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What's in a Typical Geek Home Network?
Mike D asks: "I have several machines on my home network (A Mac OS X server, a few Windows XP desktops, a G4 workstation, etc.) as well as various devices (wireless base stations, VPN/firewall) and always have spare machines around that I'm torn on what to do with. So, I wonder -- what do 'typical geeks' have on their home networks? What items do you feel are a requirement, what are luxuries, and what is just cool stuff that I should integrate into my own network? Of course, suggestions should be cheap/free/use existing hardware I can find around the house."
The geekier you get, the more varied you'll find the network to be. On the non-geek side, things are probably pretty standard -- at least one computer (probably not more than two or three, however), maybe a cable modem router, printer, etc.
On the extreme geek side, you'll probably find many computers, of various types, running various operating systems. There is no real `typical' -- for the real geeks, every network will be different. If needed, there may be wireless stuff -- either WiFi or something similar, or maybe something done with ham radio or Cybiko terminals, for example. His fridge may be part of the network, allowing him to see how cold his caffinated beverage of choice is. (Though that's not really as cool as one might think, so many geeks skip that sort of show-off thing.)
If there's WiFi, you may find antennas outside, where the neighbor (or fellow geek a mile away with a high gain antenna) has been invited to share in the bounty.
Well, it depends. If you want to be a true geek, you'd already know the answer to that question -- and the answer would depend on you.If you're just a wannabe geek, you'd install a different OS on every one (probably all Windows based (95, 98, XP, 2000, etc.) if that's all you know), hook them all up, leave them powered on all the time (sucking up lots of power for the machines and for cooling if it's hot where you live) and then tell all your friends how cool you are, while you probably never touch them again.
I have a 5-year-old laptop (PII/333) hooked up directly to a cable modem. It runs mutt, firefox, and ssh. What more do all you people need in your homes?
If you're talking about the afterlife or karma... maybe. But...
I bet that probably means a whopper of an even better machine or.. machine(s)... :-)
Apparently you're one of the delusional fools who believe - despite ample evidence to the contrary - that this kind of justice is meted out in this life, and people who've been wronged inevitably get good things from God, and that evil people always end up getting caught. No intelligent person over the age of 12 buys that. I mean really. You aren't that bloody naive... are you?
I'm not teaching anyone anything.
Yeah, that would require you having some wisdom to teach.
Thefts go on all the time. The kid(s) that did this will ultimately get caught and have to do some time. Remember that this kind of thing only escalates. They figure hay I got away with this; how much more can I do and get away with. So; like I said, it will eventually catch up to them.
Oh, so your plan is, rather than helping to prevent him from straying off the path of righteousness, you're going to just let him go and get in way over his head, and then gloat when he fucks over someone else so badly that he finally gets fucked over himself. That is so pathetically irresponsible. Those of us who've been around the block more than a dozen times are morally obligated to provide guidance for those with less experience. Those who turn away without doing that... well, you've heard of the "law of reciprocity"?