How-do-you-do,
tracer posted to [EMAIL PROTECTED] making the following comments:
t> I think my number of systems is a bit larger...
Well I was actually referring to my home/office Network actually, not my
customer base.
t> I see thousands per year...
<!-- don extended codpiece
We may be in a different line of work? What exactly is yours? I get about 15
callouts a day (not much to you I know) from my locally based completely
trusting customers who love me and my children, and my pets to bits. <-
overkill? 75% of them are usually quickly sorted out over the phone. So, if
I do the maths, hang on...and get a mean average...wait...that works out
toooo..too.. Well it's probably over 6000 callouts a year I expect ;-)
This is obviously small fry to you I know being that I'm not a multinational
business turning over millions of pounds every year, but heh, I do just make a
living and some of my customers do actually phone me back ;-)
//--> un-don extended codpiece.
t> In addition if you talk about your own system, likely you do things
t> in a way causing you the least problems.
Yes, I was talking about my own system.
t> I havent got that luxury as most systems are outside my control.
Personally I would not want anything to do with any of my customers' systems
until they called me out - I have stable blood pressure at the moment. It
certainly would be no luxury if they were inside my control ;-) Most of them
would worry me into an early grave if I spent enough time thinking about
some of the things they get up to.
Sidetrack:
A customer (a male in his late 40s), admittedly not too bright, was
convinced that the PC I had built him wasn't making the same noise as when
he first got it from me, so took to banging the top and side of his PC
which, according to him (I found out later), made it sound right after a
couple of whacks. One day he phoned me to say that his computer would not bootup.
When I went around to see him, he said that the PC had been playing up for a
while. On investigating, I found a completely knackered hard disk. After
I had installed a replacement, I noticed the CPU fan rattling a bit when
booting so I swapped it out there an then. As I was doing that, the chap
said "..that was the noise it was making before. I knew there was something
wrong. When I banged it the noise stopped!" I did then explain why I was
charging him for the new hard drive.
t> So if it is running and not causing problems and it isnt critical I am
t> not going to upgrade a customer.
I never give loaded guns to my customers. They will blow their own heads off in
most cases.
t> Too much chance I end up wasting hours on a system due to something
t> else dying! Free of charge obviously if I mess it up!
t> PLUS complaints.
When I first started out I got suckered regularly by a few lovely customers
who made me endless cups of tea whilst I wasted endless hours of my time
reinstalling software for them that they had spent only moments screwing up.
Generally, these types blamed the problem on the computer that I had built
them so that I would do the work for free. I became wise, quickly. I have
mostly steered clear of software related problems as it doesn't really pay
the bills. Often, a reinstall of Windows and all software is a lot quicker
than tracking down and repairing odd registry errors and corrupted
installations.
Software that I recommend is often running on my PC for around 2 months
before I mention it to anyone. But my advice to them is still to always back
up their software before installing anything, and remind them that there is
no support with such gifts. Nowadays, MOST of my customers seem to
understand. The ones that don't just don't get software from me!
t> I have seen bug upgrades installed after which for example some silly
t> game lost sound.
t> I know you arent interested in a disney Winny the Pooh game making
t> sound or not but tell that to the customer...
I refer the right honorable gentleman to my previous reply.
t> Especially after charging him for the download and upgrade!
t> He gets home and no more sound in that game.
t> Daughter complains, next day he is back.
I don't ever charge for necessary updates.
t> As far as I am concerned only if the user is in danger if he doesnt.
t> I make sure they run a decent firewall, a decent antivirus tool and
t> try to get them away from any MS related stuff as Outlook/Outlook
t> express.
t> It isnt even that difficult by telling them about the many virus
t> attacks on that stuff and that they can loose all their email...
Advise them sure, but at the end of the day they surf at their own peril
just like you and me. You must either have a lot of time or you are a VERY
decent person, because I just can't get that involved. Too time consuming.
t> If they really want the latest version of windows in most cases all
t> they have to do is walk to the nearest computer
t> software place and get themselves a copy.
Yes.
t> No problem with it. My At guard loads at startup. It never hangs
t> anything in an obvious way.
t> And as you will know order of things loaded can make a significant
t> difference.
Certainly can.
t> Under windows starting and releasing firewalls especially if multiple
t> protections are loaded is a good way to get them interfering in
t> unexpected ways.
t> So I always load them in the same order...
Ditto.
t> If I crash off I reboot so it all gets started the same way.
Not so disciplined as you, obviously.
t> I donot shut it down , I reconnect.
I meant that it was auto loaded with Netlaunch and auto closed with NetLaunch
t> Try using BFTP with Zonealarm... I run the beta at present as a test.
t> Its a nice program but it doesnt give me enough control.
Got me there Tracer. BFTP? ...read further. Just got there. Bullet FTP.
t> Which is what I do.
t> I control as much as possible what gets loaded in what order and it
t> can make a significant difference for system behaviour.
I refer you to my last Ditto!
t> Check the websites, it was reviewed and tested in many places, it
t> doesnt do what it claims it does. Unless they changed it a lot...
Since what version? I have been using it from v3 right through to v5. Yes,
it was buggy, unstable, and not too clever to start with. I even emailed
them asking for my 99$ back (especially when I saw it elsewhere) because I
felt they had released the rath of hell onto my computer. However, it is a
lot lot better, and the problems of those times don't exist in the current
version. I wouldn't necessarily recommend that anyone spend 99$ purchasing
it either - Not with the likes of ZoneAlarm and TheCleaner available anyway.
t> Nope, I use them as well.
t> If I really get pestered by an insisting hacker he will end up
t> learning its not smart...
:-}
t> Unless it has improved a lot I would say it likely still doesnt do
t> what it claims
Please read Book 1, section 18, paragraph 12, line 14, above, etc.
t> I have it installed and am giving it its tests.
t> BUT I cannot run my ftp (BULLET FTP) unless I switch the firewall off.
t> I have little control over what happens.
Use Xitami's FTP service so have no problems.
t> Ok, I will likely stick it on some customers systems as an idiot proof
t> reasonable product but if it interferes with what I want to run, out
t> it goes. It interferes with several other programs as well.
Same as me. Interferes even slightly then it goes to cyberhell where all the
misbehaved software ends up ;-)
t> After one week of using it what should I say?
Give up?
t> It just got a log capacity which it should have had from the begin, I
t> should be able to bypass alarms, it shouldnt stick its log on a path
t> of its choice.
Why I use another Firewall as well.
t> It may work but its like a product meant for monkeys using computers.
t> Sorry for saying it, I want control of my firewall, not the firewall
t> having control of my system
Apologize all you want. I agree. However, as you will undoubtedly
appreciate, ZoneAlarm is less likely to be responsible for call outs where
email doesn't work any longer because one of your customers has blocked their
email client from accessing their ISP's server. An absolute @Guard favourite!
Happened lots of times.
t> I visit but not sure they always know what they talk about (g)
t> I think Steves knowledge of hard disks is better then about
t> firewalls...
On the healthy side of skepticism then.
t> if those lumps interfere with my computer usage, out it goes till
t> they are gone.
I sometimes give something a fair run if it could really turn out well. Not
often.
t> If its not interfering with my customers more simple system usage, I
t> see no reason NOT to install it as most wouldnt know how to set it
t> anyway...
<-- ? ?-->
t> Main thing to remember is I put it in, it causes problems, they come
t> back to me to complain.
Don't put it in. Send them an anon mail with link ;-)
t> I likely would prefer to put Zone alarm in a customer's system then to
t> give him a load of MS updates...
In preference to some security updates, agreed. In others, not.
t> MUCH easier to remove zone alarm then to remove all that MS addon
t> stuff...
Can't argue...now at least. It did however cause MASSIVE instability in very
first incarnations though. Sometimes destroying windows installation
completely.
t> Best regards,
t> tracer
Sl�n anois,
Simon send private mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Usin' TB! v1.41 & registered
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