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[O/C]The Sacrifices We Make for Modern Tech

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The Sacrifices We Make for Modern Tech
by Patrick Daniels

It’s 1:13AM CST and I’m sitting here staring on and off at the task manager on my main PC. I got hit hard – HARD – with what appears to be a brand new variant of the Virut virus. I dual boot XP, and had to reformat both of my Windows partitions because this one found its way to my backup partition as well. It even found its way from .exes on my archive partitions &/or my external drives back onto my freshly formatted reinstalls on both the backup & main partition. I saw the services populate with my own eyes as I reinstalled my sound card two days after a fresh double install.

I retract the “got hit hard” portion of the above paragraph – I accept full responsibility for this infection. I’ve prided myself as malware/virus free for quite a long time but I got what was coming to me with this one. I knew better, thought of it, & double clicked anyway.

Click here to continue reading.


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It always leaks thru, and requires manual resolution. We get to formatting the thread starting post in the forums on an eventual basis. ;) This is due to the way in which the vbridge plugin connects Wordpress and Vbulletin, as well as the fact that HTML in articles is not permitted in vbulletin.

Anyways, thanks for the article Patrick - as I mentioned when I gave it an initial readthrough, the tone is reminiscent of Stroligo and I enjoyed the read. :)
 
If you wrote concisely people wouldn't feel the need to skim through the text.


I did read the whole article and it read like a child-like rant.


YOU got the virus because YOU made a mistake.

YOU got your girlfriend late to her appointment because YOU decided to rely on a GPS.

YOU got left in the cold at the store because YOU didn't do your research first or check stock levels.

YOU are to blame.


Time to grow up and take some responsibility.

Oh, and surrounding yourself with like minded people only galvanises your opinions rather than broadening them.
 
He took full responsibility for the virus infection in the second paragraph. He also called himself a smuck for the GPS faux pas.

In the same way, I've also seen the same issues - I moved to linux for internet access because I don't want to take part in the Windows malware cycle - update, scan, clean, wash, rinse, repeat. More importantly than that, I grew tired of "freeware/shareware" applications which nest all sorts of malware right in their installs - I'm looking at you Digsby, that weather channel thing, that wallpaper application, et cetera, et cetera. Free on windows and free on linux are 2 very different things - on Linux, the applications actually come across as though they are centered around the user, not the people who are trying to shove things you don't want down your throat.

I've gotten jerked around in a similar way by my Garmin before also - it's sent me east 4 miles on a highway, just to turn around and go west 6 miles on the same highway (I480 south of Cleveland, coming off the Jennings Freeway). While I could have looked ahead to make sure the route was legit, it's a convenience device by design - often times I take it for granted and rely on it being accurate without giving it much thought. Often times it works out fine. These are common issues we've all experienced at some time, and while maybe the way he phrased it didn't resound well with you - I find it pretty relevant and not so distant in tone to what Stroligo wrote on the site. Granted, he wasn't averse to a good rant either when it was warranted.

As for the store thing, there once was a time when people in stores made an effort at adding value to your visit. This being the walmart era of superstores, there aren't many places which offer much more than a superficial sales pitch anymore (I'm ignoring Home Depot and its ilk).

To each his own of course, and your always welcome to write your own perspectives - Overclockers.com has always been about free speech in publishing community submitted content. Send me your email, and I'll create your account. :thup:
 
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GPS isn't fool proof. It once told me to get off the freeway exit, then back on the freeway. thread

It was in the news article that a family got lost when they used a new GPS that sent them on a rather long scenic trip. They were out of cell phone range and had no paper map and they were (thankfully) rescued 24 hours later.
 
couldn't they have asked somebody for directions?

Sure they could, but I think the point was that sometimes our dependence on technology bites us in the butt. Personally, I have started driving only to realize I left my GPS at home. I called a friend for directions, but he didn't know how to get there, just said "Use your GPS!" I think society's reliance on technology instead of human intelligence, logic or skills is somewhat alarming.

I guess it's really just something to think about, not to be taken too literally. I think the author did a pretty good job at sparking discussion and thoughts from the readers.
:)

Matt
 
I thought it was quite funny, if a bit disjointed (it didn't flow well with the massive situation changes). I enjoyed reading it, quite a bit.
 
I hope we dont one day end up like this...

capt-hoverchair.jpg
 
My GPS and especially Google Maps Mobile has failed me several times. GM especially when instead of sending you to a house address, it sends you to the street. Now...this can be annoying if the street ends in one area and continues in another.

Speaking of phones, my blackberry has not always synced with my exchange server. Last week I thought I was free in the office during the 9 o clock hour. My wife had just dropped off the baby for me to look after while she takes the other 2 to the dentist. Then one of the other IT guys pops in and says "So where's this 9 o clock meeting at?" Sure enough...it was in my Outlook, but it was not on my phone...which I would have probably seen first.

I felt like such an ***. Thankfully one of my co-workers gladly offered to play grandma and look after my son. Despite my supervisor's guilt trip if I were to not go, it didn't benefit anyone for me to there. Waste.
 
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