Jakub Anderwald

I was curious - is Windows still using the services file for determining which port to use when connecting with a specific protocol, or is it hardcoded in the OS?

I mean, if we type http://test.com/ into Start->Run dialog, will it check the standard IANA services file to check which TCP port to use or will it just assume it’s port 80?

Let’s find out!

I created a standard Windows XP Professional SP2 virtual machine. I downloaded Microsoft Network Monitor for capturing TCP/IP traffic.

I did a simple test, by Going to google.com with IE 7 to check if Network Monitor is working fine - it was:

Then I edited the standard services file and added an extra dummy service with port number 77:

Then I tried accessing the newly created protocol, both by Start->Run and by typing it into IE’s address bar.

Unfortunately, in both cases, there was no TCP traffic initiated.

Conclusion

Windows doesn’t use the standard services file when determining if it knows the protocol, and how to connect to it. This has been verified for Windows XP SP2, but I assume newer version would not switch to the “old” method.

I just created my account on Wordpress.com to be able to use Aksimet. It was the usual signup form (with nice big buttons), then a confirmation mail, and then…

My password shown in clear text, big font, sent over unencrypted http protocol! Even more, a minute later I got my clear-text password sent to me via mail. Hello, it’s 2008, and I think at least some information security should be out there in the world. But hey, who cares…

Great minds think alike. Some time ago I wrote about Web -2.0 idea: “Let’s reverse the ‘friend’ relation. Let’s make all people friends by default”.

It just came alive: Nclüdr. Enjoy.

OK, I know it might be kind of flimsy, but I just have to post it - for Amiga, for Eric and all the good ol’ days.

I think it’s the time for all software developers to realize that automatic software update is a must. It doesn’t matter if it’s a instant messaging program (thus always connected to the Internet) or a standalone video player.

You can safely assume that user either is always connected to the Internet, or sometime will be. Use that time and just check if there’s a newer version, and if there is - notify the user. Don’t download anything, don’t try to automatically install the update, just notify. That’s enough.

It’s 2008, let’s fully use the potential Internet gives us. You can patch bugs this way or push new features - one way or another, you’ll make majority of your users a bit happier. And they won’t have to do a thing for it to happen. I think the days where you read in a newspaper that there is a new version of some software, and then tried finding it, should be gone.

However, such an auto-update must be trusted by the users. Otherwise they’ll be just “clicking off” your reminders and getting more and more angry at your software.

How to make it user-friendly? Follow the 3 rules:

1/ It can’t be annoying. If your app wants to check for an update, it doesn’t have to tell the user every time it does.

It also doesn’t need an “advanced” button just for checking if you have pushed an update. Come on, let people do their job.

2/ Don’t try to smart-ass the user. Don’t try to make him do something else, “just by the way”. Update notification should mean “hey, there’s something new!” for him, not “they’re trying to make me do something I don’t want, again”. Don’t follow the inglorious way of Apple Software Update.

3/ Make sure it’s easy to disable the auto-update functionality in options.