Technobuddy

By Michael Merker

August 27, 2006 04:58 PM | Link to this

Bill,

I just tried to add to the postings/blog for your article “Sometimes the on-off button is best friend,” but the post was rejected. The text of my post follows:

C’mon, Bill. RT and Bruce have a major point about the backups. I just read this article in the Palm Beach Post today, and I almost fell off my chair when I read that RAID (and it looks like you mean RAID 1) obviates the need for backups. I can’t wait for you to get mail from someone with a corrupt Quicken file who wants to know how to get the good copy back from the mirror disk, or, how to get a deleted file back from the mirror disk. How about publishing a correction of some type before that little bit of embarrassment happens?

You do a lot of good by spreading information about technical topics in understandable terms. My job is to teach and interact with non-tech folks and I see that you have a real knack for making tech simple. Why not honor the trust and confidence the publishers and your audience put in you and update your information with, at least, some caveats about your RAID suggestion? Yes, we all know that a very small percentage of people back up their data, but you’re suggesting they spend a bunch of money on RAID and it won’t actually do what they expect unless their particular problem happens to be a hard-drive failure.

By Bill

August 27, 2006 08:12 PM | Link to this

That’s the nice thing about a blog - or so it seems to me - it is self-correcting (although I hope not to have a Wikipedia, smile). I’m sorry about the failure to post. I’ve had that problem at times myself and a few others have reported it.

Anyway, you’re right - I’ll mention in a future column that I still think RAID is a fine thing, but that it is not a good substitute for backing up data. So I agree.

By chazz

August 30, 2006 12:31 AM | Link to this

Won’t be cheaper if the telephone companies have anything to do with it. I find it hilarious the telcos lobbied to have the government tax/fee rescinded, then immediately tried to replace it on customer’s bills with their own bogus “fee”.

Bellsouth is particular is worse than a car dealer at close of sale. Somehow the price of your new car jumps $3,000, due to various document fees (transportatation fee, advertising fee?, taxes, surcharges, etc.

Used to the COST of a product was INCLUDED in the price. You told people the price and they decided to buy it or not. With car dealers the “take home” cost of the product bears no relationship to the advertised cost — it’s a way to get you in the door.

Same with DSL and other phone company products. Somehow that “$34.99” DSL becomes $44 or more. Here they got caught trying to add a bogus fee. Guess they thought they could get away with it because they do it all the time and no one says anything.

To Bellsouth: If you want to charge $44 for your product, then charge $44. Don’t tell me it’s $34.99 and lie to me with a straight face.

By charles

September 4, 2006 02:29 PM | Link to this

Where can I find a book that has definitions about all of the abreviations that are used in computer language. People that write magazines and columns seem to think that we all know what the abbreviations they use mean.

By Bill Husted

September 5, 2006 10:34 AM | Link to this

Charles,here are a couple of online computer dictionaries:

First one here

Next one here