Doug asked readers this week what their ideal IT jobs would be if money were no object (an unlikely thing in this economy, but still). This is Glenn's
Here's mine: I would like to be a news writer. Not simply a mainstream media reporter but a technical information news source writer. I am currently employed full-time by an Fortune 100 firm as a programminer in the engineering group for one of their facilities. However, I moonlight at night as a reporter for a local newspaper, dabble in blogging, have written a few technical articles in the past (primarily for the HP 3000 NewsWire), and done some conference presentations. If money were no object, I would turn the technical news writing into a full-time gig and dabble in presentations as my sideline.
Unfortunately, except for the very young (who can afford to be patient) and the well-entrenched established technical journalists, it is difficult to find fulfillment at a level that also pays the bills.
-Glenn
Got any suggestions for future Redmond magazine topics? If you do, make sure to send them Doug's way at [email protected]. Here are a couple of your ideas:
What about desktop/kiosk setups and lockdowns? Using DeepFreeze right now, but would love suggestions for idiot-proof interfaces for kiosks like Best Buy does to demo computers. My need would be to display prominently a few Web pages for customers to use to fill out credit apps, surveys, etc.
Also, what about point-of-sales programs, or RFID implementations using some open products to piece your own together? Might not be Windows-centric, but would be interesting.
-Phil
How about the subject of telework being hindered by concerns with security? Specifically, those who deal with sensitive or personal information in their work may only be able to telework using primitive means, such as burning CDs with data then taking organization laptops home to read those CDs. How legitimate are the security concerns with connecting from home computers to enterprise servers or PCs when personal information is involved?
-Tom
Earlier this week, reader Michael wrote in to say that he still doesn't understand all the anti-Vista comments out there. But Scott, for one, does:
Here is what Michael is missing about the Vista hating: those "Vista Capable" low-end machines that are dog slow. I have removed Vista from many of these machines (mostly Dells) at the request of my customers who purchased them for internal company use (before I specified their new hardware). XP was no longer available from Dell. Load the same machine up with XP, and suddenly it is a usable PC for small office applications. Why Dell even sold Vista machines with Celeron processors and 2GB max RAM (shared with the GPU!) is beyond me, but XP runs just fine on those low-end PCs.
-Scott
And finally, a question for the ages: Does Steve Ballmer, in fact, look like Terry Bradshaw?
Yes, from the forehead up.
-Rich
Bradshaw? I don't think so. Ballmer still looks like a dork -- even cowboy boots won't fix it.
-Anonymous
No, Steve Ballmer looks just like John Minko, one of the update men on WFAN in New York.
-Lorne
Better question: Does Terry Bradshaw look like an onion in a peanut patch? Oh, the question was about Ballmer. OK...does Ballmer look like like an onion in a peanut patch?
-Anonymous
Tell us what you think! Leave a comment below or send an e-mail to [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 09/25/2009 at 1:17 PM0 comments
I hate to keep bragging about ideas I've had in the past, but in this case I must. Twenty years ago, while I was editor in chief of Amiga World magazine, we built a monster machine capable of storing and editing a couple of hours' worth of broadcast video. It was impressive at the time.
That made me think about what could be done with nearly unlimited storage. First, I thought one could digitize everything that comes over the TV and watch shows whenever you want. Sounds like a TiVo to me. I blew that one.
I also thought that your life, memories, writing, audio, video and photographs could all be digitized, along with a 3-D rendering of your entire body. That, I surmised, could make an amazing memorial. Instead of a passive gravestone, you could have an interactive tour of you for anyone that passes by. In fact, some companies have apparently made or tried to make a version of this in recent years.
Now Microsoft researchers are working on a similar concept. Gordon Bell, father of the DEC VAX and now a leading Microsoft researcher, is putting it into action, digitizing as much of his life as possible. He's recording phone calls (I hope he knows the wiretapping laws of his home state), digitizing pictures, archiving e-mail and saving anything he can put his hands on. Microsoft hopes to build tools that automatically do the same for you.
This is a terrific idea (that I had 20 years ago), but make sure what you save can't be used against you in a divorce, court of law or job interview!
Posted by Doug Barney on 09/25/2009 at 1:17 PM5 comments
Microsoft is a better master of the press leak than Deep Throat. A smidge of information turns into a bushel of articles -- such as this one. All Microsoft has to do is post a few jobs and do a quick interview, and suddenly we're all excited about Windows 8. (Hey, I'm happy just to have 7.)
Microsoft watcher extraordinaire Mary Jo Foley is once again in the forefront with this Windows 8 news. According to this longtime Redmond magazine columnist, Windows 8 will have a more secure kernel and vastly improved management hooks.
And for someone who still finds that Windows 7 hangs instead of hibernates, news that Microsoft is working on better sleep and hibernation features is welcome indeed.
Posted by Doug Barney on 09/25/2009 at 1:17 PM2 comments
I lost total respect for CNN when it abandoned coverage of the protests in Iran in favor of wall-to-wall coverage of the King of Pop. Not one CNN journalist publically protested this egregious lack of journalistic judgment. (Anderson Cooper's hair would probably turn white if he heard me saying this, but it's true.)
Now CNNMoney has the audacity to question whether Microsoft is still relevant, just because Larry Ellison asked the question in some artificially provocative speech.
For one, Ellison accused Microsoft of being a consumer company with no real enterprise story. Say what? The fact that Microsoft has the Zune and Xbox does nothing to negate Dynamics, SQL Server and Exchange.
But it turns out Ellison's question and the article headline are just a way to trick you into reading a muddled analysis that ultimately concludes that Microsoft does actually matter. Thanks, CNNMoney -- you had me ready to quit Redmond and go to work for an Oracle magazine. Not!
I guess once again the press is hypnotized by Mr. Ellison's charms.
Random question: Would you change places with Bill Gates? Send your answers to [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 09/25/2009 at 1:17 PM4 comments
While Microsoft is going after the companies behind "malvertisements," a few of you are fighting the problem directly:
I recently ran into one that had so invaded a computer that when you turned the computer on and it finished booting, it changed the desktop and warned of a virus infection. It locked IE so that the only Web site you could go to was the one for downloading the software to fix the problem. To make it even worse, Task Manager was not available, so there was no way to shut the program down.
During the time the computer was booting up, before the malvertisement loaded, I was able to get to Task Manager. Using the Task Manager, I was able to kill off tasks as they loaded, killing off the offending program. Then I ran SPYBOT Search and Destroy and a couple other spyware and virus scanners to clean the computer off. It took HOURS to get everything working right.
-Craig
I was browsing my favorite torrent site (the big one that just changed its name). All of a sudden, without clicking on anything other than the normal site links, my computer started to send pop-ups from a new icon in the system tray about the fact that I needed to check my computer for viruses and I should 'click here' to download the latest and best virus scanner. Of course, my first reaction was to head to Task Mangler to end the annoying process. Imagine my surprise when I found that Task Manager had been "disabled by my administrator" (and I was logged on as a local admin on the machine -- you don't have to chastise me about what a bad idea that is). So I tried to get to a command prompt; same issue! I tried to go to C:\Windows\System32\cmd and Taskmgr and found they were all giving the same response. Fortunately, I've run into this behavior before and was able to download the Remove Restrictions Tool, re-enable Task Manager and kill the offending application (I can't remember its name).
Then for fun, I went back and tried to access the same site again. I got infected again! But this time, I spent less time resolving it. However, I did click on the pop-up to see what would happen. It immediately installed some more software, without permission. One interesting note: The offending application was now sporting a different name. And of course, nothing ever showed up in Add/Remove Programs; I actually had to hack the registry to remove it. I have visited this site before and have had a few other questionable re-directions from ads, and then other times had no issues whatsoever. And I have visited it since with no issues (yet). I'll certainly be more careful from now on. I may even start visiting it from a Linux VM, just to be sure!
-Fred
And here are a few more suggestions for solving synchronization issues:
Agree with John about SyncBack. We use it for Digital Signage to edit text files on a machine while it continues to play script. We can make time, room or price changes immediately without interrupting lobby or cafe images. Other uses, too, and the price is GREAT! Have used it for three to four years.
-Pat
I have always had a workstation and one or more laptops and always need to keep them in sync. I have tried a lot of different solutions but I have given up on each and return to my old standby: over network folder-level comparison of files using Beyond Compare from Scooter Software. BC is affordable, simple and powerful. I keep everything in my Documents, Photos, Music and Videos libraries and just sync them. I have never bothered to have domain controller at home so I have always used Windows pass-through authentication but recently moved all my PCs to Windows 7 and put them all in the same Home Group.
I run Carbonite online backup to cover me in a disaster. I told them they needed to support multiple PCs sharing the same backup which would be a slick solution for syncing PCs across the Web.
-Douglas
Share your thoughts by writing a comment below or sending Doug an e-mail at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 09/23/2009 at 1:17 PM0 comments
If you're a large IT hardware vendor, you just have to have a large IT consulting arm. IBM built its own over the decades, HP bought its way into consulting with EDS, and now Dell is joining the crowd by buying Perot Systems. (H. Ross Perot is batting two for three here!)
I may not find consulting terribly interesting, but as systems get more complex, it's awfully important.
Dell actually is the easiest hardware vendor to understand. Where IBM and HP have multiple lines, both proprietary and open, Dell pushes a singular Intel-compatible PC and server architecture augmented mostly by standard third-party products. This should make the work of Perot consultants relatively simple and straightforward.
What do you look for in a consulting company? Any success or horror stories? Send 'em my way at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 09/23/2009 at 1:17 PM0 comments
The state of Georgia has unemployed IT folks just like our other 49 states. Georgia Tech isn't taking it lying down, and is training laid-off techies to teach computers to high schoolers.
Sounds like a fine idea. There's nothing better than a teacher with real, practical experience.
If money was no object, what would your ideal IT job be? Send your wishes to [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 09/23/2009 at 1:17 PM1 comments
Longtime Microsoft follower Joe Wilcox, who uses both Mac OS X and Windows 7, makes this rather startling claim: "I get about 30 percent to 40 percent more work done using Windows 7 than either Leopard or Snow Leopard."
Joe may get more out Windows 7, but 30 to 40 percent more productive? That sounds pretty steep. I replaced a barely functioning XP laptop with Windows 7, and even though the old machine froze more than a Ben & Jerry's assembly line, I'm only about 8 percent more productive now.
Random thought: Does Ballmer look like Terry Bradshaw? Yes or no answers sent to [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 09/23/2009 at 1:17 PM8 comments
It may be only September, but we at Redmond magazine are already thinking about next year and need to build our editorial calendar. Help us by sending broad topics and specific ideas to [email protected]. You may even see your suggestion on our cover!
Posted by Doug Barney on 09/23/2009 at 1:17 PM1 comments
Last week, Doug asked readers for their file synchronization solutions. Here are a couple of your suggestions:
Just a quick note on your comment on file synchronization issues. I tried using Office Live to save Office docs and found that it was a bit flaky -- I would sometimes be unable to access it because of some type of issue with passport synchronization.
The best Microsoft option I have used is Mesh. I have work and home machines synchronized with this and it is great; I have not had an issue with it yet. If you need to get to your files from another machine that you don't control, you can also access them through the Web. You can even remote control other machines through it if you want, although I don't use that.
-Simon
I've been using Windows Live Sync. Pretty cool and so far relatively bug-free. You should try it.
-Jay
I've found a solution to sync My Documents or any other folders between all of my systems that works for me. I use SyncBack Pro. I have one system that is my "master" and all systems sync to it nightly. Thus, if I make a change to a document on my laptop, at the next sync cycle it will be synced to the master system. Then when my wife's system syncs to the master, the cycle after the laptop has synced, her system will pick up the changed files. All of her changed files are synced to the master and my laptop will pick them up on its next sync cycle.
With SyncBack Pro I can mirror, back up and use various other options. Example: I have one backup that I run for My Documents where I copy (source) any changed file to a special folder (destination) and if I delete a file in the source, it is NOT deleted from the destination. This covers me when I delete a file and then a couple of months later, I realize I goofed and really need it. With the Pro version, it will copy locked files. I also use it to back up my Outlook 2007 files (both the Local and Roaming folders).
-John
And finally, Michael is looking forward to Windows 7, if only so we can stop talking about Vista:
I read Vista-hating comments and editorials all the time, and I really don't get it. After the traditional SP1 release, I've had very little trouble with Vista on literally dozens of machines at work and at home. You couldn't pay me to use XP again, and my friends and family say the same.
I think hating on Vista is cool and trendy and that's the real reason people do it. I'm eager to see 7 adopted just so we can finally stop beating this drum.
-Michael
Tell us what you think! Leave a comment below or send an e-mail to [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 09/21/2009 at 1:17 PM0 comments
Every year, BusinessWeek puts out a list of the world's strongest brands. Microsoft always hovers near the top and this year finished on the podium with a solid third-place finish. Sugar-water purveyor Coca-Cola is No. 1 and technology rival IBM came in second.
I'm a bit surprised about IBM. Sure, it's roughly double the size of Microsoft. But most consumers don't have any IBM gear. Meanwhile, even many Mac users still run Office (like all three of my kids; I should know -- I paid for the license). Microsoft touches almost all of us.
But the real surprise is that Harley-Davidson came in 72nd place, behind Hyundai! When was the last time you saw a Hyundai, IBM or Microsoft tattoo?
Posted by Doug Barney on 09/21/2009 at 1:17 PM10 comments
I, like 100 percent of PC users, have come across ads that when clicked (or often when they're not) start up some bogus virus scanner and try to get you to shell out hard-earned cash to solve problems you don't actually have.
Now thanks to Microsoft, there a word for this stuff: malvertisements. And Redmond's legal eagles are going after a handful of companies responsible for these scams. Go get 'em, I say.
For the record, I never click these nasties, but that doesn't stop 'em from running. In fact, yesterday and today, one company has been bugging me with fake virus scanning. Now, I use Task Manager to shut my whole browser down. But in fact, Windows 7 Task Manager wants to me to click and close the bogus dialog box before it shuts down that browser tab. Sorry, Microsoft -- I'm bringing down the whole dang thing!
Any malvertisement horror stories? Send your scariest to [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 09/21/2009 at 1:17 PM3 comments