Open letter to all computer users

[Rookie]

Hey Scutter, I heard if I delete system32 from my laptop it will run faster. Is that true?

I've actually done that. It's not good.

 

[hornadylnl]

I was hoping I'd never have to hear "RSLogix" again. Thanks for bringing up an old wound. I used to work on PLC's running Windows NT. I don't need to tell you how scarily-bad most of that PLC software is written. Most PLC's have security holes you could drive a truck through.

I hate working on computers and this software isn't helping. I'm pretty good at getting online with a processor now. If I could only figure out what most of the crap means once I'm on it.

 

[Hogwylde]

"My PC just bluescreened!" is not a Priority 1 emergency that requires a series of 3AM calls to my personal cell phone number. Go to bed. Call me in the morning during normal business hours.

As a Field Service Engineer myself, I have to say that if you are silly enough to give your PERSONAL cell phone number to your customers then you deserve to get calls at all hours of the day or night. I NEVER give my cell phone number to ANY of my customers for any reason. If they specifically ask for my number, I tell them they have to call the office and someone there will call me. If they happen to save it in their phonebook because I called them, then I NEVER answer a call I don't recognize from MY phonebook. AND remember, your cell phone DOES have an off button.

 

[Lucas156]

I feel your pain. Working with the public can suck. Trying to get someone to understand can be like beating your head against the wall.

 

[Naptown]

(*)

 

[KLB]

Scutter, I think your screenshot printers are the same people that developed RSLogix. I'm training on it at work now. We use mostly ethernet to connect to plc's. You have to open one piece of software to see if you can see the processor. We use different ip addresses for different areas so if the laptop isn't on the right ip address, you will never see it. Some equipment has the ip address written down, or you can see it on the scanner. Some of the equipment doens't have it written down so you have no idea what it is. Once you figure out the address you need, you have to change it in the laptop which seems half the time you have to restart the computer. Once it restarts, you have to open the same software to find it, select it, minimize it, and then open yet another piece of software to get into the logic.

All of that and I can buy a printer at walmart, plug in the usb cable, and print.

Sounds more like the people that set it up don't know what they are doing. All thy have to do is put them all on the same subnet and you could get to hem all from the same IP address.

 

[hornadylnl]

Sounds more like the people that set it up don't know what they are doing. All thy have to do is put them all on the same subnet and you could get to hem all from the same IP address.

We've got at least a few hundred PLC's. I'm computer stupid so I don't know if it's possible to do what you're suggesting.

 

[Bill B]

Ha, try working with low-wattage radio telemetry and telecommands on the railroad.
"Yes, the 30w signal will reach the two miles to the front of the train, but not when the transmitter is under a steel framed "L" bridge and the receiver is under another steel bridge between two other trains creating a "steel valley.""
Yes, sunspots can affect radio communications, but there are none right now, how do I know? I teach astronomy numb-nuts.

Oh, BTW, can you fix my home network when you come up for a meet and shoot?

 

[findingZzero]

Wow! I may be profiling, but don't you just sound like the surly IT guy! Wasn't that an SNL skit? I've got enuff prozac to share. Just call me.

p.s. I think I need a bigger monitor as my mouse arrow is stuck at the the side of my screen and won't go any further. Now what? Oh, help!!

 

[Scutter01]

Sounds more like the people that set it up don't know what they are doing. All thy have to do is put them all on the same subnet and you could get to hem all from the same IP address.

I want to believe that the network is VLAN'ed or simply subnetted and that there were sound reasons for doing so. However, clearly there's a huge lack of proper network documentation (and probably a lack of proper network routes, too) and there's no excuse for that.

We've got at least a few hundred PLC's. I'm computer stupid so I don't know if it's possible to do what you're suggesting.

Yes, it is, although the way in which KLB describes is probably not the most efficient. Depending on the number of devices, you end up with this huge collision domain and you get lots of extra traffic on the network as a result. It ultimately ends up impacting network performance. Breaking the network up into smaller pieces is usually better and you can still get to everything you need to get to. It sounds like the network is probably not well-designed.

 

[Scutter01]

Wow! I may be profiling, but don't you just sound like the surly IT guy! Wasn't that an SNL skit? I've got enuff prozac to share. Just call me.

News flash: ALL IT guys are the surly IT guy. I haven't known one yet that isn't.

 

[hornadylnl]

I want to believe that the network is VLAN'ed or simply subnetted and that there were sound reasons for doing so. However, clearly there's a huge lack of proper network documentation (and probably a lack of proper network routes, too) and there's no excuse for that.



Yes, it is, although the way in which KLB describes is probably not the most efficient. Depending on the number of devices, you end up with this huge collision domain and you get lots of extra traffic on the network as a result. It ultimately ends up impacting network performance. Breaking the network up into smaller pieces is usually better and you can still get to everything you need to get to. It sounds like the network is probably not well-designed.

Most of them aren't networked together. We have one line with about 25 networked together. We generally hook up to each Plc individually. Some can be accessed by wifi and my boss doesn't want us wirelessly accessing them so we don't accidentally make changes to the wrong Plc.

You know anything about Cisco wireless systems? We have a wireless system that has intermittent drops in communications. I think we're getting interference but I'm not sure what's causing it.

 

[Brandon]

When you call me to say your account is locked and I ask if you remember your password... Do not tell me you think its either this or that. Just say yes or no. I'll either change it something generic or unlock your account.

 

[KLB]

I want to believe that the network is VLAN'ed or simply subnetted and that there were sound reasons for doing so. However, clearly there's a huge lack of proper network documentation (and probably a lack of proper network routes, too) and there's no excuse for that.



Yes, it is, although the way in which KLB describes is probably not the most efficient. Depending on the number of devices, you end up with this huge collision domain and you get lots of extra traffic on the network as a result. It ultimately ends up impacting network performance. Breaking the network up into smaller pieces is usually better and you can still get to everything you need to get to. It sounds like the network is probably not well-designed.

You want to believe, but you know better.

 

[hornadylnl]

You want to believe, but you know better.

There's no Trekkies in my shop so it's probably wrong.

 

[Jake46184]

I've spent a lifetime in designing and writing computer software, IT management, and consulting. I've said from day one that this career would be much more tolerable without end users. Regardless of whether it was coding or senior management, 95% of my time was spent diplomatically explaining to users what idiots they are. The other 5% were legitimate hardware/software errors.

 

[perry]

We were asked to picked up some media for disposal today. A stack of 8" floppy disks. They were labeled "employee file 6/88" or "IT backup 1/89" and stuff like that. Maybe 20 of em. My Commodore 64 used 5.25" disks, but I don't believe I have ever used (maybe not seen) a 8" floppy disk. I hung one of em on my wall under the 5.25 I keep for nostalgia purposes.

I'm in grad school for an MBA right now. Not sure what I want to do with it but I think it's time to leave IT.

 

[findingZzero]

The only reason I can keep my rig going is because having owned nothing but PC's, and being an inveterate gamer and porn user, keeping it running was an eternal quest. Searching the forums for answers. Trying different suggestions. Reformatting the HD, etc. I remember my first 486 pc. I couldn't get a flt sim game to run because it needed every bit of the 64k ram it came with. I shut down practically every non essential service, but no joy. I learned as a user, not a tech, because I had to. Self preservation. I hardly ever game (do they write games for PC's anymore)? I still do a bit of porn, but have no pc problems anymore. On the other hand (right) my wrist is a bit sore. Can I say that here?
What I'm getting at is that computers should be as easy to use as toasters. Everyone shouldn't have to learn all the intricacies of the HD,MB, software. One day this will all be silly...Until then all IT guys will surely be surly.

 

[buckstopshere]

So, if you get a virus from a porn site, is that considered an STD?

 

[Scutter01]

You know anything about Cisco wireless systems?

Yes, I do.