This was the first distance education course I’ve taken in years, but definitely not the first distance education course I’ve ever taken. I was home-schooled up until my junior year of high school. This was, however, a little different than college-level distance education since my mom was basically my teacher and handled all of the responsibilities of that, such as organizing classes and keeping touch with instructors. I also took a few distance education classes in my first few years of college, one being college level algebra which I had the hardest time with in a regular classroom environment. I flunked it twice, but when I took it through distance education I came out with a solid “B”. I attribute this to my years of being home schooled which made me accustomed to being dependant on myself more than an instructor. I had trouble adjusting when I eventually went to a public high school and also when I started college and the classes were much bigger. Even now, I have trouble sitting in a class for an hour and a half, which is one reason I decided to pursue my academic goals through distance education once again.
The one downfall of distance education that I have noticed is the lack of one-on-one or group learning time. Sure, when I have a question or comment I can email my instructor or a fellow student, but it’s a little different when I can walk down to my instructor’s office with the question rather than emailing and waiting days for a reply. If I am working on an assignment and encounter a hang-up, I have to put it on hold until I get a response. But this is one of the few disadvantages of distance education. Overall it is much more convenient for me and allows me to challenge myself in ways that wouldn’t be possible in a classroom environment.
CIOS 256 has been one of my favorite college classes thus far. It was informative and a great learning experience while also giving me freedom to be creative and discover how these programs can work for me. I am looking forward to taking more in-depth classes into Dreamweaver and Fireworks that will greatly benefit my career as an IT professional and web/graphic designer.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Come Cabo Quickly
I going to Cabo San Lucas for me and my fiance's honeymoon in 22 days! I'm really excited, about the wedding OF COURSE but also about getting away from this frigid state for a week or so. We've heard really good things about Cabo so I am definitely looking forward to it. Nothing sounds better to me now than sitting on the beach with the love of my life, drinking a margarita, soaking in the hot sun, and watching the tide roll in. It will be like paradise after the craziness of the past few months.
Here's a link to the resort we're staying at: http://www.pueblobonitosunsetbeach.com/.
I've been to Mexico before and it's great. Anyone that hasn't been there yet should definitely check it out.
Here's a link to the resort we're staying at: http://www.pueblobonitosunsetbeach.com/.
I've been to Mexico before and it's great. Anyone that hasn't been there yet should definitely check it out.
Exporting, Hotspots, & Slices
I just finished learning how to create hotspots and slices and how to export and optimize Fireworks’ graphics and web pages. This was by far the newest section of the course for me and the most time consuming, but I think I came out with a pretty good grasp on how to ready my Fireworks’ creations for posting on the web. I wouldn’t say that any part was either obvious or too difficult to understand.
I took my time going through the lessons and assignments and doubled over sections that didn’t make much sense at first. I like the fact that you can see right on the screen how the changes you make when optimizing affect the quality and size of an image. This helps a web developer visualize exactly what viewers will see when surfing to his/her website and how quickly their site will load.
It’s a good idea to consider people with lower speed internet connections when optimizing. You have to find a healthy balance between quality and performance. Overall, the last few lessons were very informative and interesting for me.
I took my time going through the lessons and assignments and doubled over sections that didn’t make much sense at first. I like the fact that you can see right on the screen how the changes you make when optimizing affect the quality and size of an image. This helps a web developer visualize exactly what viewers will see when surfing to his/her website and how quickly their site will load.
It’s a good idea to consider people with lower speed internet connections when optimizing. You have to find a healthy balance between quality and performance. Overall, the last few lessons were very informative and interesting for me.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Researching the Latest Technology
1) Here are three top of the line AMD processors:
AMD Athlon 64 X2- for IBM
AMD Athlon 64 FX-for IBM
Intel Core 2 Duo-for MAC
2) After searching the internet for the difference between SATA and SATA2, this is the most helpful answer I found:
"SATA and SATA2 are different only in speed and cache size. they are fully compatible.SATA runs at 150mb per second, But SATA2 runs at 3.0Gbits, which is 384mb per second. SATA2 drives usually have twice the cache, which is a small piece of onboard ram to deal with the lag between the drive and the cpu.The response time of an SATA2 drive is usually half of SATA."
3) The main intention of the lastes USB standard, WUSB, is to give you the ability to use all of the devices in your home office (such as printer, scanner, external hard drive, and digital camera ) without any wires. The concept is really rather exciting. This would greatly increase efficiency and clean up clutter.
Here are two links to WUSB products:
and
Looking for a PC support job
If the pictures of these websites don't show up well in the blog I've also included their web addresses in the answers below.
1) Here are the qualifications for each job:
High School Diploma required.-
IT industry recognized certification:
- A+, Net+, OR HIGHER (required).
- MCP or MCSE (preferred).
- Help Desk industry recognized certification e.g. HDI, STI, SSPA (preferred).
Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and/or at least five (5) years of experience with computers and networking
A+, MCSA, and/or MCSE Certification
Strong skill and experience with:
Windows Server 2003
XP and SMS
Network Management tools
Experience working in a Microsoft products WAN environment with an Intermediate knowledge of Networking
A+, MCSA, and/or MCSE Certification
Strong skill and experience with:
Windows Server 2003
XP and SMS
Network Management tools
Experience working in a Microsoft products WAN environment with an Intermediate knowledge of Networking
A+ Certification required.
· Dell Certification (assistance will be provided to obtain certification).
· Strong knowledge of Microsoft XP.
· Knowledge of technical configuration of laptops, PC's, and peripherals.
· Strong follow through on paperwork and call reporting.
· 1-3 years related experience.
· Dell Certification (assistance will be provided to obtain certification).
· Strong knowledge of Microsoft XP.
· Knowledge of technical configuration of laptops, PC's, and peripherals.
· Strong follow through on paperwork and call reporting.
· 1-3 years related experience.
2) None of the salaries for these positions was listed.
3)
Job 1: MCP or MCSE (preferred).- Help Desk industry recognized certification e.g. HDI, STI, SSPA (preferred).
Job 2: MCSA, and/or MCSE Certification
Job 3: none
4) If I were actually looking for a PC support-related job I would apply for job #3 because it seems like more of an entry level position that has the least requirements. Coming right out of the degree program with no real job experience in this field would make this a good opportunity for me to gain some valuable experience.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Cleaning my system of malware
1) I ran my antivirus software, which is entitled AVG Antivirus. 169439 objects were scanned and no threats were found.
2) I ran my anti-spyware/adware program, which is AntiSpywareBot (www.antispywarebot.com). After scanning the hard drive, the program found 2,141 infected files. I’m a little leery to believe this though because I’m not sure how trustworthy this program is. I downloaded it off the Internet through a link in the course book, but I’ve never heard of it before.
2) I ran my anti-spyware/adware program, which is AntiSpywareBot (www.antispywarebot.com). After scanning the hard drive, the program found 2,141 infected files. I’m a little leery to believe this though because I’m not sure how trustworthy this program is. I downloaded it off the Internet through a link in the course book, but I’ve never heard of it before.
Image Maps & Slices
Here are some examples on the internet I found that use graphics for navigation:
www.nfl.com
http://www.radiokenai.net/ksrm/index.asp
www.nba.com
www.nfl.com
http://www.radiokenai.net/ksrm/index.asp
www.nba.com
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Email Hoax
I could not find any virus hoax in any of my email accounts, but I went to the website www.hoaxkill.com to research some email hoaxes that are out there. Here is some information that I found on one:
-------------------------------------
Osama Bin Laden virus warning
This actually used to be partially true. The message warns people that email are being sent which claim to contain pictures of Osama Bin Laden hanging himself but actually contain a virus. In 2004, messages were indeed being spread which claimed to contain such pictures. The messages themselves did not contain any virus, but they did link to a website which tried to trick visitors into installing a piece of software -called a Trojan- which would allow their computer to be taken over by the perpetrators.However, the website the message linked to is no longer available, and the misleading messages are no longer being sent.Which brings us to the big problem with messages asking you to send them on to all your friends: There's no stopping them! So, as long as Bin Laden is still at large, this warning will keep going.
---------------------------------------
I actually remember hearing about this one several years ago and got an email from a friend of mine describing this hoax. The best rule to adopt is that if the email isn't from someone you know, or if from someone you know but out of bounds with what they usually send you, be very suspicious. And if it sounds stupid then it probably is. Some hoaxes I hear about people falling for a just ridiculous.
-------------------------------------
Osama Bin Laden virus warning
This actually used to be partially true. The message warns people that email are being sent which claim to contain pictures of Osama Bin Laden hanging himself but actually contain a virus. In 2004, messages were indeed being spread which claimed to contain such pictures. The messages themselves did not contain any virus, but they did link to a website which tried to trick visitors into installing a piece of software -called a Trojan- which would allow their computer to be taken over by the perpetrators.However, the website the message linked to is no longer available, and the misleading messages are no longer being sent.Which brings us to the big problem with messages asking you to send them on to all your friends: There's no stopping them! So, as long as Bin Laden is still at large, this warning will keep going.
---------------------------------------
I actually remember hearing about this one several years ago and got an email from a friend of mine describing this hoax. The best rule to adopt is that if the email isn't from someone you know, or if from someone you know but out of bounds with what they usually send you, be very suspicious. And if it sounds stupid then it probably is. Some hoaxes I hear about people falling for a just ridiculous.
Bitmap and Vectors
Here are three graphic design examples I found on the Internet:
http://www.sanclementelinks.com/images/ad_graphics_large_bratty_pets_001.jpg
http://www.midgibyte.com/images/graphic-design-glasgow.jpg
http://www.2hotmarketing.co.uk/images/graphic-design.jpg
The first example is a very simple ad setup that uses bitmapping to paste text graphics onto a picture. Also a border style was added to the picture to make it appear as though is was torn out of a newspaper or magazine.
The second example uses a combination of bitmapping and vector tools. It looks like the designers took an ordinary picture and made some modifications to it. The original photograph was black and white and then the sky section was cropped out via the magic wand and lasso tools. The remaining photo was layered over a background created with vectors that created the orange and reddish rays appearing to come out of the center of the picture. This graphic also utilizes text effects and border effects.
The third example is a good example of vectoring. It was probably creating entirely through the use of vectoring tools, the end result being and attractive collage of shapes and lines with the only recognizable realism being the silhouette of a man's head and neck.
http://www.sanclementelinks.com/images/ad_graphics_large_bratty_pets_001.jpg
http://www.midgibyte.com/images/graphic-design-glasgow.jpg
http://www.2hotmarketing.co.uk/images/graphic-design.jpg
The first example is a very simple ad setup that uses bitmapping to paste text graphics onto a picture. Also a border style was added to the picture to make it appear as though is was torn out of a newspaper or magazine.
The second example uses a combination of bitmapping and vector tools. It looks like the designers took an ordinary picture and made some modifications to it. The original photograph was black and white and then the sky section was cropped out via the magic wand and lasso tools. The remaining photo was layered over a background created with vectors that created the orange and reddish rays appearing to come out of the center of the picture. This graphic also utilizes text effects and border effects.
The third example is a good example of vectoring. It was probably creating entirely through the use of vectoring tools, the end result being and attractive collage of shapes and lines with the only recognizable realism being the silhouette of a man's head and neck.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Firewalling Your Home Network
What Santiago needs is a good combo of firewall software and firewall hardware. First of all, he needs to keep Windows updates current so that new security patches are installed as soon as they are available. Then he needs to run antivirus software and keep it current. A three-layered protection system of Windows updating, antivirus software, and firewalling software/hardware is an excellent way of protecting your home network.
Not only can firewall software protect your network from outside forces, it can also protect it from problems that originate from the inside. Not to say that Santiago’s friends are family would knowingly infiltrate his security, but accidents do happen. Someone might accidentally stumble across a site that is armed with malicious viruses, spyware, or adware. Firewall software can block certain sites from being loaded, such as sites with content inappropriate for children. These are sites in which a vast majority are more likely to be corrupted with these security risks than other types of sites. Some good titles of firewall software are Zone Alarm, Norton Personal Firewall, and McAfee Personal Firewall.
He also needs a router with firewall abilities. This is a great way to restrict outsiders from accessing your network system and can block anonymous internet requests. With this feature, your network is prevented from being accessed and detected from others on the Internet without an invitation.
Santiago’s current network setup is through the use of a host computer. One computer is hooked up to the cable modem and serves as a host computer which can share its internet access with a computer that is hooked up to it via a crossover cable. This setup is definitely not ideal when you have more than two computers on the network and want to maximize speed, efficiency, and security. What his family needs is a router, with firewall abilities of course, that allows computers on a LAN to share broadband Internet and also serves as an access point for wireless connections. So the new setup would be he and his wife’s computers both connected to a switch which is then connected to a router which is connected to the cable modem. The router would have a wireless access point that would allow Santiago’s daughter to connect to Internet anywhere in the house she pleases via her notebook’s wireless modem.
Not only can firewall software protect your network from outside forces, it can also protect it from problems that originate from the inside. Not to say that Santiago’s friends are family would knowingly infiltrate his security, but accidents do happen. Someone might accidentally stumble across a site that is armed with malicious viruses, spyware, or adware. Firewall software can block certain sites from being loaded, such as sites with content inappropriate for children. These are sites in which a vast majority are more likely to be corrupted with these security risks than other types of sites. Some good titles of firewall software are Zone Alarm, Norton Personal Firewall, and McAfee Personal Firewall.
He also needs a router with firewall abilities. This is a great way to restrict outsiders from accessing your network system and can block anonymous internet requests. With this feature, your network is prevented from being accessed and detected from others on the Internet without an invitation.
Santiago’s current network setup is through the use of a host computer. One computer is hooked up to the cable modem and serves as a host computer which can share its internet access with a computer that is hooked up to it via a crossover cable. This setup is definitely not ideal when you have more than two computers on the network and want to maximize speed, efficiency, and security. What his family needs is a router, with firewall abilities of course, that allows computers on a LAN to share broadband Internet and also serves as an access point for wireless connections. So the new setup would be he and his wife’s computers both connected to a switch which is then connected to a router which is connected to the cable modem. The router would have a wireless access point that would allow Santiago’s daughter to connect to Internet anywhere in the house she pleases via her notebook’s wireless modem.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Gas Prices
Gas is now at 3.59 per gallon, but who knows how long until that falls even further with the way things have been going lately. I remember this past summer when the price per gallon broke the 4.00 per gallon mark. I thought the world was ending. And then it just kept going up until it reached 4.79 per gallon. Today I spent ten bucks and got 2.77 gallons worth of gas in my car. To some of you that might not seem like a lot, but I have a little economy car, a Chevy Aveo to be precise, and 2.77 gallons gets me just over a quarter of a tank. My mpg is usually in the 25-35 range, depending how conservative I drive, so this will get me about 60 miles worth of driving, give or take five or ten miles. Well, maybe take away more than that because I tend to burn more gas when it’s colder out.
I usually gauge the price of gas by how much ten bucks can get me, because that’s usually all I like to put in my tank. If I spend more than ten bucks I feel like I’m burning a hole in my pocket or getting ripped off, or something like that. If gas ever gets back down to 2.00 per gallon then I’ll be able to buy a whopping half a tank of gas with my ten bucks.
I heard the other day that gas prices in Wyoming are down to 1.99 per gallon. And that gets me thinking. Up here in Alaska we are basically living on top of an ocean of oil, so why are we paying more for our natural resource than the states that we ship this natural resource to? I often daydream about having a Beverly Hillbillies experience and discovering oil in my backyard. I could be filthy rich. Well, at least that used to be the dream. I’m a little less greedy now. I think I would instead build a mini refinery to convert my oil to gasoline and then I would sell it to locals for .50 a gallon.
I usually gauge the price of gas by how much ten bucks can get me, because that’s usually all I like to put in my tank. If I spend more than ten bucks I feel like I’m burning a hole in my pocket or getting ripped off, or something like that. If gas ever gets back down to 2.00 per gallon then I’ll be able to buy a whopping half a tank of gas with my ten bucks.
I heard the other day that gas prices in Wyoming are down to 1.99 per gallon. And that gets me thinking. Up here in Alaska we are basically living on top of an ocean of oil, so why are we paying more for our natural resource than the states that we ship this natural resource to? I often daydream about having a Beverly Hillbillies experience and discovering oil in my backyard. I could be filthy rich. Well, at least that used to be the dream. I’m a little less greedy now. I think I would instead build a mini refinery to convert my oil to gasoline and then I would sell it to locals for .50 a gallon.
Fireworks Thoughts
I have used Adobe Photoshop quite exstensively in the past, and after my first assignment with Fireworks I notice that it has many of the same features, except that Fireworks is not quite as in depth as Photoshop. This is actually a good thing though because it greatly improves its ease of use and speed of learning. I found my first assignment to be fun. Fireworks will work great for designing and editing graphics for any web development that I do in the future.
I really like the cloning tool. I remember using this in Photoshop as well. It’s a tool that allows you to be creative and is also somewhat of a challenge to master. Getting an image to blend properly can be a challenge, as well as finding what part of an image to use as a stamp and smoothing the edges of the cloned selection. I had fun with the stuffed bear image, removing the eyes and nose and the items on the desk. I felt like I did a much better job on this than with the frosted cake image, with which I had a hard time getting the cloned sections to blend in with the rest of the frosting. The smudge and blur tools came in handy.
I look forward to learning more Fireworks and utilizing these skills in my own web design.
I really like the cloning tool. I remember using this in Photoshop as well. It’s a tool that allows you to be creative and is also somewhat of a challenge to master. Getting an image to blend properly can be a challenge, as well as finding what part of an image to use as a stamp and smoothing the edges of the cloned selection. I had fun with the stuffed bear image, removing the eyes and nose and the items on the desk. I felt like I did a much better job on this than with the frosted cake image, with which I had a hard time getting the cloned sections to blend in with the rest of the frosting. The smudge and blur tools came in handy.
I look forward to learning more Fireworks and utilizing these skills in my own web design.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Installing Windows 9x/Me
I do not have a copy of Windows 9x/Me and I don't know anyone that has a copy of this ancient operating system, so obviously I won't be able to install a copy of it on my computer. Instead, I'm going to go through the installation steps in the book and detail how one would go about installing Windows 9x/Me and the choices that must be made along the way.
First, you must verify that the minimum and recommended hardware requirements are met. The software packages and programs also need to be checked for compatibility, which can be done via documentation or through the manufacturer's website.
You need to decide if you are installing Windows 9x/Me as a clean install or as an upgrade. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, but for this example I am going to describe an upgrade. An upgrade is much faster than a clean install and you won't have to reinstall all the hardware and software as you would have to with a clean install.
The two file systems you have to choose from are FAT16 and FAT32. FAT32 is the recommended file system to use, unless your PC will also be running Windows NT. FAT16 has the possibility of wasting too much space through "slack", which is when the file system doesn't use all of the available space at the end of clusters.
In the case of an upgrade, make sure that your computer is ready for the upgrade by checking your hard drive space, deleting unnecessary files, running scandisk, and running an antivirus program. It's also a good idea to create a rescue disk to have on hand in the event that the installation fails. Also be sure that your drive is not compressed, as Windows 9x/Me will not install on a compressed drive.
During the installation you will have four different setup options: typical, portable, compact, or custom. "Typical" is the usual choice, obviously from the name it's given, but "Portable" is good option if you are installing on a notebook. "Compact" is a good option if you don't want every component installed with Windows. You can always add wanted components at a later date through the Add/Remove Programs applet.
During setup, there are several possible errors that could occur. If an error message about BIOS appears during installation, this is most likely caused by BIOS not allowing changes to the boot sector to protect it from viruses and can be disabled in the CMOS setup. If Windows 9x/Me stalls during the first restart after installation, the probable cause of this is that legacy hardware is not configured correctly. This can be remedied by remarking out all the entries in Config.sys Autoexec.bat or by disabling the ISA enumerator by commenting out the "device=ISAPNP.386 line in System.ini. If during the first restart an error message pops up about a bad or missing file, try renaming the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files so that they aren't executed. You might also get an error message about a missing or damaged VxD file. Try running Windows setup again and select the option to verify or simply replace the file, which is a virtual device driver.
First, you must verify that the minimum and recommended hardware requirements are met. The software packages and programs also need to be checked for compatibility, which can be done via documentation or through the manufacturer's website.
You need to decide if you are installing Windows 9x/Me as a clean install or as an upgrade. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, but for this example I am going to describe an upgrade. An upgrade is much faster than a clean install and you won't have to reinstall all the hardware and software as you would have to with a clean install.
The two file systems you have to choose from are FAT16 and FAT32. FAT32 is the recommended file system to use, unless your PC will also be running Windows NT. FAT16 has the possibility of wasting too much space through "slack", which is when the file system doesn't use all of the available space at the end of clusters.
In the case of an upgrade, make sure that your computer is ready for the upgrade by checking your hard drive space, deleting unnecessary files, running scandisk, and running an antivirus program. It's also a good idea to create a rescue disk to have on hand in the event that the installation fails. Also be sure that your drive is not compressed, as Windows 9x/Me will not install on a compressed drive.
During the installation you will have four different setup options: typical, portable, compact, or custom. "Typical" is the usual choice, obviously from the name it's given, but "Portable" is good option if you are installing on a notebook. "Compact" is a good option if you don't want every component installed with Windows. You can always add wanted components at a later date through the Add/Remove Programs applet.
During setup, there are several possible errors that could occur. If an error message about BIOS appears during installation, this is most likely caused by BIOS not allowing changes to the boot sector to protect it from viruses and can be disabled in the CMOS setup. If Windows 9x/Me stalls during the first restart after installation, the probable cause of this is that legacy hardware is not configured correctly. This can be remedied by remarking out all the entries in Config.sys Autoexec.bat or by disabling the ISA enumerator by commenting out the "device=ISAPNP.386 line in System.ini. If during the first restart an error message pops up about a bad or missing file, try renaming the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files so that they aren't executed. You might also get an error message about a missing or damaged VxD file. Try running Windows setup again and select the option to verify or simply replace the file, which is a virtual device driver.
Table-based Design
In an earlier blog, I posted several examples of good typography. In this blog I am going to rexamine these sites see if they use table-based design or CSS-based design.
http://online.wsj.com/public/us is very rich in graphics, in text, and in design. Upon researching the source file, it becomes evident that this site uses CSS-based design.
http://www.technology-blog.com/blogs/computer-blog.html is much more basic, but still visual pleasing and well organized. I looked at the source file and this site uses table-base design.
This blog website uses CSS-based design as well.
With all the wonders and ease of CSS design, we have to ask ourselves why so many sites are still using tables. What I've noticed from the sites that I've looked at is that usually sites with multiple pages are the ones using CSS-based design. This would obviously be the least time consuming method for the web developers of these sites. A site with hundreds of pages, such as my first example, would take hours, if not days, to edit with tables. But a site like the computer blog I posted isn't as dependent upon CSS as these others because it is a single page. The web developer can design it with tables without have to copy all the design information to multiple pages. Some might think that there's no point to using CSS unless you are going to have multiple pages with the same design, but in my opinion it's good to use CSS anyways because you never know if you're going to want to eventually add more pages to your site. Why make more work for yourself in the future?
http://online.wsj.com/public/us is very rich in graphics, in text, and in design. Upon researching the source file, it becomes evident that this site uses CSS-based design.
http://www.technology-blog.com/blogs/computer-blog.html is much more basic, but still visual pleasing and well organized. I looked at the source file and this site uses table-base design.
This blog website uses CSS-based design as well.
With all the wonders and ease of CSS design, we have to ask ourselves why so many sites are still using tables. What I've noticed from the sites that I've looked at is that usually sites with multiple pages are the ones using CSS-based design. This would obviously be the least time consuming method for the web developers of these sites. A site with hundreds of pages, such as my first example, would take hours, if not days, to edit with tables. But a site like the computer blog I posted isn't as dependent upon CSS as these others because it is a single page. The web developer can design it with tables without have to copy all the design information to multiple pages. Some might think that there's no point to using CSS unless you are going to have multiple pages with the same design, but in my opinion it's good to use CSS anyways because you never know if you're going to want to eventually add more pages to your site. Why make more work for yourself in the future?
Responsibility
Ok, so I'm one of those people that likes to complain about Alaska from time to time. It's too cold, the extreme variations in daylight time is annoying, the people here are weird, we are too isolated from the rest of the country...the list goes on and on.. But sometimes I'm actually glad I live here and away from a lot of the crap that goes on "down south". I would love to live in a small town somewhere in Oklahoma (my finace's home state) or Virginia or Colorado, but there are so me places down here that I am happy to stay the hell away from. like San Fransisco.
First let me state that I am all for people having equal rights, equal liberties, yada-yada-yada; but I heard on the news the other day that a middle school teacher (or maybe it was Elementary school) took her class to a lesbian wedding that she was officiating. What kind of a sick individual who has the power to influence children in a positive or a negative way would do something like that? I'm sure not all the parents of these kids agree with the whole same-sex marriage thing, but obviously the teacher didn't stop to think that maybe not every parent wants their kid exposed to that crap. I'm sure some of the parents were happy, after all it is San Fransisco, but this teacher should lose her job and her license and not be allowed to teach children ever again. If she wants to promote lesbianism or cultural acceptance or whatever kind of agenda she has, she can teach a college class on lesbian wedding officiating.
Children are like sponges. I'm not a parent, but I know this through observation and through common sense that anyone over the age of sixteen should have. An adult is the end result of the child that was that sponge. This puts a huge responsibility on the parents to not expose their children to things that would have a negative affect on them. I'm not saying we should all shelter our children so they have no concept of the real world, I'm saying that if a child is going to attend a lesbian wedding and learn about that (screwed up) part of our culture it should most definitely be the parent that exposes them to this....because it is ultimately the parent's responisbility what their children will learn and how they learn it.
If you want your child to cuss, let them watch rated R movies; if you want your child to smoke, smoke in front of them. It that's simple. if you want your child to know about the American culture of today, you talk to them, teach them what is right and wrong. In the case of this teacher previously mentioned, I am more angry at the parents than I am at her. She is an idiot, that's a fact, but the parents should've been involved enough in their children's lives and schooling to know that she is an idiot and to know the kind of people that are teaching their children. It all comes down to responsibility, and the sole responsibility of a child rests on the parents
First let me state that I am all for people having equal rights, equal liberties, yada-yada-yada; but I heard on the news the other day that a middle school teacher (or maybe it was Elementary school) took her class to a lesbian wedding that she was officiating. What kind of a sick individual who has the power to influence children in a positive or a negative way would do something like that? I'm sure not all the parents of these kids agree with the whole same-sex marriage thing, but obviously the teacher didn't stop to think that maybe not every parent wants their kid exposed to that crap. I'm sure some of the parents were happy, after all it is San Fransisco, but this teacher should lose her job and her license and not be allowed to teach children ever again. If she wants to promote lesbianism or cultural acceptance or whatever kind of agenda she has, she can teach a college class on lesbian wedding officiating.
Children are like sponges. I'm not a parent, but I know this through observation and through common sense that anyone over the age of sixteen should have. An adult is the end result of the child that was that sponge. This puts a huge responsibility on the parents to not expose their children to things that would have a negative affect on them. I'm not saying we should all shelter our children so they have no concept of the real world, I'm saying that if a child is going to attend a lesbian wedding and learn about that (screwed up) part of our culture it should most definitely be the parent that exposes them to this....because it is ultimately the parent's responisbility what their children will learn and how they learn it.
If you want your child to cuss, let them watch rated R movies; if you want your child to smoke, smoke in front of them. It that's simple. if you want your child to know about the American culture of today, you talk to them, teach them what is right and wrong. In the case of this teacher previously mentioned, I am more angry at the parents than I am at her. She is an idiot, that's a fact, but the parents should've been involved enough in their children's lives and schooling to know that she is an idiot and to know the kind of people that are teaching their children. It all comes down to responsibility, and the sole responsibility of a child rests on the parents
Friday, October 17, 2008
Coffee is a Drug
I'm sitting here in a coffee shop doing my homework, sipping a cooling 12 oz plastic cup of Americano with no cream and a shot of Irish Cream syrup and I'm wandering about the culture surge that coffee has enjoyed over the past decades. Much like other nature-drugs that have made their way into the US, such as cocaine or that "m" drug (I'm only calling it that because I don't know how to spell it, so I'll refer to it as "m"), it was discovered in some foreign land and used by native locals who greatly utilized its altering benefits. Cocaine came from what was the Coca plant in South America and was used by natives of the region who had to trek longs journeys over mountains. It gave them stamina, curbed their hunger, and rotted their teeth because they would chewe it and hold it in their mouths and suck the juices that way...much like the method of chewing tobacco. When the wonder plant was discovered by explorers and scientists, cocaine was eventually discovered and extracted from it through a chemistry process. Cocaine is really only a small percentage of the actual Coca plant. Leave it to modern science to take something completely natural and create an addictive life, body, and mind destroyer from it. Cocaine was acclaimed as a miracle drug and was used by doctors world wide and some eccentric famous people. Edgar Allan Poe was one of them, which explains a lot. It was even used in soft drinks. Hence the name: Coca-Cola. My point is, and not that I always have a point or if there's even a point to this-I'm just emptying the overflowing container of ideas in my head that the introduction of coffee to my system accentuates, why is coffee not considered a drug? It has mind and body-altering effects. It is addictive. If you think it's not addictive, then drink a large coffee every morning for a few months and then take a few mornings off. Crankiness, headaches, and even body aches will consume you. But it's not a dangerous drug like cocaine or any of the other ones out there, but it's also in a very natural form. No chemistry has been done to it to extract a "miracle drug". It's just a bean. It's much like the original Coca plant in that it energizes and motivates great feats...minus the whole teeth rot issue of course. It's also a multi-million, or even billion, dollar industry. And if it was ever made illegal there would be a lot of angry yuppies. Pretty much everyone would be angry for that matter. Millions of people would wake up with raging headaches and bad attitudes and would have to skip work for the day. The result of this would be banks closing for the day, schools closing for the day, workplaces everywhere would have to close for the day because no one would show up due to the mass occurrence of coffee withdrawals. The economy would collapse. And we just can't have that happening. Anyways, I'm going to finish my coffee and do some more homework.
CSS and XHTML Examples
The website www.cigarsaroundtheworld.com is a good example of XHTML. It does not use CSS; all the fonts and styles are listed in the source file, and it seems to rely heavily on tables. Much kudos to Bill for winning The Apprentice and having a nice site, but he obviously hasn't taken this class nor knows the work-time that CSS saves.
The website http://cigarblog.net is an example of a simple site that relies on CSS. The source file has class and id selectors and links to "style.css". I'm sure it's not as extensive of a site as the previous mentioned one, but even if it was, the web developers would have a much easier time creating, maintaining, and adding to it since it is designed using CSS.
The website http://cigarblog.net is an example of a simple site that relies on CSS. The source file has class and id selectors and links to "style.css". I'm sure it's not as extensive of a site as the previous mentioned one, but even if it was, the web developers would have a much easier time creating, maintaining, and adding to it since it is designed using CSS.
Using Batch Files
Here's the steps I would take to help Dennis with what he needed to do. I actually performed these steps on my own computer to see how they would work.
1. I don't have Word on my computer, so I instead created a Works document file entitled MyList. Here's the path to it: C:\Documents and Settings\ShAnNi\Desktop\MyList.wps.
2. I created a folder named C:\data.
3. I created a batch file by typing "COPY C:\Documents and Settings\ShAnNi\Desktop\MyList.wps C:\data\MyList.wps" in Notepad and saving it to the Desktop as MyBatch.bat.
4. The path to the batch file is "COPY C:\Documents and Settings\ShAnNi\Desktop\MyBatch.bat".
1. I don't have Word on my computer, so I instead created a Works document file entitled MyList. Here's the path to it: C:\Documents and Settings\ShAnNi\Desktop\MyList.wps.
2. I created a folder named C:\data.
3. I created a batch file by typing "COPY C:\Documents and Settings\ShAnNi\Desktop\MyList.wps C:\data\MyList.wps" in Notepad and saving it to the Desktop as MyBatch.bat.
4. The path to the batch file is "COPY C:\Documents and Settings\ShAnNi\Desktop\MyBatch.bat".
Saturday, October 11, 2008
On Typography
Here are a couple examples I found on the internet that give good examples of typography:
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
http://www.technology-blog.com/blogs/computer-blog.html
The Wall street Journal site is obviously much more complicated, but makes very good use of text wrapping, headlines, font size, color differences, and bold lettering. The page setup is also very appealing. The three column format gives it a newspaper feel even though it is on the internet.
The technology blog I linked to is much more simple, but still utilizing text wrapping and differences in boldness and color to make it smooth. It is however fairly repetitive and doesn't offer much in the way of variety.
http://online.wsj.com/public/us
http://www.technology-blog.com/blogs/computer-blog.html
The Wall street Journal site is obviously much more complicated, but makes very good use of text wrapping, headlines, font size, color differences, and bold lettering. The page setup is also very appealing. The three column format gives it a newspaper feel even though it is on the internet.
The technology blog I linked to is much more simple, but still utilizing text wrapping and differences in boldness and color to make it smooth. It is however fairly repetitive and doesn't offer much in the way of variety.
Wedding Plans & Cooking on Saturdays
Currently I'm working full time, going to school part time, and preparing to get married in two months. Sometimes it feels like there's not enough hours in the day to do everything I need to and maybe add in a few things I want to. I occasionally joke to my fiancé that once we're married we'll actually be able to get a good night's sleep. I'm amazed at how much is involved with planning a wedding. There's the church, the officiator, the reception, the church decorations, the reception decorations, the dance floor, the flowers, the wedding dress, the wedding party's dresses and tuxes, my tux, the rings, the wedding license, the honeymoon plans, the food for the reception, the guest list, the invitation, the pictures for the invitations, the gift registering... the list seems to go on and on. I think if I ever had to plan a wedding I'd pull my hair out! Thankfully her and her mom are planning everything and I don't have to think too much about most of this. I just help out where I'm needed and give my opinion when asked...isn't that the purpose of the man anyways? It's all coming together nicely and ahead of schedule, as her and her mom are both really organized and not into procrastinating.
I've never worked fulltime while taking classes, but I'm doing surprisingly well. Well, for one, I'm only taking two classes, but still there are times when I feel short on time. I don't have internet access at home, and while most assignments I can write down and complete at home, when I do need the internet I have to find time to bring my laptop to the library. This isn't so bad, but right now I'm working at 11:00 AM on weekdays and the library doesn't open until 10:00 AM. So this gives me an hour to work on internet work, which is sometimes enough time and sometimes not enough time. I could go by the library after work too, but I’m usually in a rush to get home and see my finance. Thankfully, I don't work on Saturdays so I can use most of that day to finish up the week's assignments.
I also cook for my finance Saturday nights usually. It's kind of a tradition of ours right now. She cooks for me on Mondays, which is one of her days off, and I cook for her on Saturdays. Other days we usually eat leftovers. Her meals are always so much better than mine, but I can cook some pretty yummy stuff none-the-less. I usually do schoolwork for half of the day on Saturday and then switch gears to planning out our meal for that night. And then I also have to make time for doing any laundry that needs to be done and vacuuming or cleaning, since Saturday is usually my cleaning day.
I found a recipe for Black Bean & Pumpkin Soup I'm going to try making tonight. I've never made it, but the recipe sounds good so we'll see. It'll definitely be high in fiber, not sure why that matters. We both love pumpkin and it's getting to be that time of years when pumpkin pies and pumpkin rolls and similar things like yams and sweet potatoes fill the air of homes with delicious aromas that distract us from the bitter cold that lurks outside our doors and windows, waiting for a chance to chill us to the bone. Maybe I'll pick up some wine to go with it. Red or white? It's a good day when that's the biggest decision I have to make. When I don't have to fret over choosing between who will run this country; a man with good ideas that never tells them, or a man with naive' ideas that won't stop telling them. But that's another subject entirely. I'll let you decide which man is which.
I've never worked fulltime while taking classes, but I'm doing surprisingly well. Well, for one, I'm only taking two classes, but still there are times when I feel short on time. I don't have internet access at home, and while most assignments I can write down and complete at home, when I do need the internet I have to find time to bring my laptop to the library. This isn't so bad, but right now I'm working at 11:00 AM on weekdays and the library doesn't open until 10:00 AM. So this gives me an hour to work on internet work, which is sometimes enough time and sometimes not enough time. I could go by the library after work too, but I’m usually in a rush to get home and see my finance. Thankfully, I don't work on Saturdays so I can use most of that day to finish up the week's assignments.
I also cook for my finance Saturday nights usually. It's kind of a tradition of ours right now. She cooks for me on Mondays, which is one of her days off, and I cook for her on Saturdays. Other days we usually eat leftovers. Her meals are always so much better than mine, but I can cook some pretty yummy stuff none-the-less. I usually do schoolwork for half of the day on Saturday and then switch gears to planning out our meal for that night. And then I also have to make time for doing any laundry that needs to be done and vacuuming or cleaning, since Saturday is usually my cleaning day.
I found a recipe for Black Bean & Pumpkin Soup I'm going to try making tonight. I've never made it, but the recipe sounds good so we'll see. It'll definitely be high in fiber, not sure why that matters. We both love pumpkin and it's getting to be that time of years when pumpkin pies and pumpkin rolls and similar things like yams and sweet potatoes fill the air of homes with delicious aromas that distract us from the bitter cold that lurks outside our doors and windows, waiting for a chance to chill us to the bone. Maybe I'll pick up some wine to go with it. Red or white? It's a good day when that's the biggest decision I have to make. When I don't have to fret over choosing between who will run this country; a man with good ideas that never tells them, or a man with naive' ideas that won't stop telling them. But that's another subject entirely. I'll let you decide which man is which.
More Ways to Fix a Sluggish Windows XP Startup
1) Boot into Safe Mode by pressing F8 at startup and selecting "Safe Mode". Run and anti-viral program to check for viruses that might be bogging the computer down. I remember on my parent's old computer we got what is called a "worm" virus. It completely ate of the hard drive space and made the computer extremely sluggish. It's easy to mistake a virus for a hardware or software program, so checking for viruses should be one the first things done.
2) In Safe Mode, use the Add or Remove Programs applet in the Control Panel to remove any unwanted Programs. If might have to end a process in the Task Manager before uninstalling the software associated with it, but starting in Safe Mode should already prevent anything but the necessities from loading.
3) Check for unwanted tasks through C:\Windows\Tasks folder. This folder lists all of the scheduled tasks that are set to run at startup. Some software have automatic updates that run every time you startup the computer. An antivirus program is a good example of this.
4) Check startup folders for services that you don't want to load when your OS boots. This has been one of my main issues whenever my computer has had a sluggish startup. If Windows has to load ten services along with everything else it needs to load, this can greatly slow the computer down.
5) Check for too many installed fonts in the C:\Windows\Fonts folder. All fonts are loaded at startup, so it's a good idea to not have any fonts installed that you don't even use.
6) Another way to check for unwanted or unneeded startup services is through the Services console. Some services can be temporarily disable if you are unsure if it is necessary or not. This is a good option if you are unsure. It's best not to risk deleted a service that your system needs.
7) Using the Recovery Console, which is accessed the Windows XP setup CD, the master boot program can be repaired.
8) Using the Recover Console, system files can be restored. Notes should be taken from error messages an research on these messages so that you know which files need to be restored.
9) Run Chkdsk to see if RAM is defective. If this is the case, the RAM might need to be replaced or upgraded.
10) If none of these options work, you might have to completely reinstall Windows XP or utilize the System Recovery CD that came with your OS. Be sure to backup your files first!
2) In Safe Mode, use the Add or Remove Programs applet in the Control Panel to remove any unwanted Programs. If might have to end a process in the Task Manager before uninstalling the software associated with it, but starting in Safe Mode should already prevent anything but the necessities from loading.
3) Check for unwanted tasks through C:\Windows\Tasks folder. This folder lists all of the scheduled tasks that are set to run at startup. Some software have automatic updates that run every time you startup the computer. An antivirus program is a good example of this.
4) Check startup folders for services that you don't want to load when your OS boots. This has been one of my main issues whenever my computer has had a sluggish startup. If Windows has to load ten services along with everything else it needs to load, this can greatly slow the computer down.
5) Check for too many installed fonts in the C:\Windows\Fonts folder. All fonts are loaded at startup, so it's a good idea to not have any fonts installed that you don't even use.
6) Another way to check for unwanted or unneeded startup services is through the Services console. Some services can be temporarily disable if you are unsure if it is necessary or not. This is a good option if you are unsure. It's best not to risk deleted a service that your system needs.
7) Using the Recovery Console, which is accessed the Windows XP setup CD, the master boot program can be repaired.
8) Using the Recover Console, system files can be restored. Notes should be taken from error messages an research on these messages so that you know which files need to be restored.
9) Run Chkdsk to see if RAM is defective. If this is the case, the RAM might need to be replaced or upgraded.
10) If none of these options work, you might have to completely reinstall Windows XP or utilize the System Recovery CD that came with your OS. Be sure to backup your files first!
Friday, October 3, 2008
Real Problem 4-1, Another Corrupted Installation
I'm not sure if this is an error in the textbook, or if the instructor even knows about it, but this problem is exactly identical to Real Problem 2-1 on page 106. If this was purposefully done and I am supposed to talk more about corrupted Windows installations, then I would have to point out that there is nothing in chapter five about installing Windows or dealing with a corrupted OS.
What I can talk about, however, is actions that should've been taken long before the problem even arose. This chapter does talk about backing up data and planning for disaster recovery. I would of backed up all of Jason's files and information as well as his system information in anticipation of an OS corruption, crashed hard drive, or any other computer emergency. Since it's not good to back up data on only one form of media, I would backup on CD's and also on an external hard drive. Back-ups can either be done manually or automatically on scheduled periods via the Backup Utility.
With all of Jason's data backed up, I can work on his corrupted system or his hard drive without fear of anything being lost. To ensure the least possible "tragedy", data should be backed up frequently, more frequently depending on the importance of the data.
What I can talk about, however, is actions that should've been taken long before the problem even arose. This chapter does talk about backing up data and planning for disaster recovery. I would of backed up all of Jason's files and information as well as his system information in anticipation of an OS corruption, crashed hard drive, or any other computer emergency. Since it's not good to back up data on only one form of media, I would backup on CD's and also on an external hard drive. Back-ups can either be done manually or automatically on scheduled periods via the Backup Utility.
With all of Jason's data backed up, I can work on his corrupted system or his hard drive without fear of anything being lost. To ensure the least possible "tragedy", data should be backed up frequently, more frequently depending on the importance of the data.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Careers in Web Development
As I've probably mentioned before, I'm in this degree program to pursue a career in the IT field. Today I've been doing a little research in the field of Web Development and what my options would be. It looks like I could either work for a company, start my own company, or be a freelancer. Working for a company would probably be my best bet, especially since I'll be coming right out of college and barely wet behind the ears in the field. This would be a good chance to gain some experience and see how the business works before embarking on my own entrepreneurial ventures.
Contract work is another option. This is what my brother is currently doing for Anchorage Daily News. He did have a full time job for them, but when he and his wife recently moved to Washington, they offered to have him stay on the payroll through contract work. They're paying him $1,000 a week to work on their web sites. Not too bad, if you ask me.
As soon as I complete this degree, I'll be looking for a steady job in the IT field, preferably with a creative emphasis, and then from there I'll hone my skills and learn the business and start thinking about the possibility of my own business.
Here's another interesting thing I found. There are three styles of web developer: content developer, designer/graphic artist, and coder/programmer. To ensure the best opportunities, it would probably be best to become proficient in all three.
Contract work is another option. This is what my brother is currently doing for Anchorage Daily News. He did have a full time job for them, but when he and his wife recently moved to Washington, they offered to have him stay on the payroll through contract work. They're paying him $1,000 a week to work on their web sites. Not too bad, if you ask me.
As soon as I complete this degree, I'll be looking for a steady job in the IT field, preferably with a creative emphasis, and then from there I'll hone my skills and learn the business and start thinking about the possibility of my own business.
Here's another interesting thing I found. There are three styles of web developer: content developer, designer/graphic artist, and coder/programmer. To ensure the best opportunities, it would probably be best to become proficient in all three.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Reflection #1: Web Publishing & Blogging
The words "blogging" or "blog" are obviously not in any current dictionaries, but I wonder if they will be a hundred years from now. Or maybe children a hundred years from now will be learning about the pioneers of blogging. The dictionary must have to be updated at the same speed technology is changing. With every new computer innovation comes a new set of vernacular. Who would of said the word "internet" fifty years ago, or even twenty years ago? People from these times would be puzzled by the description of something called a "website", yet today these things are a daily part of our lives, almost as mandatory as eating or brushing our teeth. We do everything online now. We bank, pay bills, communicate, date, buy cars, buy houses, apply for loans, apply for jobs, take college classes, read the news, read books, buy books, book travel, rent cars, watch movies, watch TV, trade stocks, run businesses. The online world has become such a huge part of our lives that I can only imagine what the effect would be if the internet suddenly disappeared.
While many see the internet as a form of recreation or a networking of friends, I see it as an opportunity. An opportunity for learning, and an opportunity for a career. Currently I am utilizing the internet to take classes to learn things like web development and computer maintenance so that I can pursue a career in the IT profession. My main subjects of interest are web development and graphic design, so I'm sure I will probably be spending a good deal of my time on the internet in my career venture.
This class has been really interesting so far. While I've dabbled a little in HTML coding over the years, I've never used a web development program like Dreamweaver before. I find it to be inspiring and am realizing that the sky is the limit with the creative possibilities. I've also always been interested in starting my own online business, and this class is helping me to learn the "building a web site" part of that. Once I've learned more about Dreamweaver I'm sure I'll be able to make a both attractive and professional looking and operational site.
As for the blogging part of the course, I wasn't sure at first what to think of it. I've never really got into writing or reading blogs; I've always seen it as an avenue for people with lots of ideas and too much time on their hands, but my view of blogging has been pretty narrow. It can be used for so much more. I've always thought of it as a person's online journal, or diary, but blogging can be used for academia, science, medical research, any kind of research, philosophy, creative writing, etc.. Basically blogging is all about writing. What to write about is all up to you.
Pertaining to this course, blogging is a very useful tool for writing assignments and reflection into the learning material.
I couldn't say yet that anything in this course should be improved. It's been "smooth sailing" so far. The assignments are easy to understand, fun to do, and a great learning experience.
While many see the internet as a form of recreation or a networking of friends, I see it as an opportunity. An opportunity for learning, and an opportunity for a career. Currently I am utilizing the internet to take classes to learn things like web development and computer maintenance so that I can pursue a career in the IT profession. My main subjects of interest are web development and graphic design, so I'm sure I will probably be spending a good deal of my time on the internet in my career venture.
This class has been really interesting so far. While I've dabbled a little in HTML coding over the years, I've never used a web development program like Dreamweaver before. I find it to be inspiring and am realizing that the sky is the limit with the creative possibilities. I've also always been interested in starting my own online business, and this class is helping me to learn the "building a web site" part of that. Once I've learned more about Dreamweaver I'm sure I'll be able to make a both attractive and professional looking and operational site.
As for the blogging part of the course, I wasn't sure at first what to think of it. I've never really got into writing or reading blogs; I've always seen it as an avenue for people with lots of ideas and too much time on their hands, but my view of blogging has been pretty narrow. It can be used for so much more. I've always thought of it as a person's online journal, or diary, but blogging can be used for academia, science, medical research, any kind of research, philosophy, creative writing, etc.. Basically blogging is all about writing. What to write about is all up to you.
Pertaining to this course, blogging is a very useful tool for writing assignments and reflection into the learning material.
I couldn't say yet that anything in this course should be improved. It's been "smooth sailing" so far. The assignments are easy to understand, fun to do, and a great learning experience.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Dreamweaver Thoughts
This has been my first experience with a web editing program, but I have found Dreamweaver to be really user-friendly. It's not at all like I expected. I've used many different programs, music recording software for example, that were very confusing to start with and were difficult to get the hang of. But so far Dreamweaver has been fun and easy to use.
The only hang-up I've had was when I didn't copy the chap_4 folder to my CIOS 256 folder like I was supposed to. I instead copied this folder to the desktop, so after I inserted all the links and images required for the "Teacloud" assignment, the published page didn't work right-none of the images showed up and none of the links worked. I understand now that all the files and links used on a site I'm building need to be in the folder that was specified for Dreamweaver to work from. I learned this the hard way, but it was a good learning experience.
The only hang-up I've had was when I didn't copy the chap_4 folder to my CIOS 256 folder like I was supposed to. I instead copied this folder to the desktop, so after I inserted all the links and images required for the "Teacloud" assignment, the published page didn't work right-none of the images showed up and none of the links worked. I understand now that all the files and links used on a site I'm building need to be in the folder that was specified for Dreamweaver to work from. I learned this the hard way, but it was a good learning experience.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Fixing Startup Problems With Windows XP
The text details several ways to fix problems with a sluggish Windows XP startup or slow application running. I describe several of these in the following:
-Sometimes if an application is running sluggishly, it is possible to increase the applications priority via the task manager. However, this should only be done with very important applications as giving an application a higher priority than certain background processes can interfere with the operation of the OS.
-Under the Processes tab of the Task Manager, every process is listed along with the amount of CPU usage each process is using. If it seems like a process is utilizing too much of the CPU total usage, you can Google the process to see what it relates to, such as if it relates to an antiviral program or is adware. From here, the priority of the process can be lowered or deleted, or the application creating the process can be configured to not lock up the CPU.
-Processes can be temporarily disabled from loading at startup via the System Configuration Utility (MSConfig), which can be reached by typing msconfig.exe in the Run dialog box. From here you can choose which programs you want to run when the OS starts up. Having too many programs running at startup can greatly slow down the system.
-A service can be completely disable through the Services Console (services.msc). From here you can research a service that is running to find out what exactly it is doing and if it is something you want, or is necessary, to be running.
-There might be software on the CPU that needs to be un-installed. Maybe there are old applications that you used to use that you no longer use that need to be cleaned up. There are several ways to un-install software, but one of the easiest is to access the Add or Remove Programs window through the Control Panel.
-Although it's risky and the average user shouldn't mess with it, items in the Registry can be deleted if software is no longer installed but still showing up as installed software in the Add or Remove Programs window.
-In the Task Manager window, under the Performance tab, you can check to see if the RAM being committed is more than the RAM available on your system. If this is the case, then you need an upgrade.
-Sometimes if an application is running sluggishly, it is possible to increase the applications priority via the task manager. However, this should only be done with very important applications as giving an application a higher priority than certain background processes can interfere with the operation of the OS.
-Under the Processes tab of the Task Manager, every process is listed along with the amount of CPU usage each process is using. If it seems like a process is utilizing too much of the CPU total usage, you can Google the process to see what it relates to, such as if it relates to an antiviral program or is adware. From here, the priority of the process can be lowered or deleted, or the application creating the process can be configured to not lock up the CPU.
-Processes can be temporarily disabled from loading at startup via the System Configuration Utility (MSConfig), which can be reached by typing msconfig.exe in the Run dialog box. From here you can choose which programs you want to run when the OS starts up. Having too many programs running at startup can greatly slow down the system.
-A service can be completely disable through the Services Console (services.msc). From here you can research a service that is running to find out what exactly it is doing and if it is something you want, or is necessary, to be running.
-There might be software on the CPU that needs to be un-installed. Maybe there are old applications that you used to use that you no longer use that need to be cleaned up. There are several ways to un-install software, but one of the easiest is to access the Add or Remove Programs window through the Control Panel.
-Although it's risky and the average user shouldn't mess with it, items in the Registry can be deleted if software is no longer installed but still showing up as installed software in the Add or Remove Programs window.
-In the Task Manager window, under the Performance tab, you can check to see if the RAM being committed is more than the RAM available on your system. If this is the case, then you need an upgrade.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
How To Deal With a Corrupted Windows XP Installation
Despite Jason's fears, this is actually a fairly easy problem to fix, but I'm guessing the thought of it would be intimidating to anyone without IT experience, especially when all your hard work that you forgot to back up could potentially be lost. That must be why I'm the IT guy and he's not.
What I would do first, since I already know he didn't back up any of his files, is find out if he has all of the application software CD's and software documentation. This will make things a lot easier for Jason and keep him out of the hot water with his boss he'd get in if he had to use the company credit card to purchase all new software.
Since his OS is completely corrupted and there's no way I can click on My Computer to get to the installation CD, or do anything in Windows for that matter, I will have to set up his computer to boot from the D-drive, or whatever the name of his CD/DVD drive is. To set this up I will have to access the Boot Menu, which can be accessed by pressing F12 during the computer’s start-up. From there I will be able to boot from the D-drive and start the reinstallation of Windows XP.
There are several installation options, but the one I'll choose is to do a clean installation on top of the existing installation. This option will overwrite all of the previous OS's system settings and applications while keeping the data on the drive, so none of Jason's files will be lost.
After the reinstallation is complete, I can help him reinstall all of his application software.
What I would do first, since I already know he didn't back up any of his files, is find out if he has all of the application software CD's and software documentation. This will make things a lot easier for Jason and keep him out of the hot water with his boss he'd get in if he had to use the company credit card to purchase all new software.
Since his OS is completely corrupted and there's no way I can click on My Computer to get to the installation CD, or do anything in Windows for that matter, I will have to set up his computer to boot from the D-drive, or whatever the name of his CD/DVD drive is. To set this up I will have to access the Boot Menu, which can be accessed by pressing F12 during the computer’s start-up. From there I will be able to boot from the D-drive and start the reinstallation of Windows XP.
There are several installation options, but the one I'll choose is to do a clean installation on top of the existing installation. This option will overwrite all of the previous OS's system settings and applications while keeping the data on the drive, so none of Jason's files will be lost.
After the reinstallation is complete, I can help him reinstall all of his application software.
Publishing With Dreamweaver For The First Time
I surprisingly did not find anything difficult with my first Dreamweaver assignment. I found it to be a user-friendly, educational, and rather fun assignment! Honestly, I was a bit nervous before starting out, as some software for these type of things can be complete nightmares, but I was pleasantly surprised.
This course as a whole so far has been excellent and I am happy that I decided to take it this semester instead of waiting to take it in a future semester, which I was advised to do. I've always been interested in web development, and while I have dabbled a little bit with html coding over the years, I have never actually learned the fundamentals of it. With this course and my introduction to Dreamweaver, I am learning that the sky is the limit when it comes to creative possibilities in web development.
I look forward to more assignments with Dreamweaver!
This course as a whole so far has been excellent and I am happy that I decided to take it this semester instead of waiting to take it in a future semester, which I was advised to do. I've always been interested in web development, and while I have dabbled a little bit with html coding over the years, I have never actually learned the fundamentals of it. With this course and my introduction to Dreamweaver, I am learning that the sky is the limit when it comes to creative possibilities in web development.
I look forward to more assignments with Dreamweaver!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Real Problems, Real Solutions: Becoming a PC Support Technician
From Page 53:
1. I would right-click on the My Computer icon-which is either on the desktop or under the Start menu, select Properties, and then select the General tab. RAM is list towards the bottom of the window.
2. The installed Operating System is listed in the same Properties window as the RAM, at the very top of the list.
3. I would have her right-click on My Computer, select Properties, select the Hardware tab, click the Device Manager button, and click "+" symbol to the right of Modems. The Modem will be listed here if the computer is recognizing it.
4. Right-click on My Computer, select Properties, and select the Automatic Updates tab. The option for automatic updates should be selected.
5. Right-click on the desktop, select properties, and click on the Settings tab. The screen resolution is shown in the middle-left part of the window. My max screen resolution is 1200x800.
6. Double-click on My Computer, right-click on the C Drive icon, select Properties, and click on the General tab. The amount of free and used space is shown is listed and shown in the form of a pie graph.
7. Double-click on My Computer, right-click on the DVD/CD drive, select Properties, click on the Hardware tab, select the DVD/CD drive from the list, click on the Properties button at the bottom of the window. Either the General or Driver tab will give the name of the driver. To find the path, click the Driver Details button under the Driver tab. My DVD/CD drive's name is MASHTA DVD-RAM UJ-841S, and the path is C:\WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\cdrom.sys.
1. I would right-click on the My Computer icon-which is either on the desktop or under the Start menu, select Properties, and then select the General tab. RAM is list towards the bottom of the window.
2. The installed Operating System is listed in the same Properties window as the RAM, at the very top of the list.
3. I would have her right-click on My Computer, select Properties, select the Hardware tab, click the Device Manager button, and click "+" symbol to the right of Modems. The Modem will be listed here if the computer is recognizing it.
4. Right-click on My Computer, select Properties, and select the Automatic Updates tab. The option for automatic updates should be selected.
5. Right-click on the desktop, select properties, and click on the Settings tab. The screen resolution is shown in the middle-left part of the window. My max screen resolution is 1200x800.
6. Double-click on My Computer, right-click on the C Drive icon, select Properties, and click on the General tab. The amount of free and used space is shown is listed and shown in the form of a pie graph.
7. Double-click on My Computer, right-click on the DVD/CD drive, select Properties, click on the Hardware tab, select the DVD/CD drive from the list, click on the Properties button at the bottom of the window. Either the General or Driver tab will give the name of the driver. To find the path, click the Driver Details button under the Driver tab. My DVD/CD drive's name is MASHTA DVD-RAM UJ-841S, and the path is C:\WINDOWS\system32\DRIVERS\cdrom.sys.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
The Evolution of Operating Systems
An operating system is the software that controls a computer, basically the middle-man between applications and hardware. In this blog I will discuss the growth that operating systems have undergone since their beginning.
It seems much like the evolution of apes to man, if you believe in such things-which I don't, but that doesn't give fault to the analogy. Operating systems have undergone many changes and improvements, and they are continually improving and changing as new technologies and updates are brought into existence.
It all started out with DOS, which was the first OS for IBM computers and IBM compatible computers. This was the first OS I ever used, and, as a kid, to me it was "awesome". One of the advantages of DOS is that it is easier to use when booting or troubleshooting a computer as opposed to the more sophisticated OS's of today. The first Windows program was Windows 3.x which was layered between DOS and the user and applications to provided a graphics interface for the user and a multitasking environment for applications. Basically it took the text driven interface of DOS and made it more user friendly. Kind of like taking a Hemingway novel and adding pictures and dumbing down the language so children can read and understand it.
Next came Windows 9x/ME, which is the collective identity of Windows 95, 98, and Windows ME. It was the 95 system the was my first encounter with a Windows OS. One good thing about 9.x/ME is that it had a commitment to being backward-compatible, meaning that it was still compatible with older software and hardware, but still took advantage of and introduced newer technology. It was a bridge from the old to the new; a smooth transition.
Then there was Windows NT (New Technology), a complete rewriting of the OS core, and it's upgrade, Windows 2000. Windows 200 is currently considered a dieing OS, but eight years ago it was hottest thing to hit the market since sliced cheese. It was easy to use and offered much more user-friendliness. Even after Windows XP came out, I still clung to 2000 up until just a few years ago.
Windows XP was an attempt to integrate Windows 2000 with 9.x/ME while providing added support for multimedia and networking technologies. XP offered some new tidbits as well, such as allowing two users to be logged onto Windows at once-which is a feature I am yet to use-and new applications such as Windows Firewall.
The next OS on the horizon is Windows Vista, which includes a new graphical interface, a revamped engine, and a new interface between the OS and applications. Sounds great, but I think I'll stick with XP for at least a few more years.
It seems much like the evolution of apes to man, if you believe in such things-which I don't, but that doesn't give fault to the analogy. Operating systems have undergone many changes and improvements, and they are continually improving and changing as new technologies and updates are brought into existence.
It all started out with DOS, which was the first OS for IBM computers and IBM compatible computers. This was the first OS I ever used, and, as a kid, to me it was "awesome". One of the advantages of DOS is that it is easier to use when booting or troubleshooting a computer as opposed to the more sophisticated OS's of today. The first Windows program was Windows 3.x which was layered between DOS and the user and applications to provided a graphics interface for the user and a multitasking environment for applications. Basically it took the text driven interface of DOS and made it more user friendly. Kind of like taking a Hemingway novel and adding pictures and dumbing down the language so children can read and understand it.
Next came Windows 9x/ME, which is the collective identity of Windows 95, 98, and Windows ME. It was the 95 system the was my first encounter with a Windows OS. One good thing about 9.x/ME is that it had a commitment to being backward-compatible, meaning that it was still compatible with older software and hardware, but still took advantage of and introduced newer technology. It was a bridge from the old to the new; a smooth transition.
Then there was Windows NT (New Technology), a complete rewriting of the OS core, and it's upgrade, Windows 2000. Windows 200 is currently considered a dieing OS, but eight years ago it was hottest thing to hit the market since sliced cheese. It was easy to use and offered much more user-friendliness. Even after Windows XP came out, I still clung to 2000 up until just a few years ago.
Windows XP was an attempt to integrate Windows 2000 with 9.x/ME while providing added support for multimedia and networking technologies. XP offered some new tidbits as well, such as allowing two users to be logged onto Windows at once-which is a feature I am yet to use-and new applications such as Windows Firewall.
The next OS on the horizon is Windows Vista, which includes a new graphical interface, a revamped engine, and a new interface between the OS and applications. Sounds great, but I think I'll stick with XP for at least a few more years.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
About Me
I would be lying if I said that I LOVE writing, or speaking, an introduction about myself. I guess it causes a person to be reflective and somewhat self promoting, and seeing as I've never been a person to draw attention to myself, not saying I don't like to perform-as I am a musician/singer, the instruction to do so has always caused me hesitation. I love to give a good performance, but I hate the spotlight. Kind of an exercise in denial if you ask me.
Rather than go on and on with a chronological montage of my twenty-five years of life, I'll tell you about my life now, because the way I see it my life of the previous twenty-five years has led up to where I am now. I am twenty-five, as I just said in the previous sentence, and I'm getting married in three months. That has pretty much been the focus of my life over the past months, however, while seeming to consume my time, this introduction of romance to my life has also brought along many good things with it. I own my own home and have a one-year-old German Shepard, Husky mix named Chopper who has horrible destructive dendencies. If anyone knows how to cure a dog of digging holes, please let me know!
I live in between Kenai and Soldotna, an area that is starting to bloom a little bit economically at the moment....we're actually getting a WalMart! Not that I like WalMart or anything, but it brings an economical excitement to a small town like mine. Lowe's is coming in too. I guess the excitement I feel for the growth of the area is the increased possibility of good jobs/careers, as the growth of an area usually means more industry, more people, etc.. I'm not planning on spending the rest of my life in the area, but I would rather move by choice rather than neccesity because I can't find a suitable career.
I'm taking CIOS 256 as a requirement for the degree program that I am enrolled in through UAF, Information Technology Specialist. I've been in and out of college since I graduated highschool in 2000, but never really found a field that interested me enough to complete a degree in it. My returning is in part due to the amazing encouragement of my fiance who has inspired me to do something with my life and follow my dreams. I have always been good at computers, and after research into the state of the IT field, I decided that it would be an excellent career choice.
In addition to loving my fiance and computers, I also like football, cold beer, healthy food, red wine, traveling, watching movies, exercising, writing, reading, playing with my dog, playing guitar, and spending time with friends and family.
Rather than go on and on with a chronological montage of my twenty-five years of life, I'll tell you about my life now, because the way I see it my life of the previous twenty-five years has led up to where I am now. I am twenty-five, as I just said in the previous sentence, and I'm getting married in three months. That has pretty much been the focus of my life over the past months, however, while seeming to consume my time, this introduction of romance to my life has also brought along many good things with it. I own my own home and have a one-year-old German Shepard, Husky mix named Chopper who has horrible destructive dendencies. If anyone knows how to cure a dog of digging holes, please let me know!
I live in between Kenai and Soldotna, an area that is starting to bloom a little bit economically at the moment....we're actually getting a WalMart! Not that I like WalMart or anything, but it brings an economical excitement to a small town like mine. Lowe's is coming in too. I guess the excitement I feel for the growth of the area is the increased possibility of good jobs/careers, as the growth of an area usually means more industry, more people, etc.. I'm not planning on spending the rest of my life in the area, but I would rather move by choice rather than neccesity because I can't find a suitable career.
I'm taking CIOS 256 as a requirement for the degree program that I am enrolled in through UAF, Information Technology Specialist. I've been in and out of college since I graduated highschool in 2000, but never really found a field that interested me enough to complete a degree in it. My returning is in part due to the amazing encouragement of my fiance who has inspired me to do something with my life and follow my dreams. I have always been good at computers, and after research into the state of the IT field, I decided that it would be an excellent career choice.
In addition to loving my fiance and computers, I also like football, cold beer, healthy food, red wine, traveling, watching movies, exercising, writing, reading, playing with my dog, playing guitar, and spending time with friends and family.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
My Reaction to the Book Introduction
After reading the Introduction to the course book, I have a better and clearer understanding of this course and what I will be learning in it. Not only that, but it gives me a much clearer picture of the field I am getting into and the career opportunities that await me. Before enrolling in this degree, I did research into the field and into the possibilities for my future once finishing this degree. Reading the introduction to this book helps me to better understand the path I am heading down.
The certification breakdown in "Figure 1" on page xiii is especially helpful as it shows the different career paths that each CompTIA A+ certification can lead to, and while I haven't decided exactly what direction I want to go with this, it is definitely something I can start thinking and making plans for now. The certification internet links provided were also helpful.
I have read from several different sources that the Information Technology field is growing, which is one of the reasons I've decided to pursue a degree in it, and reading the book introduction was another confirmation that I am making a good choice.
The certification breakdown in "Figure 1" on page xiii is especially helpful as it shows the different career paths that each CompTIA A+ certification can lead to, and while I haven't decided exactly what direction I want to go with this, it is definitely something I can start thinking and making plans for now. The certification internet links provided were also helpful.
I have read from several different sources that the Information Technology field is growing, which is one of the reasons I've decided to pursue a degree in it, and reading the book introduction was another confirmation that I am making a good choice.
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