🚀 go-pugleaf

spodosaurus committed to the eternal aether...:

> The Real Andy wrote:
>> On Mon, 31 Oct 2005 07:26:59 GMT, Damien McBain
>> <news1@themadbomber.net> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>>>The Real Andy committed to the eternal aether...:
>>>
>>>
>>>>On Sun, 30 Oct 2005 14:03:00 GMT, Damien McBain
>>>><news1@themadbomber.net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>The Real Andy committed to the eternal aether...:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>On Sun, 30 Oct 2005 10:01:10 +1100, "Sam" <sam_man@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I am interested in getting views on a proposed office network. I have taken
>>>>>>>some advice from a boffin but have no way of checking whether that advice is
>>>>>>>good or bad. I am hoping that the collective brains trust in these groups
>>>>>>>might shed some light on the subject. Please bear in mind that I am not far
>>>>>>>advanced from computer illiterate. If these questions are incomprehensible
>>>>>>>then that might be the explanation.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>We have 4 staff, each with their own stand alone computers. I am going to
>>>>>>>acquire four new computers. Those in my office tell me that I need to change
>>>>>>>the current arrangement to an office network.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>What is wrong with what you have now? Why would you want to change
>>>>>>what you have? Does what you have work? Would you prefer more
>>>>>>peformance? If so, how would you like an increase in performance? How
>>>>>>will buying 4 new PC's help your business perform better? How would
>>>>>>you like your business to peform better?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>The use will be e-mail, web searching and small accounting system.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>How do you currently use email? Does everyone have a modem? Do you use
>>>>>>a centralised server for distributing email? 
>>>>>>
>>>>>>What about web serching? IS that done via individual dial up accounts
>>>>>>too?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>What accounting system do you use?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>The questions I would like to answer for the new office network are
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>1. is a server as well as the 4 desk tops a good idea. ie what would a
>>>>>>>server add? Is it just the ability to view/access others files? What are the
>>>>>>>relative advantages and disadvantages of adding a server eg accessibility
>>>>>>>and cost effectiveness?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>How long is a piece of string? If my string was longer, could i do
>>>>>>more? If the string was shorter, would i save more money? Perhaps
>>>>>>several peices of string would distribute the load better?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>2. Is Celeron or AMD preferable vis-a-vis pentium 4.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I prefer the short string.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>3. Are there any issues bout these being accessible and cost effective?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I dont think you really know what you want here, that is the big
>>>>>>issue. Buying 4 new computers just becuase your staff want them may
>>>>>>not be the right thing to do. You need to tell us your problems rather
>>>>>>than asking for advice on something that no one here can answer. What
>>>>>>has prompted you to investigate buying new PC's?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>IT is my life now, and one thing i can assure you is that 95% of my
>>>>>>customers do not know, nor understand what they want. You need to
>>>>>>analyse your business before you ask questions. Have a good solid
>>>>>>think about where your problems are, then use that as a grounding to
>>>>>>ask questions. Think aboout how you can increase performance, and this
>>>>>>may lay in buying PC's that dont crash or a faster. 
>>>>>>
>>>>>>You boffin may be trying to sell you his business. You need to focus
>>>>>>on your business.
>>>>>
>>>>>I'd be amazed if anyone would actually buy anything from a pretentious
>>>>>smart arse like you m8.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Funny that, i usually find that business like it when i ask them what
>>>>they need and force them to question what they really need. I used to
>>>>outsell the sales guys in my last job, and guess who always landed the
>>>>big contracts?
>>>
>>>That's fair enough even if it's true, but in your previous post you were
>>>insinuating that the fella is a complete dope who knows nothing about his
>>>business, or has not already analysed his business. You don't know anything
>>>about his process to date, you just assume it's flawed. Pretentious.

>> Hang on a tick, let me quote the OP.
>> 
>> "I am interested in getting views on a proposed office network. I have
>> taken some advice from a boffin but have no way of checking whether
>> that advice is good or bad." 
>> 
>> "Please bear in mind that I am not far advanced from computer
>> illiterate. If these questions are incomprehensible then that might be
>> the explanation."
>> 
>> I was not assuming he did not know his business. I was assuming that
>> based on the comments that he did not understand how the computers or
>> data requirements affected his business.

> And I got the same impression from the OP's post. I'm really not sure 
> what crawled up Damien's backside and laid eggs, as he still hasn't 
> responded to my other post in this thread asking him what precisely he 
> took issue with.

It would have been along the lines of what I responded to Andy's with.

I don't think the OP indicated any ignorance about his business, only about
computers. For all we know, he's briefed the 'boffin' about what his needs
are, the boffin has proposed a solution and OP is soliciting some feedback
from this petshop.

Andy wrote "You need to analyse your business before you ask questions".
Presumptuous at minimum.

BTW, I don't necessarily disagree with the advice, it's just worded in a
smart-arse disingenuous way.