1. You are viewing our forum as a guest. For full access please Register. WindowsBBS.com is completely free, paid for by advertisers and donations.

Seeking a chat with Oswhyn.

Discussion in 'Site Comments & Suggestions' started by goddez1, 2005/09/23.

  1. 2005/09/23
    goddez1

    goddez1 Inactive Thread Starter

    Joined:
    2002/01/12
    Messages:
    2,975
    Likes Received:
    49
    Hi oswhyn,
    In reference to your posts http://www.windowsbbs.com/showpost.php?p=258452&postcount=9 and here http://www.windowsbbs.com/showpost.php?p=258453&postcount=10
    Bless your heart... but what have you done? Knowing the amount of time you must have spent gathering this information and typing it out and knowing your just trying to be giving and helpful makes my comments all the harder to make. I am sure the above aticle is just jammed packed with useful information and links but in it's present form others including myself will have a hard time figuring this out. Add to that the fact that this board has limitations on the amount of time you can edit your post (to fix it) makes it even more important that before you post, what is obviously shared with selfless intent, is ready to be posted. You may have noticed I often post information even after a post has been fixed or resolved. This is one of those reasons. I will also often wait until the current focused root quest has been addressed before expanding or including any additional expanded information. Experience has taught me that users will get confused, scared, and discouraged by nfo overload. They may not realize that describing, in words, a/the process, how-to or fix technique often makes it sound much more complicated and time consuming than it actually is. It is much better to ask them if they are familiar with a procedure or would like a how-to before posting such. Our archives are jammed packed with time tested "User Friendly" links and how-to's. Many have already been in, noted, seen and studied these.

    I hope you are not insulted or hurt by the above. I did not mean to critisize with a mean spirit. I know you are fairly new to the board and I love that as a new member you have adopted and choosen to become a regular poster. I more than welcome this. In fact this board could use all the helpful sharing members it can get. I am just trying to share a little posting advice that may smooth your transition from the older board you came from to windowsbbs.

    Speaking of which, and out of curiousity, what board did you come from and what has brought you to ours? Just looking for a little "get to know ya'" chat. If you don't wish to do so, or consider this prying, I will understand. Just ignore the side chatter.... :)
     
    Last edited: 2005/09/23
  2. 2005/09/23
    oshwyn5

    oshwyn5 Inactive

    Joined:
    2005/08/25
    Messages:
    736
    Likes Received:
    0
    As you said, it is big and requires a lot of work to transform.
    I have been on boards which used Html and had notes all set up that way (with the <a href=" stuff and all) and then on boards which used that bizarre bbcode variation(fusetalk) and now am on a couple invision boards which use this bbcode.

    I am in the process of transforming and copying all my notes and common responses to this latest format, but as you can see in some cases, it is a major job.

    I am at about the half way point. and still working on it all.
    Is there a link to the symbolic language used here?
    That sure would help.
     

  3. to hide this advert.

  4. 2005/09/23
    oshwyn5

    oshwyn5 Inactive

    Joined:
    2005/08/25
    Messages:
    736
    Likes Received:
    0
    Lets see if this part is converted



    Windows XP clean install

    DO NOT PROCEED IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A MICROSOFT INSTALL CD , IF ALL YOU HAVE IS AN OEM RECOVERY CD ASK FOR DETAILS

    FIrst back up all your data that you can , you will be wiping the drive to get a clean install.
    How to Backup - Restore XP Activation: (worth doing just in case you need it.
    Make sure you have your correct product key for your copy of windows. Do not try to reuse the original OEM product key(obtained using a system analysys tool if you have an OEM install and a seperate product key on the case or install CD. Use the unique one provided for reinstalls.
    Identify all your hardware and go online and download XP drivers for them and burn to cdr,
    XP has a lot of generic drivers, but to get your hardware working correctly you will need to have the correct drivers.
    Otherwise, all devices will function as they do in safe mode where they are limited to windows generic drivers.. So identify your hardware and download drivers from each manufacturer and burn to CDR.
    Download Windows XP Service Pack 2 for IT Professionals and Developers:
    Order Windows XP Service Pack 2 on CD:

    NTFS is a very stable file system and usually a mere reformat does not yeild a clean install. So you will need to repartition the drive first to wipe things or use a secure wiping program such as http://www.killdisk.com/
    Disconnect from the internet. Unplug your ethernet cable if applicable.
    Now you will have to do a repartition, format and clean install. Hopefully you have a Microsoft Install CD for your prior OS (not a mere recovery cd which uses an image file on the hard drive which you probably destroyed) otherwise your "upgrade" CD is worthless.
    Remove any PCI card devices , physically , from the computer. (Not essential, but if you have problems on first try, repeat from the beginning and include this step).
    Also, it is adviseable if practical to disable any firewire or ethernet capability of the motherboard via jumpers or bios settings. (This is a step which I advise you not to skip).
    Enter bios setup and make sure it is set to boot to cdrom before hard drive.
    Put in XP cd and restart PC
    Clean Install
    Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows Upgrading to and installing Windows XP
    Note step 5 where you click next to format and install XP? STOP
    Instead, select last listed partition and press the D key to delete it. Repeat until no partitions are listed, just bare Hard Disk ) xxxxxMB unallocated space.
    You now select that and press the C key to create new partitions. Specify size in MB where 1000MB=1GB. The first one you create will be the C drive so make it between 10GB and 20GB in size so that it is manageable yet still large enough for XP to grow. Repeat until entire drive is partitioned. Then select that first partition and press next to format it and install XP. Note that if the drive is over 137GB in size , you must partition it before you install using the drive manufacturers software if you do not have SP1 or later.
    Once XP is installed, you install your hardware one device at a time per manufacturers instructions. Some like ethernet cards, you need to install the software and drivers first. Others you install hardware and when it is detected , you guide to the drivers you have on the CDR.
    If you haven't done so , reenable what you disabled in bios, install ethernet drivers.
    Install your windows update SP2 then check at windows update for new updates.
    DO NOT GOT ONLINE WITHOUT A FIREWALL, especially if you do not have all the latest updates installed.
    Configure your internet access and check for updates.

    Okay, Windows is installed and secure. Now you have to customize it.

    First reboot and go to start/ programs/ accessories / system restore and create a restore point.
    Right click on desktop=> choose properties => Settings and set your display resolution.
    Go to control panel => System=> Advanced => startup and recovery => settings=> system failure . Uncheck restart on failure, check send admin alert.
    Go to control panel => System=> Advanced =>Performance => settings and customize things. I prefer set for optimal performance.
    Any other customizations, classic interface, turn of desktop cleanup whatever.
    Restore all your data. Remember, it is read only on a cd, so when you copy it back it will be read only until you right click , choose properties, and uncheck the read only attribute and choose apply.





    I think that is okay, do you see anything I missed?
     
    Last edited: 2005/09/23
  5. 2005/09/23
    oshwyn5

    oshwyn5 Inactive

    Joined:
    2005/08/25
    Messages:
    736
    Likes Received:
    0
    Next portion :

    WINDOWS XP PRE-INSTALLATION PROCEDURE
    ===========================================
    A few caveats should be observed prior to beginning a Windows XP "clean" installation:

    - Check Your Computer's Compatibility With Windows XP:
    Before wiping out your current configuration, particularly if you were using Windows 98 or Windows Me, check compatibility. The Knowledge Base article, http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;%5bLN%5d;Q316639, describes how to do this in detail. If you were using Windows 2000, I wouldn't worry about compatibility issues as much. I've had good luck in this scenario.
    - Record Your Network Configuration:
    If you're computer is already connected to the Internet, record your network configuration so that you can easily configure Windows XP to connect to the Internet. The easy way to do this is to launch the Windows System Information Utility (usually START | PROGRAMS | ACCESSORIES | SYSTEM TOOLS). Simply select Components | Network | Adapter and then click File | Print | Selection. Alternately, you can save your entire hardware profile to a file by selecting File | Save.
    - Windows XP CD Edition Considerations:

    - Note that an OEM's RESTORE CD is not appropriate for a clean installation. You will need a retail or OEM edition of Windows XP (Full or Upgrade). If you do not have access to one of these source types, you can extract the XP installation files from an OEM's RESTORE CD and use them to create a slipstreamed Windows XP SP2 installation disk as described in the upcoming steps.
    - IMPORTANT: You must use the correct product key for your edition of Windows XP. A Retail Edition key will not work on an OEM edition, an English version key will not work on another language edition, and so on.
    - Backup Your Existing Windows XP Activation File
    - If it applies, you should also review How to change the Windows XP Product Activation Key Code

    - Backup User Data And Settings:
    The Windows XP Files and Settings Transfer Wizard is the easiest way to accomplish this task. Obviously you could simply back up all of your user files, favorites, address books, and so on by using a third-party backup solution. The resulting backup file could then be burned to a CD/DVD or saved to an external hard drive/removable media drive. Restoring the data would then be as simple as running the SAME backup utility on the new system. The built-in back-up utility in Windows 95/98/ME/2000 cannot be used in this same method as the backup file structure is not compatible between the operating systems. You could use the Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP backup utility IF you were restoring the data to the SAME OPERATING SYSTEM. The Windows XP Files and Settings Transfer Wizard runs on Windows 95 or higher and automates the selection of common user files and settings on Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP systems. It then restores them to the correct location on the new Windows XP system. Please see the following links for step-by-step tutorials on using this versatile utility:

    - Using the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard in Windows XP
    - Step-by-Step Guide to Migrating Files and Settings
    - How To Use the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard (By Using the Windows XP CD-ROM)

    - Prepare A Slipstreamed Windows XP SP2 Installation Disk:
    See The Elder Geek's step-by-step, illustrated guide "Slipstreamed Windows XP CD Using SP2 " to complete this step. This tutorial has all the links you need to download the latest service pack and all other required files.
    - Prepare A Hardware Driver CD-ROM:

    - Note the make and model for each card installed inside your PC (modem, NIC, video card, etc.) as well as all external peripherals (mouse, keyboard, monitor, printer, etc.).
    - Visit the hardware manufacturer's support site for each of these devices. Locate the support page for the EXACT make and model of your device.
    - Download and extract the latest drivers and utilities to a folder on your hard drive [i.e. My Documents\Drivers\<devicename>\<driver | utility>\<version>].
    - Once completed, burn the My Documents\Drivers\ (for example) folder to a CD-R.

    - Prepare The Hard Disk:

    - SATA Hard Disks - Use the SATA drive's OEM utilities disk to delete existing partitions. Reformatting is not required as partitioning and formatting options are available during the Windows XP setup routine.
    - SCSI Hard Disks - Use the SCSI adapter's BIOS utilities to "zero fill" any attached hard disks. Reformatting is not required as partitioning and formatting options are available during the Windows XP setup routine.
    - EIDE ATA Hard Disks - A debug routine can be performed on the computer similar to a low-level format to re-initialize the hard disk drive, thus returning it to the OEM's delivery state. The following debug routine is for EIDE ATA hard disks:

    - Configure The Bios To Recognize The CD Drive As The First Boot Device:

    - You must configure the computer's basic input/output settings (BIOS) to boot from a CD. BIOS settings are specific to each computer, so step-by-step instructions for configuring yours to boot from the CD require consulting the computer or motherboard's manual, or the computer's OEM website.

    - Devices To Disconnect:
    The following devices should be disconnected from the PC prior to installation of the Windows XP operating system.

    - All external peripherals except for the keyboard, mouse, and monitor.
    - Specialized PC cards that do not have drivers installable from a floppy disk during Windows XP text based setup (Press F6 when the initial XP setup screen appears to install specialized drivers from a floppy disk).

    - Devices To Leave Connected:
    The following devices should left installed in the PC prior to installation of the Windows XP operating system.

    - Network Interface Card - During the graphical section of Windows XP setup, XP can auto-detect an existing Internet connection and download updated setup configuration files and components. This same connection is used to activate the copy of XP and allow new user registration. In the strictest security terms, this DOES represent a slight security risk as adware, spyware, or viruses could download to the disk prior to you having a chance to setup the system's security. However, as long as you are following the exact steps of this tutorial and do not access any websites post setup that are not specifically listed herein, your chances of infection are minute. Even on the off chance you are infected, the parasite can be cleaned with the security tools listed in the "Post-Installation" section. If you are truly concerned, by all means leave the network cable disconnected from the PC until you have installed and configured your security applications.
    - Common internal PC cards like modems and sound cards will generally be recognized and a generic driver installed or, if Windows does not recognize the device, it will be left disabled. After setup completes, all PC card drivers can be updated from Device Manager using the driver CD-ROM prepared earlier. Again, you may certainly elect to remove all internal PC cards except for the video card. You can then install them one-at-a-time after Windows XP is installed.
     
    Last edited: 2005/09/23
  6. 2005/09/23
    oshwyn5

    oshwyn5 Inactive

    Joined:
    2005/08/25
    Messages:
    736
    Likes Received:
    0
    Final section

    WINDOWS XP INSTALLATION PROCEDURE
    ===========================================

    - Boot the computer using the slipstreamed Windows XP SP2 CD. Don't blink during startup though, because you'll briefly see a message that says, "Press any key to boot from CD." Miss this opportunity, and the computer will attempt to start from the hard disk. If you don't see this message, your CD-ROM isn't bootable or you did not configure your computer's basic input/output settings (BIOS) as detailed in the "Pre-Install" section of this tutorial.
    - When the CD boots your computer, it loads the Windows XP Setup program. A series of screens walks you through the initial installation process. This part of the setup program is text mode, as opposed to GUI mode, which is the graphical part of the setup program that you see after the computer restarts. A step-by-step tutorial detailing each phase of the XP setup process is detailed in the The Elder Geek's "Clean Install Procedure with Illustrative Screen Captures - Windows XP Pro " or "Clean Install Procedure with Illustrative Screen Captures - Windows XP Home "
    - Once Windows XP is installed, run Microsoft Windows Update. Select, download, and install all critical and recommended updates. Reboot later if so prompted.
    - Update drivers or install hardware devices one-at-a-time per the manufacturer's instructions. You will utilize the driver CD-ROM created in the "Pre-Installation" section of this tutorial to accomplish this task.

    ===========================================
    WINDOWS XP POST-INSTALLATION PROCEDURE
    ===========================================

    - Restore User Data Files and Settings:

    - Restore the data backed up in the "Pre-Installation" section using the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard.

    - Customize And Optimize The Windows XP Interface:

    - See The Elder Geek's step-by-step, illustrated guide "The Windows XP User Interface " to complete this step. This tutorial covers configuration of all major GUI components.
    - For serious performance optimization and registry tweaking, see X-Setup Pro for the ultimate tweaking utility and Black Viper's Site for optimizing Windows XP services.
    - Download | Install | Run RegSupreme. This freeware application (part of the excellent JV16 PowerTools Pack), will backup, scan, and clean your registry. The help file contains comprehensive documentation on the program's settings and use.
    - Download | Install | Run PageDefrag. When you run PageDefrag (pagedfrg.exe) you will be presented a listbox that tells you how many clusters make up your paging files, event log files, and Registry hives (SAM, SYSTEM, SYSTEM.ALT, SECURITY, SOFTWARE, .DEFAULT), as well as how fragmented they are. If you feel that these files are fragmented enough to warrant defragmenting them, or if you want to defragment them at every boot (RECOMMENDED), select the appropriate radio button choice and click "OK. "
    - Download | Install | Run Mr. Tech Systray. MR Tech Systray is a Swiss army knife of tools, tweaks and system options. It will not only let you quickly shut down, restart, or log off from Windows, it can help keep your hard disk a little cleaner, organize your MP3 & other media files, edit MP3's iD3 tags, sort text lines, log reboots, and tune your system. Other features include: system-wide shortcut keys, an incredibly fast program uninstaller, a directory jump list, enhanced system information, save or print screenshot/window and more. It is recommended that the Mr Tech Systray scheduler be utilized to clean various types of system trash on a regular basis.

    - Establish A Multi-Layered Security Perimeter For Your PC:

    - Download | Install | Update Definitions | Run Spybot S&D
    -AND/OR-
    Download | Install | Update Definitions | Run Ad-Aware Personal .
    - Download | Install | Update Definitions | Run AVG Anti-Virus Free
    - Or Avast free antivirus
    - SECURITY RECOMMENDATION: Disable and Replace The Windows XP SP2 Firewall
    The Windows XP firewall as delivered in Windows XP Service Pack 2 only filters INCOMING traffic. This does not provide sufficient protection against current threats. It is recommended that the Windows Firewall be DISABLED =(HOW?) and that a two-way filtering software firewall like ZoneAlarm (Freeware Edition) be installed and configured at this point. If you are on a home network that uses a broadband NAT/SPI router, you have a basic hardware firewall in place. This makes the software firewall less critical than in a scenario where the computer is connected directly to the Internet through a DSL/Cable modem. However, a software firewall may be effectively used in tandem with a hardware-based firewall to add yet another layer of protection to the system (RECOMMENDED).
    - Download | Install | Update Definitions | Run Spyware Blaster . SpywareBlaster prevents the installation of ActiveX-based spyware, adware, browser hijackers, dialers, and other potentially unwanted pests. As well, it will block spyware/tracking cookies in Internet Explorer/Mozilla/Firefox and restrict the actions of potentially dangerous sites in Internet Explorer.
    - Download | Install | Update Definitions | Run SpywareGuard. SpywareGuard provides a real-time protection solution against spyware that is a great addition to SpywareBlaster's protection method. SpywareGuard features download and browser hijacking protection and a real-time scanning engine that can catch and block spyware before it is executed (EXE and CAB files supported) with signature-based scanning for known spyware and heuristic/generic detection capabilities to catch new/mutated spyware. SpywareGuard also provides download protection to prevent spyware from being download in Internet Explorer, as well as browser hijacking protection to stop browser hijacking activity in real-time.
    - Download | Install | Run MRU Blaster. MRU-Blaster is a program made to perform one task - detect and clean MRU (most recently used) lists on your computer. These MRU lists contain information such as the names and/or locations of the last files accessed. These are located ALL OVER the registry, and for almost ANY file type. By looking at these MRU lists, someone could determine what files you have opened/saved/looked at, what their file names were, and much more!
    - SECURITY RECOMMENDATION: Stop Using Internet Explorer
    If you use either Mozilla, Firefox or Opera, you are immune to most (if not all) known browser hijackers as of this writing. You are immune for two reasons. First, most people use Internet Explorer, so most malicious code is custom built to exploit it. Second, Opera's and Mozilla's programmers take security very seriously and have made these browsers very secure. It is not possible to install software from a web site using these browsers without at least seeing a prompt of some sort asking permission.
    - SECURITY RECOMMENDATION: If You Must Use Internet Explorer
    You can take several steps to increase MSIE's security and close some of the most well-known exploits. Please review the "If You Must Use MSIE" section of Prevent Browser Hijacking at SpywareInfo.Com.
    - SECURITY RECOMMENDATION: Protect Yourself From Browser Redirection
    Install CoreStreet's SpoofStick. Available for both Internet Explorer and Mozilla FireFox, SpoofStick is a simple browser extension that helps users detect spoofed (fake) websites. A spoofed website is typically made to look like a well known, branded site (like ebay.com or citibank.com) with a slightly different or confusing URL. The attacker then tries to trick people into going to the spoofed site by sending out fake email messages or posting links in public places - hoping that some percentage of users won't notice the incorrect URL and give away important information. This practice is sometimes known as "phishing ". SpoofStick makes it easier to spot a spoofed website by prominently displaying only the most relevant domain information. It's not a comprehensive solution, but it's a good start.
    - Delete "trash files" using Mr. Tech Systray.
    - Check and defragment your hard disks - (assuming you do not have a commercial application like Executive Software's Diskeeper installed), simply utilize the disk checking and defragmentation utility that is included in all versions of Windows. Normally, the shortcuts are in the Start | Programs | Accessories | System Tools folder. Tutorials for Windows XP are available http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/...earnmore/tips/kbtip.mspx] HERE (Disk Checking and HERE (Disk Defragmenting).

    - Reboot the computer and enjoy!

    I hope you find this information helpful!
     
    Last edited: 2005/09/23
  7. 2005/09/23
    oshwyn5

    oshwyn5 Inactive

    Joined:
    2005/08/25
    Messages:
    736
    Likes Received:
    0
    Okay, took some time but I corrected the stuff I posted in the other thread

    http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?t=48205

    I still have tons of stuff left to edit and make new copies of, but that was the biggest. Unfortunately, fusetalk reverses all the URLs and it is not as easy as a "replace" in msword to fix them all.

    Most of my common links and tips are saved in the quicknote feature in Firefox and Mozilla, and the Opera note pad feature too. I also keep backup copies and a disk full of notes on things I have fixed before.
    Got over 2500 bookmarks too . Lots of stuff still to double check.


    If you have any suggestions for updating this , let me know, and if you have a link to the forum symbolic code, let me know.
     
    Last edited: 2005/09/23
  8. 2005/09/23
    goddez1

    goddez1 Inactive Thread Starter

    Joined:
    2002/01/12
    Messages:
    2,975
    Likes Received:
    49
    Hi again Oshwyn,
    Phew...you must have worn off your fingers tips by now. That looks much better though. Keep in mind that I have only glanced at it so far. Hurricane keeps getting closer and closer. My attention and concentration is not up to snuff and to say it is divided or I am distracted is not using strong enough words.

    I figured you had quite a large stash of these little (or not so little.. :) )helper goodies saved somewhere and were drawing your references and posts from many of these. I myself have been led to an interesting "new to me" application or tool that was shared by many of your posts as well as many of the time tested ones that we recommend, here, often. Got to watch those "oldie goldies" though. What may have worked on another board may not be received well here. We all tend to look out for each other and will spot misinformation, inferred, disjointed and incomplete reference or instructions. The spirit in which it is given is always appreciated and first hand knowledge on the work required to supply and share such posts quadruples that appreciation. I'm sure you are aware of the tremendous responsibility and power your words and posts have. Many posters here, have come to trust that if they are given advice all the bases have been covered and warnings, cautions and mine fields have been given. This makes more work for us but is done so that one can be comforted by knowing that they have not just wiped someone elses computer out, leaving them in tears. I think we have spoiled many and now advice given is done without any study up by themselves. They will blindly do as suggested, lead to by reference link, or told to do, without question or forethought or planning. It is extremely important to all who have come to love this board and consider it home, that that level of quality, carefulness and thoroughness be adhered to. It is expected and anticipated by frequent members and many older (regular) members will not hesitate to point out those inconsistencies. Not to be mean spirited but out of the desire to protect those who donot protect themselves and out of the knowledge that many fellow members will do as directed without concern for themselves or take your word at face value and assume it is correct.

    As you may have noticed older members have been here for years. Maybe more years than you may be aware of. Past history of windowsbbs goes beyond the various years of memberships seen in signatures. A hacker took the board down a few years back. The posts regarding this are in the archives. To roll out the welcome mat for you, I'll have to see if I can drag a few out for you, just to help you get more of a feeling for what is expected of and by you. I want to help make you as comfortable as possible and also provide a little tip or two on some of the "pet peeve do and don'ts" many members, here, have. We all have our little quirks and do our best not to push each buttons. You are not aware of those buttons yet and I hope have the temperament, patience, curiosity, manners, maturity and strong sense of humor, (heavy on the sense of humor), needed to handle comments and requests. I must applaud you and mention that a couple of times I have held my breath when you have unknowingly stepped on a toe or two. I thought you handled the situation well by ignoring such, choosing not to comment, not taking it as a personal attack or be baited to contaminate a post with a personal punch out that is best left to private email correspondence. You have shown that you truly wish to adopt our home as your own and have demonstrated that your willing to accommodate, consider and work with requests when made, even knowing all the while you have the right to post as you see fit. I look forward to your continued desire and participation and anticipate that you will be a valued member as you become more familiar with the routine, standards and expectations. This board has some of the most friendly and knowledgeable members on the net. You couldn't have picked a better board.

    Look at me, rambling on like a fool. I hope the above came out worded as to express the "Welcome" I had hoped and intended it would. I know it sounds a bit (a lot) stiff and formal and I should have edited it so that the content rather than the context better revealed and fit my personality. I write much differently than I speak and this tends to leave one with no idea or the wrong idea of who I am or what I intended, personality wise.....sheesh! more rambling. I'm going to stop now and push the post button and hope for the best.... :)

    Forgive my "just brushing" of the subject of the editing of the previous post. I will read this more carefully as time permits and give it the attention it deserves. I'm sure it is full of useful and helpful information that will be used by many-a-member. It obviously took a great deal of time to do and is appreciated. What is in question though is, if the chosen time and spot in the post was the best time to post such. The root quest and problem had not been fully addressed or concluded. Additional or extended information tends to distract or draw ones attention and focus away from the what should be focused on. Speaking of myself as one who is easily distracted, I can personally vouch for this.....opps, there I go again....more rambling. I will push the reply now. Let 'er rip!
     
  9. 2005/09/24
    oshwyn5

    oshwyn5 Inactive

    Joined:
    2005/08/25
    Messages:
    736
    Likes Received:
    0
    Well after they closed the Tech Support board on the last forum (G4TV.com) I was on after a great fifteen month run (they had created it at my suggestion) I have been looking for a new home. I was a regular at the TechTV boards, and prior to that ZDTV.
    Back when there were such things, I was a member of the lockergnome newsgroups (before the fallout and creation of web forums) and am still a member of some of the successors .
    I have been looking for a new forum to call home and while I am a member of several others right now, I like this one best.
    I think most would call me mature and understanding and exceedingly patient . My sense of humor? Well I try to keep it seperate from my helping side.

    I am quite familiar with the fact that you often have to treat those seeking help at a third grade level, making sure that what you suggest is both safe and easy to understand; yet you cannot treat them as in any way inferior to you since many are professionals in their own feilds and just do not have the time or motivation to become computer experts too.

    I hope to get to know the folks here and fit in.
    I have an easy job, partly because I am good at what I do. I choose to have more free time rather than more money, and as such often have free time to spend in forums like this. I view it as preventative maintenance; using what I know so I do not forget it , and interacting with other professionals to pick up new tips and techniques.
    Often there is not one correct method of doing things and seeing how someone else handles it opens up new routes for other ideas too.
    One of the best things about communities like this is that we look out for one another. Everyone slips up from time to time and having a friend you can count on there to non judgementally catch it is a great feeling. I do not take corrections from another professional as an insult or competitive act, but rather as the military concept of watching your buddies back. ( I was a Sargeant in the 11Th ACR and 2ND AD decades ago; now married, kids grown, five dogs four cats. )
     
  10. 2005/09/24
    KAL

    KAL Inactive

    Joined:
    2005/09/09
    Messages:
    188
    Likes Received:
    0
    I feel like I am eavesdropping on your conversations, but I just want to say I am new to the forum and I really love it.
    But mainly I would like to say that I feel like a "groupie" because I find myself searching for the replies that Oshwyn5 posts. I learn alot from them and I can understand them (and I am a blonde!!)
    Anyway, all I have to contribute are the small problems I have with my computer and I want to thank everyone that helps all of us with all of our problems.
    We couldn't do it without you!!

    Thanks, Karen
     
    KAL,
    #9
  11. 2005/09/25
    charlesvar

    charlesvar Inactive Alumni

    Joined:
    2002/02/18
    Messages:
    7,024
    Likes Received:
    0
    Hi Oshwyn,

    Thanks for giving us some details of your background and the way you think. It explains your style if you know what I mean.


    Hi Karen,

    That is a great compliment, very hard to pitch answers on technical matters so that the less experienced can uderstand them. I struggle with that myself.

    You're a sharp cookie yourself :)

    Regards - Charles
     
  12. 2005/09/25
    oshwyn5

    oshwyn5 Inactive

    Joined:
    2005/08/25
    Messages:
    736
    Likes Received:
    0
    I just want to say, that I appreciate and understand that there are lots of great links and tutorials here. I am still trying to find them all and get used to what is where so I can just link to them when applicable. Just like learning the new bbcode used here makes for some unexpected difficulties, so does the differences in what is in stickies and where tutorials are located.

    I figure I will learn as I go and do this as much to learn myself as I do to keep from forgetting what I already spent good time to learn and to spread the understanding.

    I often take the view that it is better for people to be able to visualize the situation and understand it in concept first than to try to force them to understand an exact technical description of the how and why.


    And just to allay fears that I am some young kid; My wife is older than Ann.
    She had a heart attack and triple bypass about 18Months ago and prefers to have me home as much as possible so this is my escape.

    I hear several folks feel I am a post hog here; so I appologize for that and will try to spend more time elsewhere so as not to ruffle feathers.
    I normally stop in and click on the new posts link and just start at the bottom and work up through them to see if there are any which I think I may have something useful to add. I know from experience that I will not always understand the problem and may occaisionally post irrelevant information unintentionally; but that is the idea of a community; if one makes a mistake , someone else spots it and gets things back on the correct track.

    If you google gweep you will figure out what I mean.
     
    Last edited: 2005/09/25
  13. 2005/09/25
    KAL

    KAL Inactive

    Joined:
    2005/09/09
    Messages:
    188
    Likes Received:
    0
    Hi Charles,
    Thank you so much for the compliment.

    Hi Oshwyn,
    Hope she is doing alot better. I know where you are coming from. My hubby almost died a few years ago and there was a long recovery period. On top taking care of him (worrying most of the time), keeping the restaurant going, and deciding that I didn't want to pay $10K for laying a brick patio, my escape was to put the patio in myself from start to finish. It took 3 months all by myself, but it helped keep my sanity.

    I don't. You are just keeping your sanity.

    Have a good one.

    My regards
     
    KAL,
    #12
  14. 2005/09/27
    oshwyn5

    oshwyn5 Inactive

    Joined:
    2005/08/25
    Messages:
    736
    Likes Received:
    0
    Just stopping in before I leave for work as was always my tradition.

    I see that others have posted a "how did you find the board and what kept you here ".

    Well, on other boards I have always gone by Pete_C and a friend asked me if I was the same PeteC as here. Since the techsupport board on the forum I had been a member of for the last 18 months or so , was closed; and my long time favorite forums had likewise been closed early last year I was looking for a new forum or forums to get my daily tech fix and keep me occupied when I am home .
    I liked what I saw here more than what I saw on other forums. You have a nice polite board here with a decent amount of traffic and a great core of experts giving sound advice. In addition to filling my free time; I look to forums like this as an opportunity to learn at least one new thing each day. I feel that with the experts here offer me that opportunity.
    When I saw noahdfear here , a name I recognized and respected from the TomCoyote classrooms; it solidified my feeling that this was a great place to settle down.

    I changed my name on all but a couple other boards so that the PeteC confusion would not continue. Although if I were to be mistaken for someone; I doubt I could have done any better.
     
  15. 2005/09/28
    noahdfear

    noahdfear Inactive

    Joined:
    2003/04/06
    Messages:
    12,178
    Likes Received:
    15
    Thank you, Pete. That was a flattering compliment. :D It's great to have yet another knowledgable, helpful and polite individual making a home here at WindowsBBS. Good to have you around. :)
     
  16. 2005/09/29
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

    Joined:
    2002/05/10
    Messages:
    28,889
    Likes Received:
    386
    oshwyn

    I am equally flattered by your compliment and feel a bit of a heel in the light of our other communications. I am sure that you understand that, as a moderator, I was responding to the wishes and concerns of some Team Members and the buck stopped here, so to speak :) I was not aware of your family problems and wish you and your wife all the best. Stick around, settle in and enjoy :)
     
  17. 2005/10/01
    oshwyn5

    oshwyn5 Inactive

    Joined:
    2005/08/25
    Messages:
    736
    Likes Received:
    0
    Having been a moderator on a couple of other boards in the past; I can understand completely where you are comming from and how hard it gets some times. I remember the days of logging on to get my tech fix and instead having to wade through 20 or more private messages from individuals wanting me to review the posts in a thread or reprimand someone for what they said. Trying to keep the peace and order , get someone to change their posting style so they do not rub regulars the wrong way without making them feel insulted or picked upon themselves is a really hard chore. Glad that is a thing of the past for me.

    As I have said before: This looks like a really nice community; the kind of one where there are true experts who have differing approaches so that we can all share and learn new ways of dealing with old problems; and the kind of place where we watch each others backs because we all slip up from time to time.


    And since this came up in one of my responses. I have a touch of dyslexia. I do not regard this as a disability; more a challenge. Normally I can just use a spell checker to make sure I have not reversed anything; and it does mean that writing code and programming are really not in my future ( I learned basic and fortran many many years ago and it was truely one of the most frustrating things I have ever done to try to figure out where I went wrong in a simple program). My biggest problem is not seeing reversed lettering , or confusing two words.
    I once read a post on a forum where the admin was urging us all to be good Netizens. For some reason I read it as Neitziens, and thought he was referring to Friedrich Neitzche. I just could not figure out how there was any relationship between not using all caps and being a good Neitzcheian.
     
    Last edited: 2005/10/01
  18. 2005/10/02
    Whiskeyman Lifetime Subscription

    Whiskeyman Inactive Alumni

    Joined:
    2005/09/10
    Messages:
    1,772
    Likes Received:
    37
    I have also gone through the progression from ZDTV/TechTV/G4TechTV and G4TV. In all those years Pete_C (oshwyn5) has helped me evolve in my understanding of computers and their problems. Not only do I consider him a source of knowledge, I also consider oshwyn5 a friend. Many of us old time members from the previous mentioned boards have been searching for a new home after the disintegration of the Tech Support forum at G4. Some of us have migrated to BestTechie and here. I would visit these boards from time to time due to the knowledgeable information that these boards contain. I felt that I would be out of place here until Pete let me know he had become a member. That convinced me to join and test the waters. I have found these boards to be quite friendly. I believe you will find oshwyn5 to be a valuable asset just as I have through the years.
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.