PHP bashing has to end!
Posted by Srinath
Of late, I've been noticing a lot of PHP bashing around the web. Most of it is related to one major issue: Security. Granted, PHP's security implementation isn't the best out there, and it is a widely discussed topic. But more often than not, the security loopholes are due to bad/inconsistent programming principles, rather than a core PHP issue.
Also, PHP's lack of support for threaded programming is another major let down. While this is a genuine issue, rewriting the entire PHP core and the parser to support threads is not worth the effort. But I genuinely haven't felt the need for multi-threading in PHP till date. While threading is a must for system programming, the need for it in a web environment is not entirely clear. Also, the major strength of PHP - its simplicity will be compromised if threading is to be introduced.
Another genuine concern is the confusion caused by settings such as "register_globals" , "magic_quotes", "safe_mode" . These three variables have had a major impact on the deployment of PHP scripts. Web hosts allow ways to tweak these settings, but for the layman who just wants to get a blog up and running, its a bit of a hassle. Also its an issue that needs to be addressed by web developers who want maximum compatibility for their applications. The next major release PHP 6.0 aims to completely do away with this settings for good, and that will indeed clear up a lot of mess.
Most of these issues boil down to one thing - the lack of a an official formal specification. Although the PHP Group oversees the continued development, it is still a community effort, and as such requires stringent software engineering and management. Since the original PHP parser was completely rewritten for version 3 and above, there have only been attempts to patch up vulnerabilities, and add new features like Object Oriented Programming, namespace support among others. PHP 6 is touted to be THE release, which will address most of the major concerns.
For all its shortcomings, its still THE easiest server side scripting language to work with. The C/C++ syntax, seamless integration with MYSQL, support by almost all web hosting providers still make it THE web language IMHO. The LAMP stack is undoubtedly the king of the web, and will continue to be so, owing to the simplicity and widespread community support offered by all its components. And not to forget, its completely free.
Lightweight alternatives to phpBB
Posted by Srinath
phpBB is the holy grail of free and open source forum/discussion board on the internet. With tons of plugins, themes and a amazing community, its probably the best too. But for those like me who don't want the bloat, and would rather use a simple and easy to manage forum, here are a few alternatives:
1. SimpleMachines - Probably the second best known free forum script. Slimmer than phpBB, and with a better, cleaner admin interface, its my personal favourie. And yes, it does have its fair share of themes/plugins and good community support.
2. FluxBB - This one is "really" light. The download comes in under 300kb, is XTML and CSS valid, and with a minimal but delightful interface is bound to loved by Mac fans.
3. bbPress - Comes from the creators of WordPress, its their in house forum software. Nuff said.
4. Vanilla - Other than having a tasty name, it also offers a very small and simple forum. Great for "minimal" fans.
5. Phorum - Its an open source PHP forum. Probably not as good looking as the others, but does the job well.
Web based bulk sms review – znisms
Posted by Srinath
Web based SMS services have become absolutely essential nowadays. And with hundreds if not thousands of services available, it is difficult to try out each to see if it suits you. I'm putting in my 2 cents on this issue. This is a short review of the web based sms service offered by http://znisms.com. Before I start, this service is ONLY for mobiles within India, and not for networks elsewhere. In other words, you can send a text message to mobile phones in India only.
Here are my observations:
- Easy registration and setup. Self explanatory
- Web based and HTTP/XML API access
- Haven't faced any down time yet. Both web based, and API based submits work well
- Plans starting from as low as Rs. 100 valid for 2 months
- Maximum time taken to reach a recipient is just less than an hour. Average time is 5-8 minutes
- Web control panel, though confusing is pretty neat. Has all the options you need, and even lets you check status of your messages
- Comprehensive logging system which may be useful for some
- XML API for bulk submission - add multiple numbers to the same message, and a single submit. This is really what I wanted as the place I'm deploying my application won't be permanently connected to the internet. So instead of making 1500 individual submits, just one XML bulk submit will do
- Incoming messages supported - users can type "hi <username> <message>" and send it to 5676775 and you will receive it directly in your web control panel free of cost
Cons:
- Plan validity period is too short (at least for my requirement)
- No API to access incoming messages
- SMS rates are cheaper only in higher volume plans
- Maximum validity of any plan is 6 months
In all, I'd give it a 8.5/10. Really satisfied with the service so far.
Firefox 3.5 beta 4 released – benchmarked
Posted by Srinath
The next release of the immensely popular Firefox was initially versioned as FF 3.1, and now re badged as 3.5. After 3.1 beta 3, now comes 3.5 beta 4 and here is a glimpse of the performance numbers. Tests run on a macbook with 2.4ghz core2duo, 2gb ram and Mac OS X 10.5.6. All addons were disabled.
So long Geocities
Posted by Srinath
For those who were fortunate enough to have Internet access in the 90's here is saddening news indeed - one of the earliest social networking site, geocities has finally shutdown. Yahoo has pulled the plug on the legendary site which allowed users to connect with others with the same taste on various topics, and create their own pages. It was the earliest free host if you will.
Yahoo bought the company near the peak of the dotcom bubble for more than $3 billion, which, along with the rise of alternative services, quickly spelled the end of GeoCities’ prominence. Today, it appears that the end of GeoCities is being made official, as Yahoo has closed the service to new accounts and posted an FAQ with some details as to how the shutdown will go.
Wikipedia page here
Adios.