Too Many Sites, Too Little Time.

I recently changed web hosts for three of my web sites and in the process added another web site. I LOVE this new host....the only problem I have .........FRUSTRATION! I am SO frustrated with the fact that I have all of these cool web sites out there but have NOTHING to put on them or do with them. I have some ideas...but that would take more time than I want to invest in to it. So the frustration goes on...

I have this blog....yes and it is separate. It is FREE. It is simple. It is easy. It helps me to help people in a practical way. My other sites though on the other hand...are cookie-cutter templates of web sites that work for certain people and for certain types of web sites. They do me no good unless I sit here and take the time to work with it and learn it and modify it to satisfaction. Another hangup on this would be the fact that I know I would never be satisfied. I am not THAT good of a web designer/programmer to ever get to that point any time soon....if ever.

I am paying good money for AWESOME hosting...although it is a LOT LESS than I was paying for not-so-good hosting. I have a real dilemma. I am using the email addresses on all three of these web sites I have. I have used so many different ones and haven't really kept track of the use of any of them. If I had, it would be a different situation. I could simply go back and change things everywhere I had signed up for something. It isn't that easy now. So do I continue to pay for the domains and keep the hosting simply for the email, or do I just ditch it all altogether anyway....or do I make time to do SOMETHING - ANYTHING with these sites....or hire somebody to do something....or DONATE or GIVE the sites to somebody??? Good question. I don't want to bother you with all this anyway...except for what I have so far.

Also, during the switch, I never put the picture of me back in the same url as it was at with my old host, so hence the broken image on the right.

I think I'm burnt out when it comes to web site design. I'm busy with other things. I very much enjoy good talented web design still....I just don't have time for it. Would anybody like to do something with my sites?

• UMPITYGRUMPITY.COM
• GETDISTRACTED.NET
• MYCOMPUTERSOLUTIONS.BIZ (Ok, this one is for my business...but would somebody like to "enhance" it for me?)
• TECHNOCHRISTIAN.COM (Right...this one is for christians involved in techno/dance music...so don't volunteer if you aren't christian.) ((Oh ya, this one hasn't been switched to my new host yet...but it WILL BE.))

So there you have it. If I don't get any response, I think I will just take out what I have up, and just design a couple pages in Front Page that just have some pretty pictures and a few good links. Might just use one web site strictly for my own global favorites.

Be blessed.

Saving PCs w/ Clean Boot Discs (More)..

Ok, I am blown away and have no clue-or atleast that is how I feel. This idea to have a perfect boot disc isn't so far fetched as one might think. No - in fact it is being done by people every day completely unknown to many who might consider themselves the "elite" techs. Either that or I've been living with my head buried in a hole and am just scratching the surface of reality. I believe that I am just getting in on something that has been a long time in the making, yet has finally just come of age. Clean boot discs that have every tool any computer tech or admin needs to go around to anybody's computer and clean it up and fix it without the need for extra discs in a big cd case.

The ONE disc would ideally include atleast the following:

• A clean bootable small version of Windows XP
• A clean bootable Dos, win95, win98, win98se, winNT, win2k, and winME boot disks
• An antivirus program that is up to date (which will actually scan an NTFS volume)
• Several spyware detection and removal tools
• Anti-Spyware protection programs that can be installed after cleaning the system
• Partitioning programs that can manage, copy, convert, move, resize, and image any partitions
• Diagnostic tools for testing, diagnosing, and rating hardware and software
• Backup software for saving files and information from a PC that may be damaged, without actually booting to the possibly damaged or infected volumes

Was there anything I left out of this list? Thats ok...because it can have it - whatever it is. Just go to www.911cd.net and read how to build everything to your hearts content all in one boot disc or boot disc set. YES, I said set....which means if all the stuff you want on it goes over the size of one full CD, you can span the files between two or more discs. You just can't go wrong.

The other site that talks about the 911 CD is www.bootcd.us and is a pretty cool site too. Both of these sites I am impressed by. Any site that can make my life easier and make my technological dreams come true gets an A+ in my book.

The thing about this though, is that it will take you time to learn about it and what all is involved - and then time to actually go through the steps to make your 911 boot disc(s). That is the part that is keeping me from doing it just yet. I've managed to make a pretty simple version of a BartPE cd already - which lacks networking because of I don't know..because I installed the correct files for the networking plugin..so.. Anyway, now that I want to make a 911 cd, I will have to set aside a lot more time. It is much more in depth and complex than just a BartPE cd. So find your next day off when you don't have anything planned - and plan for the entire day to be sitting there figuring out how to make your perfect 911 CD.

Now my perfect and ideal boot disc would be one that would fit onto a MINI-CDR and have all the things I want stored and contained within that smaller fraction of storage. That probably isn't possible...UNLESS, of course we find a way to create a CDR with a compressed volume. That way maybe we can store double the amount of information in the same space.

Be blessed.

Saving PCs Through Clean Boot Discs

Are you an old tech geek like me? Do you remember when boot disks would save the day time and again in an old DOS/Windows 3 or 95/98 world where all of the file systems were FAT16 or FAT32? You could load up CDROM and MOUSE drivers on a boot disk-load up some disk utilities, an antivirus program - anything that would be useful to working on a computer that god messed up. If you had to, you could use one disc and a boot disc and then load up several others or a CD with tools and work with the system that way. These very often came in super handy as long as you kept the disks write-protected.

Ever since Windows NT, ME, 2K and XP came out we've had a bit of a struggle us computer techs.. We don't have easy access or any at all to partitions formatted with anything other than FAT. Plus wouldn't it be nice if you could set up some sort of a way to make use of the Windows GUI-based tools now that are so indespensable? Just how hard do you think THAT is?? Well..

It is now possible thanks to BartPE - a boot-disc builder program that utilizes a custom Windows PE type system (PE=PreInstall Environment, originally made by Microsoft to help system builders set up OSes and configure them before giving them to their customers) to give you a totally true Windows-based boot disc. PE is a totally awesome technology and as a system builder myself, never thought of the potential it could have as an admin type tool. Bart did though...and he spent a lot of time developing this incredible look-alike of Windows PE based on the same technologies. What this accomplishes is an absolutely clean Windows operating environment able to run your Win32 based applications along with any DOS type programs.

This is absolutely incredible to me - and I haven't even got a disc made yet. I just know it is going to be cool, because I know what Windows PE is capable of...and this is even better. You can essentially "plug-in" any software you need. So if you have a special piece of software to do something that isn't possible with the bare PE software, you can just install it into the PE Builder system and make a new CD ISO image. It isn't technically THAT simple, however it is much easier than you might think. This makes a whole new world of things possible. It is the 21st Century Boot Disc loaded with everything you need - almost just like having a portable hard drive with a fresh clean installed Windows XP ready to plug into somebody's computer and work on their hard drive.

You have to see it to believe it. I will point you to the BartPE web site, however there are alternatives to putting it all together yourself if you have money to spend. Avast! has developed a special version of BartPE called Bart CD, which is already suited to most admin/computer tech tasks. It is a bit spendy however..and you might rather just be able to suit yourself to your own set of tools and shell, etc. Have a look at both options and decide which is right for you. Then go and Save The PCs.

Be blessed.

Apps that ought to come with a PC

Lately I have seen simple applications that you can download to your computer from the internet that after seeing them, I think to myself, "WHY didn't this COME with Windows??"

I can see why they wouldn't include office productivity programs like a spreadsheet or database program with Windows or anything else you would buy, but come on ...look at this list and tell me your computer shouldn't have come with these simple tools:

Timer / Timer-Stopwatch

Calculator with a tape

Tree-based documenting and organizing system

OK, some of these may be a bit less simple, but you could see how useful it would be for these to come with Windows:

An actual cd burning application

A customizable volume control that lets you see input and output devices on one screen

A graphics program that does MORE than the stupid paint program that hasn't been updated since the first version of windows!

Alright well, this needs to be finished cause I've run out of time today. So have fun with these freebies and tell me what you think should also be on this list.

Personally - I think Slimbrowser ought to be on there too.

Be blessed,
JASON

Windows Scumware - Too Many Uninformed Users

"During the first half of 2004, ISP EarthLink and Webroot Software scanned two million consumer systems only to find 55 million instances of spyware."
- silicon.com news

"While most spyware is adware-related and relatively benign, it's disturbing that over 300,000 of the more serious system monitors and [Trojan horses] were uncovered. This figure represents how real a threat identity theft or system corruption is for users,"
- Matt Cobb, EarthLink's vice president of core applications.

"According to statistics from e-mail security firm MessageLabs (www.messagelabs.com), 76 per cent of all global e-mail traffic in May 2004 was classified as spam.."
- silicon.com news

What do you think the world is coming to with this junk that HUMAN BEINGS are making?? Is there a one-stop all in one solution to these problems? No - and any one-stop fix-all would probably be out-dated and obsolete far too quick for the money you would be spending on such a system. Is all hope lost? Have the internet pirates and thieves won this battle? Perhaps to a particular point they have, and that will change.

"Your best defence, the companies say, is to employ anti-spyware programmes on your machine."
- silicon.com news

This statement I would have to say is not entirely true, atleast when coming at the angle of all the possible threats a PC could get...but we know that not all of it is because of spyware. However, the fact is that spyware can still get through even with these programs installed. Worse yet, many of those programs advertised to remove and protect from spyware are actually deceptive forms of spyware - which usually invite more onto your machine.

What you ought to do is inform yourself of the best security measures known to the best geeks in the biz. These are readily available and usually at no cost at all-except your time to learn. EDUCATING YOURSELF is the best way-not assuming that one or even a few programs make you safe.

Here's what to do and what not to do.

The DO List:

• Install Spybot Search & Destroy, Ad-Aware, SpywareGuard, SpywareBlaster, and an anti virus application.
• Read the Parasite Fight page, the Dealing with Unwanted Spyware and Parasites page, Black Viper's Windows XP Home and Pro Service Configurations page.
• Keep your anti virus updated REGULARLY.
• Keep your spyware protection software updated REGULARLY.
• Keep WINDOWS updated REGULARLY-If you do not know how, click Tools in I.E., then click on Windows Update. A link to the Microsoft Windows Update site is also on the Start menu either on the main list, or under Programs or All Programs depending on your version.
• For more protection but, with some annoyances like not being able to access sites like ebay, read the Blocking Unwanted Parasites with a Hosts File page.
• Use some sort of a FIREWALL...the better the firewall the better the protection.

The DON'T List:

• Do NOT "click here to download the best spyware blocker and removal tool"!!
• Do NOT assume you're safe just installing some programs.. (DO READ THE PAGES ABOVE)
• Do NOT open every attachment you get in email - even if its from a friend!
• Do NOT signup for receiving news or emails from "our partners" when filling out web forms! - (DO LOOK AT THE FINE PRINT!)
• Do NOT ever allow software for downloading and sharing copyrighted music illegally to be installed. There is a REASON these kind of programs are FREE-besides, should you be partaking in something unethical? There are plenty of good ways to buy music downloads at good prices...like the new Napster.
• Do NOT list your email address publicly ESPECIALLY on a web site - no matter how trusted it is. If you need to be contacted by email and need to list an address somewhere, take the time to have a free alternate account somewhere like Yahoo or Hotmail that you can filter the junk with but still access messages that might accidentally be considered spam. You can always change your address or make new accounts - so use these instead of your real address.
• Do NOT choose predictable addresses if you can help it! Avoid the following and anything else that might be in a dictionary: webmaster@, admin@, [words in domain name]@, [common names]@, [common roles]@. A good bet would be to use initials-but not by themselves.
• Do NOT do all this and then figure it is enough a year from now.

The Maybe DO List:

• Get more information than I have here.
• Consider disabling your internet connection when using it isn't necessary.
• Consider not having an internet connection at all on your important windows PCs if you can't keep them secure.

I hope that this article becomes a resource for you. My experience is that this stuff happens so easily to even cautious and experienced people. I have reformatted a computer and less than one week of letting the customer have it back, they called complaining that similar problems (pop-up ads, freezing or slow computer) were happening! I even set up the above programs with complete updates all the way around. Just educate yourself people-you can do it.

Be blessed.

I AM A TREEPAD FANATIC!

TreePad is a freeware + shareware tool for creating organized documents and or databases. You can create treepads for virtually ANYTHING. You can import and export most anything with it. You can even EASILY create tree-view based web sites in it. I have been using it for a couple of weeks now and I am HOOKED on the Business edition. It is way too cool not to share with you.

You can do so much with this that if you even give it one minute of your time you'll be as hooked as I am. There is no way you should go on and do anything else in life with your computer until you get this program and start using it. It comes in a lot of different versions - TreePad LITE which is FREEWARE - Limited functionality - like no word processing features or pictures as far as I know ...just plain text. TreePad, TreePad Plus, TreePad Business, TreePad Enterprise..all of which I believe have word processing abilities.

To stop everything now - AND you've heard enough ...go to http://www.treepad.com/ to download your copy and get started on the best adventure you'll probably ever have with a PC.

I am not kidding. I have been a PC geek and guru for as long as I can remember and have been in to a diverse assortment of activities from games to programming, from documents to troubleshooting...and OS installations, etc. etc...and the list will continue to go on. I have not found a program THIS useful anywhere the entire time! Come on, when a program finally comes out that should have been the FIRST program to come out - you know it has to be good. FOR REAL YO - Check it out ...this program should have been made a LONG LONG time ago...it is simple and yet can be very detailed. You know what, I think I will finish and let you do the talking once you have tried it yourself.

I recommend the Business Edition of TreePad. It supports encryption and password protection.

This along with many other programs that aren't nearly as useful(as far as fun and geeky goes I guess..) I would recommend to anyone....

• SlimBrowser
• AdAware
• SpyBot Search & Destroy
• SpywareBlaster
• SpywareGuard
• Norton Antivirus
• ...A few more I'll list later..

Now I know there are possibly better antivirus programs out and they probably have better support than Symantec..however, they have been trusted and the software I feel is more trustworthy than anything out there...just get it - and get it working...and keep it updated.

Now all you need is to keep Windows Updated and you'll be on your way to having a good PC time.

Be blessed.