Diary of a Network Geek

No, not the kind you’re thinking of…

Remember all the hype about the Juice Box Personal Media Player for kids a couple of years ago? Well, they didn’t do so well in the market place, but, now you can get them cheap at Overstock, though to get the ones that let you upload your own media, you’ll pay a little more. Why is that cool, you ask? Simple, according to Street Tech, they run a flavor of Linux and are hackable. And, based on my own, personal research, that seems to be true. You can load Linux on them and they sure seem hackable.

Hmm, cheap, hackable, Linux-based… I might have to get “hands-on” with this…
Well, I have to do something while I wait for my eyebrows to grow back in!

Yea, robot killerz in the house, yo!
Sorry, but I guess I’m feeling extra white and had to make up for it. In any case, the US military is working toward that whole Terminator/Skynet thing one mecahnized soldier at a time. Now, it’s a robot that breaks Asimov’s First Law. (For those of you who aren’t Ubergeeks like me, that’s Asimov’s First Law of Robotics, or, “A robot may not injure a human being, or through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.”) But, that first article is just the most recent one in the popular press. This has actually been around since January of 2006 and they’ve been deployed in Iraq since February of that same year. But, if those two killer robots aren’t cool enough for you, homes, try the automated sentry gun. Think of it as an entry-level Terminator.

(Hey, at least this should be the last of the old posts that I’d been “saving” for a rainy day!)

Arrr, today be International Talk Like A Pirate Day, me blog maties!

Few are the holidays made for such as we, ye digital sea dogs, but this be one of ’em. Ye don’t ‘ave to be a data pirate or music pirate or any kind of law breakin’ pirate at all to join in the fun. Ye just ‘ave to like talkin’ like a pirate, ya’ scury dogs! So, whether ye be a privateer, a corsair or a buccanner, or ye just wanna be, go on the account fer just the day and chase ye booty, while ye may! Then finish ‘er off w’ a bit o’ good grog and throw in a hearty “yo, ho, ho”. Then set aside the sweet trade fer the life of a land lubber fer another year, but, ’till this great, glorious day rolls ’round again, dream o’ dubloons an’ grog, and International Talk Like A Pirate Day.

Just a little something for the techie manager-types.

I know I still have some tech-geeks who read this blog. I mean, I did start out, all those years ago, blogging about mainly technical stuff and some of the real die-hards have to still be reading, right? Well, I do try to keep y’all in mind and occasionally write up something that might help you get things done. Most of you fellow geeks know me as a Novell enthusiast, but I don’t limit myself to just one set of tools. There’s an old saying that when your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Well, I like to keep a bunch of tools in the old tool bag to solve all kinds of problems.

Sometimes, though, it’s not that easy to figure out which tool to use. So, when I saw these two related articles on TechRepublic about choosing the right tools, I thought I’d share. The first is a blog post that describes the D.I.C.E framework. (In short, D.I.C.E is an acronym for Difficulty, Investment, Capability and Expandability. All things to keep in mind when implementing new technology.) The second article is really a download. It’s a spreadsheet that helps you evaluate systems in relation to the D.I.C.E framework.
So, between the two, you should have a little extra help determining what technology to install and support.
And, you might even pick up a few ideas about how to present it to the boss, too!

Advice from your Uncle Jim:
"When I look into the future, it's so bright it burns my eyes."
   --Oprah Winfrey

Soaking up the rays!

Hey, two great tastes that taste great together!
My regular readers will know that I love WiFi, even if security can be an issue, but they may not know how much I love solar power. Now, there’s a company in Florida that’s combining WiFi access points with solar power. Granted, it’s to overcome some limitations in their copper cable network, but, still, I think it’s a totally cool idea.

Yep, a wearable Linux PC.

I love this. Not only because I love Linux, but because I love science-fiction. I mean, a computer you can wear on your wrist? What could be better? I honestly don’t know what all the ZYPAD can do, but when it’s made by a company called “Eurotech”, the sky’s the limit! Chase the link and look at this little sucker. Does that not look like something out of Space:1999? Surely, the first batch of Mars astronauts will be wearing something like this, complete with wireless interfaces to all their ship’s systems.

*sigh* Yeah, I know… I’m a geek, but, hey, at least I know it and embrace my geekness. Besides, even non-geeks have to admit that this is pretty cool. (And, yes, this is old news, but I’m doing some cleaning out of old posts, so bear with me.)

Be kind to your IT staff.

Don’t do this to them. Do not walk into their office and ask questions like “Are we having a problem with the server?” or “Is the Internet down?” Asking us questions like that result in responses like “No, the server is fine. But why don’t you tell me about your problem now?” and “No, I’m on the web right now and it’s fine. Do you have an error message?” or even “Why don’t you tell me if you’re having a problem?”

I swear by all I hold sacred, there is nothing more frustrating than having someone who really has no idea whatsoever how anything on a computer or network works wander into my office with that special stunned cattle look on their face only to ask me very specific questions about a problem they’re having. Even when I answer their question with another question in the voice I normally reserve for precocious toddlers, for the fifth time, they come and waste our collective time doing this, instead of simply describing their problem to me.

Don’t do this to your IT staff. Just tell them what the problem is. Don’t make them guess what you really want. Please.

Advice from your Uncle Jim:
"In times like the present, men should utter nothing for which they would not willingly be responsible through time and eternity."
   --Abraham Lincoln

As I mentioned the other day, my doctor wants to do one more biopsy.

Well, I finally got scheduled for the needle biopsy last night.
I go in on Monday for the pre-flight check.  That’ll be just an “interview” with the doctor to prepare me for the actual event on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, I have to be there at 7:00AM, ready to get poked.  If the procedure proceeds as it did back in March, I’ll have what little dignity I have left stripped away with one of those flattering, open-backed gowns and spend several hours waiting around for the doctor.  The procedure itself should take about an hour or two, to line up their shot and stick the enormous needle into my chest for a teeny, tiny sample of cells.  At least this time, I know what they’re up to when they tell me not to touch the needle and that they’ll be “right back”!  I’m sure it will take most of the day and, because they’re giving me anesthetic, they’d like me to have a ride.  Personally, I’m more worried about driving home and having my lung collapse, but the end result is the same.

I have to admit, as much as I’ve enjoyed writing up these little updates for you all, I’ll be glad when I don’t have quite so much excitement in my life that they’re necessary.  Though, I have to admit, having my eyebrows growing back has gotten quite exciting.  When someone tells you that it’s the little things that matter, I bet you never thought they meant having eyebrows!

Advice from your Uncle Jim:
"Be careful about the bridges you burn, because one might turn out to be the one you later want to cross."

Based on my limited experience, I shouldn’t complain, but…

Well, from what most people say, this cartoon from The Fifth Wave sums it up. And, certainly, that was true of my ex-wife, who could be downright fun, for up to three days at a time. But, somehow, the people we represent ourselves to be on those infernal Internet dating sites is never quite how we really are in life, is it?

One way to support Linux.

Okay, now, considering my personal debt structure and how deeply I’m into the credit card companies, I normally stay away from anything that smacks of a reccomendation of a credit card. But, this one is a little different. It’s a rewards card, but not the normal kind. This card pays money to the Linux Fund, which supports several Linux and Linux-related projects. So, basically, when you spend money on this card, it helps some of your favorite geek projects. If you dig Linux, it’s at least worth taking a closer look.

But, do yourself a favor, try to pay it off every month and stay out of debt.

Advice from your Uncle Jim:
"The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything."
   --William Conner Magee