This is the Webmaster's Page of Stuff
The Webmaster
Ever wondered who The Webmaster is? Well, everything you ever wanted to know but were afraid to ask is on this page.
This page gives information about me, the web site and also PC help and advice. You can get free email advice about your PC. Check below for more information about this.
Anyway, this is me, and I am the one who is responsible for the content of the Limekilns Parish Church web site.
Mrs. Webmaster and I moved to Charlestown in December 2005. We are both involved with the New Life Service and also run a house-group at our home every second Thursday.
A few things about me which you might not know (and probably won't care - The Webmaster).
I like heavy rock music
I love useless pieces of information
I make rock buns and pancakes for house group
I can do a Rubik cube in less than 3 minutes
And, I have a tendency to take things less seriously than I possibly should, which might explain some of the little asides which are littered throughout the site. (Just because you go to church doesn't mean you have to be completely boring - The Webmaster)
PC Hints and Tips
Did you know that more than 80% of home PCs are infected with some sort of virus or spyware?
Despite my article in the Summer '08 Village Link (Available for download on this site - The Webmaster), I still see computers which have things appearing and when I ask the owners if they installed it, they say, "It just appeared one day"! I find it incredible that things can just appear and people are not concerned!
If something 'just appears', be concerned, be very concerned, it is unlikely to be friendly and will not go away on its own.
If your PC is running much slower than it used to, it could be caused by a few things - see my article in the Autumn edition of Village Link, (Aslo available for download on this site - The Webmaster). Most times it is either very short on RAM and/or there are a lot of things running which don't need to and/or there are infections using the processor. If it is one of these, it can probably be helped to speed up fairly easily.
I still see PCs with Windows XP Service Pack 1. This is not a secure operating system and should by updated immediately. But how do I know if I still only have Service Pack 1 Webmaster? Good question. The easiest way to tell is to watch your PC start up. There are small coloured lights which go from left to right as it loads. If the lights are green, you have SP1, if they are blue, you have SP2 or SP3. This only applies to XP machines. Vista currently has green lights, with or without SP1.
If you are thinking about replacing an ageing PC but don't want to go to Windows Vista, don't worry just yet. It is still possible to get PCs and laptops with XP installed. Apart from the fact that, in my opinion, XP is a more user friendly and reliable operating system, you won't have to change your programs or most of your hardware if you already have an XP machine; a few older printers and scanners etc. don't work with Vista. Also, Vista can be a real scunner (stop me if I get too technical - The Webmaster) with networks, especially wireless. Where XP just worked, Vista has over complicated things unnecessarily.
There are also certain types of processor which should avoided in new PCs as it can cost as little as £30 more to get a good one.
What about Broadband?
I am not going to plug any particular ISP (internet Service Provider) as you should look at your own requirements and decide from there. However, I would say that I was with Pipex, but they have since sold to Tiscali and I have so many problems and am just about to move to BT.
Some companies offer really good deals but most are dependant on having their own equipment in the exchange. Unfortunately, in Limekilns and Charlestown, we are on an exchange which is unlikely to support these better deals for quite a while. That means some of the really good deals like O2 are not going to be an option. However, there are still some good options available.
Don't go for a package which offers you more than you are going to use as it will probably be more expensive and therefore wasting money. If all you want is broadband, just get broadband. If you are not going to watch TV or make internet calls, don't pay for such a package.
I have been asked a few times about these free laptops which some companies offer. In most cases, you are going to be paying around £35 per month usually for a minimum contract of 18 months, which is around £630. You can get basic broadband for as little as £15 per month and only £7 for the first three months of that for a minimum 12 month contract. Even carrying that on for the 18 months, it is only around £260, which is around £400 less than the free laptop deal.
My recommendation would be to get a basic broadband package and use the money you save to buy a better laptop for around £360 with Windows XP installed and get some sweets with the money left over.
The following are lists of some DOs and DON'Ts
DO...
- † Back up your data BEFORE your PC dies
- † Keep your security programs up to date and run them regularly
- † Install critical updates for your operating system
- † Shut down the computer properly
- † Tell people in emails that you have attached something
- † Contact someone to ask if they sent an attachement if you are not sure
- † Get someone to check out your PC as soon as it start behaving strangely
- † Secure your wireless network
- † Clear out your Inbox once in a while
- † Uninstall programs you no longer use
- † Put something in the Subject line of an email
- † Use free security programs
- † Use a second email address for registering for things on-line
DON'T...
- † Turn off your PC by switching it off at the wall socket
- † Click anywhere on any windows which appear from nowhere
- † Send emails to multiple recipients and put every address in the To or Copy field
- † Send attachments and NOT tell the recipient you have sent it
- † Wait until your PC dies before you get someone to check it out
- † Put a password on your PC unless you have a good reason for it
- † Create multiple user accounts unless people actually NEED a private account
- † Create multiple user accounts and then all use the same one
- † Run your recovery disc unless you have backed-up your data
- † Install Messenger PLUS
- † Muck about inside your PC unless you know what you are doing
- † Leave the Subject line of an email empty
- † Use your main email address for registering for things on-line
- † Give companies your email address just because they ask for it
- † Put your PC into hibernate when you are finished - switch it off!
- † Use RW CDs and DVDs unless you have a good reason
If you are not sure about any of the above points, I would be happy to give free advice via email. Click this link to
The web site
I wanted to contribute something to the church, so in 2006 I offered to build and maintain this web site and, after working on it for while, uploaded it on February 21st, 2006. Since then, it has grown quite a bit and now gets around 1000 visitors a month.
The Limekilns Church web site is gradually growing into a complete record of information about our church.
The site itself has several scripts running which do a few things automatically. E.g. the fact of the week on this page and the service times on every page. The verse of the day script on the home page checks to see which month it is, then calls an array of verses and puts the correct one on screen. This takes its readings from your PC's clock, so if your clock it not set to the correct date, you will get a different verse to everyone else. This script lets me input the verses for several months in advance.
If, for any reason, you don't have Javascript enabled on your browser, you won't get this information.
There is a similar script on the Worship page, however, that one displays quotes at the top of the page but gives the visitor one at random from around 40 different quotes.
If there is anything you would like to see added to the site, let me know.