Frequently Asked Questions
What would you call this website? Is it your b1og?
This is my hobby.
This is a website originally created for me to play with some of the technologies that I have learned. It was initially created as a sandbox but evolved into what you see today. It has stuff I like, photos, links, and a guestbook. Call it what you want but it is not a web log.
So what technologies are you using?
This site is done in ASP.net with a VB code base. A little bit of java script. The guestbook and photo album are all SQL Server 2000 based.
Software wise, I use mostly text-editors though I prefer Visual Studio 2005. The database was built in SQL Query Analyzer.
So, you did all of this?
Absolutely not. Any developer will tell you that almost nothing is original. This was built on a simple template available on the Microsoft website. The guestbook is modeled after another site built on the same template. All the artwork (the gray lines and little images here-and-there) are all part of the template. Everything you see has been extremely modified.
I don't see any ads. I like that.
THAT IS NOT A QUESTION!
Yes, no advertisements. This is paid for out of my own pocket. If the day ever comes that I can no longer afford it, you'll probably end up seeing some of those stupid google text ads.
Is there a fixed update schedule?
No fixed update schedule. I'd like to do it daily but if there isn't much going on, I'm away from the computer, or I fell asleep again on the toilet; you probably won't see an update that day.
I noticed an grammar error. Who do I whine to?
Me. Or just shut up.
So, what about the links?
What about them? They're things that I find or that are sent to me. Usually it is stuff that is popular on the web that day. I don't try to freak anybody out. I do follow a couple of personal rules:
- Don't link to a page that can mess up a computer. I don't know who will click on this stuff (and I don't want to have to fix that computer).
- Don't link to a page that has anything past "R" ratings.
- Keep politics out of it.
- If I gag, everybody will gag.
I also like to help promote friends' stuff. Let me know if you're interested.
You're a sissy. Why no profanity?
Because my grandparents may read this. I have cousins that are in grade school and this might as well be a web page that they're allowed to see because of the photo albums. Besides, isn't there enough of that on the web already?
So how does it all work?
I use DiscountASP.net for hosting and registration. I can edit the site from any computer. The webcam is hooked up to my desktop computer in Albany, NY.
Oh yea, the webcam. What's up with that?
I set it up just to see if I could. It was easier than I thought so I kept it. Mostly it is for people to see what the weather is like here. I use it occasionally to see who is at my apartment.
The webcam used is a Logitec QuickCam Communicate STX. It goes for about $50. I use ConquerCam software because it is cheap and it always works.
What about the guestbook?
Same story. I wanted to see if I could do it. I also wanted people to come back to the site. I found that if a person can contribute to a website, they are much more likely to go check it out. A forum was just unnecessary so a guestbook was the next logical step.
I also appreciate people (you guys) contributing links and family/friend news. Even if I have thousands of visits a week, I get almost no feedback.
Why do you have to explicitly check the box to make my comment public?
Bots (and people) cruise the web and enter ads and that type of thing into anything they can find. Forums, guestbooks, whatever. Usually you don't have to check a box and by not doing so, the comment isn't visible to the public. Sort of like a poor man's human verification.
I still see it and it still makes it's way into the database but the guestbook is kept clean.
RSS? What? Why?
RSS is short for Really Simple Syndication. This makes it easy for you to add my site updates to your home page such as your personal Google home page. You can then see if there is a site update without actually visiting the site.
RSS is XML and simple-device friendly. Read more about it here.
I remember a funny link. Where are the old updates?
Everything from the last year is in the RSS feed here. If it's older than that, check the archive here.
I didn't save any links before May 27, 2008. The older links could be dead.
I noticed that I could register. Why?
Why not? I don't store any important information. If somebody took my whole site tomorrow, they would know your login name...nothing personally identifiable.
I also wanted to keep some sections available only to certain people.
Yea, the photos. What's the story?
These are almost all photos that I take. They are stored in a database so (I believe) they won't show up in google image search.
If you are in a photo and want/need me to take it down, just let me know.
These are your opinions?
Yup. And they're always correct.
Why don't you have a myspace/facebook/orkut account?
I'm an adult.
Any copyright information I should know about?
Not really. If the content isn't mine, I don't claim ownership. Links are the responsibility of whomever is in charge of wherever they go. I'd ask that nobody steals any of this stuff but if the RIAA can't do it, what hope do I have? I guess that I have to rely on content that isn't appealing enough to steal. Check and mate, internet.
Where can I see your stats?
You can't unless I give you the keys. You'll have to depend on me sharing some stats in an update. If you can't sleep not knowing how many visitors I get a month from Pakistan, e mail me and I'll help you out.
And the video games? Is Nintendo paying you or something?
Nope. I was raised on the NES and it just stuck. I have nothing against the other systems. I'd love to own them all. I have always owned Nintendo consoles because they are cheap.
How about the song of the week?
Just something that I want to share. I listen to a lot of music. My tastes vary but there isn't much that I don't like.
I will do my best to update this song every weekend. More information on the music page. You can buy the song/digital album/physical album with the included links. I get 10% of the purchase price for referring people to Amazon.
The song provided uses the Silverlight framework. It is a low-quality mp3. I'm not selling it or giving it away. I hope you enjoy them.
If you would like to see what I'm listening to on my Zune, you can visit my automatically generated Zune profile page.
I noticed something. Every time I visit your page, there's a new icon in the title bar in my browser. What gives?
I found a little java script that used a randomizing function to display a numbered file with a similar extension. There are about 500 icons and you'll get a different one with each page.
Cool. I got a 404. What's up with that?
The 404 error and 500 error pages are custom error pages for "missing" and "server" errors respectively. If you type in "http://www.jasonschlueter.com/duh", you'll get a 404 error page letting you know that what you are looking for (or what you are linked to) doesn't exist. The 500 error page is shown if there is a server error.
I took some funny (and possibly copyrighted) 'FAIL' photos from around the web and used them in another random image selection. Every time you screw up on my site, the site makes fun of you. Go ahead, try it.
Anything else?
Giving credit where credit is due:
My dad introduced me to computers at a young age and actually let me own one. He taught me DOS and my mom told me to sit up straight. They paid for the electricity and let me eat way too much food. Thanks mom and pop.
My grandpa worked with computers. He must have seen some hope in me because he bought me my first 486 and helped me understand how hardware (especially hard drives) work.
My buddy Jeff back in southern California gave me a chance to use a computer at work and let me learn in an environment that could have seriously injured a profitable company. Thanks for the faith.