One of the questions I am asked most is "will you write a tutorial on how to install PHPAskIt?". My answer to this is always no because people need to learn to read. Included in the PHPAskIt zip file is a file called readme.txt. Now I don't know about you, but when I'm unsure of how to install something, the first thing I do is to look at the readme file (if there is one). When a file is called "READ ME" it usually signifies that it should be read, no?

So why am I bombarded time and time again with this question when I clearly explain how to install the script in the readme file? That, I cannot tell you. But what I do know is the internet population appears to be getting stupider. People use known insecure scripts such as Wak's Ask&Answer and CuteNews because "nothing's ever happened to me" and "I like that script"; people take images they have absolutely no permission to use (and they know this) and make website layouts out of them; and as Jem regularly points out with her Pants Awards, there is no shortage of people giving out stupid advice in the form of tutorials.

I came across a site the other day which combined the aforementioned issues. The site owner had been asked "please can you write a tutorial on how to install and use PHPAskIt" and had done just that. They wrote exactly what I wrote in the readme file, just worded slightly differently. I'd link the tutorial but the site's gone on hiatus (how convenient). What was the point of that? So imagine my delight when I found yet another one of these tutorials. I kid you not, this one is even worse than the other one, and assumes the visitor can't read or something (um, redundant much?).

The tutorial basically follows this format:

1. Download the script!
2. Upload everything then go to install.php! Yay! Done!
3. It will say delete so and so files, delete these files: import directory, upgrade.php, install.php

PLEASE LINK ME IF YOU USED THIS TUT!1!!

"So and so files"?! So basically you're assuming your visitor hasn't read what's on their screen (it tells them which files to delete) or that the message is too confusing (um, you just wrote it out again, word for word. The point?) or something and that your tutorial is the answer to all that? Get over yourself.

Oh yes, and while I'm in a rant mood... I've noticed someone is commenting around the place using my URL. This person appears to go by the name of "Nancy" and uses my site (or the link to PHPAskIt) as their URL. Thanks for the extra hits and everything, "Nancy", but this site actually belongs to me and I'd appreciate it if you could stop doing that.

If you came here from one of "Nancy"'s comments, sorry to disappoint and all, but my name's Amelie and I've never heard of anyone called Nancy.

Pssst: If you have received a comment from "Nancy" using my details, please contact me as I'd love to see who on earth is doing this. :)

So it's become very obvious that the fixed header has to go. I did consider making it collapsible but it's more trouble than it's worth and it would just be exactly the same to people browsing with JavaScript disabled. I am working on a new layout but it's not quite going how I want it to and I don't like it and blah blah blah, so it will be a while before I get that up.

On a more serious note, unless you've been living under a rock for the past 24 hours, you will undoubtedly be aware of the Virginia Tech massacre. My heart goes out to all the families involved. Thankfully, a friend of mine who attends that university is safe and well, but that is clearly not the case for 32 others. :( I don't know what possessed the gunman but he had no right to take innocent lives with his own.

...and now I must return to my essays. Lots of them to do, and they're all in on Monday. *Sigh*

1. Idiots who redistribute insecure scripts or scripts that aren't around on the author's site any more.
   I saw a classic the other day: "PHPCurrently (might be hackable) - download here!11one" Might be hackable?! Why on earth would you give it out for others to install then? For your information, PHPCurrently isn't just a "might be" in terms of "hackability" - it's a "definitely".

2. People who think they know what they're doing and preach about it when they have no idea what they're on about.
   "I LERNT PHP!11!1" No, you learnt PHP includes. "OMFG THATZ LEIK PHP THO I ROOLZ!!11"

3. WordPress.
   Why are you suddenly not working with my forms any more? I'm not talking about this site - WP (usually) worked fine on here, but it's a client's site. Can't really switch them to my CMS because they need the rich text editor (and no, my CMS doesn't have one :P ). No explanation as to why the form won't work. Same script, same version, same everything... WP just doesn't like it any more. Gah.

4. University work.
   I have to do my dissertation again, from scratch. The draft I handed in last week was no where near good enough, apparently. Grrr.

5. Cutenews.
   Now don't get me wrong, I'm sure it's a great script. I've never used it though, and I always associate it with really bad "tween" sites full of rubbish tutorials, stolen layouts and all that. Of course, there are exceptions to those, but still... The URLs are ugly (who wants those long index.php?subaction=showcomments&blahblahblahblah=1&blah=2 things? Not me) and it just ... doesn't appeal to me.

Um, and other things that I can't think of right now. :P