu/partners/
  
• [security, flows] Arbor Networks PeakflowX http://www.arbor.net/
• [security, flows] SILK System for Internet Level Knowledge http://silktools.sourceforge.net/
• [security, flows] Flow-Tools http://www.splintered.net/sw/flow-tools/
• [security, flows] Argus Audit Record Generation and Utilization System http://www.qosient.com/argus/
• [security, flows] nProbe http://www.ntop.org/nProbe.html
• [network / enterprise management] OpenNMS http://wiki.opennms.org/
• [network / enterprise management] NetDisco http://www.netdisco.org/
• [network / enterprise management] Nagios http://www.nagios.org/
• [network / enterprise management] http://www.enterprisemanagement.com/
  
• [network, BGP] Netlantis http://www.netlantis.org/ [Not back up fully yet...]
• [network, INFORMATION] http://www.networksorcery.com/
  
• [netblocks] RadB http://www.radb.net/
• [research] Registrar Stats http://www.registrarstats.com/
  
• [live cd's / dvd's] http://www.frozentech.com/content/livecd.php
• [organisations] Nanog http://www.nanog.org/
• [research] NetCraft http://news.netcraft.com/
• [news] BBC World Service http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/networks/wservice/wmp.shtml?6hi#
  
• [news] Slashdot http://www.slashdot.org/
• [news] The Register http://www.theregister.co.uk/
• [news] Kuro5hin http://www.kuro5hin.org/
• [encyclopedia] Wikipedia http://www.wikipedia.org/
• [news] Shirky.com http://www.shirky.com/
• [security, news] SANS Internet Storm Center http://isc.sans.org/
• [security, research] CyberInsecurity paper http://www.ccianet.org/papers/cyberinsecurity.pdf
• [secuirty, research] The Shrinking Perimeter paper http://www.verdasys.com/site/content/pr_040222.html
• [archive] Wayback Machine http://www.archive.org/

Make me better... "on the shoulders of giants"..

It struck me that most blogs I read only have X number of postings on the front page - and as with Google these days, it's very rare to go past the initial front page. This doesn't quite hold true if you have been a long term reader of a blog or get updates from Bloglet http://www.bloglet.com/ , but the point being 'less' is 'more'... quality over quantity per se..

I hereby set myself the challenge to keep this blog at one page, almost like a Wiki... but it's still a blog OK? This means reduced graphics, shorter explanations and more links to let you guys go 'walkabout', to read around the edges -> as most things have been said before anyway...

So I have some filters on my Gmail namely 'Efficiency / Productivity' and 'Reading List', and I thought I'd share some of them with you..

Efficiency and Productivity

• How to Write Micro Content http://www.useit.com/alertbox/980906.html
• WikiWikiWeb based TiddlyWiki Remote http://phiffer.org/tiddly/
  
• Read this for a deep, deep insight into the workplace http://www.changethis.com/ go to the 'View Manifestos' link and then make sure you read Slacker@Work and How to Manage Smart People . Then maybe spend some time at http://www.slackermanager.com/
• Motivate yourself and 'develop personally' ;) with http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/ , I particularly enjoyed reading How to Become and Early Riser and then went to http://headrush.typepad.com/ and goofed around with a focus on Users aren't Dangerous and F**k the Rules
• The aptly titled http://www.lifehacker.com/ just too cool for school !
• The Josh Kaufman "Personal MBA" Program http://www.joshkaufman.net/archives/2005/03/the_josh_kaufma_1.html ( could kinda' be in the 'Reading List' section ! )
• GTD 'Getting Things Done' based excellent blog http://www.davidco.com/blogs/david/ and a brief startup list http://merlin.blogs.com/43folders/2004/09/getting_started.html to get you going with a nice PDF workflow etc http://www.davidco.com/pdfs/gtd_workflow_advanced.pdf
• 43Folders 'A bunch of tricks, hacks & other cool stuff' http://www.43folders.com/

Reading and Listening List

• O'Reilly Radar http://radar.oreilly.com/ , Wired and Wired Magazine respectively http://www.wired.com/ , http://www.wired.com/wired/
• Joel on Software 's reading list.. http://www.joelonsoftware.com/navLinks/fog0000000262.html
• Professional Integrity nowhere better explained as in 'The Fountainhead', by Ayn Rand
• Really great chat's with the big guys like Paul Graham, Steve Wozniak, Tim O'Reilly and Bruce Shneier on ITConversations http://www.itconversations.com/
• Keep an eye on Plan 9 and the GNU's HURD , let's not forget the 'to be' Open Sourced Solaris 10

• Solaris 10 sounds great and is possibly a more designed version of the below.
• UML ( User Mode Linux ) http://user-mode-linux.sourceforge.net/
• FreeBSD's JAIL http://docs.freebsd.org/44doc/papers/jail/jail.html

• Some interesting blogs / essays I like, [Security, General] Bruce Shneier http://www.schneier.com/blog/ , [Security, Microsoft] Robert Hensing http://blogs.technet.com/robert_hensing/default.aspx , [Security, Microsoft] Tim Rains http://blogs.msdn.com/tim_rains/default.aspx , [Hacking, Programming] Paul Graham http://www.paulgraham.com/articles.html , [General, Techy] Robert Scoble http://radio.weblogs.com/0001011/ , [General, Techy] Steve Gillmor http://blogs.zdnet.com/Gillmor/

Fun Stuff

• Happy Tree Friends http://happytreefriends.atomfilms.com/index.html
  
• Boing Boing http://boingboing.net/
  
• PodCast Alley http://www.podcastalley.com/
• Paradise Engineering anyone? http://www.bltc.org/
• MSN Messenger through most firewalls http://webmessenger.msn.com/
  

Here's a thought.... or two.... or three...

• learn Chinese ( Mandarin / Cantonese )
• play squash competitively
• learn to properly defend yourself
• take a night class in something interesting
  
• your body is a nutrient /drug filter, only put nutrients and good drugs in to it ! http://moodfoods.com/
  
• spend time developing your mind and soul
• as you are the center of your universe, learn about yourself
• want less, expect more
• be patient, sometimes doing nothing is something
• do not watch random tv, specific channels or programs only, dl programs...
• read the classics
• look for the good in people, if you can't find any... move on...
  

It's all been said before...

"..and he wanted to decide whether life was worth living. He did not know that this was the question in his mind. He did not think of dying. He thought only that he wished to find joy and reason and meaning in life - and that none had been offered to him anywhere.

He had not liked the things taught to him in college. He had been taught a great deal about social responsibility, about a life of service and self-sacrifice. Everybody had said it was beautiful and inspiring. Only he had not felt inspired. He had felt nothing at all."

Part IV, Chapter: Howard Roark, The Fountain-Head ( Ayn Rand 1947 )

Some more stuffing....

Anyway, if you need an answer go to Answers.com http://www.answers.com/ or perhaps desire some fun techy news about flying wind farms, then go to Wired http://www.wired.com/wired/ magazine.

I like Blade Servers http://www.answers.com/blade%20server but also would recommend Google's http://news.com.com/Googles+secret+of+success+Dealing+with+failure/2100-1032_3-5596811.html approach; especially what I like to call the 3-way data rule... if you could call it that?

Rackable http://www.rackable.com/ are well worth a read about too.....

Another thing I am keeping an eye on is how to establish the ultimately flexible home entertainment system. There are many, many things to consider - not limited to, but including protocols, ports and of course cost. A good audit trail has been started over at PVRBLOG http://www.pvrblog.com/

Relationships...

Well I am back to an actual solid and easily used OS. I have played with, used and worked on Windows, Linux*BSD's - and then last week I bought an Apple MAC Mini http://www.apple.com/macmini/ running Darwin , otherwise known as OSX http://www.apple.com/macosx/ ( Panther 10.3.8 )

All I can say is it's shiny and I get a BSD underlying framework and bash style shell when I need it.... here is a screenshot of my desktop with some Konfabulator http://www.konfabulator.com/ widgets ( which incidentally you can get for WindowsXP http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/default.mspx
also! )

Small Medium Large

Note: The MAC OSX framework is still hugely more developed for all users than that of the original FreeBSD 4.4 on which it was based as it features some pretty cool stuff for users and developers alike; Cocoa, Quartz, Aqua and a Mach kernel etc.

Have a look over here for more information http://developer.apple.com/documentation/MacOSX/

I also spent some time getting Shinobi playable on MacMAME and some other games on Snes9x, threw in the Cisco VPN client and Citrix client for work.. while simultaneously making sure I had Xcode installed and subsequently DarwinPorts + Fink.... oh yeah don't forget Desktop Switcher, Onyx, Azureus [BitTorrent], MacTheRipper, VLC, Mplayer OSX, FireFox, Audacity, HenWen and CyberDuck and I'm sure I forgot some other stuff I threw on... any comments, suggestions are welcome.... Panther; maybe pay for DiskWarrior, Konfabulator, LiteSwitchX, KeyCue, Alarm Clock Pro...

SIP slowly but surely....

With the proliferation of VOIP http://www.answers.com/voice%20over%20ip and the growing popularity of Asterisk http://www.asterisk.org/ as a cheap, reliable alternative to ye big olde' PBX's http://www.answers.com/pbx/ I thought I'd mention some fun stuff like:

• Asterisk@Home http://asteriskathome.sourceforge.net/ and the
  
• IAX http://www.answers.com/topic/iax-1&method=6/ protocol; as soon *very* cheap call rates may be achievable from your SIP http://www.answers.com/session%20initiation%20protocol enabled softphone http://www.answers.com/softphone !
• While perusing the oul' Interweb I found a company called.. Blueface http://www.blueface.ie/ just starting out in Dublin, Ireland ( though there are a few more here in Sydney, Australia offering IAX trunks as this listing shows.. ) I will keep my eyes peeled...

Note: of course we must not forget that end-to-end QOS http://www.answers.com/qos/ is still not viable between most Telco's http://www.answers.com/telcos/

( similar to the interconnectivity problems with MPLS http://www.answers.com/mpls/ in heterogenous networks... although I guess GMPLS is a start http://www.mplsrc.com/faq3.shtml#GMPLS )

On Safari...

I have a fair few books, many from O'Reilly http://www.oreilly.com/ and Cisco Press http://www.ciscopress.com/ and they are a pain to lug around and access on a regular basis, so now I try to do two a few smarter things with my library when possible:

• Get CD based technical books such that you can dump them on your web server in work/home and hopefully they are also searchable as per the following two via a java applet search engine that runs on most browsers e.g. Perl CD Bookshelf http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/perlcdbs4/index.html Unix CD Bookshelf http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/unixcdbs2/index.html
• Join Safari Bookshelf http://safari.oreilly.com/ and maintain a bookshelf that allows you to swap in and out books on demand with quite a large and growing libarary of books ( not all O'Reilly produced! )
• Keep an eye on so called e-books from free resources like Project Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.org/

Centralised Social Bookmarks

Del.icio.us http://del.icio.us/is a site on the oul' Interweb http://www.answers.com/interweb . It's a centralised way to manage your bookmarks and socially share them via members statistics and access via RSS http://www.answers.com/rss .. pretty neat as I was using Gmail http://www.gmail.com/ as a sorta' deposit/resource for these kind of bookmarks...

So why not?

Well I guess the reason I'm starting this is for some kind of record of the next while...
Tired of complexity and stupidity... this will be my quest to find the shortest distance between two points, have others help me to find it - and in the process try and 'pass-it-on' as it were...