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[Keith] Welcome to A Couple Of Admins Podcasting. I'm Keith Albright

[Rich] and I'm Rich Niemeier.

[Steve] and I'm Steve Murawski.

[Keith] This is Episode 28 recorded on December 12, 2007.

Chit-Chat - What's going on with you?

[Steve]

  • We have a couple of guests with us today! Brandon Shell, of the BSonPoSh? blog, who is a Microsoft MVP in Automation, and is very active in the PowerShell community, and Dean Wells, who is an MVP for Active Directory.
  • I recently recorded an interview with Lee Holmes, one of the developers on the PowerShell team at Microsoft and the author of Windows PowerShell Cookbook, which I reviewed on our blog. I should be posting the interview to the feed in the next few days.

[Rich]

[Keith]

  • Sick
  • Christmas Karma

Housekeeping Items

[Rich]

  • I would like to welcome the 6 new shows at Tech Podcast Network
-CalCast? link[http://www.createit.podomatic.com/]
-Geekazine [http://www.Geekazine.com]
-Jesus Geek [http://www.JesusGeek.com]
-PhotoGeek [http://photogeek.tv/]
-System Showdown [http://www.blogtalkradio.com/showdown/]
-Week in Geek [http://wayofthegeek.org/]

[Steve]

  • Just wanted to say thank you to Paul Sylvester from the tech-link blog for his recommendation on Offline Update.
  • Listener feedback line
-Skype name a.couple.of.admins.podcasting
-Leave us a voicemail

[Keith]

  • Prize delivery

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  • Discussion with Guests [STEVE]
-What's being a Microsoft MVP mean?
-What's new in Active Directory/Automation that we should start looking into?
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-Retail Store Operations Will Wind-Down, Offering Consumers Attractive Holiday Bargains on Computer and Electronics Products
-Select Stores to be Sold; With Option to Retain CompUSA Brand Name
-Successful Divisions CompUSA TechPro? and CompUSA.com to be Sold
-Creditors, Landlords Assured Proper Treatment
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-Link: http://image.compusa.com/retail/collateral/news_release/compusa_acquired.pdf
  • Cisco’s Dirty Chat Line [STEVE]
Posted By Ben Worthen (WSJ Blogs)
-A division of Cisco is giving customer service a whole new meaning: People calling the support number for a one of the company’s tech products are being redirected to a phone-sex line.
-The offending phone number is printed on the box for the Linksys WRH54G? model wireless router... Linksys, which is owned by Cisco, designed the router for sale in India, but its price tag -$19.99 after rebate– is making it a popular buy in the U.S. as well.
-A Linksys spokeswoman tells the Business Technology Blog the problem is that 800 numbers aren’t global. The 800 number on the box works when dialed in India, but has a different owner in the U.S.
-Link: http://blogs.wsj.com/biztech/2007/11/29/ciscos-dirty-chat-line/
  • Selecting a ticketing system [STEVE]
-First and most important - Open source or freeware
-Preferred .Net based
-Previously used RT
-Link: http://
  • Facebook Apologizes Over Handling of Ad Feature [STEVE]
-Beacon, which tracks the actions of its members when they use other sites around the Internet.
-“I’m not proud of the way we’ve handled this situation and I know we can do better,” Mr. Zuckerberg wrote.
-Facebook originally presented Beacon to the advertising community as an opt-in program
-Facebook gave users two notices that it planned to broadcast their actions to their friends — one when they were on the external Web site making a purchase, and the other when they came back to Facebook. The notices were small at first, and when users ignored them, Facebook assumed they had granted permission.
-Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/06/technology/06facebook.html?ref=business
-Utility that is similar in nature to webex and gotomypc.
-I know gotomeeting is a huge supporter of the Tech Podcast Network. It should be noted applications like gotomeeting are much more robust. But for that technology provider who is just starting out and needs to keep their costs down.
-Free utilty to use a webproxy to setup a connection between two PC's behind firewalls that you do not control.
- You could build your own Webproxy using OpenSHH?.
-Link: http://showmypc.com/
  • COPSSH [RICH]
-Free SSH server based upon OpenSSH? and Cygwin
-Cygwin provides an environment that provides the unix api's to windows." Cygwin is a Linux-like environment for Windows"
-Notes in forum to secure SSH better
-LINK:http://www.itefix.no/phpws/index.php?module=faq&FAQ_op=view&FAQ_id=62
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- COPSSH Link: http://www.itefix.no/phpws/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=12&MMN_position=149:149
  • Other Notes [RICH]
-http://users.rcn.com/tushar.manglik/
-
-Link:

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Listener Feedback

From listener....Doug Ford

Hey guys.......great show....my turn to "rant" for a bit [Smile emoticon]

Ya know, I'm getting real tired of bloggers and podcasters continuously sniping Vista! It's certainly not the end-all-be-all that MS made it out to be (anyone with any degree of intelligence knows that's just sales spin anyway), but it's also not a bad OS at all. Indeed, you do have to have some very current hardware to run full-tilt with all the goodies enabled, but if you're more into the look-and-feel of the old ways, just run it in classic mode and be happy with older hardware....or stick with what you have. Remember XP wasn't all-that-and-a-hill'o'beans beyond W2K?.....XP was based on W2K? in the first place -- with a cool new GUI, remember?

Obviously, if you don't *need* or "want" to upgrade, then don't!!!! But continuing to tell people to stay away when they're looking to buy new hardware is being slanted in helping others. I've been running Vista Ultimate x86 and x64 systems since late January this year and it's true, the early days were a challenge to maintain a certain degree of sanity about it all. These days though, unless you're running super-ancient software and refuse to upgrade that software, there's really no concern anymore. Every piece of old hardware I've tethered to my new-ish m1710 laptop has worked just fine with either the builtin drivers or updated drivers from the vendors.

Too many people have too short of memories. When XP first came out the general recommendation was to hold off a bit to let the bugs surface and get worked out. Apparently, that's been forgotten because darn near all negative comments I hear sound as though this is the first time a new OS has ever been released.......I just don't get people anymore, I guess. Leopard's got its fair share of issues too and yet many comments I hear seem to be more apologetic and forgiving. But that's typical Apple fanboy-ism or something.

'''Let's all just drive around in Model-T's, right? Simple engines, durable chassis and steel body -- reliable for its time.....forget about moving on to the next thing. ''' My point is just this......don't knock it just because it seems like the hip thing to do. Run it for awhile and seriously put it through its paces. You might be surprised to learn that's with a fully-patched system and a small degree of sysadmin patience for learning new things, it might be a rather easy-going experience.......just like my Tiger install [Smile emoticon]. Then pass along your adjusted opinions for those would-be shoppers of new systems. All too often crappy comments come from those who've never touched a Vista install........just like Amazon product reviewers tanking something when they've never owned it in the first place.

Rant over.......thanks a bunch for letting me type away!!

Regards, Doug - Pasadena, MD

[KEITH] I know Rich and Steve each responded via email, but I'd like to take a quick moment to address this.

  • I don't believe we unfairly bashed Vista. I made a couple jokes, but the points I/we raise are valid.
  • In business, you can't and shouldn't always upgrade to the latest and greatest. Business drives the technology needs. In turn, Technology drives the business. Many reasons why companies can't upgrade:
-Cost
-Resources - both SysAdmin? as well as end-user.
-Application compatibility. You mention all your hardware works, but not your software. Consider the software investment on a company-wide perspective and you'll understand why even one application not working can stop an upgrade. Payroll is usually the most tested.
  • You're right. Apple gets away with a lot more. Look at the transition from 68000 series Motorola processor to PPC then to Intel. They broke a lot of software, but didn't get raked over the coals. I don't know why, but I agree Microsoft should be afforded the same opportunity.
  • Maybe MS should do like Apple. Abandon any form of legacy support with the next release and fork Windows. They already have in a sense with the 32 vs 64 bit architecture. Announce EOL for any 32-bit support or versions? I don't know.
  • You make a joke about driving around in Model-T's and simple engines, etc. There is something to be said for that. I've seen people more productive with a 386 than with a Pentium D. In business, computers are tools...nothing more. If the tool works, is efficient, and cost effective, why change? That is a business decision. Not an IT decision.
  • I have test-drive Vista and will continue to evaluate and prepare for it's eventuality in my environment.
  • Lastly, when I say I'm recommending to people to buy XP. It is not without some questioning. Is it your first PC? Do you have any apps you want to keep using? etc. If they have an investment in apps that I can't say for sure will work...and most people do...I tell them to stick with XP. So far, no one has presented a case with a compelling reason to go to Vista. Your only reason seems to be that it is new. Aside from catching the long-term support head-wind, that's not really a compelling reason to blindly adopt.
  • Thanks for writing in and I hope this addresses your concerns. I do want this show to be valuable to the listener and I hope what I've said is taken as it is meant. To open discussion about the complexities of this type of change and help each other tackle them in our environment.

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Website Picks

Rich - http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ Just a sight that looks at computer issues, has forms and indexs different programs you might find when you get a virus.

Steve - http://freenode.net

Keith - http://

Last Call

Anyone....Anyone....Buehler.....Buehler....

Closing

All right, well that is it for the show. For listener feedback; you can email us at Feedback [at] acoupleofadmins.com or post a comment on the main site at ACoupleOfAdmins.com. If you use iTunes, you could write a review. If you just want to show us your listening, drop a pin on the Frappr map...there's a link on the show site.

Lastly, you can drop any show ideas or topic requests on the wiki. There is a link to the wiki on the main show site. If you would like to participate in the show; either through an interview, a segment contribution, or any other way, please let us know. We are also a member of the Techpodcast and the Blubrry networks. Check out some other great shows by going to Techpodcast.com and Blubrry.com....That's Blubrry without the E's

Thanks everyone.