Wayne's Small Biz Tech Blog

Fighting Spyruses

I miss the old days. We had computer viruses back then, but to infect your computer you had to actually do something stupid. They usually came in email messages and you had to click a link to launch the virus.

These emails usually had silly subject lines like the "I love you" virus. One of the companies I worked for had to spend thousands because one of the programmers opened up that virus and it infected the software install CDs. Of course when we announced it, a lot of our customers had a good laugh over the thought of a computer programmer with a pocket saver and taped glasses opening an email that said "I love you".

No one was laughing when the bill came from the PC repair companies for removing the viruses, rescuing important data, or setting up expensive backup systems in anticipation of a virus attack. 

Next, of course, came spyware. This usually just slowed your computer down to a crawl. Again, business owners weren't laughing at the spyware removal bills.

Now we have what I call "Spyruses". These are viruses that get into your system just like spyware. They act like spyware and nag you until you do something. Once you do, the virus is activated. An like a medical virus, they are always mutating. Over the last three months, I haven't had two by the same name behave the same.

The two I see the most right now are what are called rogue antivirus programs, AntiVirus 2009 (or 2008 or 2007) and AntiVirus 360.  They both work the same, just like spyware. You download a free Internet application or helper application and unknown to you, you get the spyware too. Often, you will be told you need a video codec to watch a video either on a website or attached to an email. You give all the approvals to download the codec so you can see the video, and the "spyrus" is in your system. There are other methods they use, but they all seem to prompt you to download something that seems innocent enough. 

The virus names are intentional and misleading, to hopefully cause confusion with the real antivirus programs Norton AntiVirus 2009 and Norton 360. Norton software is developed by Symantec and they do a very good job protecting computers from viruses and spyware. In fact, I use Norton products to protect my computers. NORTON PRODUCTS DO NOT WARN YOU THAT YOU HAVE VIRUSES IF YOU HAVE NOT INSTALLED THEIR PRODUCT! If you get warnings and you have not installed a Norton product, it is most likely one of these viruses.

Once the spyware part gets into a system, the nagware starts taking over the computer. Over and over again it tells the user their system is infected. "Click Here" to download the most recent and best antivirus software, it says. The system gets slower and slower. If the user clicks the box, they are prompted to enter a credit card number. Once the credit card is given, the real nightmare begins. The virus is in full effect, and the "bad people" have the credit card number and associated information for their own use.

These are sophisticated virus programs. I had one set the flag for Windows as an unregistered version once the virus was removed. I had to completely rebuild Windows while saving the customer's data and programs. Almost all versions of the virus disable spyware removal tools and websites. The latest one I worked on disabled all the installed anti-spyware and anti-virus software programs AND made it impossible to run any new software programs, including software tools to remove viruses.

So what do business owners do to protect themselves? Here are some tips:

1. You get what you pay for with freeware anti-virus and anti-spyware programs. They sometimes work, many times don't. They are not a viable solution for any size business. In my opinion and experience, this includes protection software "included" by Comcast and Verizon as well as any software who's name ends with "Free". Use established products from Norton (Symantec), Trend Micro, Kapersky, and McAfee.

2. If you get any type of message saying to have viruses or spyware that you don't recognize, or have any suspicions at all, run your anti-spyware AND anti-virus software scans immediately. Resolve all issues that your software finds.

3. If your software no longer runs or the symptoms remain, download and run these spyware/malware tools ONLY IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCED IN DEALING WITH COMPUTER PROBLEMS. Severe problems, sometimes even unrecoverable problems, can occur from using any of these tools, so they need to be used AT YOUR OWN RISK. If you are not comfortable with this type of risk, do not download and skip to #4. The best tools IMHO for resolving spyware based viruses are Spybot and Malwarebytes.

4. Find a qualified PC technician (like Malibu-Blue!). Avoid the big box stores, especially if you haven't backed up your data recently. We at Malibu-Blue treat your computer as if it was our own. Find a computer repair company you feel comfortable with and know they realize how important saving your data is and how important your PC (and a timely repair) is to your business. 

Spyware and Viruses (and even Spyruses) are here to stay. The first step is to make sure you are protected as best you can be so you don't become a victim. The second step is to make sure you have a plan in place and someone to call  in case you do.

One customer of mine knew all about this virus. Unfortunately his computer became infected when he accidentally bumped something near the mouse pad when the "Click Here" nagware message appeared. When something like that happens, the best plan sometimes is to just shut down the computer and call for help.

The Higher Bigger Chair of Domination! Ugh.

Early in my career Mark, the Vice President of the company I worked for, asked me to accompany him to a customer site. Apparently, the customer was angry and wanted to discuss the problems he was having with our software.

As soon as we arrived at the customer's office and sat down, I was uncomfortable. I didn't know why, but I was getting angry inside. The customer was talking down to us, almost as if we were children he was disappointed in. I couldn't believe that Mark, a person I had a lot of respect for, was allowing this customer go on berating us without a fight. He was behaving uncharacteristically sheepish and even considering giving the customer his money back, something he rarely did without cause.

I couldn't take it anymore. As the "tech guy", I got up and told the customer "Hey, we can either go on talking this B.S. all day or go fix the problem. Get someone to show me the problem". I thought I was going to be fired that day but didn't care. Didn't know why, but something wasn't right and I had to get away.

Long story short, the customer wasn't using our software right. Our software was manufacturing software and his employees didn't know how to manufacture. Simple as that. Our software was doing exactly what the employees were telling it to do. The problem was them, not us. After proving it to the customer, he backed down and even apologized. He didn't get his money back.

But what had happened? Why was I uncomfortable? Why did my boss lose his confidence and allow himself to be so, well, dominated?

It was my first introduction to "Power Tactics".

This customer used the basic power tactic of setting up his office with his chair bigger and higher than the others in his office. He sat up high looking down on his visitors. It was a setup that screamed "I'm better and more important than you!"

It somewhat worked for the customer that day. He dominated my boss, at least until he was proved wrong. In the long run, he lost. It made me realize that ifyou need to resort to tactics like this, it's a cover up for your own insecurities. I've seen this theory proven over and over in my 20+ years in sales and management since that day. In the long run this customer was dealt with from then on accordingly.

Oddly enough I've run into people using "power tactics" over the last week. One was the "higher bigger chair of domination", as I like to call it, mentioned above. I no longer get angry. I just play along with their game these days. "Smile and wave" tactics right back at them, as the penguins from Madagascar  like to say. I chuckled all the way back to the office after that meeting.

The other meeting was with a person a little more educated in power tactics. Apparently having read "The 48 Laws of Power" (1998 Robert Greene), she happened to hit on 18 of them(I counted) during our brief exchanges. Knowing that these type of people are overly self-serving makes it easier to decide at what level you want to work, or be associated, with them.

Using power tactics, especially the "48 Laws" can be dangerous. One business owner I know who is a "48 Laws" disciple damaged his company and lost a good employee when he gave the book to his personal assistant. The power struggle and games that ensued were outrageous. The assistant, who was crucial to the business owner, finally left the company with all bridges burned. Her new style wasn't helping all that much in her new endeavors either, the last I knew.

Again, people who want or feel they need books like the "48 Laws" actually need to reevaluate what they want to achieve. Some "power tactics" can be helpful (did you know if you are going into negotiations with someone, you should sit on their left and definitely not opposite from them. The person on the right is the most cooperative. The person directly opposite on the other side of the table is the most resistant.). Others are misguided (do you really need to study "Get others to do the Work for you, but Always Take the Credit  - Law 7 of The 48 Laws of Power"?).

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Finally, a REAL Backup Solution!

As a "tech guy", the most difficult thing to tell a customer is when their data has been irretrievably lost. Unfortunately, for small businesses this can be devastating, even a threat to the company's existence. 

Here's just a small sample of disasters I've been called into after the fact to try and fix:

1. A company had all their computers hooked up to battery backed up surge protectors and felt safe. The morning after a severe thunderstorm, the PC they were using as a file server wouldn't boot up. They had installed a fax through the computer and connected the telephone lines directly to the PC. The phone line surge blew out the mother boards and drive. No good backup of the files had been made in months.
2. A company laptop was running poorly, so it was brought to a big box store for repair. The laptop was returned in perfect running order. Unfortunately, the big box store deleted the entire hard drive and reinstalled the operating system to fix it quickly. All the company's Quickbook files were lost. The laptop was used for personal needs as well, so years and years of photos were lost. No backup of company data or personal data was ever made. Neither the company financial data nor the family photos could be recovered even through forensic techniques. They were gone forever.
3. A mortgage company thought their files were safely being backed up to tape. When the computer went down hard, a new one was purchased. When it came time to restore the backed up data it was found that the backup hadn't been done for almost a year. It was too hard so the person in charge just didn't do it. It took several months to manually replace the missing data at a huge cost to the company. At least they were able to limp along and not go out of business.

There are more horror stories I could tell. the point is, data HAS to be backed up if you are running a business. The backup has to be simple and it has to be easily verifiable that it is being done. It also has to be suitable for restoring the data from nearly any catastrophic event. So, it has to satisfy the worst case scenario.

The worst case is that the entire computer is gone. Fire and theft can occur. If you are backing up to the same computer or a connected backup drive, then your data is still gone no matter how dedicated you are to making the backup. The best solution is to back up off-site.

Backup solutions is probably in my top three questions that I am asked about from small businesses. Backup drives are great but usually stay connected to the computer they are backing up. Flash drives are good, but hold a limited amount of data. They also have to be manually connected and disconnected each backup day. I've had too many emergency repair situations from a USB device being improperly disconnected to really recommend this.

So what's the best solution? Back up off-site to a web based solution. I've been checking out Carbonite for several weeks now and strongly recommend it. It's affordable at $49.95 per year (yes, that a full year for $50 bucks!), and shows you right from your desktop what has been backed up. The one drawback is the amount of time it can take for the initial backup (it can take several days depending on the amount of data you are backing up) but after the initial backup it only backs up the files that have changed.

For those needing both an off-site backup solution of under 2 GB AND anti-virus protection, Norton 360 suits the task just fine. Just be aware that they charge extra for over 2GB and that 2GB is not all that much file server space thee days.

Carbonite is currently only available for the Windows platform, but Mac users can sign up as beta testers for the Mac version. There is a 15 day free trial for those who like to "try before they buy". If you are interested in Carbonite, or Norton 360, please use the links below which help support this blog.

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Do They Really Hear What Your Saying?

Communication can be the key to success in your personal life and in your professional life. How well do you communicate? Can you even honestly answer that question?

Years ago I was asked by the company I worked for to teach some software development classes in Japan. Although it was my first trip there, I was fairly confident I could do it. As I normally do, I bought some books about traveling to Japan and even a few on doing business there. Don't use slang and always be polite. I could do that!

What I was teaching required the use of a software development package called a compiler. Specifically, it required the use of the compiler produced by a company named Watcom. There were other compilers in the market, Borland and Microsoft offered the two best known at the time. The development I was teaching to the Japanese required the Watcom compiler, the others like the Borland and Microsoft compilers could not be used.

From what I just said, can you tell me what compiler was needed for the software I was teaching? Could the Borland compiler be used with the software? If you answered 'Watcom' for the first question and 'no' for the second, you understood me better than my class.

The first question a student asked after my discussion on compilers was "Mr. Hohler, may we use the Borland compiler?" I answered 'No, you can only use the Watcom compiler."

The next question was "Mr. Hohler, may we use the Microsoft compiler?" Again, I answered, "No, you can only use the the Watcom compiler."

Another hand went up. One by one the class kept asking if they could use either the Borland or Microsoft compiler. Figuring it was a language issue, I listed all the known compilers on the white board and drew a circle around them with the line through it. The International "NO" symbol. I then wrote 'Watcom' and drew a smiley face. That would do it!

"Mr. Hohler, may we use Borland compiler?" Aargh!

I realized we were having a communication problem. It wasn't a language problem, each of the students spoke English fluently. I wasn't using slang. I was even being polite, at least as I knew it. But one of the books I read mentioned that in Japan the word 'No' is avoided, especially in business. While my class spoke English, they spoke a different flavor of English than I was used to. They spoke English as understood by Japanese norms and customs.

So, my next answer was "Yes, you may use the Borland compiler. But the resulting software will not work." The student thought a moment then said, "Ahhh, so we should only use Watcom compiler." The class finally understood, and so did I.

Communication is difficult. You have to say what you mean in a way that your audience understands. This can be harder than you think. To get your message across, a few things to keep in mind:

1. Know your audience. Speaking to a person in the 'business' is different than speaking to a potential customer or someone not in the business. Take the time to know your audience and gage the level of understanding they have. Speak at the level of the person with the least understanding of your subject.

2. Avoid Buzzwords, Slang, and Acronyms. Unless someone works in the same business, use words everyone knows. Buzzwords really doesn't make you appear knowledgeable about your subject to someone who has no idea what you just said.

3. Be polite. Always be polite. Sarcasm can be taken wrong and often misunderstood. Take the blame for any misunderstandings or confusion and try rewording your reply. 

4. Practice your Sales Pitch. Practice on someone outside your business. A spouse or close friend can really help here. Make sure it's someone who is comfortable telling you they have no idea what you just said, if that indeed is the case.

The business referral group I'm a member of, Business Networking International (BNI), strongly urges its members to do 'One-On-One' meetings with each other. Two members meet individually outside the regular weekly meeting. If you are not a member of a BNI group, you can do something similar with someone you talk about your business to often. This One-On-One meeting is a great time to ask the other person "Can you tell me what I do?".

If they can answer correctly, most likely you are communicating effectively. If they can't, you may not be giving out the message you think you are. If this happens at a lot, it's time to evaluate your message and how it's being delivered.

Sometimes, even if you are saying what you mean ... people can hear something completely different. It's always good to catch and correct this sooner rather than later.

I'm Proud He Is My Dad

Just a few short weeks ago my father had a dream. That morning I went to his room early to see if he needed his pain medication. The cancer he was battling had already shattered his left leg and was having its way with the rest of his body. Unlike other mornings when he was sitting on the edge of the bed in pain, this time he was still laying down next to my mom. He had a look of happiness.

He told me about his dream. He was taking a group of children on a field trip, to see Jacob's ladder, the ladder to Heaven described in the Book of Genesis. He sang songs with the children on the bus. He took them to see the ladder. And when some children were lost, my dad said he went to find them and brought them back.

Then he smiled at me and said,"… and I was walking!" You see, the cancer first took away his ability to walk without pain. Then it took it completely away. In his dream, Dad was walking again!

I saw God in my dad's eyes and face that day. Not figuratively, mind you, it was real. When he first told me about his dream and again later when he told my mom.

I thought back to when my dad taught Sunday school. He taught for many years and not just while his own children were attending, but long after. As a kid, it was strange for me to be in a class taught by my father. I was somewhat embarrassed.

That was a common feeling for me growing up. My dad was a photographer who was a wedding photographer and liked to take pictures of scenery. My dad was a salesman. He sold cameras for a living. My best friend Jimmy's dad was a photographer too, except he worked for the police department and was a police photographer. For a kid, that's some tough "dad" competition.

My dad was in the Korean War and was a platoon leader. He rarely spoke about it. My friend Norman's dad was in WWII and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Norman had lots of stories.

I learned a lot about my dad recently. I learned I really didn't know him at all.

So many people would come up to my dad these last several months, recognizing him from his days selling cameras. After more than 15 years, people who were complete strangers would ask if he used to sell cameras at The Fair or one of the other stores he managed. I hope he always noticed how proud I was to hear that. How many sales people do you remember from yesterday, never mind over a decade ago!

Last Thursday my dad made a very difficult decision. With cancer winning the battle, my parents expressed a desire to stay together and we, their children, made sure it was so. The nursing facility had asked Dad earlier in the week if he were to get sick, did he want to go to the hospital. He had said yes, he wanted to go to the hospital if he got sick.

Well, he got very sick on Thursday. I asked if he wanted to go to the hospital or stay at the nursing facility with Mom. He decided without hesitancy and without question that he wanted to stay with my mom. He repeated his wishes three times to the nursing facility. He did not go to the hospital.

My mom held his hand day and night as the illness progressed. Dad spoke with more and more difficulty, in both clarity and thought. He seemed to be selling cameras one day. He was on a ship or a cruise the next. Last night my brother and sister told me he was singing "Row, row, row the boat" and "You are my sunshine". This was confusing to all of us, my dad played keyboards but I don't remember him ever singing.

I now know why he was singing. He lived his dream today. I know because he told me tonight. He brought the children to Jacob's ladder. They sang on the bus. He found the lost children. He brought them to Heaven, just as his life had taught him to do. My dad is filled with joy. My dad is walking again. My dad is there, holding my mom again.

Dad passed away earlier today. I'm proud he is my Dad.

Techniques For Better 60-Second Commercials

Okay class, it is now September and school is in session. Your first assignment; write a 60-second advertisement for your business.

 

Take your time … I’ll wait.  When you are done go ahead and continue reading. [Take a few extra minutes and write it down on paper. I’ll still wait …]

 

Great! If what you wrote takes a minute or less to say, then you pass! About a year ago I wrote about how important it is to be able to say what you do for a living in about a minute.  Today lets go deeper and see if we can improve on our 60-second advertisement.

 

Almost all Ads can be categorized into one of four basic approaches. Let’s review each of these four techniques and while we do, evaluate your own 60-second promo and see which category yours falls under.

 

ASSERTION
The most common, easiest to create, is called the Assertion technique. This style of promo uses an enthusiastically presented statement of how good a product or service is. Nearly 90% of the “60-seconds” I hear from various business groups I’ve visited fall into this category. These are the typical "great price, great service, best produc"” variety of commercials.

 

If your 60-second commercial sounds like this style, be aware that it is the most difficult to get your audience to listen to. Because it is used so often, much of your audience is immune to it. People do not like to be marketed to and become cynical when they recognize the technique. To get your message through using the Assertion style, you have to be specific and provide material backing up your claims.

Far too often assertive commercials, while energetic, simply present grand claims as fact to be accepted without question. The listener needs to decide whether it is worth coaxing further details about the claims or simply ignore the message. Listeners are generally lazy and opt for the later.

 

If your commercial is relying on the assertive technique, it must include supporting backup evidence. Instead of saying "We at Company ABC provide better service and have a higher satisfaction rating than everyone else!!", this company would be better off saying "Why do we at Company ABC say we provide better service? Because our customers tell us we do. Call me or visit my website for references!!!"

 

PLAIN FOLKS

This style is common on TV ads and in politics. For a few examples of use in politics, remember George Bush Sr. hating broccoli and Bill Clinton stopping at McDonalds during a jog? The intent was to make them appear as just Regular Joes like the rest of us. On TV, these are the "Girl or Boy Next Door" commercials selling everything from cars to hemorrhoid creams. At its worst, the "Plain Folks" technique is used to portray a company, product, service, or politician as something it's not. At its best, this technique is used to show a business or person really does care.

 

For a 60-second promo, this technique can be very effective for businesses that rely on high-trust selling. These would be your CPAs, mortgage brokers, insurance brokers, and those in any form of the health-care sector. Using examples of specific cases where a company's services helped someone out of a bad situation, or especially how the speaker assisted in helping is the key.

 

BANDWAGON
Ah, one of my favorites. We used to call this the "because all the cool kids are doing it" method. The bandwagon technique is very useful for marketing to younger audiences or to a very specific audience. If you can get the latest cultural icon to deliver the message, that's even better. My daughter will want just about anything pushed by "Hanna Montana". The Bandwagon approach is useful for businesses that are selling to a very narrow or specific market.

 

The basic approach here is to convince your audience that everyone else is doing it so don't get left behind. The really good ad writers make it seem like everyone in the targeted audience is buying it, and those that don't, well, don't matter and aren't welcome on the wagon.

 

The danger in this technique is if less of the targeted audience rushes to the "bandwagon" than the speaker led them to believe. In this case regaining the trust of the target audience may not be possible.

 

Types of small businesses that could use this method would be work out centers, spas, cosmetic sales, and other businesses with a clearly defined customer base. To be a truly effective the business needs to already have some momentum working for it. For example, a woman-only gym that is already experiencing phenomenal growth.

 

FEAR
Okay, I saved the most effective for last. If you tap into a Fear, and have a solution to alleviate that fear, you have a 60-second commercial that is almost guaranteed to work!

 

A 1991 study by Pratkanis and Aronson showed that "All other things being equal, the more frightened a person is by a communication, the more likely he or she is to take positive preventative action."  The study also showed that Fear based commercials are less likely to be effective if the audience feels powerless to change the situation and more effective if given specific steps for reducing the threat.

 

What does this mean for our 60-second? If we are going to create a fear based appeal for generating business, don't make the fear too big to overcome and provide specifics for helping your audience overcome the threat.

 

This technique works well for talking about my computer services. For example, many big box store computer repair services usually look at the problem for a very short time before they simply wipe the hard drive clean and hand back a working computer that no longer has any of the customer's documents, photos, and other important files. I've had customers come to me after going to these stores asking if there is anything I can do to get the files back. Sometimes I can, but many times the files are beyond recovery.

 

One story I use in my 60-second is about the woman who lost her entire library of family digital photos because she brought her laptop back to the big box store for repairs. Her drive was wiped clean and the files were unsalvageable. The solution so this doesn't happen to you? First, back up all your important data. Second, bring your laptop or computer that needs repair to someone who cares about your data.

 

Need help with either of these? Call me.

 

These are just the basic advertisement techniques. New methods are always evolving. But for now, evaluate your 60-second commercial and see if it can be improved. If you used one technique, try writing another spot using one of the other techniques.

 

Class dismissed.

Work on That Bio for Your Next Speech

When you attend lectures, seminars, and guest speaker events, do you listen to the speaker's short bio normally read prior to the speech?

 

If you are like me, you probably can't remember any of them. Most likely though, you were listening and it made an impression on you. What I found our recently is that the short bio presentation is more important than I ever knew.

 

I belong to a local BNI group (Business Network International) that meets each week to help members grow their business. Each week one member of the group is given the opportunity to do a ten-minute presentation to educate the other members about what they do. If you want to be a better public speaker, join a BNI group!

 

Before the 10-Minute Presentation, a member of the leadership team introduces the speaker and then reads that member's bio. The content of the bio is the responsibility of the speaker. Unfortunately, it is often neglected, just something written up quickly, or once in a while simply skipped. What a mistake. Let me explain why...

 

Some readers may remember the articles I wrote about Herd Theory and Herding As A Survival Technique about how individuals in a group act based on the actions of others in the group. In other words, input from the "herd" strongly influences the way we see the world around us.

 

I recently came across a study originally done in 1950 by H.H. Kelley and duplicated numerous times with and without variations by other researchers ever since. In this study, how a group of students perceived the speaker was greatly influenced by the bio handed out to the students prior to the speech!

 

One half of the students were given a bio before the presentation that described the lecturer as "a rather cold person, industrious, critical, practical, and determined." The other half was given an identical bio except it described him as "a rather warm person, industrious, critical, practical, and determined". Each group sat in on the same speech together and then rated the speaker. The students given the "cold" bio rated him distant, self-centered, and humorless. The students told he was "warm" rated the speaker as approachable, friendly, and funny. Remember, each group was sitting in on the same speech together as the speaker was giving the presentation. Later studies showed that the same set of introductions even affected the group’s feelings on the intelligence of the speaker.

 

The conclusion of the study was that people form their first impressions based more on socially provided input (like a short bio presented by someone they know) than external fact (what they actually heard and saw). 

Okay, I'm going to go really work on the bio for my next presentation now.

Here's to Pinchy

Pinchy has been acting strange the last 3 weeks. He hasn't been active at night like usual and hasn't gone into his home during the day. He's just been hanging out at a corner.

Pinchy is my daughter's hermit crab. Pinchy has been a member of our house (or "zoo" as I sometimes like to call it) for the last 2 years. Along with his cage mate Hermie, the two hermit crabs have gone on adventures under the couch and eaten quite a few carrots. They also require a few squirts of water from time to time. Today I picked up Pinchy to give him a few squirts, but something was different.

Pinchy didn't move. I squirted some more, sometimes it takes a while for Pinchy to come out and get the full watering he seems to enjoy. Instead, Pinchy fell out of the shell, or at least what looked like most of him. I had to let my daughter know. I think I probably worded it a bit wrong when I blurted out "The crab's dead". My daughter was devastated.

She cried, called her best friend, and cried some more. The funeral was held quickly, we found a nice small box to place him in. My daughter wanted the shell to remember Pinchy by, but pulling the remains out did not seem to be the right thing to do. No, Pinchy would be buried, shell and all.

The funeral was nice, we placed him about 2 feet under and my daughter planted a flower over him. A red flower, the same color as his shell. She hung out nearby for a while before she had to go to the library with her Mom. I stayed at the house, having work to finish up.

In the quiet after they left, something was bothering me. There was a claw in the shell that just didn't seem like a back claw. I got the book that came with the hermit crabs. The picture showed something like what I saw as a back claw, but still. I read on.

The book mentioned that it is common to mistake the exoskeleton of a molting hermit crab as a dead crab and not to do this. WHAT!!!??? Hermit crabs molt??? Who knew? Okay, probably all of you reading this knew. I didn't.

I ran out to the burial site. Pinchy had been under for a while now. Maybe he wasn't molting. Or worse, what if he was only molting but couldn't handle being buried for so long. Time to dig him out! But what if he really wasn't alive. I carefully dug out the flower before digging in. "Who was the idiot who put him 2 feet under??!", I said under my breath, as I dug through the dirt. Finally, the little box. I brought it out and put it aside. I don't know why, buy I reconstructed the burial site, flower and all, before opening the box.

"Hey idiot, what was THAT all about?", I could have sworn I heard Pinchy say as I opened the box and he crawled a little out of his shell. "A little water and oxygen tank next time, or at least a panic button to the outside built into the box, pleeeeze?". Pinchy was okay. I called my wife and left her a message that Pinchy was okay and to let our daughter know. I told her I dug him out and CPR was successful, but I digress.

To my daughter it was a miracle, Pinchy was alive and well. Her prayers were answered. Pinchy came back to her and rejoined Hermie. Not only that, Pinchie is all pink and new, having shed his old "skin" and is now awaiting his new "skin". He seems no worse for his ordeal today. I can't say the same for me. Of course, the miracle for my wife and I is that it didn't take 2-3 weeks before figuring out Pinchy was only molting.

We all sometimes feel like things are hopeless. Maybe business is down, creditors banging at the door, or our personal lives not going as planned. Like today with Pinchy, life has a way of showing us things aren't always as they seem.

XP Phase-out Begins Monday, June 30

It's official and the XP petitioners lost. Windows XP is going away and Vista will be the only option for Microsoft Operating Systems very soon. The phase-out begins Monday, June 30. Microsoft also announced that their next operating system, Windows 7, is scheduled for release in January of 2009.

So the two questions I hear the most is "What is really going to happen on Monday?" and "Will I be able to still get XP after Monday?". Let's start with what's happening on Monday.

What is really going to happen with XP on Monday:

• Windows XP will no longer be made available to PC makers for pre-installing on new PCs. Most manufacturers stopped selling desktop PCs with XP already loaded last week. For example, Dell announced it stopped selling XP desktops on June 26th.
• Windows XP will no longer be sold retail. So, if you want to go and buy a boxed version of the XP operating system, you won't be able to as of Monday.

Will I be able to still get Windows XP after Monday?

The short answer is "in most cases, yes".

Microsoft conveniently left in a few loopholes that allow sales to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). In otherwords, online retailers like Newegg and Tiger Direct will sell OEM versions via this loophole. In fact, as a reseller I will still be offering Windows XP OEM versions for those who need it. Some requirements apply, but they are very minor. Since I, like others in the computer business, am still not recommending Vista for business use computers I will be recommending XP Pro for at least a few more months if not longer.

Microsoft made another exception as well. They are allowing Windows XP to be pre-installed by manufacturers in low-cost "netbooks" or "nettops". Unfortunately for business use these low cost systems are not suitable.

The OEM version of Windows XP discussed earlier will not be suitable for many small businesses wanting XP because it requires a new manual install of the operating system.  Most businesses change operating systems only when buying new equipment. Can businesses still get XP on new desktops and laptops? The answer is "Yes", but with fewer options than before.

Pre-Installed Windows XP For Businesses

There are actually two ways for get new desktops and laptops with XP pre-installed. The first is by using the OEM exemption we discussed earlier. The "white box" manufacturers of computers can use that OEM exemption mentioned earlier. These are the companies that build their own custom computers. Since the computer or notebook is custom and they have the OEM exemption, you can order it with XP pre-installed. My company offers Proteon desktops and laptops that can be ordered this way. They are slightly more expensive than their brand-name counterparts, but you know exactly what components are used and can select which parts you want to spend more or less money on.

The second way is being offered by the name-brand computer manufacturers like Acer, the brand I sell the most of. On some models the customer can select to install Vista or "downgrade" to XP on the initial installation and setup of the computer. However, I only have model under $1,000 that this option is available on. There are far more models with this option that cost over $1,000. It seems the manufacturers and Microsoft are filling the need for businesses by keeping this option on the better performing and capable models. Especially since the option is only available with Vista Business and Vista Ultimate versions of the operating system.

Windows XP Support and Updates Will Continue

Although the phase-out has begun, Windows XP will be available through OEMs and system builders in the way just outlined until January 31, 2009 according to Microsoft. It is also important to note that Microsoft will support, provide security updates,and supply critical updates to XP until April 2014.

And on the horizon is Windows 7, supposedly coming in 2009, which is said to be an improved version of Vista without the incompatibility hassles by the Microsoft people.

I, for one, can hardly wait. And yes,that was sarcasm. 

Me for President '08!

Thank you to everyone who has done so much to help my Presidential bid! Together we can win! In case you've missed the story, Channel 3 did a pretty good job summerizing my campaign. Click here in case you missed it:

www.News3Online.com/NewCandidate062408.htm

My campaign slogan? "I can't possibly screw things up any worse than the other candidates!" It was either that or "Economy, what economy?"  I look forward to your vote in October or November or whatever month they hold elections.

I hear U.S. President pays okay, and you pretty much have the job guaranteed for 4 years unless you do something really, really stupid. I can use the extra bucks. A few vacations at Camp David sounds fun, too. I'd appreciate your vote!

Okay, so it's just a viral marketing campaign. But what a great marketing strategy! I had never heard about PalTalk until a friend sent me the video announcing his Presidential campaign. I've heard of them now and even know what they are selling. According to the website traffic ranking people, they have increased their traffic over the last month substantially, approx 2% which is considered very good due to their already high ranking.

While viral marketing sites like this one aren't new, give them credit. They are timely. The site is fun and gives the user a reason to spread their marketing message. And, they are doing no harm unlike what the spammers and virus "evil-doers" are doing (I'm even sounding Presidential now!). Note: "Viral Marketing" is using techniques to get others to spread your marketing message legitimately. Don't confuse the term viral with virus.

What are you doing to get your message out? Are you using the power of word-of-mouth and viral marketing? You do this through business networking, special offers and events, and creative fun campaigns like this one. How creative can you get? Think about it. Then do it.