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ATPM 10.09
September 2004

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About This Particular Web Site

by Paul Fatula, pfatula@atpm.com

Setting up Firewall Rules on Mac OS X

Trying to set up Mac OS X Server’s firewall using the provided GUI was both frustrating and confusing, so I decided to try doing it from the command line. This page was tremendously helpful. Beginning with a good description of what firewalls are and how they work, it offered a pre-written set of rules to help get me started, instructions for installing and using firewalls, and documentation to help me through understanding what the rules do. I found working with ipfw and setting up a shell script to apply my rules on system boot to be strangely enjoyable: the command line feels much more responsive than a GUI, since it is so straightforward and literal.

HAMSTERster.com

Friendster is all the rage, one of many places where people can hook up with friends and meet new people online. Then came Catster, where you can browse, search, and learn about any of nearly six thousand member felines. So I thought, ha ha, wouldn’t it be funny if there were a Hamsterster? Well, I typed it in and yes, Virginia, there is a hamsterster. Web-savvy hamsters can search, browse, read about, and gaze adoringly at over 250 of their peers. They can also befriend each other, adding links on their profile pages to those of family and friends. This Web site may be the only chance for countless shut-in hamsters to hone their social skills.

Odd & Interesting Copy

Comical Japanese-to-English translation errors are kind of old hat, but this is a site I only recently encountered. This small collection also includes a typo on a “MacWold” badge, and a store sign advertising direct-import English version iBooks as “iBook for Engrish.” No, not all the typos are Mac-related. Just trying to keep it relevant, folks.

Duck Hunt

Hamsters (or people) who aren’t feeling particularly social will be happy to learn they can also shoot ducks online. Yes, it’s the classic game of Duck Hunt, played by mousing over a target and firing with a click. The sound is turned on by default, and it’s loud, so you might want to mute your Mac before beginning a game while at work. Not that you’d play Duck Hunt at work. Of course not. Um. It’s Duck Hunt, I can’t think of anything else to say about it, so on to…

Library of Unwritten Books

Have you got a great idea for a book but somehow just haven’t gotten around to writing it yet? The Library of Unwritten Books collects short interviews with people about books they want to write. The interviews are made into small books and distributed. The Web site, among other things, includes a catalog of unwritten books, with title and author, that have been collected so far. A few titles I like include: The Revenge of the Bullied One, The Brass Cow, and The Unofficial History of Play. Those who live in England can also look for opportunities to record their own unwritten books.

appleCopyright © 2004 Paul Fatula, pfatula@atpm.com.

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