Showing posts with label Information-technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Information-technology. Show all posts
The Elusive Practice of Search Engine Optimization
Autor: eyecaredr
The process of search engine optimization is plagued with unscrupulous scammers, spammers and deceptive practitioners. This is referred to as Black-Hat Search Engine Optimization, and it hurts the search engines as well as the users who query them. Black-Hat techniques employ techniques that trick the search engines with thousands of meaningless articles loaded with keywords carefully chosen to draw traffic, and generate quick revenue. In addition to link farms that artificially inflate the importance of an otherwise irrelevant web site. Some black-hat hackers attempt to negatively influence competitor's rankings by exploiting various search engine vulnerabilities. All these practices dilute the true value of legitimate web sites, and realize only short term gains. Gradually search engines started recognizing these techniques, and have taken proactive approaches. Algorithms have been developed to uncover and ban sites that employ those practices. Search Engine Optimization is a long term goal that requires astute and careful planning. White-Hat optimization is the ethical means to this end.
"Give the public what the public wants", this is the mantra of any successful search engine. If a user places a query, and receives very relevant data, the user will most likely return for future inquiries. The objective of white-hat optimization is to provide the user with a content relevant search result. White-hat search engine optimization is the practice of improving the design and content of websites to draw more search engine traffic in an ethical manner. Content is king, it is important to have content that's relevant to your visitor's expectations, otherwise they will just hit their back button. It is important that your pages are well structured, using descriptive page titles and other page text. Further, keyword rich inbound links must be built, and submitting original articles will accomplish this goal.. Providing fresh new content will assure repeat visits with the opportunity to expose more products to your users. White hat SEO techniques can take some time to implement however their results tend to last for a long time.
As the web continues on its exponential growth path, the need for better search engines becomes more vital. These are the challenges that face the search engines, as well as the experts that contribute to their success. Search engine optimization is an art that requires skill, and creativity, a synergy of original content, efficient marketing, and site analysis. These are the foundations for a successful search engine optimization campaign.
Source: Free Articles
http://www.articlecircle.com/computers/information-technology/the-elusive-practice-of-search-engine-optimization.html
The process of search engine optimization is plagued with unscrupulous scammers, spammers and deceptive practitioners. This is referred to as Black-Hat Search Engine Optimization, and it hurts the search engines as well as the users who query them. Black-Hat techniques employ techniques that trick the search engines with thousands of meaningless articles loaded with keywords carefully chosen to draw traffic, and generate quick revenue. In addition to link farms that artificially inflate the importance of an otherwise irrelevant web site. Some black-hat hackers attempt to negatively influence competitor's rankings by exploiting various search engine vulnerabilities. All these practices dilute the true value of legitimate web sites, and realize only short term gains. Gradually search engines started recognizing these techniques, and have taken proactive approaches. Algorithms have been developed to uncover and ban sites that employ those practices. Search Engine Optimization is a long term goal that requires astute and careful planning. White-Hat optimization is the ethical means to this end.
"Give the public what the public wants", this is the mantra of any successful search engine. If a user places a query, and receives very relevant data, the user will most likely return for future inquiries. The objective of white-hat optimization is to provide the user with a content relevant search result. White-hat search engine optimization is the practice of improving the design and content of websites to draw more search engine traffic in an ethical manner. Content is king, it is important to have content that's relevant to your visitor's expectations, otherwise they will just hit their back button. It is important that your pages are well structured, using descriptive page titles and other page text. Further, keyword rich inbound links must be built, and submitting original articles will accomplish this goal.. Providing fresh new content will assure repeat visits with the opportunity to expose more products to your users. White hat SEO techniques can take some time to implement however their results tend to last for a long time.
As the web continues on its exponential growth path, the need for better search engines becomes more vital. These are the challenges that face the search engines, as well as the experts that contribute to their success. Search engine optimization is an art that requires skill, and creativity, a synergy of original content, efficient marketing, and site analysis. These are the foundations for a successful search engine optimization campaign.
Source: Free Articles
http://www.articlecircle.com/computers/information-technology/the-elusive-practice-of-search-engine-optimization.html
A Review of The World is Flat from an IT Perspective
Autor: tmcco4316
Source: Free Articles
http://www.articlecircle.com/computers/information-technology/a-review-of-the-world-is-flat-from-an-it-perspective.html
Not long after "The World is Flat, A brief History of the Twenty-First Century" by Thomas L. Friedman came out, I read the book. I found the theme of the book to be an excellent theme for a web site, especially in internet marketing. My web site specializes in self-publishing, marketing, research and freelance writing, and uses Friedman's comments to emphasize ways to market and reach customers.
I started to see other reviews of the book The World is Flat from a variety of sources. One of those sources was Processor Magazine. This book review was done by Dean Takahashi, July 1, 2005.
Processor Magazine is described on their web site as follows: "Processor is a leading trade publication that provides products, news, and information key data center employees can trust. Processor's format provides a comprehensive display of corporate equipment and services, including storage, communications, and servers. You'll also find product announcements, marketplace information, and other articles designed to keep data center and IT employees up-to-date with the latest news that matters most.
Published weekly, Processor is distributed to data center managers and other computer buying decision makers throughout North America."
I find the review in Processor to be unique in the sense that this is a trade publication specifically for IT employees. It is some of these employees that are being "out-sourced" from American companies to those overseas. How can they feel about the premise made by Friedman that: "the flattening of the globe, where U.S. professionals will compete against educated rivals in other countries who are willing to work for much smaller salaries."
The review by Processor Magazine notes: "For many IT managers, Friedman's explanations of technologies may come off as pedestrian. But he delivers his argument with immediacy and a breadth that can only come from someone who has traveled the globe and met with government leaders and captains of business."
After reading the book and reading this and other reviews, I fully agree with the article when it notes: "Until you see what Friedman has witnessed, it's hard to adsorb just how fast globalization is transforming the rest of the world and why 3 billion people across the globe are now ready to compete for your job."
Still Friedman notes that in reacting to this "flattening", "Don't build walls." His solutions for small, medium and large companies are more progressive.
Small companies need to act large. They need to "tap the tools that can make them global, such as using UPS not only to ship computers but to repair them as well."
He states that "Every company needs to collaborate." Further he states about outsourcing: "If you outsource, do it to innovate and grow faster, not just to save money and fire more people."
About individuals, he says: "The flat world will create more jobs for everyone. But knowledge workers have to strive upward, if your job as an illustrator is threatened; provide higher-level service as an illustration consultant."
However, as the Processor review notes: "Friedman warns there is a quiet crisis in the United States, driven by the decline of its science, engineering, and manufacturing competitiveness."
Further the Processor review states; "Friedman describes his meetings, whether he's sitting across the table from India's top outsourcing executive or dining with a venture capitalist in Palo Alto. He plays golf in downtown Bangalore, India, when his partner tells him to aim his ball at IBM or Microsoft. That's an apt metaphor for what enterprising young Indians are doing to American industry."
In reading both the book and the Processor review, I agree that Friedman has a unique perspective. The Processor review notes: "He [Friedman] shows familiar technical issues from a global perspective that weave in social, political, and cultural analysis.
Friedman has looked at these forces closely and can dissect them from multiple points of view. U.S. IT professionals may see offshore-crazy executives as Benedict Arnolds, but if they could see what Friedman has seen in his global travels, they might understand what to do in response to globalization. Better to manage it then to stand in its way."
One statement that is both haunting and ominous, as noted by the Processor review; "Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates tells Friedman that today he would rather be born a genius in China than an average guy in Poughkeepsie."
The Processor review notes the following Key Concepts in Friedman's book:
The barriers to entry are leveling across the globe. Globalization's pace is accelerating and threatens to overtake anyone not ready for it.
It isn't always clear who is exploiting whom. It some aspects, both parties benefit. Knowledge workers must move up the value chain.
The flat world will bring bigger markets than everyone can exploit.
I would recommend this book to any IT or technical professional that is concerned about job security, future job prospects or where the corporate world is headed. Often, outsourcing and job loss due to global competition tends to make us feel like victims. Friedman's book The World is Flat portrays this new globalization or flattening as a new force to be reckoned with and to be managed. However, as Friedman portrays it, we are not victims, but we do need to be smarter in the ways we approach the new global markets and look at our society, culture and business.
I started to see other reviews of the book The World is Flat from a variety of sources. One of those sources was Processor Magazine. This book review was done by Dean Takahashi, July 1, 2005.
Processor Magazine is described on their web site as follows: "Processor is a leading trade publication that provides products, news, and information key data center employees can trust. Processor's format provides a comprehensive display of corporate equipment and services, including storage, communications, and servers. You'll also find product announcements, marketplace information, and other articles designed to keep data center and IT employees up-to-date with the latest news that matters most.
Published weekly, Processor is distributed to data center managers and other computer buying decision makers throughout North America."
I find the review in Processor to be unique in the sense that this is a trade publication specifically for IT employees. It is some of these employees that are being "out-sourced" from American companies to those overseas. How can they feel about the premise made by Friedman that: "the flattening of the globe, where U.S. professionals will compete against educated rivals in other countries who are willing to work for much smaller salaries."
The review by Processor Magazine notes: "For many IT managers, Friedman's explanations of technologies may come off as pedestrian. But he delivers his argument with immediacy and a breadth that can only come from someone who has traveled the globe and met with government leaders and captains of business."
After reading the book and reading this and other reviews, I fully agree with the article when it notes: "Until you see what Friedman has witnessed, it's hard to adsorb just how fast globalization is transforming the rest of the world and why 3 billion people across the globe are now ready to compete for your job."
Still Friedman notes that in reacting to this "flattening", "Don't build walls." His solutions for small, medium and large companies are more progressive.
Small companies need to act large. They need to "tap the tools that can make them global, such as using UPS not only to ship computers but to repair them as well."
He states that "Every company needs to collaborate." Further he states about outsourcing: "If you outsource, do it to innovate and grow faster, not just to save money and fire more people."
About individuals, he says: "The flat world will create more jobs for everyone. But knowledge workers have to strive upward, if your job as an illustrator is threatened; provide higher-level service as an illustration consultant."
However, as the Processor review notes: "Friedman warns there is a quiet crisis in the United States, driven by the decline of its science, engineering, and manufacturing competitiveness."
Further the Processor review states; "Friedman describes his meetings, whether he's sitting across the table from India's top outsourcing executive or dining with a venture capitalist in Palo Alto. He plays golf in downtown Bangalore, India, when his partner tells him to aim his ball at IBM or Microsoft. That's an apt metaphor for what enterprising young Indians are doing to American industry."
In reading both the book and the Processor review, I agree that Friedman has a unique perspective. The Processor review notes: "He [Friedman] shows familiar technical issues from a global perspective that weave in social, political, and cultural analysis.
Friedman has looked at these forces closely and can dissect them from multiple points of view. U.S. IT professionals may see offshore-crazy executives as Benedict Arnolds, but if they could see what Friedman has seen in his global travels, they might understand what to do in response to globalization. Better to manage it then to stand in its way."
One statement that is both haunting and ominous, as noted by the Processor review; "Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates tells Friedman that today he would rather be born a genius in China than an average guy in Poughkeepsie."
The Processor review notes the following Key Concepts in Friedman's book:
The barriers to entry are leveling across the globe. Globalization's pace is accelerating and threatens to overtake anyone not ready for it.
It isn't always clear who is exploiting whom. It some aspects, both parties benefit. Knowledge workers must move up the value chain.
The flat world will bring bigger markets than everyone can exploit.
I would recommend this book to any IT or technical professional that is concerned about job security, future job prospects or where the corporate world is headed. Often, outsourcing and job loss due to global competition tends to make us feel like victims. Friedman's book The World is Flat portrays this new globalization or flattening as a new force to be reckoned with and to be managed. However, as Friedman portrays it, we are not victims, but we do need to be smarter in the ways we approach the new global markets and look at our society, culture and business.
Source: Free Articles
http://www.articlecircle.com/computers/information-technology/a-review-of-the-world-is-flat-from-an-it-perspective.html
Find a Fish Tank Screen Saver Today
Autor: infoserv
Does your computer need to be spruced up a little bit? When your screen saver comes on, are you greeted by a plain black screen or the windows icon that came with your computer? Doesn't this get to be boring? Wouldn't you like to add a little life to your screen saver?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, then it is time for you to change your screen saver. One of the most popular screen savers available is the fish tank screen saver. The fish tank screen saver is downloaded a thousand times a day. People are looking for a way to spruce up their day. And if you are a fish lover, what better way to do that than by bringing your aquarium to your computer screen. Fish are so enjoyable to watch. By having a fish tank screen saver, you will brighten up your day.
There are a couple of places that you can find a fish tank screen saver. First off, do not overlook the obvious. A lot of computers nowadays come with tons of screen saver options. Your computer may already have a fish tank screen saver available. If this is the case, all you need to do is go in and change your settings. This process takes all of about 20 seconds and is not hard to do at all.
If your computer does not come equipped with a fish tank screen saver, you should be able to find one available for download. Go to your favorite search engine (mine is google) and type in "fish tank screen saver." This will bring hundreds of fish tank screen savers to your computer. All you need to do then is find the one you like best and download it. Most downloads are free, but sometimes you may be charged. Most of the sites that charge for downloads offer the best in screen savers. If you are looking for the top of the line fish tank screen saver, you may want to look into purchasing one. Take your time to decide because many of the free ones are also very good.
A fish tank screen saver is a great way to spruce up your computer. Get yours today, and bring your aquarium to your computer and bring your computer to life! Especially if you use your computer to work, a little fun mixed in never hurt anyone.
If you answered yes to any of those questions, then it is time for you to change your screen saver. One of the most popular screen savers available is the fish tank screen saver. The fish tank screen saver is downloaded a thousand times a day. People are looking for a way to spruce up their day. And if you are a fish lover, what better way to do that than by bringing your aquarium to your computer screen. Fish are so enjoyable to watch. By having a fish tank screen saver, you will brighten up your day.
There are a couple of places that you can find a fish tank screen saver. First off, do not overlook the obvious. A lot of computers nowadays come with tons of screen saver options. Your computer may already have a fish tank screen saver available. If this is the case, all you need to do is go in and change your settings. This process takes all of about 20 seconds and is not hard to do at all.
If your computer does not come equipped with a fish tank screen saver, you should be able to find one available for download. Go to your favorite search engine (mine is google) and type in "fish tank screen saver." This will bring hundreds of fish tank screen savers to your computer. All you need to do then is find the one you like best and download it. Most downloads are free, but sometimes you may be charged. Most of the sites that charge for downloads offer the best in screen savers. If you are looking for the top of the line fish tank screen saver, you may want to look into purchasing one. Take your time to decide because many of the free ones are also very good.
A fish tank screen saver is a great way to spruce up your computer. Get yours today, and bring your aquarium to your computer and bring your computer to life! Especially if you use your computer to work, a little fun mixed in never hurt anyone.
Source: Free Articles
http://www.articlecircle.com/computers/information-technology/find-a-fish-tank-screen-saver-today.html
Asset Management For Web Developers
Autor: hunter
Source: Free Articles
http://www.articlecircle.com/computers/information-technology/asset-management-for-web-developers.html
When building large scale database driven web applications which require the development effort of numerous individuals and interoperating teams as well as networked access to a central repository of assets in the form of PHP code, HTML documents, images, source code, media files, and documentation it can help to organize the workflow by keeping track of data and intellectual property assets using specially designed asset management software applications that allow for a meta searchable database of digital media and a check in/check out system to allow multiple designers to work together without doubling up on the same task.
Asset management software isn't just for enterprise class development anymore. SOHO users will find software such as Canto Cumulus asset management software to be scalable to even the needs of a small design house with only 3-4 developers.
No matter what kind of web development you are doing, proper asset management is key to an organized workflow, especially on projects that depend on numerous individuals and teams and requires the document to "change hands" and allow for the scrutiny of the entire team during every phase of design and development.
Asset management solutions allow for a more disciplined approach to portfolio cataloguing and media library organization, which can help developers contemplate their creative palette and visual media assets more thoroughly and completely when selecting templates and production from the company's supply of IP.
If you find that your design team is having trouble maintaining a manually organized library of content and intellectual property and you want to have a library witch allows for rich meta tagging and highly organized searching and browsing, you should research investing the time and effort into setting up an asset management solution for your company today! The time and effort you put into an asset management system today pays off ten fold through more efficient workflow and library management.
Asset management software isn't just for enterprise class development anymore. SOHO users will find software such as Canto Cumulus asset management software to be scalable to even the needs of a small design house with only 3-4 developers.
No matter what kind of web development you are doing, proper asset management is key to an organized workflow, especially on projects that depend on numerous individuals and teams and requires the document to "change hands" and allow for the scrutiny of the entire team during every phase of design and development.
Asset management solutions allow for a more disciplined approach to portfolio cataloguing and media library organization, which can help developers contemplate their creative palette and visual media assets more thoroughly and completely when selecting templates and production from the company's supply of IP.
If you find that your design team is having trouble maintaining a manually organized library of content and intellectual property and you want to have a library witch allows for rich meta tagging and highly organized searching and browsing, you should research investing the time and effort into setting up an asset management solution for your company today! The time and effort you put into an asset management system today pays off ten fold through more efficient workflow and library management.
Source: Free Articles
http://www.articlecircle.com/computers/information-technology/asset-management-for-web-developers.html
Burning DVD's: The Storage Revolution Is Here
Autor: ajames
Source: Free Articles
http://www.articlecircle.com/computers/information-technology/burning-dvd-s-the-storage-revolution-is-here.html
Entertainment is a prime source of our relaxation. By this, I mean television and film. If you're one of the three people who refuse to indulge in cinema, then you're missing out. The technology we have today is ideal for any movie spectators. As we all know, VHS is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Just like with cassette tapes, the compact disks are taking over. DVDs are becoming more prominent everywhere we go. It's even possible to rent them online and never have to leave your home. How convenient is that? No more rewinding, no more filthy VCR heads to clean; it's a dream come true. With the madness of DVDs these days, more and more people are taking advantage of their home computers. The digital versatile discs can be downloaded to our laptops with the push of a button. We can actually create DVDs of our own.
My brother has the most extensive collection of DVDs of anyone I know. I believe he has close to a thousand at this point. He's always emailing me his latest list of titles in alphabetical order. I can barely even sort through them all. That's a lot of choices. He typically wants to know if I crave any new flicks. Since he already has the DVDs, he can easily download them to his laptop, and then create DVDs to pass on to me. This is a pretty choice way to get entertainment if you ask me. Free is always good. I currently have about 30 different titles that he's made for me. So much for paying 15 bucks a pop. This seems to be a common trend these days. Many people will buy and share. Whether they create DVDs or CDs, they save money when they trade around. You can pick and choose your music these days by song. You don't want the CD? No problem, you can buy individual songs online for typically about a dollar a piece, and then create your own CDs.
If you're not up to snuff with the whole Internet process, it's time to hop online. Many of the computers we purchase today have the ability to burn DVDs and CDs. You should definitely take advantage of this feature. This is a wonderful way to create the mixed CDs of your choice. If your buddy has a cool new DVD that you've been wanting to check out, have them burn a copy for you. In order to create DVDs, you simply need some blank disks, which run rather cheap. Burn whatever video or music you please. This is only a sample of the innovations yet to come.
My brother has the most extensive collection of DVDs of anyone I know. I believe he has close to a thousand at this point. He's always emailing me his latest list of titles in alphabetical order. I can barely even sort through them all. That's a lot of choices. He typically wants to know if I crave any new flicks. Since he already has the DVDs, he can easily download them to his laptop, and then create DVDs to pass on to me. This is a pretty choice way to get entertainment if you ask me. Free is always good. I currently have about 30 different titles that he's made for me. So much for paying 15 bucks a pop. This seems to be a common trend these days. Many people will buy and share. Whether they create DVDs or CDs, they save money when they trade around. You can pick and choose your music these days by song. You don't want the CD? No problem, you can buy individual songs online for typically about a dollar a piece, and then create your own CDs.
If you're not up to snuff with the whole Internet process, it's time to hop online. Many of the computers we purchase today have the ability to burn DVDs and CDs. You should definitely take advantage of this feature. This is a wonderful way to create the mixed CDs of your choice. If your buddy has a cool new DVD that you've been wanting to check out, have them burn a copy for you. In order to create DVDs, you simply need some blank disks, which run rather cheap. Burn whatever video or music you please. This is only a sample of the innovations yet to come.
Source: Free Articles
http://www.articlecircle.com/computers/information-technology/burning-dvd-s-the-storage-revolution-is-here.html
Help Desk: The Solution To All Your IT Nightmares
Autor: ajames
Source: Free Articles
http://www.articlecircle.com/computers/information-technology/help-desk-the-solution-to-all-your-it-nightmares.html
Technology such as the Help Desk covered in this article are rapidly changing our world in many ways and becoming more affordable for the average person. Its worth mentioning however that better technology is actually properly defined as simply a better way of doing something we already do with whatever process we have at hand. Rather than thinking of better technology in terms of computers, hi tech gadgets and such, for example anytime we find a way to get to work 5mins faster than before we have found a better technology to improve our lives in some respect.
Where do you go if you have a problem with your satellite television or broadband service provider? Whom do you call if your have a problem with your computer's installation system or if your printer just died on you before a major presentation? Who is the one person who can quickly help you stop that whining noise and smoke that your lap top is generating right in the middle of the conference call you are having with your boss? If you are like me, the auto dial function on your telephone will have the number of your friendly global help desk!
According to me, the help desk is the best invention of man in the twenty first century. The computer and all the electronic gadgets are over hyped. Technology changes much before it becomes affordable in the first place. And gadgets and gizmos are flooding the marketplace like never before. If there is anything at all that has remained consistent through all the tumult, it has been the ubiquitous help desk.
The concept of the help desk started off as a service offering, provided by makers of new IT products and services to clients, who were still unfamiliar with the new age technology. But as users have gotten more savvy, the products and services too have become even more complex. Which makes the role of the help desk even more important. Take Windows itself. This simple operating system started off as Windows 1.0. It grew over the years to become Windows 3.0, Windows 3.1, Windows 95, 97, 2000 and now XP. Obviously, each new version has seen the features increase. And each passing year has seen more users start taking up desktop computing as a real option.
**Running Commentary** - Its interesting to note at this point that the cost of paying for Help Desk support is going to range in price quite a bit and you really need to first identify your needs and wants and when you go shopping make sure you don't overspend for features you want but don't really need. As technology so quickly becomes obsolete 1. many of the features will become obsolete 2. later models will be cheaper if not superseded by a later model with newer features and 3. are you going to actually have time to read the whole manual and understand how all the features work ? (I know I never figure out all the features of any new gadget or gizmo I buy)
This has only meant more work for the people at the Microsoft help desk. As the versions increased and the features expanded, the conventional help desk too expanded to become much more than a mere service offering. Software products and services almost being on par made the quality of the after sales service a critical component in the competitive marketplace. And the help desk, being at the forefront of this arena, has had to adapt and evolve.
So, the typical help desk of today is staffed not just with people who can familiarize you with products and their features, but also specialist engineers and technicians who can troubleshoot your problems and provide you with the correct solution, often within the duration of a simple telephone call. And since the business demands skilled professionals who come with an innate understanding of technology, better prospects have emerged for IT professionals.
In fact, in keeping with the global outsourcing trend, most help desk jobs have moved to countries like India and China where there is no shortage of skilled manpower, and the quality of the professionals is assured. The beneficial cost structures have also contributed to this trend. For like I mentioned earlier, the products may evolve and newer versions may come up. But unless the help desk remains an integral part of the service offering, there will be no exponential increase of market share.
To wrap up our article about Help Desk I wish you luck in putting your new technology to use in your home/work life. In the last 20 years I have seen so many examples of new technology come and go I cant help feeling excited about what I'm going to see in the next 20 years. Although many people seem to feel a sense of foreboding about new things changing their lives in a negative way I must confess that I don't have this fear at all (at the ripe old age of 40 anyway). I understand that new and changing technology is not only inevitable but in fact is opening up more opportunities for us all than ever before in our history and we should only feel threatened if we choose to cling to the past and somehow expect the rest of the world around us to do the same.
Where do you go if you have a problem with your satellite television or broadband service provider? Whom do you call if your have a problem with your computer's installation system or if your printer just died on you before a major presentation? Who is the one person who can quickly help you stop that whining noise and smoke that your lap top is generating right in the middle of the conference call you are having with your boss? If you are like me, the auto dial function on your telephone will have the number of your friendly global help desk!
According to me, the help desk is the best invention of man in the twenty first century. The computer and all the electronic gadgets are over hyped. Technology changes much before it becomes affordable in the first place. And gadgets and gizmos are flooding the marketplace like never before. If there is anything at all that has remained consistent through all the tumult, it has been the ubiquitous help desk.
The concept of the help desk started off as a service offering, provided by makers of new IT products and services to clients, who were still unfamiliar with the new age technology. But as users have gotten more savvy, the products and services too have become even more complex. Which makes the role of the help desk even more important. Take Windows itself. This simple operating system started off as Windows 1.0. It grew over the years to become Windows 3.0, Windows 3.1, Windows 95, 97, 2000 and now XP. Obviously, each new version has seen the features increase. And each passing year has seen more users start taking up desktop computing as a real option.
**Running Commentary** - Its interesting to note at this point that the cost of paying for Help Desk support is going to range in price quite a bit and you really need to first identify your needs and wants and when you go shopping make sure you don't overspend for features you want but don't really need. As technology so quickly becomes obsolete 1. many of the features will become obsolete 2. later models will be cheaper if not superseded by a later model with newer features and 3. are you going to actually have time to read the whole manual and understand how all the features work ? (I know I never figure out all the features of any new gadget or gizmo I buy)
This has only meant more work for the people at the Microsoft help desk. As the versions increased and the features expanded, the conventional help desk too expanded to become much more than a mere service offering. Software products and services almost being on par made the quality of the after sales service a critical component in the competitive marketplace. And the help desk, being at the forefront of this arena, has had to adapt and evolve.
So, the typical help desk of today is staffed not just with people who can familiarize you with products and their features, but also specialist engineers and technicians who can troubleshoot your problems and provide you with the correct solution, often within the duration of a simple telephone call. And since the business demands skilled professionals who come with an innate understanding of technology, better prospects have emerged for IT professionals.
In fact, in keeping with the global outsourcing trend, most help desk jobs have moved to countries like India and China where there is no shortage of skilled manpower, and the quality of the professionals is assured. The beneficial cost structures have also contributed to this trend. For like I mentioned earlier, the products may evolve and newer versions may come up. But unless the help desk remains an integral part of the service offering, there will be no exponential increase of market share.
To wrap up our article about Help Desk I wish you luck in putting your new technology to use in your home/work life. In the last 20 years I have seen so many examples of new technology come and go I cant help feeling excited about what I'm going to see in the next 20 years. Although many people seem to feel a sense of foreboding about new things changing their lives in a negative way I must confess that I don't have this fear at all (at the ripe old age of 40 anyway). I understand that new and changing technology is not only inevitable but in fact is opening up more opportunities for us all than ever before in our history and we should only feel threatened if we choose to cling to the past and somehow expect the rest of the world around us to do the same.
Source: Free Articles
http://www.articlecircle.com/computers/information-technology/help-desk-the-solution-to-all-your-it-nightmares.html
Benefits of Digital Linear Tape Drives
Autor: infocus
In our world where data is power, large companies put a high priority on their data back-up and data storage. Unfortunately, this kind of data storage is typically very expensive and impractical for the small home PC user. Luckily, with the introduction of two new formats of digital storage that are now available, there is a solution. With the DLT or Digital Linear Tape and the LTO or Linear Tape Open, the need for data storage has far exceeded past levels (as compared to previous had 8mm or DDS backups).
1. Recent Boost In Performance
The Digital Linear Tape or DLT systems have been available for use to everyone since 1985, and recent increases in both speed and capacity has given this technology a new lease on life. In fact, they have been the leading technology in the past several years for small to medium-sized systems. The only competitors for DLT were DDS or DAT tapes. The advantage of DLT tapes above these two leading competitors is that the tape heads had a tendency to drift that meant technicians had to constantly monitor them to ensure storage. Unlike DLT reliability that is based on a straight up and down recording mode.
2. Super DLT
A newer version with higher capacity and improved features is called Super DLT (SDLT). Super DLT uses a new recording format, but it also maintains a limited form of backwards compatibility with previous iterations of DLT. It incorporates the ability to read older tapes, although it cannot write to them. This means it would probably be quite useful in allowing organizations to maintain their present archives in a useable form. This would mean that there can be a very big saving both in time and money for companies because older tapes don't have to be re-recorded onto newer ones.
4. Tremendous Boost In Speed And Capacity
With the introduction of Super DLT earlier this year, the capacity has soared as much as 110 gigabytes on one cartridge, at a speed of 10 megabytes per second. A tremendous boost in performance was seen with the speed of backup doubled, and capacity more than doubled, the technology is now capable to handle large systems and networks that DLT previously couldn't handle. Competing technologies can offer very fast backups, but the tapes themselves contain very little data - hundreds of megabytes as opposed to the hundreds of gigabytes that DLT offers.
5. Linear Tape Open
Another technology that has recently emerged that is comparable, if not a bit more advanced than DLT is LTO or Linear Tape Open. A consortium product from Seagate, IBM and Hewlett-Packard. LTO can put 100 gigabytes on a cartridge and can store data at speeds up to 15 megabytes per second. But there are a lot who still prefer to use the more known and reliable Super DLT. There are very cautious system administrators who don't wish to try LTO, one technician even said that DLT is a more than acceptable choice: Thirty million cartridges and a million tape drives can't be wrong. Of course, LTO can't be totally neglected. Of course, Super DLT uses a good deal of new technology as well, so even though LTO is a completely new technology, it has able to pave a nice pathway for it that may help establish itself for future preference.
6. Long Life
These kinds of storage media are guaranteed to last for 30 years of data retention under very specific environmental conditions; however, mishandling can easily damage these storage devices for example, dropping or improper packaging during shipment may easily damage or destroy the device's capability to store data properly. With today's ever increasing demands for storage capacity because of our need to protect and store our data, it is possible that there is going to be more pressure on hardware developers to produce a lot more faster and bigger storage and backup devices to back up, store, protect and retrieve important data be it business or personal. Now both medium and small size users are given a choice: Super DLT, based on generations of thorough development and refinement, or LTO, a new technology from a high-powered and stable group of advance technological companies.
1. Recent Boost In Performance
The Digital Linear Tape or DLT systems have been available for use to everyone since 1985, and recent increases in both speed and capacity has given this technology a new lease on life. In fact, they have been the leading technology in the past several years for small to medium-sized systems. The only competitors for DLT were DDS or DAT tapes. The advantage of DLT tapes above these two leading competitors is that the tape heads had a tendency to drift that meant technicians had to constantly monitor them to ensure storage. Unlike DLT reliability that is based on a straight up and down recording mode.
2. Super DLT
A newer version with higher capacity and improved features is called Super DLT (SDLT). Super DLT uses a new recording format, but it also maintains a limited form of backwards compatibility with previous iterations of DLT. It incorporates the ability to read older tapes, although it cannot write to them. This means it would probably be quite useful in allowing organizations to maintain their present archives in a useable form. This would mean that there can be a very big saving both in time and money for companies because older tapes don't have to be re-recorded onto newer ones.
4. Tremendous Boost In Speed And Capacity
With the introduction of Super DLT earlier this year, the capacity has soared as much as 110 gigabytes on one cartridge, at a speed of 10 megabytes per second. A tremendous boost in performance was seen with the speed of backup doubled, and capacity more than doubled, the technology is now capable to handle large systems and networks that DLT previously couldn't handle. Competing technologies can offer very fast backups, but the tapes themselves contain very little data - hundreds of megabytes as opposed to the hundreds of gigabytes that DLT offers.
5. Linear Tape Open
Another technology that has recently emerged that is comparable, if not a bit more advanced than DLT is LTO or Linear Tape Open. A consortium product from Seagate, IBM and Hewlett-Packard. LTO can put 100 gigabytes on a cartridge and can store data at speeds up to 15 megabytes per second. But there are a lot who still prefer to use the more known and reliable Super DLT. There are very cautious system administrators who don't wish to try LTO, one technician even said that DLT is a more than acceptable choice: Thirty million cartridges and a million tape drives can't be wrong. Of course, LTO can't be totally neglected. Of course, Super DLT uses a good deal of new technology as well, so even though LTO is a completely new technology, it has able to pave a nice pathway for it that may help establish itself for future preference.
6. Long Life
These kinds of storage media are guaranteed to last for 30 years of data retention under very specific environmental conditions; however, mishandling can easily damage these storage devices for example, dropping or improper packaging during shipment may easily damage or destroy the device's capability to store data properly. With today's ever increasing demands for storage capacity because of our need to protect and store our data, it is possible that there is going to be more pressure on hardware developers to produce a lot more faster and bigger storage and backup devices to back up, store, protect and retrieve important data be it business or personal. Now both medium and small size users are given a choice: Super DLT, based on generations of thorough development and refinement, or LTO, a new technology from a high-powered and stable group of advance technological companies.
Source: Free Articles
The Invention of the Atomic Clock
Autor: stevegink
Source: Free Articles
http://www.articlecircle.com/computers/information-technology/the-invention-of-the-atomic-clock.html
Louis Essen was born in 1908 in a small city in England called Nottingham. His childhood was typical of the time and he pursued his education with enjoyment and dedication. At the age of 20 Louis graduated from the University of Nottingham, where he had been studying. It was at this time that his career started to take off, as he was invited to join the NPL, or National Physics Laboratory.
It was during Louis's time at the NPL that he began working to develop a quartz crystal oscillator as he believed they were capable of measuring time as accurately as a pendulum based clock. Ten years after joining the NPL Louis had invented the Essen ring. This was an eponymous invention which took its name from the shape of the quartz which Louis had used in his latest clock and which was three times more accurate than the previous versions.
Louis soon moved on to newer areas of research and began to study ways to measure the speed of light. During World War II he began to work on high frequency radar and used his technical ability to develop the cavity resonance wavemeter. From 1946 it was this wavemeter which he used, along with a colleague by the name of Albert Gordon-Smith, to make his lightspeed measurements. It has been acknowledged recently that Louis's measurements were by far the most accurate to have been recorded up until that time.
During the early part of the 1950's Louis began to take an interest in research which was being carried out at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) in the United States of America. He learnt that work was being carried out to invent a clock which was more accurate than any other. The American scientists were using the idea of maintaining a clock's accuracy by using the radiation emitted or absorbed by atoms. At that time the Americans were using a molecule of ammonia but Louis felt that this was not working as well as if they were using different atoms, such as hydrogen or caesium, and so he began working on his own clock using these materials instead.
1953 saw Louis and a colleague, Jack Parry, receiving permission to develop an atomic clock at the NPL based on Louis's existing knowledge of quartz crystal oscillators and other relevant techniques he had learned from the cavity resonance wavemeter he had previously designed. Only two years later Louis's first atomic clock was running, Caesium I, designed by the UK scientists. Development in the United States had all but stopped due to political difficulties.
Louis continued to work on his atomic clock and by 1964 he had managed to increase the accuracy of the atomic clock from one second in 300 years to one second every 2000 years! The continued success of Louis's work resulted in the definition of a second being changed from 1/864000 of a mean solar day to being calculated as the time it took for 9192631770 cycles of the radiation in an atomic clock.
Louis Essen died in 1997 and before his death had been honoured with, amongst others, an OBE and the Tompion Gold Medal of the Clockmakers' Company.
It was during Louis's time at the NPL that he began working to develop a quartz crystal oscillator as he believed they were capable of measuring time as accurately as a pendulum based clock. Ten years after joining the NPL Louis had invented the Essen ring. This was an eponymous invention which took its name from the shape of the quartz which Louis had used in his latest clock and which was three times more accurate than the previous versions.
Louis soon moved on to newer areas of research and began to study ways to measure the speed of light. During World War II he began to work on high frequency radar and used his technical ability to develop the cavity resonance wavemeter. From 1946 it was this wavemeter which he used, along with a colleague by the name of Albert Gordon-Smith, to make his lightspeed measurements. It has been acknowledged recently that Louis's measurements were by far the most accurate to have been recorded up until that time.
During the early part of the 1950's Louis began to take an interest in research which was being carried out at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) in the United States of America. He learnt that work was being carried out to invent a clock which was more accurate than any other. The American scientists were using the idea of maintaining a clock's accuracy by using the radiation emitted or absorbed by atoms. At that time the Americans were using a molecule of ammonia but Louis felt that this was not working as well as if they were using different atoms, such as hydrogen or caesium, and so he began working on his own clock using these materials instead.
1953 saw Louis and a colleague, Jack Parry, receiving permission to develop an atomic clock at the NPL based on Louis's existing knowledge of quartz crystal oscillators and other relevant techniques he had learned from the cavity resonance wavemeter he had previously designed. Only two years later Louis's first atomic clock was running, Caesium I, designed by the UK scientists. Development in the United States had all but stopped due to political difficulties.
Louis continued to work on his atomic clock and by 1964 he had managed to increase the accuracy of the atomic clock from one second in 300 years to one second every 2000 years! The continued success of Louis's work resulted in the definition of a second being changed from 1/864000 of a mean solar day to being calculated as the time it took for 9192631770 cycles of the radiation in an atomic clock.
Louis Essen died in 1997 and before his death had been honoured with, amongst others, an OBE and the Tompion Gold Medal of the Clockmakers' Company.
Source: Free Articles
http://www.articlecircle.com/computers/information-technology/the-invention-of-the-atomic-clock.html
How to Automate Web Applications and Web Sites Quickly and Easily by Recording Web Browser Activity
Autor: mjtnet
Source: Free Articles
http://www.articlecircle.com/computers/information-technology/how-to-automate-web-applications-and-web-sites-quickly-and-easily-by-recording-web-browser-activity.html
We've all heard the latest buzz word, Web 2.0. Whatever you think of this new moniker the fact is that most of us are using web sites and web applications every day and their use is growing. Many applications that once belonged to the desktop are now running on the web - email, banking, calendars and scheduling applications are common place. We now even have web based word processors, such as Google Write. Many business applications are also moving to the web, and businesses are realising the benefits of subscription based services and centralised support and are running their sales order processing, invoicing and payroll systems on web technology. Many companies are using web technology in-house to support their enterprise, and users are now using applications running within their web browser, rather than traditional desktop applications.
Traditional scripting languages, batch tools and automation solutions are inadequate for automating these new web based applications. Macro recorders and automation solutions which automate desktop applications by simulating user activity are incapable of driving web browser based functionality primarily because web sites and web applications are dynamic. Not only do they change frequently due to a single centralised source, but objects don't necessarily always appear in the same relative position on the page. Web pages can be resized, moved and scrolled up and down. A new approach to scripting web sites and web applications is required.
Fortunately Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser provides a scripting interface and a Document Object Model (DOM). The Document Object Model exposes all the tags and attributes of all the elements beneath the page. Via the scripting interface the properties and methods of these elements can be modified. So, for example, links can be "clicked" and form elements can be filled in and submitted. So scripts and programs can be written to automate Internet Explorer and drive web applications.
However, you need to be a good programmer to understand how this all works. Not only do you need to understand the Document Object Model, but to write a routine that uses it you need to understand HTML. To determine names of elements and form fields etc., the HTML source of the page needs to be pulled apart, dissected and analysed. You need to understand programming technologies in order to build the routine. Even developing such an automation script in VBScript isn't for the faint hearted.
What is needed is a tool that records what you do in Internet Explorer, analysing the objects you click on and fields you complete as you go. WebRecorder, from MJT Net, is one such tool. WebRecorder is like a tabbed browser. As you navigate through pages, click on links, select radio boxes and drop downs and complete form fields it identifies the objects and builds a script as you go, using simple to understand code.
For programmers, WebRecorder reduces effort and speeds up development. For less technical users, WebRecorder records web activity which can be played back accurately later.
WebRecorder creates straightforward code that anyone can understand, and can be used with Macro Scheduler, a well known Windows automation tool.
Another web recording tool, is WebAction from Copasetic Software LLC. This works slightly differently in that it installs itself within Internet Explorer as a Browser Helper Object. WebAction records activity in Internet Explorer and creates internet macros which you can play back. However, macros cannot be edited and will not run in other scripting environments, so this tool is focused more for basic macros and is less flexible.
Web macro recorders and scripting tools are ideal for automating routine tasks in modern web sites and web based applications, or for automatically transferring data into or out of web applications and interfacing them with traditional solutions. These tools can also be used for automated testing of web sites and web applications and offer easier, speedier development over traditional scripting languages.
Traditional scripting languages, batch tools and automation solutions are inadequate for automating these new web based applications. Macro recorders and automation solutions which automate desktop applications by simulating user activity are incapable of driving web browser based functionality primarily because web sites and web applications are dynamic. Not only do they change frequently due to a single centralised source, but objects don't necessarily always appear in the same relative position on the page. Web pages can be resized, moved and scrolled up and down. A new approach to scripting web sites and web applications is required.
Fortunately Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser provides a scripting interface and a Document Object Model (DOM). The Document Object Model exposes all the tags and attributes of all the elements beneath the page. Via the scripting interface the properties and methods of these elements can be modified. So, for example, links can be "clicked" and form elements can be filled in and submitted. So scripts and programs can be written to automate Internet Explorer and drive web applications.
However, you need to be a good programmer to understand how this all works. Not only do you need to understand the Document Object Model, but to write a routine that uses it you need to understand HTML. To determine names of elements and form fields etc., the HTML source of the page needs to be pulled apart, dissected and analysed. You need to understand programming technologies in order to build the routine. Even developing such an automation script in VBScript isn't for the faint hearted.
What is needed is a tool that records what you do in Internet Explorer, analysing the objects you click on and fields you complete as you go. WebRecorder, from MJT Net, is one such tool. WebRecorder is like a tabbed browser. As you navigate through pages, click on links, select radio boxes and drop downs and complete form fields it identifies the objects and builds a script as you go, using simple to understand code.
For programmers, WebRecorder reduces effort and speeds up development. For less technical users, WebRecorder records web activity which can be played back accurately later.
WebRecorder creates straightforward code that anyone can understand, and can be used with Macro Scheduler, a well known Windows automation tool.
Another web recording tool, is WebAction from Copasetic Software LLC. This works slightly differently in that it installs itself within Internet Explorer as a Browser Helper Object. WebAction records activity in Internet Explorer and creates internet macros which you can play back. However, macros cannot be edited and will not run in other scripting environments, so this tool is focused more for basic macros and is less flexible.
Web macro recorders and scripting tools are ideal for automating routine tasks in modern web sites and web based applications, or for automatically transferring data into or out of web applications and interfacing them with traditional solutions. These tools can also be used for automated testing of web sites and web applications and offer easier, speedier development over traditional scripting languages.
Source: Free Articles
http://www.articlecircle.com/computers/information-technology/how-to-automate-web-applications-and-web-sites-quickly-and-easily-by-recording-web-browser-activity.html
The Evolution of Data Processing
Autor: Gordon_petten
Source: Free Articles
http://www.articlecircle.com/computers/information-technology/the-evolution-of-data-processing.html
Data Processing has changed greatly over time. While one can track the beginnings of the modern analytical computer to Charles Babbage (1791-1871), we really saw the beginning of modern day information systems during World War II when they were used as code busters. After the war, few anticipated how much computers would affect our lives. Early on even IBM thought that there would only be a handful of companies that would need a computer.
In those days, computers were massive systems based on vacuum tubes and core memory. With the advent of the integrated circuit, computer architectures took a giant leap forward. The mainframe systems of the late 1980's evolved into Client/Server applications of the early 1990's. In parallel, the Internet grew from a few engineer and research systems to a World Wide network. It wasn't until an Al Gore authored bill allowing commerce to be carried out over the Internet did things really start to change. Every business, every organization, had to carve out a space on "The Net."
The ubiquitous nature of The Internet made it the perfect way for business to have a global reach while maintaining a local presence. Soon, application vendors were making Internet based applications. Today, solution providers are exploiting service oriented architectures and BPEL to provide more agile environments in which to do business.
Today, combining Internet access with massive, inexpensive compute power, data processing has been transformed from an ancillary function of accounting departments to mechanisms by which organizations can transform and enhance their internal processing while integrating their interactions with customers and suppliers.
The key to modern day data processing is not simply the automation of some manual process. Today, business realizes that data processing, information systems, change the very processes that are used to run the business. They not only do same things more efficiently, the do thins differently.
In the past an order was printed and sent to a supplier. The order was received and, if the item was in stock, it was shipped. Items not in stock were placed on back order. Today with Supply chain integration, the entire supply chain is integrated into one network. Warehouse management software notifies suppliers when stock levels drop and order are placed. The suppliers themselves use data mining and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software to predict ordering patterns and anticipate customer needs.
Even how businesses interact with their customers has changed. In the past, businesses used mass marketing to appeal to the greatness number of possible customers. Today, we have mass customization where businesses on a group basis provide customized goods and services.
No, this is not your father's data processing. No longer is the world of data processing a pocket-protector clad engineer's world of spinning tapes and punched cards. Today, data processing and data entry affects all our lives in ever new and more exciting ways.
In those days, computers were massive systems based on vacuum tubes and core memory. With the advent of the integrated circuit, computer architectures took a giant leap forward. The mainframe systems of the late 1980's evolved into Client/Server applications of the early 1990's. In parallel, the Internet grew from a few engineer and research systems to a World Wide network. It wasn't until an Al Gore authored bill allowing commerce to be carried out over the Internet did things really start to change. Every business, every organization, had to carve out a space on "The Net."
The ubiquitous nature of The Internet made it the perfect way for business to have a global reach while maintaining a local presence. Soon, application vendors were making Internet based applications. Today, solution providers are exploiting service oriented architectures and BPEL to provide more agile environments in which to do business.
Today, combining Internet access with massive, inexpensive compute power, data processing has been transformed from an ancillary function of accounting departments to mechanisms by which organizations can transform and enhance their internal processing while integrating their interactions with customers and suppliers.
The key to modern day data processing is not simply the automation of some manual process. Today, business realizes that data processing, information systems, change the very processes that are used to run the business. They not only do same things more efficiently, the do thins differently.
In the past an order was printed and sent to a supplier. The order was received and, if the item was in stock, it was shipped. Items not in stock were placed on back order. Today with Supply chain integration, the entire supply chain is integrated into one network. Warehouse management software notifies suppliers when stock levels drop and order are placed. The suppliers themselves use data mining and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software to predict ordering patterns and anticipate customer needs.
Even how businesses interact with their customers has changed. In the past, businesses used mass marketing to appeal to the greatness number of possible customers. Today, we have mass customization where businesses on a group basis provide customized goods and services.
No, this is not your father's data processing. No longer is the world of data processing a pocket-protector clad engineer's world of spinning tapes and punched cards. Today, data processing and data entry affects all our lives in ever new and more exciting ways.
Source: Free Articles
http://www.articlecircle.com/computers/information-technology/the-evolution-of-data-processing.html
Why Not Thread Everything?
by: Milind Shroff
There are several very useful benefits to threading; we can have several processes running at once, and several threads running within those processes. So, with all these benefits, why don’t we just use new threads for all of our methods? Wouldn’t that just make everything run fast? Not really. As a matter of fact, we will see in this section that quite the opposite can happen if we overuse threading.
Multithreaded applications require resources. Threads require memory to store the thread-local storage container. As you can imagine, the number of threads used is limited by the amount of memory available. Memory is fairly inexpensive these days so many computers have large amounts of memory. However, you should not assume that this is the case. If you are running your application on an unknown hardware configuration, you cannot assume that your application will have enough memory. Additionally, you cannot assume that your process will be the only one spawning threads and consuming system resources. Just because a machine has a lot of memory, doesn’t mean it’s all for your application.
You will also discover that each thread also incurs additional processor overhead. Creating too many threads in your applications will limit the amount of time that your thread has to execute. Therefore, your processor could potentially spend more time switching between threads as opposed to actually executing the instructions that the threads contain. If your application is creating more threads, your application will gain more execution time than all the other processes with fewer threads.
To make this concept easier to understand, take the parallel example you’ll find down at your local grocery store. Two cashiers are scanning groceries for their customers. However, there is only one bagger, who takes turns switching between the two cashiers. The bagger is rather efficient at jumping back and forth between the two registers and bagging the groceries because they don’t pile up any faster than the bagger can bag the groceries. However, if two more cashiers open up lanes, it will become apparent that the bagger will spend more time jumping back and forth between the registers than they spend actually bagging groceries. Eventually, the store will need to get another bagger. In the case of threading, think of the cashiers as applications - or threads, and the bagger as a processor. The processor has to switch between threads. As the “threads” increase, the grocery store has to add another “processor” to be sure that the customers get the attention they need.
The phrase “too many threads” is a rather generic term - and rightly so. What constitutes “too many” on one system could be fine on another. Since hardware configurations largely dictate the number of threads available on a system, “too many” is an unquantifiable variable without specific configuration details and lots of testing.
It is for these reasons that Microsoft recommends that you use as few threads as possible in your applications. This limits the amount of resources required by the operating system.
There are several very useful benefits to threading; we can have several processes running at once, and several threads running within those processes. So, with all these benefits, why don’t we just use new threads for all of our methods? Wouldn’t that just make everything run fast? Not really. As a matter of fact, we will see in this section that quite the opposite can happen if we overuse threading.
Multithreaded applications require resources. Threads require memory to store the thread-local storage container. As you can imagine, the number of threads used is limited by the amount of memory available. Memory is fairly inexpensive these days so many computers have large amounts of memory. However, you should not assume that this is the case. If you are running your application on an unknown hardware configuration, you cannot assume that your application will have enough memory. Additionally, you cannot assume that your process will be the only one spawning threads and consuming system resources. Just because a machine has a lot of memory, doesn’t mean it’s all for your application.
You will also discover that each thread also incurs additional processor overhead. Creating too many threads in your applications will limit the amount of time that your thread has to execute. Therefore, your processor could potentially spend more time switching between threads as opposed to actually executing the instructions that the threads contain. If your application is creating more threads, your application will gain more execution time than all the other processes with fewer threads.
To make this concept easier to understand, take the parallel example you’ll find down at your local grocery store. Two cashiers are scanning groceries for their customers. However, there is only one bagger, who takes turns switching between the two cashiers. The bagger is rather efficient at jumping back and forth between the two registers and bagging the groceries because they don’t pile up any faster than the bagger can bag the groceries. However, if two more cashiers open up lanes, it will become apparent that the bagger will spend more time jumping back and forth between the registers than they spend actually bagging groceries. Eventually, the store will need to get another bagger. In the case of threading, think of the cashiers as applications - or threads, and the bagger as a processor. The processor has to switch between threads. As the “threads” increase, the grocery store has to add another “processor” to be sure that the customers get the attention they need.
The phrase “too many threads” is a rather generic term - and rightly so. What constitutes “too many” on one system could be fine on another. Since hardware configurations largely dictate the number of threads available on a system, “too many” is an unquantifiable variable without specific configuration details and lots of testing.
It is for these reasons that Microsoft recommends that you use as few threads as possible in your applications. This limits the amount of resources required by the operating system.
The New Facebook? Understanding Google+
by: Stephanie Wu
It seems like everyone has been talking about Google+ lately, a new social networking conglomerate developed by the giant Internet search engine Google. Although the platform is still in its field trial stage and is available by invitation only, there is already a large buzz about the product. So, what makes Google+ different from Facebook, the current most popular social networking site?
Through its three main features – Circles, Hangouts, and Sparks, Google+ differentiates itself because it
1) Gives the user more privacy by allowing him or her to be in full control of what is shared
2) Has a group video chat feature
3) Allows the user to uncover content rather than purely share content
For the Facebook crowd at large who is unfamiliar with Google+, here is a quick glimpse into the nuts and bolts of the new site.
The Stream
Once you get the invite, (the word is that there are currently tens of millions of users, so ask around – chances are you probably know someone who is using it) just sign in with your Gmail, Picassa, or Youtube account. You are then prompted to create your personal profile, which consists of a profile picture, introduction, education, employment, places lived, etc.
On the home screen, there is a GChat bar on the left side and a black bar at the top of the page that connects with Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Photo, Reader, and Web. Below this, there are four tabs that are quite similar to Facebook: Home, Photos, Profile, and Circles. The vast majority of the screen is taken up by a live news feed with comment and +1, or the “like”, capability of your Circles’s activities. But wait – what exactly is this “Circles” mechanism that keeps being referred to?
Circles
One of the three main features of Google+ is Circles. Circles allow you to sort your contacts into groups, including but not limited to friends, family, acquaintances, and following (like Twitter). Ever go through your 1000+ Facebook friends and not know who certain people are and how you met them? Have no fear – Google+ will keep your contacts organized.
Additionally, Circles allows you to easily share posts and pictures with only a specific group of people. There is also the option of adding friends without a Google+ account to a circle, in which they will receive your posts via email. By giving the user control of essentially every post shared, Google+ can be as private or public as you want it to be.
Hangouts
The Hangout tool is a video chat function. After downloading Google’s Voice and Video Installer, you have the capability to create a Hangout and invite up to ten people in your network to chat. Rather than planning Skype sessions in advance, Google+ posts that you are “hanging out” in the live stream and gives others the chance to jump in. Another appealing feature of Hangouts is the ability for Groups to watch Youtube videos or movies together.
An analogous application to Hangouts, the Huddle feature allows users to group chat through text. This can be useful for creating plans for the night or making decisions on a work related project.
Sparks
Sparks allows you to not only share content, but also to discover it. By typing your interests into the Sparks page that appears in your sidebar, you can stumble external sites that are of importance to you. Generally, these include current articles, videos, and other relevant content. Specifically, when I clicked on Recipes, which is one of the current featured interests, I was directed to “Foodmakers May Change Recipes to Cut Fat for Fare Advertised to Children,” “New Restaurant Shares a New Blueberry Pie Recipe,” and more. You can also share your favorite links from Sparks–and from anywhere on the web for that matter – onto your Wall.
More on Google+
Similar to other social media sites, Google+ is available for those on the go. The native mobile app currently is available for the Android, but the web app is accessible for all smartphones, and SMS is coming soon.
It is still undecided when Google+ will be fully available to the public, for Google+ representatives have stated, “How long the testing phase lasts, and how the product evolves, will really depend on how it goes. We don’t have a set amount of time” (Google+ Press Site).
But, for those who have already snagged the invite, this ultimate question remains: Will you switch to Google+ or stay with Facebook?
It seems like everyone has been talking about Google+ lately, a new social networking conglomerate developed by the giant Internet search engine Google. Although the platform is still in its field trial stage and is available by invitation only, there is already a large buzz about the product. So, what makes Google+ different from Facebook, the current most popular social networking site?
Through its three main features – Circles, Hangouts, and Sparks, Google+ differentiates itself because it
1) Gives the user more privacy by allowing him or her to be in full control of what is shared
2) Has a group video chat feature
3) Allows the user to uncover content rather than purely share content
For the Facebook crowd at large who is unfamiliar with Google+, here is a quick glimpse into the nuts and bolts of the new site.
The Stream
Once you get the invite, (the word is that there are currently tens of millions of users, so ask around – chances are you probably know someone who is using it) just sign in with your Gmail, Picassa, or Youtube account. You are then prompted to create your personal profile, which consists of a profile picture, introduction, education, employment, places lived, etc.
On the home screen, there is a GChat bar on the left side and a black bar at the top of the page that connects with Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Photo, Reader, and Web. Below this, there are four tabs that are quite similar to Facebook: Home, Photos, Profile, and Circles. The vast majority of the screen is taken up by a live news feed with comment and +1, or the “like”, capability of your Circles’s activities. But wait – what exactly is this “Circles” mechanism that keeps being referred to?
Circles
One of the three main features of Google+ is Circles. Circles allow you to sort your contacts into groups, including but not limited to friends, family, acquaintances, and following (like Twitter). Ever go through your 1000+ Facebook friends and not know who certain people are and how you met them? Have no fear – Google+ will keep your contacts organized.
Additionally, Circles allows you to easily share posts and pictures with only a specific group of people. There is also the option of adding friends without a Google+ account to a circle, in which they will receive your posts via email. By giving the user control of essentially every post shared, Google+ can be as private or public as you want it to be.
Hangouts
The Hangout tool is a video chat function. After downloading Google’s Voice and Video Installer, you have the capability to create a Hangout and invite up to ten people in your network to chat. Rather than planning Skype sessions in advance, Google+ posts that you are “hanging out” in the live stream and gives others the chance to jump in. Another appealing feature of Hangouts is the ability for Groups to watch Youtube videos or movies together.
An analogous application to Hangouts, the Huddle feature allows users to group chat through text. This can be useful for creating plans for the night or making decisions on a work related project.
Sparks
Sparks allows you to not only share content, but also to discover it. By typing your interests into the Sparks page that appears in your sidebar, you can stumble external sites that are of importance to you. Generally, these include current articles, videos, and other relevant content. Specifically, when I clicked on Recipes, which is one of the current featured interests, I was directed to “Foodmakers May Change Recipes to Cut Fat for Fare Advertised to Children,” “New Restaurant Shares a New Blueberry Pie Recipe,” and more. You can also share your favorite links from Sparks–and from anywhere on the web for that matter – onto your Wall.
More on Google+
Similar to other social media sites, Google+ is available for those on the go. The native mobile app currently is available for the Android, but the web app is accessible for all smartphones, and SMS is coming soon.
It is still undecided when Google+ will be fully available to the public, for Google+ representatives have stated, “How long the testing phase lasts, and how the product evolves, will really depend on how it goes. We don’t have a set amount of time” (Google+ Press Site).
But, for those who have already snagged the invite, this ultimate question remains: Will you switch to Google+ or stay with Facebook?
Brief History of Cloud Computing
by: Tyler Farell
Various websites that offer actively accessible information on the World Wide Web, rapidly influence much online communication and participation. Cloud computing started the history of internet this way.
Every discovery that is very obvious today has its own obvious history of how professionals or even ordinary man discover or created them. To many people, Cloud Computing was an indistinguishable and unclear word for a very unpredictable and far-away outlook of the future in which computing would take place in a little distant location. Numerous numbers of men see cloud computing as being too multifarious and advanced. Actually this statement can be answered by many website found the World Wide Web browsing itself. Because of this major innovation it’s extremely simple to search websites out there that give clear details it in a incredibly easy way.
Perhaps, anyone of us is not sure about the real history of cloud computing but maybe many people would agree that this is a product of intelligence and strong brain storming of some professionals. Yes! Maybe we can have an uncertain a sudden glance over the account or history of the cloud computing but with help of many information center now we might clear some things up about this especial type of hosting.
Looking back the history, in the middle 90’s we really ongoing to observe a few internet programs like Yahoo and Google. These types of sites all offer enthusiastically easy to get to information on the World Wide Web. The site rapidly persuades much online communication and involvement. This is where cloud computing first really started in the history of internet. Subsequently, come up to the blast of business and computer industry happens half of the 90’s. In the midst of various sites similar to Amazon and eBay amazingly made more and more accepted and persist today. By means of cloud services, societal media came after that and out of the blue many people started to see cloud computing and made some innovation that is seen today. Myspace, Facebook and Twitter in a little while go after and these group effort and networking apparatus follow standard and principle of cloud computing used by businesses today.
At some point, we would not be amazed and shocked to see some very large businesses with clouds of their own property and a number of structured integrators who continue clouds to service their customers’ desires.
Various websites that offer actively accessible information on the World Wide Web, rapidly influence much online communication and participation. Cloud computing started the history of internet this way.
Every discovery that is very obvious today has its own obvious history of how professionals or even ordinary man discover or created them. To many people, Cloud Computing was an indistinguishable and unclear word for a very unpredictable and far-away outlook of the future in which computing would take place in a little distant location. Numerous numbers of men see cloud computing as being too multifarious and advanced. Actually this statement can be answered by many website found the World Wide Web browsing itself. Because of this major innovation it’s extremely simple to search websites out there that give clear details it in a incredibly easy way.
Perhaps, anyone of us is not sure about the real history of cloud computing but maybe many people would agree that this is a product of intelligence and strong brain storming of some professionals. Yes! Maybe we can have an uncertain a sudden glance over the account or history of the cloud computing but with help of many information center now we might clear some things up about this especial type of hosting.
Looking back the history, in the middle 90’s we really ongoing to observe a few internet programs like Yahoo and Google. These types of sites all offer enthusiastically easy to get to information on the World Wide Web. The site rapidly persuades much online communication and involvement. This is where cloud computing first really started in the history of internet. Subsequently, come up to the blast of business and computer industry happens half of the 90’s. In the midst of various sites similar to Amazon and eBay amazingly made more and more accepted and persist today. By means of cloud services, societal media came after that and out of the blue many people started to see cloud computing and made some innovation that is seen today. Myspace, Facebook and Twitter in a little while go after and these group effort and networking apparatus follow standard and principle of cloud computing used by businesses today.
At some point, we would not be amazed and shocked to see some very large businesses with clouds of their own property and a number of structured integrators who continue clouds to service their customers’ desires.
A number of Gold Farming Spots You Should Know in World of Warcraft
by: Lily jenny wood
Do you know long it takes most people to get 20,000 golds in World of Warcraft? A long time! Many people dedicate their lives to try and earn that gold in order to level up. Farming gold may be the first choose.However, there are many gold farming spots in World of Warcraft. Some are good and some aren't. It is hard to find a good spot because they are either occupied all the time or they are simply not that valuable. Which is the good spot that can farm plenty wow gold? Here are several good ideas for you, which maybe helpfulto you.
1.Azshara
Azshara is one of the more popular wow gold farming spots.There are a few different approaches you can take here, you can start out with the Massive Timbermaws, then reach the Blood Elves, Blood Elves will drop Runecloth once they are killed, and there is always a market for Runecloth. Runedoth can be collected and sold at the auction house.
2.Stratholme
Stratholme is a five-man instance which is dependent on the ability of the group, can usually be run in 40 minutes to an hour. The keys to success in running the Stratholme instance are skills, experience, solid tactics, and great communication amongst your group. I've found it very easy to make a lot of gold from disenchanted items in this particular instance, making it one of the better World of Warcraft gold farming spots.
3.Stranglethorn Vale
In Stranglethorn Vale there is a spot called Crystalvein Mine where you can farm Ironjaw Basiliks. To locate this region, head east from the Gurubashi Arena. Once you have reached the spot, you will come across a good number of Ironjaw Basilisks. Ironjaw Basiliks will drop vendor trash items which you can collect and sell for significant amount of gold. You can also grind their corpses for thick leather and heavy leather.
4.Un'Goro Crater
One of the best WoW gold farming spots is Un'Goro Crater. However to make it a good farming spot, you need to have at least mining as one of your professions.I say this because there's a lot of Thorium ore in this area. This mineral sells for nice money, because it's needed in quite high quantities to skill up jewelcrafting, blacksmithing and engineering.
5. Scholomance
Another good WoW gold farming spots is in Scholomance. Many players haven't even been there before. However, since it's an instance and the creatures inside are elite, you need at least a 70 character. The mobs inside drop plenty of Runecloth, they have big chances to drop Pristine Black Diamonds needed for "The Insane", green items and other valuable stuff. There is a type of ghosts that you need to focus on inside Scholomance. The Spectral Researchers. They drop lifestealing enchanting formula which can be sold for nice gold.
6. Wintergrasp
Wintergrasp is an area which is known as PvP zone, but it's also a great place to go to when you're trying to get quick gold. There are many spots all over the zone with different elemental eternals that are clustered close together. Search the auction house for the elementals that are selling for the most gold.
7. Onslaught Harbor
Onslaught Harbor is one of the Northrend gold farming spots that I prefer because I'm a tailor. There are many humanoid mobs here that drop Frostweave Cloth , they have low HP and a high respawn rate. So I can get a lot more cloth scraps. However, you'd better keep an eye out because this is a daily quest zone and you can get attacked by an enemy player that comes for here to complete those quests.Also, there are a few daily quests on these mobs and you can make a few extra bucks if you complete them.
These areas are effective in how to make gold in the world of warcraft.You want to more knowledge about how to choose good farming gold spots? Come to igamei.com and you will find what you want.
Do you know long it takes most people to get 20,000 golds in World of Warcraft? A long time! Many people dedicate their lives to try and earn that gold in order to level up. Farming gold may be the first choose.However, there are many gold farming spots in World of Warcraft. Some are good and some aren't. It is hard to find a good spot because they are either occupied all the time or they are simply not that valuable. Which is the good spot that can farm plenty wow gold? Here are several good ideas for you, which maybe helpfulto you.
1.Azshara
Azshara is one of the more popular wow gold farming spots.There are a few different approaches you can take here, you can start out with the Massive Timbermaws, then reach the Blood Elves, Blood Elves will drop Runecloth once they are killed, and there is always a market for Runecloth. Runedoth can be collected and sold at the auction house.
2.Stratholme
Stratholme is a five-man instance which is dependent on the ability of the group, can usually be run in 40 minutes to an hour. The keys to success in running the Stratholme instance are skills, experience, solid tactics, and great communication amongst your group. I've found it very easy to make a lot of gold from disenchanted items in this particular instance, making it one of the better World of Warcraft gold farming spots.
3.Stranglethorn Vale
In Stranglethorn Vale there is a spot called Crystalvein Mine where you can farm Ironjaw Basiliks. To locate this region, head east from the Gurubashi Arena. Once you have reached the spot, you will come across a good number of Ironjaw Basilisks. Ironjaw Basiliks will drop vendor trash items which you can collect and sell for significant amount of gold. You can also grind their corpses for thick leather and heavy leather.
4.Un'Goro Crater
One of the best WoW gold farming spots is Un'Goro Crater. However to make it a good farming spot, you need to have at least mining as one of your professions.I say this because there's a lot of Thorium ore in this area. This mineral sells for nice money, because it's needed in quite high quantities to skill up jewelcrafting, blacksmithing and engineering.
5. Scholomance
Another good WoW gold farming spots is in Scholomance. Many players haven't even been there before. However, since it's an instance and the creatures inside are elite, you need at least a 70 character. The mobs inside drop plenty of Runecloth, they have big chances to drop Pristine Black Diamonds needed for "The Insane", green items and other valuable stuff. There is a type of ghosts that you need to focus on inside Scholomance. The Spectral Researchers. They drop lifestealing enchanting formula which can be sold for nice gold.
6. Wintergrasp
Wintergrasp is an area which is known as PvP zone, but it's also a great place to go to when you're trying to get quick gold. There are many spots all over the zone with different elemental eternals that are clustered close together. Search the auction house for the elementals that are selling for the most gold.
7. Onslaught Harbor
Onslaught Harbor is one of the Northrend gold farming spots that I prefer because I'm a tailor. There are many humanoid mobs here that drop Frostweave Cloth , they have low HP and a high respawn rate. So I can get a lot more cloth scraps. However, you'd better keep an eye out because this is a daily quest zone and you can get attacked by an enemy player that comes for here to complete those quests.Also, there are a few daily quests on these mobs and you can make a few extra bucks if you complete them.
These areas are effective in how to make gold in the world of warcraft.You want to more knowledge about how to choose good farming gold spots? Come to igamei.com and you will find what you want.
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