A brief moment of idiocy...

[Mobyseven]

The other day I slipped briefly below that thin line that seperates the computer idiots from the rest of us. While I blame my temporary lapse to the fact that I had spent much of the previous week drinking more than I should have (as part of O-Week festivities), the following story should serve as a reminder to everyone that occasionally, we are all idiots.

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I just moved into college, and was setting up my laptop to have access to the college network and the internet.

Everything seemed to be in order. So I open IE and try to open google.

No luck. "This web page is not available offline," my browser tells me.

"Shoot," I think, "mustn't have properly configured the network."

So I go through and make sure that I'm connected to the network, that I'm in the correct usergroup, etc..."It should all be fine now!" I think.

Wrong - "This web page is not available offline," my browser whispers at me.

So I check the LAN details. I check the TCP/IP configuration - autoassign IP and DNS is checked...strange. I check the LAN settings in IE - automatically detect settings is on. I decide to try and use a proxy server, and enter the appropriate proxy for my college.

I check again - "This web page is not available offline," my browser taunts me.

By this stage I am tearing out my hair, about ready to check myself into Bedlam (provided I can find a correctly configured time-machine). In a last ditch attempt, I call my friend from down the corridor to see if he can see the problem.

He sits down, finds that I am connected to the network and that my internet settings are correct. We are both puzzled for a moment. I sit down at my laptop and try to access google again.

Then he looks at me: "You haven't got it set to 'Work Offline', have you?"

I drop down the file menu, and lo and behold; next to 'Work Offline' is a little tick.

Needless to say, I now have access to the internet at college and have somewhat lost the 'computer geek' label that was likely going to be assigned to me...

Maybe it isn't all bad after all?

[Floyt]

Nah, that's actually a fairly mitigated slip o' the mind... a true idiot would have been absent-mindedly twirling the network cable in the left hand while banging on the mouse with the right :)

[Zep]

:o Have done exactly that...

[Wudang]

Look on the bright side. You've been saved from innumerable
"I hear you're a computer god. Can you fix my PC? It was working great yesterday"
"I hear you're into computers? Me too. Let's be buddies"

[Soapy Sam]

Some years ago, a neighbour called and asked if I knew anything about Macs. (Answer- "nope.").
He had just brought one home and set it up, but it wouldn't start.
I went over and saw this box , with a little 1930s tv screen , which was dark - and remained so after switching on,-until I turned up the contrast control, which had been turned to minimum.

I departed , leaving a stunned and admiring audience, before they realised it had been dumb luck.

[Chris Haynes]

My laptop has a cute little button in front that if you push it disconnects its wireless network connection. More than once it has been hit by accident causing much consternation when trying to connect to the internet.

When the laptop was used for video editing, that little button was very handy. When the computer is downloading video from a camcorder it helps to disconnect from the world since frames get dropped when certain programs (like McAfee Antivirus) decide to check for updates. I now use another newer faster computer for video and I have to reach around the back to pull its network cable.

[JLam]

People still use Internet Explorer?

Interesting....

[Mobyseven]

Nah, that's actually a fairly mitigated slip o' the mind... a true idiot would have been absent-mindedly twirling the network cable in the left hand while banging on the mouse with the right :)

I checked the network cable a number of times just to make sure I wasn't being THAT much of an idiot. Lucky for me, I wasn't...though I'm sure someone will call me in with exactly that problem eventually...

[Mobyseven]

My laptop has a cute little button in front that if you push it disconnects its wireless network connection. More than once it has been hit by accident causing much consternation when trying to connect to the internet.

You don't happen to be using an Acer series laptop would you? I have exactly the same button on my laptop...bumping that button in the middle of something important is enough to send a man crazy.

When the laptop was used for video editing, that little button was very handy. When the computer is downloading video from a camcorder it helps to disconnect from the world since frames get dropped when certain programs (like McAfee Antivirus) decide to check for updates. I now use another newer faster computer for video and I have to reach around the back to pull its network cable.

Thanks for the tip - I do a bit of film and video work [off topic](have just ordered a new camera - Panasonic 3CCD, Manual Focus Ring, 4MP still capability :-D)[/off topic] and I'd never thought of that. I don't use McAfee anymore...ugh. I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot sterilised pole, in fact.

A question - why does my firewire port always tell me that it is connected at a speed of 400Mbps? It is a source of some confusion for me, I must say...

[Mobyseven]

People still use Internet Explorer?

Interesting....

Hey now, IE is the greatest web browser that ever...oh, I can't keep that up with a straight face. Gonna change round to Firefox or Mozilla just as soon as I can be bothered and I'm settled in one city.

Any suggestions as to which one is the better browser?

[Chris Haynes]

You don't happen to be using an Acer series laptop would you? I have exactly the same button on my laptop...bumping that button in the middle of something important is enough to send a man crazy.......

No, it is an HP.

McAfee is just one example of a system that often goes online for updates (also McAfee is provided free from my ISP... I like it more than Norton). There are a few others, including scheduled driver update checks to the manufacturer.

Also for video work I find I have to defrag the hard drive more often. Things slow down if the large video files get too fragmented. I am also hoping to add another hard drive to the system.

By the way, Mozilla and Firefox are pretty much the same thing (it says Mozilla Firefox on my system). Of course it is not perfect, it seems to use more system resources to the point where it also annoys me.

To keep yourself amused you might want to spend some time reading the stories here: http://www.rinkworks.com/stupid/

[Kludge]

A friend told me he was working helpdesk at a small IT place when a man called saying his computer wouldn't do anything once he turned it on. They went through all sorts of questions ("Is it Plugged in" "Yes") and nothing was resolved. My friend tells the man "Bring it down, I'll look at it, but there're no guarantees I can fix it." The man comes by, and gives my friend a monitor.
"Where's the computer?" asked my friend.
"That's it," said the man.

Apparently the man's buddy- who sold him the "computer"- had sold him a monitor and told him it was a computer.

Of all the stories I've heard, that has to be the worst, so far, imho.

[Grimoire]

Nah, that's actually a fairly mitigated slip o' the mind... a true idiot would have been absent-mindedly twirling the network cable in the left hand while banging on the mouse with the right :)
I've done something similar, but not related to computers.

I was performing a little maintenance on my Beemer (BMW motorcycle for the unwashed masses). I needed to top up the battery with some distilled water. In order to get at the battery, I had to remove the under-seat storage bin and the electronic ignition computer.

After disassembly and topping up, I put it back together and try and fire it up. It turns over, but won't start. Now I'm worried. I had also removed and discarded the old, non-working alarm system that the previous owner had installed. I thought that perhaps the alarm system had disabled the bike.

So I hastily call up my friendly local Beemer shop and ask them about the alarm system. I am politely informed that there is nothing they can do over the phone, and that I should bring it in for them to look at. Not good, since a Beemer mechanic gets paid more per hour to twirl his gold plated wrench then most lawyers bill.

At this point, I look down at my left hand, wondering what I've been carrying around for the last half hour and I discover why the bike would not start. I'm holding on to the electronic ignition computer. I quickly thank the gentleman on the phone for his help, hang up, plug the computer back in, and fire it up on the first crank.

:blush:

[Mobyseven]

No, it is an HP.

Mmm...my Acer has a pretty flashing orange light...but if you press it, no more internet for you! So tempting yet forbidden at the same time...

McAfee is just one example of a system that often goes online for updates (also McAfee is provided free from my ISP... I like it more than Norton). There are a few others, including scheduled driver update checks to the manufacturer.

No, I know that a lot if not most virus programs update from the net. McAfee is better than Norton (wouldn't touch Norton with a four foot clown pole), but I find that it still chews up a LOT of memory on the computer. I'm running VET now, and I find my computer is running much more efficiently.

Also for video work I find I have to defrag the hard drive more often. Things slow down if the large video files get too fragmented. I am also hoping to add another hard drive to the system.

Mmm - I just bought an external hard drive for backup and am planning on another one purely for storing my video work. Also thank's for reminding me that I'm a week late for my defrag...:o

By the way, Mozilla and Firefox are pretty much the same thing (it says Mozilla Firefox on my system). Of course it is not perfect, it seems to use more system resources to the point where it also annoys me.

I did actually think that, and then I saw something - can't remember what - that made me think they were serperate. What do people reckon is the better option then - stay with IE or switch to Mozilla? Or another browser that I haven't heard of?

To keep yourself amused you might want to spend some time reading the stories here: http://www.rinkworks.com/stupid/

Haha - that site is already bookmarked in my favourites. Haven't been there in a while though...might visit again for a laff...

[H3LL]

Caught Mobysevenitis myself last night.

Editing a tricky bit of PHP:

App's open:
Windoze Explorer
FTP Client
Text editor
Browser

Changes not working on the host server.

You know the rest.....:rolleyes:

I'm too ashamed to say how many times I tried the same thing before realising.

.

ETA: Spell checker wanted to change Mobysevenitis to Obscenities. :D

[jimbob]

Hey now, IE is the greatest web browser that ever...oh, I can't keep that up with a straight face. Gonna change round to Firefox or Mozilla just as soon as I can be bothered and I'm settled in one city.

Any suggestions as to which one is the better browser?

Guess what Darat would recommend:

Opera has the same type of feature.




(I had to sorry.)

I'd second that.

Very well thought out, and configuable. Address bar searches opening in a sepearte tab... Great.

Session saving (multiple tabs/windows )...

I could go on


It is also supposed to be good at security too...

Try it...

Jim

[Rasmus]

I did actually think that, and then I saw something - can't remember what - that made me think they were serperate. What do people reckon is the better option then - stay with IE or switch to Mozilla? Or another browser that I haven't heard of?

Switch!

I am extremely happy with firefox but can't compare it to other browsers. (Well, browsers other than IE. The comparison here is easy - IE is to internet surfing what a broken VHS video recorder is to watching HD DVDs.)

I have the impression that opera is favoured by the purists, whereas Firefox caters to more playful natures like myself. But that's just me.

[jimbob]

I like Firefox, but


Try opera..

You can go forward and back just by clicking the mouse buttons.

It's almost worth it for that alone...

Not obsessed

Jim

[cyborg]

Those are called 'Rocker Gestures' and are available as an extension in Firefox.

[Mobyseven]

As soon as I'm back in Melbourne and with my laptop, I'll give Opera a test first. Then maybe Firefox if I'm not happy with Opera. I take it Opera is packed with less useless features than IE? Ugh...so many useless features...