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So, for the longest time now, I've have had to deal with the legacy of a website that I didn't create, at work. It's like an online application for the management team and our employees, showing statistics, attendance and adherence data, and a bunch of other stuff.
It ain't bad, but it ain't good. The first incarnation I had nothing to do with, the second is only slightly better (and considering the guys who created the system started out with no knowledge of HTML whatsoever I have to admit they did a hell of a job), the third incarnation is better yet (DIVs and CSS instead of a table based layout), but it still uses the legacy access control system…
… are you ready? Sitting down?
"Singularly assigned user groups". Each group is assigned a number (1 through 8) which indicates what people can see and do…
… and each user can be assigned to one group. No overlaps. No sharing. Worst of all, if someone in a lower group needs access to a page that's restricted, his ID must be hard-coded into an exception list.
Yeah, *shudder*, right? Consider that the web server is an IIS 6.0 server using Classic ASP and .Net 2.5 installed, and it's a downright nightmare.
And for months, it got me stumped. Searching on the internet for better ACL systems or any other method to allow for a better definable user management system only led me to true nerdsites where they used magical terms like "bitmasking" and "user rights tables".
You'd think there were explanations, but if there were, you'd need a degree in advanced mathematical science to even remotely understand them.
Until I stopped looking for what I wanted, and focused on what I needed…
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I keep my word. To those who requested and those who are just interested:
How to save form info to text files, and retrieve them in a single CSV file, using Classic ASP.
Coming soon (after we are done moving our home and all our lecktrickety is back up and running, and all that fun stuff): The PHP version of the same tutorial.
Keep watching this channel!
This is the first of a series regarding the abuse of what otherwise would be an at least somewhat enjoyable medium (the interwebs, duh). Each part will address an often-made mistake, and go into detail about why certain things should be avoided like the plague.
We'll start with perhaps the most evil of 'em all:
THE BLINK TAG
Never include page elements that move incessantly. Moving images have an overpowering effect on the human peripheral vision. A web page should not emulate Times Square in New York City in its constant attack on the human senses: give your user some peace and quiet to actually read the text!
Of course, <BLINK> is simply evil. Enough said.
Jacob Nielsen, 1996
MySpace. Fundie sites (both the religious and political varieties). Knock-off product sites. What do they all have in common?
An incessant assault on the optic nerves, by means of animated GIFs, flash banners… and the <blink> tag.
An often asked question on Yahoo! Answers is about "how to make text blink". Sadly, there's always some ignorant dimwit that, instead of rightly berating the questioner, answers the question.
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After the previous post, you saw this one coming a mile ahead…
"This is a string with "" < quotes"
Are you impressed?
You damn well should be.
Seriously. Licenses. Consider it.
Someone who berates me for not knowing either JavaScript, Ajax or ASP… because I remark how his HTML is inconsistent with quotes.
The argument that proves I know no ASP? Because "that's why the single and no quotes".
Yeah, intelligent. N00b.
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February 26, 2009 22:47 | 
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