Not bad. Sounds like a pretty good offer. All I have to do is go to the site and download the quizzer, right? Wrong. What I have to do is go to the site and cough up my name, address, day and night time telephone numbers, and my e-mail address. That's bad enough, but in addition there are two other little items that are mentioned.
 

No thanks. Free is free, except when it isn't free, and that happens far too often these days on the internet.

September 9, 2002 is almost here. What's so special about the 9th, you ask? Microsoft releases SP1 for Windows XP. Granted, it pales in comparison to September 11, or what has come to be known as simply 9/11 or 911, but it will make for a busy download day at the Microsoft website. I have no idea how many people will actually opt to download SP1, but at 133MB I feel pretty secure in predicting it will be DSL/Cable users who take the plunge. What's that? Yes, I did say 133MB. Think about it for a moment. Run back over in your mind all the updates, hot fixes, and driver updates that have been published since Windows XP debuted. On top of that, toss in the code that makes it possible for the hotly debated 'middleware' programs to be hidden and you have a huge service pack. Is it worth your time to get SP1? In a word, yes.

The time is near for the release of SP1 for Windows XP and once again I’ve started to hear a phrase bandied about that irritates me no end; early adopter. So what’s an early adopter? To my way of thinking, it’s someone who avails them self of a product when it’s first placed in the retail channel. Notice that I didn’t say it’s a beta tester or a guinea pig or someone that likes to take extraordinary risks.

This isn’t some new phenomenon since XP first hit the market. My memory may be a bit cloudy, but I seem to remember this phrase from the days of Windows for Workgroups. Each time a new operating system, upgrade, or even a service pack is released the dire warnings start to fly. Wait until the first service pack is released before you upgrade, they warn. Don’t be a fool and make the change so quickly. Don’t be an early adopter.

Why shouldn’t I be able to be an early adopter? Just because I choose to avail myself of a product when it’s released doesn’t mean I’m consenting to allow defective merchandise on my computer. Yet the early adopter tag has almost taken on the meaning that I understand I’m accepting goods that are of lesser quality and stability than I’d receive if I waited a few months or years. I’m not looking for perfect. If that was my criteria I wouldn’t even have a computer.

There’s another little phrase that’s been a part of popular culture for a while now. Deal with it. I think it’s a pretty good reply for those who scorn early adopters. Just because ‘you’ can’t deal with a few issues that crop up in the first releases don’t scare off those willing to update right away. A year from now, after you think the early adopter guinea pigs have worked out all the kinks, go ahead and upgrade. I guarantee you there will be a whole new set of current issues for you ‘late adopters’ to deal with. It’s the nature of the beast.

I received my first e-mail today asking what I know about Longhorn, codename for the successor to Windows XP. That can be summed up pretty easily. Nothing. What I do know is that the vast majority of computer users haven't even had their hands on XP yet. I'm told Longhorn probably won't debut until sometime in 2005, so I think I'll just find a nice quiet corner out of the way of the hype and purported screenshots where I can concentrate on providing some information that might actually be useful at this point in time.

Raise your hands. How many of you remember installing Windows from 5.25 inch floppies? Hmmm, not that many I see. OK, how about from 3.5 inch floppies? I think there were nine – maybe twelve diskettes. I see a few more hands in the air now. How about this? Did you ever wonder what would have happened if the CD revolution hadn’t come along? How in the hell would we be installing Windows these days if someone hadn’t come along and figured out that a round plastic disc could be used for something other than a Frisbee?

I suppose an ingenious soul would have developed some other medium had it not been the CD. Either that, or else medical insurers would automatically classify any computer user as a hernia risk from lugging thousands of floppies, but that’s not where I’m heading with this line of questioning. The point is, floppies are gone, CD’s are here, and yet we still have companies selling PC’s that won’t supply one – maybe two – measly CD’s containing the operating system with their computers. I know I can’t be the only one that’s annoyed.

Someone tell me why a company would put an image of the operating system on a hidden drive partition, especially when the drive they use is junk. I won’t even get into what “Technical support, how may I assist you” had to say about the situation, but if they really think that a little old lady is going to burn the image to a CD as a hedge against a junk drive failing, they are living in a dream world. The technicians silence on the phone when she reminded him she couldn’t access the image because the drive had failed spoke volumes. My guess is a sticky note on the tech’s monitor reminding him not to be late for break obscured the final “Offer to mail the customer the operating system CD and new drive” troubleshooting step. Instead, she got a dial tone. Very nice.

She’s as happy as can be now, enjoying a new hard drive and operating system minus the entire lot of “helpful” factory installed garbage utilities and advertisements. And, she has the CD in case anything goes wrong in the future; something that she should have had right from the beginning if manufacturers were less concerned about saving a few pennies worth of plastic. Provide a quality computing experience that builds loyalty rather than exasperation. The bottom line is I’ll have her as a customer for life. They will have her as a silent saleswoman, slowly shifting away potential customers with each recounting of her “Let me tell you what happened to me” tale.

If you're anywhere near my age you probably associate the word launch with rockets and the space program. When someone asked if you were going to watch "the launch" it was understood that NASA was involved. Times change. A launch involving the space program has become a lift-off, but I still associate launch with an event that carries some degree of magnitude. Excitement and explosiveness seem to go hand in hand with a launch. Matter of fact, wasn't Windows 95 launched? Or was it Windows 98? I have a hard time remembering that far back. I'm not sure about XP. Was that a launch or a roll-out?

he point is, a large amount of hoopla, pride in the event, and publicity usually accompanied a launch. My guess is that about three weeks from now when the new Microsoft licensing programs go into effect on August 1, 2002 it's not going to be considered a launch. When Microsoft first announced the licensing changes I think they might have been thinking launch somewhere in the back of their mind. If they were, it was a thought that was quickly driven out by consumer backlash. Did I mention pride was usually part of a launch? If I was Microsoft I'd keep this event quiet - very quiet.

Frankly, there is nothing to like about the new licensing program which you can read about here, but there is one part of it that really, and I mean really, rankles my ass. Microsoft wants to turn me into a gambler. After July 31, if I want to replace a Microsoft product I own with a newer version, I now have to buy a two year Upgrade Subscription. For parting with my cash now, during the term of the two year subscription, I'm entitled to any new version at no additional cost -- if, and this is the rankling point, "if" a new version is released. If Microsoft doesn't release a new version, too damn bad! If it's getting close to the end of the subscription period and Microsoft hasn't released a new version, I get to gamble again and renew the subscription. Of course I can let the subscription lapse in which case I'm instantly entitled to pay full price when a new version is released.

I see visions of smug Microsoft accountants poring over spreadsheets, confident they can determine how revenue streams can best be maximized by controlling a product release date. I can hear the conversation now. "Bill, if we delay the release two more months, X% of the current Upgrade Subscriptions will have expired. We expect a low renewal rate because our customers are pissed off we've had their money for 24 months and given them nothing in return. On the bright side, we feel users will cave and buy at full price a few months down the road." Not that economics hasn't always played a major role, but I prefer to see a product released when it's technically sound; not when the bean counters dictate to the propeller-heads.

A lot of press coverage has been given to the upcoming release of SP1 for Windows XP. Most of the attention has been directed toward allowing middleware applications to be hidden so that users can install programs of their choice, part of the proposed anti-trust settlement. Another aspect of SP1 that hasn't received much attention relates to Microsoft addressing pirated copies of Windows XP, or what is commonly referred to as warez. It's no secret that illegal copies of XP are widely available via the Internet. I've read that somewhere in the vicinity of 90% of these illegal XP copies use a single corporate license key that was stolen and distributed. To strike back, it's my understanding that SP1 will prevent these copies of XP from being updated as future enhancements and security patches or service packs are released from Microsoft. So here's the bottom line and the reason for this little piece.

I've received a number of e-mails from people running pirated copies of XP wanting to know if I have, or can direct them to, sites where patches can be obtained that will defeat the effects of SP1. The answer is no. I don't deal in pirated software, and I don't keep up with the warez scene. Even if I did, I wouldn't direct you to them. It's always been my opinion that if you use a product , you pay for that product. If you think it's overpriced, don't buy it, but I see no justification for using a product illegally. Especially when you obviously find it valuable enough you go to the trouble to seek out a way to continue to use it illegally when a company takes steps to deny you that use. If you aren't willing to pay the price to use a product, delete it and find an alternative. Anything less brands you as exactly what you are. A thief.

A friend sent me this the other day. He said it reminded him of me. I wonder why? I suspect it was #1, but I enjoyed them all.

Hello, and Welcome to the Psychiatric Hotline

• If you are obsessive-compulsive, please press 1 repeatedly.

• If you are co-dependent, please ask someone to press 2.

• If you have multiple personalities, please press 3,4,5,and 6.

• If you are paranoid-delusional, We know who you are and what you want. Stay on the line so we can trace the call.

• If you are a schizophrenic, listen carefully and a little voice will tell you which number to press.

• If you are a manic depressive, it doesn't matter which number you press, nobody will answer.

  ---

Months slip by, the Microsoft trial keeps churning along and tidbits about SP1 for Windows XP are slowly finding their way into the news. SP1 will cover a number of different XP related issues as discussed in an article by Paul Thurrott on his Windows SuperSite. The part of the article which got me to thinking revolved around the compliance changes as part of the settlement with the federal government.

One of the comments made by a reader the other day stuck in the back of my mind. The topic was SP1 for Windows XP and how it was going to remove the icons for middleware. Naturally, this led to reader calls for a totally stripped version of Windows. One reader suggested that if Microsoft did offer the OS in a lean and mean version then they could package up everything that has been removed similar to the PlusPak that's currently available for XP. A sort of "Windows XP for Strippers Pack" that contained the items that everyone whines about and fuels the Nine Prophets (states) in their quest for publicity.

Personally, I'm all for this idea. It will get the whiners to cease and desist with their pitiful cries about how bad Microsoft has treated the computing world. I don't believe for a second that 90% of these criers want the features removed from XP totally. I think they want them removed, but available for free, so that when they find they really aren't so bad they can easily reinstall them.

Maybe Netscape will seize on this opportunity and start charging again for the wonderful v7.0 if Microsoft yanks IE from the free market and bundles it as a "Stripper" item. Let's see, what would I like to have? A browser that has been bug-laden since day one that can't display even a small percentage of the pages on the web properly, or a browser that while it may be far from perfect at least offers a degree of stability? Oh, and the virus and trojan problems? Stay off sites where they are likely to be found. Buy a damn virus program, but most of all, educate yourself to how they propagate and what files they might be in. Another group of whiners I'm tired of: the "I didn't know" whiners. It's not anyone's job to educate you but yourselves. Take some responsibility.

I know for a fact that RealMedia (or Networks) or whatever they are calling themselves today will never find its way to any computer I own. Yes, that was the 'never' word, and I do mean never. Few companies are as deceitful and slippery about trying to hide things from consumers during the installation process. If there was no other media player available, I'd do without before I'd let them on my machine. This one company alone could generate enough black ink for "Stripper" that Microsoft wouldn't have to add anything else to the CD.

Pop-ups. Just the name alone can start spirited discussions that quickly turn heated. First, let me say that I never have and never will allow pop-up advertising on my site. There is no aspect of pop-up advertising I find to have any redeeming value. The impetus for that last statement and this commentary is twofold.

First, if you have ever looked at one of the articles on this site which includes screen captures, you may say I lied and do have pop-ups. The truth is, I don’t. The images in the articles open in a separate window and the reader must initiate the action with a mouse click. Originally, I did allow activation via a mouse over, but I’ve since done away with that method. In addition, at the beginning I set the images to close automatically when the focus was shifted away from the screen capture window. That was also discontinued when readers said they wanted the captures to remain open while they read. If you find any mouse over remaining let me know and they will be removed. I may be old fashioned, but I believe a website with useful content coupled with quality banner and text advertising still does the best job of serving reader interest.

Second, the advertising pop-ups that I despise so much have taken a new and nasty turn in the form of pop-up downloads. The pop-ups now contain an opt-out procedure to prevent initiating a download from the sponsor of the pop-up. In some worst case scenarios, the download is initiated without the surfer even being aware it is occurring. Not surprisingly, Gator is one of the companies heavily involved in this new, devious, pop-up tactic. Fight back, boycott and do whatever it takes to get rid of this latest trend in manipulative advertising.

Original article is here: http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1106-877592.html

What’s the worst nightmare for anyone who owns a website? Being hacked? Having it go down for a few days? Neither instance would make someone happy, but compared to the nightmare that happened to C.C. Holland, they would be preferable. Read the story here of what happened to C.C. when her site was migrated to Interland from ICom when they bit the e-bullet. Interland (I won’t even link to their site) couldn’t figure out who to bill for C.C.’s account and wiped (deprovisioned, as Interland likes to call it) her domain from the servers without making a backup. There are a lot of lessons to be learned from her story, but knowing everything possible about the company you use for outside hosting is essential.

Before she mentioned the hosting company by name, my gut was screaming Interland. Granted, C.C. didn’t have any hosting choice since the accounts were purchased by Interland. Months ago I inquired about an account with Interland. The person I spoke with was interested in one thing and one thing only; my credit card number. The lack of interest in what services i required, coupled with the rudeness and pushiness brought our conversation to a swift end. I turned down the lucrative contract with the company who insisted that Interland be used to host their web venture. I’ve never regretted my decision for a moment. I still smile every time I’m able to move another client away from Interland and place them with a company that deserves their business. Thirty-three and counting -- <smile> -- or is that a <smirk>.

Update: It seems the story about C.C. and her hosting nightmare managed to find its way to Barbara Gibson of Interland. I wonder how many copies of C.C.’s original column found their way to Interland? I personally know of at least one (mine) but I suspect there were many more. I’m happy that C.C. had a positive resolution to her problems, but the lesson still remains the same. Know everything possible about the company you contract with for outside hosting. I’d like to think Interland will be a changed company after this very public incident but deep down inside I know better. It’s easy to respond to a situation like this with a quick resolution and effusive apologies when the light has been focused directly on a particular incident. What’s tough is to do the right thing for the customer, day in and day out, when nobody is looking over your shoulder. My guess is that there is a rock with Interland’s name on it waiting for them to slither back under, content that the unsuspecting will continue to beat a path to their door.

Depending on what part of the world you inhabit, dates are written in a number of different formats, but one common format is Day/Month/Year. Take a look at today's date and write it out. Here it is [20/02/2002]. If you’re a time buff, add that onto the date and at 8:02PM tonight you’ll be looking at [20/02/2002 - 2002]. If you missed it your next chance is [20/03/2003 - 2003]. Don’t be late.

It was a much different world when I first ventured online. People who even knew about this place were considered a bit strange. If you inhabited this part of the world you were certifiably crazy. There wasn’t a wide variety of material available back in those days and keeping up with the offerings was a lot easier. Today, the volume of material has increased to the point that it would be impossible to view it all in a single lifetime. Finding relevant material via searches has become quite difficult with the nets popularity explosion over the past decade. Many sites have come into being to provide indexing and search capabilities to aid in information retrieval. Gimmicks abound, but one that began as a gimmick to keep a sites name visible in an open browser has become exceptionally useful. I call them search toolbars or branded toolbars.

Until recently Yahoo had earned a place in my browser. I’m not quite sure what happened, but over time my search results through Yahoo became less and less useful. The ratio of spam to relevancy exploded so I went looking for a different search venue. Enter Google, the search engine and branded toolbar that has replaced Yahoo in that valuable strip of real estate at the top of my browser.
Google has managed to keep the relevance in its searches, works quickly and as a wonderful bonus has a 20 year Usenet message archive. If you frequently use the search function I highly recommend you visit here and install the Google Toolbar. It’s compact, versatile and a wonderful browser addition.

AOL has blocked Trillian, an instant messaging (IM) client which accesses multiple chat programs through one user interface, from tying into their AIM messenger service. I read the Anchor Desk article by David Coursey. He makes the point that AOL has every right to block Trillian users in spite of the inconvenience of using three or more separate IM clients. That’s all well and good, but personally I’ve found a much easier solution to the multiple IM client issue. Don’t use any, or if you do, use it sparingly and on your own terms.

I don’t know where we got the notion that we should be constantly accessible. I don’t use voicemail and I don’t have an answering machine. If I pick up the phone, talk to me. If I don’t, try back later, or better yet use e-mail. The same goes for instant messaging. Put it in an e-mail and send it off. I’ll get it, read it and prioritize it on my terms. What I won’t allow is multiple flashing IM clients to interrupt my time and set my schedule.

Normally I remove articles from this section within a few months of posting. This one remains because of the great respect I hold for Mr. Ellis, his associates, and their vision called Usenet. Their work, in large part, allows us to today enjoy what we call the World Wide Web - The Elder

07/01/2001     HARMONY, Pa. (AP) -- Jim Ellis, who helped create the information-sharing electronic bulletin boards that predated the World Wide Web, has died. He was 45.

Ellis, who had been battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma for two years, died at home in Beaver County early Thursday, said his wife, Carolyn.

Most recently an Internet security consultant with Sun Microsystems, Ellis was one of the creators of Usenet, which linked computers and allowed people to share information and reply to messages.

Usenet began in 1979 when Ellis and another Duke graduate student, Tom Truscott, thought of hooking together computers to share information. At the beginning of 1980, the network consisted of two sites at Duke and one at the University of North Carolina. Usenet quickly become a popular means of trading and sharing information internationally before the World Wide Web came into existence.

By using bulletin boards -- later called newsgroups -- people who were linked to the system could share information and hold discussions. By late 1999, the number of newsgroups was estimated at more than 37,000.

Allan Fisher, chief executive officer of Carnegie Technology Education, a subsidiary of Carnegie Mellon University which develops Web-based courses, said Usenet could be considered ``the first big community application'' of an interconnected system of computers. “The social importance was it allowed this community building and prefigured a lot of what happened on the Web,'' Fisher said.

Ellis and the other creators of Usenet, including Steve Bellovin and Steve Daniel, made no money from it, said Carolyn Ellis, because it was not set up as a commercial venture. “They launched this thing and had no idea where it was going,'' she said.

After working in North Carolina, Ellis and his wife moved to western Pennsylvania in 1986 when he took a position with the Super Computing Center in Pittsburgh. Later, he joined Sun Microsystems, working from his home in western Pennsylvania.

“He had a good wit. He loved bridge. He loved his family of course,'' Carolyn Ellis said. ``He was not afraid of his impending death.''