The Most Used Symbol @

efcussins@yahoo.com, Leo@myemalHome.com even jane@hotmail.com, make the most used symbol in the world to day. Think about it!

How many emails do you receive and send during one 24 hour period. They all have to have @ in the middle. Separating the addressees mailbox name from the home of that mailbox.

I remember first using @ as a shorthand symbol. It's history is not easy to find. But it is good to know I can hold down the Shift key and press the number 2 key above the Q and W to get @. @ is in the middle and above.

Monday of a Short Week

Short weeks are one that a holiday at one end or in the middle. It is hard to get motivation going. Monday, and Tuesday is getting up to speed. Wednesday shifts gear for enjoyment of the holiday. Thursday and Friday becomes a mad house rush to catch up with the work volume needed for the week.

Trying to plan this week with productive energy is hard.

It is Friday

The business week is almost over. A few hundred more people know about TEN Solutions and EFCussins.com. Business sales were up from the week before. Of course the week before, sales were almost non-existence.

Tomorrow will only be a half day. Then Sunday night it all starts over again. The 4th of July is next week. That means I am going to have to work harder.

Courage Is Not Emotion

I wrote yesterday about courage as a business owner. Today, I must make note that courage as a business owner is to keep going when things look the blackest. Money is coming in, but not enough to meet basic overhead.

Maybe that is why so many new businesses fail? The new owners is not use to $200, $400, or $1,000 a day being deposited in the bank account. He or she thinks they are getting rich, but in reality all they are able to do is very keep ahead of the creditors.

When reality takes hold, it is not a time to faint, but to press on. Follow the dream. Adjust to make the money coming in cover expenses. Then press on to where times will get easier.

Business A Courageous Decision

Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision
Peter F. Drucker
For more Inspiring Quotes

I see a courageous person as an individual that goes pass the emotion of the time. Most successful business person does act on the emotion of the moment, but follows the passion that drove them to start their own business.

Courage of a passionate dream acted upon can take a person pass all the negative resistance. Through the veil of discouragement unto the light of a dream realized.

Owning A Business Is Not For Wimps.

Small Business Trends report 66 % of started businesses are still going after the first 2 years. After fours years, 44 % were still in existence. It takes work, organizing, wisdom, and putting oneself out there, to make a business work.

If it wasn't for my wife, pushing me when I was down emotionally. The pressure of bills piling up and low sales, does not help for a positive attitude. I even found myself praying.

The best things to do is;

1. Mutual encouragement
2. Learn how-to live on a budget
3. Keep put yourself in front of potential clients.
4. Keep up with trade news and technical skills.
   

Reality Check

To the individual that thinks owning their own business is great. The delusion that working for yourself is easier than working for some large corporation or hard nose, needs a reality check.

I like working on computers. I like helping people, but I hate sales. Guess what 90% of owning ones own business is sales. Selling ones self is before selling ones goods, or selling ones service.

I have talked with other business owners. Their comment to me is that they are to busy managing their business. Doing the type of work they like to do is a rare pleasure. In other words they have become a slave to the business they created.

Computer Techs Are Not All The Same

This morning I did a Yahoo Local search for computer repair in the Boise ID area. There is over 50 different listing. Some of them I know. Some I do not know. But I do know, that they are all vary in experience and knowledge.

There are computer techs that I will easily consider fair better, than myself. There is other who lack in certain areas, that I am proficient. We are out there competing for the repair for your computer.

Considering the wealth of knowledge in Idaho. The three strike rule my best advice to anyone looking to get computer, and/ or network up and running.

1. If the computer is not working right after the first visit, there could of have been an unknown issues the computer tech did not see.
2. After the second visit the computer tech needs to pull his/or her resources. There could be a gap in the techs knowledge/experience base, that they need.
3. In my opinion, after the third try, it is is time to call in a different computer tech maybe a different company.
   

Father's Day - The After

I have not been the best father in the world. Truth be told, I was a father to early in life. I have beat myself over the head enough, on the subject.

This Father's Day, for me, was a semi sub dewed one. My wife had to remind my youngest. My oldest two do not want anything to do with me. Instead of pushing for a Father's Day DVD or NASCAR.

All I did was spend my time in church and the computer room. I fixed lunch and dinner for the family. It was a day not about me. It was day about me serving, helping, listening, and guiding my family.

Time Warp

I follow tech trends pretty close. I may not have the latest and the greatest, but my gear is within a year or two.

Well, earlier this week I went deliver and installed a computer on a ranch,in less than 50 miles from Boise, ID. When I arrived to the ranch I felt I had time warp back 40 plus years. Rotary phone, black and white television, and avocado green kitchen.

When I left they were so excited playing solitaire, on their computer. I wonder if the simple things in life are the best.

Playing With Fire!

Whether your home or work computer fails, can you recover those files and information. Or all you can do is just sit there with your hands in your face crying. Years, and months of memories and financial information are lost.

According to research by the U.S. Small Business Administration, at least 25 percent of businesses close not to back up their files will not reopen, after some computer failure. Many those do often struggle just to stay in business. It could of have been avoided

The following stats influence you decision about backing up your computer’s files.

• Over 90% of companies experiencing a major data loss cannot fully recover all of their information.
• 40-45% of businesses fail to resume operations after a major theft or fire.
• 25% of businesses do not reopen following a major disaster.

These are odds I don’t want to have against me.

Everything Changes Including Me

I just updated my web authoring software. Good old fashion html is being replaced because it slow and not as powerful as newer website code. Cascading Style Sheets, for example, allow web pages that have more complex design to load much faster.

Two words come to mind, “everything changes”. It makes it harder for some of us to keep up with the changes, considering how fast everything changes. What was considered state-of-the-art in 1997 is to new for the museum and too old for any real usefulness.

If we are to have marketable skills we have to narrow our area of expertise just to keep up with all the changes.

Ignorance Is NOT Bliss

Periodically, I find a computer that is so infected. Like yesterday, I was to install a simple accounting program, but I kept getting errors. I knew something was wrong, by what I was told did not verify what I was experiencing with that computer. Well, several hours later, revealed 900+ infected files with a viruses types , and 4 root kits.

The root cause of the infection is obvious. Microsoft and all computer security experts agree on the three basics. Anti virus program, a bi-directional firewall, and keeping software updated. In the last few years one more piece of security has been added. An anti-spyware program was added because of the increase use of the internet.

All of these facts are well published and preached. However, these are people thinking by ignoring the experts advice. When faced with the results of their actions, their face turns red. I have trouble having compassion for computer users who continue to ignore the reality/responsibility of having a computer.

They Outlawed My Chevy!!!

I maybe old fashion, but there are times I like to see and use good vintage machines. The younger generation in wanting to save energy, save the economy, and/or make money. In the name of progress what was once good dependable and useful have not only been out dated and made illegal.

When Windows XP first cane out all you needed was 128 MB of RAM. Then 256 MB would be enough. Now 256 is the least the average user can use. Actually, 1 GB of RAM or higher is needed.

What about those good ole computers that only can be upgraded to 256 or 512 of RAM. They as headed for the great computer graveyard in the sky.

The bottom line is a shining new computer in 2002 is just as out dated as the old 54 Chevy, without seatbelts, noisy smoking, and no air bags.

Spring Cleaninng is Not Just for the House

The weather is getting hotter. Fishing, hiking, and camping start to fill our idle thoughts. Before we can head out to the stream or favorite camp ground we must do spring cleaning. Oh Bummer!!!

This is when we have to go through the house clean webs and get rid of clothes that are worn out or two small for us. The family car gets a tune up as well as detailed cleaning. However, the family computer gets forgotten.

The family computer is the work horse that just keeps on working through abuse. The owners only give passing thoughts of cleaning the dust from inside the case. Once in a while mom will think about backing up the valued family photos from last Christmas.

Why is it that when it comes to Spring Cleaning that the one electronic device that runs more than our car gets only a passing thought when it comes to preventive maintenance. If anything is done, it is done only in a token state. Like our personal salve that will work long hours and dependably on bread and water.

Vista is Now Being Called MEII

Windows ME was probably the worst operating system that Microsoft ever released. Verily on the market for a over a year, ME gain the nickname ME-take (pounced mistake).

To from the Inquirer website and c|net.com the term MEII has been officially be put on the Vista. Of course I have heard the term in some private circles.

The question is now what is Microsoft going to do with it's MEII? Will they still try to push Vista until it is right? Will they let it fade in the background as a embarrassment?

Vista Bad for Notebooks/Laptops

I hate being such a Windows Vista basher, but I am not seeing a lot of reports that say Vista is good for the average computer user. c|net.com reported problems with Vista on Hp notebooks.

John Wozniak, a top Hewlett-Packard's engineer in the notebook department. Vista was an energy hog started to surface during beta testing last year.

The main problem is in Vista's Aero feature. When Aero is turned off battery life is equal to or better than Windows XP systems. But with it turned on, battery life is much shorter than with Windows XP.

DELL is Flipping the Bird

DELL Computer has not only still selling computers with Windows XP, on select models across their product line. Microsoft is pushing Windows Vista down every bodies throats. DELL even is selling workstations with Linux. This is nothing more than rebellion in the computer manufacturing community.

If this is not flipping the bird to the worlds most influential company in the world. But there are times when even the most successful are wrong. That is what has happen with Microsoft. Instead of improving on a good product, Windows XP. Microsoft has reinvented the wheel. Thus forcing us to suffer working out the bugs, when we do not have to go through such pain.

Vista the Secure Headache

Microsoft in build a secure operating system has made it so secure that it has become a headache to use. Let us take a look two of the security features and headaches.

• User Account Control - Is designed to keep the average computer from opening an unwanted door to a hacker or malicious software. However, the user is hounded with popup windows asking, "Are you sure you want do this?"
• Projection Mode - A new feature in Vista with Internet Explorer 7 is what is called Protection mode. If Internet Explorer does not recognized a website as a secure website, it won't let you go to that website. This is good, but I can't visit an unrecognized website without being hounded by pop up warnings.
• Vista Basic - Yes his is the cheapest edition of Vista, but are not going to get some of the features that make Vista. Vista Basic is just what it says; basic email, and basic web surfing. If you want more then you will have to upgrade.
  

Windows XP Is NOT Dead

On the DELL website there announced that they have been listening to their customers. DELL will continue to provide XP on certian models. Below is a list of DELL's posting.

DON’T ELIMINATE XP JUST YET
We heard you loud and clear on bringing the Windows XP option back to our Dell consumer PC offerings. Based on your feedback, the following Dell consumer systems with Windows XP are now immediately available on Dell.com:

Dell Inspiron: 1405, 1705, 1505, 1501 Dell Dimension: E520, E521