Home Computer Talk http://www.homecomputertalk.com Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:01:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 en And We’re Back! http://www.homecomputertalk.com/and-we%e2%80%99re-back/ http://www.homecomputertalk.com/and-we%e2%80%99re-back/#comments Wed, 02 Jul 2008 05:00:07 +0000 JM http://www.homecomputertalk.com/and-we%e2%80%99re-back/ tv.jpgHi everyone!

Phew! We are back in action (as you can see). Did you miss me? I missed you!

Group hug!

Too much? Okay. I’ll behave.

I am very glad to be back in action and posting here on site. I apologize for all the down time, but as happens with technology sometimes, we had a bit of a technology burp. Apparently some drives and servers went down at headquarters and things were a bit messy for a while.

Don’t ask me to go into it further because it’s probably, ultimately, quite boring.

Thank you all for your patience (and for coming back after such a long gap). I know that going too long without posting can be a bit of a ‘virtual death’ for any site, so I doubly appreciate all of you who have been checking in with me via email, twitter and other things.

If any of you are interested in alternative ways to contact me (should the sites ever go down again, heaven forbid), leave a comment and I’ll post up some of my information.

I would like to reward everyone who stuck around through all this by holding a contest. I know I just held two big contests, but that doesn’t mean I can’t hold a few more, right?

If you have any ideas for a contest, please let me know. I’ll be taking your suggestions for the next few weeks so we can hopefully get something going soon.

Once again, my apologies, and thank you to everyone for your patience. I’m very glad to be back.

Have a good one!

]]> http://www.homecomputertalk.com/and-we%e2%80%99re-back/feed/ Technical Difficulties http://www.homecomputertalk.com/technical-difficulties-2/ http://www.homecomputertalk.com/technical-difficulties-2/#comments Tue, 01 Jul 2008 05:00:25 +0000 JM http://www.homecomputertalk.com/technical-difficulties-2/ binary-code.jpgHello everyone.

As you likely already know, many of the sites on the 451press network are down and have been down for some time (what seems like forever!).

I would like to apologize on behalf of 451press for the technical difficulties we have been experiencing lately. There are problems at 451press headquarters right now involving the equipment and machines we use to keep the sites up and running. The good news is that these problems are being addressed and hopefully we’ll get things up and running sooner rather than later.

Thank you very much for your patience. At this time, about half the sites are down so a lot of people are unable to post and a lot of readers have been left in the dark. If possible, if you know other people who read blogs here at 451, please let them know that the problem is being worked on and the sites will hopefully be up again soon.

Thankfully, this site is still up and working and I will continue to post here for as long as I can.

Remember, if you need to contact me for any reason, you can use the contact me button below the site description on the right. If these sites go down for any reason, you can also find me twittering away at http://twitter.com/JaimeMcD . Just remember that I’m in a different time zone so responding to you might take a bit longer than you anticipate.

Thank you again for your patience. Hopefully things will be back to normal soon.

]]> http://www.homecomputertalk.com/technical-difficulties-2/feed/ The Search for Truth… (continued) http://www.homecomputertalk.com/the-search-for-truth%e2%80%a6-continued/ http://www.homecomputertalk.com/the-search-for-truth%e2%80%a6-continued/#comments Fri, 27 Jun 2008 05:00:21 +0000 JM http://www.homecomputertalk.com/the-search-for-truth%e2%80%a6-continued/ On the other side are aligned a much smaller number of scientists, some dedicated amateurs, very little money (the grants get taken away as soon as it’s clear the research is leading away from AGW) and a lot of measurements that get ‘invalidated’ regularly each time they show anything contrary to the AGW hypothesis.
Global Temperature History
It’s hard to know who to believe. But on the AGW side there’s some seriously poor science going on. Early on, one Michael Mann, now PhD, presented the ‘Hockey Stick’ graph seen below in Using the Net as evidence that in the 1900’s the temperature began to climb. The problem is, the graph is made up of tree ring data for the period up to 1900, then measurements made in the 20th century for the ‘blade’ of the hockey stick.

Another problem is that Mann was, at that time a PhD student, (hard to claim he was a ‘leading scientist’) and also a Leading Reviewer for the IPCC report, so he got to help make the decision to accept his Hockey Stick graph as a significant piece of evidence.

The tree ring data fails to show two events we know from history actually happened – the Little Ice Age and the Medieval Warm Period. Look them up – they happened, yet the Hockey Stick graph fails to show them. This invalidates the use of tree rings to show global temperature changes.

And if tree rings are so good as data, how come they didn’t simply use the 20th century tree rings to complete the hockey stick? There would seem to be something wrong with a ‘conclusive’ case that requires manipulation of evidence, don’t you think?

More problems come with how many times the pro-AGW side invalidates previously accepted measurements – not interpretations or theories, but actual measurements and then applies ‘corrections’ to the data so it shows what they are saying is happening. Yet before the IPCC came along, there seemed to be nothing wrong with those measurements.

Back in the 1970’s, there was voiced concern over whether the Earth was heading into a new Ice Age – the average temperatures had been trending down for something like thirty years. Yet now, the pro-AGW scientists have applied a ‘correction’ to show those measurements were actually wrong and that really, things were getting warmer during that three decades and the scientists of those times simply didn’t notice.

Your mission, should you accept it, is to use the information here to go and inform yourself as to what might be really going on. Don’t let a bureaucratic ‘inter-governmental’ body with an agenda decide what you will think – use the internet as it is meant to be used and go take a look for yourself.

]]> http://www.homecomputertalk.com/the-search-for-truth%e2%80%a6-continued/feed/ The Search for Truth… http://www.homecomputertalk.com/the-search-for-truth%e2%80%a6/ http://www.homecomputertalk.com/the-search-for-truth%e2%80%a6/#comments Thu, 26 Jun 2008 05:00:51 +0000 JM http://www.homecomputertalk.com/the-search-for-truth%e2%80%a6/ In Using the Net and Finding the Truth I used the search for information about Anthropogenetic Global Warming (AGW – Human-caused Global Warming) to talk about Internet use.

Here is an example of how use of the Internet can undo the media-driven ideas that seem set to change our world. Note that I am not claiming that there is no warming happening, nor am I going into the very real possibility that global warming could trigger an ice age like that which occurred back around 1600AD or worse.

It’s an ongoing debate across the internet and has been for the past few years. Al Gore has made himself a Noble Peace Prize (oh, and for two thousand five hundred of the world’s ‘leading scientists’) for a movie called ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ (AIT) where they make a case for how human-generated carbon dioxide is the cause for Global Warming.

But there’s another side – less famous, but well presented, ‘The Great Global Warming Swindle’ is worth a watch. They talk about ‘AIT’ and some of the ‘errors’ made in the movie. Things like the slight misalignment of two graphs, one showing the temperature rises across thousands of years and the other the rise in carbon dioxide.

Also have a read of http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/columnists/story.html?id=332289
The HockeyStick
Looking at the AIT version, it seems that CO2 rises bring on warming, but when the graphs (derived from ice cores from Greenland) are matched properly, the situation gets reversed – first the temperature rises, then several hundred years later, the levels of CO2 rise.

In other words, Global Warming causes carbon dioxide levels to rise, not the other way around.

On one side are aligned the IPCC, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – an organization specifically set up to investigate AGW, apparently at least two thousand five hundred of the world’s ‘leading scientists,’ billions of dollars of research grants and a mountain of papers Evil Knievel would be hard pressed to jump over.

There are some apparent problems with the two thousand five hundred of the world’s ‘leading scientists,’ in that many of them haven’t been in a laboratory since school days; some are ‘Administrative’ personnel.

]]> http://www.homecomputertalk.com/the-search-for-truth%e2%80%a6/feed/ Introduction to Forums – A Warning http://www.homecomputertalk.com/introduction-to-forums-%e2%80%93-a-warning/ http://www.homecomputertalk.com/introduction-to-forums-%e2%80%93-a-warning/#comments Tue, 24 Jun 2008 05:00:32 +0000 JM http://www.homecomputertalk.com/introduction-to-forums-%e2%80%93-a-warning/ While getting on to a forum and posting (especially for the first time) can be a lot of fun and exhilarating, there is a sobering note that comes along with joining forums (and with communicating with anyone you don’t know on the internet).
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While a certain level of trust is involved when talking to any stranger, talking to people you don’t know on the internet involves even more trust. The person talking to you who says she is a twenty year old woman from Germany could actually be a twelve year old girl from Michigan. While you can do some (more…)

]]> http://www.homecomputertalk.com/introduction-to-forums-%e2%80%93-a-warning/feed/ Introducing Mr. JM http://www.homecomputertalk.com/introducing-mr-jm/ http://www.homecomputertalk.com/introducing-mr-jm/#comments Sat, 21 Jun 2008 05:00:32 +0000 JM http://www.homecomputertalk.com/introducing-mr-jm/ I pretty much grew up with computers as part of my life. I had them at school and used typing, games, etc programs. I remember using dot matrix printers and planning the most basic version of Lemmings. I was introduced to the internet when I was about ten or so. (Funnily enough, I remember thinking, “Why would anyone want to use that?”)
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Even with all of this, there is a lot about computers that I just don’t know. I have geared myself into the internet side of things with blogging, gaming, and other internet activities. When it comes to the bits and pieces of computers, there isn’t a lot I know.

Despite that, I took on this blog because I have a passion for computers and knew I could rely on my husband, Mr. JM, for guidance when it came to the nuts and bolts stuff about computers.

I’ve been thinking about it for a while and finally had a talk about it with the husband…

I think it’s well past time here on Home Computer Talk that Mr. JM had a bigger voice. I have been asking him about things and pestering him about so much that it no longer makes sense to keep on as I’ve kept on.

So, without further ado, I would like to welcome my husband and now co-blogger here to Home Computer Talk.

You’ll be able to identify his posts by the “By Mr. JM” at the beginning of each of his posts. (Until 451press resolves its other technical difficulties.)

This doesn’t mean I’ll stop posting, by any means. I’ll just be posting less as Mr. JM steps in to talk more about the technical side of things and his day-to-day work as a helpdesk person.

I hope you all join me in welcoming him to the site.

]]> http://www.homecomputertalk.com/introducing-mr-jm/feed/ Introduction to Forums – Forum Personalities http://www.homecomputertalk.com/introduction-to-forums-%e2%80%93-forum-personalities/ http://www.homecomputertalk.com/introduction-to-forums-%e2%80%93-forum-personalities/#comments Wed, 18 Jun 2008 05:00:40 +0000 JM http://www.homecomputertalk.com/introduction-to-forums-%e2%80%93-forum-personalities/ While forums come in many shapes and sizes on a variety of subjects, almost all forums have a few things in common. One big thing is the forum personalities who take part in the forums. You’ll often hear members call other members things like ‘flamer’, ‘troll’, ‘royalty’ or other terms.
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Like in life, some personalities are good, and some aren’t so great. You mostly learn the hard way, but by paying attention to the labels given, you can avoid some trouble.

Here are a few of the personalities you might encounter:

*Trolls – ‘Troll’ is probably (more…)

]]> http://www.homecomputertalk.com/introduction-to-forums-%e2%80%93-forum-personalities/feed/ Introduction to Forums – Choosing a Username http://www.homecomputertalk.com/introduction-to-forums-%e2%80%93-choosing-a-username/ http://www.homecomputertalk.com/introduction-to-forums-%e2%80%93-choosing-a-username/#comments Mon, 16 Jun 2008 05:00:32 +0000 JM http://www.homecomputertalk.com/introduction-to-forums-%e2%80%93-choosing-a-username/ The more members a forum has, the more likely it is that someone is going to have your username. But if you are ‘always’ a certain username but that name is taken on the forum, don’t worry. You can think of another one.
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However, there are a few aspects to usernames that are sure to get you ridicule and/or make you sick of them after a certain amount of time. The last thing you want is to choose a name that you’re going to want to change soon after.

Here are a few tips for picking out a username that will last you for a long time and won’t open you up for insults:

*Don’t use your real name. As tempting as (more…)

]]> http://www.homecomputertalk.com/introduction-to-forums-%e2%80%93-choosing-a-username/feed/ Introduction to Forums – Saying Hello http://www.homecomputertalk.com/introduction-to-forums-%e2%80%93-saying-hello/ http://www.homecomputertalk.com/introduction-to-forums-%e2%80%93-saying-hello/#comments Sat, 14 Jun 2008 05:00:09 +0000 JM http://www.homecomputertalk.com/introduction-to-forums-%e2%80%93-saying-hello/ You have the computer, you have the internet, and now you want to start talking to people. Right? You have heard all about how the internet connects people from across the world, so why not get connecting?

Internet forums are a great way to talk to people, make friends, learn new things and have your say as well. And the beauty of forums is you can find several different forums for any subject – everything from creative writing to travel to music and just having a casual chat. Even more niche subjects like House (the television show) have spaces on the internet.
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Where do you get started?

The first step is the easiest (more…)

]]> http://www.homecomputertalk.com/introduction-to-forums-%e2%80%93-saying-hello/feed/ Say Hello to Technology http://www.homecomputertalk.com/say-hello-to-technology/ http://www.homecomputertalk.com/say-hello-to-technology/#comments Thu, 12 Jun 2008 05:00:36 +0000 JM http://www.homecomputertalk.com/say-hello-to-technology/ Occasionally Mr. JM and I will wander down to the local pub and have a couple of drinks. We go there mainly to say hello to our friend Cyril, who is at the pub every day but Sunday and days he has family commitments. Cyril is always good for a laugh and good conversation, but there is one thing he resists above all else…

Technology.

Though Mr. JM and I have been telling him all about how technology can benefit him, even just by having a mobile phone, he refuses to mess with ‘that nonsense’. I even brought in my laptop to the pub last Friday and, while impressed, he refused Mr. JM’s offer to get him a laptop. For free.
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I’m not sure if you know anyone technology-resistant who would go so far as to refuse a free laptop, but I’m sure you know at least one person who (more…)

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