Stories by Mark Gibbs

Guest column: Windows registry wrapup ... really

Over the past couple of weeks we've discussed some of the architectural and operational aspects of the Microsoft's Windows 98 and NT registries. To wrap up this tour of technical tomfoolery, this diversion into digital detail, this ... [enough already! Ed.], we're going to cover a few tools that make working with registries easier (easy would be nice, but it is just not possible -- hey, it's Windows, what did you expect?).

Guest column: Registry reconfiguration reaps rewards

Last week, we discussed (and dissed) the Windows registry system. A couple of points need to be clarified: In the discussion, we were talking about Windows 95 and 98 only; NT is -- surprise -- different. Gearhead will delve into Windows NT registries next week.

Guest column: Hairstyling tips for computer users

Want to know why I wear my hair so short? Let me tell you a story: I sat down to write this column on Saturday morning and I got an e-mail message. I had e-mailed a document to a business colleague the day before, and the message told me that my transmission had triggered the Norton AntiVirus for Exchange system. Apparently my document was infected with the Word macro virus "Jerk". Terrific -- a great way for a consultant to treat his clients.

Guest column: Don't say it with smileys

If we were standing face to face and I said something along the lines of, "I absolutely disagree with you, and I think you're an idiot," and then I smiled, what would you do?

Guest column: A free way to establish identity

I was talking to someone recently who was complaining about spam and how it is getting worse every day. Now, I have always contended that to control spam there's only one requirement: establishing the identity of the sender.

Guest column: Tasks for the taking

I recently interviewed Michael Turner, vice president of marketing at NetSolve in Austin, Texas. NetSolve runs other people's networks for them and does so at a cost that is usually far less than doing the network management in-house.

Guest column: Boiling frogs and boiler rooms

I am told that boiling a frog is easy. You put the hapless amphibian in a pot of cold water and heat the pot slowly. The frog, being coldblooded, has no reference for what its body temperature should be and heats up along with the water until it is boiled.

Gibbs' column: Time waits for no machine

Time has recently been mentioned time several times and from the response, it may have been timely. So, this week, we'll take a closer look at network time-keeping.

Gibbs' column: Virtualising business

Virtualising is one of the most important issues of the Internet era. Indeed, the idea has become a Hollywood staple: just consider The Lawnmower Man, the awful adaptation of Johnny Mnemonic, and the latest blockbuster, The Matrix. This translation of science fact into science fiction makes virtualisation as part of everyday life seem to be just around the corner.

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