Random Information

This is just a collection of crap I (Scott) wanted to write down. Call it carthartic.

Technology Platform

Free BBQ is a LAMP stack - PHP, MariaDB, Apache, and Ubuntu Server. The database replicates to all of our "BBQ in a box" sanctioning devices using a combination of native MySQL replication and JSON updates. Sensitive information only exists at our head office, our sanctioning devices contain non-reversible hashed copies of anything private in the FreeBBQ database. The entire system is designed under the presumption that eventually one of our sanctioning devices will be stolen, so we've made the data in them useless until it's combined with the private data stored at head office. Even at head office we deliberately only collect very limitted information due to information security concerns and limiting our liabilty incase of a breach. There's an 0wn3d listing on offer for anyone that can create /opt/hacked.txt on our primary server and is willing to share the compromise vector with us in a constructive way that enables us to patch it. This reward includes dofollow link with text of your choice (within reason). We haven't been hacked to date, but we presume a compromise will happen.

Free BBQ Logo

The Free BBQ logo is the Australian wedge-tailed eagle. I wanted to pay homage to the american roots of our bbq community, but in a uniquely Australian way. The wedge tail eagle is a pretty incredible creature and with a wingspan of up to 2.8m, it's known for carrying off larger prey like lambs. They also have a reputation for attacking human hang gliders. Wedge tail eagles sorta make most birds of prey look like budgies. You can read more about them on wikipedia.

How is it free?

The same way most modern websites run, the long term plan is to make enough through advertising and sponsorship arrangements to zero out the expense of running the project. That will NEVER expand to advertising on the judge's score data entry interface, or pay-for-comment on social media groups (see our social media policy). Beyond that I'm probably more like an open-source project BDFL in that my intention isn't any more complicated than wanting to provide the community with a genuinely free sanctioning system, and I'm quite happy to commit alot of my free time in doing it. The system was programed from a laptop in my recliner, during the coronavirus shutdown, having a glass of wine from our favourite DeBortoli goon-bag (aussie slang for cask win), while watching spicks and specks with my wife. As a linux system it's always online, it requires minimal amounts of my time to oversee, and it doesn't require paid IT professionals to babysit or maintain it. Technology doesn't have to suck.

Commercial licencing

I'm hopeful that one day I'll be able to re-coupe some of the ridiculous amount of programming hours I've put into this system, by licencing the platform that runs Free BBQ to other sanctioning bodies in a cloud-provider type (financial) contract arrangement. If you represent an established sanctioning body that would be interested in throwing out your abacus in favour of what you've seen in Free BBQ, please get in touch.

0wn3d List

The following people have successfully compromised this system:

Nobody yet.