blog.jc21

I’ve ported my YUI Unobtrusive Javascript Validation script to Prototype, since that’s what I’m using these days. It has exactly the same features as it’s YUI brother, but the script is much smaller and has been structured much better.

• Preview the Prototype based Validation script
• Download the Prototype based Validation script (v2.0, 2008-03-04)
• Find out how to use the Script

Roger Johansson outlines some very key points about Unobtrusive Javascript.

It’s worth checking out.

Now in its second revision, Snippets.jc21.com is now back up.

In addition to showing you some time saving code, there are a couple of new features:

• Accounts
  Now you can register and login to bookmark your favourite snippets. Also, you must be logged in to submit snippets.
• Comments
  You can leave comments on any snippet

Head on over and check it out.

Thanks my man from a far away country that can’t speak English very well!

You’ve saved me and my other email clients hours of reading their delightful email today. You’ve also saved hundreds of people from viewing my boring (but helpful) blog articles and downloading my applications.

A little background

Between 9am and 3pm today, jc21.com was hacked. Someone abused the scripts hosted on this site and found a way to remove and upload files to the server. A large number of key files were deleted, and if I wasn’t friends with my hosting provider I’d still be up the creek without a paddle.

The index page was replaced with a very disgusting one, basically saying that it’s my fault I got hacked, and that the person(s) responsible only hack sites like mine to help me be more secure. You know, to make me aware of the fact.

You’re such a pro!

The mere fact that you’ve hacked my site is an achievement to be sure, but surely if you know that much you would know how to create an index page in something other than Microsoft Word?! I mean, you want respect from your peers right?

That’s why you do this?

It can’t be for my benefit, otherwise you would have used the contact form I had hosted before you deleted it. Shouldn’t I be entitled to know? And in fact, now that I look at it, if you had said to me “I can hack your site, and I can prove it,” I may have even paid you to tell me how you did it and how I can fix it. Furthermore, you may have even earned a recommendation - but you wanted to remain anonymous. Now you have earned my disrespect.

It could have been worse you say?

Worse than having ALL of my email deleted, all of my hosted email accounts removed and half of my sub-domains destroyed? You didn’t touch the Mysql tables thankfully, I guess that comes under the same guidelines as above regarding your knowledge.

And yes, I’ve got backups - but they’ve probably got vulnerabilities.

Final Thoughts

For my benefit - apparently. But you don’t even tell me HOW YOU DID IT! How am I meant to learn if you won’t teach? You’re a loser and you have no friends. Get of the internet and get a real job. Get a girlfriend. Get a life.

jc21.com is not hosting anything more than this blog for a while. I have neither the urge or inclination to do anything more. It’s funny how one person can ruin it for others (or not funny, if you’re one of the others).

It’s my fault I know, I take the risk of using script based applications on my server. But like I’ve already said, I’m not going to know any different, even now.

If you’re after Ajax File Browser, it’s still going to be available on Sourceforge.

1. Wridea
   Never forget your ideas again. Save them as you have them.
2. MindMeister
   Collaborative Online Mind Mapping
3. Dabble DB
   Enter your data once. Share it with a dozen people. View it from a hundred angles.
4. Pocket
   Store, organize and share your bookmarks and feeds on the web.
5. Dapper
   Easily provide new means for people to access your content (such as RSS). You can use Dapper to create feeds, widgets, and APIs with your content and links.
6. SubscribeCast
   SubscribeCast enables you to offer your Video or Audio content via a paid subscription Podcast format using the already established method of RSS syndication.
7. Turn
   Google’s next advertising competitor.
8. claimID
   claimID is the free, easy way to manage your online identity with OpenID.
9. Chatsum
   Chatsum is a FREE add-on for your web browser that lets you chat with all the other Chatsum users that are looking at the same website as you.
10. Extra Tasty
    Looking for the perfect drink recipe? Have one to share?

Over a developers time, you aquire a taste for the right tools. Some are more useful than others, and some you just can’t live without. Here are my minimum requirements for a suitable Firefox browser capable of developing and debugging todays websites:

• ColorZilla - The very handy color selector tool that sits in the statusbar.
• Download Statusbar - Downloading just isn’t the same without this gem.
• Firebug - If you don’t know what this is you are really missing out. Not just for Javascript developers, this tool can manipulate the dom allowing you to hack websites, if that’s your thing…
• HTML Validator - This validator is handy for getting your HTML up to spec.
• IE View Lite - Ever wanted to view a page in IE but couldn’t be bothered copying and pasting te URL?
• MeasureIt - A cool measuring tool for the browser.
• Web Developer - Also an essential tool, with many features for programmers.