Author: Dan Q
Dan Q is a software engineer, a director of a voluntary organisation, a trainee counsellor, a keen geocacher, and an amateur magician. He lives with his partner and her husband in a polyamorous triad, and occasionally finds time to blog.
-
"Jump Man" from Footprints Tours Oxford making people jump around outside the Bodleian Library
If you're a tourist on one of "Jump Man" of Footprints Tours' tours, I'm sure that the obligatory "jump for a photograph" moment at the end is a fun novelty. However, the novelty quickly wears off when you work in one of the library offices right next to their usual spot, and the call of … -
Okay @oxfordgeeks, I think we're ready for #ogn45 now. Any talks yet?
I've still got a belt-full of micro-slot ideas I should write. -
Found GLNEB6EN Horsey horsey
This checkin to GLNEB6EN Horsey horsey reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs. Found with tajasel and a toddler in tow. Cache was empty apart from the log, so we left a puzzle toy and a bouncy ball for future trades.
-
Reported GC4D9F2 Chloe, Laura and Amys Thames view cache 3 needs maintenance
This checkin to GC4D9F2 Chloe, Laura and Amys Thames view cache 3 reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs. Suspected missing, based on long string of DNFs and a good bit today finding no trace of it. :-(
-
Couldn't find GC4D9F2 Chloe, Laura and Amys Thames view cache 3
This checkin to GC4D9F2 Chloe, Laura and Amys Thames view cache 3 reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs. Spent some time hunting for this, but no luck. Strongly suspect it's gone missing, given recent logs.
-
A Suitable Blog
Dan writes the 594,000th (surviving) word in his blog, making it longer than virtually every novel, and reveals that his family will be getting a little larger this year.
-
Anatomy of Cookie XSS
Using a real-life vulnerability he discovered on the University of Oxford's IT Services website as an example, Dan reminds you of the importance of sanitising even cookie data to prevent XSS vulnerabilities.
-
Fewer and Faster // John Nunemaker
Sometimes I feel developers think that performance is a dark art. It is not. In my experience, well performing systems come down to this: fewer and faster. If you are doing something a lot, do it fewer times. If you are doing something that is slow, make it faster. It really is that simple. The …
-
Found GLN7PDN2 A Marathon not a Sprint – Cutty Sark
This checkin to GLN7PDN2 A Marathon not a Sprint – Cutty Sark reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs. A nice easy find while on my way to a meeting at the Naval College. Not too many muggles about at this time on a weekday morning, so only had to wait …
-
Giving better code reviews
"Your team is only as good as your weakest reviewer."
Joel Kemp -
Payment Redirection Fraud
Here is an example scenario You receive an email requesting a payment. It could be for rent, it could be fees for a course or any other legitimate reason. Typically, the payment is a significant sum. The email contains the banking details you need to make the payment. Then shortly after the 1st email arrives…
… -
A Research-driven Recruitment Story
[It] was initially frustrating to not be able to tell you things about who I am and what I’ve done. But it’s great that it’s a level playing field. By the final interview I was liking the process so much that I was reluctant to share my CV and de-anonymize myself. Successful Careers applicant…
… -
Archived GC54F7V Oxford Steganography #5 - Secret Bonus Cache
This checkin to GC54F7V Oxford Steganography #5 - Secret Bonus Cache reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs. Has now been removed, as it's no longer possible to get all of the clues needed to find it. Thanks for playing!
-
Found GLN6G06B North Moors View
This checkin to GLN6G06B North Moors View reflects a geocaching.com log entry. See more of Dan's cache logs. Found on a gentle morning hike with my 2 year old niece. She was pretty keen on the loom band bracelet, but we hadn't brought anything to exchange, so she made do with wearing it for a …
-
DRY: Do Repeat Yourself
I am increasingly of the opinion that the general software engineering adage “Don’t Repeat Yourself” does not always apply to web development. Also, I found that web development classes in CS academia are not very realistic. These two problems turn out to have the same root cause: a lack of appreciation of what browsers do…
…