Win BIG - what do I need to do?

Winning isn't everything?

Does anyone else get pi##ed off when the jackpot gets to $50Million and you don’t win? And then you read that there was a winner and they look so happy? ………… Why is life so unfair that your numbers never come up? Is it really that illegal to find out where they live and punch them?

I am so unlucky with lotto – or any other gambling - that if I had the only ticket I would still come second! I still buy tickets in the big ones, and dream the night before about how rich I will be and what I would do with all the money, sharing it never really comes into the picture, I would only have $50Million after all! Can’t go giving any away, I have so much to buy.

Would you still work? Or just change your hobby to a job? What would you do with the money? Is it just greed that gets people into the ‘big’ ones – you stand a better chance of the other draws with less people entering? Should you stick with the same numbers?

So many questions – how do you win Lotto????

IPCop, The Penguin is Ready!

IPCOP, an enterprise level home firewall.

Don't get rid of your old PC, you have all the makings of a great firewall. go to IPCop and download the latest ISO file. Burn it to a cd and install. You will need at least 2 network cards installed. Once installed and setup there are plenty of add-ons for you, SPAM protection, multiple anti-virus and even a VPN so you can connect from outside to your internal network securely.

It is quick to install (15 minutes) and has all the functionality of an enterprise level firewall. Monitor traffic with easily readable logs, manage firewall rules with an add-on or just use the standard rules that are preinstalled. Keep track of your internet traffic, manage users access to the internet and lots more.

Try it. You won’t be disappointed.

What To Do After Redundancy

Starting again ....

After 8 years at one company and an overall 12+ years working in the field I have decided (helped with a redundancy) to pursue a solo career. A daunting task, where do I start?

First think of a cool name to call myself, company anyway, I am stuck with the rather mundane name my parents gave me. Then make sure no one else has the same thought.

See if I can also get it as a domain name ...... sometimes a little poetic license is required.

Then it is off to start the paper work, luckily all online. In Australia you can't go past Australian Online Company Registration. Quick and easy, I was now the proud owner of ICON IT SUPPORT PTY LTD and an ABN.

Next was the domain, can't be IT support and have no web site! Off to register ..... lots of choices here...... go online and check around. Now www.iconit.com.au is all mine I tells ya.

Create a logo, avoid online templates, they look a bit tacky (clipart), you may want it on flyers and business cards as well as your web site. Good to have something original. Logo Creator is a fun product.

Got a name, got a domain, got a logo ... now to put it on the web. For now I am just using a free host, I don't need much and so far it has not let me down. If you need extra functionality then you might need to pay for it. I can email with PHP and upload web pages with text content, not too difficult.

Create some flyers, pick a subject, don't put too much down, people might not read it. Make it eye catching, there is a lot of info online about effective flyers, I suggest browsing and reading it. .... and some business cards. So far I have not left the comfort of my computer chair.

How will I get paid? Cash would be nice, however you need a bank account. Leave your comfy chair go and talk to your bank (or another bank, shop around) and create a business account.

Now to drum up business, walk the streets dropping off flyers, look into how to improve your web presence, a good start for info let your friends know that from now on they will pay for your expert services.... or at least let others know about you.

Wait for 5 - 10 years and see if you have gone ok.

The Windows Bashers

Why is it that Linux and Mac users feel so insecure that 'Windows Bashing' is so common amongst them?

Linux is a nice platform but has its share of security flaws, which is why so many patches come out. I wonder how many of them actually read what they are patching? It is arrogant to assume that Linux is infallible, a new user running as root can do just as much damage to a system as a windows user. I am not a Linux guru, but I am not new to it either, I like it and use it but am tired of ignorant comments. .... so have decided to add some of my own!

I can feel a flaming coming on. Out you come Linux! - and Mac

What makes Linux so grumpy? Is it that Microsoft has their eye on the lucrative web market currently 'owned' by Linux? - probably not, more likely that they are all command line junkies and anyone using a GUI is inferior. Completely forgetting that Linux also has a GUI and most new users would probably use that.

For the Mac crowd (the second noisy minority OS), I like this the best .... buy a Mac ..... then turn it into Windows!!

Both Mac and Linux like to claim that no one can infect them, that is why they want us all to join them like some fanatical religious cult. I cannot fathom why they can't understand that no-one has the time to infect the 4 people that use Mac and the 3 that use Linux! Everyone owns a Windows PC and has time to create 'nasties' for them. Billions of computers are a much better target than the other 6 users.

Linux has its' place as a server and works very well, as a desktop it has a lot to do to catch up to a Mac let alone Windows.

And now we get to the Mac crowd for their adds. If the other is a PC is he also a Linux? If Mac is so much better than PC why want to run Windows on it?

Mac and Linux, when you have a system that will compete effectively with Windows (and I mean effectively, not just have a GUI and no substance) then come and put forward your case. Stop whining about how hard done by you all are and why can't we all use your system because it is so much better.

When Apple has an OS that loads on a generic PC (without being hacked) and Linux has something a bit more professional for a desktop then perhaps there will be competition, up till now Microsoft has no competition.

Stop bashing Windows and beat them .... then you will get converts.

For a reasonably unbiased (or at least as unbiased as I have seen so far) read this article - Ubuntu Linux Vs. Windows Vista: The Battle For Your Desktop it may be getting a little dated at 2 years old but is still informative.