I got this idea from another forum that I frequent from time to time. I thought it would be fun for any newcomers to get to know some of the more frequent posters on the site.

Anyway, I'll start.

Forum Name: All4Fun
Given Name: Richard

My name is Richard Garner and currently live in the greater Toronto, Ontario, Canada area and have worked in technology formally since 1992. For some background, the company I worked for at that time was using Microsoft LAN Manager under OS/2 for centralized file sharing and Artisoft Lantastic for peer-to-peer file sharing. Since we were already using LAN Manager it was a natural path for us to transition ourselves to MS NT Server 3.5 and Windows for Workgroups 3.1.1 when those products were introduced by Microsoft. I became a MS certified professional at that time (whatever that means these days). I've always worked with Microsoft Networking technologies my entire career so I would consider my UNIX skills as rudimentary at best (although I'm not afraid to use the command line when necessary).

For the last 3 years, I've worked for a major worldwide construction materials company and, a few months ago, I took on a new role in our IT area called "Service Quality and Governance" for our North American IT Infrastructure. In a nutshell, it just means that I'm the IT watchdog making sure that we are compliant with our IT processes and that we are meeting our service commitments to our users.

I'm a tech geek and dabble in just about everything. I have a modest home theatre environment along with all the current gen gaming consoles with my most recent addition being the Popcorn Hour A-100 media streaming device. The MSS was intended to be my central hub for everything that goes on in my household including being a media server and centralized file repository and has "served" me well to date.

Although I can be a little "harsh" from time to time with my posts, I do mean well and am just looking to help as best as I can with the "battle scars" that I've experienced along the way. So, if I can help in any way, please don't be shy to ask on the forums or by PM (private messaging).

- Richard (All4Fun)

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Richard

My gadget blog: http://www.gadgetinsane.com

Welcome to the family Richard. Hope you enjoy(ed) your stay.

There are several WHS related forums out there but this is the best one relating to the MSS (but not limited to just MSS topics). We're all more than happy to help others with problems, share cool things we learn about WHS, and generally fool around. (again, you already knew that didn't you)

For example, I am considering building my own add-in. I have several ideas but they are a bit complex and I have no clue how to do some parts of it. I see WHS as being more than just a backup and media streamer. I want it to be the hub of all my information so my idea is centered on that.

So Necro, tell us a little about you.

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Richard

My gadget blog: http://www.gadgetinsane.com

I work for (insert major world dominating corporation here) as a Tier 3 IT Architect doing infrastructure support and administration. I mainly handle active directory work and login scripts... lots of scripts. My group also handles major issues relating to the tier 1 desktops when it's a national/regional issue.

Hmmm IBM?

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MSS: HP EX490 rockin a soon to be an E6300 with 2GB

So most of you all know me pretty well by now, but I liked the idea of this when Richard started it, and since then I've seen new people join with Locations that I either know or am familiar with, and know many of us are in the tech industry so I encourage all to participate.

I'm Alex Kuretz, I grew up in Durham, NC until 1996 when I moved to Colorado. I spent a year living in Capitol Hill area of Denver, then moved up to Fort Collins where I've been ever since. I started as Software Test Technician at Agilent Technologies in 2000 working on the "Firehunter" network QOS product, and quickly got promoted and more responsibility. I ultimately left Agilent in 2006 and went to HP to work on the MediaSmart Server. In early 2008 I got an opportunity to work at a very small company here in town called RealGo, where we provide the entire MLS database for Northern Colorado that is used by all Real Estate agents in this area. With a just-turned 3 year old son, the reduced stress and new technical challenges and opportunities seemed like a great fit, and I'm glad I've made the change.

My other interests include writing computer software (including several WHS Add-Ins, and many web apps and perl scripts ), trail riding dirtbikes, roadracing motorcycles, cooking (especially slow smoking on the grill), photography, music, and video games. I've got family in VA, NC, NY, and CA, and travel regularly to visit. One of my future goals is to figure out a way to meet Cougar in person.

And what about the rest of you?

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Alex Kuretz
Remote Notification: Monitoring and alerting for your Home Server via email, Twitter, text message, RSS, push notifications, and on your Mac desktop
Have you tried our Add-Ins? If so, be sure to Rate them at WeGotServed.

Forum Name: Alpha
Given Name: Grant

I'm a Scottish born systems engineer (No, I can't give you any more power, Captain) and a dyed in the wool computer geek. No sheep jokes, thanks.


My nick comes from my technical background (working on Dec Alpha systems) rather than a (pretty accurate) description of my personality. When we got our first Alpha in, the joke was made "Guess that makes Grant the Alpha-Male" and it stuck.

I lived for many years in North Carolina and now reside in central Virginia. I work for a Fortune 500 Health Care company and have been there almost 8 years now. I have formally been working in IT for a decade, but did a lot of technical work before that when I worked in Computer Graphics/Digital Imaging.

Some other hobbies - I coach Football and Soccer (big sports fan), write music and play several instruments (bass guitar is my main one), scuba dive, like photography and computer graphics, Computer games, Miniatures games, and movies. I'm president of the Local Computer Users Group. I also really like British Sports cars - have owned several and love the Jag I drive now. I'm married with a 6 year old son who's also a budding computer geek....

I was very interested in the MSS as soon as I saw it (I'm an HP fan and own a lot of HP hardware). It streamlines several tasks for me and just makes it easy to back up and access my data. I like being able to connect to it from anywhere I have internet access to get to utilities, pictures, etc...
I think the Home Server is a really good idea whose time has come - and I really am glad I got mine. Looking forward to seeing what additional software and such comes available for it. I used to run a BBS....and have a nostalgic interest in running something like that on it accessible from the web.

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When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true. Unless it's really a meteor hurtling to the Earth which will destroy all life as we know it. Then you're pretty much hosed no matter what you wish for. Unless it's death by meteor.

Careful what you wish for! It might happen!!!

My name is Nigel Wilks, I'm a Technical Architect for a large IT Service and Solutions provider in Europe. I'm based in the UK and specialiSe in Windows and VMWare technologies. I've been using/supporting Windows pretty much since it was released 20 years ago and have Beta tested every flavour of Windows NT since (and including) Windows NT 3.1. I was also (un)fortunate enough to be pretty heavily involved in the support of OS/2 2.x when it was released in the UK for IBM.

I have 2 kids, and coach and manage an under 7 football (the version without the girly pads ) team, love all kinds of water sports especially scuba diving and passionate about rugby (another thing without girly pads).And, obviously, I love gadgets and technology.

I have family in the US (mainly CA) and love visiting them (and teaching them how to spell) and looking forward to doing the same with Alex .

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Help support MediaSmartServer.Net!

Just saw this thread so thought I would throw my hat in the ring:

First off, my username dbone1026 is in honor of Seinfeld (if you remember the episode where George Costanza wanted to be called tbone). I am a CPA in the state of New York. I used to work for an "unnamed" company that went out of business after being accused of shredding documents on behalf of Enron.... I used to also work on the 101st floor of World Trade Center 1 for Cantor Fitzgerald (fortunately it was only an internship and my pursuit of my CPA license sent me in another direction, otherwise I would not be a memeber of this forum right now...), and even ended up working in a trailer at ground zero for 3 months after 9/11. For the past six years I have been working for a small securitization firm in New York where I am the manager of our Operations/Treasury Group (I have aged about 20 years in the past few weeks...). Although I have always been somewhat of a tech geek, it wasn't until I got frustrated with my AppleTv over a year ago that I started looking for alternatives and eventually turned to the darkside... I even got interviewed in the WSJ regarding a product I will just say starts with the letter "Z". Unfortunately my initial interest in this product has turned to no interest. I have a 1 yr old son which has definitely made life very interesting! As for hobbies aside from things tech, I enjoy playing sports (I still play baseball every summer), working out, drawing cartoons, and trading/following the stock market. This forum has truly been great and I look forward to many more posts going forward.

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Cheers,
Damian

DIY WHS - 12.5TB and growing, too many gadgets to list

Did you read the MediaSmartServer blog today?
Blog - http://www.adigitalhomeblog.com
"Like a midget at a urinal, stay on your toes!" - Lieutenant Frank Drebin

Forum Name: JohnBick
Given Name: John Bickford

I'm a sixth generation native-born Vermonter (and damn proud of it) descended from a Scottish ancestor who was released from prison to come to America (on the first boat after the Mayflower) to work off his debts. I am descended from John, John Quincy and Samuel Adams as well as Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton and a few other notables of the early days of our great country. (It's hard not to have traces to those families if your roots go back that far in New England!) My grandfather controlled 90+% of the world's granite construction business around the turn of the last century (Woodbury Granite Company). My father was a college professor (modern languages).

After school I spent 8+ years working for [insert government defense organization here] doing things relating to "national security". I moved on to [insert major world dominating computer corporation here] until I retired in 2007 after 30+ years. I held various hardware, software, systems engineering, management, competitive analysis, architecture, project/program management and corporate strategy positions during my career. I was listed in the original version of "Who's Who in Computer Graphics" and have actually written an operating system.

I am a registered professional engineer (NY) and yes, I still own a slide rule, one of the original TI and HP calculators (and that original hexadecimal one) and a WORKING original IBM PC.

I am currently active on the local Planning Board and on the regional ("system") library board. I selectively do some consulting (technical facilitation mostly and a little relating to WHS). But I do like the flexibility of being retired!

Since college I have lived in Southern Maryland, around Washington DC, Endicott, NY and, now, in Hyde Park, NY.

Hobbies: Computers, photography, travel and reading (spy novels, historical fiction and mysterys mostly). In years past I have done a lot of scuba diving and officiated football. I have been married for 39+ years, have three grown (and married) children - two played footballl in college (Ivy & Big Ten), one is a trader (NYSE out of PA), one is a school psychologist and one a middle-school teacher about to complete a Phd and (maybe) move on to a university position. They all know how to turn on a computer, access the internet and prepare a Word document. At this point I have 4 grandchildern.

I got involved with the WHS beta program early in 2007 and have been hooked ever since. I had just built a new Vista machine and was researching setting up a Linux (Ubuntu) server when I ran into a WHS link. Never did build that puppy -- used the box for the WHS beta and only dual-booted inti Linux once after I loaded it! It proved to have an occasional error on the IDE channel so I considered rolling my own WHS server but found the HP MSS was so close in price, had a warranty and looked NIIIICE. Haven't regretted it for a moment.

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....JBick

EX475, 2 GB, LE-1640
PC1: Vista-->W7 Ultimate/32, (D-Drive RAID-5 Array)
PC2: Lenovo Laptop, Win XP Home SP3
2xLinksys WRT54G v1.1 and 2xNetGear GS105 Gbit switch

Wow...I was gonna throw in, but now I realize I really got nothin'....

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This Space For Rent

Sure you do. After all, 370+ posts certainly indicates you have an interest and some real knowledge!

(My apologies, I just got carried away! Sure did not want to scare anyone off!)

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....JBick

EX475, 2 GB, LE-1640
PC1: Vista-->W7 Ultimate/32, (D-Drive RAID-5 Array)
PC2: Lenovo Laptop, Win XP Home SP3
2xLinksys WRT54G v1.1 and 2xNetGear GS105 Gbit switch

Nice new signature yakuza. Now about that avatar.

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HP MSS EX490, Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300, 1TB System drive, 6TB Storage pool managed by StableBit DrivePool

Well, beings this thread came back to life, I'll jump in too. My name is Neil Meyers and I live in Kansas City, MO (no KC Chiefs jokes please, already heard them all ) I'm a Viet Nam vet (1968-1969) and a retired police Captain from Wichita, KS (1992). Moved back home to KC in 92 and will retire again Jan 1, 2010 from the State of Missouri where I am the State Coordinator for the Missouri Motorcycle Safety Program out of the Missouri Safety Center. That will be my last full time job. Married 39 years (she thinks she about has me trained-I at least put the toilet seat down now!). Two grown children (boy and a girl) and three grand daughters. My first computer was a comador 64 and the first real one was a Epson double disk drive (5-1/4") with a 12" monochrome monitor and a dot matrix printer in 1987 I think. I'm a wannabe geek and am soaking in all I can from all the smart folks here. Hobbies are computers (have built a couple of my own just to see if I could make them work), Motorcycle touring (just got back in August from a trip to Billings, MT (State Motorcycle Safety Administrators' Conference. Got paid to ride up and back-Tough Job, Huh ) I Ride a GL1800 Gold Wing, the Mrs. rides a Honda Magna 750cc. Oh, and the last hobby, soon to be a full time gig, lazing around on our pontoon boat. Hope this thread stays alive as it's great to put a person to the nick names. Man, this is a great site!

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neil

Don't apologize for a wonderful life, John, just because of one smart-ass like me You have a lot too be proud of, and it's for me to apologize if it seemed like I was commenting on your post. I am just a bit in awe of some of you guys

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This Space For Rent