Hi everyone, I'm rorock

[rorock]

I am an educator (high school/college English) and a writer. About 24 years ago I became the pioneer administrator of our school's first network--all hardwired, changing from Windows 95 to 98, Windows NT server, if I recall correctly. I knew very little about computers, except as related to my own use in writing and publishing newspapers and yearbooks, and nothing about networks. But there was a big gear-up push being government sponsored (E-Rate) and somebody had to do it. I read everything I could get my hands on, took classes, went to workshops hundreds of miles away--I forgot to mention that I live in the middle of nowhere--and scoured the new-to-me internet for anything that might help me. I wish there had been a Daniweb then because there were so many of us in the same situation, all of us making the same mistakes, having the same epiphanies--all without a place to share success and avoid duplicate messes. I was overwhelmed, no question about it. When I did discover Daniweb, I was retired and the world of technology had sped past me. Nevertheless, I have been lurking and learning here for at least the last dozen years. I maintain a small (crude) web page strictly for student reference, and I am always looking for ways to clean it up and make it more efficient although I rarely have time to work with it. That's who I am. Thanks for tolerating me.

[Reverend Jim]

Welcome to Daniweb. There are a few of us dinosaurs always lurking about. I take it you are posting from Montana?

[rorock]

Thank you for the welcome, Reverend Jim. I live in the village overlooking the powerhouses on Fort Peck Reservoir. Lots of networking here with Walleye, not so much with anybody else.

[Dani]

Hi there, welcome to DaniWeb!! What finally encouraged you to sign up after all this time? I've been working a lot on trying to improve usability lately (e.g. new homepage, etc.) and was wondering if any of my work played a role?

DaniWeb was founded in February 2002 making us nearly 20 years old ourselves. However, I do have to admit that when you found us 12 years ago, that was probably roughly around our peak.

[rorock]

Well, you reminding me to sign up certainly played a role. ;>) I thought I had signed up, actually, but apparently I never got the job done. But now that we are trying to get tuned in to remotely educating people using staff networking, It seemed like a very appropriate thing to do. I know when I have an "unanswerable" question that I can probably find help here.

[Dani]

Ah, so did you receive one of those emails from us that you never activated your account?

That's weird though because I'm seeing you joined only yesterday, and even if you had an unverified account all this time, the join date still would have been way back when. Also, we wouldn't have had your email address ;)

I hope you find everything you need with DaniWeb!!

[rorock]

Yes, I received something to the effect that I needed to complete my registration, or activate my account, or something like that.

Is it possible that the confusion exists because I signed up--or started to--under a different email address? I have three--ostensibly for different purposes--but I keep forgetting which one I am in when I do things, so I sometimes get my wires crossed. Too bad there is no continuity tester for that. If you find me signed up, or partially signed up, under any other email than this one, feel free do delete that account. I'm just tickled to have one where I can research topics and ask questions.

Some topics I anticipate investigating: 1) how to record videos showing what I am doing with different software, like demonstrating for a class how to plan an essay using a Gogle doc template or a Word template; 2) how to convert a Google doc to a pdf which I can mark up and annotate (something I already do); 3) how to lock down a classroom full of Chromebooks to the same screen, or lock down browser use and allow students to only use the app I designate; 4) best practices on compressing videos for uploading to YouTube--and likely a bunch more.

[Dani]

Is it possible that the confusion exists because I signed up--or started to--under a different email address?

Yes, that's most likely what happened.

I have three--ostensibly for different purposes--but I keep forgetting which one I am in when I do things, so I sometimes get my wires crossed.

The email that you received should have shown the email address you had initially signed up for at the bottom.

Too bad there is no continuity tester for that.

Hmm, I'm not sure of an easy way to do that, as we would have no way of knowing what your other email address was. We do it if you try to create a new account with Log In with Google or Facebook, but then we discover your email associated with your Google account is already attached to an account in your system, so then we associate your existing account with your Google ID instead of creating a whole new account for you.

[dfarquharson]

I installed my second network in 1993 in the school I worked at in Haiti (bought all the equipment myself at a rummage sale). There was no Internet there until a couple of years later and it was ferociously expensive when it did come. I had to learn EVERYTHING about networks on my own - which was slow and difficult as there was nothing available in Haiti about the topic. But I went on to be a full time computer tech and IT Consultant. Retired back to Canada now - still not used to 'winter' however. Been a member of Daniweb for 11 years but never been active. I also received an email telling me to finish registering. So maybe I'll pay a bit more attention now that I'm pretty well completely stuck at home for the foreseeable future.
David