The other day I wrote about a hosting company that blew me away and I wasn't even a client of theirs. Well, I can now say that I'm the proud owner of two 256MB slices from SliceHost:
1. Gentoo running nginx and a soon-to-be-named rails application.
2. CentOS running a LAMP setup for a soon-to-be-name PHP application (actually, several).
First impressions were everything I had hoped they could have been. I'm about 3-4 years removed from any hardcore system administration. And the background I did have was with RedHat and FreeBSD. Thankfully the Linux community has gotten it right with package installers, making the halcyon days of system administration now uber!
Things learned...
I thought I'd run Feisty on the secondary slice...but, funk dat. I had always wanted to run Cent and heard great things about it and I can say, I really wish that I had installed it on my first slice. Gentoo on the other hand is fabulous for the lean and mean setup that I'm a fan of with web and database servers. Keep all the crap out (who really needs vi anyway?) and bring only what you need to survive.
Finally, I really need to emphasize just how deceptively fast a 256Mb slice is when you begin compiling and installing things like mysql, apache, ruby and imagemagick. What seems to have taken forever (even on my MacBook Pro) in the past, now, literally seemed to have taken a fraction of the time. I can't explain why exactly (grid computing for the win?) but quite frankly, I don't care (I really do - and if anyone can explain it via comments, go for it.) it's fast and I'm as happy as I thought I would be using these guys and their incredible service.
The two times I got stuck (on packages that seemed to exist yet weren't installing) a quick reference to the community pages on SliceHosts absolutely wonderful information repository got me back on track in no time.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Sliced Bread. Now, Sliced Hosting!
It slices it dices, it...well, no, it just hosts.
So here I am, not even a paying customer of this place and I'm already excited about using them based on some valid feedback and about 30 minutes of researching customers of theirs. For a project I'm consulting this seems to be an ideal move for what we need. I can add resources when need be, load-balance AND host multiple application platforms. I've got the control from the ground up without an insane price tag.
I mean for $20/month you have a pretty vast development machine which you can control the environment of. Now, granted I'm still trying to find the gap in the armor here, so I'm not going to say this is the greatest thing since sliced (sorry for the pun) bread but...when Engine Yard is floating around at $300/month (however, yes you basically have bought an IT-staff) this seems to be the best way to start out your idea and have a nice path for growth.
Anyway, props to Jason "my name is too easy to Google for" Bynum. for pointing me in their direction.
So here I am, not even a paying customer of this place and I'm already excited about using them based on some valid feedback and about 30 minutes of researching customers of theirs. For a project I'm consulting this seems to be an ideal move for what we need. I can add resources when need be, load-balance AND host multiple application platforms. I've got the control from the ground up without an insane price tag.
I mean for $20/month you have a pretty vast development machine which you can control the environment of. Now, granted I'm still trying to find the gap in the armor here, so I'm not going to say this is the greatest thing since sliced (sorry for the pun) bread but...when Engine Yard is floating around at $300/month (however, yes you basically have bought an IT-staff) this seems to be the best way to start out your idea and have a nice path for growth.
Anyway, props to Jason "my name is too easy to Google for" Bynum. for pointing me in their direction.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Tip #0 - Less[Everything] is more!
Ok, Ok, so I didn't make a post yesterday after I had pledged to keep up-to-date on this. I'm sure with a little brain-washing and conditioning I'll get there. Hopefully today, I make up for it...let's begin.
With so many mentions of "eating your own dog food" made in the recent weeks, I've taken it upon myself to keep the ball rolling. This post is going to be my segue (there will be a pause - don't be so literal) into my 5 tips for the contest currently taking place over at Railscasts.com.
So with all that said I think a great candidate for the "eats their own dogfood" award should go to lesseverything. These guys are (seemingly) successfully running a business on Ruby/Rails (literally). So we'll just jump to the first example: you're a contractor, you need to keep track of your billable revenue (invoices, etc...) but, you aren't exactly happy with the open-source products on the market. Well, like anyone who is in this for the science (and profit) you naturally would roll your own. But, and this is where I really feel many small companies hurt themselves, you make it for "you" (DHH) not for everyone. Well, let's take a step back here. You can either absorb the costs time/hosting/beer/etc that came along with building this accounting system OR you make it simple enough that anyone and their aunt Minnie could jump in and track invoices.
These guys have accomplished this. And it's essentially the way (I believe) any small business with the programming capabilities should operate. If you can build something which helps you immensely and is flexible enough to aid in helping others at a minimal cost to maintain - that's billable revenue my friend! Check this out for yourselves at lessaccounting.com. What's that you say? How do they keep the "www" off of their domain for branding purposes? Why it's simple - they'll tell you. So, just as a wrap-up real quick a little quote from their site:
I'd like to add a little something to that, if you're a bigger business - chances are your accounting system is overcomplicated anyways - overhaul and simplify. I know it's not the easiest thing to do what with all the personnel you've hired from your own family, but Uncle Joe will understand. He knows deep down in his heart that an Access database just won't cut it any longer and you're not prepared to take the plunge into a commercial accounting product. Give this a try...you'll thank me later.
LessEverything has also released upon humanity, what I had been hoping someone would do for a long time and that is a social networking platform on Rails. I've had somewhat limited exposure to it, mostly because I think the world is better off without more social networking sites, however, it's what everyone wants. And I use this saying a lot as a developer and it really holds true here:
Even if you're not writing a social network, there are quite a few benefits this application takes care of for you right off the bat. Adding blogs to accounts, creating relationships between accounts, many things which apply to a host of scenarios could be accomplished with some minimal undertaking. In terms of performance, I haven't sieged anything I've made with it so far, I guess that's another post outside the scope of my 6 tips.
So to wrap up - Tip #0 is identify your own needs and if it's viable, don't be so one dimensional, allow others to benefit (for a low cost), keep it simple and above all just get it out there! It's income you weren't expecting to have and who knows, maybe its earnings out-perform your original projects.
With so many mentions of "eating your own dog food" made in the recent weeks, I've taken it upon myself to keep the ball rolling. This post is going to be my segue (there will be a pause - don't be so literal) into my 5 tips for the contest currently taking place over at Railscasts.com.
So with all that said I think a great candidate for the "eats their own dogfood" award should go to lesseverything. These guys are (seemingly) successfully running a business on Ruby/Rails (literally). So we'll just jump to the first example: you're a contractor, you need to keep track of your billable revenue (invoices, etc...) but, you aren't exactly happy with the open-source products on the market. Well, like anyone who is in this for the science (and profit) you naturally would roll your own. But, and this is where I really feel many small companies hurt themselves, you make it for "you" (DHH) not for everyone. Well, let's take a step back here. You can either absorb the costs time/hosting/beer/etc that came along with building this accounting system OR you make it simple enough that anyone and their aunt Minnie could jump in and track invoices.
These guys have accomplished this. And it's essentially the way (I believe) any small business with the programming capabilities should operate. If you can build something which helps you immensely and is flexible enough to aid in helping others at a minimal cost to maintain - that's billable revenue my friend! Check this out for yourselves at lessaccounting.com. What's that you say? How do they keep the "www" off of their domain for branding purposes? Why it's simple - they'll tell you. So, just as a wrap-up real quick a little quote from their site:
Who is Less Accounting designed for?
We designed Less Accounting to meet our needs as small business owners. We tried to develop it flexible enough for personal use, but if you are a big business Less Accounting probably isn't for you.
I'd like to add a little something to that, if you're a bigger business - chances are your accounting system is overcomplicated anyways - overhaul and simplify. I know it's not the easiest thing to do what with all the personnel you've hired from your own family, but Uncle Joe will understand. He knows deep down in his heart that an Access database just won't cut it any longer and you're not prepared to take the plunge into a commercial accounting product. Give this a try...you'll thank me later.
LessEverything has also released upon humanity, what I had been hoping someone would do for a long time and that is a social networking platform on Rails. I've had somewhat limited exposure to it, mostly because I think the world is better off without more social networking sites, however, it's what everyone wants. And I use this saying a lot as a developer and it really holds true here:
I want to develop a lever for <project>, polish it a little and deploy it.
Even if you're not writing a social network, there are quite a few benefits this application takes care of for you right off the bat. Adding blogs to accounts, creating relationships between accounts, many things which apply to a host of scenarios could be accomplished with some minimal undertaking. In terms of performance, I haven't sieged anything I've made with it so far, I guess that's another post outside the scope of my 6 tips.
So to wrap up - Tip #0 is identify your own needs and if it's viable, don't be so one dimensional, allow others to benefit (for a low cost), keep it simple and above all just get it out there! It's income you weren't expecting to have and who knows, maybe its earnings out-perform your original projects.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Keeping it going
Every couple of months Seth Godin goes and pokes everyone in the eye with a nugget about why your blog is important. I've read it at least twice in the past and now a third time. It's marketing, I get it...but this time, I REALLY get it because I'm going to do it!
Yes, the wonderful rule of three worked on me, I can't tell why it took three tries to get the fire lit up under my ass to keep this thing up to date (not only for my own sanity but to maybe help someone else out there). I could post for a year and not have anything really useful to say, just clogging this toilet of information up with more ramblings and complaints. But, in all of that I do have a hidden agenda to try to get some useful things in amongst it.
Hopefully with the opportunity that's staring me square in the face at the moment, I can make something of it (and myself) and express my successes and failures along the way. If nothing else, I should be able to look back and see what went wrong and what went right. Maybe it will help someone else as well.
Yes, the wonderful rule of three worked on me, I can't tell why it took three tries to get the fire lit up under my ass to keep this thing up to date (not only for my own sanity but to maybe help someone else out there). I could post for a year and not have anything really useful to say, just clogging this toilet of information up with more ramblings and complaints. But, in all of that I do have a hidden agenda to try to get some useful things in amongst it.
Hopefully with the opportunity that's staring me square in the face at the moment, I can make something of it (and myself) and express my successes and failures along the way. If nothing else, I should be able to look back and see what went wrong and what went right. Maybe it will help someone else as well.
Rails Cast hits 11, err 100.
Pretty cool little contest going on over at railstcasts. There's even an 8Gb iPod touch up for grabs...I've got my tips picked out already, of course, the tricky part is going to be blogging about them.
I encourage anyone who knows anything about Rails to post something, hopefully this contest has a great turnout and the community as a whole will benefit from some of the minds that aren't exactly "mainstream" (The Dr. Nic's, Fowlers, etc...). Not that there's anything wrong with them, I just think the more insight into this framework the better.
Good luck trying to get my iPod!
MINE!
I encourage anyone who knows anything about Rails to post something, hopefully this contest has a great turnout and the community as a whole will benefit from some of the minds that aren't exactly "mainstream" (The Dr. Nic's, Fowlers, etc...). Not that there's anything wrong with them, I just think the more insight into this framework the better.
Good luck trying to get my iPod!
MINE!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Oh Noes, Your Business is Under Attack!
A somewhat interesting link came through my RSS reader this morning, it wasn't the well articulated basis of this gentleman's argument, nor was it the catchy title. What really made me think (and laugh) was the first post by a man named Will, who apparently works for the aforementioned company "waging war" upon Ruby/Rails.
I think it speaks volumes if you or the company you work for really has to dive into some random persons personal blog and begin defending yourself when all this guy is doing is giving an opinion. You're putting out a competing product (uh, sure!) and that's great...some will use it many will not. But it really makes me shake my head (knowing some people who work at Zend personally) when I see a Zend'er come out with the gloves up just clutching and grabbing for some traction on their products worth.
Really, if your product was worth a damn in the first place you'd likely have 9 other posts to this one touting the grace and power your product encapsulates. Instead, you put those gloves up because you know you have put out an inferior product and are trying not to be the last kid picked.
Finally, I must admit here that "Will" (IF that IS your REAL name...haha) does a good job of playing the diplomat, trying not to insult the blogger's intelligence and still keep him as a potential client (although, from the sounds of it, he's made his decision).
It's really great to have passion (see my last post) but sometimes you can't let that get in the way of what people outside your click think. Let them have it, if you're right, well then they'll all see in the end when you succeed.
I think it speaks volumes if you or the company you work for really has to dive into some random persons personal blog and begin defending yourself when all this guy is doing is giving an opinion. You're putting out a competing product (uh, sure!) and that's great...some will use it many will not. But it really makes me shake my head (knowing some people who work at Zend personally) when I see a Zend'er come out with the gloves up just clutching and grabbing for some traction on their products worth.
Really, if your product was worth a damn in the first place you'd likely have 9 other posts to this one touting the grace and power your product encapsulates. Instead, you put those gloves up because you know you have put out an inferior product and are trying not to be the last kid picked.
Finally, I must admit here that "Will" (IF that IS your REAL name...haha) does a good job of playing the diplomat, trying not to insult the blogger's intelligence and still keep him as a potential client (although, from the sounds of it, he's made his decision).
It's really great to have passion (see my last post) but sometimes you can't let that get in the way of what people outside your click think. Let them have it, if you're right, well then they'll all see in the end when you succeed.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Repeatability
It's been a long time and there is some really rather interesting things I should be blogging about (to me at least) but haven't. I've been really rather depressed lately for some reason or another (impending horrible recession, a shitty haircut, sleeplessness, the usual for a 27 year old male). Anyway, just like it had done for me in the past, seeing success in the Red Wings always seems to really cheer me up.
So last night Detroit goes down 3-2 heading into the 3rd period to the Dallas Stars. Ok, stick a fork in them already. They're done! Wait! Datsyuk scores 36(?) seconds into the period and then Samuelson pops one in about thirty seconds later. We're tied up, baby!!! Ok, now if we can just hold them off...they do. AND Filppula pops in an empty netter to make it 5-3. Detroit wins their (league leading I might add) 46th game, hits the 100 point plateau, they're now undefeated in March (as opposed to obliterated in the month of February) and now have clinched their 17th straight Stanley Cup playoff berth. Let me put that stat out there one more time for you.
Are you kidding me? 17 years in a row Detroit heads into the playoffs. That's the longest streak in professional sports. Evar! Tell me this, name something you've done that's difficult, that you've competed for that you did 17 years in a row either by yourself or with a team. No luck, huh?
Ok, try 15 times...*crickets chirping*
10 times?
5 times?
2 times? Alright then...now think about what happened. Why couldn't you hit that 3rd time leading to a fourth or fifth? I'll pause while we go crack a beer open and sulk...we just weren't "in" it to win it. People lose passion, drive, patience, any number of things and the whole thing falls apart.
You really can tell a lot about an organization which many had written off at the beginning of the season to do poorly after last years showing (hell, they were even doubted to go far last season). The Ilitch family truly hires intelligent people with the same goals to run their club and it shows. Other teams could learn a lot from this model...as novel a concept as it may seem. It truly amazes me to see such a large organization have such stellar results year after year after...(continue as needed).
What always gets me about it still is that this is all done without all of the "flash" that many other clubs (certainly here in the South) resort to in order to get asses in the seats. Cheerleaders, give-aways, $2 beers until the 3rd period...these are gimmicks, we know this...they're admitted to. If you want to get people out to see your product...PUT TOGETHER A GREAT PRODUCT! Apple dealt with this for years, the Nashville Predators are scrambling to put themselves back together after a phenomenal year, in fact I'm sure if we sat and thought it through there are a number of organizations, both for and non-profit that fall into this funk. I believe Seth Godin considers this The Dip. I usually find it highly ironic how many of the things ol' Seth talks about are usually many of the things I deal with as a software developer, a husband, a team mate. But it made me really think back to my love affair with the Red Wings when he blogged about persistence.
Persistence, probably the one constant I've had described about myself from my parents, my wife, coaches, bosses, co-workers. Not in a bad way (heh, at least I don't think) but anyway, brings me back to my point of people no matter what the background, foreground, whatever have the same goal year in, year out and they are passionate, persistent and driven towards that goal it absolutely can be achieved.
What does that say about your organization? Your VP of <some division>, do you even know what that division is doing?
Incredible.
So last night Detroit goes down 3-2 heading into the 3rd period to the Dallas Stars. Ok, stick a fork in them already. They're done! Wait! Datsyuk scores 36(?) seconds into the period and then Samuelson pops one in about thirty seconds later. We're tied up, baby!!! Ok, now if we can just hold them off...they do. AND Filppula pops in an empty netter to make it 5-3. Detroit wins their (league leading I might add) 46th game, hits the 100 point plateau, they're now undefeated in March (as opposed to obliterated in the month of February) and now have clinched their 17th straight Stanley Cup playoff berth. Let me put that stat out there one more time for you.
The Detroit Red Wings have clinched their 17th consecutive Stanley Cup playoff berth
Are you kidding me? 17 years in a row Detroit heads into the playoffs. That's the longest streak in professional sports. Evar! Tell me this, name something you've done that's difficult, that you've competed for that you did 17 years in a row either by yourself or with a team. No luck, huh?
Ok, try 15 times...*crickets chirping*
10 times?
5 times?
2 times? Alright then...now think about what happened. Why couldn't you hit that 3rd time leading to a fourth or fifth? I'll pause while we go crack a beer open and sulk...we just weren't "in" it to win it. People lose passion, drive, patience, any number of things and the whole thing falls apart.
You really can tell a lot about an organization which many had written off at the beginning of the season to do poorly after last years showing (hell, they were even doubted to go far last season). The Ilitch family truly hires intelligent people with the same goals to run their club and it shows. Other teams could learn a lot from this model...as novel a concept as it may seem. It truly amazes me to see such a large organization have such stellar results year after year after...(continue as needed).
What always gets me about it still is that this is all done without all of the "flash" that many other clubs (certainly here in the South) resort to in order to get asses in the seats. Cheerleaders, give-aways, $2 beers until the 3rd period...these are gimmicks, we know this...they're admitted to. If you want to get people out to see your product...PUT TOGETHER A GREAT PRODUCT! Apple dealt with this for years, the Nashville Predators are scrambling to put themselves back together after a phenomenal year, in fact I'm sure if we sat and thought it through there are a number of organizations, both for and non-profit that fall into this funk. I believe Seth Godin considers this The Dip. I usually find it highly ironic how many of the things ol' Seth talks about are usually many of the things I deal with as a software developer, a husband, a team mate. But it made me really think back to my love affair with the Red Wings when he blogged about persistence.
Persistence, probably the one constant I've had described about myself from my parents, my wife, coaches, bosses, co-workers. Not in a bad way (heh, at least I don't think) but anyway, brings me back to my point of people no matter what the background, foreground, whatever have the same goal year in, year out and they are passionate, persistent and driven towards that goal it absolutely can be achieved.
What does that say about your organization? Your VP of <some division>, do you even know what that division is doing?
Incredible.
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