Trash !80

TRS80, was a hot item for consumers during the 1980's when I was a wee lad.

I'm a geek. I hang with geeks. I like geek type of stuff. I guess that's my label or what have you, geek.

I like electronics, particularly those that work well. I'm often interested in finding something useful to do with a new device. However, I do not like off beat computers. Ya know, efficiency models.

There was a time when a efficiency model computer was of great value to those who could not afford an expensive computer. However, these days with the margins between computer classes so close it is easily worth spending the extra 50 bucks to get a decent machine. There are certain things that are worth looking out for when buying a computer. The main thing that you don't want to slack on is the processor. Please, get a decent processor. Most other components can be replaced easily. A processor can also be replaced but, what you could swap it with is dependent on the motherboard.

All of this rambling is due to a recent computer purchase of a friend of mine. She bought a laptop. a cheap laptop. REALLY CHEAP! She makes a significantly higher amount of money than I do at her job. Not that I know the range of her expenses or anything.

The computer comes with Windows Vista, what we geeks call a resource hog. 512MB of RAM, just enough to run the OS and a Celeron processor. Celeron, ughh. It took everything I had not to go on about the hideous nature of the Celeron processor.

My issue is whether or not I forcibly argue that she ought take the computer back and buy a new one or, just try to bear the pain for these next couple of years.

Meet or Move

I somehow have formed an uncanny ability of overbooking myself.

One of my friends told me that he was moving on March 24th. I didn't have to work that weekend because of spring break so, I offered to help. This conversation took place roughly two weeks before moving day.

By Friday the 23rd, I'd completely forgotten that I was to help my buddy move. I'd now made plans to tutor two students on Saturday.

Up until this time I hadn't talked with my friend since the day I'd originally scheduled myself to assist him with moving. Anyway, 8am Saturday morning I am awakened by my cell phone. I see that its my friend who I said I'd help move. Still, I don't remember that I am to help him move. He asks, "Yo, you still gonna help me move?" I'm feeling kinda sheepish by now. I tell him that I scheduled a tutoring session. He then asks if I can drive with him to pick up a U-Haul truck and that he'd have me back before the tutoring session began.

By the time we get the U-Haul and back to the apartment it's 10am. The tutoring session was to begin at 10am.

At the time I hardly considered the ethics of the matter but... I now see that my choices were to live up to my first obligation to one person or live up to my second obligation which included two people.

Anyway, I ended up helping my friend do a load of all the heavy stuff in the apartment. I was also a tad late getting to campus to start the session.

Lab visitor

You manage a group of computer labs. There is a gentleman that comes by your lab everyday to quickly print an assignment. On one particular day before you are scheduled to work, you see the man waiting outside of one of your labs. You won't be working near that lab today. Do you let the man in early and trust him to close the door behind himself or do you let him wait knowing you have the potential to forget he is there?

Options

Your instructor asks if you've taken a plagiarism tutorial that is required for new students at your school. You respond that you have not. She informs you that she has extended the deadline by a month.

You decide to take the tutorial. When you goto the site, you find that the site says that you are not required to take the tutorial.

Do you take the tutorial or do you wait until the next class to inform the instructor that the site says that you are not required to take the tutorial?

Tutoring minute

A student comes to you and says that they need help with an assignment. You find out that the assignment is due in only a few hours and has yet to be started. As a tutor you are required to tutor the student. You really want to tell the student that he should not have waited until the last moment to do the assignment because they can generally take a while to do.

Do you tell him that there is no chance that you can help him get through the assignment before it's due or do you take another course of action?

Overbooked

You are starting to gain popularity among people in many areas of your life. You do computer work and are constantly being requested to do small jobs. You also have several groups of friends of which you regularly spend time with.

Today is Saturday. You have scheduled a tutoring session with someone from class. This particular student really needs help in the subject area. You don't usually place a cap on the amount of time you spend with the students. However, this day you have made other plans. You have to go out to dinner with some of your friends. You've also told one of your neighbors that you'd be willing to work on her computer for her.


Do you cut your time short with the student so you can go with your friends? Do you cancel your plans with you friends to fix your neighbors computer? Do you try to do all three things in the same day?

What to do?

You are in one of the many designated areas for studying that are supplied by your school. Two young ladies are also in the room studying. One of them packs her bags and leaves the room but, leaves her pocketbook behind. Should you take the bag to the security desk for her to claim it.

There is the potential that the other lady would assume that you are trying to steal the bag.

This is actually from a conversation I had with a friend (D. Bello) who came into this situation.