May 2008
Monthly Archive
New Poll
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Categories: From the Files of DCOT...Posted on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 by Tim Fehlman
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The Knowlege Gap Trap
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Categories: From the Files of DCOT...Posted on Monday, May 19, 2008 by Tim Fehlman
Almost every person who works in IT has found themselves at one time or another dealing with someone who is at a different technical level than they are. They could be your boss, a co-worker, a friend, or a client. And, sooner or later, the IT worker finds themselves in trouble. They are starting to hear statement like:
If you found this post useful, why don't you buy me a cup of coffee to show your gratitude?“I’m not an idiot so don’t talk to me like I am!”
“I don’t understand all your techno-babble!”
“Just explain it to me in plain English!”
I refer to this phenomenon as the knowledge gap trap. Essentially, the IT person has misjudged the technical level of the person they are speaking or working with and attempted to explain a technical concept at the misjudged technical level.
There are several assumptions that the IT person has made that put them into the situation that they now find themselves. Understanding these assumptions is the first step to avoiding them.
- Others have the same knowledge and experience that you do. This was one of the biggest mistake that I have made in the past and I still find making this mistake from time to time. Essentially, I found myself short changing myself and my skills, especially when I am talking to people in the IT industry that have very specific skills. These people know their specific field in extreme detail and know pretty much everything there is to know in that field. I always assumed that if they know that much about one field, they must know that much about all IT fields. In reality, many of these people know so much in their specific fields because they have put all of their focus on that field. It is not uncommon for these people to have little or know understanding of other areas of IT.
- People of perceived different status have assumed higher/lower technical skills. I discovered this bad assumption when I was working for a college IT department. I was amazed that the professors, almost all of which have their doctorates, were not generally technical. As stated earlier, most of these people have spent most of their lives focusing on one area. Computers often are seen as a necessary evil. I have also found that people whom society has labeled as “lower class” often have some very strong technical skills because computers is a hobby. Instead of putting all of that extra time into a “career”, they can focus on their computer hobby.
- If you are not in IT, you can’t understand IT. I have been amazed by how much knowledge many non-IT people have. The president of an oil company that I worked for was one of the strongest people that I have ever met from a technical perspective. He knew and understood computers better than many IT people.
- Someone who is at a lower technical level than I can’t teach me anything. What a mistake to make! Never be so arrogant to assume that you know more about all areas of IT than those that are under you.
In order to avoid some of these nasty problems, try keeping these tips in mind:
- If you have an open mind, you can learn from anyone, regardless of status or rank.
- Don’t be afraid to ask people how technical they are.
- Be willing to teach others as well as learn from them.
- Never assume someone has equal amounts of technical skills in all technical areas.
With these tips and a solid dose of good luck, you will be able to avoid the knowledge gap trap!
Why AutoPatcher Beats Windows Update and WSUS
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Categories: Windows, DIY, Freeware, Vista, Internet, Windows Server, Networking, Support, System Administration, SecurityPosted on Friday, May 16, 2008 by Tim Fehlman
Every single IT person will tell you to maintain your Windows security updates. It is critical, we are told, so that we can keep our computers safe. While I don’t completely agree with the statement (I’ve personally experienced an “update” that has completely killed a mission critical server), it is important to be able to update your system with the required patches.
Most people use Windows Update and many IT administrators use Windows Software Update Services (WSUS) to deploy these patches. While both works well, I personally prefer AutoPatcher. And here’s why:
- It uses way less bandwidth than Windows Update. You download the patches once and you are done. You can now easily deploy all of the update to several computers, even computers without Internet access.
- AutoPatcher does more than just update Microsoft applications. It is completely customizable and you can use it to install pretty much anything you want.
- You can deploy AutoPatcher updates over a network without a bunch of registry hacks. Unless you are running Active Directory, you need to perform a number of registry hacks to get WSUS to work.
- You do not need to install the Windows Genuine Advantage “critical” update in order to install other updates. You can keep your information to yourself.
- AutoPatcher can be run unattended over a network or from a log-on script.
If you have never used this amazing tool, I would really encourage you to give it a try. It’s freeware so all it will cost you is your time.
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Yes. I’m Back
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Categories: From the Files of DCOT...Posted on Thursday, May 15, 2008 by Tim Fehlman
I’ve been receiving a lot of e-mail lately from people who have continued to follow Daily Cup of Tech, even though there have been very little in the way of updates. I’ve noticed through the feeds and the logs that a lot of you continued to subscribe and check in regularly.
I’d just like to put out a big THANKS to everyone for your loyalty. I’ve gotten settled into my new city, my new house, and my new job. There are still a number of challenges ahead of me and the changes are far from over but I’m going try and put some more effort toward the blog.
I’m also working on a number of new personal projects that I will be talking about in the near future but I’m not ready to release any information about them just yet. 
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Plus! Subtracted
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Categories: Windows, Advertising, System Administration, SupportPosted on Thursday, May 15, 2008 by Tim Fehlman
If you purchased any Microsoft operating system over the past number of years, you were probably inundated with offers to purchase Microsoft Plus! This product promised to give you even more than was originally provided in your OS.
Personally, I thought it was Microsoft’s attempt to make you part with even more of your hard earned cash than you had already. What Plus! provided was essentially eye candy and it added very little in the way of extra functionality.
But, it looks like Microsoft will no longer me making this product available to the public. According to their website, they believe that they have now built all of the Plus! functionality into their products. My theory is that the public realized that the product wasn’t worth the money and voted with their feet.
Have you had any experience with the Microsoft Plus! products? Did you like them or not? Are you going to miss them? Were they worth the money?
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