Kidding. Though iamsure does note we seem to be visiting similar forums. I guess being both interesting in continuing to learn PHP (it never does end), security and php games – we just sort of gravitate towards the same forum types. iamsure was noting a post I made to AATraders about Panama Jack’s abuse of the Nova Gaming System’s (pre The Kabal Invasion – now merged with BNT) database session handler. It was one of my infamous tortuous posts mixing natural sarcasm (me = Irish), a certain amount of smug wit (I have an ego – it’s sometimes large) and pedantic wording.

Sorry – that’s a ramble, I mean…

Anyway, it was a little more focused than usual (possibly since I’m gearing up for the Nanowrimo challenge) and probably a waste of my time. My last rebuttal received no reply – other than Tarnus’ (developer) enthusiasm in discussing the topic. So yeah – a waste. Though Tarnus seems to have viewed in a brighter light, so maybe some good was done. Not much hope though – reading the AATraders recent source makes SE look almost secure (at least SE hashes passwords on the database).

I’m going to sit on a fence until BNT Proton to check for a few weird odds I noticed in AATraders. iamsure is probably way ahead there – but I doubt too many other people would be. I think this concludes my involvement with AATraders in any form – well at least until 0.30…;-)

This weekend also marks the start of the annual PC upgrade. My Super-PC is currently feeling a bit blue, stumbling from sector to sector in X3. Yes, my addiction to the X Universe requires a booster shot – badly, before my eyes start bleeding. There are also a myriad of other reasons. I need to update my aging Geforce 5200FX video card, and I’ll probably need PCI Express support for the newer cards to reach their full potential. My current main HDD also recently hiccuped, a sure sign it needs replacement. The next stage is whole scale failure. My DVD drive has been making eerie whirring sounds for the better part of a year – I’m taking it as a sign of senility. There are other symptoms – many include pops, crackles, snaps and worse.

My current system isn’t all that bad (if a bit noisy in a Garage/Grunge musical sense):

AKN nForce2 Motherboard (333 FSB)
AMD AthlonXP 2600+
1GB DDR300 RAM (MB FSB at 300 – little twinge)
160GB Maxtor ATA-133 HDD
256MB Geforce 5600FX Video Card (AGP8x)

It miraculously runs Half Life 2 at reasonable settings without much trouble. F.E.A.R. and X3 however act like bumbling drunks unable to so much as crawl at the lowest resolution possible with minimum settings. I dread to think how the next Morrowind will act.

New aimed for system:

ABIT nForce4 Motherboard (??? FSB)
AMB Athlon64 3500+
1.5GB DDR500 RAM (or similar)
160GB SATA HDD (Maxtor if possible, I don’t trust Seagate)
256MB Geforce 7800GT Video Card (PCI-E) [maybe]

I also need something to replace the ancient (and loudly cranking) DVD drive I currently use.

Total cost based on a little window browsing is about EUR 500. Yet to seriously shop around.

Based on the maxim of “waste not, want not” I will of course be re-using every single piece PC component possible from my 5 year old ATX case to my absolutely invincible mini backup drive – a vintage 1995 Maxtor 512MB HDD, which for reasons unknown has declared itself immortal and maintains a copy of my most important files at all times. I swear I’ll be an old man before it fails. I suppose I’ll need my ATA adaptor to use it in the SATA environment. I can’t give up on it. It’s like a good luck charm – still churning up data after nearly 12 years…not one failure either.

The remaining parts will wing their way to my brother’s PC which is plagued with 256MB RAM, a 2600 Pentium, and a hamstrung Geforce 4200 (or something like that) video card. I may even get a christmas card in return.

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