I haven’t decided what that domain will be just yet, but I’m hoping it will be a more professional name so that I can actually do some work on it, and not feel embarrassed every time I give out my email address to a client.

If anyone has any requests of me, please comment or send me an email.  It was fun while it lasted .

The site will be going down sometime after the 1st of February (depending how long it takes my host to take it down).

Opera Web Browser

I work for the BBC and we work very hard to make sure anything that the public see is of the highest standard, and we’re always working to improve that methodology over time. Yes, like any live and evolving website, the occasional bug does slip through the net. We do our very best to prevent it, having a dedicated team of User Experience and Functionality testers, along side a team of people writing automated tests and software. But bugs can occasionally happen.

When we do find a bug, especially with a new feature, we identify and fix the problem as quickly as possible. This is where I come in. As a developer, part of my job is to do the finding and fixing.

So I was handed a bug to look at. The video was not appearing for some Opera users. I talked over the situation with our QA manager, and discussed just how long the fix should take, how we’re going to roll it out and what impact it will have on users until then.

That having been sorted, I started work on my side of the problem. When I finished, I found my fix only served to create another problem. And another appeared. And another, and another.

By chance, I switched off a setting called “Browser JavaScript”. Suddenly, everything starts working. I just sat there stunned. “What just happened?” I started asking myself. I switch Browser JS back on, and it breaks again. So I started running around the office looking for anyone with Opera to test out this problem.

I found that roughly 50% of users are seeing the same results as I was. The other 50% haven’t got a problem.

So I start reading up about browser JS and start having a look at the file directly. Lo and behold, there is a direct mention of BBC iPlayer. They’re rewriting a core browser JS function. “What the hell?”, you could rightly ask.

} else if(hostname.indexOf('bbc.co.uk')>-1 && pathname.indexOf('/iplayer')>-1){ // PATCH-426, Add to favourites fails on BBC iPlayer because of script loading/parsing timing issue
	document.getElementsByTagName=function(n){
		var elms=getElementsByTagName.call(this, n);
		if(elms.length==0 && n=='body')return [document.documentElement];
		return elms;
	}
	if(self==top)postError.call(opera, 'Opera has modified the JavaScript on '+hostname+' (Add to favourites fails on BBC iPlayer because of script loading/parsing timing issue). See browser.js for details');

They’re rewriting a core function, built into the browser, and it’s worth noting that this isn’t a problem with iPlayer that they’re fixing. It’s a problem with Opera that they’re working around for only iPlayer.

I did a little research and found this blog, my.opera.com/core/blog/show.dml/3130540 (Update: Can anyone tell me why this only loads in Opera?) from Opera, stating:

“Opera has more experience with site-specific patches than other browser vendors, since we’ve been patching the web since Opera 8.01. I believe our solution is also by far the most advanced one”.

Did I just read that right?  Opera are better at developing websites that anyone? That’s an unbelievable statement to make.

What about GreaseMonkey, you might ask. GreaseMonkey is a great little tool for letting users add functionality to websites that they think is missing. Opera are taking that idea and forcing it onto their users by default. It’s not even opt in.

Conclusion: I’ve met some of the Opera people before today. Bruce Lawson is a particularly fine chap. Which is why I’m confused why they would think that as a software development company, not only do they know web development better than web developers, but that they have a duty to edit those sites which fail in their browser.  The correct course of action, for me, would have been to contact us directly and report the issue.  I just hope they do this in future.

Update: We got an apology my.opera.com/sitepatching/blog/2011/09/12/why-we-broke-2 from Opera which was extremely nice of them.

Update: The apology managed to get to #10 on Hacker news

This hack is a response to this statement by RIM:

“We feel for those impacted by this weekend’s riots in London. We have engaged with the authorities to assist in any way we can. As in all markets around the world Where BlackBerry is available, we cooperate with local telecommunications operators, law enforcement and regulatory officials. Similar to other technology providers in the UK we comply with The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act and co-operate fully with the Home Office and UK police forces.”

Dear Rim;
You Will _NOT_ assist the UK Police because if u do innocent members of the public who were at the wrong place at the wrong time and owned a blackberry will get charged for no reason at all, the Police are looking to arrest as many people as possible to save themselves from embarrassment…. if you do assist the police by giving them chat logs, gps locations, customer information & access to peoples BlackBerryMessengers you will regret it, we have access to your database which includes your employees information; e.g – Addresses, Names, Phone Numbers etc. – now if u assist the police, we _WILL_ make this information public and pass it onto rioters…. do you really want a bunch of angry youths on your employees doorsteps? Think about it…. and don’t think that the police will protect your employees, the police can’t protect themselves let alone protect others….. if you make the wrong choice your database will be made public, save yourself the embarrassment and make the right choice. don’t be a puppet..

p.s – we do not condone in innocent people being attacked in these riots nor do we condone in small businesses being looted, but we are all for the rioters that are engaging in attacks on the police and government…. and before anyone says “the blackberry employees are innocent” no they are not! They are the ones that would be assisting the police

- TriCk – TeaMp0isoN -
- Greets To: iN^SaNe – Hex00010 – MLT – BlackHacker

- Knowledge is Power . . . . .
#FuckTheFeds

Twitter: @TeaMp0isoN_

It was originally found here: http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/rnr/964514051.html. Enjoy

I am a born again Christian. Why is this a problem for people????! I have a house that’s MINE and I PAID FOR IT. I also have a basement apartment for rent. It’s a great space for I’m charing very little for it, $480 monthly, for the right tenant. I know it’s ILLEGAL to require a Christian in the apartment, against the human rights. That’s why I NEVER put this in my ad. Why then does it keep getting taken down?

HERE IS THE AD I POSTED, AND THE AD THAT KEEPS GETTING REMOVED:

Available Immediately – Broadway and Commercial – Showing Saturday and Sunday – Email for directions and additional information.

What kind of apartment is it?

• One bedroom basement apartment with separate entrance
• Tastefully decorated with modern décor
• Approximately 650 square feet
• There is even a window! Security bars installed for your safety and to prevent unauthorized activity
• Closed circuit camera installed for security and safety. One in your suite, one at the entrance, and one in the exercise yard

Rent:

• $480.00 per month
• First month’s rent + ½ month security deposit due at move in
• Small pet allowed with approval and payment of additional ½ month pet damage deposit
• One year lease permitted, option to renew lease at end of the term with no increase in rent
• LANDLORD’S SPECIAL! Move in before January 1st and don’t pay for the remainder of December! That’s significant savings.

Included in the rent:

• Electricity
• Heat – Maintained at 21 degrees with lock box to prevent unauthorized tampering. Additional heating available for $20.00 per extra degree of heating per month. You may not use your oven to heat the apartment. If you do, you will be fined $50.00 per occurrence.
• Air conditioning – Maintained at 25 degrees during the summer with lock box to prevent extra cooling from being dispensed. Additional cooling for sale for $20.00 per degree of cooling requested per month.
• 25″ Zenith color television set with basic cable service – INCLUDED IN RENT!
• Wireless internet (with content filter applied to block forbidden/immoral websites) – INCLUDED IN RENT!
• Provision of coin laundry services – You will have your own personal coin laundry washer and dryer machines. Washers and dryers are paid using a token system. Tokens can be purchased through the landlord. Washer tokens cost $4.15 each and dryer tokens cost $3.60 each. You are not allowed to use foreign currency or slugs in the washer and dryer. Violators will be fined $100.00 per infraction.

About us: (Landlords)
We are conservative, bible believing, God-fearing, born again, evangelical Christians. We interpret the bible literally in every way possible. We live a strict moral code and observe God’s laws in our everyday life. My wife stays at home and teaches our home-schooled children. I work as a pastor at a local congregation and am active in the faith community.

About you: (Tenant)

• You are employed
• You do not participate in lascivious deviant sexual behavior
• You do not choose alternative lifestyles as your lifestyle
• You do not have any criminal history
• You must have excellent character references
• You do not smoke, drink or take drugs. Mandatory drug screening required.

Additional Rules/Conditions:

• CLEANLINESS: You are responsible for the cleanliness and orderliness of your apartment. Beds are to be made before leaving your suite, countertops must be wiped down, and you must remove all trash. Upon inspection, if the tenant’s basement suite is not clean, the cost of cleaning services plus a fine of $100.00 will be levied.
• LIGHTS: The lights in your basement suite and in the day room are not to be tampered with. If a light needs repair, report the condition to the
  Landlord.
• WAKE-UP: Wake up will be at 5:30am each morning. All ceiling lights in the suite will be turned on automatically. LIGHTS OUT: Ceiling lights in the suite will be turned off at 11:30pm.
• CONTRABAND: The following items are considered contraband – alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco, weapons, lock picking equipment. If any contraband is discovered to be in your possession, you will be subject to a minimum $1,000.00 fine. In addition, your items will be confiscated permanently. Second offense – you will be evicted without notice. A bailiff will escort you and your belongings off the premises. Your security deposit will not be returned.
• SMOKING: The basement suite is non-smoking. Anyone in possession of tobacco products of any kind or any lighter or matches, will have their contraband items confiscated and will be fined $100.00.
• INSPECTIONS: The Landlord will conduct unannounced inspections to ensure that these rules and regulations are being followed.
• VISITATION: Visitation periods will be on Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. All visitors and their vehicles are subject to search while on landlord property. Refusal to allow a search can result in their being barred from all future visitation privileges. All visitors must sign the Visitor’s Log. Unauthorized visitors will be escorted from the property, and the tenant will be fined $250.00.
• I.D. BRACELETS: Each tenant will be issued an I.D. bracelet with his/her photograph. It must be worn at all times. If you lose your I.D. bracelet or it is broken, you will be required to purchase a new one at the nominal cost of $5.00.
• EXERCISE YARD: The tenant will have access to the exercise yard in the area to the back of the property for 2 hours per day from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The tenant is not allowed to bring any personal property to the exercise yard. Once the tenant leaves the exercise yard on a particular day, he or she may not return. No boisterous behavior is allowed in the exercise yard. There is no smoking allowed in the exercise yard. Minimum fine for exercise yard infractions is $50.00.

I’m going to post another video now, but this time it’s a project I’m working on at the BBC, not that I’ve been moved to the iPlayer team.

I’ll post some more information in the next couple of days (when I’m not on a train heading into work). I hope you enjoy, and get a better idea of what I’m doing.

UK RadioPlayer