Windows? or Linux?

Adobe Air Applications

2008-06-06T21:59:00.002-05:00

Adobe may just be taking over Internet Applications with its amazing quality. See website below. They describe so many excellent programs that you can place on your computer. They all look promising.

http://mashable.com/2008/06/06/adobe-air-applications/

Graduation 2008

2008-05-11T22:18:00.003-05:00

Graduation at my college proved a success as usual, at least for the graduates. However, after graduation, many of the graduates and faculty (basically me) had their photographs loaded to MySpace, Facebook, Flickr, or some other place. Within hours, I was able to locate pictures of former students or friends and place them in my pile. I even had time to email the pictures to others.

Why am I writing about such a technological advance that is nothing new to be reported on any blog?

Because it still amazes me.

It isn't instant gratification.

It is instant, relational connection that I love.

--Moon

Art and Second Life

2008-05-09T12:23:00.001-05:00

Great Discussion of future technology in Second Life and beyond....

HillaryClinton.Com

2008-05-07T15:17:00.003-05:00

I used to be a fan of the Clintons. They are politicians, but I enjoyed my college tax breaks from the Clinton presidency in a time when I needed a break. But, I do not owe that money or feel obligated to support Hillary particularly when she is behind in the delegates and behind in the popular vote.

Why, then, is she asking people to back her political campaign once again by going to, yes, her website? When I can barely fill up my tank with gas, would I truly spend my hard-earned money on a candidate who has no method of reaching a Presidential nomination regardless of how much other supporters spend to continue her race to nothingness.

Or, is she asking for money for other reasons?

1. To pay off the debt she loaned her campaign?
2. To leverage herself as a possible VP nominee?
3. To remain in the limelight?
4. To run again in four years in case McCain beats Obama?

Or, is she doing it for ethical reasons?
1. To share the democratic voice with every state in order to help the democratic nominee beat McCain in the November primary?

I don't know for sure, but I have seen her politics in action over the years. I have watched her husband lie on national television. I do not see any legitimacy in supporting my funds at HillaryClinton.com when Barack Obama or even McCain have a better opportunity to serve this country well.

Obama, expect some money from me as soon as my next paycheck arrives and as soon as you can focus on the issue of competing against the Republican party candidate in the November primary.

As the title of The Editors band goes, "An End has a Start!"

CM

Another Win for Linux!

2008-04-24T22:57:00.002-05:00

KDE (Linux) Reaches 52 million Brazillian Kids

This is amazing news! I cannot even imagine these numbers happening in the United States. I suspect that 52 million children will have a different exposure to a Linux operating system and perhaps a more useful, literate computer experience because maybe the children will ultimately be exposed to multiple operating systems. Way to Go, Brazil!

Moon

Text Messaging

2008-04-19T23:31:00.001-05:00

I don't know how many times I forget my phone and need to send a text message. If you are always at a computer like me and cannot afford the price of sending a text message, there are alternatives. I simply go to the U.S. Cellular website and send messages to people I know use that service.

Other alternatives are listed at Mashable Social Networking News.

--Moon

Another Vista Complaint

2008-04-19T18:00:00.002-05:00

I am sure everyone is tired of hearing Vista complaints. Nevertheless, they need to be documented, so here is my brief complaint.

1. According to Microsoft's website and their software, my computer was considered Vista Capable because it contained the following requirements as quoted from Microsoft:

1 GHZ Processor
1 GB of System Memory
Direct X 9 Graphics
128 MB Graphics (minimum)
40 GB Harddrive

There are other requirements listed, but my Gateway computer qualified for the upgrade from Windows XP to Vista.

2. I bought Vista Premium Upgrade (because I love technology and am not simply a sucker). After loading the software and a virus protector, my Gateway ran slowly. In fact, it crawled as I returned my thoughts to running Windows 95 in the year of 1995.

3. So, I returned my computer to Windows XP and placed it in the front room for my children and bought a new computer, a Dell, because we are computer addicts in our family.

4. Next, I couldn't decide what to do with the Vista Upgrade. Did I just waste X amount of dollars on a operating system that causes my processor fan to spin continually? Beyond using the DVD for a nice coffee coaster, I decided to load it on my wife's laptop (also Vista Capable) because we were having major trouble with security due to the children using the machine for games and, obviously, viruses, malware, and other security issues.

5. Vista worked well on my wife's Dell laptop. We were mostly happy. The children had their own computer in the kitchen to download viruses, and my wife could have a machine that works effectively for school.

6. Then, one nice afternoon, Vista on my wife's computer states that it will no longer work and that we needed to contact Microsoft, even though we purchased the product legally at Target.

7. I was a bit angered that I had to call Microsoft, but I did it anyway. They asked me about my computer, wondered if I were using it on multiple machines, and, I assume, recorded my conversation and placed me on some blacklist of pirate computer consumers. After the phone call, they believed my story that I installed it on one computer that ran slowly and then deleted it completely from that computer and re-installed it on a brand new computer. Then, they gave me a number to enter to make my wife's computer to work.

There is my complaint. I was frustrated then and am still frustrated now. I certainly understand their issue of protecting their software for software piracy, but the grumpy lady on the other end did not make me feel welcomed into the Microsoft world, but why should such a large corporate empire really care about its consumer and place these silly "Windows Vista Capable" stickers on their computer even though they demonstrate a false representation of the product?

That is yet another Vista complaint!

Kudos to XP. Kudos to Linux. Kudos to VISTA only if you are running a computer that is TWICE the SPECS I listed above.

--Moon

Free Software Magazine

2008-04-16T23:20:00.003-05:00

Do online magazines using Google Adsense have control over their own advertisements?

No!

As of 11:21 PM on April 16, 2008, the following advertisement appears on Free Software Magazine.

I am certainly a fan of the magazine, but its purpose is to discuss open source and free software, yet the Google advertisement shows a Microsoft Product.

It is perfectly fine to show a Microsoft Product, but the product described is not FREE or OPEN Source. It is closed source. Therefore, we have an online magazine using Google, yet they are advertising products that do not support their objectives or missions.

I have two quick observations.

1. Free Software Magazine needs to recruit its own advertising system beyond adsense.
2. Or, Google Adsense needs to work more closely with its clients to create advertisements that depict the mission of the website.

I do not blame Google Adsense here, but people using the product seem to think it is the only method of making some kind of money to support their products. That is certainly a problem with Google. We have become slaves to it because it is there and is simple for us to use. Nevertheless, we do need further competition and other major advertising companies competing against Google Adsense to make the Internet more viable, ethically sound, and audience centered.

--CM

When will Linux be the Alternative?

2008-04-14T20:59:00.002-05:00

How does Linux and Apple compete in a working environment? It depends on IT support, really. At work, we have very little IT support for these two operating systems, although Windows support, like many institutions, are the normative behavior.

Place a Windows Operating System in front of people for fifteen years, and all of a sudden, Apple and Linux Users seem to speak a foreign language to the rest of the community. But, that may be changing in the world of the student population.

I sit in Border's. I run Ubuntu, a Linux Operating System. Two other people run Microsoft XP or Vista, and the other two laptops are Apple. The Asian girl in the corner even speaks on an IPHONE. In terms of Border's then, there is a solid mixture of operating systems, but that style is not the norm at most corporations or institutions.

What keeps an institution from changing? I have spoke to this idea before, I believe.

1. They pay volume licensing for many years and stay trapped in this system without thinking that any alternative exist.

2. Software applications related to Microsoft Windows work best on Windows XP or Vista. How much might it cost a corporation to tweak these programs to Apple or Linux when the majority of applications and, yes, games, still operate best under Microsoft mainly because of the domination of Windows for the past ten years?

3. Windows just feels right, some say, and maybe the familiarity of a product keeps us returning to a product, even though there are aspects of Windows environment that are NOT user friendly or even useful, such as locating the double space icon in Microsoft Word. (How many clicks does it take to double space a document? Three? Four? Why does the calendar NOT stay open when you tap it once? Yes, Vista, of course, fixes this issue, which should have been fixed years ago with Windows 95.)

4. We use Microsoft because we are locked into its proprietary coding, such as .DOC and now .DOCX. If you make decent code and sell it on every computer from Dell, Gateway, and other distributors, then that code or codec becomes GOD. And, typically Microsoft automatically adds the various codecs to your machine to make it work without thinking, but honestly, that is NOT the case. The companies distributing the computer add extra disks to install next to Windows so that JAVA, PDF, FLASH, and your drivers work effectively with Windows. Just give me a clean Windows XP disk on this laptop, and I would have to search online in seven or eight (or more) different places just to make the system work seamlessly.

So, the Windows Experience is not simply that simple. It never has been. Internet Explorer contains security questions. Processing speed diminishes by running expensive firewall services, virus protection programs, and other security software to protect what should automatically work without intrusions from various websites or attackers. Let us also not forget how many programs self-install into the program services, as once again the processing speed begins to crawl, unless you install another program to watch the processing speed. Why is it that we must use a separate program to monitor what Windows OS should be doing on its own? Please, do tell.

So, what are the alternatives?

Well, I don't know APPLE well enought to discuss it, but I have heard Linus Torvalds--padre of the Linux system--describe the issues of APPLE and Microsoft as problematic from a programming perspective. Instead of focusing specifically on the Graphical Interface, Linus is interested in the security of the shell or the core of the computer before it even reaches the apex of the desktop, visual environment. Linus has even stated once that Microsoft's shell is more efficient coding than Apple's, but let's move beyond his quoting to explore the opportunities of Linux.

1. Linux represents strong security for institutions and corporations. Currently, my institution is moving toward a Microsoft Exchange model, but we still have servers secured with such Linux systems as Fedora Core.

2. While my colleagues must have IT move through various windows and windows to create a direct alignment from a colleague's computer to the server printer, I simply search quickly and connect to my HP printer without any help whatsoever. In fact, if I need to print to a color printer, I am self reliant and can input a direct line to the printer downstairs. (Perhaps institutions do not want their employees having this much control, but there is something positive and liberating when you have self-reliant workers who do not depend on others to handle their errors, especially when it may take a week to fix a computer because IT in many places is perhaps the most understaffed and hardworking field.) Self-reliance is the key to successful business strategies.

3. I can load most Linux Operating systems, and they work now for the most part. I cannot say that five or ten years ago because the majority of the hardware companies typically made drivers specifically for Microsoft. They are now changing, and there are many open source workers who tirelessly make sure that drivers work successfully on Linux, Apple, and other operating systems. So, Linux many not ALWAYS work easily at first glance because it typically uses FREE software, and to add proprietary software to Linux would mean they would have to charge the consumer to use the product similar to the Windows model. Nevertheless, Ubuntu Linux, for example, contains no issues for me except for having to load the Adobe Flash plugin on my own. But even that is a simple process. I open up the Web browser, Mozilla, and click on a site using Flash. It asks if I want to install flash. I say, "Yes." Then, like a Windows Operating System, there are no more issues.

4. Can I play Windows Media Audio (or WMA files)? Why would I want to? Why not use OGG, FLAC, MP3, or some other audio coding? ITUNES does not use WMA, and it is the hottest selling store in our country? ITUNES pretty much has decimated the WMA form, except for some music subscription services, such as Napster. ITUNES, despite its own monopoly of the music industry, can surpass the ingenuity of Microsoft, yet we continue to load ITUNES on our XP systems instead of use Linux or Apple. Once again, old habits are difficult to die.

I can provide more reasons to look into other products, but people who are not techies do not want to play around and break something that works. So, it is really up to our IT people to educate us, and as long as IT and institutions remain behind the expensive alternative (yes, Microsoft is an alternative and not the only choice), then institutions may continue losing money. Perhaps that is why GOOGLE and YAHOO have been so innovative. They use Linux Operating Systems. NASA uses Linux or UNIX, too. And, the majority of cellular phone markets also have moved to the linux formula because it is open source coding that is free to access, adapt, and use to meet the needs of the hardware requirements and the consumer's needs.

Well, as I stop writing this email, another woman enters Border's and is currently typing away on an APPLE computer. Can't wait to see a shop filled with Linux computers, too. For now, I will wait until Vista explodes to its own death and some amazing Chinese company gets smart and mass markets a Linux Operating System that corporations will not ignore or refuse.

When will Linux be the Alternative?

2008-04-14T20:59:00.001-05:00

Governments Moving Toward Open Source

2008-04-11T19:52:00.001-05:00

Australia: 41,000 Computers with Open Office

The link above is encouraging.

--Moon

CPU Charts

2008-04-07T22:53:00.003-05:00

A blogger pointed out an excellent site to compare CPUs. I suggest reviewing the site before spending money on a new computer or processor.

LULU.COM

2008-04-04T12:12:00.002-05:00

I quickly must plug lulu.com for its ability for any user to create a book on his or her own. I created one myself as a test case and ordered it to my home address. It looks okay at first glance, though the font, I noticed, needs some work.

If you have a book of poems or even recipes that you want published in an official manner and do not want to spend countless hours hunting down an agent and a publishing company, I suggest LULU as a free alternative.

Market yourself. Email the link of your piece to others. Start your own reading of your book and make some money on the side. Why is it that we must say we are "published" authors with the large distributors behind us. In the musical profession, we are in an independent (or indie) market, so use LULU as that method to give yourself ownership over your work.

However, spend time developing your book before sending it there. I have three spelling errors, do not like the picture on the back of my book, and am disappointed in the font size. It may not require you to purchase your own copy to see these issues, but I did anyway.

LULU.COM will never be Amazon, but it is a fresh start for all beginning and renowned writers. I can see Stephen King using this tool. His profit margin may actually rise compared to his book contract he now receives. Compare the differences and see if it is a worthy pursuit.

As an English and Humanities Professor, I say it is!

A Return to Simple

2008-04-04T11:22:00.002-05:00

Over the past five years, I have been an advocate for technology in my workplace. I pushed the limits of technology and have even written about him here. I have podcasted here and there and have video podcasts looming at large on Google. However, there is a side to me now that is moving toward the simplicity of technology.

Linus Torvalds talks openly about coding from the terminal or writing emails from a simple interface instead of using something as illuminating as the ever expansive Microsoft Office. I finally see his point, and though many consumers deserve the right to use products that make their writing skills better by checking grammar and such or that create 3-dimensional objects with Blender or another commercial software, I constantly strive now toward the simplicity.

Though I am not heavily involved in coding (I know the basics of C++, Perl, PHP, HTML, etc.), the logic of simplicity (making the program work effectively with the least amount of coding possible) matters to me. It is like eating at a Chinese Restaurant and looking not for the fried vegetables mixed with sugar and coated with enough oil to clog my arteries; it is the idea of searching out the fresh vegetables that are steamed naturally by merely water!

I don't always live toward that simple nature in restaurants nor in my use of the computer, but I find myself more often opening a student's or faculty's Microsoft 2007 documents and stripping the complexity in Microsoft's Wordpad or Ubuntu's Text Editor. Even OpenOffice becomes too complex to me at times, and Ubuntu's Text Editor contains everything I need, including spell check.

I miss the DOS days of programming, and perhaps APPLE's shift to the Graphical User Interface is a successful one for Visual Learners. Perhaps, though, we rely too much on the GUI from APPLE to MICROSOFT to MOZILLA to NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR to INTERNET EXPLORER and FIREFOX and OPERA (gotta plug OPERA) and forget the ideas and logic behind typing and manipulating a computer through the use of a keyboard or simply through text-based commands.

When I teach, we focus heavily on the image and the design of a document, but language may be underscoring the possibilities within this new generation of forced visual learners. As an experiment one year, I may return to a completely text-driven class with minimal visual connections for students when they work on their paper. Even as an assignment, I may install an old word processing program or force them to type their paper on typewriters (if I can locate enough) just to analyze the various cognitive differences at play. Are there any? Or, are there simply cultural and generational differences involved?

I don't have the answer because even though I am thirty-five years old, I owned my first computer (a Radio Shack one) before I was nine. I programmed with the BASIC language and never could save the file that well on my tape drive. I was forced to realize the early frustration with computers and also recognize the organizational methodology behind computer languages that have helped me become an organized writer and thinker over the years.

I wish I still owned that computer! And, perhaps after playing with it for a few days, I will write my next entry on a return to complexity. :-)

Signing out,
Cataract Moon

Free Books

2008-03-30T12:48:00.003-05:00

Free Books Here

The company is called WOWIO. They offer you downloads of 3 free books per day and a total of 30 per month. They have an excellent selection. For example, Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five is one of the selection. That is not a book you typically find on free book websites, since it is still in copyright.

I currently have downloaded two books, The Story of Mathematics and Dictionary of Mythology. If I were to purchase these books, I would be paying at least $20 per book. So, how does this site make money then or support itself?

When you read the book in a PDF file, the first page of the book is an advertisement. That is it. You can read the first advertising page and then move one to read your book without other intrusions.

They do ask, however, that you be identified by a real email address that can identify yourself. So, the traditional email sites, such as Yahoo, Hotmail, and Gmail, do not work. But, if you have an email address from a school website or perhaps another work environment, then you can use that email for WOWIO. That may be the only hesitation to use this website, but I have opted out of them spamming my email, although please read their Terms and Conditions carefully. I will let you know over the course of three or so months if my email inbox is spammed with advertisements related to WOWIO. So far, so good, however, especially since I can read books normally not available for free.

(They don't have the Harry Potter novels listed....yet, however.)

I give the site a 3.5 out of 5 at the moment.

--Moon

Garageband

2008-03-23T23:19:00.003-05:00

I have played briefly with Garageband on an Apple, even though I do not own an Apple. I like it better than the alternative versions existing in the world. Audacity works, but if I truly were making complex music, I would simply buy a top-of-the-line Apple Computer and use Garageband as my method of production. End of the line. The best recording studio that most mild techies can use without many issues!

Of course, maybe Mixcraft and the expensive alternative Adobe Audition are heading in the right direction for the PC Users out there! I have yet to try Mixcraft, so if anyone has any input, please send me a message.

Meanwhile, I will stick to some of the free recording software available at Software4free.org.

Thanks,
Moon

Too Many Linux Distros?

2008-03-12T22:03:00.003-05:00

I recently read an article in a Linux Magazine arguing that we have too many Linux distributions on the market. I agree!

Let me preface my statement, however.

Yes, there are certain distributions needed for security or other reasons, and we can never limit ourselves to those distributions needed for specific purposes.

But, let's talk specifically about your traditional Windows XP or Vista owner and leave out all the other super users out there who specialize in many areas.

Can my wife seriously use a Linux distribution without any errors when it is so simple to use Vista or XP. (She has ZERO problems with VISTA on her laptop except a few annoying elements created by Vista, such as its intrusive nature while she is working on a paper.)

Now. Let's find a distribution or two that looks awesome, that works well in document formats, that successfully plays music on boot, that finds the most difficult drivers without large issues (i.e. ATI Radeon 2600XT), and just makes the user happy on every boot without the threat of major security issues.

Will this ideal ever happen? I believe it can. It already is. The Linux Kernel is fairly secure, and most distributions are based on Debian or some other knock-off code. We tend to have three basic desktop environments: Gnome, KDE, and/or XFCE. And soon, I am hoping the KDE movement into the Windows environment may create this edge to move toward the linux operating system(s).

The question remains, however. Which linux distro is ready to take on the challenge of Windows continuously competing market? I don't have the clear answer, but I have some clues.

OpenSuse, with Joe Brockmeier moving into the Novell arena, may have the capacity to change the movement of an Open Operating System competing with Microsoft. I have used OpenSuse in many variations and still know it needs ample work, especially with the current development and improvement of the KDE Desktop. But, it is getting there, and all Linux really needs are real people out there to promote the heck out of it? (Maybe we need a real Barack Obama grassroots effort to see a difference in selling these great ideas to the public.)

Anyway, Bob Dylan writes, "It's not dark yet, but it is getting there." I provide this quote for two reasons. First, we are at the pinnacle moment again in Open Source history, and if we do not pursue clear marketing strategies and fine regular people like me who have very little computer programming experience to board the plane, then we will fade into darkness and continue to argue over which distro is the best. Also, it is getting dark for Microsoft, too. They are a large, tangled company placing themselves in so many areas that they are not sure which hand is touching the other. They are being sued in Europe, and European lawsuits seem more serious to me than being sued by the American Federal government, which seems to encourage some monopolies. Finally, Microsoft sits back and watches the latest movements and then steals or at least borrows from the best and latest technologies (or just purchases them).

Does Linux want to remain as innovative as Apple and then see their technologies reproduced better by Microsoft? Hopefully, this will not happen to the KDE environment as they find methods to exchange their environment with Windows Vista.

So, that is the story today instead of the sex scandal. Linux, find the business model. Follow Mozilla's path. Follow Google's path, even though they loom as large as Microsoft. And, create some dynamic competition in the marketplace so that I can return to a place of work that speaks to the innovation of computer technology instead of the reproduction of a Windows System that we all must take because "there is no alternative."

I am the alternative. You are the alternative. Open Source Believers, Unite!

--Moon

I have finally done it!

2008-03-09T21:58:00.003-05:00

My work experience has been free of ALL Window Products for six months. That is right. I no longer use Microsoft products at work, and I feel great, free, and the same.

Do I miss Microsoft Word? Absolutely not! Though I use OpenOffice via Ububtu Linux, sometimes I prefer to write my words in blog entries or in Text Editor (similar to notepad) because I am finding that at times less technology actually works better for me, because I am basically bound to words.

Do I struggle still with co-writing documents with others? I do. Typically, I will send out my documents as Rich Text Format and bring a printed OpenOffice Doc to the meeting. You cannot tell the difference between that style and Word. But, sometimes, when I send out a document in OpenOffice and convert it to Rich Text Format, it simply does not center the Name of the document on the front page. Weird, huh. Minor bug, however, and I am not complaining, because I love Ubuntu Linux and have no problems whatsoever printing directly to my network printer.

These days, I forget I am using a different Operating System. Everything works out well.

1. I draft docs in OpenOffice.
2. I surf the net in SwiftWeasel--based on Mozilla Firefox.
3. I use the WYSIWIG Editor, Kompozer, or simply program HTML and CSS Style Sheets in the Text Editor.
4. I listen to my music with Amarok.
5. I use sticky notes to remind me to accomplish certain tasks and hide them when I need more desktop space.
6. I have zero problems connecting to any network, including wireless.
7. I use Pidgin Instant Messenger to speak to my YAHOO and AIM Friends.
8. And, I go online to NetVibes to read my various RSS Feeds, even though there are plenty of other RSS Feed Readers in Linux.
9. I use IGOOGLE and all of google products, particularly the calendar to stay on task, instead of using an email software program, such as Mozilla Thunderbird, Evolution, or Microsoft Outlook. To be honest, I am just used to clicking on Netvibes and IGoogle and having ALL of my emails waiting there for me. It is part of my culture, and it makes email sort of special to me by going to the web to retrieve it.
10. What do I need Windows for again? I cannot remember. Internet Explorer? What is that again?

I do run Windows Vista at home just because I like to play with operating systems and because I was sucked into a two-year contract with YAHOO to download unlimited music subscription to my Creative Zen. Oh Well! I am not perfect but am waiting for that contract to expire, unless, of course, Yahoo decides to sell its Music Subscription service and allow me out of the silly contract. Other than the DRM of unlimited music on my ZEN, Microsoft is gone from me.

There is one problem, however. Our work is moving away from a Linux-Based Server and toward Microsoft Exchange. I am not happy with that. Hopefully, I will still be able to retrieve my email off the server without having to resort to Outlook. If not, I will refuse to read any of my emails for the rest of my life! :-)

Moon

I love the new NetVibes!

2008-03-05T20:53:00.003-06:00

Netvibes made its move into the open social environment. Any user can create their own Netvibes site and publish it to the world. In my opinion, this open social network is what Facebook could have become. Perhaps Google, Yahoo, and MSN are next as they move into the Widget-Style of Netvibes.

Here is my site. Let me know what you think.

http://www.netvibes.com/cataractmoon

Neil Gaiman's American God's

2008-03-02T23:27:00.002-06:00

Neil Gaiman's American God's is available to be read online here.

OpenOffice and Ulteo

2008-02-25T01:17:00.003-06:00

As many websites have described, the open-source software, OpenOffice, is now joining the online forces of google, zoho, and others.

You can test out this service here.

Opera Sues Microsoft

2008-02-16T21:19:00.002-06:00

Similar to the 1990s lawsuit between Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer, Opera is now suing Microsoft for installing Internet Explorer as the default web browser. (They are suing in Europe.)

As much as I dislike Internet Explorer and its default application on my computer, I have a few suggestions for Opera.

Instead of suing a major corporation, why not compete as the underdog browser and show the world the strength of Opera? You have already proven the strength of your browser in the mobile market, as the Nintendo Corporation, among others, use your Browser as the only option. Should Microsoft sue Nintendo for not allowing Internet Explorer to be a component of the Nintendo DS? Are you also suing Apple for making Safari as its default browser on the Mac?

I obviously agree that Microsoft uses its operating system to sell other products, such as Internet Explorer, but they have not created a monopoly in other programs, such as Paint, Wordpad, or Windows Media Player. Should Microsoft have to remove ALL of its programs from its operating system to appease your company?

There must be a better way to compete with such a large company. Google is competing. Linux and Open Source companies are trying to compete as well. And, Mozilla Firefox is competing successfully with its innovative open-source structure without being a default on Windows XP or Vista. In fact, if Opera was one of the options on a Vista machine, would Microsoft have to pay you royalties or usage rights? It makes sense that Microsoft does not install software; otherwise, the price of the operating system would increase, which ultimately harms the consumer.

Nevertheless, as a consumer, my first step when receiving a new Microsoft Operating System is to install Firefox and Opera. Maybe I do not represent the normal consumer, and most people use Internet Explorer because it is there. Yes, you have an uphill battle to climb, but climbing that hill makes your company worthwhile, as it continually removes the monopoly of Internet Explorer.

My question, then, would be this. As the Opera corporation, how do we break through? How do we connect to our consumers? How do we increase our capacity to excel in an unfair world?

Life is unfair, and a lawsuit won't change that. It only draws attention to the strength of Microsoft and Internet Explorer, while you should be changing through a revolutionary browser like Firefox and continually shape the culture in your direction, such as the IPHONE and IPOD movement, which is largely successful through the art of monopoly (the relationship between the IPOD and the software product, ITUNES.)

--Moon

Ubuntu Linux and KDE 4.0

2008-02-06T22:05:00.000-06:00

Over the months, I have tested multiple Linux Operating Systems (do I have to refer to them as "distros"), and I keep returning to UBUNTU.

Even when the new KDE 4.0 may appear to be the next big thing in linux and windows desktop environments, I am not a huge fan of widgets. When widgets arrived on the scene, I jumped on the bandwagon, but now, I just prefer to have a clean operating system, and if I want information, similar to what a widget might provide, I fire up Mozilla Firefox and head to my two sites: iGoogle and NetVibes. So, having widgets all over the place just distract me and force my RAM, Processor, and Video Card to work when I am not.

So, kudos to Ubuntu still for its clean install, customization, and innovation. However, when KDE is ready for Windows VISTA, my first download will be AMAROK--one of my favorite music managers that I rank higher than ITUNES, Windows Media Player, and Real Player.

Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft

2008-02-04T15:06:00.000-06:00

Is Three Company or a crowd? Is a monopoly not a monopoly if only two contenders are involved? In other words, if I am playing the game Monopoly and own Boardwalk and Park Place along with half the board and my opponent owns the other half of the board, while two other players were once involved in the game, do we have a standstill? Are we, as a consumer-based society, really competing to remain balanced between two likely candidates to match each other like the perfect tie in a political arena? Is it really good for two companies, namely Microsoft and Google, to drive the entire economy of the web?

There are empires in the world that seem to run the country. Some of those empires might be the United States, China, and the European Union. In school, we attempt to teach our students the idea of shared responsibility in a global environment, but in many ways, we are teaching our students to COMPETE with financial strength to maintain the empire X, Y, or Z.

And, so we have empires on the Internet, and we have grown accustomed to their surges over the years. We praised American Online in its glory days, and it housed one of its headquarters in my home state. Then, like most empires in the online world, it dissipated, and people who believed in the corporation were left without jobs, returned to school, or found jobs at other call centers across our county. We, of course, adapt, but we also lament but recognize the idea that there is never in the online market pure stability except when discussing Google and Microsoft.

Perhaps Google and Microsoft will remain competitive and maintain its workforce and 401K plans for years to come, or maybe like MCI Worldcom, it will fall into political and economic scandal and force some of my best friends to leave the company and losing that 401K dream they once believed would remain for eternity.

The American Dream of the pension plan, retirement, and the FDR dream of pulling us out of the depression is now a myth as companies continue to stand on their feet by merging, consolidating power, and surviving by joining together in a world that cannot compete against itself.

It is a frustrating world from the empire's perspective to challenge the universe and produce the appropriate stock numbers for its constituents, but at the bottom--where the workers and real people reside--we are not sure how to pay our taxes, how to overcome the rising cost of gas prices in a tightly wound budget, or how to make legitimate money with very little understanding of starting a small business and growing it without the fear of its demise.

What shall I tell my students in the future? That we are at a trend? That China's market is ultimately good for the global economy and life in third-world countries but not so good in our own, when they are heavily exporting to South American countries and producing some positive changes in the socio-economic arena there.

The answer is complex, and I don't know what else to say except there are three search engines that are no longer search engines competing for advertisements across the globe's domain. Who will win? Boardwalk (i.e.--Microsoft), Park Place (i.e. Yahoo), or the rest of the Monopoly board (i.e.--Google)?

Graphical Dictionary

2008-01-20T21:43:00.001-06:00

If you are a visual learner and prefer a less linear dictionary, try out VISUWORDS. It mixes a traditional online dictionary with the mindmapping concept. Here is a brief example of as I defined the word, Clandestine.

You can also click on each area, and more of the linear version of the definition arrives on the screen. For dictionary purposes, it is an excellent supplement to your online thinking experience, but when I spelled a word incorrectly, it did not search for any words that are similar in spelling. For that, I wonder how strong the search engine is, yet I still recommend this site.

--Moon

iMedix Places our Medical Interests Online

2008-01-19T22:39:00.001-06:00

The new beta version, iMedix, is a social blogging networking that allows users to find what seems to be excellent articles on health-related interests and socially connect with others across the globe interested in similar health interests.

If you have a rare medical disease, then you can speak to others who have that same condition because the iMedix categorizes your profile by the various health issues interesting to the user.

I am sure there are many who may not desire to place their medical interests online, but it seems like an excellent method of placing the user with a network of cancer survivors, for example, and to connect with others who suffer seriously from various diseases.

However, if you are a hypochondriac, you might want to refrain from signing into the website. You might end up diagnosing yourself with diseases that are truly of no concern whatsoever to you. :-)

I have decided to try out the website; if I continue, I will let you know more later.

Cover Letters

2008-01-05T13:34:00.000-06:00

This site is perhaps the best I have seen on instructing people on how to write a cover letter.

http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Cover-Letter

As much as I have been on the job review side, I have seen numerously horrible cover letters. Learn from this site, and it just might land you an interview.

However, after reading the site, please remember one thing I have learned. If you really want a job, you cannot send the SAME cover letter to different places. In fact, I have received a Cover Letter before stating they wanted a job at a different college from which I work. This kind of error will harm your opportunities no matter how qualified you might think you are.

Go read the site, even if you are not looking for a job.

--Moon

Is Dell Serious About Linux?

2008-01-04T23:29:00.000-06:00

Is Dell serious about selling a Linux Computer? Or, are they using Linux as an advertisement scheme to appeal to the Linux crowd? I don't have the answer to either question, but if we compare Dell Computers with or without Linux next to each other, you might not notice that large of a savings.

Computer	Dell Inspiron 530N	Dell Inspiron 531S
Operating System	Ubuntu Linux	Windows Home Basic
Processor	Intel Pentium dual-core processor (1.60 GHz, 800 FSB)	AMD Athlon 64X2 Dual-Core 4000+
Monitor	17 inch Widescreen Flat Panel	17 inch Widescreen Flat Panel
Memory	1 GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM @ 667MHz	1 GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM @ 667MHz
Hard drive	250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM)	250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM)
CD Drives	48X CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive	48X CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive
Video Card	128 MB Nvidia GeForce 8300 GS	Nvidia GeForce 6150 SE Integrated Graphics GPU
Audio	Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio	Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio
Keyboard/Mouse	Dell USB Keyboard and Mouse	Dell USB Keyboard and Mouse
Floppy Drive	none	none
Speakers	none	none
Ethernet	10/1000 Integrated Ethernet	10/1000 Integrated Ethernet
Modem	none	56K Data/Fax Modem
Price	$499	$499

From this comparison, Dell only offers the desktop Inspiron 530N for the Ubuntu Operating System. So, by choosing a Linux Operating System, the consumer does not receive other alternative desktops created by Dell. If the consumer desires a desktop operating system running Windows Vista or even XP Products, the choices are still various.

Next, what is the difference between the Ubuntu (Intel Pentium dual-core processor 1.60 GHz, 800 FSB) and Windows Home Basic Processor (AMD Athlon 64X2 Dual-Core 4000+)? Both processors are low-end models, and I am not an expert on processors. Therefore, I cannot give a fair assessment of the differences here.

Memory, Hard Drives and CD Drives are exactly the same, so I wonder exactly why the price range is not less for the Ubuntu-Based Dell? Perhaps the next category makes the difference.

The Ubuntu Version of the Dell Desktop contains a 128 MB Nvidia GeForce 8300 GS, while the Windows Version uses an Integrated Graphics Card. Though both contain about the same MB, the Ubuntu Version is a much newer graphics card than the Windows version, and I expect that it outperforms Windows. Thus, Dell offers Windows in Home Basic instead of a Premium Package, while a Windows Premium Package could successfully run better on the other desktop—the one designed for Ubuntu. So, I see the major difference in price happening mostly with the Graphics Card—sometimes more important for performance and quality than a processing speed.

While the Windows-Based Desktop offers a modem, that choice does not reduce the price of the desktop if the consumer decides to customize and de-select it from the system. Therefore, the modem plays no part in the pricing of the computer.

My final verdict?

Even with customization, the pricing is basically the same between an Ubuntu and Windows Desktop offered by Dell. The differences in savings may occur with the Processors and the Video Card. However, if you really want a Linux Operating System, then there are better options. Purchase a computer without an operating system. For example, a Windows Premium Upgrade from Windows XP runs about $130. (I am not sure what kind of wholesale price Dell receives for installing Vista on their computers.) And, Ubuntu Linux actually can be downloaded and placed on a CD for free. So, shop around and see what kind of desktop, monitor, and accessories you can purchase for $499 without any operating system installation. You may be surprised at what you can afford! And, purchase some freakin' speakers for the $130 you might have spent to upgrade your computer from XP to Vista.

But, if you cannot live without a Windows Operating System, please spend more money on upgrading your processor, Memory (at least 2 GB of RAM), and Video Card. Otherwise, you will be disappointed by the specs on the low-end Dell model offered for Vista.

--Moon

Why Not Linux?

2008-01-04T21:22:00.000-06:00

I still wonder why the entire world, particularly educational institutions, have not switched to a Linux Operating System.

How much, I wonder, does it cost an institution for a site license not only for Microsoft Windows Operating Systems but also for Microsoft Office and Adobe Products? Multiply that number by the amount of computers on our campus. All of a sudden, we have a substantial amount of money that we could use to budget other technologies and still maintain an enormous consistency and technological advancement at our institution.

However, I doubt our institution or the majority of educational institutions in the United States will ever make that move because Linux is still difficult to operate unless a technical person mentors faculty and staff.

On a side note, some might argue that Linux is simple, and once it is fully operational, it actually is. But, it takes some manipulation to make it fully operational. For example, I spent an hour making my linux-version of Mozilla Firefox accept the appropriate Flash Plugins for it to work effectively. The philosophy that linux "just works" has arrived in many forms, but it is still far from becoming the perfect operating system for an educational setting.

What are the obstacles?

1. Our enrollment system at our institution is designed for Windows XP. How much would it cost to convert that system to linux, after all the money we have poured into it to make it function? Could one of the solutions be that a portion of the college remains working in a Windows XP environment, while other areas conserve money via linux--a free operating system, unless you purchase support from one of the major distributors?

2. Most students run Windows or Apple. However, it has always been my opinion that students should learn "adaptability" skills. While we are always trying to make our educational system streamlined and organized in a similar fashion, perhaps we are approaching the education of students in a wrong pattern altogether. Why not show them how to run an Apple and Linux Operating System. They may not be more productive at first, but think of their future when they walk into a business and can do anything. (I, of course, have written about this idea before, but it is still in my brain.)

3. Are we training our students to learn the operating systems they will use in a business environment? Who knows? A computer is a computer. What is the difference really if I use Word 2007 or OpenOffice? They accomplish the same task. In fact, I am writing online, so what is the real need for either of these products if I can write in a blog format or use Google applications for free? A tool is a tool, and some tools that are free are worth pursuing.

4. But Windows is oh so cool! I agree that Windows Vista looks nice, and I happen to like it and use it on one computer, but it is a replica of everything strong about Apple's and Linux's latest Operating Systems and innovations. I'd rather have updated furniture, newer Linux-driven computers with faster CPU's and Graphic Cards than invest in a memory sponge like Vista.

I don't know all the reasons why the Linux revolution may never touch our institution or yours, but it should. It is, after all, springing up in Europe. So, why not here? Yes, there are a few cases to report, but we need a Barack Obama movement in the Linux environment to encourage change to better our institutional advancement.

IT is not simply about conserving money. Or, maybe it is. But, overall, there is just something right about the democratic movement of Ubuntu and other versions of linux. Are we still a democracy? Or, have the corporations overtaken the freedom of choice for individual creativity? As much as I despise Andrew Jackson, maybe we need a guy like him to challenge corporate America and create yet another vision of the small-business dream and Thomas Jefferson agrarian idealism built also upon technological advancement through pure competition between multiple products.

He who has the most toys wins right now. And, nothing might remain in the future.

Sony Playstation Operating System.

I am dreaming now!

--Moon

Open Source Living

2007-12-28T09:34:00.001-06:00

If you are looking for an excellent site for open-source software, I recommend Open Source Living.

--Moon

Free Online Courses

2007-12-21T13:04:00.000-06:00

Free Online Courses at Universities

Thanks to the website, Lifehacker, for providing such an excellent portal to browse free online courses at the University level. I have reviewed some of the material at M.I.T and other colleges and find the information and acquired skills necessary and useful. Also, I suggest browsing in ITUNES for the various educational podcasts; they are useful, too. Search out Grammar Girl--one of my favorite podcasts! If you cannot find her in ITUNES, check out her Blog instead.

--Moon

Angel Learning

2007-12-19T19:41:00.000-06:00

Our institution is migrating to ANGEL Learning, which will replace our current system, Web-Ct. I will provide evaluations and ideas on education in the next six months or so. My colleague and I from our division are in charge with the mentoring process. I cannot wait to work with her and make a collaborative effort to unfold a great movement in education at our institution. The students will truly learn better, I believe, with this new educational platform.

New Facebook Application: Ratemyprofessors

2007-12-17T14:50:00.000-06:00

Ratemyprofessors has joined the world of FaceBook applications, while MySpace already has an application built into its social networking. It really appears as though Facebook is pushing toward its limits to become the one application and social networking site and and may surpass MySpace in its use of Web 2.0 style applications.

I must end this blog quickly...to check out whether or not my students have rated me well!

--Moon

Free Concerts Online

2007-12-16T21:29:00.001-06:00

There are great places online to download free Music Concerts.

All Songs Considered

(For example, on Dec. 17--Aimee Mann Live will be available. Also, if you hunt around the site, some concerts can be downloaded to your harddrive, while others are available for streaming. Finally, the quality is EXCELLENT!)

The Internet Live Music Archive

(The quality tends to be less than All Songs Considered, but it is still worth the experience. Some of the more artists listed on this site are Against Me!, Ben Kweller, Andrew Bird, Maroon 5, David Gray, Grateful Dead, My Morning Jacket, Mojave 3, etc. Finally, one aspect I like is that you can download concert songs individually, so if there is part of a concert your do not like, you can avoid it altogether.)

Problems with Computer?

2007-12-16T16:21:00.000-06:00

During the semester, at least seven students have told me horror stories about their computer experiences. Hard drive crashes. Viruses and other security issues. Slow-crawling processors and system resources at 100% upon each login after login.

It is difficult to say if the problems arise from mechanical, hardware issues or the operating system, but I surmise if they load a linux product on their computer, they may (and I stress may) circumvent many of these issues.

I suggest Kubuntu Linux.

I run this operating system at work and love it. If you are used to Windows Operating Systems, it may take time for you to understand just because it is built differently and you are still stuck in a Windows version of thinking.

Why should you use Kubuntu or another Linux distribution?
1. You do not have to purchase Norton security products, which are expensive and slow down your processing speed.
2. You do not need to concern yourself that much or not at all with spyware or viruses since the majority of viruses are designed for Microsoft Windows. (You may want to install a free virus scanner if you use email, however, because you do not want to send dangerous script to someone using Windows.)
3. You are free from closed-source software.
4. You have another reason to find new creativity in an operating system.
5. You have built-in security in the administrative mode, and as a user, you remain working as a user and, therefore, are protected from hackers attacking the heart of your linux operating system.

That is my quick top five. If you want to try out Kubuntu Linux, respond to my blog, and I will give you further tips. But, I suggest one thing. Take this challenge. Switch for an entire month. Use if for an entire month. Don't give up after one day or week. After a month, you still have Window urges, then consider evaluating your options.

I took the one-month challenge, and while I have Windows Vista on my home computer, it excites me when I use my Kubuntu-driven work laptop. I don't know why, but everything just works and works quickly while using less resources and still providing the same aesthetic quality of browsing Internet sites and working on documents.

I am happy with Kubuntu! You will be, too.

--moon

When the Weather Changes Technology

2007-12-11T15:26:00.000-06:00

It has been an interesting few days in Oklahoma City. Freezing Rain has caused electrical problems across the state, and because of this environmental situation, it has changed how we do our computer tasks.

1. My wife is working at home instead of in the pharmacy because their phone lines are down and, therefore, she cannot accomplish her tasks on the computer. Luckily, our home still streams with electricity even though a transformer sparked last night and nearly scared me worse than a horror film.

2. I teach tonight, and I received a phone call from a student with barely enough "cell phone power" to make the call. She said quickly: "My phone's about dead. Are we having class tonight." "Yes. See you soon." Click.

3. Some online students cannot submit their papers to me, so they are submitting them the old fashioned way: in person.

4. Some students who are having car issues due to the weather are emailing me their papers instead of attending class.

5. And my favorite...one student, whose electricity is out at her house, brought all of her gadgets to our library and re-charged them there. How ingenious!

Regardless of the circumstance, we find intricate methods around our technology issues and hope soon our electrical company (God rest their souls right now) will restore the balance so that we once again can return to the promises of our online virtual realities!

I think I may be bringing candles to class tonight, and they might be writing their final essay in old-fashioned ink...or blood!

--moon

One Document Format?

2007-12-04T21:04:00.000-06:00

In the education profession, we ask our students at our college to save documents as Rich Text Format, since most computers can access that document style. And, in the open source environment conversation, I read constantly about the movement toward one inclusive document format. However, I have a different opinion.

Differences in formats are very much like the diversity of products: they stimulate ideas and promote creativity. Yes, but do we really need differences in something as bland as a document format, such as what the various Office Applications provide us: OpenOffice, Microsoft, IBM, Sun, Corel, etc.?

I don't mind, to a certain degree, of the differences, but what frustrates me is when I create a document in Open Office and show my colleagues the work on a different school computer, which only contains Microsoft Word. Therein lies the issue. Will the document look appropriate when it is converted? Will it lose its bullets and styles I added to it?

The document sometimes looks okay but other times is a big mess, particularly if I create a presentation in OpenOffice Impress and then show it in a classroom using PowerPoint Presentation. The end result is that I become frustrated with the process and OpenOffice loses its potential because the default program at our institution is, of course, Microsoft.

I have a few choices, however. First, I can install OpenOffice onto the classroom computer, and I have in many of the classrooms, but there are some classrooms that when rebooted return to the default settings. I then have to ask an IT supervisor to include OpenOffice as part of the rebooted default settings.

This concept of various formats of a similar program is astonishing and frustrating to many people, yet still, I have hope for the differences. I don't mind telling my students that they must provide me with a document either as a .DOC file or .RTF file when they are using Word 2007. It makes them work a bit harder and adapt to the world.

There is nothing wrong with the concept of adaptation. It forces us to be better learners and not depend on one method of accomplishing a goal. That is why I believe firmly that learning how to work with a variety of supervisors, who all manage differently, is another great method of adaptation. It is part of the process of the human experience.

So, my final question will be answered. Should all the mega-corporations and small corporations sit in a room and create one Format for Presentations, Documents, Spreadsheets, etc.?

Absolutely not!

Let's continue the competition.
Let's continue to teach our children and adults how to cope and adapt to the various mechanisms of change.
And, let's not let one company, such as Microsoft, win in the battle for the "correct" format, even though I like many of their products!

Finally, remember that adaptation involves a power struggle, and since companies are consistently improving their models for the consumer, the power will always remain in a state of flux. That is the American drive, isn't it!

--Moon

Microsoft Word 2007 Viewer

2007-12-04T21:00:00.000-06:00

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=3657ce88-7cfa-457a-9aec-f4f827f20cac&displaylang=en

If you are a teacher or need to open Microsoft Word 2007 Documents (and are running Windows), the website above should do the trick for you.

--Moon

GMAIL Again

2007-11-30T10:47:00.000-06:00

I am still perplexed by gmails advertisements next to my email. I just completed a passionate, inspirational speech to a friend, and the following advertisements arrived on the screen.

Ever Thought of Coaching?
Disney Leadership Skills
Presentation Skills Coach
Communication Skills
Problem Solving Training

I, of course, am not including the web addresses.

Once again, I wonder if the google ads work, and people click on them. When I read through my email, I realize the context is missing for the google advertisements to really operate successfully.

So, we ask this question as usual.

How close to human emotion and reaction can a programming language imitate?

Of course, we probably have seen the film, A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, by Stephen Spielberg. The robot in the film longs to feel love, and his god-maker is amazed that a robot can imitate such human feelings to the point of reality. Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell, Dark City and other films play with this same message.

And, google analytics are perhaps the closest the Internet has arrived at produce such a human engagement of predicting how the cognitive brain might think, but there is a problem, of course, with google: they are merely focusing this energy on marketing and advertisement.

When will programmers take advantage of the marketing strategies of google and place them in a different context. Yes, the machine needs to operate by making advertisement dollars, but at some point, programmers can step away from the machine and think, really think, about the consequences of reproducing human sympathy--sympathy that could lead one to suicide--for the sake of advertisement. Can you imagine an email sent to another person regarding depression and suicidal tendencies, and then google advertisements impersonally arrive on the screen.

Shouldn't a human form--a doctor perhaps--arrive on the screen instead?

It is a strange world out there in cyberland still and getting stranger still. It is as if we are continually trying to find methods of making money by manipulating the next business model that lasts as long as people buy-in to the service. They don't even have to believe in the service. They just have to be inquisitive and human enough to look and engage. And, then the marketing scheme works.

Is it any different, though, from Avon and other start-up companies asking single human beings beyond the corporations to sell products for them? It is! The difference still resides in the human touch--something programmers are still masterfully trying to engage us through the operation of software and websites, such as Facebook and Messenger and other great products.

But, really the human touch begins when an idea catches on and there is no marketing scheme. Everyone flocks to it, and it becomes a major success. Then and only then, marketers approach the company and turn a poetic, artful masterpiece into a business planning session. Ugh!

Firefox Extensions

2007-11-28T21:58:00.000-06:00

I have written about security and web browsing in Firefox. Here is an excellent blog entry focusing on some of the concerns I recently raised. You will learn another angle from Lisa Hoover's Article on Linux.Com.

Also, here is another reason to monitor your use of JavaScript with the Firefox extension, No Script. Check out Lisa Vaas's article, Researcher: Javascript Attacks Get Slicker.

Finally, if you are absolutely in love with Internet Explorer, please find an add on that will dismantle Javascripts from loading into your browser.

IE7Pro is a start.

If I find an Internet Explorer add on that works like No Script, I will post it here. For now, the safest browser is Mozilla Firefox.

--Moon

Netvibes versus iGoogle

2007-11-28T21:01:00.001-06:00

If you are like me, I love start pages. A few years ago, I might say that a start page limits your capacity to search the far reaches of the web and find that new site or information never discovered but by a few agile surfers. Today, there is still room to accomplish such a task, but having a good start page in your web browser allows for quick accessibility of information without having to point and click five different places or open several tabs after clicking on your various favorite links.

So, my title today is actually not a good title, for I do not want to pit Netvibes and iGoogle--two excellent start pages--against each other. I use both of them! And, they both load into my tabbed browser with one simple click of the mouse!

What I like about iGoogle.
1. I have quick access to blogger, my calendar, google documents (typically my brainstorms), images, and maps.

2. Google has integrated all of their web applications successfully into one package. Why else would I need to go anywhere else?

3. iGoogle sets up with a nice and personal webpage just for me. I currently have the following feeds that brighten my day and make me want to be a better person: daily literary quote, art of the day, twitter friend comments, Buddhist thought of the day, my horoscope, photos of sacred places, and the phase of the moon. Today, the moon is a waning gibbous, and I am told by a Romanian Poet, Paul Celan, that "reality is not simply there, it must be searched and won."

4. Like Netvibes, iGoogle contains tabs to add more web applications, and on the second tab setting, I tend to have functional applications, such as the following: online English Grammar podcast, Merriam's Webster Dictionary, Spellcheck a Word, Google Notebook, To-Do-List, Wikipedia Search, Google Docs, Translate Language Program, Mapquest Driving Directions, and a YouTube Search.

As you can tell from this list, how many points and clicks am I saving? Bunches!

What I like about Netvibes
1. I get to name my own page title! Hurray! I am special!

2. It accomplishes the same four tasks I have listed in iGoogle, so I will not repeat myself.

3. I have all of my social browsing on the right side of the three-columned list: MySpace Page, Facebook Page, Important Bookmarks/Links, and My Twitter Account. I could display my other social browsing networks, too, but don't you think that is enough already? :-) A man has to do real work for a living because this blog certainly is not paying his bills!

4. In the center, I have what is already listed on my iGoogle page: the weather forecast (looks like rain on Friday), my gmail account (I don't even use Amazon, so why are they emailing me...again), my Google calendar (which is synced and already updated), and then some podcasts I listen to weekly (not daily), such as NPR Segments from All Things Considered, Religion, and Music. Video Podcasts are also available, but I have yet to find the ones I want to see daily or weekly. Usually, I use my Miro (formally Democracy Player) to watch videos.

5. In the left column (drum roll, please), I have my geek news feeds: Science Daily, TechCrunch, The New York Times (have to seem intelligent), Wired, National Geographic, and GigaOM. I don't use Google Reader or other FeedReaders to read my news because I prefer to be somewhat random, and I don't like Feeds backing up in my INBOX. I start feeling guilty! And, then I start eating and becoming depressed. Seriously, though, I just prefer to have my Newsfeed directly read from the Internet. I think many people still prefer that route, and the start page in Netvibes or iGoogle allows for such a task to continue,

Well, that is my top reasons for using both iGoogle and Netvibes. But, if you want further comparisons of these products, you might visit the website giving out the Web 2.0 Awards for 2007. I tend to agree with some of their assessments and go to their website quite often just to review other Web 2.0 applications currently on the market.

Thanks for listening, and according to Netvibes, I have two more emails to answer. Gotta run!

Reduce Security Issues

2007-11-23T22:37:00.000-06:00

If you are a Windows User, here are a few methods of reducing security issues beyond your traditional firewall and anti-virus program.

1. Do not run computer as the Administrator. If you do, viruses and other issues have the capacity to write directly to your registry. So, by clicking on CONTROL PANEL, setup a different USER ACCOUNT without Administrative Access.

2. Consider downloading a program like DefenseWall HIPS. Basically, the program separates all of your online activity from the rest of your computer in a kind of "sandbox" allowing any harmful applications to remain in the sandbox and, therefore, not affect the rest of your computer. Many security applications are moving toward this kind of protection, including Comodo Firewall and Spyware Terminator. I have used DefenseWall HIPS for about two weeks now and have been incredibly impressed. I have only noticed one major problem. When I use Windows Media Player, Yahoo Music Jukebox, and other music systems connecting directly to online subscription services, it sometimes interferes and causes these applications to crash. When this happens, I tend to shut down the DefenseWall HIPS and maintain my other security measures already running in the background.

3. Use Mozilla Firefox or Opera instead of Internet Explorer. If using Firefox, download with it a few add-ons or extensions, such as the ones I have mentioned before: NoScript, Adblock Plus, and even McAfee Site Advisor. NoScript blocks, if you allow it, all sorts of plugins, such as the following: Javascript, Flash, Silverlight, and more. Of course, you can also choose which sites you allow, but if you are going to a site you have never visited before, NoScript is a viable extension for Mozilla Firefox. Adblock Plus blocks ads and banners from running on your Internet Browser. By having this program, you won't accidentally click on an advertisement leading your computer vulnerable to malware attacks. And finally, McAfee Site Advisor identifies risky websites that have been reported to the company. Also, if you run a Google search, the McAfee Site Advisor will list which searches have been reported as safe to browser. Remember, though, that just because these security measures stop some issues, you should NOT take the opinion that you are free from vulnerabilities.

4. I rarely have issues with viruses, spyware, and other forms of malicious attacks...until my children decide to surf the Internet. If you have children, give them a list of sites they are allowed to view and watch them carefully. There are so many game sites with executable programs leading to opportunities for spyware and viruses to infiltrate your system. And, if you play online games, you might want to research through McAfee Site Advisor and other online security places to make sure these executable files are safe for downloading.

5. Switch to a Linux Operating System. Of course, you knew I might recommend that idea. In fact, for Christmas, I plan to load linux on the frontroom computer for my children. I know that sites, such as NeoPets, will not harm the computer, and if they happen to play on a site with executable scripts, the majority of scripts tend to be written with Windows Operating System in mind. Therefore, they are harmless on a Linux Operating System...so far. And, if my children want to download safe games, I also know that Linux Operating Systems have what is called a Repository approach. Basically, you have a built-in search engine of various gaming programs that have been built and tested by Linux programmers. They are placed in the repository after further testing and show an element of credibility to the online world that is still problematic in a Windows-based reality.

That is my top five quick methods of reducing security issues on your computer. I must say that all of the programs I have mentioned tonight are open source or freeware except for DefenseWall HIPS, but if you search on your own for other programs containing HIPS Defense, then you might find something just as useful.

Good luck with your security issues, and hopefully, I won't have to hear any horror stories that I recently heard from one of my students: my harddrive cannot be found.

--Moon

More Security Issues

2007-11-23T22:28:00.000-06:00

My favorite music site, AllMusic, just released this statement:

We are aware of the malware affecting some of allmusic.com's ads, and we're working on rooting out the problem advertisements as effectively as possible. Thanks for your patience, and we apologize for any inconvenience this situation has caused. To learn more about the malware-infected ads and other affected sites, check out this article: http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2215734,00.asp

I have mentioned this point three times now; it is difficult to monitor the ethics of advertisement companies online. Is there ever a person-to-person handshake? How does such a large conglomerate of servers monitor such malware attacks and other security issues embedding themselves with the advertisements on our favorite websites?

In some respects, I miss the days of pure HTML code without images. Just HTML. Just quick loading of websites. No harm. No hidden scams or executable files.

Big business is here to stay, and I hope the ALLMUSIC, among other sites, work harder to make their advertisement based on some kind of ethical rating system similar to what DIGG does with popular websites.

Anyday now, please. Anyday now.

Moon

The Ethics of Google Re-Visited

2007-11-19T15:14:00.000-06:00

My former email led me to investigate a bit further into how consumers should analyze or evaluate the advertisements arriving on their computer when reading their private email.

Here is another interesting lesson.

I opened an email from Google AdSense--the company allowing you to place ads on your own website in order to make a profit if a person--dumb as they may be--might accidentally or want to click on the advertisements next to their products.

When I read one advertisement next to my email, I was a bit dismayed. Okay, I literally threw my screen across the room in a fit of anger. Blame it on the meds or the Chinese Food I ate for lunch. That's right Chinese food. You can find Chinese Food Restaurants if you email yourself the term, Chinese Food. Go ahead! You might find the finest egg rolls in--I don't know--Chicago.

Anyway, here is the ad that sent me toward minor aggression.

Remote Password Grabber (I dare not reveal the website, but since I have already mentioned the name, you can google the website, particularly through google.)

What is Remote Password Grabber? Well, who cares. First, it is a website that is placed on my site when I read an email from Google. Next, it is what it says. It is a program you can secretly place on your "suspicious" spouse's computer and track every move they make as their moves are then reported back to you through a remote email address, such as--hmmm--gmail. Ha!

Are you afraid yet?

Am I a paranoid little bastard? Is this kind of product already on my machine, and I don't even know it? Am I being tracked by my work office, as I type away and continue to place myself in the defendant's chair? Better yet, maybe somebody who uses ADSENSE and tries to make money on their website are also interested in spying on their neighbor's home or wife for the heck of it.

Scenario:

Bill: Hi, neighbor. You say you are having a problem with spyware. I have just the thing for you. I will install it on your computer for free, and you should not have any concerns in the future.

Neighbor: Thanks, neighbor. I really appreciate your kindness.

Bill: No problem. Ha! Ha! It's the least I can do.

Then, we have sicko Bill watching your every move and forgetting about his TiVo because your personal chats and crazy life are a little more interesting than a love scene from a Rated-R film.

Okay, Okay. This scenario may never happen. But, my larger question is does google have an ETHICS?

Of course, isn't a computer just generating products randomly that best fit the needs of the consumer in---once again--their private email?

Does google have an ethics?

The answer is simple.

Computer-generated answers to search queries cannot establish an ethics, because they are not human, but humans from Google can certainly say, "Yeah, I am not sure this is the kind of product we want to advertise and represent our company."

Nevertheless, an advertisement is not just an advertisement, and as larger and larger google attains its establishment, the less ethical it can maintain its authority as some kind of ethical company.

There are obvious problems with this google-analytics concept of sending advertisements directly into your email (or at least to the side of the screen.)

The answer can be simple. There are freeware products blocking google ads, such as NoScript or AdBlock Plus in Mozilla Firefox and other Mozilla-supported web browsers.

If you are using Internet Explorer, check out Windows Marketplace for other blocking add-ons that ultimately remove advertisements, such as google ads, from your browsing habits. But remember, even though you cannot see the ads, they are just blocked and are still there on the other side of that wall for perhaps somebody else to view. (My paranoia again.)

--Cataract Moon

GMAIL

2007-11-19T14:51:00.001-06:00

I hesitate to respond here to the technological advances of email, particularly the advertisements involved in gmail, yahoo, hotmail, and other email accounts.

Just today, I wrote an email with the term, Japanese Anime, written in the email. To my dismay, I reviewed the "sent" version of the email and found the following google advertisements related directly to my email words:

You Have 2 Secret Crushes (then the website name)
Onmyodo Footwear (website name)
Anime Tees Only 2 for $30 (website name)
$18 Sushi Gift Set (Website Name)
Learn Japanese Abroad (Website Name)

My private email obviously does not seem so private when google analytics is able to decipher one word--Japanese--and then correspond that word with some products related to Japan.

And, what happens if I write an email about love. Okay, I will experiment. I plan to write the following through my gmail account:

"I love you like a red, red rose. I want to run away from you. You are a fresh flower in the morning dew, and I love you more than anything on this planet."

Give me a few seconds, and I will let you know what the ads return. Any guesses? Flowers for sale? Mountain Dew Advertisements? Let's see.

Here are the advertisements. We weren't too far off!

Gimmie Panel

2007-11-18T18:03:00.000-06:00

For Linux Users Only.

Start Menus are traditionally tedious, troublesome, and impractical. In Windows XP, for example, you have to click more than once to find your program, unless, of course, you have shortcuts already listed on the taskbar or a widget. Vista attempts to place all of your applications in one row and expand that row as you click. Still, you are using the same amounts of clicks in both Windows Xp and Vista.

Gimmie Panel, for the Gnome Desktop, seems to cure some of these frustrations. The website states the ease for locating new applications with "all the easy applications, contacts, documents, and other things you use every day."

OpenSuse 10.3 already uses a kind of start menu that expands, if you will, into its various programs, but the Start Menu frustrates me as it spreads terribly too much across the entire screen. Perhaps Gimmie Panel, then, is one answer to finding your applications quickly and without the hassle of clicking and clicking further until your application has arrived on the screen. Click the image below to view the demo.

I like the style of Gimmie Panel, and it blends nicely into the Gnome Desktop. So, in terms of practical application, Gimmie will certainly be one positive factor in improving the functionality of the Gnome Desktop in Linux, but though it blends well in Gnome, it is not the most aesthetically pleasing application.

Aesthetics in an operating system is important to consumers, and that is why I believe Apple and Windows still have the edge in this department. However, the KDE Desktop in Linux is surpassing or catching up with the aesthetic style of Apple and Windows, and perhaps a Gimmie Panel in its future construction will be an additional component for obvious functionality and then for an aesthetic improvement to the Linux Operating System.

For now, I will place the Gimmie Panel on my Desktop in Ubuntu and look forward to saving a few minutes a day as I look for specific applications or documents without cluttering my clean desktop. And, if you are an Apple or Windows User, this example should provide yet another viable reason to test an operating system that bases itself mostly on open source software and does not cost you, the consumer, money to purchase.

--Cataract Moon

Best Freeware Site of the Day

2007-11-17T15:49:00.001-06:00

http://www.carolsvault.com/best-freeware/

Carol's Vault has one of the best lists I have seen for freeware. I have used most of the software applications on her list and highly recommend this website. Her site is abundant on all kinds of information, and I now have this site as a link I return to on a weekly basis.

Programs I Currently Use (and mostly trust)

2007-11-16T08:48:00.001-06:00

1. Web Browser--Netscape Navigator 9.0 (based on Firefox) and Opera

2. Music Player--Windows Media Player (excellent product despite the minimal reviews from other sources) and Yahoo Music Jukebox (because I have an online music subscription, although I do not play my music through the minimal jukebox)

3. Chat Program--Pidgin (works with my AOL and YAHOO Accounts)

4. Firewall--Zone Alarm w/Anti-Spyware (free download on Wednesday but now costs to others)

5. Virus Checker--ESET Nod 32 Antivirus (30-day trial download) or Avast (free for non-commercial use)

6. Spyware Detectors--AVG Anit-Rootkit, AVG Antispyware, Spybot Search and Destroy, Spyware Terminator, Ad Aware 2007 (freeware version), Spyware Blaster, Super Antispyware Free Edition, NoScript Plugin for Firefox or Netscape Navigator

7. Registry Cleaner--CCleaner and Glary Utilities

8. Startup Manager--WinPatrol

9. FTP Program--FileZilla

10. CD/DVD Ripper/Burner--Plato DVD Ripper Pro, StarBurn, ImgBurn, Moyea DVD Ripper, AOA DVD Ripper, CD Burner XP Pro 3

11. Image--JAlbum, MWSnap3, and Picasa 2 (I don't work with art or photography that much)

12. HTML Editor--Notepad, Kompozer, Windows Live Writer

13. Office--OpenOffice, StarOffice, Microsoft Office 2007

14. Other--FolderMarker

Giveaway of the Day

2007-11-14T19:31:00.001-06:00

http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/

If you like to test out commercial software, you might be interested in viewing this site on a daily basis. Although the site does not always contain a variety of software resources, I have found excellent commercial software here.

Every day you have the opportunity to download one software application without any trials or limits.

I highly recommend this site, and before you download the software, you might also review the comments, for they tend to describe other software that is similar or better.

Most Popular Downloads Say Something About Internet Culture

2007-11-11T09:24:00.001-06:00

What do the most popular downloads say about our culture? First, let's take a look at the most popular downloads at three websites: FileForum, Download.Com, and Softpedia. (By the way, I am not endorsing these sites. I am simply using their information to evaluate an idea.)

FileForum Popular Downloads:

SpyBot Search and Destroy
DVD DeCrypter
K-Light Codec Pack Full
K-Light Mega Codec Pack
Ad-Aware 2007 Free

Download.Com Popular Downloads:

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition
Ad Aware 2007
eSpew MP3 Search Music Search Engine Toolbar
ICQ
Bit Comet

Softpedia Popular Downloads:

Vista Transformation Pack 7.0
Nero 8 Ultra Edition
DVD Shrink
Windows Live Messenger
Avira Antivir Personal Edition

First, it is difficult to identify specific trends just by looking at a week's worth of top downloads because several factors exist in why some of these products may be on the list. One factor, of course, may be a new release of a product.

Nevertheless, in all three categories, SECURITY is an important factor in our computer culture. Softpedia shows Avira Antivir Personal Edition (a solid real-time anti-virus program) coming in fourth, while Download.Com demonstrates the popular AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition coming in a solid first. Along with Security, the two websites depict free anti-spyware programs, such as Ad Aware 2007 (on two top five lists) and SpyBot Search and Destroy. Clearly, Microsoft Windows Operating System Users are concerned with viruses, spyware, adware, malware, and other types of security threats while surfing online or keeping their Internet connected to network 24 hours a day. My question is simple. When can we stop worrying about these security issues and have an operating system that does not rely on these annoyances? Wait a minute! I forgot APPLE and LINUX Operating Systems pretty much have solved this issue. (That is a reason to switch operating systems, by the way.)

Next, computer users are still interested in using Chat Programs, such as ICQ and Windows Live Messenger (among others). One might think chat programs would move toward being obsolete with the rise of text messaging on the phone, but these chat programs allow for the traditional chats to still occur in real time and offer text messaging that sends messages directly to our cellular phones. In other words, we are relying on older, traditional models of chatting mixed with newer technological advances. I like this idea. We are not abandoning good technology, but we are mixing and relying on them to create a more enhanced social environment for our communities and networks. I, for example, have only a certain amount of free text messages I can send on my phone, but I have unlimited incoming texting. So, similar to using ICQ, Yahoo, Messenger, or other programs to text my friends on their phones, I can also use the web version of Twitter to send messages to my friend's phones and simultaneously add these Twitter messages to multiple communities, such as Facebook, MySpace, or simply this blog. However, I would like to ask users what specifically they are still using for ICQ and Windows Live Messenger. Perhaps the integration of multiple texting services is one example. (i.e.-I can sign in to Windows Live Messenger and connect with friends on Yahoo, ICQ, Google Talk, etc. instead of having multiple chat services open simultaneously. Of course, I use Pidgin instead to accomplish these tasks.)

Third, computer users are probably backing up their DVDs either on their computer or placing them on other formats, such as other DVDS or CDs. DVD Decrypter attempts to bypass the various encryption to allow users to place an entire film on a harddrive. And, DVD Shrink reduces the quality of a film's texture in order to fit an entire film on one DVD. Are users breaking copyright law? Probably so! Are they getting away with it? Probably so! Is it costing the film industry millions of dollars? Probably not! (However, I do not have the statistics to support this argument.) I watch students and others use these kinds of programs, and they tend to like the idea of taking their films with them on their harddrive or IPOD instead of leaving the DVD inserted in the Computer's DVD drive. Users like the idea of portability, and the music industry has yet to recognize this message completely. However, companies such as Apple Inc. understand this need of portability. I have a student who legally connects his IPOD to his television to watch downloaded films. Why would a user not be interested in carrying with him 10 films to a party instead of keeping up with DVDs that scratch. For example, my son, who is four, has fifty or more DVD movies scattered throughout the room, and I cannot find the DVD cases, or if he finds the DVD cases, I cannot find the DVD to place in the case or give to him to watch. Clearly, our corporations need to consider other approaches of marketing the film industry that approaches a more expansive business model than suing the public audience for copyright infringement or creating these ridiculous commercials that complain about software film piracy.

Fourth, obviously, users are still using torrent clients and MP3 search methods to find music. Again, we might have users downloading illegal copies of music or looking for streaming music pre-existing on the web. My point is the same as the one I made about the film industry. However, we may have a larger problem with the music industry because the copyright law may not extend across the various countries beyond the United States. It might be easy for me to download through a torrent or through other methods the latest song by an artist. Or, I could purchase a song from Russia and spend less than a dollar for the entire album, for example. Strangely, the Internet culture confuses the traditional business model, and though Best Buy's music selection still spreads itself across the entire store, human beings like to sample music or learn more about an artist or look for material that cannot be found in a traditional consumer market. For example, what if a user wanted to hear a particular Bruce Springsteen song never released on a CD, yet he played the song at a concert in New York City. The bittorrents may have a copy of this particular version, and that experience will never be re-created by the companies producing Springsteen albums. Therefore, Pearl Jam, for example, experimented with such an idea and used to release their various concert albums. I don't know if these albums sold, but at least the consumer was given a different experience of hearing traditionally unreleased material with better quality than a bootlegged album recorded in a mediocre format. And, finally, my last point about torrents are that torrent users are NOT always using it for music purposes. In the open-source software community, I use torrents to download linux operating systems, such as Fedora 8. Instead of busying one server, a torrent can spread a file over 100 servers and allow these various seeds (those hosting the particular application being downloaded) to broadcast their signals and reduce server overload. So, let's not place torrent software in this negative category all the time!

Finally, what trends do you see by looking at what users are downloading? Do the corporations view these trends? Is Microsoft concerned that still we are using their operating systems, yet we must purchase or use extra software to keep our operating systems safe. It is a strange and beautiful world out there changing still by the minute. I cannot wait to review the trends five years from now. Will they be the same?

Are Google Ads Evil?

2007-11-10T18:50:00.000-06:00

I am experimenting with google advertisement and still trying to decide if advertisements on websites or blogs are worthwhile, or if they are simply a nuisance by the user reading the blog entries.

At first glance, they don't seem to flow well on most websites, and at times, the user is not sure whether or not they are clicking on a useful link with objective or evaluative information, or if they are reading advertisements glamourized and supported by the website in order to make money.

It obviously reminds me of the Paul Harvey Radio Show. During the middle of his show, he would market one or two items, such as the BOSE Radio, to pay for his radio show. And, of course, on television, we must pause for a few minutes while commercials arrive between the various segments. We now use these breaks to use the restroom or run check our email.

But, the web is different. We want smoothness of information, but at times, I am interested in new items that are not always found simply by browsing through a search engine. At times, these advertisements do send me to a link of a product which I will or will not purchase. I look at the product and consider its angle on technology, and that seems to push me in a direction of thought.

However, I have not answered my question. Are we selling out to corporate media giants or moguls, such as Google, to receive a few dollars (or more) each month to write and support our various blogs? Does that idea make our blogs important? Make us worthy writers? Provide a different entrepeneurial spirit to the web?

I just don't know. I have always been a Socialist at heart when it comes to the open-ness of the web and this idea of freedom, insight, and the ever expanding movement of resources, but how do these resources ultimately get paid? Donations?

Ubuntu, the linux operating system creating momentum for the past few years in the open source environment, is owned by a millionaire, and if he did not have that genuine, kind-hearted desire to compete with Microsoft or at least provide a free operating system to people who cannot afford to spend money or still are running operating systems, such as Windows 95 (ugh), Linux provides an alternative.

But, people should not be working for free. At some point, the open source community needs to find a method to market their products to corporations, and currently, they are doing that through Technical Support instead of charging for the Operating System. I wonder if that method actually works, however.

Here is the bottom line. I went to the bookstore yesterday and saw an OpenOffice magazine selling for probably ten or eleven dollars. Within that magazine contains a CD of the OpenOffice Applications. While it is true that I can download the applications online for free, the magazine is taking a different approach: it is teaching the consumer how to use the various applications and providing instructions as well. Perhaps that is another way for the open source market to compete with such expensive products as the ones Adobe offers for enormous amounts of money, even though they are excellent products.

So, for now, I am placing Google Advertisements on my website as an experiment. Will I become rich? Will I make Google richer? Will I become a cheap hack writer who never makes any money off the Internet? Have I lost my beans (or marbles) and sold out to the corporations and abandoned the very core of my website idea: the open source community?

I cannot answer that question yet, because at the moment, I cannot really tell you exactly which company truly controls the market or will in the future. Perhaps I believe a bit in what Google is doing. While the Operating System Wars continue, they may slip into the application business, build and support these wonderful applications, and compete at some point with the Apple IPhone or Windows Vista and provide us with a third alternative in these markets and build these alternative markets on some kind of open source, linux-driven alternative.

For now, I am leaving my options open and know if linux really wants to make a difference, it needs some kind of revenue model similar or different from google to turn the open source community into a community of open source developers competing not only for products but for market shares.

Windows Live Writer

2007-11-06T23:41:00.001-06:00

As a blogger, I tend to use a text editor in Linux or Windows to write my columns and then later paste them to the appropriate blog. However, today I downloaded a final version of Windows Live Writer for testing purposes.

For starters, it is a much better application than the blogger service provides, and I am typically not satisfied with WordPress applications when adding links, images, and tables to my particular posts. However, this application accomplishes a few items, which I like, despite the growing trend of hatred from the consumer market with Microsoft software.

1. I can drag pictures from my desktop into Windows Live Writer. That means I do not have to copy/paste or open a separate file to pre-load an image. Already, Windows Live Writer saved me time, and it feels remotely like working on a MAC. Imagine that!

2. Within the program, I can highlight text or an image, and without using the copy/paste function, I can drag the highlighted material around wherever it needs to go. Again, being lazy, I am happy with the reduction in steps it is taking me to accomplish a task.

3. Like any HTML program or Text Editor, it first saves itself to my hard-drive; though I type first offline, many users do not. So, it will add that functionality for the portable user (like myself) who may type a blog at Borders and not want to spend the money for Wi-Fi access until he or she arrives at Panera Bread or some other place offering Free Wi-Fi Access in the area.

4. Though it may not work with LiveJournal or Wordpress Blogs, it seems to do the trick quite successfully with Blogger and Windows Live Spaces (obviously).

There are other strengths of this program, such as the "Set Categories" and "Set Publish Date" component. In fact, I like this program better than any online blogging application provided by the various companies. I may end up using this program when I know I will be inserting images, videos, tables, and maps into my blog.

So, in the terms of online applications, Microsoft knows its strength: software residing on the computer still represents a better business model than online applications. The question remains, however: when will this offline business and personal Windows model be displaced by the perfect online application?

Maybe never!

--Moon

Images of Processes and Performances on Windows XP

2007-11-04T18:59:00.001-06:00

If you cannot read these small pictures, please click on them, and it will open a larger one.

Here is a list of the images related to my previous post. I just re-booted my computer, and after opening MWSnap, a program that allows me to take pictures of various portions of my screen, my computer lists 35 processes and 282 MB RAM. When snapping a photograph, my CPU Performance jumps to 47% and then returns to between 2-4%.

(By the way, MWSnap allows you to save files in a variety of styles.)

Does Your Computer Run S-l-o-w-l-y?

2007-11-04T17:59:00.000-06:00

When you click CTRL-ALT-DEL on your computer, how many processes exist under the "Processes" Tab? What does your CPU Usage and PF Usage say under the "Performance" Tab? What is the standard for a computer? When is too much too much? Is your brand new system crawling even though the box or advertisement promised light speed applications! I have a few answers for you.

Every time you download a product or simply receive a computer from most companies, such as Gateway, Dell, or Sony, they load software products to your RAM, even though you may not use these products daily. For example, if you have google products installed on your computer, there is a google updater that runs in the background. If you have java installed on your computer--and most people do run java-based programs--a java scheduler also runs in the background and communicates with the Sun Server when new updates arrive. Finally, Adobe Acrobat, Real Player, and other software companies either automatically load their programs on startup or have extra baggage existing there that may not be useful.

All of these materials SLOW down your computer processor, your video processor, and your RAM. And, in my opinion, it is a crime for software companies to automatically load themselves as background services or startup systems without first asking you if it is okay to do that. (ITUNES and QUICKTIME are the worse at doing this without asking permission!)

So, what loads at startup on my home computer, Windows XP operating system? I still use WinPatrol 2007, a "watchdog" application that is keeping programs from automatically adding new software to my startup system. Its computer usage is less than 4500 K, by the way. Next, I have my firewall (Sunbelt Personal Firewall, at the moment), an Antivirus Program (the non-free ESET Nod32 Antivirus--one of the best antivirus programs on the market), and a spyware shield (the free Spyware Terminator).

At startup and with Internet Explorer (with a few security add-ons), my RAM amounts to 364 MB, and my processes amount to 34. That's pretty darn good and fast movement as I work through my various applications at peak speed and performance. Not that it really matters to me, but if I deactivate my spyware shield, which isn't the strongest shield anyway, my RAM usage reduces to 353 MB. Currently, I am using less than 2% of CPU usage on an INTEL Pentium 4 Processor 2.6 GHZ and 1 GB RAM availability. And, why do I need to update to Vista?

My computer runs quickly, and though I don't have any floating screen widgets, such as Yahoo, Google, or the ones offered by Windows Vista or Apple Leopard, I am satisfied with the performance of a Pentium 4 and have no desire to upgrade at this time.

Nevertheless, as a consumer, I see a few issues.

1. Does the average user know how to reduce the bulky programs from loading onto their computer? What might happen if you remove a program that you need? Will the system stop working completely?

2. That's the fear, and perhaps that is why so many software companies automatically place their software into the running process section so that first, you are forced to use their program since it already is there and next, you will continue to use it because it automatically updates itself without you having to worry about it later.

If you have more than 35-40 processes running at startup on Windows XP Home (not counting Windows XP PRO, which adds other networking processes to the standard boot up), you might consider downloading the free version of WinPatrol. There are, of course, other excellent products available similar to WinPatrol, but this step is the first security to remove the bloat from your computer.

So, give it a try if you feel you have some expertise in this area, and if not, ask your IT Department at work to evaluate your processes and startup configuration through MSCONFIG or some other method via an application tool, such as WinPatrol 2007. And, always create a system restore point before making any changes to your computer!

Happy RAMMING! And, Roaming!

--Moon

Happy With Less

2007-11-02T21:31:00.000-05:00

My fortune cookie rightly stated today: You can be happy with less. Many magazines (among the rest of the capitalistic world) argue that we need to upgrade our lives to function. It does not state that we need to be happy by upgrading our lives, but by reading the various articles, there is a certain need and desire implied: our computer will not function appropriately until we purchase this or that spyware software. Or, if we do not upgrade to Windows Vista, we are missing out on the next generation of software.

For example, I hold beneath my computer a magazine specifically titled, PC Upgrade and Maintenance. While the magazine is excellent and I hold no animosity against it, its selling assumption is that we may need to see how our personal or business computer compares, surpasses, or is limited to the information provided by the magazine tips. After all, we may need another gigabyte or terabyte of information running through the veins of our RAM and Hard Drives. We just might need the "magazine doctor's medicine."

The front page, though nicely designed, simply states: "Improve performance, replace the CPU, Upgrade PC Graphics, Add Extra Memory, Expand System Storage, Build Your Own PC, etc."

What is your first impression? My first impression is that I am no computer geek (although I am), and I might as well just place the magazine on the shelf and buy a new computer altogether before tossing out my hands in frustration. Or, I might read on and decide that I do not need a new computer but may need a specific part that will help it perform better into the next generation. Already, I feel like the wicked witch in Snow White: "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Whose Computer is the Fairest of Them All." And the mirror replies: "It's the new Toshiba with the Quad Core Processor Outperforming your Pentium 4 or Dual Core Fossil!"

What is wrong with this picture is what is wrong with global capitalism. We do not have to improve all the time. We do not have to purchase and spend more money because new operating systems (i.e. Vista or Leopard) arrive on the scene. Yes, our economy may not function at its peak level with less consumer spending and jobs may be terminated because of our parsimonious and conscientious desire to economize as a family or individual unit, but we, humans, may be trapped in this entire economic cycle that continually reduces us to the "need" for the product, even though we may not need it.

I certainly love my hometown, my state, and my country, and I am not saying we need to toss out capitalism and move to a third-world country filled with poverty and a lack of clean water. But, we need to find a certain balance between being the first in line for the next IPOD craze and be satisfied with the products we still own and still love to possess.

For example, with the increase technology involved in making what we might call "pure" digital sound or music, I am beginning to miss the static within a radio's song, and even though I have jumped on the XM Radio Satellite bandwagon when it began, I like when my signal sometimes drops, and all I hear is static for a few minutes until the clouds pass or I arrive at an area with better reception. It's not a perfect technology, nor does it have to be for me to enjoy the various artists across the globe that are rarely played on radio stations in my city.

But, at least I can enjoy its limits and know that I am satisfied with connecting worldwide to a larger culture and also going into a local tavern (not affiliated with the same tavern in a different town) and see its cultural significance and its relationship to my town.

So, will I read the magazine, PC Upgrade and Maintenance? Sure! It's sitting in front of me. It's human nature. Will I get excited about its discussion on Computer TV? For a minute, I will, until I remember that my parents--with utter enjoyment and a large bowl of popcorn--still watch television on the same screen that they bought in 1982.

We can be happy with less! And, we should be! And, if we are not, send me your donations because I could really enjoy an upgrade to HDTV.

Mindmapping

2007-10-29T21:40:00.000-05:00

The term "mindmapping"simply means to cluster ideas or other material together in a string of information like a web. In terms of a writing course, we might call this process or method "brainstorming, clustering, or mapping."

However, while we can certainly pencil in a cluster of ideas quickly, we can now ask our students to create "MAPS" of their ideas in an online environment, save their ideas, and then send them to their instructor. For all of those online students who want to impress their professors or for the professors who want to make learning entertaining and useful, consider the following website:

http://www.mind42.com/

Here is an example of what I created in just a few minutes. Click on the Link Below.

Mind42 Review

And, here is another example of a Mindmap:

As you can tell, it is a fairly powerful resource for teachers and pretty much anyone, and since many computer labs do not allow extensive software applications, USERS have the mindmaps available to them on the website (as long as they have a free registration with the company) or they can share their mindmaps in many different forms: by linking it to an email, blog, or website and by saving it in a variety of formats, including Rich Text Format.

Finally, the USERS can add website links directly to the mindmap. So, if a writer is researching a specific topic, such as U.S. Oil Companies in the Middle East, then he or she can easily tag these websites to their mindmap and visit the site later. And, if the user allows for collaboration between other users, all of a sudden the entire class can integrate their topic components into the socially engaged online application.

I don't know if I can give this particular application a rating, but the Web 2.0 innovation remains strong on the Internet. And, though Mind42 is currently in its BETA Stage, I hope it remains clean, user friendly, and free from advertisements. How then will it make a financial profit? I certainly do not know, but I am excited by the innovation of these early BETA companies and what they can offer to the educational community.

So, I give a strong, evaluative THUMBS UP to MIND42

A Disappointed Nod to Office 2007

2007-10-28T10:23:00.000-05:00

My recent post argued that Office 2007, particularly Word 2007, shows some excellent innovation, but I want to point the reader to an alternative viewpoint. According to Aaron Tan, writer for ZDNet Asia, two science journals will not accept submissions using Word 2007.

To read the entire article, go here:

Leading Journals Reject Word 2007 Files

A Nice Nod to Microsoft Office 2007

2007-10-27T20:08:00.000-05:00

My blog seems to critique the Microsoft Corporation and their dominance in the operating system and word processing market. Nevertheless, though I use OpenOffice typically on a Linux Operating System (Ubuntu), Office 2007, though expensive for students and other users on a small budget, does exhibit some fantastic improvements for a student writing a research paper. To view its use in integrating research and bibliographic citations (MLA, APA, Chicago Style, etc.), go to the following Microsoft Office Word Team Blog for a further description.

As a professor, I will soon describe this tool to my students while they work on their research papers in my class or in other courses requiring research papers. I commend Microsoft for taking the initiative in such an innovative aspect of the Office 2007 applications, and while I have argued that Open Source software communities have highly influenced the evolution of Microsoft Products, I am happy to commend Microsoft for their creativity in responding to the educational community.

In some respects, this response means that Microsoft will continue to sell and control its market within the educational community, and because of that, technology budgets will still be spent on site licenses, while many open source opportunities will hopefully respond to Microsoft's innovation. In other words, if Open Source wants to tap the educational market in a real manner, they have much to prove, much to market, and much to persuade, for we are still in a Microsoft World, which is not as completely evil as other hardlined Linux and Apple users have described. Microsoft is on top for a reason, and at least today, I will not complain about their successes in moving forward the desktop concept.

Web 2.0

2007-10-20T12:39:00.000-05:00

Many people have heard the phrase, Web 2.0, tossed around online or in the news. According to our favorite Web2.0 application, Wikipedia defines it as "a second generation of web-based communities and hosted services...which aim to facilitate collaboration and sharing between users."

Of course, facilitation and collaboration have always existed online, and one of the many reasons to create such collaborations began the need for the original web--not invented by Al Gore.

Nevertheless, instead of text-driven boards of the 1980s and the lackluster responses of such innovations as Microsoft's NetMeeting--a professional application for business users to communicate across countries and offices which basically turned into a place to share pornographic material--the idea of Web 2.0 merged in the Open Source community, as they developed WIKIS and other types of shared platforms to create open-source software across the country and communities.

Now, the business model has jumped aboard, and Web 2.0 applications have exploded. We now have Google APPS EVERYTHING. You need a chart, google will create an application for it. If you need a babysitter, turn to google apps (kidding, of course).

So, Web 2.0 has exploded, and it is more far-reaching than Facebook, MySpace, Zoho, and Google. Check out the following website to see how incredible Web 2.0 has reached:

http://www.go2web20.net/

After perusing the site, it is possible to do just about anything on the Internet without EVER using your operating system other than clicking to your web browser. No more Microsoft or even the need for a harddrive with the culmination of FREE BETA TESTING that will one day move toward charging customers or maintaining the google style of pouring advertisements all over its website until you no longer know how to search without arriving at some commercial product.

But, maybe we like the commercial products. Maybe it doesn't bother us as long as it is placed on the side of the website instead of integrated into our searches. And, anyway, the advertisements on google are so Web 1.o anyway. They are not socially defined by the users involved in the process, so next time you visit a website and you DIGG IT, let democracy shine through WEB 2.0 innovations and see where we plan to go next in the Internet Revolution.

Or, are we just running in circles.

Where's my Atari?

2007-10-16T15:26:00.000-05:00

Free Software for Educational Purposes

I am giving a presentation at a Developmental Educational Conference (focusing on Writing, Reading, and Math) and have supplied some useful free or open source software programs useful for the educational environment.

The premise of the presentation is that educators use such free or open source programs in their classrooms (online or traditional) or allow students to try them out. You never know what a student can accomplish if you give them the right tools.

The programs follow, and if you find other programs (freeware or open source) not listed here, please reply to this post.

Audio Programs

WildVoice Studio (Podcasting)

http://www.wildvoice.com/Pages/WildVoice_Studio.aspx

Juice (“a podcast receiver”)

http://juicereceiver.sourceforge.net/

SwiffRec (record voice to a flash file to be heard on a website)

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/swiffrec.html

mp3DirectCut (audio editing program)

http://www.mpesch3.de1.cc/

Audacity (sound editing program)

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Image Programs

Photofiltre

http://www.photofiltre.com/

OpenOffice Draw

http://www.openoffice.org/

Paint.Net

http://www.getpaint.net/index.html

Picassa

http://picasa.google.com/

Video Programs

VLC Media Player (plays nearly every kind of video codec)

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

YouTube (one website containing useful videos to use for classroom instruction)

http://youtube.com/

Vdownloader (downloads YouTube, Google, and other Streaming Video Files to your Computer)

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/Download-Managers/VDownloader.shtml

Office Programs

OpenOffice

http://www.openoffice.org/

MLA Auto-Generator

http://mlagen.sourceforge.net/

Stikipad

http://symposium.stikipad.com/panel/show/HomePage

EverNote (note-taking software program comparable to Microsoft's OneNote 2007)

http://www.evernote.com/en/downloads/

FreeSpell (spell checker for ANY Windows application)

http://hcidesign.com/freespell/

The Sage (English Dictionary and Thesaurus)

http://www.sequencepublishing.com/thesage.html

Scholar's Aid Light (bibliographical research and database software)

http://scholarsaid.com/aboutsafree.html

KompoZer (a web editor for those who do not know HTML)

http://kompozer.net/

HelpMaker (creates help files for any program or book)

http://www.vizacc.com/

Presentation Programs

CMAP Tools (creates complex mindmaps and outlines)

http://cmap.ihmc.us/

FreeMind (a user-friendly mind-mapping software)

http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

PowerBullet Presenter

http://www.powerbullet.com/

Wink

http://www.debugmode.com/wink/

CamStudio

http://camstudio.org/

Utility Programs

Great News (RSS Reader for reading multiple news sites in one software program)

http://curiostudio.com/

Lightning/Sunbird (desktop calendar)

http://www.mozilla.org/projects/calendar/

Thunderbird (Email, RSS Reader, and Calendar with the Lightning Extension)

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird/

KeePass Password Safe

http://sourceforge.net/projects/keepass/

Kalendar

http://freenet-homepage.de/ukrebs/

Portable Apps

http://portableapps.com/

Restoration (recover files that were previously deleted from the computer)

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/restoration.html

IPOD Video Converter (“convert all popular video formats to IPOD Video)

http://www.jodix.com/

MediaMax (free online storage space)

http://www.mediamax.com/

PC Inspector Smart Revovery (recovers files from SD, CD, and other Flash-Type Cards)

http://www.pcinspector.de/Sites/smart_recovery/info.htm?Language=1

Rainlendar (one of the best Desktop Calendars and To Do List Programs)

http://www.rainlendar.net/cms/index.php

Web Browser Popularity Since October 2006

2007-10-15T20:06:00.000-05:00

Which web browser do you prefer? The websites I have reviewed typically state that Internet Explorer holds the market by 90%, and that would make sense considering that Internet Explorer is monopolized by Windows XP and Vista with its AUTOMATIC DOWNLOAD system and its obvious release already existing on most Microsoft Operating Systems.

However, since October 2006, CNET's Website, Download.Com, is showing different results. (CNET is a very popular software site, so I use it as an example.)

Here are the numbers.

1. Avant Browser 11.5 -- 18, 481, 135 downloads since 10/08/2007
2. Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.7 -- 11, 451, 563 downloads since 09/19/2007
3. Internet Explorer 7 -- 9, 488, 719 downloads since 10/19/2006
4. Opera 9.23 -- 6, 983, 326 downloads since 08/17/2007
5. Slim Browser 4.10 -- 4, 318, 176 downloads since 08/25/2007
6. Netscape Navigator 9.01b -- 2, 169, 416 downloads since 06/06/2007

Let me premise these numbers before deep evaluation. First, Internet Explorer 7 is probably the most popular browser because I assume most XP and VISTA users do not look for the IE download from CNET but go directly to the Microsoft Website. Next, the number one spot, Avant Browser, is actually based on the latest build of Internet Explorer, so in other words, IE represents its backbone code. Therefore, it is difficult to say that AVANT is number one when its foundation is based on the code of Internet Explorer. Once again, that places Internet Explorer much higher in the ratings as it ultimately integrates with so many other browsers. (Slim Browser, too, also uses the framework of Internet Explorer as its operation.)

So, since Internet Explorer is automatically placed on most XP and VISTA computers, it makes sense for other companies to toy with the basic components of IE and replace it with certain tweaks that make the browser more effective. Thus, Avant Browser seems to be Number 1 at the moment for a few reasons: it adds functionality to the weaker IE 7. Some of these functionalities include:

1. "the fastest web browser on earth"
2. profile storage from other computers (as long as Avant runs on those computer, too). This function is very similar to the Google and Yahoo add-ins to Internet Explorer and Firefox.
3. reduction of pop-ups and advertisements
4. a privacy eraser
5. flash blocking capabilities (flash slows down web page loading, especially with myspace and other heavy-handed flash sites)
6. creation of skins to fit the look of your computer

Obviously, you can hunt down freeware add-ins to integrate into Internet Explorer 7, but Avant seems to create the best functionality and speed, according to their website. So, it makes sense why this IE7 improvement is number one on the list. But what about #2 on the list: Firefox.

Firefox has taken the edge, particularly on many websites, due to its skinability. You can change the color of the buttons, add extensions easily to the web browser, and customize the browser to death with just a few quick points and clicks. This customization has placed Mozilla Firefox as one of the most innovative Web Browsers of our time. However, now Internet Explorer contains the same kinds of customization just by visiting Microsoft's IE Website. So, with IE 7 and other knock-offs have reached the pinnacle of Firefox's ingenuity, we are all waiting for the next movement in the open source community of Firefox to move their browser forward one more step and to see how other Web Browsers continue to develop based on the driven creativity of Firefox. Thus, the second most popular browser on CNET's website is actually the one that, in my opinion, will continue allowing Microsoft to maintain its strength, for Microsoft successfully borrows (or according to APPLE's Steve Job's perception, steals) the best ideas of other companies and places them in the hands of the monopoly: Microsoft Corporation.

One can argue that Microsoft simply contains an excellent business model; we see this kind of borrowing during the days of Thomas Edison when he literally stole copyrighted material from European innovators, such as Melies, an early filmmaker and magician, and brought the nearly exact duplications to an American audience forcing Melies company to lose its ability to outperform the strength of the Thomas Edison corporations. Business is business, it seems. What can you do but continue to refine and compete similar to how Apple and IBM have survived over the years. (IBM has tapped into the business market, and, I believe, though do not quote me, IBM operates the computerized cash registers at Wal-Mart, for example.)

Finally, who is this #4 Web Browser: Opera? Ask the Europeans! I currently am typing in Opera and prefer it at times because of its stability, its quickness, its innovation (something they call speed dial), and its cleanliness. It looks so professional, and I rarely have any issues with advertisement popups or other major issues. It is a wonderful browser that is also tapping itself into the pocket pc and telephone market. You can even use Opera's browser on the Nintendo DS, and since I have a Pocket PC, I use the Opera Browser there because Internet Explorer on the Pocket PC does not support multiple-tabbed browsing and it crashes numerous times a week. There are other innovations in Opera as well, but I invite you to download it just to test its abilities. One problem, however, I do have with Opera is that our current Distance Education platform (Web-CT) at our community college does not support Opera. So, I am forced to used Avant, Firefox, IE7, or some other browser. Nevertheless, I have very few problems with OPERA in other areas across Web 2.0.

There are other interesting browsers I did not list. Flock Browser is interesting, for it integrates the entire social networking with browsing. In other words, it connects you quickly to Flickr, Myspace.com, and other popular social networks. It, by the way, is based on Mozilla Firefox.

In conclusion, while Netscape Navigator used to be #1, it is now last on the list (or rather #6), but we cannot accept it as a heavy contender anymore since it is now currently based on Mozilla Firefox foundation. So, we have IE7, Firefox, and Opera as the main contenders in the browser war, while ONE large thing continues to happen: Google continues to rake up billions and billions of dollars in profit at the expense of each browser, who hosts what seems to be our default search engine and advertisement kingdom that is moving us into a future generation of marketing penetrations on the human identity.

An interesting world out there! Explore it! Or, rather, Firefox it!

(And note that OPERA and FIREFOX both work on Linux!)

--Moon

Firewalls

2007-10-14T20:42:00.001-05:00

I have yet to locate and test a strong open source firewall for Windows XP or Vista. However, visit FileHippo to find an excellent freeware or non-commercial version of any of the following firewalls: Comodo, Outpost, Sunbelt Kerio, or Sygate Personal. Zone Alarm--perhaps the most popular firewall on the freeware market--is listed there as well, but according to many testers of firewall strengths, some of the other ones tend to show greater strength of protection.

I use Comodo Firewall, a "PC Magazine Online Editor's Choice," but I would trust your own judgment on finding the appropriate firewall.

Unfortunately, firewalls drive the user crazy with a bundle of questions thrown at him or her anonymously. Do I allow this program to access the Internet? Do I block this one? If you are not an experienced user, you may just allow "leaks" into your system without even knowing it.

So, if you are really brave, also check out Firewall Leak Tester. The site will give you the opportunity to download executable files to see if your firewall passes the tests. Before using this site, you might want to perform extra research before trusting a blogger like me just to make sure the site is legitimate. So far, I have found it a credible website, and so does the writer at Gizmo's Richards, a very impressive tech-support site, which I visit on a weekly basis.

Good luck with the firewalls!

Part Two of Yesterday's Blog

2007-10-11T20:22:00.000-05:00

I now can print to my network computer thanks to a brilliant colleague at work. I now do not have to boot up Windows XP to print. Yeah! However, in Windows XP, I have to be logged into the server to printer, but in Ubuntu I do not have to go through yet another step to maintain my reliance and dependence of Windows XP.

I am not sure that the average computer user would hurdle through some of the ones I have done over the past year to find an operating system that successfully works in the right manner for him or her. However, this is a message to Internet administrators. Teach the public on the diversity of the operating systems. We might listen (or not). Obviously, we have a bundle of MAC users still on our campus due to the Graphics Art degree, so there is a need for difference.

Good riddance, to a certain degree, Microsoft, although I will still watch you from afar.

Word Processing

2007-10-10T20:13:00.000-05:00

If you are poor or not a huge fan of Microsoft Word 2007, there are excellent options on Windows or Linux Operating Systems. First, OpenOffice.Org has continued to improve its office suite, although its "powerpoint" presentation called Impress still does NOT impress me. And, for some strange reason, when I type in the Word Processing Program in OpenOffice, there are strange kinks that make my keyboard skip phrases or words randomly. I cannot explain it.

I have found an excellent alternative, which is based on OpenOffice. It is StarOffice, which can be currently downloaded with the Google Pack (pack.google.com) or through Sun.Com. At Sun Microsystems, you have to go through a lengthy registration process and it seems to cost $69.95, so I suggest going through the google service and then after downloading StarOffice on your computer, deleting all of the other Google material, including the google updater, which is just as annoying as the "restart now" or "restart later" button after updating Microsoft software.

StarOffice seems to work more efficiently than OpenOffice. Again, I don't know why. Maybe it is because its platform is based on Java or some other reason, but I am very satisfied with the product and now consistently write in that program unless I am using some old out-dated text editor just to get down my thoughts.

So, I give a strong evaluation to StarOffice (at least their word processor). Try it out and let me know what you think about it. It is free, of course through Google Pack.

Printing at Office

2007-10-10T20:07:00.000-05:00

I emailed a reliable expert with Linux Operating Systems, and he mentioned a starting point on how to print from the Ubuntu Operating System to the Network Server, which is currently running Microsoft Exchange 2003.

I will attempt the task tomorrow, although I had absolutely no luck whatsoever today. As far as I understand it, though, a Linux computer has the capacity to mimic a printer and by imitating a printer, it can then proceed to speak the language of the printer on the server. I don't quite understand the technicality of the language, but we shall know more tomorrow whether a newbie like myself can attempt to accomplish this perhaps simple task.

Wish me luck!

Switch to Ubuntu for Laptop

2007-10-08T19:00:00.000-05:00

I am currently in Barnes and Noble with my Dell Latitude Laptop D620. With some frustrations with OpenSuse 10.3—still a good product—I now have installed Ubuntu. I have access to a great word processing program, OpenOffice.org, and a CD extractor, Sound Juicer.

I am now writing a message in OpenOffice.org and listening to two albums, The Brunettes, with RhythmBox, although I prefer Amarok, which I will download as soon as I have access to a Wi-Fi hotspot.

If I wanted, I could delete Windows XP completely from my laptop, but I am not sure I know how to connect through Ubuntu to the Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server at work. I am afraid to ask as well, because I assume IT prefers that I run an operating system they support, such as Windows XP. However, I may talk to one of my IT colleagues to see if he can create this connection between Ubuntu and Microsoft Exchange so that I have full access to my server HP Laser Printer.

Once again, operating Ubuntu in a non-Linux world still controlled mostly by the Microsoft Corporation is a difficult task. But, if I can make these small hurdles, then perhaps I can persuade other colleges or colleagues to move toward an open source environment. If that ever becomes the case, our institution will save extraordinary amounts of money of licensing fees and still show the innovation or ingenuity that continues to drive students toward knowledge and application.

A few issues still reside in Ubuntu, however. Though it is a safer environment than Windows, I still am waiting for that operating system that “just works” with the most recent hardware available on the market. For example, at home, I use OpenSuse 10.3 and Ubuntu before that, and both operating systems play my music at a reduced volume compared to Microsoft. That is an issue for me, even when my sound drivers are supported by Ubuntu or other Linux Operating Systems. The Alsa Architecture—sound drivers used to emulate, I believe, drivers created by companies such as Creative Labs—has yet to reach its perfection. So, as Robert Frost writes, Linux still has “miles to go before” it “sleeps.”

Kudos to all the great thinkers who are working on the Linux Revolution. And, I provide a special thanks to Joe “Zonkers” Brockmeier, who years ago introduced me to Linux and convinced me that using FrontPage at the time was blasphemy against the coding market. I still disagree on the FrontPage point he made, because I now use the open-source NVU or Kompozer. However, since our conversations, Joe has taught me that it is important to understand the framework of the coding, and I do now, particularly the use of Cascading Style Sheets, HTML, and a tiny bit of PHP. Nevertheless, my argument still is that we are a large world, and we need an operating system that just works. I hope Ubuntu and other Linux systems provide that movement that persuades companies in the United States and beyond to sell these captivating ideas to the free-trade market of capitalism. (It just may begin in the cellular phone market!)

--Moon

My Position on the IPOD

2007-10-07T18:26:00.000-05:00

I have always been amazed at Apple's ability to target a specific market through its amazing innovation. If you are a MAC user, it seems--though not apparent to me--you are a MAC user for life.

Honestly, I have never enjoyed the MAC or APPLE computers for one main reason (perhaps the same reason why I struggle with Microsoft).

If you purchase an IPOD, you must use ITUNES, and you must keep your files on your computer and back them up there. So, by purchasing an IPOD, you are also forced into the ITUNE phenomenon. That has always been and perhaps always will be the marketing strategy for most major monopolized corporations. Of course, there are methods around the IPOD market, and if I want, I could purchase and IPOD and hunt for software applications that work without ITUNES. (I have downloaded many of these applications for my son at one time or another.)

Creative Zen is different. I can store my music on my ZEN and not even backup my files to the computer. That is certainly a selling point for the ZEN, and I recommend the ZEN for that very reason. It is more flexible for me, and I can take my music with me because I purchased that music legally. However, there are certainly issues with with ZEN. It does not support certain codecs, such as FLAC, which is the codec, I believe, behind the IPOD. However, I am just as happy with the sound coming out of my headphones with the ZEN, and it sounds beautiful when I plug it into my stereo without having to purchase some silly boombox that charges the IPOD and plays music simultaneously.

So, Windows and Apple, you can talk about your great products for the rest of your lifetime, and you may still pull me into your work and make me believe you are the innovators of the next great technology. That is wonderful, but as a consumer and an individual, I will hesitate before I arrive at your revolution or evolution and tell me that I need X, Y, and Z just to upgrade my computer (Windows Vistas statement) or that I need X, Y, Z product as an accessory to my musical experience (Apple).

We see through your marketing strategies, yet we still step in line for your products. Perhaps we are the idiots in this game of consumerism because we like our toys. So, I am waiting for the perfect IPOD or ZEN built specifically for the LINUX OS that outperforms and impresses the heck out of the major corporations, but when that happens and it is already happening, APPLE and MICROSOFT will easily adjust their market to create new innovations based on pre-existing technologies.

There is some good in this somewhere, I am sure, but the socialist in me retracts a bit.

--Cataract Moon

OpenSuse 10.3

2007-10-07T18:00:00.000-05:00

I just installed the linux operating system, OpenSuse 10.3, on my home computer. Here is a quick review from the perspective of an amateur linux user.

1. It took forever! It even took longer than installing Windows Vista on my wife's computer. I can install Ubuntu, PC Linux 2007, or other Linux Operating Systems at the speed of light, but OpenSuse wanted to take its time. However, though it took at least an hour to install, I was happy that it installed everything correctly and gave me, the user, the opportunity to choose how I wanted my hardware to operate. But still, Ubuntu accomplishes the same task in less time, and basically, after completing the OpenSuse 10.3 installment, I changed the interface to look basically like Ubuntu. So, the big question remains. Why am I not using Ubuntu? I have no idea!

2. Ubuntu always struggles finding my audio drivers correctly, and I usually have to hunt around some forum to get the right code for it to work appropriately. I had to accomplish the same task with OpenSuse 10.3, but I had very few issues with the drivers working with YAST, their software management program similar to Windows Control Panel. So, I was happy that within a few minutes of playing around with OpenSuse 10.3, I had my MP3s playing on my favorite software program, AMAROK. (Of course, MP3s are not open-source audio files, but at the moment, it is the only audio codec (besides WMAs) that will play appropriately on my Creative Zen. (Why I refuse to buy an IPOD will be posted at a later date.)

3. My computer takes forever to shutdown. I don't know why. Typically, an Ubuntu or a Windows shutdown takes a few minutes, but when I need to switch to Windows for various gaming reasons, this shutdown process bothers me a bit. There may be an easy code, if I knew it, to speed up the shutdown process, but like most people, I am not a professional Linux user...yet.

Overall, I am satisfied with the security of OpenSuse 10.3, but I still find more satisfaction with Ubuntu and even Windows XP. I will leave OpenSuse 10.3 on my computer for now and see if I reduce my need for Microsoft.

--Cataract Moon