Forcing HTTPConnector to CHECKSUM the Stored Site Structure

November 3rd, 2009

02/11/2009 19:12:52 : JOBNAME : Initializing…
02/11/2009 19:12:52 : JOBNAME : Checking seed URLs…
02/11/2009 19:12:52 : JOBNAME : Started
02/11/2009 19:12:52 : JOBNAME : Running with maximum 6 thread(s).
02/11/2009 19:12:52 : JOBNAME : Skipping URL http://www.somedomain.com/: Last Requested 31/10/2009, Modified 27/10/2009, Expected change in 49 hours (1 updates seen in 99 hours)
02/11/2009 19:12:52 : JOBNAME : No more links.
02/11/2009 19:12:52 : JOBNAME : Spider Complete.

I was trying to force the HTTPConnector to respider immediately but instead there appears to be a (configured?) delay.

It has already run through the site once and generated a site struct-cache under the [JOBNAME] folder.

The solution was simple:

StoreSiteStructure=true
SiteStructureFlags=4

Autonomy IDOL IDX Parsing Program

October 26th, 2009

Had to come up with a list of unique references contained in an IDX so I came up with this program to do it. Here is a source code download.

import java.io.BufferedReader;
import java.io.BufferedWriter;
import java.io.FileReader;
import java.io.FileWriter;
import java.io.IOException;

/*
* This program parses through an IDX an extracts the unique reference and writes it to a .LIST file.
*             joe@joeharouni.info
*             10/19/2009
*/

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Accouting Tip for Small Business

October 9th, 2009

When my consultancy was in its infancy, I had a tough time anticipating writing out a *big* check for taxes. I was cash-strapped to begin with and spending so much money travelling that close to 100% of filled invoices were going directly to expenses. It took falling behind and getting my first big tax bill to realize that I needed to stay on top of it.

The first step was finding an accountant. He got me sorted and gave me one tip that changed everything. He suggested that each time a check cleared, simply make an entry in my checking account ledger as a mock payment to Uncle Sam. I use Quicken Home and Business so this was a breeze: whenever I entered a deposit, I immediately followed it with a tax entry for 40% in the payment column.

When tax time comes around, there’s always more than enough to balance out my tax liability. Depending on deductions there could be a small quarterly bonus. Another nice side effect of this is the ability to comfortably carry a low or slightly negative balance in the ledger without having to rely on credit cards for cash-flow management.

Don’t pay for a website, invest in an ongoing relationship with your web strategist

October 1st, 2009

Many times my web development clients find me after becoming fed up with their current developer or site admin. In one case, the client felt she paid a significant sum of money for the initial development of their site, only to be thrown by the wayside when it came time to do updates, make changes, or fix bugs that should not have been there in the first place.

I believe fundamentally, that this is neither the developers’ or clients’ fault: it was a relationship destined to fail. When you pay someone to develop your site, you are essentially doing a money for time trade. They spend x hours creating the site, you pay y dollars and the site is up. But now what?

Ideally, you would have someone working full-time, managing your site and your presence on the web. Their time might be devoted to site changes, keyword advertising, video and picture uploads, keeping track of web traffic, and so on. Maybe you are not big enough (yet) to hire your own developer. Maybe you just want someone to bounce ideas off of. (If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard “How hard is it to…” from one of my clients!)

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Keep your Internet Security software up to date

September 22nd, 2009

After an email account was recently hijacked, I reviewed the security and back-up software of my various computers. I had let the Norton Internet Security subscription expire on a rarely used desktop. This was the culprit.

There are three levels of protection for your computer:

  • Basic Anti-virus
  • Internet Security
  • Backup and Protection Suite

The bare minimum any computer needs is Internet Security.

The three main (paid- there are some viable free software packages) competitors in this space are:

  • McAffe
  • Norton
  • Kaspersky

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Extended Engagement until February 2010

September 18th, 2009

Thank you to everyone who expressed interest and got in touch regarding potential opportunities. I have extended my on-site engagement with my current client until February 2010.

I am still interested in web development and design as well as remote support opportunities.

New Autonomy Consulting Services Page

September 10th, 2009

I have laid out the various roles I have played and the ones I seek to fill in my new Autonomy Consulting Services page. Over the past three years I have been comfortable and gained experienced in the roles of Architect, Developer, Consultant, Project Manager, Remote Support and Technical Lead. I have also played an intergral role in several Verity K2 upgrades.

If you are on the fence about whether or not I will be able to add value to your Autonomy purchase or existing implementation, I encourage you to review my skillset and my experience.

Afterwards, do not hesitate to make use of the chat or call functionality on the site. I look forward to hearing from you.

A lot of good news today…

September 4th, 2009

I am currently in Orange County, CA assisting a corporate client with their Autonomy IDOL implementation and it is going extremely well. The engagement is scheduled to end late October and they want to extend it until January so I can focus on the application side of things, as well as continue the slow but steady migration from K2 and SQL Server to an all-IDOL environment.

One downside to being out in California is the expense of living. So, with the upcoming contract re-negotiation, I have been looking around for opportunities closer to home. I networked a little last week and found out today that there might just be a 4 month opportunity in NYC, which suits me just fine!

Further adding to the great news, a potential small business client reached out today. She just struck out on her own and started her own business so she is looking to improve her site and market her brand on the web. I’m looking forward to our upcoming call.

Setup Professional Networking Site

September 3rd, 2009

Finally put the finishing touches on my Professional Networking Site. I want to keep my clients up to date and gain exposure to future opportunities.

If you haven’t yet, please check out my resumé or a list of my sites under “Links” in the sidebar.