18 replies to this topic

[Budfred]

Please respond to let us know if you find the SWI Community Newsletter to be worthwhile and if you have been reading it. We would like to know if this is worthwhile to continue and we also would like to know what you would like us to address. The second and third questions allow you to answer as many items as you like.

Please add responses to this topic after you vote to let us know what you want to see and what you have found helpful.

Thanks

[Budfred]

Is anyone going to add comments??

If you can't post in this topic for some reason, please either start a new one or add to this one:

http://www.spywarein...howtopic=100779

and let me know that you had a problem... I have heard that at least one person had a problem and I need to find out if it is something wrong with the forum software...

[Wademan]

Hello,
I enjoyed the newsletter! I found Jedi's software reviews very helpful. I downloaded and used several times already SysSpec. Very nice tool, fast download ( 10 seconds for broadband ), and has a lot of useful information. Its similar to Everest but different. I would encourage all who read this to get it and check it out

I would like to ask a question regarding SysSpec if I may. Under "drives" it gives lots of information under "SMART information area. The box below ( at the bottom ) has like 20 items listed. Well under "Pre-fail" I have on one pc 5 items that says in the chart "yes" as a Pre-Fail". Could this mean hard drive is about to fail? I have checked with other SMART software, I see no such "pre-fail" type listings for the hard drive. Just was curious as to how reliable that information is. Thanks!

Oh An Budfred, the first link you give in your very useful post is "non clickable" in the newsletter, at least for me. I had to copy/paste the link for it to work. And I did respound to the poll.
Wademan

Edited by Wademan, 18 July 2007 - 06:49 AM.

[Budfred]

Wademan,

Thanks for letting me know about that link... I am not sure what the problem was, but it seems to be fixed now...

[Wademan]

Budfred,
Yes it works fine now
Wademan

[cnm]

I found quotation marks around the URL and fixed it.

[teacup61]

Is anyone going to add comments??

Sorry Budfred, I did read the newsletter, and the previous 2. I also voted in the poll.

[daveydoom]

I've read them all, I look forward to them and I like Budfred's rants

[Chancellor]

I would echo everyone else's thoughts - I like the newsletters and look forward to reading them

[ipl_001]

Hi Budfred,

Thank you for this newsletter, it's a very good idea and I think I'm going to create one on my forum! ^_^

Your newsletter is not too long and that's just fine! The tone is not too serious so that we can read easily!

I personally think it would be interesting to write some short articles regarding the history of the antimalware community: I know this is not easy to speak about people still on forums like cnm, or Mike, or others, but it is very important that new advisors/helpers know about the organization: different boards, ASAP and UNITE, the men and ladies who built all this and what we owe to them, crisis, attacks, etc. this would explain people they belong to a community that had to work hard and that the danger is still here!
It was not easy to create our community... we must take care of it as we are far stronger then!

Regarding Jedi's section:
- it would be better not to write on programs I already know! I'm kidding!
- very good to speak about handy tools that are not security programs
- Jedi teaches it for security tools, why not cite the name of the authors of the programs he speaks about?
--- the author of Irfanview is Irfan Skiljan from Bosnia
--- there's a forum in English about Irfanview (ok that can be read in the Web page... but the author's name is mandatory)
--- the name of the second tool is System Spec (not SysSpec) and the author is Alex Nolan

Thanks to TheJoker who gave us many good news: it's important to see that we can fight very successfully!

Again, thanks for this newsletter!

~~ edit:
My words might not translate it well (I tease jedi) but I loved all of the sections of the Newsletter. Thanks to Budfred, cnm, jedi and TheJoker!

Edited by ipl_001, 19 July 2007 - 07:28 AM.

[hornet777]

'nuther sterling effort, guys
thanks

[jedi]

Wademan

Well under "Pre-fail" I have on one pc 5 items that says in the chart "yes" as a Pre-Fail". Could this mean hard drive is about to fail? unsure.gif I have checked with other SMART software, I see no such "pre-fail" type listings for the hard drive. Just was curious as to how reliable that information is.

So many values are set differently by different HD maufacturers that SMART info is not sometimes as definative as it was designed to be. Personally I think SysSpec is oversensitive in this respect, and you did the right thing by doublechecking it against others. SysSpec finds several prefails on my (nearly new) HD so I think it can only be used as a guideline in this respect, not an absolute, though in other respects I can't fault it. I do think it's worth running other disk health checks if you're getting prefails though, to be on the safe side.

ipl_001

why not cite the name of the authors of the programs he speaks about?

A very good point, and one that never occurred to me. I will do so in future. And I can stand a little teasing!

[Wademan]

So many values are set differently by different HD maufacturers that SMART info is not sometimes as definative as it was designed to be. Personally I think SysSpec is oversensitive in this respect, and you did the right thing by doublechecking it against others. SysSpec finds several prefails on my (nearly new) HD so I think it can only be used as a guideline in this respect, not an absolute, though in other respects I can't fault it. I do think it's worth running other disk health checks if you're getting prefails though, to be on the safe side

Thank you Jedi,
I have done 5 other SMART tests, all pass. I Even tried 3 Long form hard drive stress tests from the pc manufacturer.
I appreciate your response, and I like SysSpec a lot. It's a keeper.
Wademan

Edited by Wademan, 19 July 2007 - 01:06 PM.

[Fred_Flintstone]

Another good effort from all concerned..

I always look for this newsletter and have read them all, can't fault the format.. it is long enough to be interesting, but not "over the top"..

The mix of content ie: Rant, News, software etc.. is both useful and varied..

Keep up the good work!..

PS:
If there is one "criticism"... it could be in a more prominent place??.. maybe a link in the header along with:

• New here? Read the....
• Help support this site!.....
• Protect yourself.. etc..

..

Thanks to all,
Regards,
Fred.. :zipped:

[Fred_Flintstone]

Just noticed that the link is in the header!!
Was it there all along???? if so..sorry for the "dopey" suggestion to place it there!!..

[Budfred]

Just noticed that the link is in the header!!
Was it there all along???? if so..sorry for the "dopey" suggestion to place it there!!..

That is because I post a notice in the News and Announcements forum and that puts it at the top of the forum... And yes, it has been there since I posted the SWI Community News... Good idea though...

[davidb231]

I would enjoy even more to read Perhaps some additional writers could be enticed. Thanks

[marcmeier]

Hi, Budfred

My apologies for not having voted sooner...

I seem to recall an earlier, similarly-titled poll, that I did vote in, hence my "skipping" this one...

Cheers

[Aegonis]

I like the Newsletter because it's a good way to keep myself up-to-date about spyware-news.
Why wasn't there a August 2007-edition???
I'm looking forward to read the next copy