velma

Hey Sheepdog,

 

I slightly edited your post.. WOW! I agree with your highly efficient method of punishment

 

I am really not surprised that no one opened this topic, I think people are still wondering what the heck is going on.. The whole incident was a gigantic mess further messed up by media and idiotic conspiracy theories.

 

What angers me mostly is that ever since 9/11 , almost all forms of terrorism are automatically assumed to be of religious motive. Including the Boston Bombing, the media is even more infuriating.. They mucked up the entire thing from start to end by relying on an online community (Reddit) for facts.. Every one currently is on the "Religious Motive" Bandwagon based on speculations.

 

Remember how the race for being "best news company" resulted in two innocent men getting them & their family dragged through muck (Sunil Tripathi & Mike Mulugeta) . I don't think any of these news sites have even apologized for their false facts. Sunil Tripathi was missing way before the incident and some idiot thought he heard the name MIke Mulugeta on a police scanner.

 

Terrorism comes in all forms and sizes, National & International. Has everyone already forgotten that Sandy Hook (Newton) , Sikh Temple (Wisconsin) , Dark Knight Movie(Aurora) & Columbine were all victims of violence at the hands of "American" men? I assume, all of them were Christians, but none was accused of doing it for religious motives.

 

Before 9 / 11 we had psychotic serial killers like Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy & the Unabomber who were sons of the soil.

 

We were happy to accept that all these people were cracked in the head, had a distorted mind or had severe stress and mental illnesses. Which is the point, anyone who thinks violence is an answer is a terrorist, and all terrorists are mentally damaged.Our fight is against terrorism, people who believe that violence can solve problems, who believe that lies and fear are the only way to control people

 

It is high time we stop following the flock mentality accepting all the rubbish media and our government dish out. The justice system has to be harder on anyone who feels violence resolves. Motives should not be considered and punishments should be solely based on their actions. The government has to do better in not only punishing but HELPING / PREVENTING these things.

 

Take a look at how the judicial system lacks, Jodi Arias... My God! That woman violently killed an innocent man and our justice system allows her to LIE UNDER OATH... Weren't the laws supposed to protect the weak and not enable the wicked?

 

Sorry, if this turned into a rant but these things somehow always get under my skin

today smartphones aren't just for calling and texting... people reside to their mobile as a companion, i see great growth in people today spending more time staring down their mobile phone screen then actually interacting directly with others

 

Oh come now, you remember those really funky phones from the past, Sidekick Lx 2009 from T mobile, the sony walkman phone with a swivel screen. BlackBerry Torch 9810 was a nice design too... Besides, smartphones are highly over rated, reminds me of my old discman

 

That's why I bought a old-blackberry-like phone, with real buttons for text typing purposes. Leaves a rather small dislay, of course, but it's enough for phone calls and SMS jobs.

 

I have a really old Nokia phone, I still use that phone up to this day , the polyphonic tones still fascinate me. I have a habit of writing articles for my own website while traveling to & fro work and for this I need physical buttons so that I maintain speed without having to look at the screen (maintaining correct posture is necessary or my back ache gets real bad). The huawei phone comes in handy at these times, I cannot hold the tablet in both hands so I hold the tablet in one hand while typing with the other (80's Keytar style).

Firstly, on a personal note, it took great self-restraint when writing this topic. Every time I try to write about them, it turns into a very vitriolic rant... This topic is to explain who they are based on what I know / have read about them.

 

What is Westboro Baptist Church?

Thus, please remember that this is a topic where you share your knowledge about them, this is not a topic for ranting. If you wish to rant about this group, do open a topic in the vent section so that I too may join in 

 

Westboro's leader - Fred Phelps

 

In 1954, A church in Topeka, Kansas called East Side Baptish Church hired Fred Phelps, he was the associate pastor. In 1955 , the East Side Baptist Church decided to expand by introducing a new branch called Westboro Baptist Church. They wanted Fred Phelps to be the pastor of the newly created branch, once Phelps was appointed to pastor, he broke all connections with the East Side Baptist and took complete charge over the Westboro Baptist Church.

 

Before he was permanently disbarred from practicing law in 1989 , Phelps along with leading the church started his own law firm called "Phelps Chartered Law Firm". His initial career as a lawyer involved suing people to earn through settlement fees (settlement is when the two parties "settle" on an agreed sum of money in order to keep the case from going to court).

 

Later on, his law firm focused on representing the non-white population in cases of racial discrimination now focusing on "civil rights". Many argue especially his estranged son Nathan Phelps,  that this was another method for the firm & church to earn money.

 

In 1989 , Fred Phelps agreed to permanently stop practicing law on the condition that his family is allowed to practice. Since then, his daughter Shirley has taken primary responsibility of the law firm, she would later on be the church's main spokesperson and representative.

 

His first attempt at politics (running for governor of Kansas - 1991) is an utter failure, what stands out the most is that his campaign solely focused on spreading negatory remarks about competitors and other politicians through flyers.

 

Westboro's Humble Beginnings - 1991

 

Now, you can see that since its first meeting in 1955 upto 1991 , Fred Phelps & The Westboro Baptist Church were not widely known for having anti-gay feelings. But suddenly, in 1991 , Westboro Baptist Church members started what they called "Great Gage Decency Drive" where they'd go down to Gage Park in Topeka to convince people about how wrong & dangerous being homosexual is (Hell, AIDS & all that jazz).

 

Westboro's descent into inhumanity

After having introduced themselves and their intentions to the world, The Westboro Baptist Church now began their onslaught with a single belief "God hates f*gs and that they all deserve to die" . They had proudly started picketing funerals with rude signs.

 

The world knew where the church stood after they infamously picketed the funeral of Matthew Shephard, a 21 year old homosexual college student who had been tortured and murdered.

 

Westboro's fight : The Evolution of their beliefs

 

By this point, only the Westboro Baptist Church knew what they believed in because the world sure did not understand. They had started picketing funerals of anyone they deemed were "sinners" & "f*gs" . The list included fallen soldiers, jews, non-whites, mormons,  victims of violence and so on.  Their explanation to each picket was "No glory given to God , they enable f*gs, and are sinners"

 

Funerals they have picketed include Steve Jobs, Matthew Shephard, and Twitter HQ are just a few examples not to mention the several funerals of fallen soldiers, including Sterling Wyatt, Donna Johnson, and Nicholas O'Brien.

 

They take especial pride in the death of soldiers and victims of violence (Sandy Hook , Aurora shooting, and Boston bombing) because they feel the deceased "deserve" this punishment and in a way God removed the enablers.

 

Westboro's supposed beliefs

 

Fred Phelps has said himself that they are "Old School Baptist Church" where basically, if the bible says no, it means no. If you say otherwise, you deserve to die and are prone to go to hell.

 

They are also supposedly followers of Calvinism which states 5 core points :-

 

Total Depravity
Unconditional Election
Limited Atonement
Irresistible Grace
Perseverance of the Saints

It is argued that these 5 points do not exist in the Bible. The 5 points explain that man has sin present in every part of his body, sin that has been inherited directly from Adam (Total Depravity) . It then goes onto say that Jesus Christ did not die for every believer but died for only a select few, bearing the sin only for the elect (Unconditional Election) , Next comes Irresistible Grace wherein the elect achieve salvation whether they wish to or not, basically when God comes down to save you, you cannot resist being saved (Irresistible Grace). Finally. Once you are saved by Jesus Christ, you can never be lost.


The Westboro Baptist Church basically interpret these 5 as "We are the chosen ones, we are exempt from hell since we follow Jesus Christ and are the true believers unlike the other fake sinners. "

In simple terms, anyone who is not a member of Westboro Baptist Church is a sinner doomed to hell since they are :-
 

Not Christian.
Not Christian enough (Indulge in premarital sex, divorce, homosexuality, transgender qualities, bisexuality, adultery, anal sex , children out of wedlock and so on).
Not a part of Westboro Baptist Church.


Westboro v/s the Public


In the initial years, the public reacted (justifiably) angrily towards the picketing done by the church. It is common for Church members to yell at people walking by, in hopes of provoking them. They were often successful resulting in verbal altercations. In one incident however, Benjamin, the Phelps grandson spat at a passerby.


Using these altercations to their benefit, The Phelps family would sue anyone who objected to their picketing. If you fought / assaulted a WBC member for ruining a loved one's funeral, they would sue you. They attempted to sue the city of Topeka for $1 million because they were not kept safe during pickets.

After years of trying to fight fire with fire, the public has come to realize that it was pointless fighting against the Westboro Baptist Church and started using their appearances for much better causes.

 

Jason Connell raised a lot of money for organizations that Westboro Baptist Church objects to (LGBT , AIDS & so on)
 
Comedian Lisa Lampanelli donated $50,000 to a Gay Charity in the name of the church (She had earlier revealed that she would be donating $1000 for every member of WBC that showed up to protest her appearance)

 
Petition signed by 357,950 people to legally recognize the church as a hate group.

 
The creation of the "Patriot Guard Riders" , A motorcycle club whose members protect funerals from WBC. They stand forming a human chain often holding flags and sing patriotic songs if Church members try to shout / chant any obscenities.
 
Efforts by online communities result in people getting together to form Human chains wherever the church decides to picket, this has resulted in the Westboro Baptist Church avoiding picketing (Roger Ebert's Funeral, Funeral of Aaron Swartz, Newton, Aurora , & Boston)

 
Hacktivist group Anonymous waged war in January 2013 after the WBC brazenly announced via Twitter that they would picket Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Angered by this announcement, Anonymous hacked into their website, published online, member personal information including name, address, phone numbers and social security number. Other acts included hacking into twitter accounts, revealing the hotels where members would be staying while in Connecticut, and hacking the Church's office Facebook Page.


The facebook page is still being controlled by Anonymous who have been posting humorous  images and posts that are completely opposite of what the Westboro Baptist Church preaches.


Westboro's Current Status


It has always been speculated that the church is comprised of mainly the Phelps family and their extended family, the size is not larger than 100 (some say 40).. Many of the main family members have realized the true nature of the group and have left it since. They have failed to appear at many locations despite announcing pickets via social networks.




**Personal Comment :- If you want to have a good laugh at their unconventional ways, do watch the documentaries by Louis Theroux, you'll cringe in sheer embarrassment every time they open their mouth**

http://youtu.be/rjmg69XmJp8

If you read this, you are a champ, If you open a rant in the vent with good fodder, I will buy you a beer.

I love upgrades.. The upgrade process leaves you weeping tears of blood BUT it also means "NEW APPS" .. Here are some I would like to suggest :-

 

EMBED SOUNDCLOUD LINKS / PLAYER IN YOUR POSTS

http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

 

Pro - Members would not have to rely on Youtube every time they want to share their favorite song, this app would allow members to share soundcloud links

 

Con - The player seems to be the Flash version and not the html5 version

 

ARTICLE BBCODE

 

http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

 

Unfortunately, I am not sure whether it does any cosmetic magic to the text itself but supposedly makes it way more attractive to SEO engines. If you put your text within the <article> tags, it is given more importance than the text NOT in the article.. I like the sound of this since Tutorials and such can be specifically highlighted.

 

POLL BLOCK ON HOME PAGE

 

http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

 

Now, this is definitely a really fun app. Admin has to select the forum where polls are to be pulled from. Then it does the magic..

 

NEWS FEED BLOCK

 

http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

 

This could be a solution to members complaining about lack of activity. The app creates a section where it shows a feed from the forum you specify (I am hoping it can pull topics from external forums like Xisto) . It is linkable so members can directly jump to the topic... I have always wanted members from both forums to mingle, get to know each other.. This could help.

 

ALTERNATIVE SHOUTBOX (Free)

 

http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

 

** WELCOME MESSAGE FOR NEW MEMBERS **

 

http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

 

Oooh, it allows welcome email , pm , introduction & profile message.. The welcome pm allows html which gives us the option of creating a pretty illustrative welcome explaining the forums, rules and how to earn mycent.

 

CONTACT FORM

 

http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

 

Members now can contact a staff member through topic, message and email . A menu link called "Contact Us" takes a member to a form which they can fill and submit..

 

TAPATALK

 

http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

 

Makes it easier for mobile users to use our forums.

 

 

Anyone else have any suggestions?

Ha ha ha, since you are such a fan of Salman Khan, I should perhaps take you out for some movies

Honestly, I miss all the old phones I grew up using. All the "smartphones" look the same and lack a spark... I am a small person so all smart phones end up feeling really clunky... I have a Galaxy Tab 2 & a Huawei chat u8300 , despite the performance difference, I prefer the Chat u8300 purely because it is comfortable.

 

It is unfortunate that Blackberry had to jump onto the touch screen band wagon, I too agree about the lack of physical buttons, My partner used to have a blackberry, my entire user experience was based on how perfect the keypad was. I for one cannot wait for a change in mobile touch pads, qwerty is not really efficient.

 

Overall, the design , interface and usability of the Z10 is not really impressive.. It comes off as just another by product of the mobile mill.

Hi edrink,

 

Your suggestion is not a bad one but you might understand the amount of work it is required to manage forums especially in context to your request.

 

We welcome members like you who are willing to help make the forums a much better place. If you find a topic that either needs to be moved to a new section or you feel it has to be closed, Please REPORT the topic and give us your reasons.

Aaaaargh! What does that mean? I cannot edit boot.ini any more?

 

Yes, it shattered my hopes and dreams too Yordan But like I said, Windows 7 does not have the boot.ini file that Windows XP & older does. Instead you can edit your boot options using BCDedit (Run CMD as administrator, type bcdedit to see your current boot options.

 

To see everything that you can do with your boot, type bcdedit /? TOPICS

 

I remember tweaking my boot into oblivion so it is really recommended that you do this only with a machine that is willing to be bricked...

 

Your computer is made up of several important parts, one of them being your hard disk. The hard disk is the device where all your files are methodically stored so that it can be fetched quickly & easily whenever you need it.

 

It also stores your "Operating System" ; Windows 7 , Windows XP , Windows 95 - 98 , Ubuntu, Linux Mint, OS X , Solaris and so on are all Operating Systems. Operating Systems help you manage your computer's resources and mainly help you use your computer. Imagine using Xisto without all those buttons and options **phew**

 

Your hard disk however does not merely store your data, it also stores information about your data, software you add(install) , little tid bits that help the software work… many many things are stored onto your hard disk to make sure your experience is as great as it can be.

 

As your hard disk ages without regular maintenance, you might face any 1 of many problems including :-

Infections in your computer that affect performance, memory & security.

Your machine feels sluggish and difficult to use.

Unnecessary tid bits , records are lying around cluttering up space and other resources

So, users often format their computers regularly to "wipe the slate clean" so to speak.

 

What is formatting?

 

Remember how I said your files are stored methodically? Hard disks don't automatically know how to do this. Formatting is the process where your hard disk is first wiped clean of all previous records. Wiped clean = all data on it is deleted and once completed , a "file system" (the structure that will help your computer store files properly / organized) is added.

 

Now, your hard disk is ready for use where you can add the operating system of your choice.

 

STEP 1 :- GETTING STARTED - KNOW YOUR COMPUTER

 

Software that will help you with this

Ccleaner

Speccy

-- Catalogue / List all the programs you have installed on your computer --

List of Software.

List of passwords.

Browser History (optional)

List of hardware components on your computer.

- Getting a list of Software

 

-- The painful part of formatting your computer is setting up your computer to its old working state. Without a list, you are looking at a very painstaking process because you are left wondering which software you have with you or software that you would still like to use. I usually end up discarding 5-15 applications during this process, things I add which I would have forgotten to remove or postponed the uninstallation.

 

- How to get a List of software added by you

-- We will be using a software called Ccleaner, the download link has been given above (To those unsure on how to install, Click No to any downloads / free toolbars.. Click Next for everything else)

 

-- After installation, run the program by double clicking the program icon. Navigate to the Tools -> Uninstall Section . Here , you will find all the software you have installed on your computer.

 

Through windows you would Start -> Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs (Uninstall a Program for Windows 7)

 

- List of saved Passwords

 

-- If you have a habit of using the "save Password" "Remember Password" feature of your browsers (Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, Maxthon, Opera, Safari & so on) . Here are a few softwares that can help you export your stored passwords

 

Firefox - Password Exporter

Multi Browser Support(Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, and Opera.)

- WebBrowserPassView

 

Optionally you can also save your history in case there are links you need. BrowsingHistoryView (Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer & Safari)

 

 

- List of hardware components & their drivers

 

-- Like your hard disk, your other components also require some help in order to function properly. These programs are called "drivers" they help operate your all hardware including your mouse, keyboard, motherboard and so on.

 

-- It is always recommended that you directly download these drivers from the maker's website since the driver version on your CD would probably be outdated. Also, download before the format in case your internet does not work after the formatting (It usually does not since the "Network drivers" are missing)

 

-- To get your computer's complete system information, we are going to use "Speccy" . There is another one called Belarc Advisor but I prefer Speccy since it is pretty easy to understand

 

-- Install and run the software, note down the Motherboard, Graphics & Audio model names / numbers. Graphics & Audio model name / numbers show only if you have an external card installed. Most commonly, if you search this number in google with the word driver, you will get links from where you can download these drivers. Something like "XYZ Model Number 2343453 driver"

 

STEP 2 :- BACKING UP YOUR FILES

 

Firstly, let us remember that the C drive on Windows is only for Windows and not for data storage, if you have so far been using it for storing data, make sure to not use it for storing software, files and so on. If you are using programs like Photoshop, your brushes and so on will have to be copied by you.

 

Personally, I back up my files by hand picking the files I need to make sure I copy only the files I recognize. Ccleaner has a duplicate file finder in case you want to make sure your computer is not filled with copies of the same stuff

 

For those looking for a quick and automated back up process, you can do it using AOMEI DATA BACKUPPER . It allows you to backup either the complete hard disk or simply the partitions that need backing up. I like this tool because it offers Incremental backups and restoration options.

 

STEP 3 :- FORMATING THE HARD DISK

 

When upgrading to Windows 7 , you need to remember that your previous version of Windows is stored in a folder of its own. It might be useful to others but I find this to be pointless, I prefer having everything erased off the hard disk before installing a new operating system on it. With older versions of Windows, you can format the hard disk

 

OR

 

You can use DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke) . DBAN wil delete EVERYTHING from your Hard Disk for good. You need to first download the software and then add (burn) it onto a CD using CDBurnerXP . Please use only CDBurnerXP since the developer of DBAN has recommended this.

 

STEP 4 :- POP IN YOUR WINDOWS CD AND TWIDDLE THUMBS UNTIL DONE

 

STEP 5 :- REINSTALL DRIVERS , SOFTWARES AND BACKUPS

 

I wrote this article for those attempting their first format I tried as much as I could to keep it as novice friendly as I could.. If you have questions, shoot away

 

Source:- http://forums.xisto.com/topic/78826-quick-guide-to-formatting-your-pc/

'>http://forums.xisto.com/topic/78826-quick-guide-to-formatting-your-pc/

 

I did well on my exams and all I got was a congrats. I cannot believe his reasoning behind that behavior was "he did well on his exams". I don't care what the kid accomplished there was no excuse for that.

 

 

 

Seems to have been some incorrect reporting on my part. It seems that the kid got the joyride because it was HIS BIRTHDAY .

My first "One click installer" was Fantastico but I grew disappointed and disillusioned after realizing how most of the softwares they deploy are outdated versions.

 

In any case, I don't use Installers. I like to manually install my applications. xisto has both Softaculous and Installatron. Installatron lets you backup and restore your installed program, it also lets you update the installed applications through your Cpanel which is pretty helpful for beginners.

I am surprised to not see Photoscape in this list. I think it is one of those surprisingly good editing softwares. Plenty of features and very easy to use.

 

I do a lot of work in Photoshop so I end up editing most of my pictures through Photoshop. But I often use Photoscape to edit bunches of images

 

You can download it from here

Your computer is made up of several important parts, one of them being your hard disk. The hard disk is the device where all your files are methodically stored so that it can be fetched quickly & easily whenever you need it.

 

It also stores your "Operating System" ; Windows 7 , Windows XP , Windows 95 - 98 , Ubuntu, Linux Mint, OS X , Solaris and so on are all Operating Systems. Operating Systems help you manage your computer's resources and mainly help you use your computer. Imagine using Xisto without all those buttons and options **phew**

 

Your hard disk however does not merely store your data, it also stores information about your data, software you add(install) , little tid bits that help the software work… many many things are stored onto your hard disk to make sure your experience is as great as it can be.

 

As your hard disk ages without regular maintenance, you might face any 1 of many problems including :-

 

• 
  

Infections in your computer that affect performance, memory & security.
Your machine feels sluggish and difficult to use.
Unnecessary tid bits , records are lying around cluttering up space and other resources

So, users often format their computers regularly to "wipe the slate clean" so to speak.

 

What is formatting?

 

Remember how I said your files are stored methodically? Hard disks don't automatically know how to do this. Formatting is the process where your hard disk is first wiped clean of all previous records. Wiped clean = all data on it is deleted and once completed , a "file system" (the structure that will help your computer store files properly / organized) is added.

 

Now, your hard disk is ready for use where you can add the operating system of your choice.

 

STEP 1 :- GETTING STARTED - KNOW YOUR COMPUTER

 

Software that will help you with this

• 
  

Ccleaner
Speccy

 

-- Catalogue / List all the programs you have installed on your computer --

• 
  
• List of Software.
  
• List of passwords.
  
• Browser History (optional)
  
• List of hardware components on your computer.
  

 

- Getting a list of Software

-- The painful part of formatting your computer is setting up your computer to its old working state. Without a list, you are looking at a very painstaking process because you are left wondering which software you have with you or software that you would still like to use. I usually end up discarding 5-15 applications during this process, things I add which I would have forgotten to remove or postponed the uninstallation.

- How to get a List of software added by you

-- We will be using a software called Ccleaner, the download link has been given above (To those unsure on how to install, Click No to any downloads / free toolbars.. Click Next for everything else)

 

-- After installation, run the program by double clicking the program icon. Navigate to the Tools -> Uninstall Section . Here , you will find all the software you have installed on your computer.

 

Through windows you would Start -> Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs (Uninstall a Program for Windows 7)

 

- List of saved Passwords

 

-- If you have a habit of using the "save Password" "Remember Password" feature of your browsers (Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, Maxthon, Opera, Safari & so on) . Here are a few softwares that can help you export your stored passwords

 

Firefox - Password Exporter

Multi Browser Support(Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, and Opera.)

- WebBrowserPassView

 

Optionally you can also save your history in case there are links you need. BrowsingHistoryView (Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer & Safari)

- List of hardware components & their drivers

 

-- Like your hard disk, your other components also require some help in order to function properly. These programs are called "drivers" they help operate your all hardware including your mouse, keyboard, motherboard and so on.

 

-- It is always recommended that you directly download these drivers from the maker's website since the driver version on your CD would probably be outdated. Also, download before the format in case your internet does not work after the formatting (It usually does not since the "Network drivers" are missing)

 

-- To get your computer's complete system information, we are going to use "Speccy" . There is another one called Belarc Advisor but I prefer Speccy since it is pretty easy to understand

 

-- Install and run the software, note down the Motherboard, Graphics & Audio model names / numbers. Graphics & Audio model name / numbers show only if you have an external card installed. Most commonly, if you search this number in google with the word driver, you will get links from where you can download these drivers. Something like "XYZ Model Number 2343453 driver"

 

STEP 2 :- BACKING UP YOUR FILES

 

Firstly, let us remember that the C drive on Windows is only for Windows and not for data storage, if you have so far been using it for storing data, make sure to not use it for storing software, files and so on. If you are using programs like Photoshop, your brushes and so on will have to be copied by you.

 

Personally, I back up my files by hand picking the files I need to make sure I copy only the files I recognize. Ccleaner has a duplicate file finder in case you want to make sure your computer is not filled with copies of the same stuff

 

For those looking for a quick and automated back up process, you can do it using AOMEI DATA BACKUPPER . It allows you to backup either the complete hard disk or simply the partitions that need backing up. I like this tool because it offers Incremental backups and restoration options.

 

STEP 3 :- FORMATING THE HARD DISK

 

When upgrading to Windows 7 , you need to remember that your previous version of Windows is stored in a folder of its own. It might be useful to others but I find this to be pointless, I prefer having everything erased off the hard disk before installing a new operating system on it. With older versions of Windows, you can format the hard disk

 

OR

 

You can use DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke) . DBAN wil delete EVERYTHING from your Hard Disk for good. You need to first download the software and then add (burn) it onto a CD using CDBurnerXP . Please use only CDBurnerXP since the developer of DBAN has recommended this.

 

STEP 4 :- POP IN YOUR WINDOWS CD AND TWIDDLE THUMBS UNTIL DONE

 

STEP 5 :- REINSTALL DRIVERS , SOFTWARES AND BACKUPS

 

I wrote this article for those attempting their first format I tried as much as I could to keep it as novice friendly as I could.. If you have questions, shoot away

An update :- The father was arrested for letting the 9 year old drive with his 5 year old, BUT as usual, the law being flawed and all, they could not detain him for long instead letting him go after paying bail and some additional penalties on behalf of the kids..The father was quoted on saying that the joy ride was a prize for doing well in his exams, that he was sure that no accident would occur since the road was a private one...How stupid can one get?Honestly, I get really confused when I see such things happening, because on one hand, all parents have a level of understanding about their children and a level of trust... It was highly stupid of the parent to leave the boy alone in the car, however, on the other hand, you are looking at incorrect teaching because now the kid is left feeling entitled to such joy rides for every time he did good.As a kid, doing good at something meant a jump in the neighbor's pool or a popsicle... My parents have never let me drive the family cars despite having a license and being decades older than the first time I asked.The father obviously thought it was ok because the road was empty but what happens if the boy lost control due to some other idiot on a joyride? No seat belts, no adult to handle an emergency... Really sad because the boy is either going to grow up disregarding traffic rules or hopefully understand and follow them better.

I recently had the privilege of formatting 3 machines at my home and my parents' . I like to format my machine now and then but the family decided to upgrade their Operating Systems from the old Windows XP Professional to Windows 7

 

But, being family, they decided to get some hack to try reloading the OS first rather than wait for me :/ Well, he managed to install Windows 7 , but the boot menu had a little more to say.. There was a broken Windows XP Setup and good old "EARLIER VERSION OF WINDOWS"

 

This means that he took the shortcut method of letting Windows 7 manage things rather than format the HDD. So what happens is, that every time I boot the machine, Instead of automatically loading Windows 7 , it shows me1. Earlier Version of Windows

2. Windows Professional XP Setup

3. Windows 7

 

Now, of course, we want Windows 7 to load automatically instead of seeing the Boot Menu each time. In my scenario, I used Command Prompt (bcdedit) to remove the entries but I don't recommend this to regular / novice users.

 

The easiest method to configure startup and edit the boot.ini in a Windows 7 machine (Remember, windows 7 does not have a boot.ini, only XP and older have it, Windows 7 instead has bootmhgr.dll) is through a software called EasyBCD

 

I wish I had screenshots

 

You can download the free version of EasyBCD from their website by entering your name and email address - here

 

When you run the software, it shows you information about your current boot menu. To remove entries for Windows XP (edit boot.ini) , you need to click Tools -> Edit Legacy Entries . Remove all the lines mentioning XP and save!

 

Once you reboot, you will not be plagued by the boot Menu options.

 

This software is really multi purpose, it will let you add / delete addtional Operating Systems to your Boot options, prioritize them so that you can directly load one OS instead of having to select it each time on boot. Definitely deserves 5 stars

 

A day or two ago, our forums were upgraded

I am yet to get complete information on what exactly has been changed but just to confirm, the upgrade as usual will not affect your account here or the MyCENTS you earn from your posts.

With every upgrade comes the random bug here and there, everyone is working on it including OpaQue and the Xisto - Support team. But if you come across any bugs, please send an email :-

help (at) xisto (dot) com

1. A screenshot of the error

2. The link where you are seeing the error

MODULES THAT HAVE TO BE RECONFIGURED / TWEAKED

1. Shoutbox

2. BBCODES

3. Gallery / IMAGE GALLERY

 

 

Awwww, some one misses mods :)Well, to answer your question comp , you get the xisto email after you have earned a full dollar. The script is run regularly but I should let you know, the Answers section is a no mycent area, any posts made there will earn you nothing. Once a topic is moved from that area to another, you will earn money accordingly.I was away for quite a while traveling but it seems that I won't be going anywhere for a while, should not take long to get things back to normal or even better here

To get the forum to great heights just follow one simple tactic - Allow the users to transfer MyCents to PayPal and there you go .

I for one disagree with this tactic purely because we would be selling the principle of community and allowing "opportunistic" members to simply post and scoot off..

I mean, think about it.. The forums were created for people to share knowledge amongst themselves, OpaQue decided to reward members with Mycent because someone would take out their time to help a total stranger.. But if you involve money, it increases the chances of people just posting for the heck of it, pretty selfish and not really helpful to a community

Xisto was always about members coming to a place where they could share their opinions and help others.. Let's keep it the same, shall we?

However, OpaQue is currently scheming other ways for members to earn cold cash He has two ideas actually, one is based on a referral program with his twist of course.. The other lets members earn MyCents through reviews...

So, members can earn both mycent and real money for their efforts... But, we need to wait a weee bit longer.. OpaQue is still smoothing out the kinks.

What a sweet story Sheep

But there always comes a tipping point. Some little something that makes you change your mind. After I first couple dates, I really kept him off at arms length. I had just gotten out of one really bad relationship and was in no way ready to jump back in the fire.

This really sticks out for me because I know what you mean. It is terrifying to get back into a relationship after getting out of a messy one...

I met my significant other, the love of my life during a down of my life... We had heard of each other but we really did not bother getting to know each other... One day, our common friend decided to introduce us and we sort of were ho hum about it.

Skip to a few months later, He had some chores to do and I accompanied him thinking that he needed the company, we got along so amazingly well.. It surprised me because our interactions were so smooth and natural, at the end of the day when I was thinking about the day we had, I knew that I had met my soul mate (I know how corny it sounds).

We had our ups and downs like any other couple initially, but one thing became clear to us, we could not stay away from each other... It just was not possible.. He is the strong silent type and I am the hyper quirky type , very supportive and dedicated.. I have never asked him for something which he has denied... He would give his all in his own way to support me even if he does not agree...

The turning point was when we both realized that we were stuck with each other for good ..

After a long and tedious history with the wrong men, I was terrified of calling him "The one" because I did not want to love someone with everything I had only to be used & abused again.... He changed a lot of things for me, all for the good.

I remember an awful time where I had to move to another place so that I could "tie loose ends" .. We both hated the separation, he had to stay back (his job) while my job was more flexible allowing me to work from anywhere I wanted... He definitely did not want me to leave, neither did I but I had to...

We were so angry the whole time , so bitter and so angry, me more than him because he simply refused to emote his feelings :| He had given me a diamond ring years ago which was too delicate for daily wear so I started wearing a second ring I had.. I am not a jewellery person at all except for this ring, I would never take it off and I mean, never... What makes me happier is that he does not let me take it off either.

So, things moved along, and I finally got to come back home... I did not know whether we still would work together, how it would be after such a long time.. But the moment I saw him when I came back, It was just like yesterday, like we had never moved apart at all. And we have been together ever since...

For the sake of all humanity, we make it a point to never leave each other's side no matter how bad a fight we have

P.S :- This is the first time I have talked about him in a public domain, my godparents were the only other people who knew about how I felt about him..

Hello Vitaly,Welcome to Xisto I like your name, what does it mean?Unfortunately, due to lack of Russian staff and members, for now Russian articles are not allowed. Some day perhaps but currently, only English topics are allowed... But if you offer Russian language lessons, we can make an exception.To get both a domain and hosting account, you need to generate at least 14.9 USD (12.95 Domain + 1.95 Hosting) . As long as you can pay with Mycent through posting , everything you order is always free :)You will not be asked to pay with real money unless you want to, Hope to see you around.

The Internet has really fun websites and I found a really cool one recently. It is called "Silk" , it is a website where you can create "generative art" pieces.. Don't get scared of the fancy terms, Generative art simply refers to art that is created with very little "manual effort" meaning , different shapes and forms are automatically created when you move / click your mouse a certain way.

The music really sets you in the mood I am submitting the piece I drew, it would be really nice to see what y'all can conjure. If you REALLY want to SHOW OFF your drawing, don't just take a picture of the screen, instead use the "Copy Link" button you see on the top and post your links...

You get to see HOW the drawing was actually created with the link, here is mine :-

http://weavesilk.com/?10w2i

Ha ha ha, we can even turn this into a "Rorschach Test / Ink Blot Test" .. What do you see in my image? And yeah, there is a part after adding the blue where it seems like I have stopped but actually, I am adding the green inside the big blue bubble.

TRY IT OUT HERE :- http://weavesilk.com/

We will be upgrading our php installations on server RO (208.87.243.141) from the current version of 5.3.19 to 5.3.22 on the 5th of March (Tuesday) . The Apache version will also be updated to 2.2

If you are currently hosted on a server that is running an older version of PHP or Apache and wish to be moved onto the new server. Please open a ticket with your Cpanel username and domain name requesting transfer, a server administrator will migrate your account onto the new server.

 

To open a new support request, please click here

Follow us on twitter : @Xisto - Web Hosting

We will be upgrading our php installations on server RO (208.87.243.141) from the current version of 5.3.19 to 5.3.22 on the 5th of March (Tuesday) . The Apache version will also be updated to 2.2

If you are currently hosted on a server that is running an older version of PHP or Apache and wish to be moved onto the new server. Please open a ticket with your Cpanel username and domain name requesting transfer, a server administrator will migrate your account onto the new server.

 

To open a new support request, please click here

Follow us on twitter : @Xisto - Web Hosting

A little about BigDog

BigDog is a "quadruped robot" which means four legged robot and a very impressive one to say the least. Created by Boston Dynamics with Foster-Miller, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Harvard University Concord Field Station.

The constant development of BigDog is funded by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and I am in love with it. BigDog was created to be a pack mule, a safe and solid way of carrying, transporting goods from one place to another. And with the help of a computer & GPS , it can do this without a handler close by.

Suppose a city were to be hit by war or natural disaster.. You could actually send one BigDog with supplies to the location without having to worry about casualties.. They could also carry military supplies. BigDog can so far walk on its own, carry a load up to 150 kgs and maneuver over rocky / unstable / tricky terrains. So you could make this little puppy walk through slush .. What set BigDog apart however was its amazing capability of staying on its feet , even if you tried to kick it down, it would somehow find its balance and not fall.. EVEN ON ICE.. If you watch the video, they show you how it can climb over a wall of bricks, move through snow, climb up a mountain, JUMP and a bit where a guy tries kicking it down (I felt so bad for it XD)

BigDog can NOW THROW THINGS, In the video below, you can see the Robot throw a cinder block.. Goody!

Other projects that the Boston Dynamics team is working on include a robotic Cheetah (Want the youtube link? Let me know) , A man that can stand on his own legs (the video is of him climbing blocks, can you see his hand hold the wall for support? ).. There is one of him doing exercises, very funny

I think they also created a robotic snake, the sand flea and few others.. Well, you can always find a lot of cool videos showcasing these bots on youtube..

best choice is a keyboard replacement

 

Unfortunately, just a keyboard replacement is not an option since you would have already inferred from all the other posts that it isn't just the keyboard that is responsible for the sound. Factors like position, posture and style also influence the way sounds happen.

 

Which reminds me, where is your computer / keyboard located? I think we should also consider the shape / location of your room since sounds do behave differently in different locations.. Any physics enthusiast here who can add a little science to my shriveled scientific theory?

 

 

Actually, at times, I feel more comfortable with the keyboard placed on my legs. In my current setup, when I place the keyboard on the table, it is comfortable when I am sitting with my back straight. However, after an hour or so of sitting in this position, I really get tired. Then I would lean back a little and assume somewhat lying position on my chair. Now, in this position, typing with my keyboard placed on the table is not very comfortable. Instead, typing with my keyboard placed on my legs become more comfortable. That being said, I feel comfortable with the keyboard on my legs even when I am sitting straight. Maybe its because I have become accustomed to typing in such situation.....

I have to ask here that what is the best posture. I have this opinion that there is no such thing as BEST (like on thing for all). Instead everyone has his own BEST thing. And this might apply to the posture as well. One kind of posture that is best for one person might not be best for the other. So I think that it depends more on personal preferences.

But I would still like to know what is the best posture (in principle).

 

 

Posture is a very controversial topic in the I.T age , it saddens me to admit that our technology requires us to have bad posture so we learn to pose ourselves according to them rather than have the technology build around us. Since you are a medical aficionado, you would know best the natural posture for a human being. Just because you are comfortable does not mean that it is the correct posture... A person I know squats while using his computer, like he literally uses his computer in the frog pose.. He is comfortable but I doubt that it helps his back.

 

People hardly use the correct postures when working, my experience at the Vet clinic is proof of that, we often end up bending over a patient for extended periods especially at home visits since owners hardly have the infrastructure.. I'd rather have stubs for arms than have to hold a cat down for intravenous therapy >_< ... You end up as twisty as the cat itself and if the cat is especially sick, the drip is really slow .. So we end up looking like mangled pieces of steel rather than real people...

 

I have naturally bad knees and a bad back which means that I cannot hold a position for too long, I cannot run or climb stairs or stand too long since it wears me out.... And here is the thing, if I do use the stairs, I adopt such a bad posture to climb up (slouching and stomping) which ends up hurting me even more.. And if I try to focus on the steps, I end up losing track of my breathing...

 

We find sitting straight difficult BECAUSE we hardly do it anymore.. You don't use any mobile device with your back straight, you create a curve just to be able to comfortably see the screen... And if you use your phone / tablet / laptop a lot, your back adapts to the curve making the straight posture insanely difficult.. It is the same as working out / using muscles after a really long time..

 

It is really cruel to say but my bad knees and back showed me how important it is to maintain good posture whenever you can since sitting incorrectly makes it difficult for me to even get up for work the next day.. Winter is the worst XD

 

Since chairs & tables don't often come in pocket edition versions like me, I don't have the freedom of letting my feet touch the floor AND keep my arms in line with the keyboard rack... To keep my hands at the same level as the keyboard, I raise my chair at its full height (hands at keyboard level & eyes at monitor level).. I even added height to my monitor so that my neck can stay straight. But this leaves my feet dangling below

 

It is always a dilemma for me when it comes to sitting on my chair since the back support is too far, the floor is too far and you should never have to extend your arms, legs, neck while using the computer (you end up straining yourself)..

 

I cannot do the Lotus Pose so I use other versions of it but mostly I sit in a yoga posture called Virasana where you fold your legs backwards, since I can tuck my toes in the cushion of the chair, I can really hold it for long without it hurting But to make sure the blood flow is even, I keep changing the posture to a half lotus pose where I tuck one leg in while letting the other dangle for a few minutes and then change.

 

Another pose I sit in is a posture I cannot remember the name for, it is a modified version of the fish pose I think..

 

HA HA HA HA HA I just remembered almost being beaten to death by my Uncle.. A year or two ago, I had gone over to stay with them for the weekend and like any dutiful netizen, I worked in the dead of the night.. Night 1, I am typing away to glory, laptop on the kitchen counter and lights switched off.. The house is really spacious and is in the suburbs.. So I am assuming that my typing did not sound normal to the inhabitants.. Well, 30 minutes into my typing, I hear my uncle shout from his room upstairs, my great grand aunt was probably 50 feet away in her room fast asleep...

 

I let out a response loud enough to be heard (or so I think) but I did not want to disturb my Grand Aunt , I guess it sounded like garbled sound to him.. Silence ensues so I continue with my tippity tappity when all of a sudden my Uncle & Aunt come thundering down the stair case with huge sticks in their hand.. They could only see the glare on my glasses from where they were standing, I doubt that helped the situation.. And there I was, going "Oye Oye Oye" (because that is all I could think of) in hoping that someone would recognize my voice..

 

Long story short, I am not allowed to work in the dead of night unless I have some music playing.. Every night ever since, they would give me a playlist that I would have to play if I was to work that night..

 

As for the sound variations I was talking about, it is a really simple theory actually, start with one key at a time.. one that you use the most like the enter key.. Every time you press the enter key, observe how you tap it.. which finger you use, how forceful you are and think about how you'd like to tap it.. Keep focused on the enter key until you master it and then move onto the next key.. When you do one key, it becomes easier with the rest...

 

I sometimes believe that the most common typos I make are usually because of the rhythm the word makes, like when you play an instrument, you press certain keys to produce the rhythm, the same applies for when you use your keyboard... So my mind will hold onto the rhythm of certain words and apply it without me having to think for a second.. I would like to one day test my typing efficiency with music on and without the music.. See if the sound really has its part in typos