Hello, this is Yu. Sorry for not posting for a while, I took a retreat as a short-time Buddhist monastic, to contemplate the meaning of life and my place in the world. Thankfully Stephen was manning the store while I was away. So let’s get on with business.
FOSS stands for free and open source software. Most computer applications that people pay good money for have a FOSS equivalent, and a good example is OpenOffice.org which is the FOSS equivalent of Microsoft Office. The benefit of using FOSS is that if you don’t have much money to pay for expensive software like Microsoft Office, you can use similarly functional software without compromising your bank account and your moral integrity.
FOSS fits the philosophy of practicing Buddhists, those who take at least the five precepts, and one of which is the vow not to steal. Many people do not realize it, but using software without paying for it is theft. It’s a serious offense, such that for example an ordained monastic who takes the full 10 precepts and Vinaya vows could be forced to disrobe for breaking the vow of not to steal.
Please post comments what kind of software do you use and would like to know if a FOSS equivalent is available. We can help you search for free software, and help you transition to using FOSS with online and in person training.
-Yu
Here’s an article from Infoworld about dirty IT jobs. I’ve been lucky so far; crossing fingers. 
A link to an Ars Technica article on Microsoft Security Essential, free anti-virus software. The article is 6 month old, but still worth the read. Users who don’t want to pay $50 for anti-virus software should consider installing MSE.
Happy pi day (3.14) today on March 14. For fun, can anyone produce an algorithm in any programming language to determine pi to within a second (month.day hour minute second)? First person to post with the correct answer gets a “geek-ki” t-shirt and treat I’ll bring back from Japan.
Part of our computer literacy program is to teach you at least one computer programming language, and I believe python is a good one to learn. It is simple, yet powerful, and available on any operating system. Kids will get the most benefits because they can also learn to program python for math and science!
By the way, you get the other geeky humor today? Pi, python, py?
Once a while, I want to post something that is not directly related to business or technology, and more on the funny side.
Take the geek test! Got it on reddit.
It thinks I’m a major geek with a score of 40%. A score of 65% or above makes one a geek god, and 75% or above means a person is dysfunctionally geek!
What’s your score?
Update: Don’t let your geek bubble get popped. My take is that anyone can be a geek, not just in the narrow computer sense, but as someone who is passionate about learning a subject that they lose track of time and personal hygiene in such pursuit!
link
“If you’ve purchased a security suite or anti-malware tool to clean up problems on your computer, you can reasonably expect the product to do that job. If self-defending malware interferes with installation or prevents the product from running its anti-malware scan you can reasonably expect the vendor to help you with the problem. And if they just can’t get the product installed, you can reasonably expect your money back. What isn’t remotely reasonable is the idea that you should pay big bucks for the privilege of installing the program you’ve already bought.”
Norton / Symantec technical support tries to convert callers to purchase more expensive solutions, while McAfee provides quality technical support without hassle.
Online Pricing:
Norton Internet Security 2010 MSRP $69.99, and $39.99 after mail-in rebate.
McAfee Total Protection 2010 MSRP $79.99, and $49.99 after mail-in rebate.
It started with a casual conversation with my friend Stephen, while we were at Free Geek on a Wednesday afternoon. I just finished teaching a New to Ubuntu class, and he was just hanging out in the lounge. In the middle of our conversation, I asked Stephen if he would do tech support work for me, if I did the marketing and found the customers. He thought about it and said yes, and so our partnership was formed.
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