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User: jaronc

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  1. Confused on Google Reader Being Retired · · Score: 1

    I've used Google Reader for so long I don't even think I remember how to use individual websites. We used to use....they were called bookmarks weren't they?

  2. Re:Grow Up on Ask Slashdot: Mac To Linux Return Flow? · · Score: 1

    I find Metro to be awful on the a traditional desktop. Never use it. But I don't miss the start menu that much as I found that I had stopped using it anyway.

    In windows 7 I pinned my most used apps to the taskbar. The only time I used the start menu was by pressing the win key and starting to type to perform a search. It works the same way in Windows 8. If I had any complaints it would be that being a metro app the search takes up the full screen.

    I get the idea of apps that make win8 boot straight to desktop. But it seems a bit of overkill for something that can be accomplished by pressing win+d?

  3. Re:Not bothered on Why Has Blu-ray Failed To Catch Hold? · · Score: 1

    5) Getting a perfect pause picture. That was the big "whoa" moment for me when I moved from VHS. Silly I know, but I still remember it.

  4. Re:The will to be free on Bashing MS 'Like Kicking a Puppy,' Says Jim Zemlin · · Score: 1

    I don't think you can use that excuse any more. In the early days of netbooks Linux had a head start. For whatever reasons the majority of people preferred windows. I remember reading that retailers were reporting a high return rate on the linux versions, can't remember where I read that though.

  5. Re:This really pisses me off. on GameStop Buys Impulse From Stardock · · Score: 1

    I also bought Fences Pro. Despite the website saying you require impulse, the confirmation email they sent contained a direct download link for the program as well as a link for Impulse. The config screen for Fences allows you to both manually check for updates as well as set it to automatically check. I have not had to install Impulse to download, use or update this program. I think in this case they must have realised forcing the use of Impulse for a simple util was overkill.

  6. Re:The silver lining on AU Internet Censorship Spells Bad News For Gamers · · Score: 1

    Under the current system, which I believe is intended to continue, they don't actually search the internet for RC'd material. Instead they only act on pages to which someone has submitted a complaint about. Only then do they go and check to see if it would be RC'd. If yes, they add to the secret black list.

  7. Re:..so? on Using Windows 7 RC? Pay Up Or Auto Shutdown Warned · · Score: 1

    > 1. Vista was considered to be crap. EVERYBODY was saying it, the NYT, CNN, everybody.

    Ran fine for me. Apart from the first month when there was no drivers for my soundcard. I even ran it on my gaming machine with no issues. If anything I was always mystified at how much trouble everyone else seemed to be having with it.

    But yes, it did get a lot of bad press.

  8. Oh for the love of........ on Using Windows 7 RC? Pay Up Or Auto Shutdown Warned · · Score: 4, Informative

    Isn't this story perhaps a little hysterical? When the RC came out they were very clear that this would happen, they even gave the dates. They were also very clear you may not be able to upgrade from the RC.

    Now it's about to happen and people are surprised? People agreed to help test an RC and in return they got almost a years worth of free use out of a fairly stable OS. Trials over, pay up.

  9. Re:Oh well on NY Times To Charge For Online Content · · Score: 1

    If every free web based news site were to go behind a pay wall I would have far more time at work for work. I would just devolve to watching free to air news on TV. Though I would probably set up my PVR to tape it and watch it at my convenience.

  10. Re:Vista on Revisiting the Original Reviews of Windows Vista · · Score: 1

    It stops my in-laws from screwing over their machine. I told them, "If that pops up and you didn't do anything to make it pop up, decline it". They also know that random web visits should not pop UAC up. Nor should things that people send them. Some updates confuse them, but over time they've created a handwritten whitelist of programs that might pop it up that it is ok to say yes to.

  11. Re:Vista on Revisiting the Original Reviews of Windows Vista · · Score: 1

    UAC also doesn't stop the user from taking the side of their computer off and filling it with cement. I don't see what your point is?

  12. Re:Coding in your spare time shows an interest.. on Ted Dziuba Says, "I Don't Code In My Free Time" · · Score: 1

    I've got a teething 1 year old. Work is where I go for my free time.

  13. Not worried on Can Architects Save Libraries from the Internet? · · Score: 1

    As an academic librarian I'm not too concerned. We try to go electronic where possible. The Library isn't just the building anymore.

    A large part of my working day is teaching people how to research. Generation Y may be comfortable using computers, but boy do they suck at putting together a decent search strategy. And they seem to be pretty poor at evaluating their sources.

  14. Re:OT on 158 Pages of Microsoft's Dirty Laundry · · Score: 1

    I've never really had a problem with UAC. When I first installed it was annoying, popping up constantly while I was setting up my machine. But as I was making system changes and installing stuff I was kind of expecting it. Once I got my system the way I wanted it, they stopped. I think there may have been one piece of software that would make UAC pop up whenever I ran it. But they issued an update and the alerts went away. Now I only see them when I want to make a system change or install new software.

  15. Re:Blah... on Your Worst IT Workshop? · · Score: 1

    Ah yes, the 'dumbed down' IS classes for librarians. A few years ago I got tired of IT as a career and went back to uni to study library science. Despite having been a sys admin for the last 10+ years I was required to do a couple of IT related classes. I went in thinking "I am so going to ace these" and quickly discovered that sometimes you just can't do the things the 'right' way, but instead must do them the way the lecturer wants them done. Sure, you can fight. But in the end they are the ones marking and it just isn't worth looking like a dick in front of your classmates. You know that guy? The one who is always interrupting the class to correct the teacher.

  16. Re:Wow! on Your Worst IT Workshop? · · Score: 2, Informative

    I signed up an account in the early days before I really understood what slashdot was. Moved on and forgot the account details. I still remember spending time at the logon trying to get back into the account solely for the low userid :)

  17. Re:1 GB RAM is the minimum for windows on Microsoft Sued Over Vista Marketing · · Score: 1

    Aw man, you see this is why I rarely post. I suck at getting my point across.

    My post was supposed to be tongue in cheek. I was simply pointing out that when XP came out there were a lot of articles/editorials/web sites etc that ranted about XP being bloated, just a pretty interface blah blah blah. Regardless of the whether they were right or not, they were a lot of them.

    I was simply amused that the exact same type of articles etc are coming up for Vista with the exact same arguments. Ie, it's bloated, just a pretty interface etc.

    Next time I'll be sure to surround my posts with lots of :) :) ;)

  18. Re:1 GB RAM is the minimum for windows on Microsoft Sued Over Vista Marketing · · Score: 1

    I never said they were right, just what was being said at the time.

    Yes you are right, XP was a huge step internally. But did the average person care?

    Vista is supposed to be a huge step internally over XP. But those arguments are currently being drowned out. Does the average person care that the IP stack has been completely rewritten? Probably not.

    My point was that the same arguments against upgrading to Vista, are pretty much the same arguments that initially popped up against XP. The arguments may be wrong/true/half right/complete nonsense, but they are still there.

  19. Re:1 GB RAM is the minimum for windows on Microsoft Sued Over Vista Marketing · · Score: 2, Insightful

    >> 98/ME -> XP was a no-brainer for most people.

    I wouldn't say it was a no-brainer. From memory, when it was released people said it was bloated, needed more resources, had compatibility issues, was just a pretty interface, and why should they bother upgrading when their old system was running fine.

  20. Re:Those Librarians must be gifted! on Librarians Stake Their Future on OSS · · Score: 1

    Librarians are often underestimated. Where I work pretty much all the librarians hold multiple degrees and have worked in another profession before getting their library science qualifications. At one point we had 3 librarians with advanced IT degrees. On staff at present we have ex-vets, ex-nurses, ex-teachers, ex-journalists, ex-sysadmins(me) and more.

  21. Yay, I'm still 'young' on Gamers Divorced From Reality? · · Score: 1


    I'm just happy someone still defines me as young.

    I was starting to get worried about my constant fretting over my lawn and those damn kids.

  22. Re:Is this really a problem? on The Myth of the 40 Hour Game · · Score: 1

    Long game does not equal good game.

    I've played a few games where it was obvious it had been padded out. It got very boring.

    My take on the article wasn't that he was complaining on the length as such, but that games don't really cater for the the 'soft-core' gamer. The one that doesn't have time to sit down for marathon gaming sessions. But instead must play for an hour here, an hour there.

    I think he is trying to say they are designed to be played in long sessions and he loses track of things when he plays in short bursts. I guess it would be like watching a movie in 10 minute intervals.

    I wasn't surprised when he ended the article by mentioning episodic games. It felt like he was leading up to something like that.

  23. Re:The Human Computer Interface on GUIs Get a Makeover · · Score: 1
    A lot of that will be workflow analysis, such as "User A always saves before printing, so if they save, make the print icon easier to find and click." will be necessary.

    My issue with things like this is that it makes it difficult to move to another workstation. Or to work with someones elses workstation. Moving targets are annoying to support, especially over the phone.

    In theory it sounds great, and I hope that at some point someone will make a breakthrough. The attempts that I have seen so far have had some pretty serious shortcomings though.

  24. would win98 users notice if the support stopped? on Can Linux Pick Up Users Abandoning Win98? · · Score: 4, Insightful

    My feeling is probably not.

    I'm guessing there would be a number of people on 98 that wouldn't know an update if it bit them. These people probably don't even know Microsoft supports them now.

    I looked at a friends xp laptop yesterday. It was running SP1, which it came with, and they had never willingly installed an update on it. Despite a popup at the bottom of the screen warning support for SP1 was ending soon.

    My friend didn't care, he just ignored the warnings and kept doing his work. I ran some checks and could find no evidence of spyware or viruses.

    Of course I am just speaking on feelings here. No evidence, and I don't even know anyone who uses win98, or linux for that matter.

  25. What's the problem? on IE7 to be Pushed to Users Via Windows Update · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Maybe I'm missing something, but I'm not sure I understand the doom and gloom of the post? It is an update afterall. And a lot of what I've read online has been positive towards 7 over 6. On top of that, the article pushes that you don't have to install it if you don't want to.

    As for the ecommerce sites being broken, it's not like they haven't had time to check to make sure their sites work in the new version. When the first beta came out, even I checked to see if there were any problems with my sites. I didn't fix them straight away, but I made sure to note down where the issues were for later repair.