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Rhett

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Posts posted by Rhett

    Exactservers switches to Invision Power Board

    in Front Page News

    Posted

    With the latest issues with vBulletin management and their license problems, I have decided to switch over to IPB, this will be a transition in the making over the next two weeks or so. Once this is completed and I'm happy with the performance and abilities of IPB I will then start moving over my other sites. If you are also interested in Switching to IPB, please let me know and I will include you in the transition. I will be doing a complete how too on IPB and it's features for all members. Change is tough for some people but if we include a simple step by step procedure I think all the members of the sites will enjoy IPB. Stay tuned..... :blush

    Vbulletin 4.0 | Internet Brands | Jelsoft | vBulletin Services

    in VBulletin Support

    Posted

    There have been some recent changes at vBulletin in this past 10 months... In short vBulletin (ie:Jelsoft) was sold to an internet advertising company called Internet Brands, they are a publicly traded company and on the exchange. While vBulletin has been the leader in forum development for the past 6-8 years, it seems this new company has a new approach. As with 100% of all publicly traded companies they are in this business for one reason and one reason only... MONEY. While in fact vBulletin was started out of pure enjoyment of coding and building a community.... this is not the case these days. First off they fired or removed several of the "old" coders and founders of vBulletin forums. Secondly they changed the way the company is ran, and have put the customer in the back seat and their own best interest (MONEY) as first priority.... while this is great for them.... shitting on the customers whom put you where you are today is not the proper way to conduct business. I have a moto I go by, Take care of your customers, or someone else will" I live by this day and night in everything I do. This applies to more then customers as well. To wrap this up for now without all of you having to read through several pages of post and threads on vbulletin.com, here is my suggestion at this time. vBulletin has back peddled recently on a couple of bad decisions, so I expect another one in the short term.... but for now here is my take on your licenses and their status as I posted on vbulletin.com as well.________________________________________________________________As disgusted as everyone here is with the way things have been handled here this year with vBulletin and the poor manner in which the management has decided to treat the members in which have made vBulletin what it is... I offer a solution for those long time members and new ones alike. I currently have several owned vBulletin licenses, these are paid in full and I own them. These licenses entitle me to run and use them for an unlimited period of time according to the license agreement which was in place at the time of purchase. According to the recent developments here, when your vb 3.x license expires you are able to upgrade to the new vb 4.0 series or even upgrade for free to the forum only version..... this new software carries a NEW license agreement with it..... this new license only entitles you to use it for the life of that product series only. While we don't know the length of product, one can only think of the history and assume this will be the case in the future? I would not take the history here and apply it to the future, just as we have seen by the way this company is being ran... things are different now. The versions could change at any time and there are no set schedules for this change, this leaves a very large door open for the owners of vb. The solution for those feeling like they have been bent over and rammed very hard is to keep the current OWNED LIFETIME license that you have now.... you pay nothing to vBulletin ever...... you can run it for as long as you see fit for FREE. Those with leased licenses, well you are pretty much taking it, so enjoy it and smile. Remember that once you upgrade to vb 4.x you are now under the new license agreement and not the old one that entitles you to run the software forever. You can only run it until it expires, which Im assuming will be the date of the new release. This would be fine and great if there was a time frame for the series.... but there isn't.... so it could be 6 months, or it could be 1 year... we don't know. To be safe I'm recommending to all my customers and fellow forum members not to upgrade and to keep the versions they have now.________________________________________________________________There are other options our there for your forum needs, I'm currently proceeding with a couple of VB > IPB sites and I will keep this thread posted with updates. If things change I will let you know.

    vBulletin Variables List

    in VBulletin Support

    Posted

    Site Statistics:-

    • $totalthreads - Displays the total number of threads in the forum
    • $totalposts - Displays total number of posts in the forum
    • $numbermembers - Display total number of members in the forum
    • $totalonline - Displays the number of total users currently online
    • $numberregistered - Displays the number of total registered users currently online
    • $numberguest - Displays the number of total guests currently online
    • $recordusers - Displays the number of most users ever online
    • $recorddate - Displays the date on which most users were ever online
    • $recordtime - Displays the time on which most users were ever online
    • $activeusers - Displays a list of currently active/online Users (i.e. logged in)
    • $activemembers - Displays the number of members who are active in the forum
    • $newusername - Displays the username of the newly registered user
    • $birthdays - Displays list of users whose birthday is today
    • $upcomingevents - Displays list of upcoming events
    $BBuserinfo Array, this can show anything thats stored in the user table

    $VBoptions Array, these are the options stored in the settings table, i.e things that you configured from vbulletin AdminCP>>vbulletin Options.

    $stylevar Array, this contains all the paths to forum images and other style variables that are editable in the Styles and templates >> Stylevars

    $css array, this is where all the CSS attributed can be located

    Ad Location Template variables:-

    Miscellenous:-

    vBulletin PM Reader for your computer

    in VBulletin Support

    Posted

    This program works great for those of you who hate to delete old pm's. Here is how it works.Download and install the program from here http://vcldeveloper.com/downloads/vBulletin_PM_Reader.zipRun and install it.Create a database with the name of the site you want to start with, ie: yamaha, sportbikeforum, etc. Then go to you private messages area of the forum, on the bottom right side of the page you will see an option to down all pm's as an XML file, click this link and download the file. Now on the proram on your computer, click import XML file and your done. You can click file, then create a new database for each vBulletin forum you would like to archive pm's for. If you need any help post up here.

    05/31/09 Thomas updated

    in Website and Forum Hosting

    Posted

    (1/8): acpid-1.0.4-7.el5_3.1.i386.rpm | 23 kB 00:00(2/8): mod_ssl-2.2.3-22.el5.centos.1.i386.rpm | 87 kB 00:00(3/8): freetype-2.2.1-21.el5_3.i386.rpm | 310 kB 00:00(4/8): ipsec-tools-0.6.5-13.el5_3.1.i386.rpm | 381 kB 00:00(5/8): libwmf-0.2.8.4-10.2.i386.rpm | 834 kB 00:00(6/8): httpd-2.2.3-22.el5.centos.1.i386.rpm | 1.2 MB 00:00(7/8): ntp-4.2.2p1-9.el5.centos.2.i386.rpm | 1.3 MB 00:00(8/8): crash-4.0-7.2.3.el5.centos.1.i386.rpm | 1.5 MB 00:00

    05-09-09 Servers updated

    in Website and Forum Hosting

    Posted

    All servers were updated this morning with the following updates. If there are any issues please start a ticket in your control panel.

    Apr 12 07:48:32 Updated: krb5-libs-1.6.1-31.el5_3.3.i386May 09 09:29:10 Updated: audit-libs-1.7.7-6.el5_3.3.i386May 09 09:29:11 Updated: pango-1.14.9-5.el5.centos.i386May 09 09:29:11 Updated: file-4.17-15.el5_3.1.i386May 09 09:29:11 Updated: audit-libs-python-1.7.7-6.el5_3.3.i386May 09 09:29:14 Updated: clamav-toaster-0.95.1-1.3.27.i386May 09 09:29:15 Updated: kernel-headers-2.6.18-128.1.10.el5.i386May 09 09:29:15 Installed: ghostscript-devel-8.15.2-9.4.el5_3.7.i386May 09 09:29:16 Updated: sos-1.7-9.16.el5_3.5.noarchMay 09 09:29:27 Installed: kernel-PAE-2.6.18-128.1.10.el5.i686May 09 09:29:27 Updated: audit-1.7.7-6.el5_3.3.i386

    Downtime Update

    in ExactServers.com Forum Information

    Posted

    Due to conflict with an update that occurred last night there was some un expected downtime today. I apologize for this issue and will take steps to prevent it in the future. There are still a couple things to be sorted out which I will take care of tonight.I hope you all got some work done today.... :blush

    Funny things kids say

    in Chit Chat Section

    Posted

    Hailey is laying in bed, I walked in to kiss her good night and she was still awake. Hailey: Daddy I'm scaredDaddy: What are you scared of?Hailey: Lot's of things, can you sleep with me?Daddy: OkHailey: Can you do a couple of things first?Daddy: Ok, what?Hailey: Brush your teeth and shave your head!:blush She is still 2 years old btw.

    Web sites IT pros should master in 2009

    in Computers

    Posted

    Here's a time-saver for IT executives swamped by last-minute budget cuts and end-of-the-year performance reviews: We've written your 2009 goals for you, with our list of nine Web sites you need to study during the next 12 months. This list is not for geeks. It’s for IT professionals of a certain age, who don’t spend every waking hour online but need to keep up with the latest innovations on the Internet. Best Practices for Next-Generation IP Address Management: Download now Master these Web sites, and you’ll prove you can innovate during the most trying economic times. And you’ll do it more efficiently than your 20-something employees, who waste too much time chasing the new, new thing on the Internet that may not survive the downturn. 1. Linked InForget Facebook. In the last six months, LinkedIn has become the de rigueur Web 2.0 site for IT professionals. LinkedIn has 30 million members, almost double what it had a year ago. And it raised more than $75 million in venture capital during 2008, so it has staying power. It has a host of new features that make it the most productive networking site on the Web. Spend some time updating your LinkedIn profile and reaching out to current and former colleagues. You can show your boss that you’re well connected, and you’ll be ready in case you’re on the next layoff list. In 2008, LinkedIn made our list of the 20 most useful social networking sites on the Web. 2. Google Apps for Business Call it what you like - software-as-a-service or cloud computing - but it’s the future of enterprise IT departments, and you need to get on board with it. You’ll be under more pressure than ever in 2009 to find cheaper ways to deliver IT services. One way to do that is to pilot a Google Apps project, such as document sharing via GoogleDocs or video sharing via Google Video. Your staff can build one of these collaboration projects in a jiffy, and the information will be available to employees from any location on any computer. Among Google Apps proponents: The District of Columbia government. 3. VMware Communities Chances are you’ve already embarked on a server virtualization project, and continued consolidation of your servers is a key money-saving goal for 2009. Most of you are using VMware for your server virtualization projects, and our product reviewers recommend you stick with VMware over Microsoft’s Hyper-V for the foreseeable future. To get the best real-world feedback on how best to deploy VMware, keep your eyes on the VMware Communities Web site. It’s got user groups in your community and lots of tips from other VMware developers that can help you solve problems faster.4. Secunia Security will continue to be a top priority for 2009, but you’ll need to figure out how to do it on the cheap. That’s where Secunia.com comes in. This site aggregates security vulnerability information from leading vendors, providing you with one-stop shopping for the latest news about security bugs and the software patches available to fix them. The site has an active community of IT security folks who can help you fix operating systems and applications before you get attacked. Secunia made our list of 20 useful IT security Web sites in 2008. 5. Green Grid With the economy in shambles and energy prices plummeting, you’re likely to hear a lot less about global climate change and carbon neutral business operations than you did six months ago. Nonetheless, green IT can still be a huge advantage for IT departments because it will save you money. Plain and simple: green IT saves greenbacks. So get to know the Green Grid’s Web site and make sure that whatever you buy in 2009 for your data centers is in line with their advice and metrics. Here’s more information about the Green Grid along with three other organizations that offer advice about lowering data center power consumption. 6. Twitter At first glance, Twitter seems like a colossal waste of time. But the fact is this real-time messaging service is taking off in IT circles. And if you don’t jump on the bandwagon soon, you might be too late. Twitter provides an easy way to keep your staff and co-workers informed about where you are and what you’re doing. You can also sign up for the latest technology headlines from Wired, Slashdot and others. It doesn’t take long to sign up for Twitter, so give it a whirl so you’ll know what your Generation Y employees are talking about. See 20 must-follow Twitter feeds here. 7. Yammer If Twitter seems too frivolous to you, try Yammer. It’s essentially Twitter for the office. The benefit of Yammer is that it’s a private communications channel for coworkers to share quick messages about what they’re working on, get questions answered or blast out news. Xerox and Cisco are among the 200-plus companies enjoying improved collaboration thanks to Yammer. One benefit of Yammer over Twitter: it seems to have a sustainable business model. 8. Ruby on Rails Ruby on Rails is one of the best open source tools to appear in recent years. This Web development framework lets you create working applications in a matter of hours. Advocates of this development platform include the New York Times, Yellowpages.com, Twitter and Hulu. See 15 amazing Web applications built with Ruby on Rails here. Version 2.2 of Ruby on Rails came out in November, so you don’t have to worry about being on the bleeding edge. 9. Enterprise Mobility Matters Like it or not, the latest smartphones – the BlackBerry Storms and Apple 3G iPhones (Slideshow: Smartphone showdown: iPhone vs. BlackBerry Storm) – are headed toward your corporate network. So you better get ready to protect sensitive corporate information from the risks that these consumer devices open up. If you don’t want to encrypt them, make sure you have centralized control over them so you can wipe data from lost or stolen cell phones. We like the Enterprise Mobility Matters Web site from market research firm Strategy Analytics because it offers a comprehensive look at enterprise mobility issues. LINK

    Secure Your Vista PC in 10 Easy Steps

    in Computers

    Posted

    While Windows Vista may be Microsoft's most secure operating system ever, it's far from completely secure. In its fresh-from-the-box configuration, Vista still leaves a chance for your personal data to leak out to the Web through Windows Firewall, or for some nefarious bot to tweak your browser settings without your knowing. But by making a few judicious changes using the security tools within Windows Vista--and in some cases by adding a few pieces of free software--you can lock down your operating system like a pro. Use Windows Security Center as a Starting Point For a quick overview of your security settings, the Windows Security Center is where you'll find the status of your system firewall, auto update, malware protection, and other security settings. Click Start, Control Panel, Security Center, or you can simply click the shield icon in the task tray. If you see any red or yellow, you are not fully protected. For example, if you have not yet installed an antivirus product on your machine, or if your current antivirus product is out-of-date, the Malware section of the Security Center should be yellow. Windows does not offer a built-in antivirus utility, so you'll want to install your own. For free antivirus, I recommend AVG Anti-Virus 8. Use Windows Defender as a Diagnostic Tool The Malware section also covers antispyware protection, and for that Windows Vista includes Windows Defender. The antispyware protection in your antivirus program usually trumps the protection Microsoft provides, but there are several good reasons to keep Windows Defender enabled. One is that every antispyware program uses a different definition of what is and what is not spyware, so redundant protection can actually offer some benefit. Another reason to keep Windows Defender enabled: diagnostics. Click Tools, and choose Software Explorer from the resulting pane. You can display lists of applications from several categories such as Currently Running Programs, Network Connected Programs, and Winsock Service Providers, but Startup Programs is perhaps the most useful. Click on any name in the left window, and full details will appear in the right pane. By highlighting, you can remove, disable, or enable any of the programs listed. Disable the Start Up menuWindows Vista keeps track of all the documents and programs you launch in the Start Up menu. This can be convenient for some users, but it can also compromise your privacy if you share a computer within an office or household. Fortunately Windows Vista provides an easy way to tweak this setting. To protect your privacy, follow these steps: Right click on the taskbar and select Properties.Click on the Start Menu tab.Uncheck Store and display a list of recently opened files.Uncheck Store and display a list of recently opened programs.Click OK. Get Two-Way Firewall Protection No desktop should be without a personal firewall, but even if the Security Center says you're protected, you may not be. The Windows Firewall within Vista blocks all incoming traffic that might be malicious or suspicious--and that's good. But outbound protection is not enabled by default. That's a dangerous situation if some new malicious software finds its way onto your PC. Microsoft did include the tools for Windows Vista to have a true two-way firewall, but finding the setting is a little complicated. (Hint: Don't go looking the Windows Firewall settings dialog box.) To get two-way protection in Windows Vista, click on the Start button; in the search space, type wf.msc and press Enter. Click on the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security icon. This management interface displays the inbound and outbound rules. Click on Windows Firewalls Properties. You should now see a dialog box with several tabs. For each profile--Domain, Private, and Public--change the setting to Block, and then click OK. Even if you do this tweak, I recommend adding a more robust third-party firewall. I suggest either Comodo Firewall Pro or ZoneAlarm, both of which are free and fare very well in independent firewall testing. Lock Out Unwanted Guests If you share your computer with others (and even if you don't), Windows Vista includes a neat way to keep unwanted guests from guessing your system administrator password. When you set up users and declare one user as administrator (with full privileges), Windows Vista allows outsiders unlimited guesses at the password you chose. Here's how to limit the guesses. Click Start, type Local Security Policy.Click Account Lockout Policy.Choose Account Lockout Threshold.At the prompt, enter the number of invalid log-ins you'll accept (say, 3).Click OK and close. Now Audit Your Attackers With the Account Lockout policy in place, you can now enable auditing to see any account attacks. To turn on auditing for failed log-on events, do the following: Click the Start button, type secpol.msc, and click the secpol icon.Click on Local Policies and then Audit Policy.Right-click on Audit account logon events policy and select Properties.Check the Failure box and click OK.Right-click on Audit logon events policy and select Properties.Check the Failure box and click OK. Close the Local Security Policy window. You can then use the Event Viewer (by running eventvwr.msc) to view the logs under Windows Logs and Security. Related Content Secure Your Internet Explorer Settings The Windows Security Center will also report whether your Internet Explorer 7 (or IE 8) security settings are at their recommended levels. If the screen shows this section as red, you can adjust the settings within the browser itself. Within Internet Explorer, click Tools in the menu bar.From the drop-down menu, click Internet Options.Choose the Security tab.Within the Security tab, click Custom Level. Here you'll see a window with all the security options for the browser. If any are below the recommended level (if, say, some kind of malware reconfigured your browser settings), these options will be highlighted in red. To change an individual setting, click the appropriate radio button. To reset them all, use the button near the bottom of the tab. You can also change the overall security setting for Internet Explorer from the default Medium-High setting to the recommended High or Medium, if you wish. Click OK to save and close. Use OpenDNS Domain Name System (DNS) servers act as a phone book. When you type "pcworld.com" in the address bar, for instance, Internet Explorer sends that common-name request to your Internet service provider's DNS servers to be converted into a series of numbers, or an IP address. Lately, DNS servers have come under attack, with criminals seeking to redirect common DNS preferences to servers that their interests control. One way to stop such abuse is to use OpenDNS. Go to Start, Control Panel, Network and Internet, and then click Network and Sharing Center. Under the tasks listed on the left, click Manage Network Connections. In the Manage Network Connections window, do the following. Right-click on the icon representing your network card.Click Properties.Click Internet Protocol Version 4.Click the Properties button.Select the Use the following DNS server addresses radio button.Type in a primary address of 208.67.222.222.Type in a secondary address of 208.67.220.220.Click OK. Live With User Account Control One area where some people might want to see the Windows Security Center turn red is User Account Control (UAC), perhaps the most controversial security feature within Windows Vista. Designed to keep rogue remote software from automatically installing (among other things), UAC has a tendency to thwart legitimate software installations by interrupting the process several times with useless messages. In Windows 7 you'll be able to set UAC to the level you want. Until then, you do have some options. One is to disable UAC. I would caution against that, since UAC is meant to warn you of potential danger. Instead, install TweakUAC, a free utility that offers the ability to turn UAC on or off as well as an intermediate "quiet" mode that keeps UAC on but suppresses administration elevation prompts. With TweakUAC in quiet mode, UAC will appear to be off to those running as administrator accounts, while people with standard user accounts will still be prompted. Check Your Work Now that you've tweaked Windows Vista, you can keep tabs on your system's security with the System Health Report. This diagnostic tool takes input from the Performance and Reliability Monitor and turns it into an information-packed report that can spotlight potential security problems. Open Control Panel.Click System.In the Tasks list, click Performance (near the bottom).In the resulting Tasks list, click Advanced tools (near the top).Click the last item on the resulting list: Generate a system health report. The report will list any missing drivers that might be causing error codes, tell you whether your antivirus protection is installed, and declare whether UAC is turned on. You may want to run this report once a month just to make sure everything's still good. LINK

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