Archive: 2025-05
Week 229: How long is too long?
What’s the maximum length of a domain name? If you search, you’ll get answers in the range of 253 to 255 octets (≈ characters). Don’t be fooled. The maximum length of a domain name that can be handled by several online platforms, including Microsoft Azure and Heroku, is actually 64 octets, as I found to my great inconvenience on Monday.
Week 228: Not actually an island
If I told you that I went to a fair on Saturday, bought a jar of chutney from the WI, drank real ale, and watched morris dancers, you would probably form one impression in your mind. The reality was a little different: we went to the Nunhead Cemetery Open Day, and wandered amongst the stalls and the dead in a crowd of the living that contained a sizeable contingent of goths. The dancing came from the [Black Swan Border Morris][black swan], resplendent in black and purple and a lot of tattoos. We headed to the [Ivy House] for lunch, where I had that pint (Here Comes the Sun elderflower pale ale from 360 Degree Brewing Co.) and watched a repeat performance from Black Swan who had also made their way to the same pub.
Week 227: Donostia and back again
We arrived in Donostia on Sunday and, after checking in, went for a walk. We ended up in the [San Telmo museum]. The architecture – a modern concrete structure grafted onto an old convent – is interesting, but the content is varied and fascinating. The exhibition on dictatorships was particularly moving.
Week 226: Journey to the Basque Country
I’m writing late this week because we’ve been on holiday by train to Bordeaux, Donostia (aka San Sebastián) and Bilbao.