Posts by happygeek

Hi William, welcome aboard the DaniWeb bus - may it take you on many interesting and informative journeys.

I don't believe for a moment that you will be unable to help others here, your lifetime of varied experience suggests quite the opposite. I suspect you are undervaluing yourself!

Hi mousejockey, great username BTW. Although my first impression was that you must be a very small person, and then I got it :)

Hi Dilip, welcome to DaniWeb!

Ah, but were it not for the printer and the resulting book I wouldn't have had the funds to get into the weird goth parties in the first place :twisted:

Welcome Doc.

The man who gave me a printer when mine died, and I didn't have the cash to buy another, so I could finish printing the manuscript for my first book. Although this was about 'comms' as we called online computing stuff in the pre-Internet days, it had to go to the publisher on paper as they didn't have access to email and attachments (well, if they did, nobody there knew how to use it.)

Naturally I repaid him by not returning the printer, not giving him any of the royalties and stalking him ever since...

Seriously though, this guy has forgotten more about networks than I know about them. He will be a seriously useful addition to the community, if you can forgive his brash English manner of course :)

Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Mac OS X, and Linux here.

As an author I will probably be shot for saying so, but I'd agree that a book isn't the best option for the type of information you want.

I will redeem myself as a journalist though, and add that you might want to flick through the pages of some of the computer magazines when you are next in a store with a good selection. There are plenty that are perfectly targeted for someone with your needs.

But don't ignore web based resources, obviously.

Which versions of IE, as in how far back do you actively compatibility test for - and how far forward for that matter (IE 5? IE 7?)

I was thinking, perhaps, that a DaniWeb UK Geek Xmas Party might not be a bad idea...

It's more akin to Orkut, LinkedIn etc but a lot harder to get into. As well as just being invite only, the only people who can invite you are members who have attained a trusted level by becoming valued and active members of the community. It's as much about keeping people out as it is letting them in, and asmallworld.net deliberately want to maintain a low growth rate to ensure that exclusivity.

From both a social and business networking perspective it is, so I am told, a very exciting place to be. Of course, I can't confirm this because they don't give 'review' memberships to lowly tech journalists such as myself :)

That's probably the best compliment anyone can make about a chat forum!

If the 'depends' relates to timing, location/venue etc perhaps you could start the ball rolling and suggest your preferences and absolute nots?

Would London be preferable for you, or somewhere more provincial?

Anyone a member of asmallworld.net, and have the inclination to throw an invite to join in my general direction?

There are, I know, a good many UK based DaniWeb members. So, if I were to organise a UK meet, who would be interested in turning up?

If you are interested, can you please indicate your preference of when and where? For example, a weekend in London, daytime or evening, pub or somewhere like a meeting room at the Science Museum, you get the idea.

I'm thinking a way ahead here, with a view to something happening after the summer when the kids have all gone back to school.

What are your top three obsessions outside of IT?

My name is Davey Winder and I'm a:

• Tattoo Geek
• Music Geek
• Car Geek

What are your favored tools for testing web pages in multiple, and legacy, web browser clients? With tools such as Browserola no longer with us, what do you use - if, indeed, you test your pages outside of the current IE and possibly Firefox versions that is?

I know some people obsess about testing for everything back to Lynx (well it sometimes seems like they do) but how far back do you think it is reasonable to go WRT browser client testing?

Discuss :)

I understand the mechanics of it, just not sure of the value which would seem to be more a reputation thing than anything else: your example being a point in question, knowing if the person answering a question is prolific within the specific forum is a reputation thing surely?

I guess what I'm saying is, is it likely to be something that adds real value, or just adds another row of stars :)

I'm slightly confused as to the purpose of this.

It would make sense as a measure of reputation on a forum by forum basis perhaps, based on the more active you are the more valuable you are likely to be to that forum. But how does that then impact upon the 'rep power' rating?

Sorry if I'm missing something by a country mile here :)

If you are using the Outlook 2007 Beta, what anti-spam solution are you using with it and to what effect?

Hi Houmam, it's always great to welcome a new member from distant shores into our truly global community (I'm from England, for example).

Billzilla please note:

1. All caps is SHOUTING and RUDE and, quite apart from anything else, makes your postings difficult to read (which may, or may not be a bad thing).

2. You will get more help from people here if you put a little effort into your postings. I'd suggest you start by thinking about what you want to ask before you ask it, and then continue with thinking about how you are going to ask it before you hit the post button.

3. Although this is a lounge area, any so by definition a place for off-topic chat, that doesn't mean it's somewhere to plug your band, your book, your latest skin care product...

4. We welcome new members, and a diversity of personaility is something we value within the community. But trolling and anarchy will not be tolerated.

4. Here endeth the lesson :)

Hello and welcome!

Here's hoping that we can help you when you need it...

That's a very interesting posting you link to Dani, and one which makes some very valid points.

Certainly my experience has been, with regard to community building in particular, that strictly limiting forum response to answers alone, at the expense of discussion, is a bad thing. Yes, a moderatorial slow hand is required to prevent off-topic rambling and to ensure the original question gets answered (critical to a tech support forum, needless to say). But allowing discussion of the question, and discussion of the answer, positively encourages forum growth by imparting a feeling of value to participants and empowering a sense of real community.

It is, as in all things, a question of balance. Never easy to achieve, but essential that we strive to achieve it nonetheless.

Hi Flickers, and welcome aboard. Don't worry about the mistakes, we all make them and nobody here will judge you based upon them.

What gemini4 said! This usually works OK.

As an aside, I was at a Symantec tech briefing earlier this week and made a point of asking the Senior Director of Product Management about the install/uninstall issues surrounding Norton IS.

She told me that Symantec are well aware of the problems from user feedback (well duh!) and that a lot of work has gone into the forthcoming NIS 2007 product to address the issue.

This could be filed under 'well she would say that' of course, apart from the fact that having said it in front of a dozen of the most important professional reviewers of security software in Europe, if it was a big fat fib there will be a very public outing of the fact once NIS 2007 has been released and tested.

1. Talk about what you know - it doesn't have to be tech related, after all.

2. Post when you have the time - it doesn't have to be every day, nor every week even.

Who knows, others may end up looking as forward to reading your blog as you do theirs...

And. of course, there is then the techno-backlash that impinges upon us all. Sticking with the cellphone-camera issue, for example. Here in the UK all cellphones are routinely barred from many public swimming pools for fear of paedophiles using them for nefarious purposes.

Welcome philster. Fun and informative, that's the magic of DaniWeb :)

Does Opera even reach your outer radar? The latest version was released this week, Opera 9, but I really can't help but wonder what validity it has in the marketplace given the dominance of IE and FireFox mopping up the open source browser brigade.

Here in the UK there has been a growing, and nasty, trend over the last year for teenagers (mainly) to film unprovoked attacks on innocent victims using their cellphones. The resulting video footage or images are then distributed to friends in an almost cult like fashion. This has become known as the happy slapping craze here.

I see that the Washington Post is today running a story about online 'Fight Club' postings. While these, it would appear, are organized street fights between consenting adults, the worry must surely be that happy slapping will eventually crossover to the online fight club scene.

What niggles me most, it has to be said, is that of all the scenarios I thought about with regard to cellphone cameras and the digital video revolution, this kind of behaviour never even entered my radar. Have we all been too caught up with privacy issues and missed some of the real dangers, and what is next on the shocking use of technology agenda?

This is a two parter question:

Which web browser clients do you design your sites to be compatible with?

Which web browser client do you use personally when online?

OK, so make that a three parter:

Does anyone here not develop sites with IE in mind?

But is social networking really Web 2.0? Which leads me to a supplemental question: what do you see as Web 2.0?

Personally I tend to think of it as being an online application/service driven thing primarily.

Items 2 and 3 could be dangerous together. :)

I always remember playing 'cowboys and indians' in the street when I was around 8 years old. A whole bunch of us would get involved, the indians using very makeshfit bows and arrows.

Makeshift, but effective. The fun stopped on the day that Earton Osman (I have never forgotten his name although I've not seen him for 34 years) got an arrow in his eye. He lost the eye, replaced in typical UK National Health Service fashion at the time with a glass one of a different colour!

Please don't flame me for political incorrectness - this was 34 years ago when kids over here were innocent and just copied the cowboy and indian movies that were shown at the Saturday morning cinema club...

My best friend, and best man at my wedding, was shot in the neck by his step-brother when he was 9 (his brother being 12 at the time).

Apparently he was asked to stand at the bottom of the garden while his brother, who he idolised (and still does by the way), took aim and fired. Luckily, this being the UK some 20 odd years ago, it was only an air-rifle. Having said that the pellet is still lodged in his neck.

The brother, Bear, went on to lead the local chapter of the Hells Angels equivalent in the area. He's actually a very nice chap, albeit a somewhat twisted and worrying one :)

Web 2.0: the future of the web or just another excuse for over-optimistic VC funding and all the dotcom bubble dangers that brings?

Discuss :)

If you were in charge at DaniWeb, what would you do to stimulate growth of the community here. By which I mean the social and cultural side of DaniWeb rather than the straightforward tech Q&A stuff.

How would you encourage more social posting by the membership, and empower them with a sense of cultural belonging without detracting from the core technical support function?

The title kind of says it all really: if you have a blog here at DaniWeb why do you use it, and why don't you use it more. If you don't have one, what's stopping you from starting?

No hidden agenda, other than as the 'Staff Blogger' I'm interested in stirring up some debate so as to try and get some more interest in the blogging facility here. If there are things that need to change, then please don't feel backward in coming forward with your criticism and ideas.

Er, actually the foundation has an endowment of $29.1 billion, has made commitments of $10.5 billion since it was founded in 2000, and made grant payments of $1.36 billion last year alone.

But don't let the facts get in the way of your ranting :twisted:

With the Boy God announcing he is to step down from the Microsoft helm in a couple of years, and devote more time and energy to his philanthropic efforts, it begs the question: how will the world remember him?

For all his faults, and dubious Microsoft business practise, I have a funny feeling that he will be remembered as the richest man in the world who gave most of his riches back to it. If his third world plans come to fruition, then Gates will deserve to go down in the history books as one of the good guys.

Discuss. :)

I am 6'2" (and 'a bit'), my wife isn't.

I used to be 6'7" until I shaved off my spikey mohawk haircut many years back.

Numerous armoured vehicles, or many tanks if you prefer ;)

I thought it did at one point, but when I got the urge to double check last night it only opens up a Google account and makes a point of informing you that invites are still required for both Gmail and Orkut.

Talking of which, if anyone has an Orkut invite going begging - I'd appreciate one directed at happygeek@gmail.com

Ta.

Actually, scrap that. It doesn't.

Sorry...

1. I spent 8 years confined to a wheelchair - and learned more about myself, and other people, than the rest of my 42 years put together.

2. My online alter-ego used to be called Wavey Davey.

3. At the age of 13 I was a lecturer and judge for the Federation of British Aquatic Societies.

4. My record for the maximum number of peanut M&M's in my mouth at one time is 53.

5. The last time I had hair, it was pink...

England, if Rooney's foot permits...

God was looking down on earth one day and decided that things were not going to get better, in fact they were getting worse every day. He said to himself thet it is time to start over again with a new batch who might be able to do better than this bunch of humans are doing.

So he called up three men, George Bush, Bill Gates and Vladimir Putin. They are the three best media for getting his message across. He told the that he was disapointed with mankind as it is and that he was going to destroy the earth in 30 days.

They had to go back to earth and tell everyone this message.

Bush called a press conference and said I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that our belief in God is true, I met with him this morning. And the bad news is that he will destroy the earth in 30 days.

Putin went back to his people and told them he had some bad news and some realy bad news. First the bad news, our denial of God is not true, there is a God and I met with him this morning. The really bad news is that he is going to destroy the earth and we only have 30 days to repent.

Bill Gates went back to his people and told them that he had some good news and some great news. …

Snail walks into the Ferrari dealer. He asks to test drive a new car, agrees to buy, but requests a large 'S' is painted on the front top and back of the car.

The sales guy asks whether this stands for 'S'nail and the snail replies "no, but when I zoom past people I want them to say wow look at that s
car go."

An Irishman goes to the blacksmith in search of a job. The blacksmith asks "Have you ever shoed a horse?" "No", replies Paddy, "But I've told a pig to go away."

Just in case anyone didn't realize, you can get Gmail without being invited.

https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount and fill in the form...