ibe98765 Posted October 1, 2003 Author Share Posted October 1, 2003 This has been bugging me for awhile, and I must point this out! And this is as good a topic as any to do so:I am noticing that the SFNL forum is NOT getting as many questions about problems with neither Windows OS or Application software for WinOS! *Could it be that MicroSoft is doing such a "grand job" with their OS anymore that no one really needs help?*Could it be that anyone having problems are more inclined to go and dry hump Google for answers?*Could it be that the "computer" has finally become mainstream and is entering the era of becoming an appliance (such as a TV)?*Is what I am noticing here similar at the Linux forums?*I think this is a good thing for the whole computer industry.*I think It is also a great thing for consumers.*I also think that the definition of a geek is taking on a different and narrowed meaning!Sorry for thinking so much! Argh!As I said originally, there is a core group of people who actively post here. I suspect there are a lot more lurkers who read only but are too shy or laid-back to participate. I don't think it unreasonable to expect active participation from say, at least 33% of all Scot's newsletter readers.So what's the answer? PRIZES!Get some sponsors willing to supply products to posters in Scot's Newsletter Forum. For the honor of being a product supplier, they will get some kind of small ad at the top of the forum for that week and in the newsletter for one issue. They may also reap additional product sales from the audience here.I'm thinking a Ferrari might be a good prize to start with (oops, slipping into dream mode )....I'm thinking a piece of software or hardware for a randomly chosen poster in the previous week. You must have made at least one post in the previous week, maybe a t-shirt or cap or...?. The number of posts you make does not increase your chances of winning. All posters for the previous week will have their ID's entered once in the week's list. If you win, you will be excluded from winning again for 60 days. You can use a random number algorithm to generate an index into the list and choose the winner.How do we get sponsors? All together! Scot writes up the details and pitch and puts it on his website. We all contact our favorite product companies (payware, shareware, hardware), ask for their participation. We point them to the details on the website, where they can contact Scot to get into the queue of those who have signed up. Everyone benefits! The sponsors get more exposure and perhaps more sales or registrations and we get more participation, more variety, more viewpoints. If this proves successful, Scot gets more newsletter sign-ups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeber Posted October 1, 2003 Share Posted October 1, 2003 That's a pretty grand scheme, ibe98765. I can't wait to hear the screams coming from Scot when he hears we want him to do even more work right when he's starting a new magazine column, writing the newsletter, trying to eat dinner... But I'll back you on the Ferrari idea. Always wanted one of those. I am noticing that the SFNL forum is NOT getting as many questions about problems with neither Windows OS or Application software for WinOS!RB...one other possibility. There are many sites on the web for great Windows info. Linux users don't have the same number of good sources yet. I'm thinking about another forum I know...their Windows forums are booming, but their Linux forum doesn't get even 10% of that traffic. It's hard for us to shine in the Windows department (though the Windows forums are excellent, just too much competition)...whereas we've managed to create one of the most unique, friendly and helpful Linux forums I've ever seen. I am kind of surprised that we don't get more Win95-98 questions, since most Windows sites have become very XP oriented now, and I know a lot of people who still use those OS's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prelude76 Posted October 2, 2003 Share Posted October 2, 2003 one possible suggestion: maybe some of our high post numbers (such as mine, FINALLY broke the 1,000 mark ) might be unintentionally 'intimidating' new people to sign up. maybe do it like mozillazine does it; doesnt show post count, but if you click on user's info, it shows post # only there. just a thought, some may disagree, but speaking from personal experience, i too felt 'intimidated' signing up on other forums, having a post count of "3" while others have "2,600". if we make it look externally that everyone is equal, it might start up more discussions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeber Posted October 2, 2003 Share Posted October 2, 2003 Good thought...and I've noticed the same thing when I visit a new (to me) forum. I'll pass the idea along and see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siebkens Posted October 2, 2003 Share Posted October 2, 2003 I am kind of surprised that we don't get more Win95-98 questions, since most Windows sites have become very XP oriented now, and I know a lot of people who still use those OS's.I made my husband promise to lock all of the doors if I tried to bring another Win 95 computer into the house to repair! I bring them here & they grow roots as I spend hours to reformat, find drivers & reload. Then I begin to panic because I don't know that I'll ever get them working again. The last Win 95 computer I worked on (yesterday) was wiped out by the W32.Swen virus. Even after I managed to get everything working (except sound), I couldn't make it secure. Win 95 is no longer getting updated, I couldn't load MailWasher until I updated the Winsock (the virus was still sitting in email at the ISP - came in before virus defs picked it up & then after I reloaded everything, NAV kept going crazy when we tried to check her email). Couldn't load ZoneAlarm (not sure why). Had an old NAV 5 that I no longer use that I could load & update for the owner (her NAV 4 wouldn't update). But I see that Symantec will no longer be supporting NAV 5 & the new NAVs are not compatible with Win 95. Plus IE 5 is the latest MS browser that is deemed compatible with Win 95 - no updates there either./end rant(I just returned my last Win 95 computer to its owner yesterday evening - can you tell?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibe98765 Posted October 2, 2003 Author Share Posted October 2, 2003 I am kind of surprised that we don't get more Win95-98 questions, since most Windows sites have become very XP oriented now, and I know a lot of people who still use those OS's.Most people running Win98 (or egad's Win95) have figured out how to keep them running and are just hanging on, milking the last life out of them. People left behind in this class tend not to experiment or be concerned with new technology, so they don't have many questions to ask. Besides there is a plethora (always loved that word! ) of Win9x tip sites on the net. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeber Posted October 2, 2003 Share Posted October 2, 2003 You know, if we can eradicate low participation just by starting a thread about it...maybe a thread on world peace or global hunger is in order! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prelude76 Posted October 2, 2003 Share Posted October 2, 2003 You know, if we can eradicate low participation just by starting a thread about it...maybe a thread on world peace or global hunger is in order! world peace? why, we'd have to tackle the gun debate head-on! ok ok, i'll behave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeber Posted October 2, 2003 Share Posted October 2, 2003 Good night, Prelude76. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomBox Posted October 2, 2003 Share Posted October 2, 2003 Huh huh, huh huh! jeber just said "whirled peas"! Huh huh, huh huh! <bad attempt at immitading Beavis> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuzzButt Posted October 2, 2003 Share Posted October 2, 2003 You know, if we can eradicate low participation just by starting a thread about it...maybe a thread on world peace or global hunger is in order! world peace? why, we'd have to tackle the gun debate head-on! ok ok, i'll behave. My view on the gun issue is Owners must use both hands and buy the right ammo for the job.I like the discounted packs of 100 shells that Winchester is selling right now for $14. Without the right ammo even using both hands make hitting your target a bit more difficult. My favorite target is Champion or Federals 90mm clay targets. A bit smaller and faster than the 110mm standard clay targets.Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zlim Posted October 2, 2003 Share Posted October 2, 2003 My hubby still runs 95 but he doesn't go on the internet so he doesn't have to worry about it not being supported. If something doesn't work, I get to fix it. siebkins, you may want to start telling your customers that they have to at least upgrade to 98 to eke out a few more patches. Switch them from paid AV to free - not much problem with support ending for the version that you have.This thread reminded me that I have a few annoyances that I'd like to fix. I'll post them in the tough questions section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beeTee Posted October 3, 2003 Share Posted October 3, 2003 *Could it be that anyone having problems are more inclined to go and dry hump Google for answers?Just too funny. I laughed all afternoon every time I thought about walking around at work. Some of us fall into the category of just too busy with life. Summer....Good weather here....2.5 year old daughter to take swimming all summer ..... No time at home..... and sometimes at work, there's too much to do or a new trainee to teach in between the normal work. Only thing to do is lurk. posting is addictive and once I do, I'm compelled to check back over and over and that cuts into work productivity. Back to Google: Before I found SFNL, I was burnt out on search engines and wasn't finding fresh places to go play. Enter the great topics including interesting links on a variety of subjects, and it was hard to keep up with the daily offerings here. Today was the first time I took a break to check out what's been going on, and never made it past "todays active topics".......Tommorow I start vacation, so I won't be back for another month. Maybe after my girl gets settled into pre-kindergarten I'll hopefully find some more time when I'm at home.On the Thank-you note, I have to say a big Thanx all the regulars (peachy, bruno, teacher, golfpro,quint prelude76, jeber, cluttermagnet, etc,etc see top ~30 posters!!) for all the great subjects, help, and lively conversation. Most of all, THanks to Scot for finding me way back in the WinMag days and subsequently doing his own newsletter then forums. You people are cool, dispite occasional windows/linux bickering. Hope you all enjoy autumn (it's just getting colorful here).B.T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prelude76 Posted October 3, 2003 Share Posted October 3, 2003 Hope you all enjoy autumn (it's just getting colorful here).autumn? taking a line straight out of Monty Python's Holy Grail, "and summer went ahead and skipped over autumn and went right into winter."thats whats it like over here. i woke yesterday morning to 2cm of wet snow on my car! and the temps are hovering around -3 in the mornings (in fahrenheit, its about 30 degrees). two weeks ago, i went beach camping and it was shorts 'n' t-shirt weather, and this week, i have my ski jacket on and cursing as i'm clearing my windshield from 2cm of snow. ack!!!!!! ya know, sometimes being a Canadian aint as fun as it sounds. saw the weather report, its 15 degrees celcius in YUKON, 18 in LABRADOR, and a high of 5 degrees in BARRIE! ok, theres something seriously wrong with this. what are kids supposed to do come halloween if i forget to showel my sidewalk to my house? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuzzButt Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 Well Prelude at least you don't have the 50 MPH (80KPH) winds to blow you off your driveway while you are shoveling.We did not get the Oct 1st snow they promised in S.E. Michigan but it might as well have snowed.Funny thing is Yesterday it was warmer in Anchorage, Alaska than it was here in Detroit or Chicago.Brrrr,Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil P Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 Well Prelude at least you don't have the 50 MPH (80KPH) winds to blow you off your driveway while you are shoveling.We did not get the Oct 1st snow they promised in S.E. Michigan but it might as well have snowed.Funny thing is Yesterday it was warmer in Anchorage, Alaska than it was here in Detroit or Chicago.Brrrr,ChrisOr Pittsburgh...D*** its cold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibe98765 Posted October 4, 2003 Author Share Posted October 4, 2003 And the weather in my area right now is a balmy 65 degress F but expected to hit a chilly 55 degrees this evening. Brrrr Say what you want about California, at least the weather is good...http://my.myway.com/weather/obs.jsp?id=USCA0704 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted October 6, 2003 Share Posted October 6, 2003 Hard to believe some folks are having snow already! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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