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User: CormacJ

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Comments · 205

  1. Re:Snipes! on The Great Operating System Games · · Score: 1

    Snipes was one of the two huge time killers for me too... what a classic game.

  2. Who are the funding the lobbyists? on Inside Australia's Data Retention Proposal · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I'm betting Seagate dropped some serious $AU to get this passed.

  3. Labs need to evolve, not go away on RIP the Campus Computer Lab, 1960-2009 · · Score: 1

    I run a computer lab at the University of Washington. There's a few reasons why computer labs won't go away soon for us:

    1) Expensive software - if we did away with labs students would have to buy software such as SPSS, and they would need it only for a few classes. We don't think its reasonable to expect students to incur this added expense.

    2) Specialized hardware - Our video editing suites will always require video editing hardware and DVD/Blu-Ray readers and burners, and having nice scanners and color printing is an added incentive to come in to the lab.

    We do make allowances for students with laptops though. I've made spaces for laptops where I've added power strips and networking points for those that don't use the 802 network. We're also looking at adding groupware to our lab to make it easier for groups to work and collaborate.

    We also run our help desk out of a lab and we'll help students with their laptop issues. We allow students to come and eat and relax in this lab too. We've found that this atmosphere encourages students to come back to a lab environment.

  4. My check list on How To Diagnose a Suddenly Slow Windows Computer? · · Score: 3, Informative

    My usual check list for this is:

    1) Check the hard drive, SMART, or manufacturer diagnostics
    2) Get the manufacturer diagnostics, and run a full hardware validation
    3) If all is clean, check for things recently updated - a bad update may be clogging things
    4) Check your anti-virus/anti-spyware software. Sometimes they can switch into extra-paranoid mode and slow things down horribly.

  5. Mirroring can be a solution on Why Mirroring Is Not a Backup Solution · · Score: 1

    Assuming that you have spare drives, you can use mirroring as a backup solution.

    I had a huge database that I was was responsible for and we'd lock the database and split the mirror, take the drive offsite.

    If the system died, we had a spare drive available for immediate recovery.

    It's all in how you do it.

  6. Waste of time... on iGoogle Users Irate About Portal's Changes · · Score: 1

    ...and here was me thinking that I'd screwed up my igoogle by tinkering around with greasemonkey too much.

    Well that was a wasted two hours. I guess I should read the blog more.

    Damn.

  7. Re:If only... on US Set to Use Spy Satellites on US Citizens · · Score: 1

    You sure? I quite clearly remember impressing every one with Shakespeare quotes.

    It went "hrrnhhgh, a hrrnhgn, ye bastad"

  8. If only... on US Set to Use Spy Satellites on US Citizens · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'd be all for this, if I was allowed to use its search engine and see what I did after I went to the bar last night. ..

  9. Empire helps... on Down Time At Work — What Do You Do? · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I find that Empire helps any downtime that I may have. Of course the big problem is trying to make sure that it doesn't eat into the time when I really should be working...

  10. Re:Let me be the first to say "incest" on Mass Deletion Leads To LiveJournal Revolt · · Score: 1

    Aren't most of the monarchies of Europe all pretty much closely related? Isn't that what caused the haemophilia trait in Queen Victorias kids?

  11. Re:PFFT... on Attack-Proof Power Line to be Installed Under NY · · Score: 1

    That was my initial thought. I'd give it a year before someone digs through it, or drives a foundation piling through it, or steals it for scrap to feed their meth habit.

  12. Gmail already has mail on the mobile on MS Fights Gmail With 2-GB Exchange Mailboxes · · Score: 2, Interesting

    http://www.google.com/mobile/gmail/ has been around for a while now. It supports most types of mobile devices.

    Why do I get a feeling that the Microsoft version will only support Windows CE devices?

  13. Re:It's a trap! on BBC Episodes Legally Available Via Peer To Peer · · Score: 2, Funny

    My dad had a long running war of letters with the licensing authority because they didn't do their research. My grandmother how lived in the house bought the TV license under her name. My dad rented the TV. At some point they did a cross check and found that while my dad was responsible for have a TV there was no TV license in his name.

    They sent him a form letter. He checked that we had a TV license and ignored it.

    They send him a follow up form letter with the section about really needing a TV license circled. He wrote "Thats correct" and send it back to the sender.

    They sent him a more strongly worded letter. The section about legal action was circled and marked "Please read". He checkmarked it, wrote "have read" and sent it back to them.

    They then sent him a letter from a lawyer, full of legalese. He was writing "do your worst" on this when my mum caught him and took the letter away and made a phone call to sort it out.

    He was all prepared to have them drag him into court and he would have taken my grandmother out to the town for a day out, taken her into the court and made her produce the license, then pointed out that the code (at the time) said "licensed at this address". They had never checked to see if the address was licensed.

  14. Re:Patience, grasshopper... on Plastic Packages Cause Injuries, Revolt · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Lately I've seen packages where the heat sealed part is actually inset in a fold, and thats almost impossible to get with scissors - you find that after 5 minutes snipping all you've done is cut the fold away.

    Now I just resort to using a scapel. My wife complains about me doing surgery on packaging, but I can remove most plastic wrap in about 1 minute. Sometimes I do it so well that if I return an item the store has problems figureing out if I even opened it and I have to point out where I opened it.

  15. Make the adverts suck less. on Advertising Comes to DVR Owners · · Score: 1

    Dear Advertisers,
    Make your adverts suck less, and I'll actually stop my tivo to watch them.

    I don't need Billy Mays yelling at me. I don't need to see the same annoying people trying to sell me medication for stuff I don't have. I don't need to have an annoying jingle stuck in my head.

    Good adverts that are either a) funny, or b) just well done get watched; an example of both is the Napa commercials with the American Chopper guys in it.

    Thanks.

  16. old school on Vista To Be Updated Without Reboots · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Sooo... basically what unix has been able to do for several years? Big woohoo.

  17. I think they might have had it, just not announced on GMail Adds Virus Protection · · Score: 1

    I use gmail as a backup for my regular mail, and I bounce all emails to google. I'd been getting viruses emailed to my regular mail, but gmail was killing them off.

    Not sure about the sending though. Never needed to send a virus.

  18. Re:Hidden Flash content with adblock on..... on Firefox 1.5 Final Now Available · · Score: 1

    Yes you can:

    Tools/Adblock/Preferences (or Ctrl+Shift+P)
    then:
    Adblock Options and uncheck Obj-Tabs

    Now, flash will work and you'll still get adblocking.

  19. Re:In English Please? on Judge Denies SCO's Ex Parte Motion to Adjourn · · Score: 1

    What I think it means is the judge to SCO to stop trying to change the case everytime they get shot down and get on with proving thier case with the evidence they have to hand.

  20. Re:VB6? I'm still using QBASIC! on Microsoft Remains Firm On Ending VB6 Support · · Score: 1

    I still use Turbo Pascal for quick DOS hacks.

    Yes, there still is a need out there for an app that's less that 400k in size.

  21. Re:Approved? on Fan Group Creates Full-Length Discworld Movie · · Score: 1
    Actually it is:

    From the making of:

    During the film making process I got to know Catskind and David Hodges. They introduced me to the "Wadfest Bunch" and I learned there is a real and really working international Discworld Fandom. I also learned you can not just make a film out of every book you like even if it is just (and only) for fun and for your own private use. So I signed the contract with Terry Pratchett and... ...now the film is for everyone!

  22. Re:Boohoo on American Airlines Information Gathering · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Barry Sheen had the same issue with the pins in his legs. Even before the TSA era, he was still setting off metal detectors at airports. He used to have to carry his xrays with him when he was travelling.

  23. VH1 is a big offender on Network Scheduling to Mess with Tivo · · Score: 1

    Their show descriptions are rarely actually what they are showing, eg Classic in Concert was listed as Bruce Hornsby - turned out to be Duran Duran. Shows that are listed when taped turn out to be something entirely different...

  24. Re:metabolism plays a part I guess on Can People Really Program 80+ Hours a Week? · · Score: 1

    Heh. My code quality rarely varies, and its usually pretty good.

    It loses some quality if I'm doing simultaneous project in different languages; regearing for a different language takes me an hour or so before I get comfortable with it again.

  25. metabolism plays a part I guess on Can People Really Program 80+ Hours a Week? · · Score: 1

    At university (late 80's) there were limited amounts of PCs to work on, so I'd work overnight. I'd regularly put in 18-20 hour days between class, projects and contracting work. As long as I get an hour sleep per 24 I can function at that level for about 3 or 4 weeks before I need to hibernate. Seriously. After finals, I slept for 20 hours. Awoke, used the bathroom, ate a sandwich, and then slept for 20 more hours.

    Some people are better at working longer hours than others. I grew used to hearing heads hitting keyboards at about 4am. I never had a problem with feeling sleepy or losing function.

    My code at 48 hours is still as good as code I've done when I just begin.

    I've seen others that I've worked with and tried to do the same schedule as me, mentally implode after about 20 hours. Some others are still good to go.

    It depends on the person.