I brought the first page of this site online January 1, 2003. Originally I wanted to register some webspace for my family, but finding that my original choice for the domain name was already spoken for, I ended up here. Since then the site's purpose has evolved to become my both my proving ground for LAMP web development and my "one-stop shop" for various notes and writeups I find useful at work and at home. Rather than throw everything in a private secured account, I thought I'd make it more widely available in case anyone else could make use of it and possibly help me refine the material.

In August 2005 the Cataclysm occurred, and my web host wiped out the original site with a hard server crash. The occasional page you'll see here refers to PC ("Pre-Cataclysm") content. The original site used a complex table layout system and no CSS or Javascript; this newest incarnation uses CSS and Javascript.

Browser Requirements

Generally I try to keep the site as platform agnostic as possible, and as a result browser requirements are minimal. I do use CSS and some Javascript for page layouts so ideally you're running a CSS-compliant browser and have Javascript enabled. I recommend Opera or Firefox for the Windows users out there--Internet Explorer lags a bit when it comes to compliance with web standards, and so the appearance of some pages might be affected. Functionality should still be ok even under Internet Explorer, however.

If you're not using a fully CSS compliant browser, or if you don't have Javascript enabled, everything should "devolve" reasonably gracefully-I use Lynx as the ultimate barometer in how well everything degrades:

My theory: if I can manage to navigate the site in Lynx without too much pain, everyone else should be just fine. In general I'd recommend you upgrade to the latest version of your browser of choice that your computer can run; not just to keep up with web standards but also for the inevitable bug/security fixes that come with updates.

I cross-test under Opera, Firefox, and Internet Explorer in Windows 98 and Windows XP; and Firefox, Konqueror, and a few others under several different Linux distributions and the BSDs. I don't have access to OS X machines so I can't say for sure how well everything comes across for the Apple crowd. If anything doesn't work for you, or if you'd like a copy of the simple template I use, please let me know.

Information Policy

Now for some quasi-legalese: this site does not make use of automated information gathering techniques, including but not limited to the use of cookies, web bugs (also known as clear GIFs), and the like. Certain pages on the site do ask for the voluntary submission of information, in response to a visitor's request for action on my part (e.g. sending me an email). The information submission is voluntary, but some pages (e.g. online contact forms) will not work without some information from you. If you've sent me information you'd like to correct, revise, or have deleted, please contact me.

My web server does collect some basic information about your browser, the pages you request, and the like. This information is used for statistics on the site's use-no personal information is collected. Pages such as http://www.defenselink.mil/warning/example.html provide a good breakdown on what is collected and what is done with this information. Note that most (if not all) websites collect this information from you.

I maintain links to other sites of potential interest on the web. These sites will likely have different security and privacy standards than I do-before you venture too far into them, please consult their policies first. In other words, my information policy doesn't hold for outside, third-party pages, and I have no control over the pages' content or function. If you're responsible for a site I've linked to and you'd like to correct, revise, or have the link removed, please contact me.

License And Copyright Information

Unless otherwise noted, all content (articles, images, software and other downloads, etc.) is Copyright Chris Coughlin. All rights are reserved. Permission to use the material is granted provided full credit is given to the original author (me in most cases).

Unless otherwise noted all the software is governed under the following license conditions.

In a nutshell, you are free to use the download as-is, provided you credit me (dropping me a line would be nice too but not required) and understand I offer no warranty or guarantee.

Copyright (c) 2005, Chris R. Coughlin. All rights reserved.
Redistribution and use in the original form of distribution without modification is permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

1. Redistributions must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
2. Neither the name of the original developer Chris R. Coughlin nor the names of any contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS 'AS IS' AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

Contact Information

Unsurprisingly, the Point Of Contact (POC) for the chriscoughlin.com is Chris Coughlin. Please contact him with any questions, comments, or suggestions about these pages.