Sektormedia: Aaron's Brain

ALA At Artomatic

ALA-At-Artomatic
Originally uploaded by Sektormedia.

Here's out postcard for our installation at Artomatic in DC. Woo Hoo!!

Why ThinPrint lost my business from bad customer service

We've been using ThinPrint for a number of years to resolve any terminal services printing issues. It works great and I wanted to give them more money. Unfortunately they apparently hate money as much as they despise their customers. So guess what ThinPrint, good day. I said good day!!!!!

I got my renewal and as we do not use POs or have an account with them I chose to renew via their credit card link, unfortunately we have corporate mastercards and they do not take those. I emailed them and asked how I could renew since they didn't take the only card I had available. They said, no problem, just call our US office and one of our folks there will help you. Unfortunately this is where the customer service nightmare begins, the US office refuses to beleive that this could be possible. They say they don't do anything with the customers, apparently they've seen office space too much and Germany is Milton. She said I should just email my credit card information unsecured to someone in Germany and let them deal with it. Hooray I said, that sounds like a great plan, except where it's not. Germany told me to call you I say, and they tell me that Germany is wrong and I should just do what she says. I get more and more frustrated and try to explain internet security and customer satisfaction but those are apparently not her jobs. Well, Thinprint, guess what? My job is to pay you money and I've decided to not do that either. And in addition my new job is to tell everyone how horrible your customer service is and I will be doing that job.
thanks but no thanks folks, I'll just do without.

Why Wells Fargo Hates their Customers and Money

They apparently do NOT want money anymore as they've driven me to the brink with their stupid $10 charges. All mind you for items that takes no time so should not even cost a loyal customer $.01. But yet it does. Well, I'm just taking my money elsewhere. I've been a long term customer and allowed them to keep and use a fair amount of money but I'll be giving it to someone else now, I'm a customer not a punching bag. When will "old guard" business' wise up and take a cue from companies like Zappos that it's all about the customer. It's called Win-Win, why don't they get it?! sigh. Here's my ugly letter to them.

I am very annoyed in this current economic climate that Wells Fargo feels the need to charge me $10 to overdraft money from one WF account to another WF account. This happens automatically and costs you NO money but yet you continue to charge me. Transferring money myself is free so why is it not based on a trigger? That is just bad business. Also bad business is charging me another $10 for "excess use" on my savings account. My wife and I saved up enough to remodel our house and don't want to keep it in savings and you charge me $10 to use my own money? Since you don't like me withdrawing or using my own money how about I just move my mortgage, my savings, my credit card, and my checking account to another bank if this is how you feel that a longterm and loyal customer is to be treated. Good luck getting a bailout because you will need one once all of your customers leave you because you have insane and predatory business practices that are both poor customer service and bad business. Business can be win-win, you can make money and make me a happy and loyal customer at the same time. Those two ideas ARE NOT mutually exclusive.

Want to search inside PDF on your MOSS Installation?!

It's easy and free. Just follow these steps...

Adobe PDF iFilter 9 for instructions x32 or 64-bit platforms

Download x64 http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=4025

1. Install Adobe PDF iFilter 9 for 64-bit platforms.

2. Verify that PDF has been added to the registry.

a. Run Regedit by browsing to c:\Windows\system32\regedt32.exe and double-clicking it.

b. Within left-side tree, browse to: \\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office Server\12.0\Search\Applications\{site GUID}\Gather\Portal_Content\Extensions\ExtensionList

c. If PDF extension is present, skip to Step 3 . If PDF extension is not present, continue with Step d.

d. Right click on right-side Extension List pane and choose New > String Value

e. Add a name to the new Registry Key (e.g. “38”)

f. Double click the new Registry Key. For “Value data”, enter “pdf”

Note: This can also be achieved via SharePoint Server Search Administration page by adding ‘pdf’ to list of File Types in Search Administration->File Types. This would automatically add an entry for ‘pdf’ filetype as mentioned above in step 1

3. Verify that PDF has the correct settings in a second registry location.

a. While still in Regedit, within the left-side tree, browse to: \\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office Server\12.0\Search\Setup\Filters\.pdf

b. Verify the following values. If values are not as shown, edit them.

i. <REG_SZ> Default = <value not set>

ii. <REG_SZ> Extension = pdf

iii. <REG_DWORD> FileTypeBucket = 1

iv. <REG_SZ> MimeTypes = application/pdf

4. Verify that PDF has the correct settings in a third registry location.

a. While still in RegEdit, within the left-side tree, browse to: \\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office Server\12.0\Search\Setup\ContentIndexCommon\Filters\Extension\.pdf

b. Verify the following values. If values are not as shown, edit them.

i. <REG_MULTI_SZ> Default = {E8978DA6-047F-4E3D-9C78-CDBE46041603}

Adobe forgot this too:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Web Server                          

Extensions\12.0\Search\Setup\ContentIndexCommon\Filters\Extension\.pdf

Default --> {E8978DA6-047F-4E3D-9C78-CDBE46041603} only have to change the sid

5. Verify that pdf.gif is present at the following location:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE\IMAGES

**my installation never installed the pdf.gif icon, I used mine from ifilter 6 installation

6. Add an entry in docicon.xml for the pdf icon:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\12\TEMPLATE\XML

<Mapping Key="pdf" Value=".gif"/> -adobe forgot to add the “/” took me two days to figure it out!!

Note: Step 4 & 5 are done in order to have the pdf icon in SharePoint while it displays the search results.

7. Restart all SharePoint services as well as IIS.

a. Launch the DOS Shell (Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt).

b. Type the following at the prompt: “net stop osearch”. Wait for success message.

c. Type the following at the prompt: “net start osearch”. Wait for success message.

d. Type the following at the prompt: “iisreset”. Wait for success message.

When Exchange Gives you Crap, Make some Crapinade

So exchange somehow got the circular logging switch flipped to off which doesn't do us any good since DPM doesn't truncate it. So we ended up with a giant crap being taken upon us. I was able to clear out the old logs to another folder and fix it up after a few hours and a lot of pain. But it also threw a bunch of other stuff out of whack. Including all of the OWA and supported IIS sites. Short of finally blowing it away I finally got it all in order. Below are some sites that greatly helped...

Exchange ActiveSync and Outlook Mobile Access errors occur when SSL or forms-based authentication is required for Exchange Server 2003

 

Error messages when you try to synchronize a Windows Mobile 5.0-based mobile device to Exchange Server 2003 on a Windows SBS 2003-based computer

How to configure RPC over HTTP in Exchange Server 2003

How can I configure RPC over HTTP/S on Exchange 2003 (single server scenario)?

 

Broken Spoke Like You've Never Seen it Before

Broken Spoke
Originally uploaded by Stuck in Customs.

Local Austinite Trey Ratcliff, aka Stuck in Customs, took this photo. His work is amazing and this is just another great example. If you don't follow his stuff you should. In addition to Flickr his website is www.stuckincustoms.com and he is @treyratcliff on Twitter

Inbox Zero Merit Badge

 

Awesome new nerd merit badge, Inbox Zero!! Sweet.

I'm going to go work on earning it right now.

10 Easy Steps To Advanced Photography Skills

10 Easy Steps To Advanced Photography Skills | How-To | Smashing Magazine.

By Trey Ratcliff [ed note: and Austinite!] (aka Stuck in Customs), one of the most famous and renowned HDR photographers on Flickr. In his article Trey describes some professional insights and useful photography tips that he collected over the years of his career.

Sold and Sold!!

SoldSign
Originally uploaded by Sektormedia.

And I mean sold.

Saint Arnold Brewhouse Blog: Saint Arnold Austin Scavenger Hunt Pub Crawl

Watch the video that we have posted in a few places (in case you have difficulty viewing the one at the bottom of this post). The video will show specific objects with which you need to take a picture of yourself (i.e., have both you and the object in the same photo). All of the objects are in Central Austin and in establishments where you can find good beer, and enjoying a Saint Arnold while on your quest may bring you enlightenment!

Sweet, we did this today and found all six places quite easily. Had a beer in a few of them and shared some good times and stories. Can't wait for the party itself. We saw quite a few folks along the way doing the same as we were, so we assume it'll be a good party.

Saint Arnold Brewhouse Blog: Saint Arnold Austin Scavenger Hunt Pub Crawl.

Awesome Guitar Store

Guitar Store
Originally uploaded by hey mr glen.

It was a Damn Good Red Drink!!

From A Tribute to Fallen Soda

OK Soda Manifesto

1. What’s the point ok OK? Well, what’s the point of anything?
2. OK Soda emphatically rejects anything that is not OK, and fully supports anything that is.
3. The better you understand something, the more OK it turns out to be.
4. OK Soda says, “Don’t be fooled into thinking there has to be a reason for everything.”
5. OK Soda reveals the surprising truth about people and situations.
6. OK Soda does not subscribe to any religion, or endorse any political party, or do anything other than feel OK.
7. There is no real secret to feeling OK.
8. OK Soda may be the preferred drink of other people such as yourself.
9. Never underestimate the remarkable abilities of “OK” brand soda. 10. Please wake up every morning knowing that things are going to be OK.

100 Beautiful Free Textures

100 Beautiful Free Textures

22 Most Used Free Fonts By Professional Designers

22 Most Used Free Fonts By Professional Designers

How to Suck at Information Security

SANS Internet Storm Center; Cooperative Network Security Community - Internet Security - isc.

The following list presents common information security mistakes and misconceptions, so you can avoid making them.