Archive for September 2007

 
 

看似容易的 Web Hosting

十一年前 (1996 年),我第一次接觸網頁設計,當年不是放係 Geocities 就係 ISP 提供的個人網頁空間, 個網址好鬼長、又得那幾 MB, 一過 quota 就要 delete files。Geocities 同 cybercity 因為多人用,個 server 好慢,所以我寧願擺係 ISP 度:http://users.vol.net/~belleliu, 個網址係咪好核突呢!

1999 年先至有自己的 domain name (belleliu.com), 哇,興奮到我幾晚瞓唔著!幾十蚊美金一年,真係唔係人人都捨得。要用自己的 domain name, 就要搵 web hosting 公司 host (寄存) 個網站。外行人覺得好 “hi-tech”, 其實說穿了只不過又係一部電腦,分分鐘可能仲慢過自己屋企部 Pentium 133,長時間駁住 Internet , 開個folder 同 ftp account 俾你就可以「搵錢」。聽落好似幾易做,有一百幾十個客,每個月keep住俾幾百蚊你,好過打份銀行工。

到今時今日都仲有人問我:點解唔做埋 web hosting? 第一,好難做;第二,唔識做。先講第一,有幾難?要賺錢好難,周圍都鬥平,軟硬件成本低,但人工唔低,要 keep 條 technical support team 24×7 你估平嗎?做多D來攤分成本是可行的,但係個 scale 係講緊最少幾千個客,一定要專注做,「兼做」根本無可能維持。第二係唔識。唔係講笑,真係唔識。2001年試過膽粗粗學人做,買幾部黃金機,裝個Redhat,擺係 data centre。 都唔夠幾個月就知死,硬件壞要維修,「蹲」係個 rack 到直踩十七個鐘連厠所都無得去。請人做就係必然,但模式都要進步,宜家的用家不單要 storage 多,更要 support 這樣那樣,乜野 control panel, one-click install, reseller packages, virtual dedicated server … 係必然,一D先進既更有on-demand scalability, 唔進步係死路一條。

最重要係,你夠人地平、夠人地勁、夠唔夠多人用?點解要擺個網站係香港先?得一個原因,就係貪 local 公司 support 好D:有人聽電話,仲要係講廣東話喎!無事的話,分別不大;有事起上來,你都想搵人幫手(或鬧) ﹣ 係即刻那種。坦白講,我寧願俾多錢,做鬧人那個。

Worst thing of breakup

From Before Sunrise (1995):

You know what’s the worst thing about somebody breaking up with you? Is when you remember how little you thought about the people you broke up with and you realize that is how little they’re thinking of you. You know, you’d like to think you’re both in all this pain but they’re just like ‘Hey, I’m glad you’re gone’.

New tennis shoes

I need a new pair of shoes for playing on turf / artificial grass (surface for most of the morning league matches), which requires a lightweight and “lower-to-ground” gear like for clay surface.

Couldn’t decide which to buy among the two (Nike Zoom Ti and Adidas CC Divine). Solution? Bought them both. ;-)

Nike Zoom Ti

Rain delayed tennis open

幾時先會好天? 報名參加了南華會網球公開賽,第一圈賽事因天雨一改再改,好煩!好羨慕人地的私人會所有室內場,不用痴痴地等、浪費青春(巳經無乜剩)。

Update (9/26): Alright, my prayers were answered. It is SO damn hot and sunny today, and I lost 4-8 in an hour, couldn’t survive the heat at all.

rain delay

停不了的九月

Evan Almighty眨下眼個暑假就過左(雖然唔係好關我事),九月真係好似好忙咁,一直都無停過,所以都無時間(更無精力)去寫 blog。忙乜?忙 GTD, 哈哈,呢個真係會上癮架,我連 Wallpaper 都換埋!係 ThingsOmniFocus 未出之前,我用住 iGTD 先,但係以我的一貫性格,更係去到盡,基本上係所有野都入晒落去, seriously, my whole life is there。小至屋企要買盞床頭燈,大至公司的發展計劃,我都通通寫低晒,那種感覺好特別。一方面好有滿足感(我知,寫左唔代表做左),另一方面好驚自己做唔到。我的缺點就係太貪心,又唔夠毅力,所以一定要對自己誠實:衡量下係咪真係做得來,一 commit 左就點都要做到。

網球的聯賽球季剛剛開始,同時又要參加公開賽,我的日程都幾豐富。今晚本來要打南華會公開賽的單打第一輪,可惜遇著打風落雨要改明晚,碰巧又撞正爸爸的生日,真係分身不睱。早幾日打 morning league 時又觸及左腳踝的舊患,睇完跌打後行得OK, 但係對單打比賽都不敢有期望。受傷真係好慘,明明平時 easy job 的一球可以完全打唔中,因為隻腳痛企唔穩。所以係電視睇足球時見到D球員俾人踢中都好肉緊,正所謂己所不欲,勿施於人,靠對腳搵食俾你踢傷真係好慘情。難得可以留係屋企睇曼聯對車路士,我就直落睇埋D想睇好耐既 DVD - 今晚就睇左 Evan Almighty。第一次看 Steve Carrell 係在 Bruce Almighty 同埋 The 40 Year Old Virgin,真係笑鬼死我!不過我都係鍾意第一集多D,一來個故事有新鮮感、二來 Jim Carrey 更加抵死搞笑 (尤其係用電郵 Reply All) 。我覺得呢個 series 同 Click 大同小異,後者多D感人場面, 全部都值得看,老少咸宜。

看書亦係最近的主要活動之一,買左好多,有排看,我諗要等到十一月先有機會去下旅行。希望唔駛等到出年一月的 Macworld Conference 啦!

新玩具 my new toys - update

好多朋友見親我都問:最近有乜新玩具?買左 {insert latest apple product here} 未?Sorry, 我仲未買 iPhone, 但係都買左不少東西,有D係唔駛用電既, 但係都好正。剛剛先買左部 Sony Ericsson P1i, 咁快又換咩! :-)

排名不分先後:

Moleskine ruled notebook
Moleskine notebook

LAMY pen
LAMY Rollerball Pen designed by B&O

DYMO LabelWriter Duo
LabelWriter Duo

Piquadro leather keychain bag

Leather jacket for MacBook Pro 15″

IKEA MINDE mirror

iLife ‘08 and iWork ‘08

今日係先達見到 software unlocked iPhone 減到 HK$4,480,坦白講,真係有D衝動!忍忍忍 ……

Wish List (as of today):

iPod Touch

IPEVO Free.2 USB Handset for Skype

IKEA PORFYLIT Table Lamp

A new laptop bag: Either Saoirse or The Slim Pack from Acme Made

Sony Ericsson Stereo Bluetooth Headset HBH-DS980

有排都未到我生日,呢個 Wish List 都係靠自己了!

Getting Things Done (GTD)

GTD in process: "in" basket for "stuffs"呢幾個星期真係好忙,見到自己張枱越堆越多野真係好心煩。我不嬲都用 email inbox + iCal 做自己的 to-do list, 但係多野起上來真係唔work, 一定要有一個好好的系統先得。上星期終於的起心肝用左個 weekend 實行 GTD。David Allen 這本書真係好正,唔係話佢那套一定適合你,但係看完呢本書一定會有不同的得著。千祈唔好以為只係幫到工作, 我覺得就係人都用得著,包括學生、退休人士同家庭主婦。我只係看了本書一次,我諗最少要看多兩次先可以明白透徹。

今日 pantry 個櫃到了之後,我終於覺得今次 office 裝修算係「大功告成」了。呢幾個月來不停買野裝野,好似砌 LEGO 咁逐件逐件拼合一起,個過程雖然漫長,但係好過癮。我最鍾意就係休息/ presentation 區,有LCD TV、Wii、Mac mini 同埋好「橙」的梳化,感覺好似屋企,不過我都唔想自己和同事係度過夜。幾時都係要 work hard, play hard, 要有 social / family life 個人先至唔會 dry! :-)