Contact The Elder Geek

TEG E-Mail Policies

These policies are in place to help you get the fastest response to your e-mail.

1. If the question is related to technical support or a procedure on TEG web site, please post it in the Vista Forum. In addition to having the accumulated expertise of all the forum members, the chances of receiving a reply are greatly enhanced. I simply don't have the time to respond to individual tech support questions.

2. If you have trouble registering, posting, or using the Vista Forum, either use the forum e-mail to contact me or use the e-mail link below. I'll correct the problem as quickly as possible. Include both the name you used to register and the e-mail address. E-mail without user name and e-mail address info will be ignored.

3. Suggestions for content on any The Elder Geek site should use the address below.

4. Suggestions for Vista Forum content should be placed in the appropriate forum.

5. Mail received that requires user validation responses or a return receipt request will be automatically deleted without a response.

6. All mail infected with a virus, trojan, or worm is deleted immediately upon receipt. I don't waste time cleaning infected e-mails.

The Elder Geek E-Mail

Heraclitus said, "There is nothing permanent except change." Maybe, maybe not, but the recent worm attacks have prompted me to make a change in how I'll handle e-mail in the future. Going through my e-mail during the Blaster and Sobig worm attacks I'd made a note to write an article about the number of automatic replies that were received. It seems auto responders have become incredibly popular, and while they do serve a purpose in some situations, for the most part they are just plain damn annoying.

It seems I'm not the only one that found the volume of auto replies to be an issue. A reader wrote to Fred Langa, author of The Langa List, commenting on the situation. The reader letter and Fred's initial response are here, and a follow-up article "The Danger In Auto-Reply Messages" in the Langa Letter makes for interesting reading. The two articles cover everything and more that I was going to say on the subject, so I'll just add the following comment.

I have used auto-responders in the past, never realizing just how annoying they can be for other users. So from this point on I've revised my personal and TEG e-mail policies listed above, including discontinuing auto-responder use. I don't want to contribute to that mass of useless, inbox clogging mail. I hope after reading the articles mentioned above that you'll review your own e-mail procedures and adopt a policy that helps eliminate this unnecessary waste of bandwidth and your correspondents time.

Frequently Asked Questions [FAQ] About The Elder Geek

I have tried to answer the most common questions visitors to this Web site have asked. If you find that your question is not answered on this page, please email me at The Elder Geek and I'll either provide a factual answer if I know it, or make one up if I don't. The previous seven words were sarcasm.

Q: Why is the site called The Elder Geek?
A: I'm old. I'm a geek. I thought it sounded better than The Old Geek or The Elderly Geek. Vanity, thy name is geek.

Q: I tried one of the [tips, registry edits, etc] on your site and it [didn't work, hosed my system, etc]. What now?
A: Every situation is different. Whenever you make a change to any aspect of an operating system be aware that it may not have the desired outcome. Before you make any changes have a backup, restore points, hardware, software, knowledge, and time to reverse any negative result.

Q: Do I handle individual help requests?
A: At one time I did try and accommodate individual help requests. Time constraints have made it impossible to continue that service. In lieu of individual replies, I added the TEG Vista Forum where members may post questions and receive help. There is no charge to be a member of the forum and there are many knowledgeable individuals that are willing to help. Individual requests for computer support cannot be accommodated.

Q: Do I pay for submissions to The Elder Geek?
A: No, but feel free to send anything you find of interest along with your name and e-mail address. If I use it, you'll be acknowledged as the contributor.

Q: Am I a shill for Microsoft?
A: Absolutely not. I have no connection with Microsoft nor any other technology related organization. I might shill for Pepsi since Coca-Cola screwed up with that New Coke incident a couple of decades ago, but they haven't asked so I assume my Q index is still in negative numbers.

Q: Am I really as big a jerk and opinionated as my writing here and in the Commentary section would indicate?
A: Probably, but we can't all be Mr. Nice Guy or there wouldn't be any contrast.

[ Update to previous question; Numerous e-mails have confirmed that indeed I am that big a jerk ]