Chase asks: "I run a couple of websites(including for my work). I'd like to have a backup web server that people would hit when my server goes down. My primary host is on my companies T1 line and even though I've had my server die once the most common reason for my sites to be offline is that our T1 goes down. I've looked at the High-Availability Linux Project but it seems that almost everything there is for failover using ip takeover which isn't an option if my network link dies and my backup server is on a different network. ZoneEdit seems to offer what I'm looking for but I'm wanting a do it myself solution. The only software I've found is Eddie and it seems to have stopped development around 2000. I know DNS based failover doesn't give 100% uptime but with a low cache time and decent monitoring it seems like it's the best solution for having my backup server at a differnt location and on a differnt network. Anyone know of a good solution? (Using Linux and/or Solaris hosts)"

Simon Brooke asks: "I have today received from Microsoft a flyer about an event entitled 'Microsoft and Open Source 20/20 Seminar: An open and honest technology discussion'. Microsoft are touting one of their speakers as an 'independent analyst'. All the other speakers are either Microsoft employees or represent businesses related to Microsoft. The 'independent' speaker is Philip Dawson of Meta Group, and his job title is given as 'Senior Program Director, International Infrastructure Strategies'. He's described as 'a leading authority on Linux, high end UNIX, Windows server platforms and storage'. Among the 'seminar benefits' is listed 'question the platform and Linux technical experts' so clearly their pitch will be to present this guy is a 'Linux technical expert'. Anyone prepared to help me out here? Have Microsoft held similar events in your part of the world, and if so how did you respond? Do you have any scoop on Mr Dawson?" Sounds like more par for the course from Microsoft. Nevertheless, it doesn't hurt to go into these things armed with more information...that is if you are in to events like these.

pnutjam asks: "I have googled and perused several publications seeking an answer but I find no mention of this problem anywhere. I am running applications not designed for a multi-user environment on Windows XP. To allow standard users to run these applications I've modified permissions on files, folders, and registry keys. Whenever a computer with the modifications is rebooted, the permissions revert to their previous settings. It doesn't happen when the users log off, only when the computers are rebooted." When adjusting Windows XP to support such applications, how do you make permission changes so that they survive through a reboot?

the Anonymous Wanderer writes "When I go in vacations, I like to take notes and upon return write a travel story for my friends. Until now I've been using a paper notebook, but found that I'm so busy when I come back that the notebook sits for weeks or months unopened. On the other hand, I have some 'dead' time during trips and I'd like to take the notes electronically (final editing could be done upon return). I don't want to carry a laptop or a PDA (too expensive, plus I want to be away from computers at least those 2 weeks per year). Any suggestions for a light, cheap, keyboard-equipped device? Like a travel clock + keyboard and more memory and USB? Thanks, the Anonymous Wanderer."

Howzer asks: "What's the deal with publishing these days? I remember clearly the old Quark vs Pagemaker wars, the winner being Quark, on a Mac, end of argument. But that was the late 90s. These days the three products I seem to be hearing about are Quark, Publisher, and InDesign. I'd love to get some opinions on platform/software and the current state of play, as it seems I may have to have an opinion on this soon. I thank you, the designers who'll soon be working for us thank you, and the people who'll be reading our 120 page glossy monthly magazine thank you." What publishing software gives you the best performance and features for the money?

mklencke writes "I'm part of a project that is developing a small neighborhood of about 30 houses in the Netherlands with technology, durability and ecological features in mind. We are looking at centralizing the Internet, TV, phone and radio access. Options we have come across are a central satellite dish, a central subscriber line, etc. Preferably, fiber optics will be used. However, it is very difficult to have a good overview of possibilities, and fiber optics technology is apparently very expensive to implement. Have any Slashdot readers been engaged in a similar project? Do you have hints or resources on how to go about wiring our neighborhood?"

foidulus asks: "I am currently a senior undergrad at Penn State looking into studying overseas. I spent 6 months working in Japan at an R&D lab and have published 1 paper with another pending publication(though I was researching security, however I would like to study bio-informatics). I am confident in my Japanese language skills, however it seems very tough to get any scholarships or funding there, but in the US a lot of schools seem to have tuition waivers and stipends(some even have health insurance!). Have any US Slashdot readers done any Masters/PhD work abroad? Do people from outside the US have any information on grad school in their country? What were your experiences? How did you get funding? Were your language skills adequate?" What differences can one expect when dealing with Graduate School in a foreign University compared to those in the United States?

jtprice writes "At a time when spam levels have exceeded 80%, there's growing momentum behind Microsoft's email CallerID, the SPF effort, Yahoo!'s DomainKeys, and the IETF's new MARID Working Group initiatives to address various email abuse problems including spam, joe-jobbing, phishing, and so on. Sendmail has already implemented DomainKeys and CallerID. 10,000+ domains have turned on SPF now. Where the heck are we going with this? Are these efforts at cross purposes, confusing at best or likely to be consolidated? Seems to be less about the end of spam and more about the end of open, uniform, standards-based email as we know it. Apparently the people behind these initiatives are getting together for the first time for something called the Open Email Accountability Symposium next month, at the Inbox Email Conference in San Jose, with the intent of outlining their proposals and answering questions. Any thoughts about all of this, or hard questions that should be asked of these people? Is the email dilemma creating just another monopoly opportunity to force email into proprietary territory?"

Bruha asks: "There have been several reviews of SuSE 9.1 lately in the online press. However I'd like to hear what the buying public has to say about Novell's first release of SuSE since buying the company. I'm currently typing this article from SuSE 9.1 x86_64 and I have to say past a few quirks I'm really starting to love this distro and admire how polished it has become since 8.2 my last SuSE purchase. What are other's opinions of the software after trying it out and what problems and new things have you discovered? And if you're sticking with it after a move from another distro why did you decide to stick?"

lollipop17 asks: "My husband and I recently bought a house, and so our three months on the do not call list before we can file complaints is not quite over. We only have one business thus far that has called soliciting anything, but here's the catch: it's always a recording, and when I finally got through on the number they provided, 800-513-4524, the reps that answer are in India and have no idea what's going on other than they have a contract with an American company to take sales orders. The girl on the recording mumbles the business name, which seems to be 'All Digital Satellite,' which I could not locate via Google as it's so generic. Given the recent story about spam faxes, and solicitations overseas, do you think this is the future of telemarketing (the offshore location anyway)? Has anyone successfully filed a complaint with the FTC for violation of the do not call registry (for I am sure they will call again after our three months is over, they call at least twice a week)? Does anyone have ideas for tracking them down (i.e. local phone number or stateside address)? The message even seems fraudulent, but I cannot file a complaint with the better business bureau without local phone or address. Any ideas?"

Auzy asks: "Originally I thought that the implementation of a system in Linux which could automatically locate and install drivers would revolutionize Linux usability, however, there has been some strong negative feedback, including comments such as that it will kill open source drivers in Linux, and that even a system which employs digital signatures could never be secure enough to stop worms. I believe the opposite, and now I want to know from the Slashdot crowd, if they think I should drop the project now and potentially save Linux from possible security problems, or if I am right in saying that potential problems can be avoided, and that this system can become successful."

Nicholas French asks: "I have recently made a couple of online purchases, one was an Ancient Bronze Amlash ring from The Antiquities Company which cost me *cough* 'a lot of money' and was backed up by a 'guarantee of authenticity'. The other was a second hand Book Crowds & Power, via the Amazon Marketplace, which I have not even received regardless of the numerous emails sent to both the seller and Amazon. I have since taken delivery of the ring and had its metal composition tested...turns out it is actually brass, and not exactly Ancient either! When I approached the seller via email, quoting my money back 'guarantee of authenticity' I was told politely to take a hike. I am considering speaking to Trading standards but am not really sure where to start, so have added myself to the growing numbers of reported Fraud victims on Fraud.Org. Have any other Slashdot readers managed to retrieve their hard earned cash from these Fraudsters, or had any similar problems with large online's such as Amazon?"

Scozza asks: "In the name of science and decency, we have been trying to find the meanings of the code names used by Intel for their processors. The only problem is that we can't find links to a couple of names and would really appreciate it if Slashdot could help fill the blanks!"

cybrthng asks: "Mozdex.com is my attempt at building a search engine capable of indexing the entire web. Our goal is to provide a completely transparent system utilizing open technologies such as Nutch, Lucene and other systems to provide a search facility that is more scientific and 'protocol' vs the current propriety and almost 'faith based' search engine results and methods of getting listed. What do you look for out of a search engine? What would you look for out of this project? Should large commercial entities be the only way we find information and resources on the net? BTW, our beta index currently has about 50 million pages and we hope it shows what can be done using Open Source systems available today. We are seeking input on starting a developer & input community as well as getting concepts and ideas out and about, so we value your ideas and what you hope to see out of this project."

Bravo_Two_Zero asks: "I've recently been offered a Configuration Management position as a lateral (with a slight incline) move. I'm darn happy as an admin, and my heart really lies with system engineering rather than the more mundane operational concerns. But, the position is new, so I would have a chance to define many parameters. Also, it could lead to a management opportunity (if I'm interested) much faster than my current admin slot. It's a hideously complex environment, but I already live through that as an admin. Mileage will vary widely, I know, but I was hoping there might be a school of thought or two from some devoted Slashdot readers who perform or have performed the position. What did you do, and what would you change? And, to the broader audience, is this something you think of as a growth field, or is this just another layer of administrivia foisted on us by an unrealistic development model? Is there a book or other resource that professional Configuration Managers consider a must-read?"

dhanks asks: "I'm one of 10 administrators in our group. We're equally responsible for about 300 UNIX servers. We're having problems keeping track of all the root passwords and some of the administrators have taken it upon themselves to implement different security standards. (sudo with silly !SHELLS restrictions) How do other companies and system administrators handle the distribution of root access? I've been charged with coming up with a security policy and I would like to receive some feedback. I'm currently thinking of personal root accounts that would be locked via the /etc/passwd and would only be accessible via 'sudo su - adm_userid' that way each administrator may have full root access only using his regular user password instead of having to keep track of root passwords." While this is similar to an earlier question, this question deals with insuring authorized administrators have the access they need. How would you distribute root over hundreds of Unix machines to the administrators that need it?

No One You Know asks: "I've been working as a sysadmin for an insurance company in the US for the past six years, and have decided to move to Canada. I've had it with corporate America, but I'm trying to keep an open mind while job hunting. How does Canadian corporate life compare to that of the US?"

Paul Townend asks: "The BBC are reporting that a US government investigation has found that 28 top federal employees possess bogus college degrees (usually based on 'life experience'), and the phenomenon may be much bigger. Have Slashdot readers come across or worked with people with such degrees? Does it give them an advantage? What happens when they're discovered?"

jm2morri asks: "I am currently in the market for a new cell phone and while I'm at it I'd really like to combine my PalmOS based PDA into my new cell phone. I'd really like to keep PalmOS based so that I can sync with my wife who has a PalmOS based PDA as well. However I don't want a camera since there are new security laws being written, as I type this, to restrict the use of camera-phones. Has anyone used one of the smartphones on the market? What is the voice quality like? How often does it crash? Do you have any other observations?"

mrperkins asks: "I have been asked to help a friend setup a Linux DVR (Digital Video Recording) system for security cameras. Previously this has been done on Windows XP using Avermedia video capture cards from the MP3000 and MP5000 series, and using their bundled software. They have a Linux version but the software is horribly broken. The Windows software allows playback/recording/backup from 4-16 cameras. This works reasonably well but certainly has it's share of problems - the PC's hardware being only one. Can this be done on Linux using Free Software and compatible hardware? I have heard that the frame rates achievable under video4linux are simply too slow, but I would like to prove otherwise! Are there any software packages that can do this kind of thing (not just a single stream but a fully featured package)? Also, what cards (pref. up to max $200US) would you recommend? If anyone is already doing this kind of thing please let me know what you're using!"