Latest news from DeanMarshall.co.uk Mambo and Joomla Consultant http://www.deanmarshall.co.uk Tue, 13 May 2008 03:08:33 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.deanmarshall.co.uk/images/M_images/blank.png http://www.deanmarshall.co.uk Latest news from DeanMarshall.co.uk Mambo and Joomla Consultant http://www.deanmarshall.co.uk/content/view/94/137/ .pipex-letter .pipex-call Please forgive me this intrusion - but I'm embroiled in something that has annoyed me to such an extent that I have decided to turn over the frontpage of my website to this issue. I invite you to read (and listen) to my issue and to join me in campaigning to stop Pipex Internet Limited from engaging in these despicable activities. If you are here for my business site and don't wish to take time out of your busy schedule then please proceed to my normal Mambo and Joomla CMS Consultancy home page (http://www.deanmarshall.co.uk/content/view/8/26/). For those of you who have decided to read on - but who haven't seen my previous article on this subject I will attempt to give you a very quick summary. This is massively abridged and perhaps takes liberties a little - please do read the original article for the full story. UK ISP Pipex Internet moved me onto a new contract following a casual enquiry during which I decided not to proceed. The contract involved a twelve month lock in period with a cancellation fee equivalent to the full 12 months fee should I leave their services. I cancelled my account and only then was I told... Dean's Web Log - IT Rants Sun, 23 Mar 2008 19:07:32 +0100 http://www.deanmarshall.co.uk/content/view/93/138/ UPDATE: This article is now the first of two. Unfortunately things with Pipex are still ongoing (as of 24th March 2008) and I have now concluded that in my opinion this has to be fraud. For the next part of the story please read: Pipex Fraud - Part Two - I Believe Pipex Are Guilty of Fraud (http://www.deanmarshall.co.uk/content/view/94/137/) Before I begin what will be another long rant let me start by saying that I was a happy Pipex customer since 18 March 2003 and that in that time on my personal recommendation I know I have sent more than thirty, possibly as many as fifty, customers to Pipex. If you are one of them - I hope you enjoyed the last few years and I sincerely hope you do not hold me responsible for any issues you have with the company in its present operations. For three and a half years I was very happy with Pipex. When I heard of people with other providers losing connections for hours or sometimes days at a time I would boast to people that service was so good that they used to send emails two weeks ahead of any planned outage to inform me about a potential loss of service for 30... Dean's Web Log - IT Rants Wed, 06 Feb 2008 19:08:36 +0100 http://www.deanmarshall.co.uk/content/view/92/136/ Here at DeanMarshall.co.uk we are planning to expand our operations during 2008. With this in mind we are investigating the possibility of moving to new offices and taking on staff here in the Lancaster and Morecambe area. This is a local position for local people (extra points for telling us the source of this bastardised quote). About Us We provide a range of services to users of the Mambo and Joomla Content Management Systems throughout the UK and around the world. Our clients range from small sites for local tradesmen right through to the UK arms of major multi-national electronics manufacturers (yes household names). We have clients around the world and Dean Marshall our principal is well known throughout Mambo and Joomla circles. Additionally, we are developing a range of software products for these markets as well as extending our range of client services. We currently do the bulk of our work ourselves, but where necessary we call upon the services of a network of trusted contacts throughout the world. Whilst we will continue to call upon the services of these professionals, we would also like to develop a team locally with the necessary skills to progress this business in what... Dean's Web Log - Not Easily Categorised Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:00:30 +0100 http://www.deanmarshall.co.uk/content/view/90/121/ The APF Bridge component has been moved from the free 'gratis / no cost' download area of this site to my online store and a nominal fee of ten GBP pounds (approx $20) is now needed in order to buy the installable component. The APF Bridge related add-ons - mambot(plugin), modules, etc - are still free as are upgrades. Buy the Amazon Products Feed Bridge - Amazon Component for Mambo and Joomla (http://www.deanmarshall.co.uk/component/option,com_virtuemart/page,shop.browse/category_id,3/Itemid,131/) from the software store on my main Mambo/Joomla consulting website. Joomla Development - APF Bridge Tue, 18 Sep 2007 00:45:30 +0100 http://www.deanmarshall.co.uk/content/view/83/121/ Last week I released an update to the Amazon Products Feed Joomla component. The component which installs up to six Amazon stores into your Joomla powered site has been given a few improvements Joomla Development - APF Bridge Sun, 13 May 2007 01:42:01 +0100 http://www.deanmarshall.co.uk/content/view/82/116/ Realising that site security is a top priority for all websites, and recognising that installing a script such as 'Hacker Beware!' is not within everyone's capability, we are developing a range of installation, trouble-shooting and consulting services around this product. Joomla Development - Hacker Beware Sat, 05 May 2007 05:39:51 +0100 http://www.deanmarshall.co.uk/content/view/81/116/ Like all scripts 'Hacker Beware!' is to some extent a work in progress. Security related scripts have to be extra careful to ensure that the script intended to protect the Joomla site does not in fact introduce new vulnerabilities. Scripts that are security related (as this one is), and scripts that are made by interested amateurs (as this one is) need to be even more cautious. With this in mind I have identified the need to have the code reviewed by someone who is more qualified than myself to judge the likelihood of my making a mistake and introducing vulnerabilities into someone's site. Whilst I am not altogether inexperienced in programming - I recognise that I am but an amateur and that it is wise to seek input from those better qualified to judge my work. With that said - here is my list of issues for investigation and also ideas for future development: Joomla Development - Hacker Beware Sat, 05 May 2007 05:17:59 +0100 http://www.deanmarshall.co.uk/content/view/80/116/ Below, we try to answer the most frequently asked questions about the 'Hacker Beware' Joomla security script. The script hasn't been used too widely (it is new after-all), but it has been tested on one or two high profile sites to good effect. It has been used on this site, in one form or another since its inception about a year ago, and a few friends and colleagues have tried the script out on live sites - even on client sites during that period. A certain template site also tried the software and I think it is fair to say we saw a noticeable drop in malicious traffic during that time. Joomla Development - Hacker Beware Sat, 05 May 2007 04:58:38 +0100 http://www.deanmarshall.co.uk/content/view/79/116/ Dean Marshall Consulting announce the release of 'Hacker Beware' a low cost Joomla intrusion detection system that hardens the security of a Joomla powered site in three ways: Joomla Development - Hacker Beware Sat, 05 May 2007 04:45:57 +0100 http://www.deanmarshall.co.uk/content/view/35/112/ Hi, I have recently updated both the version of the Joomla Content Management System that powers this site and taken the opportunity to make the switch to more modern template. The Joomla upgrade was mainly as a reaction to a spate of hacking attacks and the template upgrade was - well, because it was long overdue and also because due to my recent tie in with the team over at JoomlaShack.com I had access to better templates. As ever I am very much behind with the maintenance of this site, there are one or two rough edges actually introduced during the upgrade and there are still plenty of issues outstanding from before the upgrade. News - Latest Site News Mon, 06 Dec 2004 07:08:00 +0100