TCbear.com

Technical update

AdminBear — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 16:58:35 +0000

Spam comments for my blog seem to be solved for the moment, by denying access to some IP addresses. That will only work until the spam starts arriving from some new source so I’m still looking for a better solution. The article in this month’s issue of Comms ACM might help.

Research bear

I bravely updated the software for my blog today, to WordPress 2.1. UnBEARable suspense while I waited for the results but everything still seems to work.

I’ve checked the links from my earlier posts and was sad to find that two teddy bear sites have disappeared.

The right picture

AdminBear — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 09:57:01 +0000

I’ve been working hard on a jigsaw puzzle. A 1000-piece jigsaw is usually bearsplay to a teddy bear with my skill and experience, but this one has an extra twist: the picture on the box is not the picture on the puzzle.

But I finished it and solved the hidden mystery about Leonardo Da Vinci. Now I’m having a well-earned rest.

Puzzled bear

Protesting

AdminBear — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 10:45:47 +0000

The spam thing gets worse and worse. I’ve tried some professional-strength growling but the spammers out there can’t hear me. There are thousands of spam comments arriving at my blog and there’s email spam as well.

Marching for the cause

I support everyone who is working to fight the problem.

Happy New Year

AdminBear — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 08:31:18 +0000

Where did you get that hat? Out of a cracker, of course, at last night’s New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Party bear

First resolution

AdminBear — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 09:22:39 +0000

For the last couple of weeks, TCbear.com has been suffering from spam comments and I’m getting hundreds every day. For example, there were 428 yesterday morning. I scan them quickly before deleting them, but it would be easy to overlook a genuine comment in the mass. So if you have sent me a real comment and it hasn’t appeared, then I apologise.

My number one New Year’s resolution for 2007 it to find out more about preventing comment spam.

Merry Christmas

AdminBear — Mon, 25 Dec 2006 11:16:47 +0000

It’s Christmas Day and I have a present. (I really shouldn’t have worried.) It’s a smart black box for storing my ribbons and inside there’s a voucher for a new ribbon - grrreat.

For me

Impatience

AdminBear — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 13:03:57 +0000

It’s Christmas Eve and I know it’s paws off the presents until tomorrow, but I’m allowed to admire the wrapping and read the labels. I like the teddy bears on the paper for this one.

Not for me

I’ve checked ALL the labels on ALL the presents and NONE of them is for me! Will there be a present for me by tomorrow? The suspense is awful.

The party begins

AdminBear — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 09:54:52 +0000

Yesterday evening we began the Christmas celebrations with champagne, including a glass for me of course. The candles are part of the magic.

Setting the mood

Decorations

AdminBear — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 14:05:27 +0000

The house is ready for Christmas, with bowls of shiny baubles like this one. It gets more Christmassy every day as more cards arrive and are added to the display. I counted them today: 36 so far.

Christmas gold

The mice have been checking the cards, too, reading the messages. I suggested they could help with the counting and the brown one squeaked “Whatever”.

The Christmas mice

AdminBear — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 09:09:44 +0000

At Christmas, these three mice come out of hibernation for the season. Every year, I tell them to behave themselves. Every year, they pretend to listen.

They are not paying attention

But I know it’s useless. All they think about is party, party, party.