mb2k01

It seems unlikely Stone are to blame directly for GPO issues or IE windows...? I would be inclined to think that it was just a coincidence. If it was hardware related (for instance they were all overheating, or all failing to display etc) then it would be easier to blame Stone (or at least the componants they use) In the areas that are affected, are they entirely serviced by Stone kit, or do they also have other brands there? Have they always done this, or is it recently? Do they all have up-to-date Windows Updates etc? Not different from any other networked PC's in any other way apart from the brand?

Japanese listen to health concerns and abandon plans for Wireless Technologies.

Just over three years ago I started chatting to someone who lived reasonably close to me via a popular(ish) social networking site (none of the big ones that you'd put in your top 3!).... met up with her after a week or so and took it from there. Three years on, and we've lived together for most of our time together, currently living in our dream home and loosly talking about kids (loosly being the correct term - we both work in education, so spend enough time with kids as it is!)

If your situation calls for it, then it wouldn't harm getting a job outside of IT for a while...? Sounds like your main concern is money and the baby arrival - so any job is better than no job? Once you've worked for a while and been able to save a bit you can start taking some IT exams and applying for more positions?

IT Master, By chance, I happen to have read a few of your previous threads, so am more aware of your struggle than some others. I have to say, your implicit remark about the possibility of racism is very unlikely to be the reason you're not in employment. The fact that you suggest it might be seem to me like you might have some issues of your own along those lines to sort out. Your other threads have really covered all you need to know. In this current climate no one can expect to simply walk in to a job - they need to fight for one, and to be prepared to stand out from everyone else. They also need to keep going and learn to deal with rejection positively, asking for feedback and working towards resolving critique. A previous thread said you were thinking about taking some exams, and you felt sure that you could simply put in for the exams without even studying! If that is truly the case, I would suggest it is a good starting point. You might have all the experience in the world, but without proof it isn't going to get you noticed. This post might seem a bit harsh, but in some ways I think this is what you need. If you KNOW you are able to perform in a high-quality role then focus on that and spend your energy searching for posts and filling in application forms. Don't give up or think negatively.

Will this enable moodle uploads past 60mb? Can it be set to a specific value of say 300MB? I too have found the 60MB a bit of a drag and counter-productive, but if we could specific something larger (rather than having it endless) it would be good!

That's my next step as a last ditch effort. Do you recommend VMware over Virtual PC? (I've never used VMWare)

Indeed. It exceeded the specification I was given, so didn't anticipate problems. I'm unlikely to purchase a server for the purposes of a 30 day evalutation.

Slightly naughty of me to bump this thread to the top again, but a lot of you were very helpful when I posted the thread, so I thought I'd post an update for those that are interested. I'd arranged to evaluate Network Guardian when the new release was available, and after asking various questions about appropriate hardware spec and what would be needed + making a firewall change with our ISP (to make sure the Smoothwall client itself wasn't getting a filtered connection) I was ready to go. Today was day one of our evaluation..... Unfortunately I'm no further forward than I was this morning (in fact technically further behind than I was this morning!) I was told that all I needed was a client with a decent dual core processor, decent amount of RAM and decent Hard drive - so this morning proceeded to unpacking a brand new Acer Veriton (I have a couple in the office ready for replacements / swap-outs!) 1st problem - installation could detect USB storage device (turned out to be front USB + card reader - so whipped the side of and unplugged it!) 2nd problem - Couldn't find storage interface - rang support - very helpful (as all previously said here) and found it might be an EHCI issue - asked to search BIOS for relating settings and disable. 3rd problem - Not really any EHCI settings, but a few SATA related settings, so proceeded to change some settings on a trial and error basis - nothing working so called support again. It was suggested that chipset may be issue and that SATA wasn't helping, so proceeded to put an IDE drive in there! 4th problem- Get past the stage where installation said a storage device wasn't there, but not have CD drive not present, and the message also says a NIC driver can't be found! (I assume the CD issue is because that is SATA too - Not got as far as the NIC). Ring support again. Suggested that I download Fedora and run from CD on this station to give some output/technical detail. 5th problem - Fedora won't run! Get the boot screen, but then go to a completely black screen with no activity. Get bored after about 30min and try again. Same happens, so phone support. Suggested that I try an experimental install from a USB key. Proceed to download iso and app to do this 6th problem - can't mount the image to the disk. It's either permissions based (running Vista which hasn't been tested) or something else. Try a different computer and find the USB device is now dead! Reformat the USB device, but then suggested I run Fedora on my workstation (not the one we've previously tried and failed). 7th problem - Fedora won't run on my workstation (completley different hardware to the evaluation server I chose - Stone Computer, Intel Motherboard, about 1-2yrs old) Ending advice = find new hardware. Well... I've picked two reasonable bits of kit within my enviroment and neither will work. If I buy anything newer is it going to work? This post is not really a dig at support - the guy on support who dealt with me all today was very professional and understanding - always called me back when he said he would, always there when I picked up the phone - just ultimately not actually able to help me get anything working here today. Summary - you could say today has been a pretty bad day. The only other actvities I've carried out today are point out to supposedly highly-educated members of staff common sense resolutions to silly jobs, or done the usual thing of doing their jobs for them! Not sure if i'll go any further with this evaluation. It went from extremely positive comments -> extremely good live demonstration -> most frustrating 7hrs i've had in quite some time! Maybe life will look rosier after a decent meal, some cocodomal (banging headache!) and a game of Fifa! Oh - I got a promotion today lol. That's good. (Maybe i'll just delegate this instead!)

I used to share this opinion, but have used a HP OfficeJet Pro K550 for the last year or so (in my dept and the Heads office) and although not done anything fancy like a cost analysis, firmly believe they are far cheaper when compared to our lasers (which are mostly MagiColour)

Stone Computers - Call Jamie on 01785 285648 Tell him MarkB from Cornwall sent you! (We might both gets discounts!!) 5yr next day on site business warrenty as standard, ultra reliable and fantastic support (search on here for Stone Computers - there are various other threads on them)

You can access ours here We went live in Sep09 and have every teacher and ever student logging on regulaly. Content is being updated and added all the time, and the sytems is being developed continually ad-hoc. The theme stands out quite a bit from conventional ones out there - and are heavily based on the work of Shaun Daubney, which are freely available on the Moodle.org site

Hi apoth0r, If you use LDAP authentication it is easy. Log in as admin, go to Users > Authentication > LDAP Server > Scroll down to the Data Mapping section and make sure that the First Name and Surname fields are set as Locked (obviously with LDAP enteries for the system to pick up the names they have in AD)

Lol. Everyone has a Line Manager - they have to. What does your job description / contract of employment say? If you have never been introduced to one, then it will almost certainly be the Head. In which case, you're in a fantastic position as you can make them aware of the situation without having to go via anyone else. Go and knock on their door after reading this!

Completely agree. You might only be paid as a technician, and might only have that level of experience (possibly?), but you are essentially the only technically minded person there from your description. You are certainly the only person who has a good case for opting out. I'd definately recommend a conversation with the Headteacher. Out of interest, who is your line manager? Have they agreed with you on this, or do they not have an opinion?

Hi Silver, What is your position at the school? If you are the Network Manager (or similar) then I would have thought you had input in to the policy creation, and would be told to opt out of some of the terms. If you are a technician, you would need to make sure that the activities you mentioned are within the terms of your contract, and that your line manager makes a case to management that you (and the other appropriate members of your team) need to be exceptions.

+10000 for that man! Mb2k01 = born and bread in Yorkshire. Brought up on Labour. Likely to next vote Conservative!

Nope! I have a 4cd business upgrade version too! (From the days when MS shipped out huge folders of disks for Schools Agreement customers!)

All ordered on the same day.... 1 x Xbox 360 (PM me if you like Skate 2 or Fifa 09!), 4 x eBuyer HomePlugs (because I'm too lazy to run Cat5 cable round my house!) 2 x BT iPlugs after reading a recomendation on here (unfortunately I didn't read it well enough, as my phone sockets are too old lol!)

There's probably an argument for the opposite as well... If you get electricians in to cost a job that isn't in their area of expertise, then the potential is there to have to add or change elements of the job at a later date. You might find for the sake of a couple of £K you have actually purchased a system not man-enough (excuse the phrase!) to do the job. If you went to a specialist then they should be able to give you a full breakdown of costs and answer all of the questions you had about the system (maybe then putting you in the position of going out and getting quotations for similar kit elsewhere!)

I'd forget electricians and get some specialist air con people in. They will be able to advise the best way forward. We have a pitiful 1400btu portable solution for our server room at the minute, but with a new school being built in 2 years time (ish!) there isn't much interest in kitting it out much more than that!

Licensing wise the info above is what I believe to be accurate. Although we don't currently host a station (although are due to in the future using a professional installation which I'm not involved with), I know Windows Media Encoder to be an excellent piece of software for allowing broadcast via Internet/Intranet. It's free, and does everything you could want it to do as well as being able to loop pre-recorded streams etc. Link here

Maybe they are! Don't get me wrong- the bit I wrote above saying I don't mind being contacted etc is true - I actually welcome the chance to explain things like this as not many people care enough to ask or are interested! I'm just not sure it's the correct way of going about things. I think if roles were reversed, I would get in trouble for contacting a governor directly rather than via the Head! I did end my email by thanking them again and giving them the opportunity to ask more and/or have a look at the final draft of the new policy at a later date!

I think that is probably the line that our Head will take (who incidentally is my line manager!). I have no problem being contacted by anyone, be it governor or parent, but if procedure exists then it should really be followed!