I have recently been bashing my head against the wonderful world of web development ~ in this case, specifically, the fun filled universe of Google Mapping and Geocodeing Post Codes.

I know what you are thinking:
#Cue sarcasm#
How can one man stand such excitement… How can it be that just a simple man could endure the endless, electrifying, thrill ride of such stimulation??
#End sarcasm#

Ahem…

I was tasked with the rebuild of a clients website – complete with a property search using the DezRez property database (they are an Estate Agents). This is where the fun begins, you see, the original builder of the website left me with a few problems to wrangle with.

Not being a full time web designer, and having to reverse engineer ‘interesting’ code didn’t help the fault fixing procedures either.

This is where I found out that the Post Office database of UK Postcodes seems to be in error – in the area of longitude and latitude of the actual locations of the properties.
The procedure was simple ~ find properties on the clients database and create a web page with the results ~ create a details page complete with a Google map of the property location once a property is clicked. The map was produced by ‘GeoCoding’ the Postcode via the Post Office database and sticking a pin in the Googlemap at the resulting coordinates.

This resulted in a pin in the wrong place, lots of telephone calls, and headaches trying to figure out why it wasn’t working.

Finally, today I got it figured out ~ we decided not the use the Post Office database, and instead use the coordinates within the DezRez system which can be corrected by the person inputting the data.

Oh what fun we have…

If you are reading this and need a website built using the DezRez system, call me; I am getting to be an expert at it!

Filed under : Heaven &Hell  |  Be the first to comment! »
2 views

=============== ===============

This made me chuckle – especially having had to point out to a potential new client, that Macs are not as secure as their reputation would suggest.
Data losses in Snow Leopard bug

It would seem that those users who upgraded their Operating System (OS; maybe that should stand for “Oh S#it” though ), and had a guest account enabled, are reporting an error where ALL your data is wiped when logging in ~ Just a small hiccup then

The article does go on to mention that users using a backup service can restore their data.

This comes hot on the heels of Microsoft’s own data centre going belly up ~ losing personal data for users of their ‘Sidekick’ phones (T-Mobile I believe).

Perhaps I could interest Microsoft and Apple in using our online backup solution?

Bear in mind that BOTH of the software giants in the world have now had MAJOR issues with data loss and you’ll start to see why we bang on about it all the time…

The bottom line is simple:
GET A BACKUP SOLUTION OR RISK LOSING EVERYTHING! :cry:

As a certain Meerkat says:
“Simples”

Filed under : Hell  |  Be the first to comment! »
3 views

=============== ===============

It’s becoming more and more likely that workers in the UK will go on strike, rather than discuss with their employers.

The Post Office is now the most strike bound company in the UK ~ a sad fact that continually annoys their customers.
The recent decision to take industrial action in this climate of recession and businesses struggling to exist, belies belief.
It also seems to have little support from the public, who seem to think that Post Office workers have a particularly ‘cushy’ job to start with. ALL the business leaders who I have asked, simply roll their eyes and say something amounting to “Oh no, not again…”

Not that the unions seem to care, but the strike has far reaching consequences for small businesses who rely on cash flow and prompt deliveries to keep alive. Payments that are ‘lost in the Post’ can cause us major headaches.

It seems that the unions care not a jot for this though…

Also, the head-banging continues in the Leeds refuse collection dilemma ~ it’s looking more and more like we’ll be seeing this little drama play  out for some time to come as the two parties seem unable to come to an agreement.

Meanwhile Leeds is becoming an interesting place to live ~ soon to be rat central methinks. An explosion of the rat population in Leeds is apparently ‘expected’.
Are the local medical services equipped for an influx of diseases such as:

• Weil’s disease
• Salmonella
• Tuberculosis
• Cryptosporidiosis
• E.Coli
• Foot and mouth disease

All of which are carried by rats and definitely won’t be fun… :mrgreen:

Finally…
I have man flu, or H5n1, or any of the above.
I just know I feel rough ~ what a nice souvenir from Bulgaria! :evil:

Filed under : Hell  |  Be the first to comment! »
4 views

=============== ===============

I’m a resident of Leeds.
Usually this is something that doesn’t even cross the threshold of conscious thought; Not until the STUPID strikes by the bin men!

As I understand it, there is a disagreement about the pay structure.
Apparently some bin men are paid more than female care workers.
In general this sounds like the old male / female inequality thing, but bear in mind that rubbish collection and carework are unrelated industries. Why there should be equality across these industries baffles me! I am not paid the same as a merchant banker, airline pilot or Premier league footballer ~ perhaps I should go on strike!

The net result of this stupidity is the local vermin getting fatter, a strange smell around the area, and lots of unhappy citizens.

On the plus side, my bin WAS finally emptied; It only took 3 weeks!!

Also – remember this: Broadband Tax?
It looks like the Government is committed to making this a law! (BBC News article)

This beggars belief – why should people with ‘old’ technology pay for those who decide to live in rural areas?
I would think firstly, some people DON’T WANT BROADBAND, secondly, they could pay for their own services just like we do.

Also, if the technology is ‘old’, why are they still rolling it out to consumers?

Stupid stupid stupid…

P.S. This is an early timed post ‘cos I’m off on holiday today

Filed under : Hell  |  Be the first to comment! »
2 views

=============== ===============

There were a couple of news articles which have caught my eye this week the first is almost deserving of a ‘Donkey Award’:
Gadget shoppers branded ‘stupid’
Put simply there is a Facebook group for employees or former employees of the DSGi group (the owners of Currys, PC World and Dixons etc).
In this group some morons seem to have forgotten that Facebook is a public forum ~ visited often by members of the press; Imagine their surprise when news that there had been many postings branding customers as ‘Stupid’ broke.

The shock must have been amazing!

now it’s one thing to post on a public forum saying your customers are ‘stupid’, it bring a whole new meaning to the word when you consider they were using THEIR OWN NAMES to post. :eek:

Images of Homer Simpson slapping his head and the quote ‘D’oh’ resounding spring to mind.
Bloomin’ idiots…

---

In another amazing little article – Small town ‘online crime hotspot’ – it was reported, Shilden in county Durham is the UKs online fraud capital.

Not bad when you think that the town only has a population of 10,000!

To see if you live in a high cybercrime area consult this PDF for your postcode area (you might need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view) - Online Fraud Map

Filed under : Hell  |  Be the first to comment! »
2 views

=============== ===============