Membership
Report
(Click here
to go to the Membership page)
Roman Okonowski gave members a
homework assignment to be completed over the next couple of
weeks. Part 1 of this assignment, think about someone you
deal with on a daily basis that would make a good MABE member.
Part 2, think about a product or service that you need that an
existing MABE member can't help you with. What business do
we need in this group? Make sure to do your
homework...There will be a pop quiz!
[membersonly/archives/applications/submitted_applications.htm]
Social Report
(Click here to go to the Social Event page)
Chuck Hultstrand filled in for
Althea Bussert today. He passed around a signup sheet for
an upcoming MABE Fall Family Social. It will be on Sunday,
October 24th, from 3:00pm to 7:30 pm at the D-Spur Ranch.
The cost is $45 per person and payment is due October 8th.
There will be a hayride, cookout and entertainment.
Speaker Coordinator Report
(Click here to go to the Speaker Schedule)
- 09/24/04 Roger
Carpenter
- 10/01/04 TBA
- 10/08/04 Keith
Miller
Wayne Unruh is looking for volunteers to
speak. Don't be shy!
Treasurer Report
The 4th quarter 2004 dues invoices have been
mailed out. If you did not get yours, please let us know.
We will be more than happy to send another :)
08-20, 08-23, 08-41, 20-07,
17-23, 23-17, 23-21, 23-27, 26-38, 24-28, 07-28, 07-13, 15-10,
15-44, 21-13(x2), 21-22, 21-31, 21-43, 34-13, 38-32, 03-31,
40-19, 40-10.
How do you relieve stress?
- Randy Clark - I ride my bikes and
play guitar.
- Wayne Unruh - I herd turtles.
- Ralph Cunningham - I go rock
climbing.
- Roman Okonowski - I workout.
Dave Spiess asked this question to find
out if there were members with similar recreational interests.
For instance, he knows of several other members that, like him,
enjoy bike riding. So why not do it together?
If you don't have a hobby you should
consider getting one. It is good to get away from the
business and the hassles of life and just do something you
enjoy.
Ralph Cunningham
Cunningham Computer Services
Ralph came to Arizona in 1969 to go
to work for Motorola. A year later he joined the Marine Corp
to "avoid the draft". He spent 4 years in service before
returning to Motorola. He was eventually laid off. He
went to work for a medical firm which is where he first got involved
with computers. From there he went to work for Mesa Community
Colleges. Next and final stop...owning his own computer
service company.
Ralph gave members a quick computer
history course. In a nutshell, computers consist of binary
numbers and numeric operations that lead to amazing things. If
you are interested in the long version, Ralph has some reading
material you can have. He highly recommends it for insomniacs.
His daily job consists of killing
viruses and bugs. We have some very interesting viruses
floating around. They find unique ways of getting into
systems. They come disguised at "cutsie" little things like
weather bugs and they leave a path open for their big ugly friends.
They add software to your computer that allows people to spy on you.
They are using you to make money. Your information (like your
buying habits) are sold to other companies who in turn bombard you
with pop-ups and basically hi-jack your machine. They steal
your computer power and can be very difficult to remove.
These programs can even turn off
your anti-virus program. You are left with only the illusion
of protection. They leave you wide open for attacks from their
pimple-faced, militant friends. They can steal your identity.
The internet is not a nice place these days. Watch your back
and be cautious.
So why don't these people get in
trouble? Because you gave them permission to do it! When
you hit "I accept" on there agreement screen, you are allowing them
to do everything listing in that very long, fine print document.
There are some legitimate, free
programs out there like Adobe Reader. But even they have a
catch. Everyone uses there free product which means everyone
else needs to buy their high priced Adobe Writer to provide users
with information in the format most users can read.
A rule of thumb...If you don't go
looking for it ask for it specifically, always say NO.
Windows service pack 2 does help
with pop-ups. But it can cause problems with other programs.
But this is normal with any change. No software company can
test their product with every single program out there. It is
just not possible. That is why you see that screen pop up
after a crash asking you to send an error report. This is how
they know what needs to be fixed. But that fix may cause
another problem. The internet is just too complex. The
best they can do is operate in reactive mode. For you own
peace of mind, before updating, make a back up or, if you are using
XP, use your restore points.
Another thing to remember, before
installing new software, make sure to read the compatibility
statements. Make sure you are installing PC programs on a PC
and Mac programs on a Mac. Files can be transferred between
PCs and Macs but they will need to be in a format that the operating
system can read.
With Mac being such a small target
that viruses are not an issue, should you switch? That is up
to you. But realize that Mac is very exclusive so your
software will cost more. And you won't have as many
applications available to you. It really depends on your
situation and who you interface with. Some large companies
have gone to Mac for their email only.
For those staying with PCs, the
internet is not all bad. You just have to be careful.
Stay away from toolbars and search bars and cute little bugs.
Unless you are a geekazoid from beyond hell, just say no!
[membersonly/archives/former_members/cunningham.htm]