Sometime in the next week-or-so we’ll be merging the Windows Secrets Lounge into the AskWoody Lounge. It’s a big project. Windows Secrets has more tha
[See the full post at: Swallowing a whale: The joys of integrating Windows Secrets Lounge into AskWoody]
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Patch reliability is unclear, but widespread attacks make patching prudent. Go ahead and patch, but watch out for potential problems. |
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Swallowing a whale: The joys of integrating Windows Secrets Lounge into AskWoody
- This topic has 38 replies, 21 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 2 months ago.
AuthorViewing 18 reply threadsAuthor-
Congrats woody!
You’ve come a long long way… and helped alot of ppl!
… in most cost effective way/free to them
… in the most professional and authorative MS-rlated site (NOW EXPENDING TO season greeings and other OS) 🙂
Bottom line – you saved one too many bacons in this thankless job (which speaks to your magnificient charecter)
May you have great things/blessings ahead of you (and your family too!) 🙂p/s to all: reminder and again – pls donate esp. if you have receive help here
Back to Fishing for Better Dreams
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Thanks for the progress report Woody, and thanks to all who are helping towards the transition. Your right about WS users trying to navigate the AW site, I’ve been here for awhile and I’m still a bit lost in finding my way around. VB is a lot easier to navigate than WordPress but we press on and forward with a lot of familiar names from the past and someone who cares for the legacy of helping the lost. 🙂
Don't take yourself so seriously, no one else does 🙂
All W10 Pro at 22H2,(2 Desktops, 1 Laptop). -
Hi Woody,
Whoever is hosting Windows Secrets, it would be nice if they would clone the web site to a hard drive which they would send to you, as soon as the site is taken offline. There ain’t nothing like having a final “as is” backup!
Best regards,
–GTP
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Just go for it, Woody. I am a fairly recent emigre from the Windows Secrets lounge. I found AskWoody’s format strange at the start, but it did not take long to find my way around – hopefully the same for those about to come along.
Chris
Win 10 Pro x64 Group A -
Perhaps a glitch – when you click on this topic, and the prior one on IP addresses, from the home page, you come to a page with no comments, and on which I cannot comment. Click on a recent post on the right hand pane and I’m onto a normal page with comments.
Chris
Win 10 Pro x64 Group A1 user thanked author for this post.
First thing i do every morning after updating my security suite,is to check your site Woody and read new content.
Most appreciative of your work and however long it takes to get everything up to speed,fine with me and most if not all of us i would think.
Keep up the great work that gives us protection and support from the ofttimes maniacal monster that is M/soft.
Regards.
Joulia
Windows 7,Home Premium 64 bit - Lenovo laptop
Group A - Intel (R)Core i7 Processors -ASUS Chromebook C213 12.5 inch
64GB memory .iphone 6,need to upgrade soon,bugger !
Reeder M7 Go 2019 Tablet !
4 users thanked author for this post.
“It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out nor more doubtful of success nor more dangerous to handle than to initiate a new order of things.” ~ Machiavelli
One day at a time Woody, I think we’re all with you on this.
Per Ardua ad Astra
HF
Nice work Woody et al! Thanks.
I encountered a glitch as well, but don’t know if I’m the cause or not:
Last night after I posted a new topic, I had to edit it and once I saved it again, it was gone from view. (Was I too fast?)
It did not turn up in the forum topic list, nor in my profile overview. I gathered it was a protective action from askwoody.com, and it did turn up again this morning (local time).LMDE is my daily driver now. Old friend Win10 keeps spinning in the background-
That’s happened to me before and evidently the spam filter catches the post and a kind moderator has to dig it out. 🙂
Don't take yourself so seriously, no one else does 🙂
All W10 Pro at 22H2,(2 Desktops, 1 Laptop).1 user thanked author for this post.
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That glitch isn’t a glitch, it’s the forum anti-spam/security kicking in due to editing post too quickly after posting. You should give it a couple of minutes prior to editing otherwise the result is what you have encountered.
Windows - commercial by definition and now function...5 users thanked author for this post.
I’ve been a Windows Secrets member for almost 10 years, and a mod there for a bit over 5 years. I joined here in late December with the same ID as I use at WS. There is a “cultural” difference between the two sites. AskWoody seems to garner more IT types who are administering multiple PC’s on a business/educational network, while Windows Secrets seems to be more of the single PC/laptop and/or private home network or SOHO types.
Most of the current traffic at Windows Secrets concerns questions about how to get Windows to do the things we’re trying to do, and (in my admittedly limited experience here) a lot of the traffic at AskWoody concerns how to keep Microsoft from doing the things that they have plainly stated in the EULA that they intend to do using the rights they have reserved specifically for themselves via the licensing terms.
I anticipate a lot of the members of “the swallowed whale” are going to be a bit bewildered by the format, searching for the help forums they are used to perusing. I understand that there is a lot going on behind the scenes to incorporate some of those familiar topic headers into the AskWoody format, and I certainly appreciate the efforts of everyone involved.
It will be an adventure. Many will lament the passing of Windows Secrets Lounge, but most, I think, will appreciate that, while the old format will be lost, the content and availability will be preserved. We have a learning curve to climb, and there’s gonna be some culture shock, perhaps from both the inside and the outside of “the swallowed whale”.
Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.We were all once "Average Users".-
Hello @bbearan-
As somebody who was never part of Windows Secrets and committed to making the transition as easy and welcoming as possible for everyone, it is quite interesting to read your take on the cultural differences.
Lest someone be intimidated, AskWoody does attract people with a wide variety of experience. Personally, I have a non-techy background, and just about everything I’ve learned about tech has come from Woody’s books, and the people who contribute here. Luckily they have had tremendous patience with my non-techy questions, allowing me to really grow in knowledge and skills… so no one should think that their particular question or problem is too simple or ignorant to be respectfully addressed. At the same time, the moderators are volunteers, and amply aware of how many times a particular question has been asked, particularly if the answer is in the initial post or very thread it is asked in, and will eliminate repetitions. I’d like to point newcomers to the Knowledge Base Forum, particularly, Kirsty’s Knowledge Base Listing… and encourage them to post further questions under Support.
One of the things I really value about AskWoody, is that there is not a consensus about how to manage computers… and although specific posters may have passionate opinions, opposing opinions are tolerated, and even encouraged, as long as they are presented and discussed civilly. What I want and need in my personal laptop maintenance is not the same as what IT pros would choose to do… and the opposite is true. As well as a particular culture of accepting diversity at AskWoody, each poster has a particular background and personality… and it behooves those seeking help to check out who is answering and what their background and style is. Clicking on the avatar link will bring you to the profile page for that particular poster, and you can look at their past topics and replies to give you an idea of their expertise.
Most of the current traffic at Windows Secrets concerns questions about how to get Windows to do the things we’re trying to do, and (in my admittedly limited experience here) a lot of the traffic at AskWoody concerns how to keep Microsoft from doing the things that they have plainly stated in the EULA that they intend to do using the rights they have reserved specifically for themselves via the licensing terms.
I’m curious about this quote, as I see both ‘sides’ as doing the same thing, which is often to get Windows to do the things we are trying to do.
From my point of view, I’m using Windows 7, which follows @CanadianTech’s system of avoiding telemetry updates, and have stopped updating, using backups as insurance against encountering any malware (which hasn’t happened, yet…) to preserve stability and how I want my computer configured. That is not against the EULA of Windows 7, although it does not follow Microsoft’s recommendations… and a choice made according to my values.
I’m not looking at it from a technical point of view, or from a legal standpoint… simply from my background and values. I do not give anyone permission to walk into my house and change the furniture around, or exchange or replace any of it, as it suits them… and do not encourage anyone else to permit this, either. My personal computer needs to be as private and secure as my house. I have disdain for how Microsoft used both a carrot (free upgrade) and stick (malware techniques) to move users from a more private and configurable and personally controllable computing experience, to using an operating system with an EULA that serves Microsoft, rather than individual user’s needs. From my point of view, they used predatory techniques to manipulate their user base… and I have no tolerance for those that abuse their power.
There is no reason that any of us should allow others to control and limit our choices for their benefit. W10 was greeted with some wariness that any new operating system would probably have bugs, as a reason to delay upgrading to it, but thinking was that it would be a better OS, an advancement over Windows 7 and 8.1, something to look forward too, once the bugs were worked out. It is actually a shock that Microsoft continued to eliminate end user choices and control, no matter what the EULA says… and too many people have no idea that options exist, or how to implement them. There have been lengthy discussions about the values involved in making a particular choice. In my case, the deciding factor was the limitations my various disabilities impose on me. I need a stable system with predictable, consistent ways to do what I need to do. I have limited finances, shaky fingers that make frequent keyboard errors, and a foggy brain that relapses to what it used to know, rather than what I might have tried to learn yesterday… and value privacy as a basic personal need. W10, with its out of control updating for home users, quickly becomes a quagmire that violates my privacy, while making random, undocumented changes in how I use and access my data, and Microsoft does not see this as a problem, being firmly committed to its right to destroy my ability to use my purchased hardware on a monthly and bi-annual basis. Pointing out that the EULA allows them to do that is useless for my needs. I am grateful to the contributors here that have provided information that allows me to adapt and control my computer at a speed, and in ways, that work for me. That others have different values and needs, and seek ways to adapt to changes in technology that do not violate their values and still meet their needs is not surprising, and I heartily support their efforts.
I do encourage IT pros and developers to consider the impact of technology on the people who will be using it… especially disabled users… but otherwise, respect the choices made by others. If I know an answer, I’ll share it, with no expectation that the person abide by, or make the same choices that I do… following Woody’s excellent example and choices in Lounge Rules, which definitely shapes the culture that develops here. Strong and differing opinions, when discussed with civility, can lead to positive information exchange and changes for all parties, and I have really thrived on such discussions here… and @bbearren, I’ve enjoyed your contributions since you signed up here, and look forward to future discourse… and acknowledge upfront, that your tech experience far exceeds mine… be gentle with us non-techy types who are trying to survive this increasingly technical world, even if we don’t accept the limitations of an all or nothing EULA from Microsoft. It is only with the help of those with real expertise that we have hope of getting our tech to work for us.
To the best of my ability (you know, non-techy, foggy brained, grandma type) I’m willing to help those who feel lost or displaced as AskWoody swallows the whale. Sometimes it isn’t the technical aspects that cause discomfort, but differences in culture that are invisible to others… I started learning with Woody with Windows XP for Dummies, and lurked anonymously at AskWoody for years, before registering, a couple of years ago. I’m fairly familiar with the site, and the people who have been regular contributors. It is out of gratitude for all the help I’ve received here, that I try to help others… and sometimes, if I don’t know the answer, I might know the direction to look, especially if there is a delay in answers provided by others. I’m hoping that as the sites merge, there will be those with similar familiarity with Windows Secrets, as it will help integrate the accessibility of information for all of us.
Woody’s excitement and enthusiasm for this venture is catching… even though it has been, and will be, a process of finding what the problems are, and how to fix them. AskWoody, for me, has been a place of inspiration, mutual sharing and support, exploration, testing, and embracing changes in technology. In the long run, all of us will benefit from the combined knowledge and experience and sharing, no matter how stressful it is to ‘Swallow the Whale’.
Non-techy Win 10 Pro and Linux Mint experimenter
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Change CAN be good.
I feel sorry for those who cannot face change. They have many challenges ahead.
And if the change isn’t good?
Change that represents improvement is certainly welcome. In the case of Windows, I certainly welcomed the introduction of the taskbar; when I was on Windows 3.1, I was never sure what programs were open at any given moment, since I tend to run my applications full-screen.
But change for the sake of change is pointless, and change that limits choices and removes desired features is worse than pointless.
Would that Windows developers kept this in mind and once again allowed the customer (as they did for two decades) to make her own decisions as to what works better and worse for her, instead of trying to channel and herd the user into conformity with their objectives.
This new “our way or the highway” attitude is definitely not welcome.
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@cybertooth I can’t say that I don’t agree with you, but gee, what a change of subject!
2 users thanked author for this post.
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Cybertooth and Elly.
Elly: “I do not give anyone permission to walk into my house and change the furniture around, or exchange or replace any of it, as it suits them… and do not encourage anyone else to permit this, either. My personal computer needs to be as private and secure as my house.”
Well said. I like the fact that MOST of the people at Woody’s seem to have a technical or corporate background and the quality of responses are more technical and well thought out.
Cybertooth: Good point. One of the problems with change is to cut costs, or please everyone in an effort to expand. The problem arises when there is too much diversity and the focus of the group becomes lost. I have known of “the other” websites and writers, but chose not to follow them but to read Woody’s Articles and posts.
I always listen to what Woody or his chosen MVPs have to say. As long as WOODY stays “da Boss” I will be happy.
3 users thanked author for this post.
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I’m hoping that as the sites merge, there will be those with similar familiarity with Windows Secrets, as it will help integrate the accessibility of information for all of us. Woody’s excitement and enthusiasm for this venture is catching… even though it has been, and will be, a process of finding what the problems are, and how to fix them. AskWoody, for me, has been a place of inspiration, mutual sharing and support, exploration, testing, and embracing changes in technology. In the long run, all of us will benefit from the combined knowledge and experience and sharing, no matter how stressful it is to ‘Swallow the Whale’.
Forgive me if my post came across as disparaging; I did not intend it to be. Windows Secrets Lounge was slowly going downhill under Penton, and I’m probably as excited about the merger as anyone.
As for getting your PC/laptop to work the way you want it to, I’m right there. If you have a couple of days and some tech skills, Set 7 Free will lock you in just like you want to be. I’m in the process of updating my site, it’s quite long in the tooth, and I have outdated stuff that needs to be trimmed, and lots of current stuff I want to add.
As for helping people with difficulties, this WS thread was started 5/8/2018, went on for 210 more replies and finally a solution on 5/29/2018. So far it has had 11,576 views. I’m all about helping folks, too.
Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.We were all once "Average Users".-
@bbearren-
I did not find your post, in any way, disparaging. From my part, forgive me if mine came across as critical. Actually, having someone familiar with both sites, providing feedback as to their particular differences and culture is very valuable. I just didn’t want those from Windows Secrets who seem to be ‘more of the single PC/laptop and/or private home network or SOHO types’ to think that those type of users and questions wouldn’t fit right in, because they will.
And… although I can follow step by step directions, especially ones as clear and precise as those you provide in Set 7 Free, and the goals of ‘…separating Windows into manageable portions that become simpler to backup and restore using drive images, easier to customize and repair, resulting in increased stability, improved efficiency, and reduced vulnerability to data loss.’ are certainly very appealing… this would be something for me to study and understand better before attempting. Something to look forward to challenging myself with, perhaps after things have settled down from merging the sites?
I really enjoyed scanning through your XP info, as outdated as some may feel it to be. I still have an XP desktop off-line, that is used mostly for older games that my children grew up with… as adults they get nostalgic, and as for the grand kids, they are still engaging.
It is intriguing to read that following your instructions would block W10 from upgrading versions without a fresh install… although it would probably annoy me to no end to have it attempt and fail to install repeatedly… at least it would be a fail-safe to prevent upgrading if all else has failed, and the new version is being pushed onto a machine. Something to think about for the one remaining W10 laptop around here.
Sharing, like how you shared your links/website, helps us to get to know each other better… so thank you for that. Also eager to check out more of your WS posts, as they (hopefully) become searchable, here within the Lounge!
Non-techy Win 10 Pro and Linux Mint experimenter
And… although I can follow step by step directions, especially ones as clear and precise as those you provide in Set 7 Free, and the goals of ‘…separating Windows into manageable portions that become simpler to backup and restore using drive images, easier to customize and repair, resulting in increased stability, improved efficiency, and reduced vulnerability to data loss.’ are certainly very appealing… this would be something for me to study and understand better before attempting. Something to look forward to challenging myself with, perhaps after things have settled down from merging the sites?
If you decide to give it a go in the future, I’ll be happy to help along the way. My site is all manually coded with CSS and HTML, no website builder used. There is a print.css for printing out just the instructions without the sidebar, header, footer or background image.
Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.We were all once "Average Users".“Change CAN be good”
Don’t forget, Microsofts’ reasons for change aren’t usually for the benefit of their customers, but their finances!
3 users thanked author for this post.
Woody, Satrow, PK Cano, and Kirsty,
Thought you’d want to know what’s happened today. After I sign in, the system then signs me out and I become “anonymous” again.
Also, I received an email stating I had a Direct Message. When I checked in Direct Message, there were no new messages.
Thanks for your help with this. Best wishes as you “swallow a whale.”
1 user thanked author for this post.
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You appear to be signed in now, could you test further as it might have been a transient glitch as the devs flicked a switch in the background?
I’ll send you a DM too.
3 users thanked author for this post.
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There definitely are problems with the site, but I think we’ve nailed down the major ones.
Anonymous posts may get swallowed up for a wide variety of reasons, not all of which involve misbehaving forum software. Best solution? Don’t post anonymously. If you’re very concerned about anonymity, sign up with a burner email address and use a VPN (which you should be using anyway, everywhere, if you don’t want to be tracked).
1 user thanked author for this post.
Do I need to do anything … I take it I won’t need WS placing in front of my username
Alex, don’t do anything for now.
Current plan is when your WS account is merged in here at AW, it’ll automatically be WSA1ex. When that’s happened, you’ll be able to have your 2 AW accounts [A1ex & the new WSA1ex] merged under one username.
That’s the latest plan I know of—but it’s a major task, so may take a while, may need fixing & fine-tuning afterwards, before things become smooth.
Lugh.
~
Alienware Aurora R6; Win10 Home x64 1803; Office 365 x32
i7-7700; GeForce GTX 1060; 16GB DDR4 2400; 1TB SSD, 256GB SSD, 4TB HDViewing 18 reply threads
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