Dave's dashboard

A comment on the problem "Mac Pro no longer lights my 23" Cinema Display monitor upon startup." in Apple:

cleereducation...
Sorry to hear of your issue. I have found my problem to be intermittent (almost exactly every other time) and I have found a workaround that allows me to continue to use the computer, but is not ideal. I connect to my up and running MacPro (with a dark screen) via the network and put it to sleep. When I wake it, the screen lights up and works again. I can now do this via my laptop or my iPhone (using Jaadu VNC) although I suspect any computer (Windoze or *nix computer) would work with a VNC client. It isn't a great solution, but I can still use my computer.

Incidentally, I now have a second monitor attached (a non-Apple monitor) and when one is dark so is the other. That rules out the bad monitor idea and points pretty precisely at the video card.

I hope you find a workaround!

Dave – Dave, on October 05, 2009 23:30

Dave set one of Dave's replies as an official response to "mag ?" in Stratus Media Solutions

Dave replied on August 31, 2009 02:14 to the question "mag ?" in Stratus Media Solutions:

Mathieu,
Thanks for your question regarding a printed version of Drift Snowkite Magazine. Currently we only publish the magazine digitally allowing for a worldwide distribution and a free subscription.

We are exploring print on demand solutions and will make an announcement if/when this becomes an option. This is something that we would really like to do, but currently it is quite expensive and we are not sure we will be able to offer a printed version world-wide.We may also release a special print-only edition of the magazine in the future.

If Drift Snowkite Magazine was available in print, what would you like to see in it? Where would it need to be shipped (what country)? What do you think would be a reasonable price for a printed edition?

Thanks for your support!

Thanks,
Dave Grossman, Publisher
Drift Snowkite Magazine
Issue 2 is AVAILABLE NOW for FREE.

Dave started following the idea "Going to the Reporters with this one if I can't get it resolved" in Wells Fargo.

Dave replied on July 22, 2009 18:01 to the problem "Drobo hangs under heavy use" in Data Robotics:

I spoke with DataRobotics today about this very same issue. We installed an updated firmware (1.3.1) in an attempt to address this issue. This is a known issue and DataRobotics stated that the issue isn't affecting just the Drobo, but all USB devices on OS X 10.5.7 when connecting via USB 2.

Unfortunately, the updated firmware did not resolve the issue (the friendly and helpful tech support person said it probably wouldn't). I have ordered a Firewire 800 to 400 adapter to connect my Mac Mini to the Drobo since Firewire connections seem to be unaffected by this issue.

My call to DataRobotics was excellent and although the issue is still a problem, I have a better understanding of what is going on and a clear strategy for dealing with it until a fix is found.

The tech support person stated that connections via DroboShare are not affected, but my issues first started while using my DroboShare so I am not sure.

I hope that others will benefit from this information. The Drobo is a useful and easy to use storage device IF you transfer data to/from the Drobo in small chunks if you are connecting via USB. This does cripple the device pretty significantly. I hope the Firewire connection resolves the issue for me.

Dave

Dave started following the problem "Drobo hangs under heavy use" in Data Robotics.

Dave replied on July 15, 2009 16:34 to the question "Help..."Card Locked" "Memory card error"" in Eye-Fi:

Bill,
Sorry you came across this issue the way I did. Eye-Fi is apparently still struggling to present their customers clear information about their product compatibility.

I had the same problem and documented it here on Get Satisfaction in the following dialog:
http://getsatisfaction.com/eyefi/topi...

Good luck,
Dave

Dave replied on July 15, 2009 16:31 to the problem "Memory Card Error with Canon SD600 and Anniversary Edition" in Eye-Fi:

It has been many months since my initial attempts at purchasing an Eye-Fi card for my Canon point and shoot. My initial attempt with the card failed because I feel Eye-Fi did not make it clear that the Anniversary Edition card required an SDHC compatible card. My return of the card went efficiently enough and I had intended to purchase a card that was compatible with my camera, but haven't. I still see the Eye-Fi as an interesting concept and one that I would probably find useful, but I think my initial experience with the company dampened my enthusiasm enough that the product features are no longer motivating and I am no longer interested in making a purchase. I hope this is a good lesson in why it is critical to always provide clear information to your customers and to always communicate effectively and efficiently with them.

Dave

Dave replied on July 15, 2009 16:17 to the problem "Mac Pro no longer lights my 23" Cinema Display monitor upon startup." in Apple:

My continuing saga with a monitor I can't look at because it doesn't turn on has a crappy workaround, but one that works. I have found that if I put the computer to sleep and then wake it again, the monitor works. So I have Jaadu VNC on my iPhone that I can control my Mac Pro with and select File > Sleep to put the computer to sleep. Once it is asleep, I wake it my moving the mouse and the monitor lights up. Cludgy? Yes! Effective? Yes.

Since I live several hundred miles from the nearest Apple Store, this solution is going to have to work for me for a while.

Dave

Dave replied on May 26, 2009 17:16 to the question "Wordpress as a non-blog CMS" in Wordpress:

Sansracine,
Sorry for your confusion. Actually, there isn't anything to disable when using WP as a CMS instead of just a blog. What WP allows designers and users to do is easily manage the content on their website without manually creating each and every page. Since it uses a template system, WP allows content to added and managed by almost anyone using its simple, yet very powerful engine.

It is important to understand that there are two basic types of content that WP manages; posts and pages. Pages are effectively static content that don't get updated very frequently and are similar to what most static websites use. Posts are what are typically used in a blog and are more dynamic in that they are constantly being created or added. For a CMS approach, I think it is best to think of posts as news entries.

Both Pages and Posts use the excellent template system and allow for infinite customization and at the same time, careful coordination and management of the information. It is important, however to build the template to your (or your client's) specific needs. Many of the pre-made templates are designed as a blog.

I hope this helps clear up some of your confusion!

Dave

A comment on the question "Wordpress as a non-blog CMS" in Wordpress:

I am a big advocate of using WP as a CMS. It's ease of use, robust engine, large community and excellent development progress have made it ideal for deploying websites that are easy to manage and update. If you have done much web development you know that building a website is the easy part. Maintaining it is what is hard! – Dave, on March 26, 2009 06:31

A comment on the question "Uploading CSS Templates on Wordpress Hosted Blog" in Wordpress:

Oops! My response was relevant to a self-hosted wordpress blog. You have a lot less customization potential with a hosted blog.

Sorry. – Dave, on March 26, 2009 06:26

Dave replied on March 26, 2009 06:23 to the question "Uploading CSS Templates on Wordpress Hosted Blog" in Wordpress:

Wordpress uses a great template system that is easy to use once you get the hang of it. All the structure and look and feel of the site is controlled by the template you choose. That selection is made under the Appearance section of the admin. That choice points to the template folder and the php, css, images, and javascript files in that folder. To make changes to your site, you make changes to those files. You can reference images that reside in your template folder (usually in an "images" subdirectory) from your stylesheet. I would recommend spending a little time in the Codex at wordpress.org and then poke around in a template to get the feel for where things are and how they work together.

Have fun!

Dave replied on March 26, 2009 06:13 to the question "ShortURL plugin only creates a short error page. Yikes!" in Wordpress:

Page,
Have you considered updating to 2.7x? Life is much nicer on the latest and it might take care of you shortcode issue, too.

Dave gave praise in Cocoatech on March 26, 2009 04:54:

I am really impressed with Path Finder!

This application has really grown on me in a short time. It does everything the Finder should do and a whole lot more. Best of all it does it without getting in my way!

Dave replied on March 26, 2009 04:17 to the update "Join us for our first Community Webcast on Wednesday!" in Get Satisfaction:

I really thought the webcast was very valuable and insightful. Thanks for sharing your experience, some good examples, and some useful information.

A tip for the future...
Don't let your high quality information (and good voice and delivery) get overlooked because of a less-than-pro visual appearance. Consider adjusting the lighting so there isn't a hot spot on the background, and the presenter is better defined. I don't think you should shoot for high-end because I like the personal feel of GetSatisfaction, but you want your webcast to be seen by a bunch of people. Why not put the best foot forward? It isn't hard and it doesn't have to be expensive. It just takes a little effort.

Additionally, make the information contained in the webcast available as a separate download (PDF or as an iPaper document) so that we can actually remember and follow some of your ideas and suggestions. A nice outline or whitepaper would really enhance the value of the webcast.

Keep up the great work and I look forward to the next webcast!

Thanks,
Dave Grossman, Publisher
Drift Snowkite Magazine
Issue 2 is AVAILABLE NOW for FREE.

Dave replied on March 13, 2009 02:55 to the problem "Mac Pro no longer lights my 23" Cinema Display monitor upon startup." in Apple:

Hmmm... Yep. ATI x1900. My issues certainly could have corresponded with the new CS4 suite... very interesting!

I certainly chose the ATI x1900 because NVIDIA was having issues at the time and I wanted a powerhouse card that would keep the dogs of obsolescence at bay for a little while.

I had some serious video card issues a while back that eventually resolved themselves with a complete reinstall... 2 strikes and your out!

I will definitely explore this new development in more detail...

Dave

Dave replied on March 04, 2009 15:04 to the idea "copyright" in Stratus Media Solutions:

Oops! Is it 2009 already?! Thanks for pointing that out.

Dave replied on March 03, 2009 02:58 to the idea "article on snowkite etiquette" in Stratus Media Solutions:

Great suggestion. We have a couple articles in the works that will deal with this important topic. As snowkiting grows and we share the snow and wind with more kiters, being courteous and safe becomes even more important. Thanks for the feedback!

Dave set one of Dave's replies as an official response to "article on snowkite etiquette" in Stratus Media Solutions