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'You're out of control.'
  technofile
Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983

A year in review: Snippets of life on the e-mail highway


Dec. 28, 1997

By Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 1997, The Syracuse Newspapers

   I get a lot of mail. Some of it is funny, some of it is touching and some of it is -- well, just plain wild. And some, as longtime readers know by now, comes from the lynching gang. Here's a look back at some snippets of life in the e-mail jungle. I don't have the full initials of some of my correspondents, and I've saved some letters that have no recognizable return addresses. Some of those are too good to leave out.
   I am 50 years old & 2 years ago I knew nothing about computers. But I bought one and now I am hooked! -- G.
   Thanks for the help. I read somewhere that too much e-mail can drive a person nuts. -- H.S.
   Thanks for the help with my computer. We're now up and running. -- N.R.
   Your column is the first thing I read each Sunday Morning. (OK, the second thing, after Dave Barry.) -- J.M.
   Just wanted to let you know that I used parts of your config.sys and autoexec.bat files you emailed to me to piece back together mine. Now I have them on floppy, tape, and printed out. -- K.M.
   Thank you for such a well laid-out series of pages on the net, you are certainly more helpful and cordial than anywhere else I've been in Cyberspace. -- J.B.
   I just want to tell you how much I enjoy your web site. Your article The Wall really struck home and I sent it to quite a few friends and relatives. -- E.T.
   I was in turn angered and appalled by some of your recent articles in the Sunday Stars segment. Yes, I am a Mac user, and no, I am not a Mac fanatic. -- E.T.
   Wow! I'm impressed with your fast response. Especially on Thanksgiving Day! -- S.L.V.
   The story in last week's technofile was a little disappointing in your view of the Mac for new computer buyers. The point I would like to make is that for the beginning user the Macintosh is often easier to learn, use and most importantly repair. _C.P.
   Why is it that PCs keep such lousy time? -- Unknown
   Why don't you just come out and print it? "Don't Buy A Mac." Of course, the subhead would need to read "I can't give you valid reasons not to buy a Mac, I just don't like them." At least you have the kahoonas to say what you think. -- J.R.
   I just wanted to tell you that I enjoy your column very much, and look forward to reading it each week. Your approach is most understandable, and not cluttered with a lot of "computer-speak!" -- D.M.
   I just finished reading LL's letter in the November 23 edition of the Star. All I can say is WOW!!!!. Plain English, unless they taught a deranged version when I was in school some 20 years ago, is exactly what you speak. -- M.
   Do you teach anywhere besides the papers? -- J.
   Followed your suggestion and everything is working fine now. -- E.
   Mopy fish is great! I named him "Gizmo." -- K.C.
   I first would want to thank you for all of your very interesting and helpful articles. Your TV show is also very informative. For a junior in high school I am very into computers and get a lot of help from you. -- M.T.
   I was a teacher before I was a nurse and I sense that special ability in you. As far as repaying a past kindness, you have definitely succeeded. -- N.
   Thank you for making my Sunday mornings more enjoyable. -- J.T.
   Thank you, thank you, thank you, Bless you, my son!!! I FEEL GOOD!! SOOO GOOD!!!
   I want to thank you for your help. I am so delighted I could turn cartwheels if I were half a century younger! -- M.L.W.
   I am a 62-year-old widow who four weeks ago today bought a PC. Every Sunday. I would eagerly await the Stars magazine to read the video section. Now I wait for your articles. Big help, Thank you. -- Unknown
   You say Macs are incompatible. When was the last time you tried installing some stuff on your PC? -- D.Y.
   Just wanted to send you a note of thanks for all your articles on computers in general, and Windows 95 in particular. -- E.H.
   About a month ago I wrote to you about a problem I was having with Outlook in Office 97. Your advice straightened out my problem and I wanted to thank you! -- D.B.
   Thank you for all the tips and making everything easy to understand! (And it's free!) -- K.R.
   Your columns are the highlight of Sunday mornings because of all that I learn from what you are writing about. I don't have time with my busy schedule to attend any proper schooling in computer education, so I compromise with absorbing your columns. -- E.A.
   Thank you for your amazingly quick response to my question. -- R.K.
   You need a search engine on your Web site. You're out of control. -- B.
   I think you made my day. -- S.
   I have read your columns in the newspaper and on the web ("The Mac reality"). Your conclusions are as ill supported as the Mac mavens you denigrate. -- Unknown
   July 13, 1997 "Some great Web sites...." You forgot your own. -- V.P.
   Just thought I would drop you a note and say thanks for the quality of information that you are passing on. This is good stuff! -- M.M.
   Thank you so much for the information, unfortunately it didn't work. -- L.
   It's me again. I tried what you suggested. It did not work. -- C.
   All I did was try to do what your column advised. It didn't work and I have no clue as to how to proceed. -- Unknown
   I hate to be a pest. -- L.F.
   Am I doing something wrong or what? -- T.D.
   Someday I'll have to get a Computer Dictionary to translate a lot of your expressions. -- B.P.
   I do believe that you should know better but after waiting a week to see you admit the error but not seeing anything in print I thought I would write. You refer to shareware by the term annoyware and how some freeware program gets rid of the button to remind users to pay for the software. Is it really too much to ask that people pay for the software they use? -- R.S.
   First off I would like to thank you for your articles. They have helped, provoked thought and provided entertainment for me for several years now. Thank you. I was a lifetime resident of the Syracuse area, until a recent move to North Carolina, and looked forward to your article in the Stars every week. Thanks to the miracle of modern technology, and a little of your own sweat, I will be able to continue to read your articles every week through your Web site. -- B.K.
   I wanted you to know that it was wonderful to be able to ask someone a question and get a speedy reply back that was helpful and I felt comfortable relying on what you told me. -- N.A.K.
   I just stumbled on your Web page today and as a Network Administrator, used-to-be Amiga user, current PC and Windows 95 user and Unix newbie, I am impressed! -- S.L.
   Par Excellence, Professor!!! You are the greatest!!!! -- J.S.
   Thank you for having such an extensive list of your previous columns online. -- S.M.
   I am interested in knowing how to get in touch with anyone who knows about the personal tracking device (mentioned in an article) because of a "stalker" who needs this device planted in his vehicle to protect his wife. -- H.
   The box said: "Requires Windows 3.1 or better," so I bought a Macintosh. -- Unknown
   Your columns have gotten to the point where you too have been seduced into thinking Windows means Win 95 and those who are not on the leading edge of technology should be ignored. -- T.A.D.
   You are the guiding light in my Dad and my lives. Your columns are great! -- S.S.
   I am a local high school student and I often enjoy reading your column. I have unfortunately done many of the things you warn computer users not to do. -- H.L.
   For a junior in high school I am very into computers and get a lot of help from you. -- M.T.
   I am still amazed how fast you can respond to all your e-mail. You should be dubbed the PC GURU of Syracuse. -- G.G.
   I was very touched by your article about your daughter and I just wanted to thank you. -- D.M.L.
   I was touched by your column about Emma. There are those among us, myself included, who, through ignorance or by way of simply not knowing what to say, say nothing in the belief that the less said, the less pain caused. -- B.C.
   I live in Rochester and make a point of purchasing the Herald American primarily so that I may read your columns. -- J.B.
   I wish I had some spare $$ to send along with this note, but alas, all I can afford at this time is my gratitude and compliments. -- D.P.
   Thank you very much for your article in the March 30th issue of the "Syracuse Herald American" concerning password problem in Windows 95! I have been beating my head against the wall trying to get the Dial-Up-Networking to save the password. Your tip worked very well. -- R.
   Your Home Technology article is the reason why we are buying the Sunday newspaper. _G.V.
   I saw your homepage. I am a commercial still photographer in Southern Cal. If you ever need some stills send me a message. -- J.
   We've put up what we feel is an intriguing site for one of our clients focused around the subject of "hammers." -- F.
   When I sit down to work on my computer at work or at home, I usually end up getting a small electric shock from the mouse. -- S.
   Just a quick note to express my appreciation for your responsiveness to all our recent messages. -- F.B.
   I really like your column, but I can't believe you sticking up for AOL! -- W.A.
   I am a steady reader of your columns. But I am furious because they put all your articles back to back on one page. I had separate folders for Dr. Gizmo, Bytes and Pieces, Bit Player, and technofile and now (sorry to say it this way) some idiot decides they should be put back to back. -- J.M.
   I want tell how much I look forward to your columns each week, and how much I have learned about this beast on my desk from you. -- K.J.
   Your little 'goodies' are beauts, especially your registry backup. I have got this installed and it works great!! -- J.S.
   First of all Al, thank you for responding personally. It's nice to know some people still read and respond to their e-mail themselves. -- C.M.
   I was really shocked when you warned readers buying there first computer to "Be Wary Of such brands as Packard Bell." I have always read your column and considered you an authority on computers, but being a satisfied Packard Bell user I really have to wonder how you derive with this advice. A Former Reader. -- D.H.
   Guess who this is from? You went to court to testify for me with that horrible computer against the computer store. My husband has it now. I got married. -- P.B.
   Your article today was poorly researched and has misinformed the general computing public. -- E.N.
   I was disappointed to see that you had to waste valuable space in yesterday's paper to educate consumers. -- R.T.
   I've learned most of what I know about computers from you. -- M.C.
   Is it possible that Bill Gates has embedded a subliminal hypnotic message in DOS that eventually makes its habitual users (or victims, if you will) express a kind of Tourette's effect when the subject of Macintosh comes up? How else to explain your bizarre claim that Macs are incapable of multitasking? -- B.E.
   I enjoy your column very much, even though I am a MAC user! -- D.C.
   I really appreciate the way you take technical terms and concepts and explain them in a way that everyone can understand. As a former newspaper writer and editor, I know that can be a tough task. -- P.K.
   First off, you dumped on Apple; second, you ignore my very good Internet Service Provider. Three strikes and you're.... -- W.B.
   I found the article about Macs not only deceptive and uninformative, but also insulting to those of us at my firm who subscribe to this journal. Please present articles that are not so derogatory. -- P.F.
   This is my first message to be sent via the Internet. If all goes well this connection, could you please send me back a note letting me know everything was received and when. -- W.A.H.
   You seem set in your opinions and don't want to hear the other side. -- B.
   Well I thought you had lost your marbles when you told me to delete my autoexec and config files but it works great! -- M.G.K.
   As a child I used to look forward to the Sunday paper for the comics, later the Parade magazine and more recently the Editorial Page. Thanks to your page I know again have entertainment with my Sunday morning donuts. -- J.S.
   The Herald Company is really lucky to have you as their technology guru. I listen to these guys on the radio sometimes on Sunday and laugh out loud. -- E.F.
   Your article, "The Wall," really struck home and I sent it to quite a few friends and relatives. -- E.T.
   I was in turn angered and appalled by some of your recent articles in the Sunday Stars segment. -- E.J.T.
   Your approach is most "understandable" and not cluttered with a lot of "computer-speak!" -- D.M.
   I was a teacher before I was a nurse and I sense that special ability in you. As far as repaying a past kindness, you have definitely succeeded. -- N.
   You really are a very patient guy to handle all the (many times redundant) questions e-mailed or faxed to you. -- J.S.
   You probably just saved me 100 bucks! -- P.R.
   You stink!!!!!! -- Unknown
   Your column of today's Herald-American was warm, touching, and quite, quite memorable. Don't know if you're a religious guy or not but, since I truly believe God watches over us all. -- R.C.