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Red Hat 8 or SuSE 8.1 for the desktop user?

By Pete | @kingpetey | 03 Jan 2003

As both operating systems get easier and easier for the desktop user which is the best for the less experienced Linux user and why? I will be taking a quick look at both operating systems to find out which is easiest for the following:

Getting a copy.
Installation.
Configuring.
General day to day use.
Distributions website.

For many years Red Hat Linux has been the market leader for many reasons but it is only recently that Red Hat has put more work into the desktop side of its operating system, compared to its work put into its server side. Getting a copy of Red Hat is very easy, you can either downloaded the ISO images off RedHat.com or purchase the personnel edition off sites such as Amazon.co.uk for around ?31. The advantage of purchasing the box set rather then downloading it are that you get the manual that can be good for unexperienced users.

SuSE has never been as popular compared to Red Hat however in recent years SuSE has spent a lot of time and money developing its desktop side of the operating system. Getting a copy of SuSE is slightly harder then Red Hat because SuSE does not do any ISO images for its operating system, however you can do a FTP install or purchase the personnel edition from Amazon.co.uk for ?25:99. Once again the box set comes with CDs a DVD and a manual.

Here Red Hat 8 shines through over SuSE as many more people can get it by downloading ISO images off the website.

Installation of Red Hat was fairly painless, the installer takes you through a number of screens each asking you what you want to do and providing a bit of simple help on the left hand side. In total I spent about 45minutes installing Red Hat 8 compared to around 35mins for SuSE 8.1 however this depends on how much you install and the speed of your computer. Installing SuSE 8.1 was even easier then Red Hat 8, as I had a large Fat 32 partition the installer was able to split this and create the necessary partitions needed for SuSE. Of course I checked it wasn't doing anything stupid through worry that it might delete half my hard drive however it pretty much did what I was would have done. The SuSE installer is different to that of Red Hat because it assumes a lot of things such as what to do with your partitions and what to install, it displays all of this on the screen for you to either accept or modify as you need.

On installation SuSE is easier because of the way it assumes what the user will want but still allows the user to change things if necessary without having to go through many different screens. I could quite easily see an unexperienced user getting stuck on the partitions page if he/she did not know what they were doing in Red Hat.

Next there was configuring the distribution after installation, Red Hat does this straight after installation and gives you options such as network and xfree86 configuration. Red Hat failed to pick up my monitor so it took me a while playing around in the console and xfree86config to set the right settings for my monitor, while this would be easy for an experienced user I doubt an inexperienced user would have got this far and would probably have booted back to Windows by now.

Configuration in SuSE I found easier because of SuSE's configuration program - YaST, this cut out a lot of the playing around in the console that an unexperienced user may have found daunting and displayed an easy way of configuring hardware. While half the fun for many people is using the console to solve problems some less tech based people may find it unusual compared to Windows.

For configuration SuSE has to be the winner because of YaST, this is because it not only makes things a lot easier for the unexperienced it also can save time and effort for the more experienced user. However neither distributions could properly configure my Conexant ADSL modem, SuSE did detect the modem yet could not configure it while Red Hat could not detect it at all. (In the end I had to set the modem up on a Windows 2000 machine then access the Internet through the network)

Red Hat has good support for both KDE and Gnome which is good because like many people I like using KDE but also like to use programs for Gnome such as Evolution and Gimp. SuSEs support for Gnome is not as good and Evolution crashed when I was trying to install it. I noticed that both distributions had poor font support, sometimes I could be using Mozilla and I would have to squint to read the text. This seemed slightly worse in SuSE especially when web browsing and word processing.

After a quick download from Nvidia I had Unreal Tournament 2003 playing nicely in both SuSE 8.1 and Red Hat 8 ? hopefully more games in the future will come with Linux installers. It was hard to pick a winner for day to day use because both distributions did pretty much the same however Red Hat 8 just won because of the better Gnome support.

One of the important parts of the distributions package I think is the off hand support and help you can find on the the distributions website. Redhat.com has an extensive support library covering all features from installation to configuring to troubleshooting. SuSE.com has a much smaller support area and I was more disappointed by what the site what had to offer, however this may be because of the way SuSE is distributed compared to Red Hat.

Overall I think SuSE 8.1 is slightly better for the unexperienced because of its simple installation, stylish graphics and simplicity of configuration. SuSE seems more geared to the desktop market rather then Red Hat at the moment however both distributions are making it a lot easier for people to convert from Windows to Linux.

ImAFish 6

By Pete | @kingpetey | 04 Jan 2003

Shrewsbury, England based website ImAFish.com today officially released their new look website full of new features and updates. One of the most significant updates has been to the members area. Users can now sign up and use a variety of features including columns posting, in site messaging, articles comments and soon gallery comments.

The site run by students has now been running for over 18months now and ImAFish 6 is the most advanced update to date. ImAFish 6 includes many of the features found in previous versions of the site such as the articles and columns sections however the new site builds upon these sections.

Getting a column on the site has never been easier, all you have to do is either ask the admin to make you a columnist or to submit a demo columns post to the site. To do this create an account with ImAFish by clicking on register on the left, or if you already have an account login, once logged in click on 'Column Entry' on the left hand side, here you can type your column then submit it to the site. (If you dont see this then click on 'Messaging' and send your post to pwhite. Articles are also easy to submit - simply click on 'Post Article' once you have logged in.

Registration is free and easy and lets you do more features such as comment to articles and comment on gallery pictures. You can also make use of the sites messaging system to message other members on the site ? like you would email your friends.

ImAFish now has over 100 articles on a range of subjects that can be viewed by clicking on articles on the left hand side, the articles are sorted into categories such as Linux and Gaming. As usual the sites forum is here and has not been changed at all in the new site launch so don't worry about loosing any posts or your account. Registration for the forum is also free so sign up now!

A history of the site including screen shots of previous versions can be found at imafish.com/index.php?a=about&p=about

[Last edited on January 8, 2003 at 8:11:52pm by epytotorp]

Money

Does My Business Need Professional Liability Insurance?

By Pete | @kingpetey | 07 Jan 2021

Businesses need insurance to protect themselves against uncontrollable elements, like weather that causes property damage, and more preventable occurrences, like workplace injuries that result from carelessness. Depending on what industry your business operates in and what products or services your company provides, you may also need to protect your business from within by covering costly employee errors.

Professional Liability Insurance Basics

Professional liability insurance, also known as errors and omissions insurance, is a type of policy aimed at protecting service providers from claims made against them by their clients. It specifically covers the policyholder from any perceived mistakes they make while carrying out their professional duties.

Protected claims can include negligence, misrepresentation, and inaccurate advice. However, it's important to note that this policy does not protect professionals from intentionally malicious actions. As a form of liability insurance, professional liability insurance pays money to the claimant, not the policyholder.

What Industries Present the Highest Risks?

Due to the nature of professional liability coverage, it's not necessary for businesses of all professions. As a rule of thumb, companies that provide a form of service should consider a professional liability policy.

In some states, attorneys must have professional liability insurance or at least disclose to their clients their insurance status. For some lines of work, such as health care, industry standards require this form of coverage. Professional liability insurance may not be regulated in other industries, but other businesses won't sign a contract with your company if you do not have coverage.

Even service-based businesses that don't need professional liability insurance to operate often opt for coverage because of the potentially devastating costs of a single error. Aside from lawyers and medical providers, professional liability insurance is highly recommended for the following types of professionals:

  • Accountants–  Accountants perform detail-oriented work, and a mistake can have wide-reaching consequences for clients. Common claims made against accountants include inaccurate ledgers and accounts receivable errors.
  • Architects– For architects, common liability exposures include design flaws, inaccurate cost estimates, construction delays, construction defects, and contractor negligence.
  • Consultants– Across industries, consultants often face claims of contract breaches, conflicting interests, inaccurate advice, and failing to properly secure the client's private information.
  • Engineers– Like architects, engineers will be held liable for any mistakes in their final product if it can be determined those mistakes were reasonably avoidable.
  • Insurance Brokers– Yes, even insurance agents should have errors and omissions insurance. Brokers are just as susceptible to lawsuits as these other professions. Clients are often dissatisfied with the ruling on a claim, and their main avenue for recourse is to sue the broker.
  • Real Estate Agents– Since real estate agents act as intermediaries between two parties, there are twice as many chances for disputes to arise. Common complaints include improper listings, failure to disclose all information on a property, and discrepancies regarding inspections and documentation.

Further Considerations

Aside from covering the costs of client claims and drawn-out legal battles, having professional liability insurance offers substantial benefits. For example, many insurance providers include risk management services for all their clients. These educational programs can help businesses identify their unique liabilities and take action to prevent claims.

Furthermore, having professional liability insurance gives peace of mind to both your employees and clients. When those performing a service know they have financial protection should something go array, they can fulfill their duties more confidently. On the client side, customers may be willing to spend more and ask for additional services if they know their investment is protected.

Assessing Your Exposures and Insurance Needs

As previously mentioned, not all businesses have to have professional liability insurance. If you're still on the fence about your coverage needs, it may help to make a list of all the possible exposures associated with the services you provide.

From there, do a little research—how often do businesses similar to yours face those claims? How much do businesses typically have to pay when they lose a lawsuit in those areas?

On the other hand, how much would it cost to insure your business? For accurate projections, you may want to request quotes from numerous providers. You can click here to learn more about professional liability insurance quotes for small businesses.

Digging deep into the cost of professional liability insurance compared to the financial risk of not having coverage should inform your ultimate decision.

Shrewsbury

Shropshire's World traveller sets up his own very unique and very fascinating business

By Pete | @kingpetey | 02 Feb 2012

From a very young age, Shrewsbury-born Sam Handbury-Madin had a fascination with finding and collecting things. He's now turned the fascination into a business and has recently launched his venture as the quirkily named 'It's a Nomad Life'. Sam says "from a small boy I was always coming home with things I'd found. I had drawers stuffed full of old coins, bottles, fossils, mineral specimens, animal bones, you name it I probably had a collection of it!"

32 year old Sam was always interested in history and, undoubtedly this is connected with his family history as Sam's father was a history teacher before becoming an antiques dealer and Sam's great grandfather was also a collector. Sam said "I guess my passion for travel and wandering around the globe stems from my great grandfather, who I never met but it must certainly be in the blood! He was quite a traveller in the late 19th and early 20th century. He spent time in Africa and the Far East, mainly in India and he also visited Australia".

"Dad used to bring interesting things home all the time", said Sam. "I remember I was first entranced by some Australian aboriginal items he brought back: spears and clubs, some flaked stone stools, boomerangs etc., think I must have been 8 or 9. I knew from an early age that I was interested in ethnography and other cultures from around the world and wanted to start collecting objects. I used to love the Oceanic (Pacific) art Dad used to bring home, like masks from Papua New Guinea, beaded necklaces with metal adornments, cooking pots and textiles."

With many precious items locked away in display cabinets, Sam was allowed to 'play' with the tribal art items his father had brought back "these were always out, so I could look at and dream about where these wonderful items had come from and who had owned them before me"

After leaving school, Sam was accepted onto an Archaeology Degree course at the University of Bristol. Sam continued "archaeology was the perfect combination of history and learning and of course, going out in to the field to look for artifacts was something I'd always enjoyed doing".

During a university dig in Somerset in 2000 Sam uncovered the hearthstone of the long house they were excavating. Sam said "finding the hearth stone was a key discovery as we were able to radio carbon date the charcoal on the stone to around the late 14th century AD. It was an amazing feeling".

After graduating from Bristol in 2002, Sam stayed on in the area and volunteered at the Bristol City Museum. "I used to love being down in the vaults full of cabinets of curious items, from ethnographic weapons to ancient Egyptian sarcophagi. It was just breathtaking being among such incredible items".

Sam then moved to London where he undertook a work placement at Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers in the Tribal Art and Antiquities Department. Sam said "it was a yearlong placement and I enjoyed it greatly. I loved doing the cataloguing of the items that were going to be sold – I also helped in the sale room on sale days and loved the buzz of the auction room. Most of the other time was spent researching objects so I used the skills I gained in my degree. I also met some very interesting characters and some very 'colourful' antique dealers".

An interesting period then came for Sam, as he lived in the Caribbean for a few years where he worked in an art gallery and he also volunteered at the Anguilla Museum, where he catalogued finds and cleaned and restored items. "I've found some amazing things, like a large collection of ancient pottery I dug up in my garden when I lived there, dating back to circa 1200 AD. I donated this to the local museum along with numerous axe heads and arrow heads and a very fine Arawak carved conch shell pendant I had found".

Being passionate about travelling and collecting, Sam's favourite places are North and South America. "I am very interested in the ancient cultures of South America and the Caribbean, especially the ancient Inca people of Peru and the Taino people of the Caribbean. I also am fascinated by Native American cultures and in particular the cultures of North West Coast of Canada such as the Haida and Tlingit people where I have spent time". Sam continued "I have always wanted to travel to the pacific islands (Oceanic art is probably my single favourite area of collecting) – so this would be my ultimate trip with stops off in Australia and New Zealand to see friends and to learn about the Maori and Aboriginal cultures".

After almost ten years of working for other people, Sam decided to bite the bullet and go into business alone. "I just decided that I wanted to start my own business after working for others for the past ten years. I've been very fortunate to work in the art and antiques industry in some amazing places such as the Caribbean and Canada, and doing work that I've always been so passionate about".

Sam has amassed a large collection of eclectic and interesting items for the business "I've been building my collection up over the years so I've got plenty to sell!"

Sam's business, 'It's a Nomad Life' is initially an online emporium bringing customers a collection of globally inspired affordable goods, ranging from the ancient Neolithic period right up to the 1980's, items are sourced responsibly and with respect. By using his experiences and expertise, Sam is able to source quality interesting items from all over the world.

www.itsanomadlife.com

ImAFish

Site Birthday

By Pete | @kingpetey | 25 Jun 2002

Around a year ago this month myself, benjie and yammez at the time invested in our first domain name, somthing which didn't cost much per year plus was a bit of a spur of the momment joke. Little did we know it would turn into the popular site we have today which recieves over 800 hits per week, with 38 forum members and a database driven backbone.

The site has gone though many changes in the past 12 months, we have had changes in crew members - we lost yammez but gained shannon and shenton as the site grew. We have seen many different designs and graphics, some being more sucessful then others. And now we have the summer design which is proving very easy to use and sucessful.

We hope to build on the sucess into the future of imafish - hopefully into providing more resources and if possible moving the site into making a profit. We have seen many other features come and go on the site and some which are now here to stay - such as the return of the columns. We have had our problems though - such as being the hosting problems we had originally and more recently forum problems. However we have got through these and learn't from our mistakes and have now had the site up for a longer period of time then we have done before and we hope to keep it that way!

Our main goal has always been to provide a fun entertaining informative website for our friends and its slowly coming towards reaching that goal. We are always open to new suggestions and new features to the site - such ideas which have come up recently have been the site awards which have been very sucessful not only in providing entertainment but also in getting people to keep visiting the site which has been another large task which again is slowly looking good for us.

The site isn't just for entertainment though it gives us crew and creators time to use our skills as webdesigners and programmers and build on the skills we dont yet know. ImAFish isn't the only site we now own and work on - the new site switchweb is dedicated to explaining in more simple terms the things we do every day on computers.

I hope to start adding more database script we have written for imafish to switchweb in order for anyone else who is interested to see simply how we have created imafish. ImAFish does like the idea of open source and where it can is trying to help others in ways in which it can easily. The site has certainly achieved a lot in the last year and will certainly go on in the future to achieve a lot more.

We hope to build on the success of the site over the last year and continue to improve and add new features to the site in the comming weeks. One things for sure we do have some interesting things planned for the site which should be a lot of fun for everyone. Pwhite

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