I’ve recently been trying to apply the use of .htaccess files to some test sites running on my localhost web server (Mac). After wondering why I couldn’t get things to work and subsequently spending several hours tinkering with the content of my .htaccess and httpd.conf files, I discovered this fantastic .htaccess tutorial, that not only improved my understanding of .htaccess, but highlighted the fact that my local server wasn’t even reading the .htaccess files to begin with! It seems quite stupid in retrospect but hopefully this will help someone else suffering the same problem!

I’d been checking and re-checking the configuration settings in the httpd.conf file, completely unaware that each user profile on the Mac has it’s own httpd.conf file! So within the main directory is a folder named “Users” containing the config file for each user profile, and the settings within these override the settings in the main config file.

Example of the config files in the directory structure

Altering the settings within the specified user config file fixed the issues I was having.

If you’re having Apache issues, you may find the following link useful – outlining the default file locations for each version of Apache.

If I’m still in your RSS feed and this has popped up – big thanks for not having hit the delete key before now!

I’ve designed the Wordpress theme for the site. Not quite polished and final just yet.

Exciting content to come – both on the triathlon and web development side of things.

With Study Period 4 of the 2008 OUA study calendar behind us, it’s time to move onto the first period of 2009. I’m pretty excited about getting stuck into the two units I’ve chosen – Computer Organisation at RMIT; and Human Computer Interaction at Swinburne.

I’ve previously attempted the Computer Organisation unit but didn’t get to complete it, so thankfully I’m familiar with some of the material. On the other hand, I know what to expect with regards to difficulty. It’s one of those subjects that requires continuous thought and a transformation into some form of uber-programmer mindset. For the next three months I’ll be doing some serious time thinking in 1’s and 0’s – binary – working through assembly language problems.

Human Computer Interaction is of real interest and I’d like to explore this area further. The concept of blending technology with human psychology appeals, so we’ll see how it progresses.

I thought I would just take a few moments to reflect on what I am lucky enough to take away from NET11 – Internet Communications.

First of all, I’ve met some really great and fascinating people (characters, for a more affectionate term) through the various communication channels we’ve been using – discussion forums, social networking sites, online chat, Twitter and of course, eachother’s blogs. I think this interaction side of the unit has really put the icing on the cake, and probably a whole lot of the good stuff inside the cake too! I can’t recall being part of an online unit before where I’ve actually felt like I’ve been studying right next to other students.

Which brings me to the technology side of things. We’ve covered a wide array of Internet based communication tools, some of which have been duds and some which have proved to be everlasting favourites (at least as everlasting as Internet tools get!).

The most satisfying activity of the unit for myself has involved self publishing – through this blog and Twitter. I’ve been introduced to the power of publishing your thoughts, and consuming the thoughts of others. I’m excited at the thought of continuing this beyond NET11 and look forward to seeing how other students develop their online activites as we move on from the structure of the unit.

In closing this post, I just emphasise how much I’ve enjoyed this unit and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone seeking to expand their knowledge and participation in Internet Communications.

5. The mobility of electronic digital data

Email and similar forms of asynchronous communication carry with them the possibility for rapid, efficient, almost invisible ‘multiplication’ of the addresses to which communication is being sent. Functions such as carbon copying, forwarding and so on enable the most rapid form of communication ‘expansion’ – bringing other people into communicative circuits – yet seen. It is very easy, with forward for example, to simply ‘pass on’ information without processing it or, without processing the dynamics of the communicative relationship between you and the forwardee or without realising that you are establishing a third relationship – between the original sender and the final recipient. (Allen, n.d.)

Primarily used as a form of communication between multiple users, email has proved to be such an effective tool for the transfer of information that users have become reliant on the medium, in some cases even extending the tool beyond its original purpose.

The “exploding inbox” appears to be a common problem, crammed full of email messages from various sources and possessing various levels of importance, also known as email overload. Whitaker and Sidner (1996) discovered in a study of twenty email users that some individuals struggled to read and respond to emails. A troublesome ‘condition’, email overload causes the user to feel overrun and unable to complete tasks which may appear more important. Not uncommon is the cry that the email overload is preventing the user from doing their real job! In actual fact, email management has become a fundamental skill which in most cases is part of that real job.

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