Hacker ...
A person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable systems and how to stretch their capabilities, as opposed to most users, who prefer to learn only the minimum necessary. - Jargon File
“The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.” - Arnold Toynbee
I have been designing and developing computer software solutions for over 20 years. I am a Chartered IT Professional awarded by the British Computer Society and a Fellow of the Institution of Analysts and Programmers.
Currently I run my own Software Development and Computer Consultancy company. In addition I also run Arten Books which provides new and used discount books through the Amazon Marketplace.
I am a Motorcycle fan, an avid reader of sci-fi, fantasy, history, thrillers and technical books, a guitar player, a traveller and a father.
In addition I have a special interest in ancient cultures, their technologies and beliefs, such as the Egyptians, the Aztecs, the Greeks and the Romans.
In September 2009 one of my products R10Cipher: Email, Text and File Security, was shortlisted as a Finalist for the 2009 Information Security Product of the Year award.
Contact Details:
stevecholerton@mac.com
May 2010
Apr 2010
Mar 2010
Feb 2010
Jan 2010
Dec 2009
Nov 2009
Oct 2009
Sep 2009
Aug 2009
Jul 2009
Jun 2009
May 2009
Apr 2009
- 2010
- About
- Acceptance
- Access Control
- Accident
- Adventure
- Advertising
- Air Ambulance
- Amplification
- Andrew Deacon
- Andy Farrell
- AppleTV
- Arten Science
- Article
- Audi TT
- Avatar
- Award
- BCS
- Birthday
- Black Sabbath
- Blackstar
- Blu-Ray
- BMW
- BNI
- Bob Walsh
- Book Review
- Books
- Buggy
- Can-Am
- Car Porn
- Caravan
- Charity Ride
- Children
- Chinese Quotation
- Cold Steel
- Come on England
- Common Sense Party
- Computer Consultancy
- Computing
- Concept
- Connor McCloud
- Consumer Rights
- ContaX
- ContaXCRM
- Cornerstone
- Coupon
- Crash
- CrM
- Cross Platform
- CSP
- Custom Shop
- Customer
- Customer Service
- CuteCipher
- Dan Walsh
- Database
- Decluttering
- Derby
- Derby Royal
- Digital Filing
- Disabled Parking
- Disaster
- Discount
- Dolphins
- Download Sites
- Downsizing
- Dreams
- eBook
- Embrace Danger
- EMG
- Encryption
- Enduro
- Experience Engineering
- Feedback Needed
- Finalist
- Financial Instiutions
- First Lesson
- First Post
- Fitness
- Flying V
- For Sale
- Ford Ranger
- Foundation Trilogy
- Freeware
- Function
- Galactic Empire
- General
- Good Eating
- Great Rock Bands
- Grumble
- GT-8
- Guest Post
- Guitar
- Guitar Tech
- Hagstrom
- Harley Fatbob
- Harley Night Rod Special
- Highlander
- Holiday
- Holly
- Home Entertainment
- Honda
- Horizons Unlimited
- HT-5
- HuBB
- Humbucker
- Humour
- Idol
- If
- Internet Scam
- Introduction
- IPad
- IPhone
- IPhone App
- Issac Asimov
- IT Consultancy
- Jaguar
- James Cameron
- Jessica Cholerton
- Joke
- JustWrite
- K1300r
- KLX-250
- KLX250
- Larry Ellison
- Left Tibia
- Les Paul
- Linux
- Lou Carbone
- Mac
- MacVCR
- Madeleine
- Marketing
- Marshall
- Martin Lewis
- Mayor
- Money Saving Expert
- MonitorMyMac
- Motorbikes
- Motorcross
- Movie
- Music
- Mystical
- Native
- New Bike
- New Car
- Nottingham
- Off-Road
- Online
- OoSooM
- Operation
- Orac
- Oracle
- Outlander ATV
- Passwords
- Phishing
- Phoenix Chapter
- Photographs
- Poem
- Police
- Police State GB
- Politics
- Poster
- Presentation
- Press Release
- Productivity
- Progress
- Promotion
- Protect
- PS3
- Pub
- Quarry
- R10
- R10 iPhone Application
- R10BatchMail
- R10Cipher
- R10Office
- Range Rover
- REALbasic
- Recommendations
- REplace
- REstoration Project
- REview
- Roadster
- Robots
- Rocket III
- Rudyard Kipling
- Russia
- Scrambler
- Screen Recording
- Secure Vault
- Security
- SeO
- Small Crash
- Snow
- Social Business
- Social CRM
- Social Media
- Software Development
- Software Economics
- Software News
- Software Release
- SQLite
- Startup Success Guide
- Steve Cholerton
- Tailored Marine Supplies
- Tax Refund
- Technical
- Testimonials
- The Stig
- TMS
- Trail Riders Fellowship
- Triumph
- Triumph Scrambler
- Tutorial
- UK Election 2010
- Unforgiveable Stupidity
- V-Pick
- VCS
- Version Control
- VTX
- Walkabout
- Walking Stick
- Washburn
- Windows
- World Cup 2010
- Yacht Bedding
- Yacht Supplies
- Yamaha
- Youlgreave
- ZT Club
ooSooM How I Use It and Why
To achieve this I have started off by using ooSooM to store my Todo Tasks and Projects as well as store all my reference information. In addition to this, using the Attachment features of ooSooM version 2 I have also stored all my important images, documents, excel files, mp3 files and movies within ooSooM.
I then moved all my R10Office databases to my Dropbox folder. My customers, prospects, suppliers and all associated history are now all together in my Dropbox folder. I have upgraded my account for increased storage and activated the ‘Pack-Rat’ option, which effectively gives me unlimited document rollback.
The reason for choosing Dropbox is that Dropbox gives me a remote, synchronised backup of my information, folders and files. This allows me to use one of several computers (or my iPhone) to access my information, knowing that it will be synchronised and always available.
Dropbox works by uploading a copy of your designated Dropbox folder to the Dropbox server. This is done automatically and in the background. I have no connection with Dropbox other than as a satisfied customer and long time user of their free service.
The screenshots below give you an idea of the kind of information I am storing within ooSooM. Information that is now all safely (and automatically) backed up and synchronised for me without any effort on my part
ooSooM is available free of charge from Arten Science.
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New Release ooSooM Version 2
http://www.artenscience.co.uk/artenscience/Blog/files/oos200.html
Oh, and Happy Holidays to everyone.
It’s perhaps a bit much to expect ‘peace on earth’ but that won’t stop me wishing for it.
Cheers - Steve
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NanooSooM - New ooSooM Utility for Mac
NanooSooM can be downloaded for free here:
http://www.artenscience.com/autoupdate/latestversions/nanoosoom.zip
Consider it an early Christmas Present from Arten Science
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Links Glorious Links
Links Create Direct Traffic
Clicking a link from a trusted source is one of the most popular ways for people to find a new website. If a user is on a website they trust, they are likely to follow links that it recommends - or at the least, users will follow links that make the destination site appear to provide some useful information.
Links Build User Trust in You
If users see a link to you on a popular or respected site, their level of trust in what you say or what you offer is likely to be higher. MySpace generates more traffic to eBay and Amazon than MSN search does - because navigating through MySpace is about trusting what 'friends' recommend. Blogs create this same link-trust factor. Blog readers have a certain 'trust' in the author.
Links Build Search Engine Trust in Your Site
There is no doubt that link score is one of the most important factors the major search engines consider when determining where websites are ranked. The reasoning is simple: if you have many links pointing to your site from other sites, your content must contain quality, important information. A link is like a vote. Although links from important 'authority' sites carry more 'vote weight', ultimately, total 'link/vote score' is one of the heaviest algorithmic factors considered in rankings.
Links Are Free Advertising
Unless you've paid for your link - it is free advertising for you.
Links Are Trackable and Provide Market Intelligence
There are a few methods of determining who links to you, and this information can be very valuable in providing market intelligence such as;
competitor strengths/weaknesses (find out who links to them, request a link)
consumer/user opinion (what are people saying about you/competitors on blogs/forums)
potential suppliers (industry insiders who liked/linked to your site)
source of testimonials
reveals potential PR hazards (negative posts/links)
Links Reveal Strategic Partnerships
Upon reviewing your traffic logs or doing a simple link check on any of the major search engines (as mentioned above) you may encounter some sites that link to you that can reveal sources of mutual benefit, such as;
- marketing partnerships (develop reciprocal ad campaign)
- service or product suppliers
- potential employees
- potential contractors
- or for support/education/help
Links Are Assets - They Add Value to Your Property
Your website is your internet property, and it has value. What gives your website saleable value (typically) is the amount of traffic the site can generate. Links are one of the most important factors in generating substantial website traffic, search engine rankings, trust, publicity, market intelligence and more. A substantial link network offers significant value to the overall package when determining a website's value.
Note: Robbed from Lots of Online Sources
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Bald Head and Wooden Leg Joke
A man with a bald head and a wooden leg is invited to a Xmas fancy dress party. He doesn't know what to wear to hide his head and his wooden leg, so he writes to a fancy dress company to explain his problem.
A few days later he receives a parcel with a note:
Dear Sir,
Please find enclosed a Pirate's outfit. The spotted handkerchief will cover your bald head and with your wooden leg you will be just right as a Pirate.
The man is offended that the outfit emphasizes his disability, so he writes a letter of complaint. A week passes and he receives another parcel and note:
Dear Sir,
Sorry about the previous parcel. Please find enclosed a monk's habit. The long robe will cover your wooden leg and with your bald head you will really look the part.
The man is really incandescent with rage now, because the company has gone from emphasizing his wooden leg to drawing attention to his bald head. So he writes a really strong letter of complaint. A few days later he gets a very small parcel from the company with the accompanying letter:
Dear Sir,
Please find enclosed a tin of Golden Syrup.
We suggest you pour the tin of Golden Syrup over your bald head, stick your wooden leg up your arse and go as a toffee apple.
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New UI for ooSooM - Feedback Needed
Lets hear your responses here:
http://getsatisfaction.com/artenscience/topics/oosoom_proposed_user_interface_update_input_needed
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Oracle Temporary Tables
create global temporary table temp_table
(description VARCHAR2(30), count NUMBER)
on commit delete rows
or
create global temporary table temp_table
(description VARCHAR2(30), count NUMBER)
on commit preserve rows
Temporary tables are visible only to the session that inserted data into it. The data will be deleted at the end of the transaction (on commit delete rows) or when the session is terminated (on commit preserve rows). While they exist and are populated they can be used in the same way as any standard Oracle table.
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If
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master,
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!
Rudyard Kipling, 1865-1936
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Christmas Sci-Fi Reading - Asimov
Here’s a link to the books in chronological order:
http://www.amazon.com/Isaac-Asimov-in-Chronological-Order/lm/OFP39Y8TYLSC
Looking forward to getting stuck in
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Oracle Net Services
Oracle Net Services is the Communications and Network Component for Oracle Databases. It forms the glue that bonds the Oracle network together, it handles all the negotiations between the Client and Server or between multiple Oracle servers.
The Five Categories of networking solutions that Oracle Net Services address are:
Connectivity
Manageability
Scalability
Security
Accessibility
Connecting the Client to the Server
The main files used for configuring Net Services are:
Listener.Ora - Configure the Listeners
Tnsnames.Ora - Configure Remote Access and Name Resolution
SQLNet.Ora - Configure Network Connection Profiles
Host Naming
(No Client Configuration Required)
The user will supply their user id, password and the name of the host they wish to connect to. The requirements for Host Naming are as follows:
TCP/IP Only
External Resolution Service Required, i.e.: HOSTS / DNS
The Listener must have it’s GLOBAL_DBNAME parameter set to the Machine Name
No Advanced Features are available.
Oracle attempts to use Host Naming only after it fails to connect using Local Naming. This behavior can be overridden in the Sqlnet.Ora file, by altering the NAMES.DIRECTORY_PATH parameter. Below is an example of connecting using Host Naming:
>SQLPLUS steve/letmein@myoracleserver
Easy Connect Naming
(No Client Configuration Required)
Connect to Oracle without using a configuration file by using a connection string in this format:
CONNECT username/password@Hostname
There is an optional port number and service name that can be added to the end of this string. As with Host Naming this is TCP/IP only and advanced features are not available. By default this is the method configured when Oracle Net is installed. Below is an example of connecting using Easy Connect Naming:
>SQL>CONNECT steve/letmein@myoracleserver:1522/testservice.com
Easy Connect naming was introduced with Oracle 10g. This resolution method is automatically configured when Oracle Net is installed.
Local Naming
(Requires Client Configuration)
The configuration exists in the TNSNAMES.ORA file on the client machine in the location pointed to by the environment variable TNS_ADMIN. This is traditionally the most used method of connecting to an Oracle database.
External Naming
(No Client Configuration Required)
This is where you use a non Oracle facility to manage and resolve the Oracle Service Names. NIS (Network Information Services) is one such external name resolution service. This is then accessed by the client to resolve service names.
Oracle Internet Directory
(No Client Configuration Required)
If you are dealing with complex networks with many Oracle servers then OID is the method you should use. All Net Service Names and Connect Descriptors are configured in one central location. OID is a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) compliant server.
Oracle Connection Manager - A middleware solution for:
Multiplexing
Network Access
Cross Protocol Connectivity
Oracle Advanced Security:
Encryption / Checksums
Authentication
Single Sign On
Kerberos (Sharing of a Single Secret Key)
Configuration Files:
Profile: sqlnet.ora
Service Naming: tnsnames.ora
Listeners: listener.ora
Listeners
There can be multiple listeners, but only one LISTENER.ORA
Multiple listeners are used for failover and load balancing purposes.
The default listener name is LISTENER.
Listeners can be configured by Oracle Net Manager.
When the listener is on the same server as the instance the connection is called a DIRECT HANDOFF or BEQUEATH CONNECTION.
Listeners must have unique names and listen on different ports.
Listener Trace Levels:
Off
User
Support
Admin
To refresh the changes made to LISTENER.ORA the listeners must be reloaded:
>LSNRCTL RELOAD
You can use the keywords SHOW and SET at the LSNRCTL command line.
Transparent Application Failover:
List 2 x Hosts
FAILOVER=ON
(Both in TNSNAMES.ORA)
Load Balancing:
LOAD_BALANCE=ON
(TNSNAMES.ORA)
Common Time-out errors when connecting to the host:
ORA-12535
ORA-12547
(Try setting INBOUND_CONNECT_TIMEOUT to a higher value)
FAILOVER:
Try each address in order until one succeeds
FAILOVER LOAD BALANCING:
Try each address randomly until one succeeds
LOAD BALANCING:
Try one address, selected at random
SOURCE ROUTING:
Use each address in order until the destination is reached
My Two New Favourite Business Books
It's important to keep learning, to achieve that it is necessary to be, amongst other things, an avid reader. If you intend to read a lot of non-fiction books it is important that the quality and tone of the writing is easily digestible and that the experience is as pleasurable as possible.
Of the books I have recently read (mainly Marketing or Programming related) there are two that stand out and will be afforded pride of place in my collection.
These books are:
Title: The Startup Success Guide
Author: Bob Walsh
Title: Inbound Marketing
Authors: Brian Halligan & Dharmesh Shah
I could waffle on for ages about how good these books are, how much I learned from them and how indispensable they are to anyone who wants to grow their tech business in the next few years, but I won’t. Just buy them both. Today.
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New Mac CRM and Productivity Software
Today Arten Science announced it’s R10Office CRM and Productivity Suite designed specifically for Individuals, Clubs, Groups and Small Businesses. The R10Office Suite will let you Store, View, Interact and Communicate with your Contacts, Customers, Prospects, Network and Suppliers more easily and efficiently than ever before.
The R10Office CRM and Productivity Suite consists of four applications that cover Contacts, Todo/Task Management and Digital Filing, Bulk/Batch Email Marketing and Award Winning Encryption. Each of the four R10Office applications are available separately but really come into their own when used as a suite. The suite consists of:
ContaX CRM: Build Relationships. Reap the Rewards. Effective CRM.
ooSooM: The Todo Manager You've Been Waiting For.
R10BatchMail: Bulk Email. Done Right.
R10Cipher: Security For Everyone.
System Features:
* Supplied as Universal Binaries for Mac OSX including Snow Leopard
* Windows Version works on XP, Vista, 2003 and 7
* Easy to use, Modern, Clean Interface
* Requires No Installation
* No Modifications made to your computer outside of the R10Office folder
* To 'uninstall' - Just delete the R10Office folder
* Requires no additional Runtime installation
* Can be run from a USB drive
* Online Help System
* Support Forum
* Sync the Databases with iDisk, DropBox or Similar
Benefits:
* More Effective Sales Calls
* Increased Sales through Repeat Business from Past Customers
* Improved Ability to Provide a Higher Level of Customer Service
* Greater Customer Satisfaction because you Understand their Unique Needs
* Enhanced Communication
* View your Contact History
* See your Contacts by Geographical Spread
* Visual Relationship Views
* Graphs and Charts show your Contact Database Visually
* Accurate Contact Records
* Keep your Contacts up to date with targeted eMail
* Send Encrypted Email, for example Staff Reviews
* Transfer and Store Encrypted Documents, for example Financial Information
* Use for Backup, Zip your files then Encrypt the Zip with R10Cipher
* Secure Peer to Peer, End to End Encryption
* Store information and files safely on your Laptop
* Store Patients Records and Health Data
* Archive Research Documents
Testimonials:
"R10BatchMail is brilliant - easy to use, intuitive and very useful - you can make targeted email campaigns with ease in whatever html editor you find easiest - it's a MUST for all web designers who want to add extra marketing thrust to their portfolio of products. I can't wait to see how the product develops in the future." - Mitch Stone IDM Design
"Our custom ArtenSUITE module is fantastic for our company needs - Arten Science not only create our software, they maintain our data - always available and reliable. I could not recommend them more highly." - Chris Fanthom Managing Director, TMS Limited
"R10Cipher is a fantastic cross platform tool which has given us the peace of mind that our patient sensitive research data can be transmitted electronically in a secure manner on site or with collaborators around the world. The ability to encrypt and attach files to emails or simply encrypt the email text between Apple Macs and Windows PCs without the need for complicated software installations means that our users are happy to use this great bit of software. The developer's proactive approach to their software development requesting and rapidly incorporating users feedback has turned a good encryption tool into and excellent one." - Paul McGrath, Computer Manager, Cancer Research UK Clinical Centre
Minimum Requirements:
* Mac OS X Version 10.4 or higher
* Windows XP / Vista / Window 7
* Universal Binary for PowerPC and Intel
* G4 Processor, 1GHz or faster
* 140 MB Hard Drive space
Pricing and Availability:
R10Office is available now at the introductory price of £79GBP ($135USD) for a Single User license. Corporation Site Licenses and Educational licenses are available, contact us for further details. A 30 Day Trial version of ContaX, with no functionality restrictions can be downloaded. Any data entered during the trial period can be carried forward into the full version if purchased.
R10Office
30 Day Trial
Purchase R10Office
Movie
Screenshot
Steven Cholerton
Arten Science
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Common Sense from Lou Carbone
The most interesting interview in my opinion came from a person I had not heard of previously: Lou Carbone from Experience Engineering.
Bob's introduction did not give me any idea as to just how much I would enjoy reading this interview.
It's difficult to explain what it was about Lou that I liked, but his comments resonated with me. He was talking about the customer experience and how important it is to the success of a company.
His opinions matched mine and made me realise that I need to get those values across to my customers, I need to make their experience the best it can be. I am a decent person with a deep routed sense of justice and a desire to be the best I can be, and a desire to provide the best service I can. I need to prove this to my customers through every interaction they have with me or Arten Science.
Lou has given me a lot to think about and a lot of work to do.
It sounds just like common sense, and it is. Sometimes though we all need a reminder, a prompt. Common sense isn't so common any more and people like Lou are needed sometimes to remind us of things that deep down we already know.
Written with JustWrite and ooSooM. Free Utilities from Arten Science.
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