Contact Information

Revenge Raters: Feel Free to sign up my e-mail for spam lists. It's not my primary address and I won't care anyway.

You can e-mail me if you wish at -juicy-{[at]}-graffiti-{[dot]}-net-. This address is spamproofed so that automated bots cannot harvest it and add it to spam lists. You have to remove the dashes and put it back together into a real e-mail address.

About Me
I am a Canadian University student studying engineering in a computer-related field. I fix computers, write web sites, compose music and play a lot of computer games.

Recommended Internet Security Reading
-ShieldsUP! - Test your computer's internet security through this benign service brought to you by Steve Gibson and Gibson Research Corporation. It will determine if you have open/closed/stealthing ports on your machine and give you tips for turning your Windows PC into a hardened tank. And you'll learn what all of this open/closed/stealth stuff means ;-) This is a long but VERY worthwhile read. (Requires a browser capable of making secure connections.)

-Optout. - Corporations have their own well being in mind, not yours. Find out about their hidden spies in many software programs that quietly report your usage statistics over the internet which possibly get sold to marketers. Removal information is provided. Also brought to you by Gibson Research Corporation. Definitely a worthwhile read.

-Hosts File Information. - Learn how to manipulate the Windows hosts file to protect your privacy, block unwanted porn, and speed up web sites by cutting off the ads.

My Most Popular Opinion Among Members:
Ten Ultra-Useful (Free) Windows System Utilities
Spending a lot of time on the internet and helping other people keep their computers running smoothly, I tend to come across many utilities that help make Windows PC-related aspects of life a little easier. This article describes ten of the very best of those utilities.

My Most Popular Opinion Among Non-Members: Samsung SyncMaster 900NF: Close, But No Cigar - In my ongoing quest to find a good 19" flatscreen CRT computer monitor, this was my second stop. I am surprised that so many people are interested in it! I'm not using this monitor anymore, but I would recommend it as a low cost alternative to the Trinitrons.

I Gave You A Low Rating? Here Are Some Possible Reasons Why:

1. You might have talked a lot about the topic without saying anything. For example, it's easy to say that [...] product is wonderful, so amazingly convenient, and that it's so good that you told your spouse to get one. You can talk on and on for paragraphs about how wonderful, fun, enjoyable, etc it is, yet you have not even said anything solid or specific about the product! You could have easily made it all up without even having used it. Now I don't think you're a liar or suggest that you're making up reviews, it's just that you did not provide enough specific information to form the basis of a purchasing decision. This can be cured by talking specifically about each individual feature/attribute and giving meaningful comments about why you like it.

2. You might have given all the facts but no opinion. It's easy to give detailed explanations of how the product works and all its features. But did you actually comment about why you like the product? Can most of the information from your review simply be plucked from the product's homepage? Remember, this is Epinions. The information you publish should be your own unique point of view that can be found nowhere else, and not a rehash of the manual.

3. You might not have given enough information. I see this a lot in reviews from members who are still writing their first 8-10 or so articles. You might have commented about a few of the product's attributes and said that the product is great, but that's not enough. I want to know (as applicable) about quality, durability, thoughtfulness of design, ease of use, whether the features work or not, what you wish the product could do, etc.

4. Off topic. If you write a review of the movie "Swordfish" and then talk about how you helped your buddy crack the NSA's computers, you will not get a very good rating from me. Remember the question that I will answer at the bottom of the page: "Was this helpful?" Consider it when writing.

If you choose to fix up your reviews and want me to re-rate, please feel free to drop me an e-mail. Make sure you leave a direct link to the review. I'll check it out and reconsider my rating. My e-mail address is at the top of this profile.