KOH KHO KING

PhotoMalaysia Server cost?

Posted on April 13th, 2007 by KhoKing.
Categories: Photography.

How much is the actual server cost of PhotoMalaysia’s server?

For those who are interested in knowing the actual cost of the server, why US$2k and why US$1.5k, here’s the screen shot of the invoices that we have paid:

Basic server rental (hardware) = US$159 / month
Cpanel rental = US$25 / month

Total = US$178 / month (for the first two months that we have paid).

US$178 x 12 = US$2136 / year

Later we found out that our initial contract with the server company is US$159 inclusive of Cpanel (their mistake in the contract, as Cpanel supposed to be excluded), hence we demand them to give us US$159 flat rate that include the Cpanel fee. There were some fighting between the server company and PhotoMalaysia, and if you still remembered, PM.com was down for a few days in Dec as the company suspended our account. After some negotiation, they agreed to give us US$159 for future rental.

US$159 x 12 = US$1908

If we paid the rental for ONE WHOLE YEAR, we are entitled to 20% discount. This is quite a bit of saving so I decided to pay for one whole year:

US$159 x 12 x 80% = US$1526.40

If we were to rent a 2nd server, if we pay monthly and not annually, we will need to pay US$178/month (no more US$159 as it was a mistake in the contract previously), and it will total up US$2136 / year.

1 comment.

PhotoMalaysia…

Posted on April 12th, 2007 by KhoKing.
Categories: Photography.

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 Got quite upset over PhotoMalaysia recently…first is the slowness of the site…which I still don’t understand why it becomes slow with small number of members online (average 80 members and 100 guests), and around 9000 registered members. Even during off peak hours, the database connection seems to be slow as well.

Is the problem due to vBulletin software? Or the setting of our server or database? As having no control over the technical part…I feel frustrated. Hope to grow PhotoMalaysia and make it as good as possible, but many things are not within my control. Removing more and more information from PhotoMalaysia website to speed up the thing isn’t the solution IMO, eg. who’s online is of very interesting to me.

Currently paying PhotoMalaysia’s server already costing us US$1.5k+ (RM5~6k), I paid the money upfront but have received support from other caring PMers from time to time, and sometimes received advertisements from companies and members. If we were to get a 2nd server, it means another US$1.5k+, together with ShaShinKi’s own server (US$1k+), I need to spend US$4k (RM15k) ANNUALLY just for the servers renting. This is A LOT OF MONEY for me…and honestly I do not think I can afford this kind of spending at the moment, especially with my baby daughter coming in June…my wife will be very upset if I were to commit into such a spending.

So, what can be done? Brian is doing his best to tweak the server…but still…the fact is that PhotoMalaysia is still slow from time to time. It makes surfing less fun…and people are attacking us due to that. PhotoMalaysia is like my baby…as much as I love and care about it, I hope it can grow to be the most successful photography website in Malaysia. It is sad that we are slowed down by our hardware limit… :’(

I will think again about the server cost…to commit into such a big expenditure yearly or not…

0 comments.

Foong…cold…

Posted on April 11th, 2007 by KhoKing.
Categories: Family.

Foong is not feeling well these few days, I think is because of the flu virus that I have spread to her last week. I was having very bad cold…and now she is having the same syndrome as me.

Hope Foong will get better soon…and hope my baby girl will turn her head downwards by now…may God be with us all.

0 comments.

STOPPED: Hoya Pentax merge

Posted on April 10th, 2007 by KhoKing.
Categories: Computer / IT, Photography.

Pentax has stopped their previous plan of merging (or rather being eaten) with Hoya.

Pentax president resigned and replaced with a new one.

Pentax DSLR and lenses are selling like hot cakes!

Hoya plan and negotiating a buyout bid of Pentax.

Will Pentax sell their money making division to Hoya? Unlikely…

More details at:

http://pentaxworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=983.0Â

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SMF 2.0 Alpha

Posted on April 10th, 2007 by KhoKing.
Categories: Computer / IT.

My currently favorite forum software, SMF (Simple Machines Forum) has announced the soon to be released SMF 2.0 Alpha to the Chartered members in June 2007, and general public in Oct 2007! Current public version is SMF 1.1.2, hence jump to SMF 2.0 means there should be a huge change and improvement from the current version!

Grudge from SMF has announced some new features of the version 2.0 at:

http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=163438

Among some of the new features are:

• Database abstraction - with support for PostgreSQL and SQLite planned alongside that of MySQL.
• Automatic installation of packages into themes other than just the default.
• Email templates to simplify customization of forum emails.
• Moderation center including post, topic and attachment moderation - to allow approving of user content before it is made public.
• User warning system.
• Additional group functionally including group moderators and requestable/free assignable groups.
• WYSIWYG editor to provide an intuitive user interface to those users not familiar with BBC.
• Permission improvements such as group inheritance and permission profiles to further reduce the complexity of the permissions system.
• File based caching for a performance increase on all forums regardless of whether an accelerator is installed.
• Mail queuing system to stagger the sending of emails to improve performance on large forums.
• Advanced signature settings to allow the administrator of a forum to more tightly control the contents of users signatures.
• Personal messaging improvements including ability to automatically sort incoming messages and a variety of display options.
• Improved upgrade script with better timeout protection and simpler user interface.
• Custom profile fields to enable administrators to add additional member fields from the administration center.

For some who are not familiar with SMF, it is a free public forum software that is similar to the popular vBulletin and Invision Power Board, but it is FREE!

I have installed and use SMF on some of my websites:

http://PentaxWorld.com

http://CaptureSG.com

0 comments.

LIFE magazine ends production…

Posted on April 9th, 2007 by KhoKing.
Categories: Computer / IT, Photography.

Just read the news that LIFE Magazine will end their print production and with last issue on 20th April 2007. It is a sad news for an old time long history magazine…

With more and more information going online, less people buy hardcopy magazine nowadays. Still, National Geographic, Reader Digests…etc. are still able to attract readers into subscribing to them. Survival of the strongest…google boom out in just very short time, nobody (maybe only two) will believe that there is still room for another company to challenge Yahoo and MSN…but google has created the myth…and an example of there is no impossible…and we can even challenge and turn over google in future as well!

Dreams on!

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Foong’s medical checkup

Posted on April 9th, 2007 by KhoKing.
Categories: Family.

Went to clinic for medical body checkup of Foong today. Doctor said baby has not yet turn (head should be facing down), it is in nearly 7 months now.

Baby…quick quick turn…don’t let mummy and daddy worry…may God bless and protect our baby daughter and Foong, and give us peace.

Next week need to go see doctor again, hope baby girl is turning fine this week.

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08 April 2007 - Easter 2007 (Sunday)

Posted on April 8th, 2007 by KhoKing.
Categories: Rojak.

It is Easter today! Jesus is alive! He died on the cross but resurrected from death and is alive today!

The very difference of Christian religion than others is that Jesus is alive!

May God blesses those who believe in him…Emmanuel (God be with you!)!

(Two easter eggs from my church)

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More Sakura…

Posted on April 7th, 2007 by KhoKing.
Categories: Family, Photography.

Went to strawberry farm today. Got some very nice sakura trees there, here some to share with you all.

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1 comment.

Hanami 2007…

Posted on April 6th, 2007 by KhoKing.
Categories: Family, Photography.

Japanese have a culture of go seeing sakura during every spring. In Japanese, they call it Hanami, which means flower viewing. Hana = flower, mi = see.

I went hanami with my lovely wife and baby today at the nearby garden, took some photos and sharing here with you all.

1 comment.

Sakura and the bird

Posted on April 6th, 2007 by KhoKing.
Categories: Photography.

Was hoping to take some sakura flower shots few days ago, but saw a pair a birds on the sakura trees. Shifted my focus onto them instead, and here’s a shot that I feel can share with the world.

For me, close-up of a bird is boring. I hope to capture bird in their nature environment, hope this flower give you some idea of what I am trying to deliver.

Camera: Nikon D200

Lens: Nikon Nikkor AFD 200mm F/4 Macro

Handheld without flash. Auto ISO and fixed shutter speed at 1/360s to avoid handshake.

0 comments.

Cold? Flu?

Posted on April 6th, 2007 by KhoKing.
Categories: Family.

Not feeling very well today…started yesterday night actually. Having very bad flu. I guess due to the tired body and sudden temperature change recently (thought spring has come, but suddenly get very cold again). Caught some rain too…

Having running nose, hope can get better soon.

My lovely wife is very caring. Cook good delicious meals for me and washed all the dishes. She is pregnant for 7 months now…thank you my dear!

Tomorrow we are going to strawberry farm, hope my body is getting well by tomorrow so that we all can enjoy a good trip!

By the way, I notice sakura trees have already have leafs coming out…need to go snap snap more photos before the flowers are all gone. Rained yesterday and the day before, most trees already have full blossom, better act soon. My wife and I plan to visit Kagamiyama Koen (Mountain Mirror Garden) today, hope my body is not too tired.

God bless!

0 comments.

Pastor Hayashi

Posted on April 4th, 2007 by KhoKing.
Categories: Church.

This might be the last time I am seeing my beloved pastor - Hayashi sensei - in Japan. Today went to church at 8am to help moving house. Though I do not know him well, but his messages in church and his family and Megumi church have been a big blessing to me and my wife in Japan.

Pastor Hayashi has been serving in Megumi church for more than 10 years. Many people cried during his last service on 25th March 2007, I was in Scotland during that time but my wife called me about the church service. I am glad that I can meet him again today.

To Hayashi sensei, wherever you go, may God bless you and your family and be with you all always!

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my new site…

Posted on April 3rd, 2007 by KhoKing.
Categories: Computer / IT, Photography.

I have created a “news” page some time ago…but did not manage it properly. Have created two online forums since then (PentaxWorld & CaptureSG), so I will leave the photography news update to these two sites, besides my PhotoMalaysia site.

So, what is this “blog” is all about? I am not really sure…that’s why I don’t know what title to put yet…and use the URL as blog under ShaShinKi. I guess I will just use this blog as my personally diary. Writing and sharing anything that I feel like writing.

Till then…see ya…

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