Care in the Community

It's System Administrator Appreciation Day--a reminder to thank the hard-working folks who keep it all going, and who usually only hear from others when things go wrong. To mark it, we're launching a contest gives a nod to what sysadmins deal with: We're looking for the quintessential messy server room.

As well as bragging rights, you'll win a trip to London for the CNET Networks UK Technology Awards on 24 September. You'll get the chance to hobnob with key industry players at the networking dinner and awards ceremony at the London Hilton on Park Lane. We'll put you up for the night at that hotel, too, and pay for your train tickets.

Of course, we'll want evidence. So post a photo in a blog entry to let everyone see what your server room is like. You can't upload an image, but you can include html that pulls in a picture posted to another site. (If you need help with this, let me know. But I'll bet you won't.)

Update: If you need inspiration, here's CNET staffer Juzar Valiji in our Comms Room. It's not as untidy as it could be:



Our judges will take a look and decide on the winner. They'll take into account any comments left on the blog, so keep that in mind when choosing your photo. It's worth doing it soon--the cut-off for entries is 24 August. Come on--show us what you've got.

We've been seeing a wave of activity that doesn't fit with the idea behind this community--that is, with its being a place where you can meet like-minded people and exchange ideas. Some is ad-related stuff covered by our Terms and Conditions, but there's also a lot of instances where people haven't really "got" it yet.

To give these misguided folks a hand, we've come up with a ZDNet code of conduct, which outlines expected standards of behaviour. Here are a couple of examples:

Make your first post count
Don't begin your blog with a "Hi, I'm new" or "This is my first entry!" Use the opportunity to introduce yourself and your interests, or to raise a question or make a point.

Be transparent
Make it clear if you have a vested interest. If you're talking about a business and you work for that company, it's only fair to let people know.

Take a look at the full list here and give us your feedback. Does the code go too far, or not far enough? Do they reflect how the community should be? It's up to you where we draw the line. Either post a reply, or drop me a line at community.manager@zdnet.co.uk.

It's an industry, there's a huge annual trade conference, so it's about time they got their own glittering awards. The Pwnies, to be handed out at the Black Hat Briefings in August, will mark the successes and failures of security researchers--known to some as "hackers".

There's a tongue-in-cheek air to the whole affair: One of the categories is for best song. (It's been done before--look here.) The other categories are best server-side bug, best client-side bug, mass ownage, most innovative research, lamest vendor response and most overhyped bug.

As far as I know, this is the first year of Pwnies, though they may have existed in underground form before. Flaws and research released between June 2005 and the end of May this year are eligible for entry, though, so perhaps not.

The awards could be seen as another tweak to the nose of software makers, whose disagreements with the security community reach a new pitch every year at Black Hat. This year's get-together in Las Vegas should see the demo of the recently claimed iPhone hack. In the past, a lot of dust has been stirred up by demos of an attack on an Apple MacBook and a Cisco router flaw.

To end, I just have to say I owe the headline to a comment by Dave Sanford on the Full Disclosure mailing list. Sorry, Dave--I couldn't resist.

Microsoft says it's planning to release the next update to Windows--known internally as version 7 and formerly code-named Vienna--within three years or so. Current version Vista ran into so many delays and shifts in direction that it took more than five years to arrive. And it could be five months--the end of the year--before SP1 for Vista emerges.

While Microsoft says most people are pleased with Vista, I've heard and seen reports of users sticking to XP while they work out what to do.

So how does the news affect that decision making? Or will it have no impact at all?

Just wanted to point out this discussion about building a silent system that's been going on. Masters student mansimran asked for suggestions for a project to build one, and got some useful pointers.

It's great to see the collaborative instincts of the tech community at work. We know that our members have a lot of expertise at their fingertips, and that they see the global value in sharing knowledge.

Right now, one member is wondering if anyone knows whether you can use a Psion with a 3G telephone, and another is looking for a case study on automation/testing. Does anybody have any tips?