Tip O' The Mug To Astute Reader Dexter

Big thanks to Astute Reader Dexter for alerting me to yesterday's problem with the blog. MUCH appreciated. (And what I wish for in 2009 is, ya know, no more hackers.

Fat chance. Near as I can tell, hackers live to hack. Any server is their Mt. Everest: It's there, and they will hack.) Anyway, the company that functions as my host is working its way through the fallout from the hack of two weeks ago. They believe (and I hope...) that they've now resolved the major issues.

For what it's worth, much of the trouble these past two weeks stemmed from Movable Type, the "platform" on which this blog is built. As a tool for blogging, MT has many fine qualities. Unfortunately, the people at MT have zero interest in internet security. In that respect, I guess they're sorta like Gates and Microsoft: "We will run the world, but we don't give a damn if that world is full of holes through which hackers can move unimpeded."

I can sort of understand why: Gates wanted to build a tool for using PCs. The folks at Movable Type wanted to create a "publishing" tool. Security wasn't (and isn't) their main interest. And no, for those who are about to email me: The folks at Wordpress aren't any better. About the only "safe" blogging options are the freebies like blogspot, and the "free" system available from Wordpress.

The downside is that those freebies don't provide much flexibility for people like me who also have websites. Anyway, thanks again to Dexter for letting me know things had gone awry, and to the rest of you for being so patient during all this crap. (And crap it is....) Dexter, I gather from your email address that you're in Hawaii. So HEY! How's about sending a little sun, salt air, and warmth my way, eh??????