itjc.net

Have you ever wanted to write an article and publish it on your blog? Have you ever hesitated, and changed your mind because of how family or friends would react? If you're like me, and I know I am, you've probably encountered this before. It will always be possible for somebody to figure out who I am based upon my articles and the links I provide. It is already possible for someone who knows me to find my blog. It is conceivable that somebody who does not know me is able to identify me based upon the context of my blog. For one, my name and picture are listed. Two, there aren't many of me in the place I live.

It is possible to write anonymously. However, it requires

I don't understand how people get viruses on their computers. Whenever I get a call about a virus, the user always says "I didn't click anything, or go anywhere, or do anything, it just popped up." Most of the time, they aren't even able to tell me exactly what "it" is either. It takes effort to suppress the infinite variations of snarky reply, "if you weren't doing anything, why were you logged in?"

I am proud to say, that I have resisted. I don't condone talking down to users, and I don't believe in rude professionalism. As a side note, this is part of my life philosophy coming out: Make fun of the idea, not the person. The person is valuable intrinsically, and should be treated with respect. The idea must stand or fall by it's own merit, or lack thereof.

With today's firewalls, there are only three ways to get into a system remotely. I will speak in analogy. I encourage my fellow geeks, feel free to criticize, but understand that I understand that the analogy is not perfect.

1. There is no protection/firewall, doors are open, and you can just walk in.
2. There is some protection/firewall, doors are closed, and you trick someone into opening a door, and you can just walk in.
3. There is some protection/firewall, doors are closed, but a guest in the house unwittingly or otherwise weakens the lock or otherwise makes it possible to pick the lock, and you can just walk in.

So, at the end of this post, I guess that I do understand how people get viruses. They click on malicious links, which opens the door, or they run malicious programs, which opens the door. What I still don't understand, is why people do it. It's the equivalent of giving your house key to a stranger, it's a pretty dumb thing to do. When you click on banner ads, or browse dodgy websites, you have no idea what you're allowing to run on your computer. That people still click those links and download those viruses confuses me.

This is in no way an article about you, or about any of the users I support. Some viruses masquerade as antivirus programs. I'm a little more lenient towards people who get conned by these kinds of viruses, because it's not their common sense that is in question, but their knowledge about viruses. I don't expect everyone to have exhaustive knowledge of how viruses replicate. I do expect computer users to have a basic level of common sense. Don't click on strange links, unless you trust the source.

Grandpa looks like a skeleton, full grown beard, all grey. long grey wisps of hair. He only broke on eye socket, but both are sunken, purple and blue. His limbs, toothpicks, barely larger than his bones. Shivering, he sat, scrunched up in the bed; sickly slipping away. Empty eyes, three quarters closed, clinging... to nothing.

Little life left, and no hope. No hope, no strength, without will, wallowing in the when of yesteryear. A slim shadow of the past, slowly slipping away, with no desire to stay. No desire to stay here, and to leave the brink of death. No will to walk amongst us once more. Yes, he was sleeping, but soon will be sleeping more.

It was not easy going to visit grandpa. He gave up quite some time ago, when grandma had to leave. I fear he is there to stay, for he will not be coming home again. There I stood, mute. Muted, in words and in spirits. I babbled on empty words he did not hear, they gurgled out between gasps of silence. What to say? what to do? Naught that could change his condition. Naught that could change his mind.

Oh Grandpa, we have been this road before, we have passed this tree. We have parted before, before this familiar fork. I, the road less traveled, and you the truth unknowable. Oh Grandpa, that only you would wish to know. That would be enough. For as it is now, you do not know, and do not seem to want to know. I have always disbelieved that to be so, yet outwardly you clung to it all the same.

I got paid for my second wedding gig last night. Swoot! I'm looking forward to many more. That's paid for the first two years of hosting. If you haven't already, feel free to check out http://templumstudios.com. That's where I'll be putting my business related and photography related content. If you have any suggestions or comments on how to improve the design or usability, I'd love to hear from you.

Today should be my last day at Aon. I've been covering for a colleague here for just over a week, and apart from a few tickets, there hasn't been much to do. Been going braindead. Trying to stave off zombification by working on the website, and writing a few articles, like the one on Cooliris. I've had two cups of coffee, far more than I usually drink, because it's so cold over here. I've been trying to cut down my daily intake, and have had it down to a cup or two a week.

The remainder of today will be a few disjointed and unrelated comments.