A day of protecting PHP code

So, spent a day protecting some of our code today.  We've used a cross between some in-house obfuscation on some files and using SourceGuardian for protecting the core files - therefore leaving everyone with the ability to alter the code and design without compromising our intellectual property. It seems to have worked quite well. SourceGuardian is a PHP Encoder that runs on OS X, Windows and Linux.  I purchased the OSX Encoder and it works just like any other Mac app.

A peaceful world via the internet

I'm kind of wondering... as the world becomes more connected is it possible for wars - at least global ones - to be a more difficult thing to start.  I personally work with people here in the UK, various places in Russia, the USA, Germany, The Philippines, China and other places across the globe.  My thought process at the moment is that if  everyone could start communicating, and really making friends with people from around the world then we see these people as real people and therefore its much more difficult to treat them as an abstract entity.  Recently I had the pleasure of some company with someone from a different country and I was surprised, and a little disturbed, with their attitude towards making their country great and powerful. My own feeling is that we're all people, we're all connected and I don't like aggressive stances - it's just such a negative force.  I consider myself to be British, but I consider myself to be human first and foremost and that the other people I meet are also. They're real people with real fears, aspirations, love and all the other human emotions that I have - on an individual level this is always the way, yet governments and politics tend to intervene and we find ourselves sometimes pitted against each other.  I feel that the person who manages to create something online which connects everyone and makes us all realise that everyone is the same as us, regardless of race, colour or nationality, will be someone who should win a peace prize.

What do you think?

If you live each day as your last...

Then one day it surely will be.  I'm sure the saying goes something like that.  I for one am not a big believer in living each day as if it were your last.  Think about it. What would you really do if it was?  Here's my short selection plucked from my tired brain:

• get so drunk that I couldn't stand up. easy one that and top of the list
  
• Blow all my money on the craziest day of lesbian fun that I can
  
• confess to people some of the things I would never really get around to in the hope that I would be forgiven (doubtful with some of the things I've done). Probably leave out some of the kinkiest shit though
  
• Tell some clients to go take a hike
  
• and on and on.

Firstly if you lived each day as if it was your last then you'd very quickly be broke and have some serious issues, not the least of which would be your hangover.  So, I think there are better ways to live your life - try to not be asleep all of it. There are too many people who are the waking dead, going through the motions until they reach Friday, reach their holidays, reach anything that will give them a fleeting time of fun. Each day should be grasped as much as possible and you should try to obtain something from it that ultimately becomes a memory.  

Business and Ethics

It's a 'dog eat dog' world as the saying goes. So where is the enjoyment in life when all you do is constantly fight to be the top tog?  Recently I reached a point where I decided to try to do good with my life at every opportunity. Where there was the potential to take more than I should, I didn't, where the was the opportunity to give back I did. It's only a start... I'm no mother Theresa, thats for sure, but as I move forward on this journey which is life, hopefully enhancing the lives of others at the same time, I will grow in myself.  Either that or I will end up dropping off this "love waggon" and end up in a life of drug-fueled ecstasy with a life full of young hookers. Either way, it sounds good

Various bits of software

I decided that I'd write my first post about my recent experience with Mac OS X and a failed hard drive. I purhased a Mac Mini a few months ago and I copied all my music onto it.  Recently the hard drive failed and I lost everything. Luckily for me I had a backup from six months ago, so I've only lost six months worth of music.  Now I use a remote backup tool called Viono Backup and this helps me to protect my files on my Mac hard drive and automatically upload and backup my files.  You can find out more information about Viono Backup here