Technology

Technical support can be infuriating. When it gets inverted commas around the "support".

By the way, I hope all readers of this blog keep regular backups of their computers. "How regularly should I backup" is a question I'm asked from time to time. The answer is: As regularly as you don't mind losing. So have a guess when your most recent backup was done. I assume you wouldn't mind if your computer only had those files on it? Good. (If not good, it's time to back up more often).

The Software section of this website has been somewhat neglected of late. It is intended to be a directory of software that I have written, or that I use and would like to recommend.

I've just discovered (a little late in the day), that Opera Mini 6 came out a couple of months back. So I've added an entry for it. A big improvement on the web browser that ships with most mobile phones or portable devices, and I highly recommend it!

Truth, like so many things we hunt for, is often in the last place you look.

James Cary has started a new blog called The Last Place you Look.

I'll let James tell you his reason for starting it in his own words:

Back in June, I changed my web hosting provider.

As there are a fair few pitfalls to choosing a new web host, I thought I'd put this post up here to help others through the issues. I'm sure there are more worthwhile tips out there, so please free free to leave a comment.

As this has turned into a fairly lengthy post, let's start with:

Contents

1. Separate domain registration and hosting
2. Choose the country for your web servers to be in
3. Read the reviews of others

Anybody interested in fractals: Version 3.2 of Mandelbrot Explorer came out at the weekend.

I've recently been experimenting with a technique known as HDR Photography, short for High Dynamic Range.

Here's the idea: Not long after I arrived in Kemsing, I took a photograph of the interior of the church to use on some printed materials. I used an ordinary digital camera, and took a single photograph. The result is below:

I'm delighted to see that The Proclamation Trust has recently launched a new blog entitled The Proclaimer. It's looks like being a useful source of input to help with the task of faithful preaching from God's Word.

I've discovered a relatively new, and absolutely brilliant website for anyone involved in picking hymns for congregational use.

Visit http://www.hymnary.org

It is an online database containing an index of texts and tunes of all the hymns found in most of the major hymnals, developed by the same people behind Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Where MIDI files of tunes are available online, there is a link (so you can hear the tune). You'll get the hymn number in all the major hymnals too. You can search for tunes by name, composer or meter; you can search for hymn texts by title, by a full-text search, or by Scripture reference. Really, really useful stuff.

(It also happens to be a wonderful example of the CMS Drupal in action. There is no direct credit to Drupal on the site. I can tell that it's a Drupal site, but the fact is well-hidden by the good theming and the many custom features.)

There's no day like New Year's Eve to release a new version of software that will draw up a Bible Reading Plan.

The changes from the previous version aren't massive (it's a minor release), but I think it makes it more usable.

This follows on from 5 posts I did back in April on net etiquette:

1. Click HERE
2. Blank Subject Lines
3. Use the BCC Field
4. ALL CAPITAL LETTERS
5. Fwd: >>Forwarding e-mails

Here's number 6.