What Will Be Your Last Post?

With the impending demise of the Microsoft newsgroups, we will all soon
be making our last post. Time for all of us to think about what parting
words we can leave as a legacy for future generations to treasure.

I've been reading these newsgroups for well over 10 years, and have been
a contributor for the last several years. At the beginning, I was as raw
as a newbie gets, and I destroyed my copy of Windows 95 so much that
Dell considered taking out a restraining order against me. Eventually I
learned how to operate a computer well, thanks in no small measure to
the help and advice I received through these newsgroups.

Over time I developed an approach to using a computer that relies on
careful preparation, continuous learning and common sense, and that's
what I preach. That approach has given me - who has scant formal
training in computing, all of it more than 30 years ago - enjoyable and
stress-free computing. Really. Of course I have the occasional problem
with my computer, but nothing I can't work my way out of, thanks again
to my approach.

It also helps to have the right attitude. If someone works themselves
into a frenzy over the design of a button, or the placement of a
toolbar, or some imagined privacy disaster that's really about
nothing...well, they have problems that a computer wasn't made to solve.

The newsgroups sure have changed over the years. These days, they're
mostly a vast wasteland. That's not going to get better when they
transition to "Microsoft BS Answers" (I may have gotten the name wrong)
but at least Microsoft will have more success at stonewalling their users.

But enough with sentimentality. If you want to be successful with a PC,
here are my secrets:

1- Prepare in advance before making any changes to your computer;
2- Learn how to use a computer wisely, and keep learning;
3- Always use common sense; and
4- Take it easy.

And for heaven's sake, backup.

---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

My last post will be to post a Hooplehead alert.

"Leonard Grey" <> wrote in message
news:O9gY7Jc$...
: With the impending demise of the Microsoft newsgroups, we will all soon
: be making our last post. Time for all of us to think about what parting
: words we can leave as a legacy for future generations to treasure.
:
: I've been reading these newsgroups for well over 10 years, and have been
: a contributor for the last several years. At the beginning, I was as raw
: as a newbie gets, and I destroyed my copy of Windows 95 so much that
: Dell considered taking out a restraining order against me. Eventually I
: learned how to operate a computer well, thanks in no small measure to
: the help and advice I received through these newsgroups.
:
: Over time I developed an approach to using a computer that relies on
: careful preparation, continuous learning and common sense, and that's
: what I preach. That approach has given me - who has scant formal
: training in computing, all of it more than 30 years ago - enjoyable and
: stress-free computing. Really. Of course I have the occasional problem
: with my computer, but nothing I can't work my way out of, thanks again
: to my approach.
:
: It also helps to have the right attitude. If someone works themselves
: into a frenzy over the design of a button, or the placement of a
: toolbar, or some imagined privacy disaster that's really about
: nothing...well, they have problems that a computer wasn't made to solve.
:
: The newsgroups sure have changed over the years. These days, they're
: mostly a vast wasteland. That's not going to get better when they
: transition to "Microsoft BS Answers" (I may have gotten the name wrong)
: but at least Microsoft will have more success at stonewalling their users.
:
: But enough with sentimentality. If you want to be successful with a PC,
: here are my secrets:
:
: 1- Prepare in advance before making any changes to your computer;
: 2- Learn how to use a computer wisely, and keep learning;
: 3- Always use common sense; and
: 4- Take it easy.
:
: And for heaven's sake, backup.
:
: ---
: Leonard Grey
: Errare humanum est

Well put, Leonard, especially the BACKUP part.

I have come to believe that the only sure way to backup is to have an
externally mounted hard drive and to clone (not image) your internal "C"
drive to it weekly or more often, in essence having a "hot spare" at the
ready at all times. I have been doing this for several years and it has
saved my bacon on many, many occasions.

Thank you and all of the others that have taken the time -- and shown the
patience -- to help we bumbling users for so many years. We will miss you
all.

Gratefully Yours,

Bobster

================================================== =
"Leonard Grey" <> wrote in message
news:O9gY7Jc$...
With the impending demise of the Microsoft newsgroups, we will all soon
be making our last post. Time for all of us to think about what parting
words we can leave as a legacy for future generations to treasure.

I've been reading these newsgroups for well over 10 years, and have been
a contributor for the last several years. At the beginning, I was as raw
as a newbie gets, and I destroyed my copy of Windows 95 so much that
Dell considered taking out a restraining order against me. Eventually I
learned how to operate a computer well, thanks in no small measure to
the help and advice I received through these newsgroups.

Over time I developed an approach to using a computer that relies on
careful preparation, continuous learning and common sense, and that's
what I preach. That approach has given me - who has scant formal
training in computing, all of it more than 30 years ago - enjoyable and
stress-free computing. Really. Of course I have the occasional problem
with my computer, but nothing I can't work my way out of, thanks again
to my approach.

It also helps to have the right attitude. If someone works themselves
into a frenzy over the design of a button, or the placement of a
toolbar, or some imagined privacy disaster that's really about
nothing...well, they have problems that a computer wasn't made to solve.

The newsgroups sure have changed over the years. These days, they're
mostly a vast wasteland. That's not going to get better when they
transition to "Microsoft BS Answers" (I may have gotten the name wrong)
but at least Microsoft will have more success at stonewalling their users.

But enough with sentimentality. If you want to be successful with a PC,
here are my secrets:

1- Prepare in advance before making any changes to your computer;
2- Learn how to use a computer wisely, and keep learning;
3- Always use common sense; and
4- Take it easy.

And for heaven's sake, backup.

---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

"Tom Willett" <> wrote in message news:#CFfKmc$...
> My last post will be to post a Hooplehead alert.

So WTF is a Hooplehead?

If you have to ask, you may be one.

"Duane Hebert" <> wrote in message
news:OVdRT$c$...
:
:
: "Tom Willett" <> wrote in message
news:#CFfKmc$...
: > My last post will be to post a Hooplehead alert.
:
: So WTF is a Hooplehead?

"Tom Willett" <> wrote in message
news:u$bXKvd$...
> If you have to ask, you may be one.

Googled it but only found hits involving posts by you.
Most of those threads were terminated by <plonk>
So one may assume that it means people that put you
in their kill file <g>

http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov....c/lastpost.htm

"Leonard Grey" <> wrote in message
news:O9gY7Jc$...
> With the impending demise of the Microsoft newsgroups, we will all soon be
> making our last post. Time for all of us to think about what parting words
> we can leave as a legacy for future generations to treasure.
>
> I've been reading these newsgroups for well over 10 years, and have been a
> contributor for the last several years. At the beginning, I was as raw as
> a newbie gets, and I destroyed my copy of Windows 95 so much that Dell
> considered taking out a restraining order against me. Eventually I learned
> how to operate a computer well, thanks in no small measure to the help and
> advice I received through these newsgroups.
>
> Over time I developed an approach to using a computer that relies on
> careful preparation, continuous learning and common sense, and that's what
> I preach. That approach has given me - who has scant formal training in
> computing, all of it more than 30 years ago - enjoyable and stress-free
> computing. Really. Of course I have the occasional problem with my
> computer, but nothing I can't work my way out of, thanks again to my
> approach.
>
> It also helps to have the right attitude. If someone works themselves into
> a frenzy over the design of a button, or the placement of a toolbar, or
> some imagined privacy disaster that's really about nothing...well, they
> have problems that a computer wasn't made to solve.
>
> The newsgroups sure have changed over the years. These days, they're
> mostly a vast wasteland. That's not going to get better when they
> transition to "Microsoft BS Answers" (I may have gotten the name wrong)
> but at least Microsoft will have more success at stonewalling their users.
>
> But enough with sentimentality. If you want to be successful with a PC,
> here are my secrets:
>
> 1- Prepare in advance before making any changes to your computer;
> 2- Learn how to use a computer wisely, and keep learning;
> 3- Always use common sense; and
> 4- Take it easy.
>
> And for heaven's sake, backup.
>
> ---
> Leonard Grey
> Errare humanum est
>

"Duane Hebert" <> wrote in message
news:Ol7NTxf$...
>
> "Tom Willett" <> wrote in message
> news:u$bXKvd$...
>> If you have to ask, you may be one.
>
> Googled it but only found hits involving posts by you.
> Most of those threads were terminated by <plonk>
> So one may assume that it means people that put you
> in their kill file <g>
>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Boarding_House
Scroll down to the Legacy section ;-)
--
SC Tom

Leonard Grey wrote:

> With the impending demise of the Microsoft newsgroups, we will all soon
> be making our last post.

Only for users like you that figure the demise of Microsoft's NNTP
server somehow will bring down all of Usenet. Uh huh. Giganews and
Google will not be dropping the microsoft.public.* newsgroups. I quit
using Microsoft's NNTP server a long time ago due to disappearing posts
(which would still disappear on Microsoft's NNTP server despite showing
up in other NNTP servers provided you posted using one of the other
non-Microsoft NNTP servers so it was a peering problem to Microsoft and
not to the rest of Usenet). Microsoft is leaving because the cannot
control Usenet, and similarly Usenet will continue to survive despite
Microsoft's choice to shutdown their NNTP server along with their
pretend forums using a gateway to Usenet.

I'll have to find out if my non-Microsoft NNTP provider will be
discontinuing the microsoft.public.* newsgroups. Although there is no
requirement to react similar to Microsoft's choice, some users have
noted their non-Microsoft NNTP providers have already dropped the
microsoft.public.* because they use Microsoft's choice as an excuse to
reduce bandwidth and disk consumption.

Guess you'll have to go find a non-Microsoft NNTP server. Some are
free.

Bingo!

Tom Willett wrote:
> If you have to ask, you may be one.
>
> "Duane Hebert" <> wrote in message
> news:OVdRT$c$...
>>
>>
>> "Tom Willett" <> wrote in message
> news:#CFfKmc$...
>>> My last post will be to post a Hooplehead alert.
>>
>> So WTF is a Hooplehead?