In case any of you missed this, now might be a good time to update your WordPress and Gmail passwords (and Facebook, and Twitter, and Instagram, and Amazon…I should make a list of all my online accounts, methinks.)
This week, a group of hackers released a list of about 5 million Gmail addresses and passwords. This list was not generated as a result of an exploit of WordPress.com, but since a number of emails on the list matched email addresses associated with WordPress.com accounts, we took steps to protect our users.
We downloaded the list, compared it to our user database, and proactively reset over 100,000 accounts for which the password given in the list matched the WordPress.com password. We also sent email notification of the password reset containing instructions for regaining access to the account. Users who received the email were instructed to follow these steps:
Go to WordPress.com.
Click the “Login” button on the homepage.
Click on the link “Lost your password?”
Enter your WordPress.com username.
Click the “Get New Password” button.
In general, it’s very important that passwords be unique for each account. Using the same…
Would you believe that yesterday I forgot to post? That’s the truth, though, whether you believe it or not. My hammer and I have been fiddling about on the inside of if all else fails… and I just completely lost track of time. But it wasn’t time wasted: I’ve given the Song Title Challenge page a little makeover and it now boasts a streamlined index of all past challenges which will update itself automatically every time I post a new story. It might not impress you but it’s sure going to make my life easier.
Actually I’ve been tinkering quite a lot lately. I’ve been volunteering in the WordPress.com forums and a pleasant side-effect is that I’m learning much more about how WordPress and blogging works, and I’m trying to rectify some of the mistakes I made in the early days when I did not yet know any better.
Image courtesy of adamr / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
A consequence of all this tinkering is that things around here might go a little awry, so if you happen to stumble across any missing images or broken links, please let me know in the comments and I’ll be right along with my trusty hammer to whack things back into shape. I do recommend wearing a hard hat, though. Don’t want you getting injured by a falling hammer.
In other news, (at the risk of jinxing it) I finally seem to be getting into my stride with the studies (took long enough!). It is only natural, then, that the universe appears to be conspiring against me working this week.
First my former boss wants me to check up on my replacement by moderating some of her students’ examination scripts from the mid-year exam. That means I’m once again grading English essays – something I’d hoped I’ll never have to do again. At least they pay me to do this.
I’m also suddenly getting inundated with requests for extra lessons by seniors finally realising that their final examinations are terrifyingly close and that they haven’t been paying attention in English for the last eleven-and-a-half years. Between my inability to say no and my intense desire to have a positive cash flow again for a month or two I’m trying to squeeze them in, but we’ll see how it goes.
And the final cherry on top is that the wife’s come down with a stomach bug. Which means she’s at home. Which means when I take a study break I’m playing nurse. Or washing dishes. Or cooking. Or doing laundry. Oh, the things we do for those we love (though I do the last three even when she’s not ill, but I’m complaining here – I don’t get the chance that often).
But busy is good, right? Hopefully I wont forget about this weekend’s review 😉
I don’t know about you, but I love the stats page, and the map in particular. It really does it for me to see the map fill up as more and more people around the world stumble across if all else fails…use a hammer. (Most of them run off again as fast as their legs can carry them, but that’s to be expected, what with hammers flying all over the place. They probably forgot their hard hats.)
After a year and a bit of consistent blogging I’ve had visitors from most of the world. Just look:
Africa and the Middle-East is under-represented (which is understandable) but on all the other continents this blog seems to have had pretty good exposure. Someone has even been able to reach this blog from beyond the Great Firewall of China. (If you know anyone in Mongolia, though, please share the blog with them. That big white blob in the middle of Asia bugs me.)
You will notice, however, that the map is significantly darker in English speaking territories. Again, understandable as I only write in English. So, in order to make the blog more accessible to non-English visitors I’ve decided I need to make it multi-lingual.
I feel like I have to apologise for yesterday’s post as it seems to have upset some people. On the one hand I want to point out that I did prominently mention the date and used the word “fool”, twice, besides the last sentence completely contradicting everything preceding it. On the other hand I’m genuinely touched that the idea of me quitting this blog is distressing to some of you. Made my day, it did.
At least I can assure you my being back is not an April Fool’s joke. The few weeks’ break was good, but I’m quite ready to get back into the swing of things.
Speaking of April Fool’s, the best one I saw yesterday was the announcement that G.R.R. Martin will be publishing only one copy of The Winds of Winter in an attempt to truly make Westeros real for us. Then there’s also the series finale of How I Met Your Mother that many wish was an April Fool’s joke (and in a way it was, but more about that on Friday).
In the coming weeks you can expect several reviews, some new song title challenges (once you wonderful people send me some new suggestions), and some thoughts about misleading exercise equipment. Curious? Good. That’s right where I want you 🙂
After extensive consultation with the board of directors I’ve come to the decision, for the sake of my own insanity, to take a brief leave of absence from if all else fails…use a hammer. I’ve noticed other bloggers doing it from time to time and it seems to me a sound practice, lest this blog starts feeling too much like work.
During this period I’ll also be cutting down on my blog reading, so if I don’t like and comment on your posts like usual, don’t take it personally. It’s not you, it’s me. (Yeah, that line just never sounds good, no matter the context.)
I’ll be using the time to try and get ahead on my studies and get some writing done – I have so many ideas clamouring for attention in my head and it’s time to get them committed to paper.
I don’t expect y’all to quit cold turkey (I’ve always wondered where that expression comes from) so the Song Title Challenge for the next two weeks will still take place – they’ve already been written and scheduled. But aside from that, don’t expect any movement here for the next few weeks.
So, adieu and farewell for now. If I’m not back by Easter I’ve probably decided to end my suffering by drinking water straight from the tap. That can be fatal where I live.
if all else fails...use a hammer 