Richard Hector

Self-employed sysadmin and web host
Living in Lower Hutt, New Zeland
Leftish, Greenish with libertarian streaks
Free Software / Open Source fan

#nzgreen
#NZGreens
#OpenSource

Public Key

npub1r4d2ure3ku7duawcdv4ehrdkwmug5rtqzgkpgfcyvfs5hpgry74qsw6447

NIP-05 Address

richardh@mastodon-nz.mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsp6k4wpucmw0x7whvxk2um3km8d7y2p4spytq5yuzxyc2ts5pj02spz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dstq7ulw

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1r4d2ure3ku7duawcdv4ehrdkwmug5rtqzgkpgfcyvfs5hpgry74qsw6447

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Last Notes

2026-09-01 00:08:42 UTC

Does anyone know of a #spreadsheet that supports hexadecimal numbers as a format, or better, supports full #IPv4 and #IPv6 addresses? I'm really only interested in #FreeSoftware / #OpenSource
Or is there one with really simple code that I might be able to modify, as a relatively inexperienced programmer (ie I probably don't want to dive into #LibreOffice ...)?

2026-08-16 01:12:07 UTC

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@nprofile…wj33 I'm a little confused by the 4-gun category. If you're not a farmer or a sport shooter (hunting and target shooting?), or a collector, why would you need any? 4 is too low for a legit collector. Maybe professional pest control? But that seems like it should be its own category.

2026-07-27 00:56:18 UTC

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@nprofile…xpw3 It's thinks you're in UTC?

2026-07-20 20:20:22 UTC

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@nprofile…xpw3 I've wondered for a while about the concept of a powered trailer, and whether it's currently legal.

2026-06-04 11:44:13 UTC

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@nprofile…7760 Nice :-) Maybe avoid making a white one ...

2026-05-17 03:49:37 UTC

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@nprofile…xpw3 This is interesting, but way too small.
What I would like to see is a database a bit like the OpenPrinting (?) one, listing all the phones with openness, compatibility and availability, including by country.
I wish I was in a position to create such a thing, bu unfortunately I'm not :-(

2026-05-17 00:11:45 UTC

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@nprofile…xpw3 A bit unfair on the bears :-(

2026-05-01 05:27:43 UTC

FLOSS accounting systems in NZ
Hey all,
I've been thinking about moving away from Xero - partly because it doesn't quite always do what I want, but mostly because it's a cost I could do without.
Any suggestions for a self-hosted Free software option that is likely to work well in the NZ environment? Likely to be understood by my accountant?
I've been considering Odoo, but I see that it has integrated AI, which puts me off ... are there any that haven't done that and aren't planning to?
Are there other questions I should be asking?
#NewZealand #Accounting #FreeSoftware

2026-04-06 02:09:31 UTC

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@nprofile…wj33 Interesting map. Isn't Queenstown Airport tricky enough without stringing cables across the end of the runway?

2026-04-04 12:15:20 UTC

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@nprofile…5w5c Interesting, thanks. Sarcasm, or whatever it was, retracted with apologies :-)

2026-04-04 06:32:57 UTC

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@nprofile…5w5c What's cloud traffic when it's not internet data?

2026-03-06 20:55:57 UTC

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@nprofile…xpw3 That writer likes exclamation marks!

2026-03-05 09:19:13 UTC

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@nprofile…wj33 Cheers

2026-03-05 01:23:04 UTC

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@nprofile…wj33 I won't be able to pay sellers with bank transfers? I'm not sure how they'll enforce that with after-sale email discussions. The only other method I've used is cash on collection - I hope they're not trying to interfere with that?

2026-02-27 08:35:39 UTC

Is it just me, or has the #mastodon web ui stopped displaying alt text? I used to see it by clicking on the image to display it, then hovering over it.

2026-02-16 07:31:19 UTC

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@nprofile…5mvz I was thinking that I don't see the point of the coloured lights ... but if they could be set up to respond to the temperature, that would be cool.

2026-02-11 04:23:21 UTC

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@nprofile…v9wr @nprofile…zy9j I think the trousers and pants one is different. Both always come in pairs. Trouser is the correct word for a thing that doesn't exist.

2026-01-29 20:22:16 UTC

Web security people - is it true that a (logged in) contact form for a website shouldn't be used with multiple tabs open? NZ's 'myIR' IRD (taxation) site doesn't allow it, even though it opened the tab for me ...
Not sure what tags are relevant, but ...
#Infosec #Web

2025-12-20 09:18:34 UTC

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@nprofile…glz5 Heh - yeah, I don't think broad words are meaningless. 'website' and 'publication' are still useful. Even 'thing' is useful' 🙂

2025-12-20 08:03:46 UTC

Hey friends,
Can anyone suggest an online #wine shop, delivering to #Heidelberg, Germany, which will sell #NewZealand wine at reasonable prices? Hopefully I'm not too late for a Christmas present ...

2025-12-18 04:55:45 UTC

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@nprofile…t0pv @nprofile…wcg4 I believe SEQUEL (Structured English Query Language) was an IBM predecessor to SQL (Structured Query Language).

2025-12-18 04:15:21 UTC

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@nprofile…wcg4 @nprofile…t0pv Or 'sequel' when they mean SQL.

2025-12-15 19:11:35 UTC

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@nprofile…p7rx In the short term, decision making might improve ...

2025-12-09 09:06:22 UTC

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@nprofile…qu7r I'm a bit out of touch - is this like a non-standard (non-unicode) emoji?

2025-12-09 07:01:38 UTC

Is there any reason to have speakers on the outside of your car, other than pissing people off?

2025-11-15 08:37:46 UTC

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@nprofile…3nu3 Apologies if this is a slight on your snowman skills, but the description that came to mind was "a freshly shorn snowman" :-)

2025-11-04 03:13:47 UTC

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@nprofile…98cu Perhaps because intuitively, there's no reason it would go anywhere? If the AI is just a program on the doctor's computer, surely that's where the data is? For most people, I suspect no alternative crosses their mind.

2025-11-03 03:45:14 UTC

Question for developers who work with #Xero: is it possible to submit invoice details to the api, and have it return a generated invoice number? And any other values that need to be generated, I guess. Or if I'm going to generate my own invoice data, do I need to keep track of invoice numbers myself too? I've tried to read what I think are the relevant docs, but I wasn't confident in my results ...

2025-11-01 20:20:32 UTC

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@nprofile…5nnv @nprofile…p7rx Is it a change, though?

2025-07-26 10:06:20 UTC

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@nprofile…gyq6 Now if only there were pavlova vans ...

2025-07-01 08:58:44 UTC

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@nprofile…s06p Not a word in the article about stability in corners ...

2025-05-22 21:52:01 UTC

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@nprofile…6t6n Seems reasonable to me that some sort of warning is a good idea, and a bale of hay is as good as any.

2025-05-16 20:48:29 UTC

Some time in the last few days, my phone (Samsung #Android) has started beeping at me in a new way. It's a very short, descending 2 tones. No visual notification comes with it. Any ideas what it might be? I realise it might well depend on what apps I have installed, which might make this problematic :-(

2025-05-14 10:01:58 UTC

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@nprofile…5wev Huh. I thought (from watching a @nprofile…r03j video) it was illegal to use "human food" laced with poison for these purposes?

2025-05-11 00:54:03 UTC

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@nprofile…6t6n @nprofile…tprt @nprofile…usyd I'm a sysadmin who can probably contribute some time, but not money. Would happily join a Matrix room to discuss.

2025-02-26 02:16:29 UTC

Hmm. Followed up on the suggestions to join #InternetNZ, and got my email receipt (actually two of them), but no further sign that I'm a member, or what to do next. Reset password link doesn't seem to work, or at least not fast. Anyone here familiar with the process? Suffering similar issues?

2025-02-24 23:42:36 UTC

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@nprofile…jc9n Is that a problem?

2025-01-29 05:10:40 UTC

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@nprofile…s06p Surely any server needs to have a static IP so clients can find it. I haven't set up IPv6 on a hetzner server, but my home systems are generally configured to have a SLAAC address, a randomised address for general outgoing connections, and a static address for incoming. An SMTP server should be configurable to use that for outgoing.

2024-12-31 11:15:13 UTC

Fireworks in Wellington
https://mastodon.nz/system/media_attachments/files/113/747/131/194/540/461/original/5c11ac620c238873.jpg

2024-12-31 10:54:32 UTC

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@nprofile…jc9n I'm hoping to see some live in Wellington, but I don't know if a) it's happening and b) the weather will let me see from across the harbour.

2024-12-23 13:58:32 UTC

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@nprofile…wjwm The number might not drop that far, because the sailing ships will probably be smaller.

2024-11-19 21:39:39 UTC

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@nprofile…s06p Remote desktop is definitely useful - I've used VNC in the past, but had to set up a VPN to make it work nicely. I should try RustDesk. But there are also occasions where you really need to be hands on - hardware failures etc. I guess they're quite rare. There's also the case where I am unavailable regardless of my physical location. I don't necessarily want to set him up with a support provider now, but at least to know there's someone he can contact if required.

2024-11-19 20:45:51 UTC

The more I learn about where Windows is going, the more I want to persuade Dad to switch to Linux. But without any (known) retailers or other local support services, what does he do if I'm not available to help?
Are there any such support businesses in the Wellington region? Lower Hutt specifically?
#linux
#debian
#Wellington
#Hutt

2024-11-12 22:48:55 UTC

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@npub1zg9…nh26 Does personal preference come into it too? Eg a player might prefer heavier or lighter strings?

2024-11-06 09:28:20 UTC

They say that good things take time. But not everything that takes time is good. Any tips for label removal, better than a thumbnail?
https://mastodon.nz/system/media_attachments/files/113/435/285/675/994/586/original/85fe81c3a4778ecd.jpg

2024-08-11 09:31:40 UTC

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@npub16uk…pv7k I've been thinking about talking to my provider about this, but haven't got round to it yet. Maybe this will be the trigger I need.

2024-06-02 00:33:37 UTC

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@npub1xr8…3q0g the linked article shows the full key across both graphs

2024-06-02 00:21:01 UTC

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@npub1xr8…3q0g Um, can I flag that the key to this graph is misleading due to the way it's been cut off in the screenshot? :-)

2024-05-08 11:51:10 UTC

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@npub16uk…pv7k
Lovely indeed - and surprising that you posted a YouTube link ;-)

2023-10-01 06:38:55 UTC

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@npub17nc…9dam @npub1fha…3ru0
Hard to compete with a 300m lens though ;-) Hard to hold, too, I imagine.

2023-08-13 10:00:35 UTC

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@npub1trd…ussx @npub18up…nxz3
Gareth Morgan in 'The Big Kahuna' described GST as a regressive tax, which I think is generally accepted. But then he didn't include removing it in his plans. I didn't understand why. I think I asked on the book's website/forum thing, but never got a response.
But it would make things so much simpler, and better for local retailers who have to compete with imports that, if small enough, have no GST (or has that been 'fixed'?)