Progress
We managed to recover my old mysql database, and I managed to rescue all the missing comments and put them back where they belong. And the mailing list data, which was even more important, though I will probably have to go in and re-install and re-customize all the php because those files appear to be gone for good. I could attempt to rescue forum activity, but I’m afraid to touch that data structure – best to leave well enough alone at this point I think. So all in all it’s been mostly a loss of site uptime, man hours, and faith in computers; thankfully no serious permanent data losses.
This job as an independent musician has been looking suspiciously like my old job writing database software lately – not a bad thing really, it’s nice to get a code fix once in a while. Now if I could just remember where my guitar is…
Comments
Andrea says
Yay! Way to recover data!
CarrieP says
And Octopus is back on the downloads page!
Chris Radcliff says
Pretty much any job will turn into "database support" these days. Farmers, investment bankers, restaurateurs, astronauts, lion tamers. It's just lucky you've got the skills to be a 21st-Century rock star.
Soft rock star, excuse me.
yukaduk says
"..faith in computers"!?
Bemopolis says
And thanks for reminding me that I haven't backed up my machine in a couple of weeks. Your pain, my gain.
danielk says
You can walk away from the straight job, but the straight job never walks away from you.
JY says
Would it be asking too much of OS developers to add a truly "idiot proof" warning message like: "This drive ALREADY IS FORMATTED AND ALREADY CONTAINS X gigs of data on it, are you SURE you want to RE-Format it and wipe out all the data?!"
...and, to be even safer, in case someone really clicks Yes by mistake, they also need to add a 10 second delay with CANCEL button for a Format of non-blank drive, such as: ..."About to begin Format (and permanently erase X gigs of actual data from hard drive) in 10 seconds...9...8...7...etc".
JY
Vis Major says
Hooray for you! Glad to hear the restore process is coming along.
Dean says
[Would it be asking too much of OS developers to add a truly “idiot proof” warning message like: “This drive ALREADY IS FORMATTED AND ALREADY CONTAINS X gigs of data on it, are you SURE you want to RE-Format it and wipe out all the data?!” ]
Uhmm.... how do I put this?
Nothing is idiot proof. As soon as we make something that is, the idiots get smarter at being idiots. I've seen it happen.
I swear if I sent out an email that said "Click HERE to download computer destroying virus" People would click on the link.
PonderousMan says
I swear if I sent out an email that said “Click HERE to download computer destroying virus” People would click on the link.
Actually, this has been done. A guy named Didier Stevens managed to test this theory quite directly... You can just Google him to find various reactions, or read his account here
Dean says
Stellar. I know I'll always have a job in IT as long as there are people out there who blindly click on every hyperlink available.
JY says
I hear you Dean, but suppose they clicked on the link and a warning message box had popped up that asked, "are you SURE you want to DESTROY YOUR COMPUTER? (this is no joke)" followed by another warning, with option to Cancel, that said, "about to install virus that will DESTROY YOUR COMPUTER in 10...9...8...7 seconds, etc." I wonder how many would actually get all the way to the point of installing the virus?
JY
Curt Siffert says
Sounds like your weekend was worse than mine will be. I only have a cold. But I felt like whining about it enough to write a song about it. I put it up online, your site inspires me. (Click my name to hear it.)
Dean says
JY, I hear you. But you know those people who are such terrible drivers that everyone thinks they should give up their license and take the bus?
Same thing, I think.
mort says
i have heard you have a cat... he/she tok the guitar!! kill it!
manstraw says
I like a nice database fix every now and then. When I was all tech, I burned out. When I was all creative, I got bored. Now, I've got a nice mix of both and stay interested without burning out.
Curt Siffert says
manstraw that's what it's like for me too. I was fulltime as a programmer for a while and gnashed my teeth at not having room for music. But if I do music all the time, my brain starts trying to turn everything into puzzles so I have something to solve. :) Debugging a perl or php application is easier than revising a song.