Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Obama CTO website

I find it quite amazing the level of excitement and participation that Barrack Obama has generated simply by becoming our next president.

There is a website online at http://obamacto.org that is engaging the public to help direct the nation's next and first Chief Technology Officer. Visitors to the website can vote on the issues that they think are most important. Has there ever been a time when you could provide this type of feedback?

I voted for a US firewall. Since I'm a network administrator and I constantly see attacks from overseas on my customers' firewall, I know that a US firewall would be a good idea as long as it is implemented to prevent attacks while maintaining net neutrality and privacy.

Monday, November 10, 2008

San Diego Information Technology Group

I've started a new San Diego Information Technology Group for the purpose of exchanging ideas and information between career IT personnel.

The SDITGroup has a Ning (really handy tool) website at http://sditgroup.ning.com. Each month the group will get together to discuss current IT issues facing the members, ask questions, and debate trends in our industry.

I'm going to be very strict about this group's membership so as to avoid any people who do not meet the group's guidelines for membership (ie. a career IT person actively managing a business network).

Monday, October 27, 2008

Adventures in SEO

The DELTYME website http://www.deltyme.com is going to be the subject of an ongoing Search Engine Optimization project for me.

As of today, I have installed the sh404sef component on the Joomla CMS system that hosts our website. In addition, I have verified the website with the Google Webmaster Tools in order to make full use of the tool available to me.

And I also discovered that I can easily add Google Analytics to my Joomla CMS based DELTYME website by simply editing the Site Template/Edit HTML and adding the Analytics code just before the closing body tag. This will help give a baseline for tracking traffic stats.

Lastly, I used the Joomap 1.0 component to create a Google Sitemap that the Webmaster Tools recommends creating.

Friday, October 10, 2008

64 bit on your desktop

I hope you find this information useful. You can find out more about DELTYME at http://www.deltyme.com

64 bit computing will quickly become the standard in the Windows world. A 64 bit computer improves performance and reliability from the current 32 bit standard.

Why do I need Vista 64 bit?
Microsoft has phased out Windows XP. You will either need to pay an additional fee from the PC manufacturer or load XP yourself. Thus, Windows Vista 32 or 64 bit has become the de facto standard. In addition, 32 bit computing is being quickly replaced by 64 bit computing as it provides better performance.

What exactly is a 64 bit computer?
A 64 bit computer consists of a CPU/processor that is 64 bit capable and an operating system that is designed for running in 64 bit mode. Most new computers made by a name brand manufacturer are equipped to run a 64 bit operating system. And both XP (for an additional fee) and Vista come in 64 bit, but you must specify when ordering.

Can I run Vista 64 bit in my office or at home?
In any case, you will need to perform some testing to ensure that all of your applications and peripherals work properly. Microsoft provides a website that lists compatible software and hardware. If you would like Deltyme to create and/or execute a test plan for you, please contact us when you are ready.

What are the benefits of using a 64 bit computer?
I have been running Vista 64 on my desktop for several months. My experience has been very positive. I cannot remember any operating system crashes. Performance has been excellent. In terms of hardware, a 64 bit operating system is capable of addressing nearly an unlimited amount of RAM (memory) which translates into a faster computer. As time goes on, applications will be written in the true 64 bit mode which will allow them to run faster as well. In the meantime, Vista 64 is capable of running both 32 bit and 64 bit applications.

How much does a 64 bit operating system cost?
The cost for Microsoft Vista 64 is the same as Vista 32.

Summary:
I strongly recommend that you establish a plan and time line for moving to Vista 64 bit.