took me a second to realise the topic had loaded

Dammit! Where did my image go?!

Oh.. I thought this was a clever "meditate on the blank space" dealy

the picture is good too 

hahahahah no

I thought it was brilliant!

Love it

Geek meditation is Funny.....

funny, funny.

rofl

This topic is desperately trying to stay alive.....seems to be failing.....

i don't think there is anything else to say.

Laugh people!!

heh heh

Hmm...on the "levitation stream" - I am going to see the Dalai Lama tomorrow!

Where?

And why?

At the Dome, olympic park, and I'm not entirely sure why.

I think the main reason is to brag to people that I've seen and heard the Dalai Lama....not for the actual point of being there and into buddhism etc.

I'm not even religious!

hahahaha

about:blank FTW!

um....ok?

Yes, ok.

No, ok.

ok.

Psychos

hey now, that politically incorrect. youre supposed to say sanity impaired.

*points at bluekatana* Psycho!

Awwwwwww.....

You know I only say that lovingly right?

*hug*

rly? ok then

Is the little green smiley playing a game?

i assumed he was hugging

ahhh.... in that case -

Sooooooo, that's kind of safe mode to change your chakras' driver?

ROFL!!!

too funny!

More people would believe that geek gurus if they were navigated to Tangler instead of about:blank!

I don't care for start/home pages. I use the standard firefox one, and any other tabs I open are blank.

Plus, the mere seconds it takes to enter a url is more time out of my day wasted and I very much need that when I'm at work

What's the standard Firefox start page?

I can't remember, mine opens on a blank page

Something like this:

Although This is still ff2, I don't know if ff3 is any different.

It's the same for all versions. There are little differences based on your google preferences.

Or alternatively you could get safari...

Running it on Windows is almost as bad as iTunes :S

Oh gosh yes.... Safari on Windows sucks big time.... It's worse than IE6, which is saying a lot

I agree hehe

Firefox all the way!

^^ What he said

^^^what they said.

Uuuussssaaaaaaaa

Unlock your temp thoughts

Free your mind swap

Feel weightless like a fresh windows instalation

um..........okay. 

ugh...windows installation....

I feel like doing one again. I think I'm addicted to fresh Windows

I was gonna re-install windows on my comp, but its too hard to transfer everything off of my pc and then back again

Yeah, it helps if you have an ext drive or server etc to make the process easier

yeah....except my ext drive is almost full

Oops....

I think Aust Post ate my ext drive.... my friend mailed me one more than a year ago.

haha yep *poof*

Sigh

Although if i worked for Aust Post, I can't say that I wouldn't be slightly tempted to do the same...

my conscience would get the better of me though....i think....

I just can't decide if I should go buy one here (at almost double the price my friend got it for) or wait and see if it turns up

Ebay stores...

I couldn't... not for a drive which will essentially hold the contents of my life

My personal stuff is safely insulated from Windows by being on a whole different hard drive 

I can reformat all I like and the only things that needs restoring are the OS, installed programs, and my own unique setup (like my awesome toolbar at the top of the screen with all my program shortcuts)

There really should be a way to save all your tweaks and customisations to Windows in a portable way... maybe selective copying of bits of the registry...

Yeah, that's one of the things I wish for the most

I used to be able to save all my stuff separately on my desktop. Had two hard drives. Not currently possible with the lappie

Would be so sweet though.... every time it starts running like a car without tyres, I could just reformat it!

I neglect my computer. I haven't cleaned it out thoroughly (defrag, reformat, etc) since I got the thing, mainly because, well I don't know why I haven't... I don't really know enough about what I should be doing and how not to stuff it up...I haven't even created a system back-up!! And I'm fairly smart with computers and all the logistics etc, but maintenance? Bah! it can wait til another day, can't it?? It's just like cleaning to me!

morgan- you have a conscience?

Apparently.....

brb clearing my mental cache

HAHAHAHA Funny! ^^

I like defraging. It make me happy to see the colours properly aligned.

I rarely use the other System Tools though.... not sure what they're for

LOL! its funny that.... me either!

hahahaha

We could research it.... meh... I'm lazy

(hopefully SK will chime in at some point and tell us what we wanna know)

I use the Character Map....thats all

And occasionally Scheduled Tasks, just to see what my PC gets up to when I'm not around!

Oh! One can do that?

Yeah... Windows kept updating itself at 3am in the morning, and my computer would restart, and my alarms would get turned off.... I SO had to change that!

ohhhh

I can chime if you want me to 

In my "System tools" folder I see Backup, Character Map, Disk Cleanup, Disk Defrag, Files and Settings transfer wizard, IE (no add-ons), Scheduled Tasks, Security Centre, System Information and System Restore.

Backup, IE (no addons) and System Information are pretty self explanatory... Char map, Defrag and Scheduled tasks you've discussed already

Disk Cleanup checks your disk for ways to save space without really losing anything (compress old files, delete temp files, empty the recycle bin etc) and then does whichever of those things you allow it to. Files and Settings transfer I've never used... could be an answer to my need to copy my personal setup to another box though... needs investigation. Security Centre is a shortcut to the Control Panel item of the same name, all it really does is tell you whether Windows is aware of an antivirus or firewall, and whether automatic updates are on... annoying thing really (by default it'll bug you about any "problems" it sees). System Restore is the little utility to save the state of the system before doing anything drastic so you can rollback to the previous state if you mess your shit up.

Well, I ran the Files and Settings transfer thing, and now have a folder with all my settings saved to it... apparently.

I guess I'll find out next time I reformat Windows exactly how useful that was... as judged by how much of my setup was copied across.

i occasionally defrag and i love my disk cleanup (although it's a bit time consuming). i've recently started to use system restore and i'm trying to get in the habit of setting a restore point, before i install anything on my computer.

but what is this character map? what does it do and should i be using it?

(thanks for the info sk)

character map let's you see every typable character from every font you have installed, so when you need a symbol and don't know how to type it, you can go there and copy/paste it, or get a code to type it with (normally Alt+the numpad). Degrees symbol, mathematical symbols, arrows, currency symbols that aren't on the keyboard, and a bajillion different accented forms of every letter... it's all in there. Like Insert> Symbol in Word, but not in Word.

Only problem is that it doesn't always translate well to the web if MS is using a slightly different code to the rest of the world (hence the mess you can get around "smart quotes" when they're published direct to the internet from a MS program. If you've ever seen a sentence with a random little jumble of characters where a " mark or an apostrophe should be... that's why.

um.........i sort of understand.

thanks.

Oh my! So they have a Settings saving thing?!

My wish has come true!!

Dammit. I just went into System Restore, and I get get to the point I created just after I reformatted this baby last. The calendar picking thing only goes back a month!

dek, while it does occasionally set restore points on it's own, you can set one anytime you want.

for example, if i am about to install some new software and i'm not sure how it will effect my computer, i set a restore point before i install. that way if something goes wrong, you can restore to before it went wrong.

does that make sense?

Yeah, which is why I did that just after my reformat.

But I can't seem to get back to the one I created

when you go to system restore and click on restore system, a little calendar should show up. now, since it is the beginning of the month, mine said there were no restore points created. i went back a month and all the dates with restore points are clearly marked.

Yeah, that's the problem. The restore point I created was more than 2 months ago.

I don't see a way to get it back

at the top of the calendar there should be arrows pointing back. click on those to get to previous months.

The number of restore points that are created depends on your settings in System Properties. ie, the percentage of your drive that can be used for this purpose..

If you are using XP, go to Control Panel....System (properties)..... click System Restore... You should then see a slider showing how much of your system is available to be used as system restore space. (mine is set at maximum).

The more space you allow it, the more restore points it creates.

Follow the advice that bluegirl gave you, to see how many restore points you already have.

Remember that they are deleted after a time, depending on your settings.

It only goes back to June 08 bluegirl

thanks andro, looking at that now

It might be my mistake thinking it'd keep the point I made...

No, it doesn't keep them forever, they are eventually replaced with new restore points..

i did not know that.

off to check my settings.................thanks james bond andro.

I just checked mine and I have 19 restore points going back to 20th May..

Thats ok Moneypenny bluegirl.  

i have 36 going back to the middle of march, which is, i guess, when i learned about system restore. mine is also set at maximum.

being called moneypenny, really tickled me.

Yes, (moneypenny) it depends to some extent on the size of your hard drive. At the moment I am using my old steam driven comp, which only has a 10 gig hard drive, don't know about my other comp or lappie, I will check them later, as grand daughters are playing games on them at the moment. Today I am a baby sitter. (school holidays)

Bummer... there goes my genius plan then.... Oh well...

Did you check your restore settings, deezee??

Yep! It is set to max

um........what genius plan, dek?

andro- i have a pretty new laptop (after years of using hand-me-down computers that had been through several hands) with a decent sized hard drive. so i guess i can afford to be extra paranoid and set lots and lots of restore points.

bluegirl - my genius plan to be able to restore to a point just after I reformatted

well, now you have a genius plan for the future.

why so down?

Yes I usually have lots of restore points as well, as my fiddling around tends to generate them.

now that i've started taking some computer classes, i've found that the more i learn the less afraid i am to experiment.

Yeah, same

I learned by trial and error, (mostly error) at first, but then I got a mate of mine (a tech) to show me a bit and that helped a lot.  Now I find that the more I learn, the more I am aware of how little I know. But the experementation continues, but without the dire consequences of the early days.

i know what you mean, i definitely know just enough to get me into a lot of trouble.

This falls under the category of Disrupting Geek Meditation.

Picture by GeekArmy.com

i love it,

hahahahaha Funny!

But I can't imagine anyone wanting to Lose a geek.

i agree.

really? well thats good news...

if you are smart and funny you will have no troubles.

but, don't you have a girlfriend?

its one less reason for her to dump me, lol.

why would she want to do that?

does she have any idea the effort you put into looking nice for the prom?

not just looking nice, but how much you wanted to complement her outfit?

you, my friend are a keeper.

that how to lose a geek thing is murder. /facepalm at the thought of any of those

lol!

hehe thanks

I wouldnt mind any of those tbh. Id just think she's adapting to my world of Airfix and Sega.

I keep my desktop icons to a minimum, so number 1 wouldn't be too bad

I like my mouspad though, it has a squishy thingy to rest your wrist on. Unless the kitten mousepad has a kitten tied to it to serve that same role, it would be a poor replacement.

I'd just "flex my might geek muscles" by explaining why AOL is horrible... then maybe flex 'em some more by helping get her a proper internet service.

Coffee... cola... chips... not addicted to any of these. Cookies on the other hand...

Passwords are not to be shared, not that I really have a root password since I'm not running Linux. Some more geek muscle flexing to be done there in explaining this point.

Meh, wouldn't watch Star Trek anyway. Or use a VCR for that matter... tapes can go die in a fire, I have DVDs and a hard drive.

Ok, the email thing would be rather annoying, but I need no help with the spelling 

Last 2, also annoying.

I take your VCR-bashing as an insult, Mr King.

I challenge you to a duel of epic proportions...

ROFL!!

Are you saying SK is old Happy?

dek, are you saying that happy has a big green ass?

you guys are hilarious!

ummm..... I'm not... but maybe Happy is?

Like art it is wotever the viewer wants it to mean...

(or something like that)

lets not start the whole art debate again..............

I could be an "artist"

Just do a few scribbles on a canvas and call it abstract

.....And then sell it for a grand or something lol I can't believe the price of art!

There is a lot of cheap art. Just go to any weekend market!

Ahem... If I did some scribbles, I would not sell them at markets!! LOL

Where would you sell em?

From a local art gallery or something....you can get away with anything there

ohhhhh!

Here is a Top 15 List of Why Geeks and Nerds Make the Best Boyfriends.... What do you think folks? Agree or Disagree?

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/sfo/66795671.html

im in love with robm's post

i just finished reading (and saving) it and i have to say..............

...............me too.

I wasn't sure how it would go down but it seems to flow from the conversation above. And I must say he raises some really good points.

it was a good post.

now, happy needs to read it.

Sounds like my kinda man...

altho I get the feeling the article wasn't being all that kind to them

Unfortunately, I have noticed that geeks tend to get attached and committed to one lady very early on. I've been hard pressed to find one who is single after all this time

Dek, what makes you say that? I thought it attempted to portray the positives in dating a geek/nerd and why it was a good thing.

Ok, let me find some examples:

8.) They’re relatively low-maintenance. Most can be fueled on pizza, Twinkies and Mt Dew. No complicated dinners needed here, so if you’re not the best cook, eh. Can you order a pizza?

i don't think the author was not being kind, necessarily................i think she is speaking to (and may in fact have been one herself) women who have been more shallow.

what ever..........i liked it. that is what i need now .

screw the artists and musicians. i've lived my rock and roll life and now i want something different (except for those times when i will need to rock out and be my bad-ass self)

10.) Although he may not want to go to every outing with you, you can arrange swaps, as in, you’ll go to his Gamer Con dressed as an elf princess if he’ll take you to the ballet. Plus, if he doesn’t want to go someplace with you, you won’t have to worry much about what he’s up to. You’ll probably come home to find him asleep on his keyboard in a sea of Mt. Dew cans with code blinking from the screen. It’s ok. He’s used to this. Just toss a blanket over him and turn out the light.

dek- it wasn't in all seriousness, it's a joke.

Sure, I know that....

But steroetypes always get my goat, so to speak

Dek that's true. But stereotypes also work because they often have a basis in reality. Let me put it another way. Overall, what did you think of the spirit and tone of the piece?

It was written as a light hearted piece, I'll give you that.

But it was also reminiscent of things I hear women say all the time.

yeah i don't think it was mean spirited at all.

it was like when we tease you, dek.

it's done with love.

Cool, I wasn't sure where you were coming from.

Sure, I completely get what you guys are saying.

For me, it's a reminder of the broader issue around this.

Sorry, I didn't mean to be a wet blanket

Thats fair, we all have different perspectives. And I understand now where you are coming from. I put it in anyway with the hope of stimulating conversation and that means all shades.

Good stuff!

i'm gonna go out and snag me a geek. 

Good luck!

Sincerely

Humm...I dont know...although that said I know very little about how the female mind works...lol

From wot Ive learnt (?) neeks are at a disadvantage if they dont have henchness or an un-boring side...despite them being in great supply here...

I dunno, maybe the gurls here are different to the rest ov ze world...lol

boring is in the eye of the beholder.

Fair point...would an interesting person have colour coded socks though?

its a tricky one...

stop putting yourself down. of course an interesting person might color-code their socks.

do you arrange them in pretty patterns or light to dark or matching the spectrum from red to violet?

sori. I dont intentionally put myself down Im just moddest by nature

And wot I do Is I have the socks Monday to Sunday then I arrange the non-named socks into the others compared to colour, thickness and hole quantity...

It makes better sense in real life lol.

i think it's kind of cool.

my sock drawer is just my socks and unmentionables strewn about all mixed together.

although the fancier stuff is folded neatly in the back of the drawer.

it all has to do with personality types and the kind of thinker you are.

are you an organized student?

because, i am realizing that in the ?? years since i was last in school, i have not magically become one.

Its organized in my mind too lol

tbh im not really organized...only in some areas or sock related matters lol.

Apart from my socks but like my hair, im virtually untameable...

ooh, women like a challenge.

Naah.... too much work....

hehehehe

Happy Wanderer, you forget one of the golden rules. To give women the illusion that they are under control. But naturally treat them well and be respectful.

I'll tell you what the illusion is.... that both sides think they have a strategy, when in reality, both are just winging it

no comment.

I must write a book with all these points in...

study hard, happy.........it will make absolutely no difference.

I have a similar philosophy on exercise.

Question - do the females of the species find us guys as inscrutable as we find them? 

Thats a very good question...

Dek, in retrospect your point above does make more sense, that both sides think they have a strategy, when in reality both are just winging it.

sk-in reality yes................we just often think we know you better than you know yourselves (although, occasionally we do)

More than occasionally sometimes lol.

hello geek

pls. add me

thanks

Ha! take that Happy Wanderer!

lol!

I am curious to see what Happy Wanderer's response will be.

Im not going to add u now, muahahahahaha!!!

did she not put enough bills in your g-string?