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Peer feedback needed! It's all about you!

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by tig2 4 views

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

You may or may not be aware that I have begun writing for the News Digest as well as writing a weekly Mac blog. Writing news that you are interested in reading can be challenging. Especially when you factor in my missing crystal ball. And the fact that I can no longer read minds!

So I'm asking you all, my peers, to tell me what kinds of things you think are relevant to todays IT Professional. Not just News but anything. What would you like to see TechRepublic talk about? What kinds of content would you find interesting and/or helpful?

When I was asked this question, some of the things I thought of were the growing issue of health care and contractors, the impact of globalization on IT jobs and the resulting changes in the industry, staying relevant in the industry, and what we do when it's time to shut down the computer and go home.

I've managed to team up with some of the PTB on this question. They tell me that I can offer swag to those of you who respond back with ideas we can use. Just think- you could at last begin a TR coffee cup collection of your very own!

Post your responses here and tell us what you want from us. I know you guys know what you want, all I need you to do is tell me.

:D

Edit- an "e" got past me!

145 replies

by ed woychowsky

I've been trying to weasel a TR Polo for the last three years.

How about something on translating skills from Windows to Linux? There's a REAL sharp learning curve there.

by charliespencer

I've been waiting for an individual more enterprising than I to do a "Linux Command-A-Day Calendar" for a while. Ed's suggestion is a good one; I'd like to see it focus on doing it in an established corporate environment.

by tig2

Are you thinking as a part of a multi-platform environment? Or as a wall to wall Linux shop? Or both?

Linux Command a Day. Hmm. Excellent idea! Very handy too!

by boxfiddler Hot topic

I learn a little bit more every day, but some of what I want to do and to tweak just keeps looking impossible! Or scary. And oh criminy, if it happens pretend I'm only 3 years old! :D

by tig2

That granular information and screen shots is better?

Is there a flavor of Linux that folks want to see? Gnome vs KDE?

You thought this was gonna be easy, didn't you? :D

by tig2

A person to weasel from!

I agree on the sharp learning curve- are you thinking of things on how to roll your own? Or are you thinking about the things that might be more from an end user perspective?

I'll drop a few words- no promises!

by the scummy one

It seems to me that this was brought up about PCLOS. For someone to start a move from Win to PCLOS, cover setup and usage, along with the built-in tools/commands and alternate apps. I think daily would be too much, but covering a weekly one would give more time to write, check out, etc..

Of course it doesnt even have to be PCLOS, it could be Ubuntu, or another popular -- easy to use distro.

On the business side, there can be an alternate one going with a more business oriented distro, such as SUSE or Red Hat

by boxfiddler Hot topic

By golly I sure am!

I'm running Ubuntu and Mint at the moment and relatively happy with each. But...
Gnome vs. KDE? Gnome is the default in both and I'm none too certain that is as useful as WinXP GUI. Network configuration and tweaking barely there via GUI. (As an example - there are others but I can't access 'buntu at the moment.)
KDE - keveryting is just bizarre.

CLI - the biggie. I'm taking a Unix class this semester and plan to take the next installment over summer. But CLI is where most 'true' (never used anything but the Windows GUI) noobs are going to have the most trouble and be most uncomfortable when not downright scared to get in there and command.

Nothing worth having is ever easy! :D

by tig2

I've got it on the list.

I agree- for people who only interface through the GUI, CLI is a major paradigm shift. Between the unfamiliarity and the perceived "strangeness" of the individual commands, that is the place of breakdown. My handy UNIX manual keeps me sane- the core of my Mac is UNIX.

by oz_media

A few things that are helpful in the IT community are:
**Latest news and reviews of pocket protectors.
**How to talk to women
**Is MS better than MAC or Linux and why?
**"Music: seeing beyond the i-Pod"
**Tiggers, do they really bounce and why?
**How to sell yourself and your hard earned skills to find a job without playing the recruiter game
**How to recover a lost Admin password (a biggie here!)

There's more but that's a start anyway.
and hey, I think you do a great job of your articles, though irrlevant to ME specifically much of teh time, I do like the read and have learned a lot from you.

by tig2

I am not certain that I am equal to the task of addressing the "How to talk to women" thing, I can tell you definitively that Tiggers do bounce. They bounce because they can.

I have read some of what you have written in the past about finding employment. I think you have a real direction there and I know that your posts on the subject have been helpful.

I am interested in the "beyond the iPod" thing. I have all my music on my Touch but own most of it in CD format. The Touch is for portability. I guess I am wondering what you think of being "beyond the iPod". I know that you have a lot of knowledge in this area, and I know that many people here have an interest in music. How do you see us covering that?

by seanferd

The differences between the shirt-and-tie and silkscreened-T-shirt wearing geeks (in IT, of course). :)

by faradhi

Linux alternatives to Windows programs would be nice. But that is a rather selfish request as I am currently moving to linux.

by tig2

Especially if we start discussing the Windows to Linux shift- we definitely need to include Open Source alternatives for software you can't live without.

Thanks Faradhi! Got it on the list!

by jaqui

what windows apps do you need replacements for?
people can't even start looking for options if they don't know that.

by faradhi

I just thought it would be a good topic.

Since my needs are pretty basic, I was able to find software. GNUcash to replace quicken, Open Office to replace MS office.

I do need a good media player, preferably one that will play wmv files along with mp3, mpegs, etc. But I admit that I have not done a search in earnest. I am sure there is one out there if I did the research.

by dmambo

I face a constant balancing act of work and home life. I'll bet that many others here could find enough work projects to keep them chained to their keyboards 24/7 if they wanted to. I also wouldn't be surprised if a lot of bosses expect that their IT folks be on call around the clock, as well.

For me, It's a routine thing to be on-line and connected to work for a good part of my weekends and days off. Some of that is just taking a few minutes to start a process and then monitoring it occasionally to be sure that it's going OK, but the need to "check-in" is still there.

Dealing with the boss, dealing with the spouse, trying to automate tasks, getting users used to the idea that systems need maintenance occasionally, and efficient telecommuting are some sub-topics in this area.

P.S. - No need to send me a TR coffee mug. I already have THREE!!!!! ;)

I'll take a t-shirt tho!

by tig2

I write for this joint and I am STILL drinking coffee from a Fox X-Files mug!

I used to get swag. *sniff*

Excellent ideas- it can be a real challenge to keep the home fires burning and still meet or exceed workplace expectations. When the SO and I were first dating he was on a project that frequently expected him to drop everything and work all night through problems. But I do the same thing so I guess I understand.

by the scummy one

How to crack the Lottery, win big and never get caught!

I would definately be interested.

Ok, some real ones.
Different ways to accomplish the same task in Windows (lots of them), pick a new task a week..

Different utilities with similar functions that work in different OS's, or maybe compare similar utilities on different OS's
And maybe add conversion utilities so that these files can be viewed on a differing OS

While the first shoul dbe an easy one, the second would require quite a bit of work. So, if you have the spare time!!!

by naughtymonkey

um.....uh.....dammit, I though I had something....hold on.....oh yeah, I agree with Palmetto. More Linux how-to, tricks, and tips. This "How to add a user to Active Directory" crap is getting annoying. ;)

You know, I never received the last two cups I was supposed to get. Is that just a trick.

by tig2

I can't forget to send you guys stuff if I owe you. I may need to bribe you in the future!

by nonapeptide

Like did you know that some malware has been developed to discern if its running in a VM? S'true. however, Parellels hasn't been detected yet... notice I said yet.

The security implications of VMs is interesting (e.g. Blue Pill)

by jdclyde

Of course, new toys in Tech.

Making and working with GG's office-on-a-stick and such topics.

A graphical users move to a linux desktop.

Current and upcoming legislation that will effect us in the Tech field.

Why Macs aren't just for kids anymore.... :D

Upsize/downsize/outsource/insource. Which way are the trends going. Are jobs coming back to Canada and the US or still going to the lowest bidder in India/Pakistan....

Skype'ing. How to start. Does Skype do conference calls?

An update on the WoW charter from TR. My gaming system died about the time it started, so I fell out of that one. :(

New application test runs. Some real reviews of new software as it comes out.

by jaqui

is already being looked at.
with the content being video format, since that is the latest "trend" that is popular right now.

I'm putting together the install and config of PCLinuxOS as a video tutorial.
[ just wish I knew if windows media player will handle ogg video or if I have to make it the 500% larger mpg based xvid avi format. ]

by jdclyde

Probably two months out from being able to give this a go, but have the page linked.

How many active members are there?

How often are people on?

Such a cool thing! :D

by jdclyde

can someone post a link to a good noob guide for building a first character?

I found a few sites that list what the characters are, but looking for some recommendations on what works good for someone just getting started. Character/race combinations, as well as skill sets to get and skills not to waste points on.

Thanks.

jd

by charliespencer

Who knows, you might even want to do a similar series on integrating your beloved FunnyFruits with AD or Netware.

by charliespencer

I'd like to see the focus on distros designed for big business use, preferably ones that have a formal "support for pay" option. I'm guessing that would be only Red Hat and SUSE, but I'm always willing to be proven wrong.

by jaqui

RHEL and Suse, also Mandriva has a paid support system
and Enterprise server and desktop versions of the distro.

by charliespencer

Most members are aware that TR has an active World of Warcraft guild. Are there any plans for a TR-specific social network, or a Second Life presence? I remember when member blogs were tried unsuccessfully a couple of years ago.

by tig2

I have it on the list. It's a good idea too.

Anyone writing for the site is likely to want to hear from all of you about the things that you think are important and relevant. It is a combination of the content and the people that keep us coming here and let's face it, the content is what drives views.

I really appreciated that you were willing to give me that feedback. Keep it coming!

by tig2

We all felt that there was value to it. As Palmetto's remarks indicate, there is a need to examine this from the perspective of a multi platform enterprise as well.

by Former member

Comparisons between OS X and any flavor of Linux. Especially the differences between the command line functions and the set ups required.

Like it or not, Mac's are growing, probably because of the dissatisfaction with MS products and the complexity of Linux. While Mac seems mostly to be grab an icon and drag it somewhere to install, I am sure that there are other features under the hood.

While maybe questionable on this board, I would also like to see discussion of Hackintoshes on various platforms. Before flaming, remember that Apple made musch of the source available for OS X on project Darwin.

by tig2

I will take a high level swipe at the OS X/Linux/Unix picture on Wednesday. But I would be interested in knowing in more detail the kinds of things you are interested in.

I don't have a lot of experience with the Hackintosh. But I can research like nobody in the world and can at least get the information.

No one is going to flame over Hackintosh. You are absolutely right. The Apple EULA incorporates the GPL and specifically states that portions of the source are FOSS. There has even been discussion that a version will be made completely Open Source.

Check my Wednesday blog for some of this. Let me know what more you want to see. I drive a Mac today but was also MCSE. And I have worked with both OS X and Linux in a dual boot so have a sense of the differences.

by the scummy one

as I tried pointing out previously, not just Mac and Linux, but Win XP/Vista as well. Have multi-platform utilities, OS functions and similar applications that can run on one or all, but communicate with each other or at least allow conversions between them.

by seanferd

Perhaps something about creating your own live/boot cd by modding a distro and adding your own utils. I do realize that there are already good distros and information about building your own, but I thought that maybe some insight from an IT/business perspective might be interesting, particularly regarding Palmetto's multi-platform environments.

Perhaps something highlighting the differences between the available unices might be handy for shops moving to a unix or changing their existing unix-like OS.

Yes, I had noticed that you were writing news, which I thought was pretty cool. TiggerTwo - Part Two: Expansion.

by tig2

If there is one thing that I don't need, it's expansion. I've seen me lately.

Are you thinking about using Live in a multi-platform environment where the end user boots to a Live for some tasks- or even all of them when there is no requirement to save? Or are you going down a different thought?

by seanferd

more along the lines of troubleshooting tools for the IT department. I was just throwing in some ideas, though. I don't personally work in a corporate environment, so maybe other members would have thoughts on that, if they are at all interested in the topic in any form.

>> I meant expansion in regards to writing articles on TR.
:)
The phrase structure was lifted from the title of a science fiction novel.

by jaqui

Mplayer will use the Windows codec files if you still have windows installed.
or you can get them from their site.

most distros aren't including mp3 support by default for a legal issue, not sure exactly what.
You can get the codec to play mp3s for any media player with a search for it.

by nonapeptide

I've never seen this topic discussed outside of Tom Limoncelli's The Practice of System and Network Administration. I initially had to learn this info from seasoned sysadmins, to which I'm very grateful.

I'd like to see tips from veterans about dealing with salesmen, cold calls, negotiating good prices on hardware, keeping a good relationship with an account manager, etc.. Anecdotes would be great.

Do I hear a second?

[EDIT: At least I *think* I read something about this in TPOSANA... maybe I'm dreaming]

by tig2

I agree- dealing with vendors can be some scary business. It would be an excellent topic!

Any additional details that you think should be considered?

by nonapeptide

Seriously, being a noob at dealing with vendors puts me at a disadvantage to even ask for advice. Yeah, I can play the basic game:

"Okay, Mr. HP salesman, Dell's got some competitive prices that my finance department is more pleased with. Help me out a little bit..."

::Finish conversation and call Dell::

"Okay, Mr. Dell salesman, HP's got some..."

You get the idea. That's the easy stuff. The not so easy stuff... the stuff that requires years of experience to sense the nuances of purchase negotiation and product evaluation, surviving the salesforce at a tradeshow, navigating through the brochures at a vendor's product roll-out, that's what I can't even fathom at the moment. I'll learn it with experience, but it would help if someone could spare me the really hard bumps and bruises while getting there.

Anecdotes are always the best teachers for me. A few front line War Stories would do the trick.

by charliespencer

"I'm sorry, but our legal department won't allow me to discuss financial transactions until we've finalized the bankruptcy arrangements."

by jaqui

defeats the purpose of using a video format, they are supposed to be supported natively... oh, right MS doesn't own the format so naturally they won't support it out of the box.
;)

That's a handy link, since the MAC doesn't support the open source format by default either.

by jdclyde

My favorite "problem" is when people buy a fancy video card for making videos, so they choose the "best" format.

They can't understand when no one else can view the video, because they can't get the codec to run the blasted thing. grrrrrrr.

Kind of like not being able to watch a DVD on a linux box by default? It always is something. (or has that changed yet?)

by jaqui

that hasn't changed yet.

and I just sent an email to 2 groups, a TV network group that covers all entertainment media issues as well as social issues, and the Canadian offices of the MPAA. ]:)

called the dvds that will not play on linux policy makers dumb sh!ts that have cost them any money from me because of it, and no money until THEY change their policy.

by jmgarvin

Standards like ITIL, BPML/BPEL, that kind of stuff. It would be nice to see the lastest scams and spams floating around.

A final though, how about talk about what you are doing for end user training.

by the scummy one

get out a whip if they get out of line!!!

Ok, Ok, At the co that I work for, there is lots of training stuff avail. We receive regular emails about news with links to learn more.
These emails usually get deleted before being read, and everyone just asks me what they said....
Of course my most common answer is 'did you read it?'

by jmgarvin

Too true. It's amazing that users will ignore what they need and then ask you anyway...*sigh*

I guess the question is how do we make it stick? How do we get them to into training or reading the emails or realizing the benefits?

by gadgetgirl

Right.... I'm answering!

1. From my point of view, anything comparable between your side of the Pond and mine i.e. restrictions, constraints, acts of law etc. (More than willing to give the UK side on that one) As an example, I know we have the Data Protection Act 1998, and the US complied with the Safe Harbour principles, but is there any other commonality?

2. Totally agree with jmgarvin on the user issue - any ideas on how to get things over to them and keep it in their miniscule brains would be helpful to everyone on here. Also, how to do it without incurring expense, splitting myself into 17 people, and also without encroaching on too much work time (oh, there is a long story behind that; suffice to say, where I work has assessed the "untrained" risk as acceptable as someone actually did a study and stated that three months out of a working year would be lost if everyone kept up with ALL the training required in the NHS - sad so..person)

3. Working with and updating the office-on-a-stick isn't a problem if you want more info from me!

4. Keeping presentations a) interesting b) lively and c) to the point. I've no problem in presenting/speaking, but sometimes run out of silly examples. Place to share same?

Special Request - I need Idiots Guides for everything! Keep it all in English! I don't speak tech-ese (much) I need to work on the KISS principle (my take on which is: Keep It Simple for the Stupid! Me!)

Consider that a brain dump (Brit speak - sure there will be a NITS (tm) translation somewhere)

Tig, you know I'm a bit intermittent (and why) at the moment, pm me if you want info/expansion on the above.

GG

NB: Goodies - mugs don't travel over here, I already have a polo shirt, so get together with Jason Hiner who promised me something/anything travellable a while ago (I'll find it given half an hour) and surprise me!

Edit: can't speed type in a rush....! :p

by tig2

You aren't the first to ask for "idiot guides". My guess is that we have become so specialized to the specific thing that we do that stepping outside of that is getting increasingly difficult. Would you agree?

Why don't mugs travel over there? Is it a pack and ship issue? Or is there some other barrier?

by the scummy one

Since the mugs are coveted so, they get stolen by the customs agents. Then these agents break up a small white coffee mug into tiny bits and place these bits into the box.

Idiot guides are needed for many reasons. Not everyone is as technical as others, and everyone wants to understand things without thinking too hard. Also, many are just browsing here who are not really technical at all, but would like to learn some things.

by jdclyde

The explanation I got from Jay was that the recipient would end up with a nice box full of powder by the time it is delivered.

And yes, it takes a LOOOOONG time for the British post to deliver ANYTHING.

Do they have polo's in BLACK yet?

by boxfiddler Hot topic

I see it like crazy on campus in students, staff, faculty and administration. They each fill their niche quite well, but are totally lost if they have to step outside it for a day.
Students are a tad different, but while they can find whatever they want on the Internet, can often figure out why they can't get on the 'net at the moment, when it comes to navigating their own machine effectively they are total ids.
The same is true of much of the staff. They can pop open Word and spit out a great document, but other than that they are lost in there.

by bizzo

Why not include Macs?

You could have a list tasks, maybe as simple as adding a local user or changing the wallpaper, to something a little more difficult. And then having, "This is how you do it in Windows/Linux/Mac", just so people can see the differences between the OSs.

by bizzo

I know how to do most things in Windows, but have no clue in Linux or Mac, I just thought it would be a great comparison.

by jdclyde

If something is just a quick side thing, who has the time to learn all the ins and outs of something? A quick guide to get the job done so we can go on with the real parts of our jobs is a life saver.

So many things require YEARS of training and hands-on experience that we don't have time to acquire in the 30 days till a project is due.

by the scummy one

but you didnt bring up alternate theories about the Mug!!!

Edited! Sorry, I should have read your next post before I mentioned this.

by the scummy one

setup training sessions and force attendance, there will be no control.

However, a new thought just hit my brain. Send the emails, and keep sending them until they have signed off on. Like seding them to a website and having them punch in their email address at the end of the page and/or training course. At least on the most important stuff (dont wanna do it too often).

Every week anyone who hasnt signed off, gets another email.
Then, when problems arise that are directly related to what they signed off on, charge the dept. a small fee.

If they choose to ignore these weekly mailings for some time, there can be a good buildup of excessive emails, and it can be tracked for who ignores them completely.

IT budget could go up a bit if departments have people often call for items that were in the training.

Oh Yeah, keep the training links available, dont take them down after a few months. That way if someone wants a recap, they can get it.

Keep these training(s) in a single site, for ease of finding. Such as a home page called training.%companyname%.com (or another easy to remember link)

by jaqui

apparently the ogg support is spotty in the audio department.

looks like the idea of using the small file format is shot.
no native support in windows or mac for it.

by jaqui

starting from a working livecd:
It is possible to burn a customized version of the official Linux From Scratch LiveCD, with changed default boot parameters and/or your own files added.

To change the default boot arguments, follow these steps as root.

*

Create directories:

export WORK=/mnt/lfslivecd
mkdir -p $WORK/{orig,copy}

*

Copy all files except root.ext2 from the original image:

mount -t iso9660 -o loop lfslivecd-x86-6.3-r2145.iso $WORK/orig
cp -a $WORK/orig/*/ $WORK/orig/README.html $WORK/copy/
umount $WORK/orig

*

Copy the compressed root.ext2 file without uncompressing it:

mount -t iso9660 -o loop,norock lfslivecd-x86-6.3-r2145.iso $WORK/orig
cp $WORK/orig/root.ext2 $WORK/copy/
chmod 644 $WORK/copy/root.ext2
umount $WORK/orig

*

Edit the boot loader configuration:

# Append new kernel options to the "append" lines
vim $WORK/copy/boot/isolinux/isolinux.cfg

*

Create the new LiveCD image:

mkisofs -z -R -l --allow-leading-dots -D -o \
lfslivecd-x86-6.3-r2145-custom.iso -b boot/isolinux/isolinux.bin \
-c boot/boot.cat -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table \
-V "lfslivecd-x86-6.3-r2145" $WORK/copy

[NOTE] You cannot change the volume label of the customized CD (i.e., the argument to the ?-V? option) this way. The ?-nosrc? suffix is not part of the volume label and should be left out, but ?-min? should be preserved.

To add or remove files, follow the instructions in the /root/lfscd-remastering-howto.txt file instead.

http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/livecd/documentation.html

:P

by seanferd

Much more concise and direct than other instructions I have read. This is going straight into my file on ways to make bootable CDs. A customized Linux disk will be an interesting project. :D

by jaqui

I was doing a test recording of an install and browsing TR as "Anonymous User" when I saw that you had posted a reply to this thread.

I said hmm, I bet seanferd has replied to my livecd posting, and you had. :D

I have the ogg video clip to prove it. ]:)

browsing the internet, while installing the os, all on the same running os. :)

by charliespencer

I've often heard a Linux CD can be an excellent troubleshooting tool for ailing Windows systems, but how do I use it?

This isn't intended as a question for Jaqui. It's a suggestion to Tig for future material.

by jdclyde

diagnostics for memory, mb, nic, video.

looking for hidden files on the windows system, or recovery of deleted files.

checking the history trail on a system that has had the "clear history" button pushed.

looking for virus infections, and removal. looking at other programs that run at startup that are a beotch to remove, and are hidden again from windows.

of course, putting it on a thumb drive is even more appealing because it is smaller than a CD.

A livecd that will fit on a mini cd (185M).

by nonapeptide

I think there's plenty of subject material out there to create a recurring piece written by a Sr. admin type aimed at Jr. admins. The "If I only knew then what I know now" theme would be helpful for those of us who don't have 10+ years of admin experience. That's why I think The practice of System and Network Administration is such a good book (even though I haven't been able to read very far into it yet).

Again, I think anecdotes go far in this category (actually, I think anecdotes go far in any subject matter).

Seem like a halfway decent idea?

[Edited because my subject was stupid]

by seanferd

1. How to use internet search to help you solve your computer problems. E.g.: Query error messages, part numbers, or general problem descriptions, that sort of thing.

2. How to do similar at the microsoft website, the non-stop flux that it is. How to use and where to find advanced search, the fact that there are fora there now, how to navigate the site and when one might want to bookmark a page for ease of return, and note that one may receive different query results depending on what page the query was conducted from. That last bit is just plain odd, and I don't even know how consistent the inconsistency is.

3. How to ask a question in a tech forum.

4. What other really good sites there are for help with OS, tips and tricks, documentation, etc.

I like my research, but I am sure that you are WAY beyond me.

by boxfiddler Hot topic

where to look within your own system to find the information necessary to ask a question in a tech forum.
Ok, add two:
When you get the new computer home, find all that info and write it down somewhere in case you can't boot so that you have it when you need it.
Oh wait:
BIOS beep codes. How to find out what they mean and what you need to know to find out what they mean.

by seanferd

That's the stuff.

I'm particularly hopeful on the "researching at the MS website" angle. Of course, any advice given might be rendered obsolete in 15 minutes... That site was okay, about 6-8 years ago, why must they mangle it so?

by tig2

Arsenic.

It's a simple solution to be certain but it works a treat on any vendor pest you encounter.

The only drawback is dosage. Unless, of course, you have a basement UNDER the raised floor. Or similar disposal method.

Survival at a tradeshow is dead easy. "Yes, we considered your product but are still evaluating your SEC issues for risk management". Or whatever. Depending on the company, you may have up to five reasons to avoid them- "your product started wide-spread data center fires", "However did you deal with the allegations that your hardware shipped to XYZ Company filled with live rattlesnakes", etc. I think you see where I am going.

Seriously, knowing the difference between hype and horsie-poo is tough sometimes. But there are ways...

Edit- I want coffee!!!

by nonapeptide

Thanks.

::Depending on the company, you may have up to five reasons to avoid them- "your product started wide-spread data center fires", "However did you deal with the allegations that your hardware shipped to XYZ Company filled with live rattlesnakes",::

by charliespencer

I still have several older machines that won't boot from a thumb drive. Also, a contaminated machine can write to a thumb drive; it can't write to a CD.

by jdclyde

It doesn't matter WHAT the infection, it would be inactive when you boot to the linux disk or thumb drive.

Distros like feather provide a boot floppy so you can boot to the thumbdrive on older systems.

I was also not saying thumb INSTEAD of the CD, but AS WELL AS. I am more likely to ALWAYS have the thumbdrive in my pocket, I don't always have CD's with me.

by Mark W. Kaelin

We have about 15 active members - in game on a more or less weekly basis and among those there is a hard core group of 8 to 10 on nearly every evening.

There are a few others that pop on from time to time.

We have over 70 characters in the guild - many are secondary characters played by us hard core who want to try something a little different from time to time.

by boxfiddler Hot topic

Mind you this is just my pessimistic opinion, but I figure everything they do is tied in with 'forcing' more spending in the PC realm in some way. Everytime they release a new OS, they force some users at any rate to buy new, which feeds the hardware manufacturing machine. They pushed too hard in this arena with Vista, one reason it is so unpopular. This time around perfectly good peripherals no longer functioned with the new OS. Ticked a lot of people off.
I figure the mangling is part of the same conspiracy (yes I used that word!) in that more and more folks are forced to take the PC to the shop because they can no longer make heads nor tails of the KB, and/or find what they need to know in it.

Pooheads.

by the scummy one

Back before Win2k even, I would run a search on NT4.0 %some error% and the first KB to pop up, top of the list would be Win 98, and below that would be Office 95

It is a little better, if I punch in an error now for XP it may only bring up Vista, Office, SQL, svr2k, svr03, WinMe, Win2k
wait, did I say better????

by jdclyde

No, they would never INTENTIONALLY make it harder to get by with the older OS, would they?

by the scummy one

What Information is needed when asking about a BSOD.
Often I see "I got a BSOD, can you tell me what to do"?

by jaqui

what is bsod again? it's been so long since I've touched windows I forget.

by charliespencer

The four I saw on XP systems in '07 were all caused by hardware failure issues - three by hard drives, one by RAM. The bad RAM only hung the system; it didn't actually get to a BSOD.

by jdclyde

talking about the benefits and disadvantages of both formats only helps us better use both.

I don't care which format I am using because they work exactly the same just different. B-)

I would bet that the thumb drive would run [b]FASTER[/b] though...... :p

by jdclyde

when a system would have "only" 256M ram. Ran out of resources and puked.

I remember when I doubled my ram to 32M back in Win95. Man, did that puppy scream.... :0

Then again, I used to see it ALL the time when I had a screen saver that would go to a BSOD, look like it shutdown and repost, start windows, and BSOD again. It was a non-stop look and made me smile....

I also like to install that on peoples systems and disconnect their mouse..... :0