Computer Diaries

2004-02-17T14:46:00.000-08:00

Goodbye

For those who have been faithfully reading this, I just want to send a heartfelt goodbye. I am giving up on this column, this so called life, and making other people miserable. It is true, you hurt the ones you love the most a lot, and the 2 most important people in my life I am hurting too much!!!

Goodbye everybody, have a good life and take care of yourselves. I won't ever see you on the net again!!!!

2004-02-08T18:50:00.000-08:00

This week for me

Well, this has been a really hectic week for me. I have been through 4 interviews with the same company, another interview with a different company, doing a ton of homework, a ton of paperwork for the job offer, a pre-employment drug screen test, and trying to learn some games on a PS2 I just got for my daughter and myself.

Luckily, I started a new class today, so the ton of homework will be pretty basic, since it is in a field I am familiar with. I should be hearing my employment offer this week. (Looking at Tuesday or Wednesday) I also am looking forward to working full time again, I have been off too long to remember what it is like. I will have to do about a total of 40 to 50 minutes of driving there and back, but since it is in reverse traffic, I do not worry too much about it.

I am still keeping my part time job to help them out. In fact, I have a lot to do with them this week while I wait for my offer, so I will be pretty busy. The one thing I will look forward the most working full time is that I will have money to do things again!!! That is always a plus. My fifth weeding anniversary is this Friday, which is a big milestone for my wife and I being we were given three by most people. We have our differences, but I love her more and more everyday, and she is stuck with me!!

I also find it hard to believe that in 11 weeks, I will be have a Bachelors in IT. I need to start looking into my Masters and seeing how much it will cost. I will take a break though and enjoy some time off to do some things that I missed in the last 31 months.

2004-01-31T08:21:00.000-08:00

Interviews

Well, I had two 1st interviews on Thursday and Friday of this week. I survived both of them, and thought that I did a great job on both. I know one said that he would talk with his manager about bringing me in, the other said that he is setting up a second interview for next week with his Sr. Systems Administrator. So things are hopefully looking up. I know also that my wonderful wife is looking into getting me a third interview at her company also, which I am hoping will happen.

This is a good sign for me. But I know their are many of my brothers and sisters who are in the same situation I am still currently in, and hope that in the next couple of weeks will change for me. I know that there are many that are working part time or not at all, barely making ends meet. I have to say keep the hope up. 2003 was a very bad year for me, but I made a New Years Resolution that 2004 was going to be MUCH, MUCH BETTER!!!!!!

This is a good sign that things are changing and shaping up. I had a few interviews last year, but only had 2 seconds. It is a tough market out there, but no matter how hard it is or depress you get (and believe me, I was there a few times) don't give up hope. This company I interviewed for is a great company and is growing by leaps and bounds.

As far as faith, I have to say that the BIG GUY upstairs has helped me out here. I lost faith in HIM for a while, but I recently saw the light and asked for HIS help. But this is a computer blog and not a religious one, so I will digress.

See Ya on The Net!!!

2004-01-29T10:22:00.000-08:00

Incompetent Technical Support

I know most of you have ran into this at one time or another. You are a tech support call or live chat, wanting to get a problem fixed, and the person on the other end in so incompetent that you know a hell of a lot more than they do. Well, I had that with my ISP this morning. Even though I do know a lot more than they do, this person would not give me a chance to work with them to fix it.

My problem was that I wasn't able to get to my domain to get both my email and change some of the webpages around. It was telling me that it couldn't Ping command. I would allow me to do a trace to the IP to see if the server was down.

Well, I went to my webhosting sites Live chat and talk with a technician there. They told me that they could get to the sight just fine. Now I have had this problem before, when AT&T owned this and not Comcast. Well, I went to the Comcast Live Chat support, and the only words I could get is that it is a domain issue and they can only deal with Comcast domain issues. After arguing for about 10 minutes with this idiot, I finally ended the chat. I have had enough.

So, the next time you run into this, let me know. I know if I EVER told my clients that, I would lose that client in a heartbeat. I think that the big corporations need to start listening to their customers, or we, as customers, will find our services someplace else. This BS needs to stop and we need to make it stop.

Until next time, see ya on the net!

2004-01-26T19:14:00.000-08:00

Technology

The technology of today surpasses what it was 15 years ago. Hell, when I was a kid, if you told me that computers, video, audio, and other things were available for traveling in your car, I would of said that you are crazy. But with today's technology, it is possible. What made me want to write about this today? Well, I have a job interview for a full time position and if I get it, I will add a DVD system in my PT Cruiser, and get my wife a her van. But that will be later down the line.

Video is really popular with my PT Cruiser club. Most of the cars I have seen have them in there. They have the monitors on the head rest, some on the passenger side visor, and some in the DVD system itself. It is great for longer trips that contains kids, because they stop all that they are doing and watch. Silence is golden.

With my wife, I she wants the new Chrysler Town and Country. If I can get this job, we can fix her van up a little and use it for the down payment. She currently has a 2001 Dodge Caravan. We still owe on the loan, but I know that we can pay it off this year to get it for her. It comes with the fold down DVD system in the back, and the player in the front. She fell in love with it when we were at The San Jose Auto Show. It is one of the few systems with AM/FM, Cassette, CD, and DVD system all on the console.

But I will have to wait and see what happens. Until then, see you on the net!

2004-01-24T14:40:00.000-08:00

ASP.Net

Even though I am not a programmer, part of my courses in my Bachelors degree is learning how to program with Visual Basic.Net and now am doing ASP.Net. All I that I have learned has been a lot, but it still confuses me on how the programs are written. I know that they code itself allows the program to be able to run, but how does the programmer know what to write and where that it goes?

I do now have a newer found respect for programmers and the stresses that they go through. I know what I do just for my classes makes me go crazy. I could imagine the stress of deadlines, compiler probs, and haven't to invent things to make it run more probably.

So, if you ever run into coding problems, make sure you know all the work that goes into it before getting upset.

See Ya on the Net!!!

2004-01-23T20:09:00.000-08:00

Boredom

Even with all the computers that are out there today, there are days that I get extremely bored. I get tons of email, and have a bunch of buddies on both Yahoo and AOL instant messenger, but there are times that I am so bored about everything in life that I can't stand myself. I have been told that it is more depression than boredom, but boredom is just a part of it.

At my house, I have 2 desktops, a laptop, and my Playstation2 all hooked into my network. Now I hear it often that PS2 is help for when you are bored, but I mainly bought it for my daughter, so she would stay off my computer when I am doing homework. It becomes a major pain to have to fight a 3.5 year old for the computer.

But I need to snap out of this. Maybe I will start a second blog about my battles right now with boredom (or depression, whatever you would like to call it.) Even with all this entertainment and the internet around, people can and Do get bored!

Well, until next time, it is back with my homework and see ya on the net!

2004-01-22T16:20:00.000-08:00

Online Schools

As a cyber student, I enjoy the riches that a online community can give you. Many schools allow you to work on your own scheduled time, while others, like the one I attend, have you work on a weekly schedule to get all the assignments done. I received my AAS in Network Administration that way through Silicon Valley College and am currently getting my BIT at American Intercontinental University.

But there is a big problem with these type of schools, is that they often try to rip you off after graduation. I am having this problem with SVC. They admitted me and told me that all my financial were taken care of, now they are saying that I owe them the whole tuition, and are ignoring my request to show that I owe them that much. I won't go into amount figures, but it is not pretty and I am thinking of bringing on legal action with them if it doesn't stop.

Not all of them are that way though. I know that one school that was infamous for overcharging was Master's Institute in San Jose, California. Even though they shut down, they tried to overcharge about 95% of the student that were attending there. Many were left out in the middle of their programs. I spoke with many when I first signed onto SVC for my first class. It was not pretty and the people who owned the school still have lawsuits against them.

I will put some of the schools available online on another post, but for those who are interested, definitely give it a try. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via email!

See Ya on the Net!!!

2004-01-21T14:47:00.000-08:00

Cybersex

Well, as long as I have tried to avoid this issue, I knew that eventually I would have to cover this. I won't lie. I am your typical American male. I am interested in sex. I will also admit in my younger days, I had done some cybersex. But this was back in the BBS days. Even at my advance age, every once in a while I look at adult sites.

But is cybersex cheating? I don't think so. Yes, you are performing an act, but it the person on the other end is not receiving your pleasure, but one of their own. In this case, I do not think it is cheating. Will I try it again? I doubt it now that I am married, but if the area did ever come up, I know I would have a good defense.

But I do also know that some people will become obsessed with it. They are the ones that need to seek professional help. It is ok to go and see it every once in a while, but to be addicted is a disease. I had a friend that was once in that category, but isn't a friend any longer. He needed to grow up and never did.

But, back to my defense, that cybersex is not cheating. Unless the two people involved actually meet and perform intercourse. So there is no harm in a little fun!

See Ya on the Net!

2004-01-15T09:28:00.000-08:00

The Job Market

Well, I have been looking at the job market for a long while now. While I was off, it seemed like eternity that the phone would ring to see if I am available. Then, I get the job I am at working as a independent consultant. Until recently, the phone still wasn't ringing off the hook. But lately, I have been getting calls from Employment Agencies saying they can help look for me. There is one problem with that, I HAVE HEARD THAT BEFORE!!!!

I continue to put my resume out to see if I can get full time employment. Working part time is paying the bills, but little else. I need to work a 40 hour week and get a steady paycheck to survive here in California. When people tell you we are hell of expensive, they are not joking around.

Well, I know that I am seeing more results this year than I did last, so hopefully things will change around soon. The tech market needs to open a lot more jobs and stop outsourcing to China or India. OUR ECONOMY DEPENDS ON IT!!!!

Until next time. See ya on the net!!!

2004-01-08T14:41:00.000-08:00

I'm Back!!!

Hi Everybody! Well, after a month of being away and being extremely busy, I am back!! I still plan on doing segments on items, but I will try to make it shorter so you, the reader, can benefit. I will also bring more aspects of my job into my articles now. I have been doing a lot of work part time for a couple of companies. My business has gone from having one to 4 customers now, and I may be getting a contract for a networking job that will allow me to go into business officially as a company. I just need to learn how I can incorporate as a limited liability?

I am still looking for more business though. Never hurts to get more, so I can hire qualified people and help out in this economy. I know that I have been hearing the Governor Schwartzenneger is planning to give tax relief to smaller companies soon. I sure hope so. If that happens, I will definitely be getting my business license. We will have to see?

As far as the series on PDA's, I plan to get back on that sometime. I will have to see what is going on now that Xmas is over. I know that I still plan on doing some research for the article and for myself!

See Ya on The Net!!!

2003-12-06T14:28:00.000-08:00

Worries

Hi Everybody. Well, another extremely busy week is out of the way for me. I am leaving in a little while for my wife's companies Christmas party. I am feeling really bummed today. I love the fact I am working for myself, but money is getting tight and I have been looking for a full time employment to supplement that.

I do not know who the jerks are that hire for some companies, but they need to get their head out of their asses. I know I sound like a whiney jackass that been out of work for a long while, but I have been doing interview and most of them I have been too seems like the idiot has somebody else in mind before your interview starts.

I know if I ever got to talk to Governor Schwartzenneger, I would ask him to make a bill about that. Everybody should have a equal chance. I also think that companies should send out the credential of the person they hired. That way you know if you have been discriminated or not. This, too me, would be much more fairer to determine than these stupid chain letters they send out.

As far as the economy improving, That is bull!!!! I see no signs of it improving.

Well, I will get back to my series on PDA's tomorrow or Monday, as soon as I can get out of my bummed state!

2003-12-01T19:45:00.000-08:00

My Xmas Wishes

Well, my first wish is to be able to build my business up so big that I can work from home and hire people to do the running around. I know it sounds far fetch, but I am hoping to do in within a couple of years. Here are some of the things I want but know I will not get this year for Christmas.

Sony Playstation 2
A new Digital Camcorder
Microsoft Office 2003 Professional
Anna Kournikova
A new PDA (Palm Pilot)
A new laptop (HP or Dell)
A computer setup to show me car off with

What are some of your Xmas wishes?? Email me and I will post them here. Well, next article we will get back more on PDA's!!!

See Ya on The Net!!!

2003-11-27T14:03:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving

For those of you that live in the US, today is a very special day for us. Today is Thanksgiving day. For all of you, no matter where you live, have a healthy and Happy Thanksgiving!!! Please be safe if you go shopping tomorrow, it is the busiest day in Retail sales!!! Christmas is coming soon for those of us in the US.

See Ya on The Net!!!!

2003-11-25T12:40:00.000-08:00

Apologies

First, I want to send my apologies to everyone for taking so long to write a article. My life has become very busy lately. I have had school, a part time job, job interviews, and family to worry about. I am getting closer to graduating and getting my degree. I want to concentrate on it as much as possible.

I have done several job interviews lately. I am still working on my own business, but need a full time position to make ends meet. I have a second interview coming up Monday. I hope that I wow their socks off. I need it badly and would love to be able to get benefits again just in case something happens with my wife. Plus, I have to be honest. I like my part time job, but right now there is not enough money coming in to pay on my bills.

As you all may or may not know, I am attending school online. I am in my Advance Programming class at the moment. After this class (which I finish December 20th) I have three more classes to go. They are Web Application, Advance Systems Administration, and Strategic Management. My last official day for my bachelors program is April 24th. Four day after my 36th Birthday!!! Then from there I will need to decide if I want my Master's or not? I have been going back and forth on it, but finally decided I will wait until the time gets closer.

I am also still trying to find guest writers, I have one, my good friend Wayne Hurlbert. He even admits though that it is hard for him to write for this column because he doesn't know much about computers. I am fine with that. I would love to her his side though as what a person who is not familiar with it's dealing likes to say, so hopefully we can convince him to give it a try.

Well, enough jabbering from me!!!

See Ya on The Net!!!

2003-11-25T12:22:00.000-08:00

PDA's

Anywhere you go nowadays, you see this little handheld devices around. Some say Palm, some say HP, but no matter what the manufacture is, you have seen them become real popular lately!!! PDA's have become the new computer of the future. They have some out now that can be used as a digital camera, a cell phone, or even a pager. I don;t have one at this moment, but have plans on buying one in the nearest future.

I plan on buying a Palm Pilot with Windows CE on it. Why? Because they have been around the market for a very long time and I am familiar with them. I basically need mine to look at email and to carry some personal numbers. I am always losing my friends phone numbers. This will make it as convenient as my cell phone (Which I forget about a lot.)

I have looked at several, including the new HP/Compaq IPaq. I think I will stick with Palm thought knowing that have a good reputation and a great customer service department. I have dealt with them many times in the past and they have always extended a very happy helping hand. I do not like the fact with HO once it is out of warranty, you have to pay for customer service. This is what drove me to start learning Linux, Microsoft bullshit policy on Technical support.

Oh well, I will be doing more on PDA's on upcoming articles. Until then, See ya on the net!!!!

2003-11-14T15:27:00.000-08:00

Digital Camera Accessories

Well, this has been a really busy week for me. I had my final week in Beginning programming, Working on Sprucing up my PT, talk to a major Roller Star who is a fan of my articles, and finally got my SD card for my digital camera. I purchased one at Costco Wharehouse for 65 dollars. Now my Vivitar has a built in 8 MB storage for pictures. But with this 256 MB SD Card, it gives me so much for pictures that I will never run out of room. I went at 640X480 Normal resolution. With the 8MB storage, It allowed me to hold 56 picture, with the 256MB SD card with the same resolution, 2426 pictures!

But there are many different types of memory that camera's take. I know that the HP Photosmart I had used a Smart Card Media, while some use memory sticks. It depends on the age and type of camera. Always read the owners manual to make sure that you get the right type of media for your camera! This is real important because some can not be used with others!

There are other types of accessories that can be used with digital camera's. There are Printers, Tripod stands, cases, lenses, and software galore!!! These are all very important to use with the camera, as you get more familiar with it, the better you are with it. I know several people who started doing this as hobbies and are not making a decent living with it! Have fun and explorer what you might like and want. There are some very nice things out there for the digital camera.

Also, If you look at the links, there is a new one on there. My good friends Mike DiVita, has a business in Southern California called Small Claims Help . He is a attorney full time and a part time skater!! He has helped me out a lot and can help you with any small claims court needs!!! Please be generous and visit him often!!

Well, gotta go. My next series of articles will deal with PDA's. So until then, See Ya on The Net!!

2003-11-11T12:32:00.000-08:00

Roller Derby At San Jose, Part 2

I love digital cameras! They are getting more and more easy to use and have a ton more functions that a conventional camera has. Plus, the pictures even at 860 X 640 are much more clearer. My first digital camera was a HP Photosmart 215. It was only a 1.3 megapixel camera, but it was plenty enough for what I wanted to do with it. I just recently sold that camera to my cousin and she is having megafun with it. The main reason why I did that is because I just got as a gift a Vivitar 3715 digital camera. This has 3.3 Megapixels. For those not familar, a megapickel is the little dot that make up the picture. The more it give, the sharper the photo.

This camera has a lot. It has a killer resolution, great graphics, easy setup, and the capability to shoot video. It also comes with some killer software. It is also allows the memory to be upgradable via a SD card. I am looking into buying a 256 MB SD card. I have been playing around with it all week.

I also decided to take it with me to the Roller Derby game, I couldn't believe how clear it was when I took a picture of one of the skaters going around the track. It looked like they were standing there taking the picture. I mainly brought it to take some photo ops with a few of the skaters, which didn't happen because my wife wanted to go home. Oh well, next time I will drive my car there so if I feel like leaving a little later, my wife won't have to wait for me!!!

I love this new camera and am glad that I got it! I have been playing around with the idea of taking photography as a hobby, now I can definitely do that! It will also help me with sending family and friends photos of my daughter! I also am in need to update her website, which this will allow me to concentrate even more on!!!

I hope that Dan Ferrari will soon get another game going so I can get those photo ops I want! But until then, I just have to sit and wait to see.

See Ya on the Net!!!

2003-11-10T12:42:00.000-08:00

Roller Derby at San Jose

Hi All! Right now you are wondering. What does Roller Derby have anything to do with Computer Diaries ? Well, at first look, I would tell you very little, but in this case, it will be leading up to my next story, which I will try to put out tonight or tomorrow.

Saturday nights game was full of surprises. The owner of the league, Dan Ferrari, sang the national anthem. Also, they switched around and had the men start the first half of the game!! I really enjoyed watching that. They also gave honor to Alfonso Reyes, who has skated for over 30 years and now was retiring.

Both the Bombers and the Red Devils had the entire crowd on the edge of their seats all night with the way they played. Even though the house was about half full, if they keep going this way, will start packing houses and hopefully playing more games soon! It was a great game from start to finish and all the skaters should be proud of their performances!!!!

The best part of the game was when I took a picture of Miss Georgia Hase!! She is the owner of the Brooklyn Red Devils team. She didn't appreciate it and let me know about it. If I hadn't been so sick, I would of played along and gave her the "Stone Cold" Salute!!!! That would of gotten the crowd really going!

Well, here where the next part will come in later. I had just gotten a new digital camera and it was the first time I gotten to use it!!! I am still learning the camera and most of the pictures I took were with a friends of mine, but I still got a few with my digital. I will write more about it later. Until then, I will see ya on the net!!!

2003-11-06T10:22:00.000-08:00

Visual Studios

Hi Again! Well, this has been an extremely busy week for me and I am not even close to being finished. I am doing another group project for my class. I will say that not being much of a programmer, I am having a difficult time understanding some of this Visual Basic .Net stuff, but I am getting along with some help of my fellow students.

I will be learning more for my next class, Advance Programming. I am not really looking forward to it, but now it will bring me that much closer to graduating. Speaking of graduating, I will write more about that soon. I am a little upset at my school because of this, but want to make sure that I get all the facts.

Until Then, See Ya on The Net!!!

2003-10-31T15:33:00.000-08:00

Computer/Network Consultant

The title will tell you all! It is now the title I am officially working under. My quest to start my own business is now getting started and hopefully will grow more from there. I took a contracting job with a security company doing all their IT Needs. Hopefully I can impress the owner and have him recommend me to other of his friends.

This is going to be a long struggle for me, but I know I can do it! I have faced much adversity before and won, this won't be any different. I have been everywhere from poor and homeless to comfortable and relaxing and in between. I have had my fair shares of ups and downs, and I know this will not be an exception.

I will treat this like it was my baby, with kid gloves and very cautiously. I need to get all the business I can get. I eventually want to do it where I can afford my own offices and hire some employees, but that is way down the line. I will continue to grow with this and my business the best way I can.

This will be a struggle, but one I am fairly confident that I can win. It has been too long for me not to succede.

See Ya on The Net!!!

2003-10-30T13:20:00.000-08:00

Licensing

The issue of licensing has one that has been battled for many, many years. For those work work with open source, licensing is not an issue. Everything is free to use. But with anything that isn't freeware for Microsoft Windows, it has to have a license for every computer it runs on. To me this is really highway robbery. Microsoft charges an arm and a leg for there software, then has the nerve to say they are losing money? I wished I could move into a 25 million dollar mansion and say that it was too small for me.

If you also look at what most of Microsoft's products are, they are just ripoffs of other software that been out in the market for a long while. I do not know about you, but I was cheering for the government when the Anti-trust/Monopoly lawsuit was going on. Everything Microsoft has done has been a cheap ripoff of something.

Their ADS is a ripoff of Novell's NDS. Office is just Lotus suite in disguise. Windows is a ripoff of Mac OS. Just ask Steve Jobs!! If you can tell I am not a big fan of Bill Gates and Microsoft, you are correct. Bill Gates to me, has always been either the luckiest thief in the planet I know that I get very angry to have to dish out money for their products, but what can I really do? 99 percent of my clients use it and we have it here because I hate Macs.

I think that once a person pays the outrageous cost for a MS product, they should be able to install them on as many of there own machines as possible, but we all know that will never happen. Microsoft is way too greedy to send out unbuggy software for a cheap cost. So until then, I will highly recommend to get Linux and learn how to use it!!

See Ya on The Net!

2003-10-28T14:19:00.000-08:00

Servers

What designates a server? Is it the software that runs it? Is it the hardware that is inside it? Can a workstation be constituted into a server? Well, depending on who you talk to, the answer is yes and no. Confusing? Let me explain further.

Some of the business that run actual server software have them on a plain PC. While the big corporations use high powered servers to run there's. While others like myself, is running a OS designed for workstations as a server. I run into this quite a lot. People doing a Peer-to-Peer file sharing as a network because they can not afford nor really need any server software.

It doesn't really matter what the system running it, or the OS it is running, a server is something that is networked to and files are saved on! Windows 2000 Professional is a good example. Linux has it were you can run both a workstation and server on the same machine! This is nifty and if you have the time and resource, I would highly recommend playing around with it.

So whatever you use for a server, just make sure you keep it updated and running well!

See Ya on The Net!!!

2003-10-24T13:46:00.000-07:00

Computer Foul Ups

Don't you hate it when your computer gets ahold of something and make your life miserable? Well, believe it or not, it even happens to the best of us. Earlier this week I had gotten something via my Internet Explorer browser that kept getting pop up ads to keep going even though my browser was shut down. Because of this I later found out I get the fun job of reinstalling everything on my computer. Being this computer is the computer I used to keep all my schoolwork, I was worried I lost it all. Luckily I had backed it up a couple of days before and it didn't lose any of it. Made my day a little easier.

I had sort of a backup plan just in case something like this happens. Now I am not sure what really caused it, but I am really picky when it comes to my computers, so I went for a total reinstall of ALL my software. A lot of times it is not necessary to do a total reinstall, but only a partial or just a restore. It depends what you do with your computer.

BE careful when install software, because they can do funny things with the OS's registry. I think that is what got me. Just be careful at all times and have a plan just in case something does happen to your computer. I lucked out that I had a plan and that I didn't lose everything. But some are not so lucky. They have the unpleasant job of installing and reinstalling software a lot.

See Ya on The Net!!!

2003-10-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

Guest Writers

Hi Everybody,

Because of unforeseen circumstances, I will only be writing articles periodically. I was originally going to have guest writers on here once I started my wrestling again, but it now looks like I will have to start as of today. I have confirmed with Wayne Hurlbert of Wayne's Derby World and Blog Business World will be one of my guest writers. I know Wayne very well and know that he will keep you entertained. I will still write a column for time to time, when it permits me to allow it.

Well, before I sign off for now, here is one word of advice. If you ever go into a business with a friend, watch your back. They will be the first ones to try and stab you. As much as I hate to admit it, I now have only a few friends that I can trust. Wayne is definitely one of them!!!! Please be good to Wayne and my other guest writers!!!

Take Care and See Ya On The Net!!!!

Allen

2003-10-15T14:52:00.000-07:00

The Recording Industry

Is what the recording industry doing is right? For my opinion, I think they do have the right to get their money, but the way they are approaching it is wrong. By suing the same user that they market, they are going to make these people turn their backs on them forever, which is not good.

What I find is weird is that something that they make for pennies on the dollar they sell for way too much. I am not shocked that people are doing the Napster trading or burn their own CD's. I do not condone this, but I do understand. I know for a while a CD was coming close to 20 US Dollars to buy here, which is really ridiculous. The RIAA needs to get their heads out of their asses and rethink their strategy. They are mainly going after the young kids and the elderly, which to me is a strange way to win a lawsuit.

Not only that, but some of the P2P and files sharing programs are perfectly legal in other countries. Here is a link to Jay Currie's article on the RIAA and how it is legal to do it in Canada. http://www.techcentralstation.com/100803F.html In his article he quotes that the amounts are small, maybe for their area, but not for a regular user. They should really look at themselves for their problems. With corporate greed and the price you pay for concerts and CD's, I too would wonder why I didn't do it before.

Whatever your side is on this issue, this is something that everyone must face and figure out a happy medium. The biggest problem is that they RIAA is getting to big for their britches and need a slap in the face.

Maybe one day there will be a solution, but until then,

I will see ya on the net!!!

2003-10-14T18:18:00.000-07:00

Computers and the automotive Industry

Computers are doing a lot of work in the automotive industry. Not only do they help build your car, but also help it run and function also! But what exactly does a computer do for both the factory and your car? That is today topic that I will discuss.

For the Factory, the computer helps out the assembly line and are now doing jobs that are too dangerous for humans to do. They also help keep the assembly line to flow freely. The use of computers have allowed a better car and help make the production of them faster. As far as taking the actual human out of the job, I do not see that happening soon.

As far as the car itself, The computer is used to send and receive signals for various sensor and to warn you when something bad is top about to happen. The ECU (That is the automotive term short for Electronic Control Unit) helps to determine if the engine is running to hot, if there are problems with the electrical, or a problem going to arise in the suspension. It does that and a million other thing.

Today mechanic is now a part time computer tech also. They have to learn and know that works of a computer!!

See Ya On The Net!!!!

2003-10-13T15:29:00.000-07:00

Networking, Part 2

I was doing some reading and ran into a networking article. This is some interesting reading. I have to say that the numbers are a little low, but everything is something that businesses need to consider. Here is the URL.

MSN Article.

2003-10-13T14:39:00.000-07:00

Networking

Hello Again! I apologize about the long absence, I have been extremely busy. I have been doing some side jobs and also got me my PT Cruiser this weekend. It is the one I wanted for a long time, so I had to go and drive it around everywhere! But I am now back down to earth and now going to get back running on the ground again.

Networking is always been around since the first mainframe came out. Networking is basically getting 2 or more computers to sign in on each other. Now adays, we have several types of Networks and storage. No matter if it is a wireless, DSL, Cable, or just a modem dialing into a ISP, you are networking.

You can do many things that you wouldn't be able to do without a network. You are doing one tight now. Reading my column requires that you network to get to Computer Diaries. You wouldn't be able to get your email without networks. Hell, you now need a network of some sort to go shopping online.

Networks now consist more than just 2 computers and a wire. They have sophisticated hardware like Switches, Hubs, and Routers to allow you to explore. You now can also network with infrared beams that they use in hospitals. We have wireless PDA's, Printers, and Routers that don't require the physical wire. It is amazing what networking can do in today's modern world. A lot of companies, like the Post Office, Insurance Agents, and Telephone companies are using it to it's advantage.

No matter if it is a wireless, home, or enterprise network, they are here to stay. People like me will be needed for many years to come. With the constant change of networking, experience and expertise will always be needed. Well, I guess that is enough babble from me today.

See Ya On The Net!!!!!

2003-10-09T14:42:00.000-07:00

Loneliness

Hi Everybody. I am having an extremely busy week. So posting for this and probably the next couple of weeks will be limited, but I will try as hard as possible. This article I am going to write about something that it seems a lot of people face, loneliness. It happens more that most would like to admit.

Loneliness hits a lot of computer users. The biggest sign of it is that your only friends are what they call internet friends, people you know from the internet but never met in person. Now I am not saying that it is wrong, but it is a dangerous sign. I know many people that fit into this category. I was once one of these people myself.

There are many ways to deal with this. One, is that you get out of the house to meet different people. Even if it is a short walk, do it. Next. use the computer to find yourself a date/mate. Hey, don't laugh at it. More and more people are doing it. I met my wife over the internet. Hence, I took the expensive way, but I still found her.

There is a big wrong if you are at your computer more than meeting people or enjoying life. Also, when your computer goes down, do not panic, it isn't your whole life. That is the best time to go out and meet others, to enjoy what life has to offer, and to take in the scene. Loneliness to me is worse that a workaholic.

Well, time to go, I will catch ya later on the net!!!!

2003-10-07T18:31:00.000-07:00

The California Election

First, I need to apologize for my absence. I have been out the last few days with Strep Throat. Anybody that has had it know that it is extremely painful and a pain in the rear. Well, after 3 days on antibiotics and rest, I am feeling much better and am happy to be back. Now, on with the article for today.

Today is October 7th, otherwise known to us Californians as Scandalgate. This recall election should of never happened because Davis should of never won the last election anyways. Plus, David won with under 50 percent of the votes, with only 2 candidates, don't ask me how, but he did. The were also court cases and debates about how most Californians would vote with.

The county I live in Santa Clara, used a punch ballot, while other use a touch screen computers. They can and do cause a big problem because they used a key card system to capture all the data. These machine, if hooked into a central computer, can be easily hacked. But they would of made the voting process easier as you can see and change what you voted for.

Even though there was only 4 item to vote, choosing a list from 130 candidates, that it is not easy when you are reading a book. But I did it. For those who want to know, I voted Yes for the Recall and Arnold for governor. I will know the results sometime tomorrow.

See Ya on The Net!!!!

2003-10-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

Visual Studio.net and Mistakes

Hi Everybody, Well, I just got my book and software for my next class in college. I will be using the Visual Studio.net to learn basic programming. It looks nice and seems to have alot of new features, but I will have to get back with you on what I think about it's fuctionality. This is a 5 week course for this and will probably use it more in my advance programming classes. I will give a progress report and let you know.

Ok, I thought I would also bring up something that we all do a lot, mistakes. I am not prone to it at all. In yesterday's article it looks like I made one. I have checked my code and writing and everything is coming out like I wrote everything right, but I have a big gap between two links? I am not sure how it happened and to be frank, I am perplexed on it. I am hoping that it is a blogger thing, but have a feeling that it isn't. I will admit that I am not the world's greatest person when it comes to HTML, but I am learning more everyday.

So if there is someone who has ran into this also and know a fix, email me at allen@jennifervsmith.com. Please let me know what can be done so I can fix it.

Well, that is all for now, am hoping I can post again later today!!!

See Ya on The Net!!!

2003-10-02T18:31:00.000-07:00

Linux Links

Ok, there was something I forgot to add in my last article. If it is free then how am I able to get copies of the Operating Systems. Well, I will have them in my links area in a couple of days, but here are links for you to follow here!

Red Hat Linux
Linux.org The most definitive news of the Linux World
Linux ISO's Where you can download and burn Linux installs on CD!!

ManDrake Linux
Gentoo Linux This one has come highly recommended by a few co-workers and friends.
Suse Linux
Turbolinux
Free BSD Linux This is used in a lot of web servers.
Slackware Linux

There are plenty more, but you can find them on the Linux ISO website. These are the more popular ones I have seen!

See Ya on The Net!!!!

2003-10-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

Linux

Well after a super long doctors appointment, I am back. I needed to get a full physical and the doctors ok to get back into training for wrestling.

Linux is a variation of UNIX. There are many different flavors of Linux like there is UNIX. The most popular one out right now is Red Hat. Red Hat has been in the game for a long while and if I remember right their current version is 8.1 (or 8.0, not sure which) But there is also other flavors such as Debian, Suse, and PowerLinux.

What makes Linux different from any other OS is that it is free to get and all source code for it is free. You also have a major choice of working with it on a command line bases or with the GNU GUI interface. Both are great, but if you are just beginning, I would recommend the GUI interface and work your way up to the command line, as the commands are a bit different that DOS, and not all the command in Linux are the same as it's UNIX counterpart.

But for reliability and dependability, Linux is the way too go. Microsoft still has a long way to go to catch up with Linux. I also recommend it to anyone who wants to learn how to truly administer to a real network. Linux is also nice because it is easier to get support on and it cost little to nothing for it!!

See Ya on The Net!!!

2003-09-30T17:15:00.000-07:00

Computers and the movies

Have you noticed the big influx computers have in movies now a days? I have noticed that animation films now have a more 3D type look (Shrek, Finding Nemo) but they also replace parts that are difficult to shoot with in the first place. What brought this up? I was watching the special features part of my Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers DVD and found this very interesting.

In "The Two Towers" a lot of the characters like Gollum and The Tree Lords are done by computer. The final fight scene also was done up by adding computer generated graphics to real characters. I also saw a commercial today with the Looney Tunes characters in a movie with Bredan Fraser!!!

Computers have done a lot and will continue to do more for the movies. It will now make things easier for the actors to do. Since I love movies, I am all for it!

See YA on the Net!!!!

2003-09-30T10:50:00.000-07:00

Announcement

Well, this has been a decision I have been fighting for about 2 years because of health and family issues. First, I wanted to apologize about being off topic with this article. I will explain more here in a second. I know this is a column about computers, and not wrestling, but this will have some impact about Computer Diaries and it existence.

For those who are new and do not know me well enough, I am a former Professional Wrestler (yes, like the "The Rock" you jabroni!!) I have been retired for almost 5 years now. The main reason why I did is too make sure my wife was comfortable with me and that I needed the rest. Well, for the last couple of years I have been getting the itch to come back. I know that my wife is against this, but I have to do things on my own from time to time even though I love my wife dearly.

So, my retirement is now going to go back to being active. There has been three things I have been good at, computers, networking, and wrestling. Since the first two is getting me nowhere, I have to go back to where I first started and make some money again. I am getting back into getting into shape first. This is important to me as I Do not want to die of a heart attack in the ring. I have started losing wait and hopefully will be able to start a running and exercise program here later in the week.

So what does this mean for Computer Diaries? Right now, not much. But later on I may have to cut my writing down to travel. If this does happen, I plan on having a few other friends of mine writing article here to supplement for my absence. I still have plans to start my own business, but they way things are going, I have no choice right now. I must need to provide for my family and getting a job around here has been a pain in the ass.

Well, I will be back later today for a article on computers. I just thought I would get it out of the way. I just hope that I can get back into fighting shape. Five years is a long time and I am in desperate need to get in better shape.

See Ya on The Net!!!!

2003-09-28T17:07:00.000-07:00

eBay

Are you like me? Do you go on eBay a lot to see if you can get a better deal on a item that you have always wanted? I know I do that about an everyday bases. I am always on eBay looking for this or looking for that. I do not always make a bid on it, but at least I know that if I want to I can. But what is the best way to bid?

I know that I usually wait until the last moment to see what the bid is at. That way if it is way too much to start with, I have no worries The one thing I have been hoping for is to bid on a Playstation 2 system for myself. Fat chance that will happen, because I never see any go up for auction.

I like it but I will not say that I am addicted to it. I know that most of my DVD collection has come from eBay. I also got my daughters birthday presents this year on eBay (one I couldn't even come close for a new one and the other I couldn't find, so it worked out great for me. I have thought about getting my PT Cruiser from there, but I haven't found one from a dealership in California. Most are down south or back east.

No matter what you want, eBay most likely got it on there. Just be careful though, there are a lot of scammers on there. I been one of the lucky ones. I never have been scammed, but I am also real cautious about who I deal with.

Well I guess that is enough for today and that I will see ya on the net!!!

2003-09-27T16:50:00.000-07:00

Networking

We all do it in one way or another right now. No matter if you are connected to the internet via a modem, cable modem, or DSL Modem, you are networking. Some of us have small home networks that allow us to run home business or do our school work without the need of being interrupted. Networking has, too me, the greatest accomplishment that computers have done.

But network come in many different forms. There are ATM networks, SAN Networks, MAN networks, etc... All these are important in many ways, as they are used to try to make our lives much easier. But what makes up a network, is it many servers, computers, and wires all hooked up together? No, there are many other factors to it also.

Computers are important to a network, they have the network (NIC) cards and the OS to allow us to connect to the network. The also can be used as server for such purposes. But a network need other things also like Hubs, switches, routers, firewalls, and connectivity to the Internet to make it a true network.

On my home network, I have a server, 2 computers, and a printer all hooked into a Web Router that has a built in switch and NAT (Network Address Translation) table. That all my components get an IP address through this router. The built in switch allows me to use the computers/printer to connect to each other.

The basic of networking changes depending on the style of network that you use. Confused? Don't worry, I plan to go into networking in future articles. I just arrived back from The Santa Cruz Boardwalk (didn't go to the beach though, it was too cold) and I am bushed. I thought I would write this to give you all an idea of what I do for both fun and professionally. Setting up a home network is very simple and doesn't require much.

But like I said, that will be written more in the future.

See Ya on The Net!!!!!

2003-09-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

Troubleshooting

I apologize to everybody for not posting yesterday. I was trying to get my homework done so I could turn it in last night. Well, lets say I have half of it done and the shorter half needs to be finish by tonight at 10PM Pacific time. But I will digress. Today I will talk a bit about what I do to troubleshoot a computer.

First, not all problems are the same. They hit and cause different type of problems. But the way too approach it is about the same as trying to troubleshoot a car. It is in the approach that you take. Here is the approach I take.

1) Talk with the user to see what is the problem
2) See if the user can have it show up again
3) If user can not do that, see what you can do to have it happen
4) Do hardware and Software test
5) Once the problem is determined, you need to see if it is hardware or Software
6) If Hardware, take computer case apart and look to handle and see which piece of causing it (Most time you can remove also, being that the test will determine that)
7) If software and you have encountered it before, do some reading up on websites and books to determine the cause and the fix.
8) If all else fails, call manufactures tech support if it doesn't cost you an arm and a leg.

That is all. Sometimes with the software you will spend hours trying to find the fix. Do not let it fustrate you. It does get hard to determine cause/fix because of worms/viruses going around. A lot of people will say that is the cause when it is not. Sometimes script debugging cause the problem too get worse. Don't panic though, there is always a fix.

Troubleshooting is pretty basic. Mechanical know how is not needed, but being analytical is. Whatever you do, don't let it fustrate you. Most can be finished in short time, other take a lot longer to fix. It all depends on your skill level and what you have seen. I have been in the business a long while and have seen a lot, so I usually can determine it and have it fixed in no time. With friends, it may take me a couple of hours to fix their computers, but I am very through and go through every problem they have, and we also chat a lot during it!!!

Well, I am hoping to post another column tonight, but am not sure because I will be out today with my family. If not, I will see you tomorrow.

See Ya on the Net!!!!!!!

2003-09-25T19:34:00.000-07:00

Thank You, Part 2

Well, I think it is now time to thank a few individuals that helped me get this going and help me out tremendously. This list is in no particular order, as all these people are important to me. It is because of them I continue to do this and hope that this will become successful in getting my business started.

First, my biggest THANK YOU goes to the person who gave me tons of information, Wayne Hurlbert!!! For those who are new to my column, Wayne is the writer and main man of Wayne's Derby World. He is the one the told me about blogspot and is teaching the meaning of getting things "for free". He is a great business consultant and has helped me start getting more and more readers. I have great confidence he will get his Roller Derby League going and very soon!!!

Next, I want to give a big THANK YOU to Pam Burke. She, in a lot of ways, is my second mother. I chat with her a lot to see what she is doing or what is going on with Roller Derby (along with Wayne). She also runs a chat every Friday night called "A Skater's Haven" on AOL. This chat can get pretty interesting at times, but is definitely great to attend.

Next, I want to give a big Thank YOU to my Roller Derby Family, Loretta "Little Iodine" Behrens and Bob Pancioli. I remember watching Bob skate when I was much younger with Alfonso Reyes and the Southern Jolters. Loretta is a bit before my time, but she is a major sweetheart and I am very proud to help promote her site Derby Memoirs. Bob's upcoming games plans and schedule for his new promotion can be found at PanNet Promotions.

Also part of my Roller Derby Family are my Rollerchat and Joan Weston Fan Club. There I can babble on about Roller Derby and know that I will get some reaction back. I also want to give a big THANK YOU to my brothers and sisters at Texas Rollergirls for helping me keeping insane. These are a great bunch of guys and gals and I hope to get a chance to meet them all sometime in the nearest future.

Last but not least, I want to give the BIGGEST Thank You to all my friends and to the two people who mean the most in my life, My wife Nadya and my 3 year old daughter Jennifer. I love them both so much that it makes my life much easier for me too live. Nadya is for sure my lifemate and my soulmate. I will definitely be spending the rest of my life with her. She is just stuck with me until I die. Jennifer makes me realize that even at 35, you can always be a kid in heart. I am very proud of her and love her to death. I just wished she would stop growing (hahahaha)

Well, I guess I will see ya on the net!!!

2003-09-25T11:16:00.000-07:00

Finding Information

finding information on the internet is fun. I do it all the time for school work. Right now I am in the midst of finding out what it takes to get my in-laws here from Russia. For those why are new to my columns, my wife is originally from Yoshkar-Ola, Mari-El, Russia. We met on the internet via what is now called Virginia Introduction Agency. When we met it was Maxim's, but they changed the name a while ago.

A lot has changed since my in-laws were here 3 years ago. When we went through this the first time, we had them fill out the paperwork and necessary pictures, sent them to the embassy, waited for the embassy to call back for an interview, and then have them travel to Moscow for the interview and visa if approved. Now it is a whole different ballgame.

From what I have heard, it is now get the paperwork and travel all the way to Moscow to turn it in and a possible interview, what for a call back and if approved, they mail you your visa and copies of your passport. I also have heard that people are getting rejected left and right, which worries me big time. We are hoping to have her family here when we have our second child. She really want to have her parents here for that. I can't blame my wife, because her family are a big part of my life also. I get along better with them then I do my own. So I am hoping that all three (Mom, Dad, and Sister) will be there to share our joy.

But it is not the only information I look for on the internet. I have spent a lot of time looking at cars also. I am in desperate need to get a new car. Mine current one, the transmission is acting up and it just cost me 225.00 dollars for a stupid smog check. As soon as I can afford it, I am buying a new car. I am currently looking at my favorite car, a Chrysler PT Cruiser. I am currently a member of 2 PT clubs, PT Cruisers of Silicon Valley and Tri-Valley PT Cruisers Club. I highly recommend them both, both groups have great people in them!!! (Also, check out some of the cars, but don't tell Terri that I rather see the Pepsi Cruiser than her Coca-Cola Cruiser) (JK Terri)

The internet is also a great place to find out how-to's!!! I just got a electronic manual on the PT's the other day. Man, I will be happy I have it. My mom currently owns one and I plan too, so it will get put into use. I also do a lot of shopping via eBay. I think 99 percent of my movie collection is from them.

No matter what, there is a lot of things you can find on the internet. It takes some time, imagination, and patients to do it. If you have problems finding something, please feel free to email me at and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible. Did anybody watch The Bachelor last night? Man, I wished I would of been in Bob's shoes. They were treating him like a movie or rock star. Oh well, I should digress!!!

See ya on the Net!!!!

2003-09-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

Thank You

I wanted to make this short and sweet. I have been noticing a rise in my readership here is the few weeks I have been doing this. I wanted to say thank you to all my devotees and to all the new reader coming aboard. I thought that I would defray from writing about computers and the internet to write this. I do appreciate that people will read my babble.

I also hope to make this something a little more different. I would like this to later become a community posting. I am trying to start a business and would love to help people out with their problems. I have noticed that alot of computers companies who don't want you to know how to fix your computer, so they can steal your money. Not me, I believe that you can still make money by helping the customer out.

My motto has always been that the customer is always first. Why, because they remember you and come back and have you do all their repairs. Even though I will concentrate more on the network side, I promise that if your in need of computer repair, I will not turn you down. Even the smallest repair is important to me.

Well, for those of you who live in the San Francisco Bay Area, get ready soon to see my site. If you are not, you still have the power to get free service and advice. I am hoping that it will get to be a business where I can hire more techs to work and help out the economy. I guess that only time will tell!!

See Ya on the Net!!!!

2003-09-23T15:13:00.000-07:00

Celebrities and Their Internet Popularity

It is funny how the internet can make some people instant superstars. The best place to look at this is the WWE. They use the internet to fart on! If it wasn't for the internet, I actually believe a lot of people or sports would be here in our existence. I know right now the biggest stars on the internet is the Russian pseudo Lesbian act Tatu. Now I won't argue because they are talented, but I think playing the lesbian thing is a little overboard. Besides that, they are talented.

Then there was the old thing between Cindy Margolis and Pamela Anderson on who is the most downloaded gal on the internet. I laughed at that one because most people I know didn't care. If I had my choice, I would vote for the most beautiful RollerJam girl, Irene Pons for most downloaded!!! If you want to see her website click here http://www.irenepons.com

I am surprised they haven't had a most downloaded male category? But oh well, look who runs it mostly, guys, so I am not shocked. It is mostly a guys world out there.

I would love to hear your opinion on how the internet has made superstars out of some people. Email me a note and tell me what you think!!!

See Ya on the Net!!!

2003-09-23T12:20:00.000-07:00

One Stat

If you look at over the right hand of this page, you will see a symbol for One Stat. What is One Stat? Is is a statistical program that shows many things about your site. It gives you how many hits it has, the IP and point of that hit, what browser it was done on, and much, much more. There are several versions of this also. I am using the free version, but once I get my business going again, I plan on being a advertiser and consultant for it. It works great.

The one point I like the most about is that it also will tell you where the IP is from. I have has users from the UK, Russia (Privyet Comrads!), Barbedos (My next home when I win the Lottery), and Japan. It is good to see these users come and and read this. I do very much appreciate that you come on to read my columns.

One Stat can be found at http://www.onestat.com. If you have a website, it is pretty easy to set up bing that they have the code set up for you. All you really need to do is copy and paste it in. It may not leave it in the most pleasant place, but with a little work, you can change that.

Well, I am hoping to post again tonight, see ya on the net!!!

2003-09-22T19:13:00.000-07:00

More on Yahoo Groups

Now that I have a little more time to write. I wanted to talk a little about the 3 groups I either own or moderate. These groups are great and I love working with them. I also love to post many messages on these board to see how people will react to what I had posted. Most of the time I post them as I am thinking about it.

My first group is Rollerchat. Rollerchat is my first stab at this and my baby. I am very picky who can and can not post here. It has 90 members of the club, but all of them are very much fans, skaters, or promoters who love the sport of Roller Derby. This remain my main project next to my daughters website.

The second club is the Joan Weston Fan Club. This club, originally started by Larry Arthur, was for his love of Roller Derby and the Golden Girl Joan Weston. Unfortunately, Larry passed away back in March. I took it over for the reason of not only allowing the memories of Joanie to keep going, but that I could hopefully make a difference for the sport.

The last, is a Russian Woman Source group. The mainly concentrate on the city of Kazan, but anybody with an interest in Russia or Russian Woman is more than invited to join. The groups name is called Kazan Brides. I am only the moderator here. It is owned by a good friend of mine, Dick Beir. Dick gives me pretty much free reign to keep it going, but I always make sure it meets his approvals.

There are many other groups out there. I would love to hear more about them. Please feel free to email me at allen@jennifervsmith.com. If I like it, I will contact you about posting them up on here.

Until Next time, see ya on the net!!!!!

2003-09-22T12:29:00.000-07:00

Yahoo Groups

If you are like me, posting groups consumes alot of your time. I own and manage so many group that I can not keep up. There has been alot of groups asking me for my service to link their front page to others that it has been keeping me very busy. I am not a web designer by trade, but I am learning a ton about the ascpect that I may take some classes to learn more about it. My biggest problem is that I am not real creative when it comes to starting a multi-media project.

Yahoo groups are great that it can allow a bunch of people together to post their opinions about a certain subject. Then if you you want,you can either change or start another subject for people opinions. This is great if things do not get out of hand, but unfortunately there are control freaks out there that ruin such groups.

As you know, I get involved with 2 of such type of groups, SmartGroups and Yahoo Groups. I much prefer Smart Groups, because of less hassle and less time for delivery. Plus most of the people on smartgroups are much more friendly in their post. Yahoo groups are only friendly if the owner or moderator keep it under control, or else it gets way out of hand, which is sad.

But because of these groups, I can learn and try different code on my groups. I can notice if they work or not. I know of many people that just type links so people can copy and paste them, but I want to help you, the user out so it is much easier. So next time you get a chance, check them out. Also, if you teach mutli-media and do not mind a extra part-time student, please contact via email.

Thanks!!!!!!! and see ya on the net!!!!!

2003-09-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

Chat Rooms

One thing that I have a love/hate relationship with is a chat room. I love chat rooms because it is much cheaper to get all my friends in a chat room to discuss things than it is too call them. But on the flip side, sometimes so many people type at one time, it can take you to scroll hell!! I know that yesterday I missed doing a new blogger, I was preparing to do a debate with a bleach Blonde by the name of Stacey Blitsch, she never showed.

That is another reason why I kind of dislike chat rooms, the idiots that you have to put up with. They can make your chat time miserable because they act like total ass and have to try to get the attention of every member in the room. Some have more than others, but that is to be the norm nowadays.

Most people do not know the rules of chat room behavior. Hell, half the time I am not sure myself. Most of the time I see one flame after another, and it is usually directed towards one person. But there are some great places to go around and chat about certain subjects. The one thing I wished I could find is a room that allows a moderator to kick people off if when they over react. If anybody know of one that is free, please let me know.

Well, I am off to a car club meeting tonight (PT Cruiser) I will catch you on the net!!!

2003-09-18T11:43:00.000-07:00

Interviews in the IT field

For those of you that are looking for work in the IT field, don't feel alone. I was laid off as the IT Manager for a collection agency back in the first week of January. If you have ever been through a interview in the IT field, then you know the torture that we have to go through. In the IT field, they are not just interviewing you for the position that they are hiring for, but also for future positions that may all of sudden just pop up.

It is also hard to read into the interviewer at times. Since my layoff, I have had over 2 dozen interviews. Out of all those interviews, I have only been able to indentify with two of them. I had an interview today with a company that had a young guy who I totally could understand and work with. He is going through what I went through three years ago. His wife is pregnant and about due, and he is the only IT person in the company (I had my boss, who was very helpful, but I knew that he had many projects to do during my absence) So I can identify with him totally.

If you go through a IT interview it is like no other you ever been through. You have to be administrator, secretary, physiologist, manager, and a service rep all rolled up in one. The funny thing though is that most companies do not have a technical person that runs the IT department. You have some yahoo that is either related to the owner or someone who been around a long time and thinks they know the IT aspect of the field( I have been through both). It is no wonder why IT people up and quit on you at times.

Well, do to time, I have to cut this short. I have to clean out our pool before I bring my daughter home from daycare. She loves to go swimming when she comes home. If you have any good or horror interview stories, please feel free to email them to me at allen@jennifervsmith.com. I will take the ones I find interesting and share them with our other readers.

For those who are like me and been through many with zero luck, don't feel alone. Keep up the faith and hopefully a turnaround will happen soon.

Bye for now!!!!!!!!

2003-09-17T11:17:00.000-07:00

Privacy

Do we really get privacy on the internet? Do we allow ourselves to be victims of a game that is played constantly on the net? The answer is yes. To be honest, there are a million ways that a person can be caught on the net. I won't go into deep detail about it, but there is more than one way to skin a rabbit.

I have been lucky and never been a victim of ID theft. I have a pretty eloborate system set up at home that keeps me very well protected. But I even know there are ways to break that security, and none of them are done by me. This all so wonderful OS that we all have have many loopholes that if found, then it becomes a hackers paradise.

As a administrator, when I work for a company, it is my job to help protect their data and make them feel safe. Sometimes that is not the world easiest thing to do on some of the budgets that companies give you to work on. It is a literal show string budget. Some of the wonderful things they ask me to do I would have to be God to perform them. That is why when I take a job I ask for full details, because it can and will lead to many problems.

There are many tools out there to check on a person and what they do on the net. Some of them come with the very browser that you are using. Cookies and temporary files are just two things at a persons use. If you have 2000 or XP, you have an addes luxury that it shows a history of your web page surfing and what you looked at it.

That is why I dislike Microsoft greatly. They make a stronghold not only on the companies that make computers, but also on the user themselves. I was happy when I heard the XP was coming out with a none browser interface. Think it has happened? Of course it hasn't. It is another pormise broken by them. I mainly work with Linux, unless I am doing classwork which requires me to use IE and Windows.

I ask that please be careful and safe when curising the net. I personal firewall is a good thing to have on desktop machine, because it at least gives you some kind of warning. If you can find a good encryption software that is cheap, get it. I have a copy that I use to send business files. It is much better to be safe than sorry.

2003-09-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

Search Engines

It is a known fact that we have come upon search engines to help guide us in our time of need. I know that I use search engines a lot with my studies. I have become more reliant with them since I first started School over 2 years ago. But which search engine is the best and which one is the worst? To ponder on it you must look in what you feel is good and bad.

I like to use Google a lot. Why, because first they are a local company for me, and that they produce, in my honest opinion, the best hits for any search engine on the market. Now they are not the only ones I use. I use Lycos a lot also, and when it comes to specialty searches like databases or administration work, I usually can find a site that helps me there also.

I know that the flux of search engines have dwindled greatly in the last couple of years, with the sounds of more going out of business soon. In this economy, it is hard to keep something that most people get for free as profitable, but it can be done. All that it will take is the right tools and business plan. Plus, most companies that do have them also do many other services to boot.

With the many that are out there, how do you decide which search engine should you use mainly? I choose mine because of the number of hits on a subject, which nine times out of ten I choose Google. Why? Because they give you the most accurate hits for your subject, and usually have ten times more information out there than any other search engine. Lycos also does a good job, but there has been times where they show nothing where Google ha given many choices. Plus, I do a lot of tracking of my sites through Google.

I know that many of the bigger sights give you search engines. What isn't know that many of these do it through sponsorship with the search engine company. The most common one I know of is IWons partnership with Google. But hey, if it works, then why not?

Search engines will always be part of the net, no matter what happens. Along with things like Maps and address finders, we will always need them to help us out. What is your favorite search engine and why do you think that it is?

Until Tomorrow, I will catch you on the net!!!!

Google
Lycos
IWon

2003-09-15T09:45:00.000-07:00

Well, as much as I hate to admit this, email is part of my life and my daily routine. With my in-laws in Russia and most of my friends out of state, email has become the cheapest and most affective ways for me to communicate with most of them. But email can be bothersome to. I usually get around 300 a day, and sometimes more.

The worst I get of course is SPAM. I get it about everything. The ones I laugh at the most is "How to enlarge your penis" ads. If that was medically possible, the person who did that would be a major serious billionaire!! This is impossible to do. I also receive you won this or that a lot.
If I had really a chance to win what they say I do, I wouldn't be in need of a job ever again. I would be so rich that I could party with Anna Kournikova!!!!!

Another thing I get a lot because I subscribe due to my business interest is email newsletters. The one I get the most is from the Silicon Valley Linux Users Group. I also receive several from the NT Engineering Association. I am not a full fledge member there, but they do email a lot of great information about the goings on with Microsoft bugs and fixes. I also receive one for a men's magazine that I read a lot (no, it is not Playboy), which is funny because I usually consider that SPAM also. But email newsletters to me are great, because they get you a lot of information in one email. They also save a lot of trees as that paper is not needed!!

As you all know by now, one of my friends is Wayne Hurlbert from Wayne's Derby World. He write an great article about the goings on in the Roller Derby world. He has done this for a long while and has many contacts in the sport. I have mentioned to him a few times that maybe he should start a email newsletter for the world of Roller Derby. If you are reading this, then maybe you can help me convince him to start one also. There is plenty of action to get one going and he knows that there are many people who are more than willing to help him out with this project, and I will be the first to volunteer my services!!!

Email is great. It is probably the greatest, easiest, and cheapest form of communication around, can also become a burden if not maintained properly. I know that I forward my email to my web email account on trips because of the amount I get. But that is one of the burdens I have to deal with because of my field.

If I had the money for a PDA and other things, I would be better off, but unfortunately, I do not. I just learn to live with life and try to appreciate as much as I can.

Well, I will try to post again later today, but may not be able to. If not, I will catch you tomorrow!!!!!!

2003-09-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I know it has been three days since my last writings, but I have been extremely busy. I have been working on a group project for school, fighting my cold and allergies, and taking care of my daughter so my wife can study for her class. It is hard to write this and do everything. I am planning in the future to have some other people write article here also, but I am trying to do things one step at a time.

Well, enough of me. I want to talk about one thing that I have been studying alot in both of my studies and in my jobs, security. Now, I won't go and say that I am the world's foremost expert in the field, but I have had more than my fair share of having to deal with security issues. Now I am not talking about security that would require bodyguards (even though if Anna Kournikova, The Tatu gals, or Stacey Kiebler wanted me, I would pay someone to allow breach of security) I am talking about computer/network security. I know that with many companies, after 9/11, it has become a major issue.

Different companies use different forms of security. There are Novell's NDS and Microsoft's ADS that are for their networks. Micorosft also uses files security with FAT and NTFS. We use SSL and PHP for websites, and virtually all networks require logins to get onto them. But for those who are just casual users, you go into a whole new realm for security. We have firewalls, routers, RAS, VPN, Encrypting, and many many more things to add onto this. Sometimes I would like a gun to shoot everything and make it all dead, but that is what I get paid to fix, is problems.

Now there is where a fun part of a job comes, where or what do I need to make my network safe from hackers. You hear of holes that Microsoft has in their windows operating systems that need this patch or that patch because of possible problem with hackers. Take these seriously. Microsoft is a hackers second favorite OS, next to Linux. But that is just a small part of the game.

Think it is hard to figure out who is what and where it is coming from? Well, the simpliest way to find out is go to a website like Yahoogroups. When you post into one of their groups, there is a view source link on top of the page, click on that. In that information is your IP address, out there for the world to see.That is what most experienced hackers will need to hack into your machine. No one is safe.

The one thing I hear from Mac user is that I am safe because I use a Mac OS whatever and it is safe. Well, I hate to break the bad news to you, if you are on the internet using High speed methods like DSL or cable, you are vunerable to it to. Just because a hacker may not like Mac OS, doesn't mean that they won't try. If you high speed internet connection, I highly recommend either a software firewall, a web router, or both!! Never hurts to have extra!!!

Security is a very important issue, something not to be taken lightly, no matter if it is a small home network or huge enterprisal network. Do not overlook them. Well, I probably will post more later tonight, so I hope to catch you online.

2003-09-09T19:07:00.000-07:00

Viruses are getting to get worse and worse. These new worms are almost to the point were it can and will destroy your hard drive in one big swoop. But is it worth it to by a anti-virus program if your not downloading and only getting email from friends? The answer is a BIG YES!!!!!! Most of the viruses that my Norton has caught have come from my good friends. Now you say why? Well, mostly because they don't listen to me when I say that it is worth the investment to get a anti-virus program.

There is what I call the big 2 of programs Symantec (Norton) and McAfee. This you will see on about 95 percent of the computers today. Then there are other companies out there that are just as good but don't have the popularity that Norton or McAfee have. With the outbirst of worms coming out lately, it is getting harder and harder to catch them right off the bat like the older viruses.

Now why do people wirte viruses for? That is a very good question and one I wished I could answer. Some do it to be malicious, some do it out of spite, other do not jknow that they did and accidently sent it out. Any way, there is got to be a way in the future to allow code to check itself to see if a virus will happen and wipe it out before it becomes a problem.

No matter how you look at it, it is definitely worth the money to buy a anti-virus program. No matter the name, just always make sure that they constantly update the definitons, because if not, then it is not worth the money. I know with my Norton, I do not even have to update it, it does it automatically.

Well, speaking of viruses, I haveone myself that is hitting me hard, so it is a nice long hot bath for me and then bedtime for my daughter and myself, guess I have to tape Cupid tonight! Until next time, please be safe and have fun with the computer and the internet.

Symantec (Norton Anti-Virus) Website
McAfee Website

2003-09-08T18:17:00.000-07:00

Well the dreaded bug still has me. I wanted to write a long article today about a couple of things on the internet, but I will wait until I feel better.

One thing I would talk about BBS boards. A lot of you will say that they are a things of the past, well, they actaullty live on in other forms, Yahoo groups is a great example. BBS systems mainly allowed you to post messages and have live chat when you feel like it. Smartgroups is kind of like that without the live chat. I am kind of addicted to them. I have several topics that i get involved with, but all of them have to deal with thing that I wither am involve in or love. Here are a few to look at that I either own or moderate, or am a member of

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rollerchat

This is my Roller Derby group that I co-own with Terry Lyons.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/joanwestonfanclub

This a a Yahoo groups club that I am working on onwership on.This is a site to honor the memory of one of the greatest skaters of all times, Joan Weston.

http://derbymemoirs.bravepages.com

This is Loretta Behrens Derby Memoir site. This site has "Little Iodines" memories of being a female skater in a male oriented field and memoirs of other great skaters from her time. This site I visit alot. She is a great person and very much a major sweetheart. This site is kept up by Pam Burke.

http://www.waynesderbyworld.blogspot.com

A high action Roller Derby site by Wayne Hurlbert. He does a daily column on the state and business of Roller Derby

http://http://www.smartgroups.com/group/group.cfm?GID=1025154

This is my former wrestling site on Smartgroups, I gave the ownership to my friend Chris Halladay who is doing a great job running it.

Last, but not least!!!

http://www.txrollergirls.com

This is the site for my all time favorite All girl Roller Derby league. The Texas Rollergirls are the greatest bunch of gals to talk to and give a bad time too. They also have a Yahoo groups site to have fun with them. Just too bad the owner of that site is a major putz who is trying to ruin them.

2003-09-06T15:05:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybody,

This blog for today is going to be short, being that I am sick and having a hard time concentrating.

I was going to write about operating systems today, but I thought since I wasn't able to concentrate, I would ask you, my favorite readers, this question.

What is your favorite OS and Why??

I will post some as I get them, along with my comments on my favorite.

Take Care and Hopefully I will be better for tomorrows column.

Allen

2003-09-05T14:52:00.000-07:00

The internet today has done many amazing things. But there is alot of crap out there too. I think alot of sights problems today is the wrong people troubleshooting them. I know many web designers and all of them are very creative, but, they know nothing about the workings of a web server. That is where I step in and help them out, especially when they have problems with the sight not doing what it was designed for.

Now I am not calling myself the formost expert on servers and their use, but I have plenty of experience with them. Alot of times I run into problems with connections of a web server. Usually the protocol stack is in hijinks or that one line of code is causing a frucus on the server itself. Unless you have worked in the field, you will not believe some of the things I have seen. The funniest moment is when a friend of mine was trying to get a ASP code to work on straight Linux. Sorry bud, it don't work that way, thanks to Bill Gates and Microsoft.

I would say troubleshooting is about 95 percent of most companies business dealings, with the other 5 percent being setups and designing. I know that my company will try anything to help the customers out. I hope that this column will be of great help for not only the consumer, but for businesses also!! I feel that it takes alot of work to keep a customer. Also, that there is no such thing as a bad one. We are all individuals and have different needs.

Until next time, have fun and if you have any questions, email me at allen@jennifervsmith.com

Also, even though I am still working on it constantly, visit my website for my daughter, Jennifer.

http://www.jennifervsmith.com

2003-09-04T09:57:00.000-07:00

Degrees vs. Certifications

Does it pay to have a college degree or many certifications? This is a question that is posing alot of businesses today. I know that I have my AAS in Network Administration and in May will have my Bachelors degree in IT. I am still thinking about going towards my Masters, which I know I will have to make a decision soon on. I also have quite a few certifications, too many to list now, but just to say that I have them.

When I first started in the IT field, The Novell CNE program was the hottest thing to get. It was shortly there after that the Microsoft MCSE became the hottest certification to get in my field. Now with the economy the way it is and the rise of boot camps that teach you how to pass the test with zero knowledge, a college degree is now the way to go. But what college degrees is the best for someone in the IT field? That is a hard question to really answer but one that I know worked on me alot when I first started going after one over 2 years ago.

One of the things I had to figure out is online classes good for me or should I go the conventional classroom route? The one thing I can not handle is sitting in a classroom for a hour, much less more than that if I have to take more than one class. I have never liked school in the first place. That is when I looked into online schools. Being that it had been almost 15 years since I went to school, I would need to get my Associates degree first. This was hard being that most Community Colleges at the time were not offering online classes and most schools were mostly upper college classes. Then I ran into the website for Silicon Valley College. http://www.svcollege.com They were offering a AAS in the field I was working in, Network Administration. This was great!!! The thing I learned is that it was 18 months with only breaks in the winter. I thought long and hard but decided to do it. I am very proud to say that I got my degree Feburary of 2003.

Then came the decision to go for my Bachelors degree. This was a no brainer since I knew I needed one to at least procure the dream job. I wanted to stay online, but because of the Network Administration and AA degree boom, it was hard to find one. Then a funny thing happened, American InterContinental University gave me a call. I am not sure to this day if I sent them information or not? But I was glad that they called and I instantly asked to be signed up. What really surprised me is that their acceptance program is like a major universities and that they are accredited by the same people who accredit schools like Harvard and Princeton. After being accepted in February (just a couple of weeks after graduating from SVC,) I started classes there on March 23. I will graduate in April. So far things are going great for me and I am able to carry a 4.0 average.

I am looking forward to graduating. Even though my classes are accelerated classes, I have learned a whole lot out of them and had some of the greatest instructors. I will be discussing with an admissions counsler soon about their Masters program. It is also accelerated courses and will allow me to get me Masters in 10 months. That way I know that I will be covered there in the future. It has been a long and hard road, but I am very proud of where I came from and what I plan on doing. But I can't take all the credit, if it wasn't for my wife and daughter, I wouldn't have the fortitude to do it!!!

As far as certifications, most, I feel, are not worth the paper they are put on. I find only a few that are. Cisco is one of the toughest to get but one, to me, the best to have. The MCSE was originally one I didn't like because I saw to many people who couldn't even install a OS getting one from the boot camps. But they are getting better and more tougher to get with each new version out. That is the only other thing that bothers me. When you do get one, shortly thereafter it is obsolete. Oracle are good ones to have too, I am in the middle of checking out Linux certifications to see if they are worth it.

Certifications are ok, but I would highly recommend getting a degree. Most companies now adays are requiring it. If you are in desperate need of certs to keep a status or belong to a club, then go for it. If not, then put them to the side and look on getting one later.

2003-09-03T14:36:00.000-07:00

Computers are in many phases of businesses. This article I am going to concentrate on 2 business men who use there computers to help their businesses out. The two people I am going to concentrate on are Maxim Sitnikov of the Virgina Introduction Agency in Yoshkar-Ola, Mari-El, Russia and Wayne Hurlbert, the main writer for Wayne's Derby World on Blogspot.

Max (is what his clients affectionaly calls him) is the owner of the Virgina Introduction Agency. This is the agency that my wife, Nadya, and I first met through back in late 1997. When Max started, he did just about everything on his own via his computer. What makes Max more amazing is that he was struck with a childhood disease and is bound to a wheelchair. This amazing person went from translating and sending letters for the gals by himself to one of the biggest introdcution agencies in Russia. His current staff includes many translators, his webmaster, several managers, a travel agency, a photo studio, and cafe. That is big compared to his one computer I saw when I visited his new office in 1998. I just wished I knew more Russian so I could apply to be his Network Adminsitrator. (Hint, if you read this Max!!) I also wanted to congratulate Max on his recent marriage. He met his wife through the internet!! She is very beautiful and I hope that they will be very happy in their marriage!!!!

For those who don't know, computers are very rare in Russia. The internet is even more expensive. They pay by the hour to surf the internet and have to pay per kilobyte for email, and usually with a slow version of a modem. The Virgina Agency is one the first to incorporate DSL and a web cam into their services. Way to go Max!!! See you sometime in the future when I can make it to YO again!!! Here is a link to Max's agency.

http://www.yoshkar-ola.com/e

Wayne Hurlbert is the main writer of Wayne's Derby World and a great friend of mine. He main thing right now is his blog and trying to get a Roller Derby league started in Florida. Wayne is also a SEO consultant. He is one of the smartest guys I know when it comes to working within a budget, especially if it's like mine and at zero. Wayne and I also have a passion for the sport of Roller Derby. He needs his computer to do his daily blog and too communicate on the many message boards. He often post on my Yahoo Groups Board RollerChat. His business sense is high and keen and he uses all the tools to his biggest advantage. He often talk about the business end of Roller Derby of his blog. I recommend his blog to anyone that wants to keep up in the Roller Derby world.

Wayne is a gracious person and can tell you how to promote a business. He does it for a small fee. He is one of the best people I have dealt with to get a business going and how to get it rolling. He has helped me with my business with his great advice, and is helping me start off a new phase. Wayne come with high recomendations from me!!

http://www.waynesderbyworld.blogspot.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rollerchat

2003-09-02T15:25:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody, welcome to the first posting of what I am calling my computer diaries. Here I will answer any troubleshooting questions you may have and give you my advice. I will also talk about trends in the computer business.

Here is a brief bio of myself. I have been working in the Computer/Networking business for over ten years now. I have a AAS in Network administration, and am currently working on getting my Bachelors in IT at American InterContinental University. I am about a half way through and am carrying a 4.0 average. I have way too many certifications to mention here. But I find that most aren't worth the paper it is put on.

I am fighting the layoffs in Silicon Valley lately, and am trying to see about redoing a old business I have. Hopefully I can get it off the ground soon.

Well, that is me in a nutshell. If you have any quetions, please feel free to contact me at allen@jennifervsmith.com I will try to answer back as quickly as possible.

Thanks.