Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this Anonymous Coward person?

Anybody who leaves a comment without giving their identity is labeled "Anonymous Coward". It's kind of an internet joke that as far as I know was started by SlashDot.

May I put links on my web site to Techphoto?

Yes, please do!

How can I be notified of new stories/questions etc?

Click on "Notifications" on the main page and enter your email address. You will be given get the choice to be sent email when new stories are added. Alternatively you can click on "Notify Me" after a particular story. (NB, There is currently a slight bug with this. The first time you use this feature you may have to click again. Will fix soon).

What do the different coloured "new" flags mean?

They signify how recently the link has been added. Currently red means within the last 2 days, green the last week, and yellow the last 3 weeks.

What if I change my email address?

You can select User-Details from the home page, enter your old email address and then "Update".

How can I submit a new story to your site?

Click on "Submit Story" on the main page, and enter the details. Use the Preview button to see what it will look like before you submit it. (Check those links!) I'll have a look at it and with a bit of luck approve it to go on the main page.

If you wish to remain anonymous, click on "Logout" first and don't enter your name.

The Submit story is in HTML. If you don't know HTML or you otherwise have problems, then just mail it to me.

How can I submit my photo to have it critiqued?

Send me your picture as a mail attachment to , and I'll put it up on the main page for others to comment on. You may request to remain anonymous if you wish.

What does Login and Logout do?

These store a cookie in your browser so that when you want to leave a comment or submit a story or whatever you don't have to keep entering your name. Login stores the cookie, Logout clears it.

For many things on the site you are allowed to login anonymously. In this case either don't enter your email address or else logout.

I can't seem to login properly. What do I do?

Try selecting "Logout" on the main page. Sometimes cookies can get corrupted, so this will clear things up.

I have also on occasion witnessed a netscape bug where it stores duplicate cookies with the same name. This will cause absolute havoc with any web program. The only solution then is to edit your cookies file in your netscape installation with a text editor and delete any cookies relating to techphoto.org.

What software runs this site?

It runs on software written in in-house. If you're in Sydney and you want your company to have a site as good as this, let me know, because I do web site development.

The site runs on a GNU/Linux server running the Apache web server. Everything is driven from a PostgreSQL database, and the web pages are coded in Embedded Perl.

While the site has a superficial resemblance to SlashDot, it does not use the slash software which runs on regular (not embedded) perl and MySQL. All thanks and credit to SlashDot though for ideas and inspiration.

I occasionally take this site down for short periods (an hour or two at most), for maintenence. If you find the site down for longer than that it must have been because of some technical catastrophie (cross fingers), but not to fear, this site is for the long haul.

What are these "cookie" things that are mentioned on your site?

Almost all web sites these days use cookies whether you know it or not. Cookies are little bits of data that are stored in your web browser. The site stores your Tech Photo web id in a cookie so that you don't have to login every time to leave comments. The cookie won't be sent to any site except Tech Photo, so it's nothing to worry about. You can delete this cookie from your browser by clicking "Logout" in the main screen. There is no reason to do this though unless you are using a browser on a friend's machine to access the site and you don't want that browser to think it's you after you leave.

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