DancingSamurai.ca

I use the really slick (actually, no – it’s annoying at times and slow on the server refreshes, but it actually works, vs. Outlook which does not) Thunderbird client for e-mail. The release candidate for version 2 is now out, and so I was trying to let the auto-install go and do it’s thing.

Unfortunately it ended in a never ending loop of trying to load thunderbird, starting the update, crashing through the update process with a “cannot update all files” error, and restarting the updater. Hmmm… so I uninstalled it and noted that not all files were gone. I could not delete the directory because of a little file, mozmApi32.dll, which was apparently in use by another process. Despite rebooting.

A little internet search revealed that Logitech Quickcam was at fault. What it’s doing with my mail reader, I have no idea, but closing that down let me delete the directory and re-install the new version of Thunderbird. What a pain. If I was running Linux, I would give Claws a try like this guy, but migration at this point would be too much hassle. I may do it when I have to buy a new computer and the only OS available is that piece of crap Vista.

I’ve been using Thunderbird as my mail client for a while, mostly because I have multiple e-mail accounts and I don’t trust any big company — not even Google — to handle all my mail. I’d prefer to run my own mail software on my own server. Until I have time to examine my options for that, though… I’ve been using Thunderbird.

This new beta version has a few new features but is otherwise the same old Thunderbird. I’d upgrade just for the new icons. Unfortunately a lot of plugins don’t work with the new version… :(

See this review for more details.

Unfortunately, I hosed both my desktop system and my router setup the other day (don’t ask). In trying to reconstruct things, I ran across this ‘SPF’ feature for mail sender authentication that my DNS provier (easyDNS) is now supporting.

The basic theory is that it’ll check the ‘reply-to’ address with the originating domain of the e-mail, and if that domain is not authorized to send e-mail from that address, the e-mail gets stamped with a big warning (or rejected outright).

I’m not sure at how useful it will actually be to slow down spam — after all, there are lots of insecure domains out there — but it took me like 15 minutes to set up for my domains so why not, eh? I used this SPF setup wizard to make life easier.

Now, all I have to do is stop forwarding the e-mail for my whois address to my regular inbox. I get a ridiculous number of spam messages a day in there. I can’t wait till CIRA implements their new policy of non-public addresses…

There’s also this interesting Bandwidth Log for my router. It was easy enough to set up but making it reload whenever I reboot the router is a little more involved and I’ll pass on it for now… and making it backup the tracked data… well, forget it! ;)

Well, I’ve just sorted through the 100+ e-mails that were sitting in my inbox. Phew, you let that slide for a week, and it fills up with crap. And not even “real” junk mail, most of it is meds06-social stuff…. which, I admit, is certainly busy enough with irrelevant information for me that it can be considered junk mail. Too bad I actually have to read everything… I’m the moderator. :(
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Evil! Vile! Relentless! It invades my Inbox, wastes my time, and forces me to write these horrid pointless rants!!!
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I had a kickass day today. In a nutshell, I heard a beautiful choir concert, chatted for 3 hours with a couple super nice and interesting ladies, and swing danced the night away. Can’t think of a better way of spending a Sunday.

Well, there was the heated debate about proper use of our listserv when I got home, stuffing my inbox with 30 new messages, but, that’s a minor inconvenience.

More to come when I have time to flesh out this posting. I’m going to bed now.