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The Internet is an Evil Place

authorKevin Costain    
blog

Today, the tectonic rumblings of what Donald Trump might have done to whom probably drowned out a interesting news from a celebrity. He’s Pete Davidson, a funny guy who’s known for his SNL performances and currently being engaged to Ariana Grande. He quit the internet, and left a great message while signing off (emphasis mine):

“No nothing happened. No there’s nothing cryptic about anything. I just don’t wanna be on Instagram anymore. Or on any social media platform. The internet is an evil place and it doesn’t make me feel good,” the comedian said. “Why should I spend any time on negative energy when my real life is f***ing lit. The fact that I even have to say this proves my point. I love you all and I’m sure I’ll be back at some point. :) your neighborhood goon, Pete.”

This was probably something you didn’t know or track in the cacophony of celebrity news, but Davidson has signalled something that few have done. He’s at the beginning of the end of public figures on the Internet, and frankly, the Internet is an evil place.

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The Strange Case of Dell VRTX Hard Disk Compatibility [Solved]

authorKevin Costain    
blog

Dell 8TB

Early June of this year, I ordered five more drives for a client’s Dell PowerEdge VRTX server enclosure, This in addition to the currently installed seven 2TB drives that were humming along just fine. My only request from Dell is that these drives be the biggest we can get, and that they be compatible with the running VRTX enclosure. Simple, right? So we ordered the $8,000 in hard drives, and waited. The drives themselves would kick off a strange saga of failure and support that I can’t recall since working on another blade system, one made by IBM.

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Having Growth Mindset for Smaller-Sized IT Consultants

authorKevin Costain    
blog

Pixabay - https://pixabay.com/en/sapling-plant-growing-seedling-154734/

In business, I’ve heard it said that we must “Grow or die” (by who, I wonder?). This is one of the more pervasive business myths I see so many in those that run IT consulting companies supporting the SME space. They think that for the business to succeed, it needs to expand the revenue base and hire on a bunch of employees. Yes, this is one path, but there are many other well-worn paths to success in this business. Growth is important and achievable even if your a single person shop. How? By having a growth mindset.

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Do I need a ticketing system?

authorKevin Costain    
blog

Ticket by Andres Moreno

The (pervasive) and conventional wisdom seems to be that all MSP’s and IT solution companies need ticketing systems. All incoming service calls absolutely need to be routed through a ticketing system and not via phone calls or other means. If you seek out advice online in this regard, you’re pummelled with all the stern advice about ticketing systems and the various free (and not so free) options.

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My Book Recommendations To End 2017

authorKevin Costain    
blog

Books to read 2017

This year has been a great year to read books. Whether is was picking up Sapiens in Ireland this summer, or relaxing on a beach in Portugal reading another, I was not without a book in hand for many days this year. I thought I’d share the books I’ve read and feel are worth your time. These aren’t ranked in any particular order, as think they’re all worthy of your attention.

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Apple’s September 2017 Event

authorKevin Costain    
blog

Apple Event Invite 2017

Today, Apple’s event heralded a number of firsts. The first to happen that the Steve Jobs Theatre. The first to be almost completely spoiled by leaks, and the first to introduce a phone starting at $999US. Apple was also expected to do but things in augmented reality and include wireless charging. I watched the event and here are my thoughts on what’s coming with Apple. 

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Your Guide to the Confusing Microsoft Office 2016 ‘My Account’ Service and How to Take Control

authorKevin Costain    
blog

Office 2016 Logo

You might have wondered why licensing Retail versions of Microsoft Office 2016 on Windows has become so cumbersome and clunky and confusing? Why does Microsoft force a login to install and activate Office?  Why is this service so bad at showing information and handling more than one installation? If fact, if you have more than one retail copy of Office to install and activate on the same account, you’re in for serious confusion. I can’t answer all these questions, but I’ll show you how to fix this mess so you can install Office and move on.

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