“In 1999, he turned our garage into a computer-repair shop. From there, he just went from computer hobbyist to computer guru,” Deanna recalls. He says that was the beginning of his fascination with computers. In a design class, they were using Doodle! on Commodore 64s, and he just thought that was pretty nifty. “Randy was an art major in college in the ’80s. Yet becoming Older Geeks was not the original plan. It quickly bloomed to Internet popularity,” Deanna explains. The website was originally created for our local customers to have a safe place to get our recommended free software. There was never a time when that was not our focus. “We started Older Geeks in 2008 with the goal of having a safe haven to get free software. Some supporters hail from further afield, with one thank-you last week coming from as far away as Patagonia, Argentina. The Older Geeks’ fanbase has also grown over the years, with people from across the country supporting the donations-based efforts by Randy and Deanna. Each one is checked to ensure it’s clean. Video editors, flight simulators, hard-drive rescue utilities, registry editors - you name it: it’s there, free to download, safe and secure. The collection runs the gamut from essential anti-malware and antivirus cleaners to system info and tweaking utilities to handy little programs that just make life easier, or more fun. To the rest of the world, they are known as “The Older Geeks.” Each week, Randy and Deanna add to their collection and, via AskWoody, deliver a rundown of their pick of week - complete with a walk-through of the selected freeware’s functions and settings to make sure the average Joe knows how to get the best use out of the program. Regular readers of AskWoody know these two as Deanna and Randy McElveen. Hidden away in a small town of 5,000 in the Missouri Ozarks is a small computer-repair shop run by a pair of self-confessed “super nerds” who over more than a decade have amassed some 4,000 freeware programs that all satisfy one steadfast credo: “No ads, no crapware, no b.s.” If you purchase after clicking this ad, AskWoody may receive a small commission. Susan Bradley is the publisher of the AskWoody Plus Newsletter. Join the conversation! Your questions, comments, and feedback about this topic are always welcome in the AskWoody Lounge! We hope these new options will increase the value of the MS-DEFCON system, and we appreciate your continued support. In keeping with our donation-based model, we ask a minimum of $1 per month and would greatly appreciate any extra amount you can throw in the tip jar. I wish we could make this free to everyone, but the costs associated with providing the service (having those chipmunks on wheels powering the servers) force our hand. This is a paid service available exclusively to PLUS members as an add-on to their subscriptions. The second way is SMS - text alerts directly to your cell phone. (Don’t forget: We have the regular AskWoody Twitter account, too.) Once you follow the account, set up notifications so you will be alerted when the account tweets. The first way is to follow our new MS-DEFCON Twitter account. We have added two more ways you can keep up with the MS-DEFCON status. We are gratified that so many in the AskWoody audience value this service. The goal is to ensure you are aware of the risk of updating so you can balance those risks against doing nothing. We send out an alert email to all Plus members when the level changes, but anyone can visit our prominent MS-DEFCON banner on every page of the site. I will also send “emergency” alerts when issues with updates require immediate attention and I think you should stop deploying updates, or when an emergency passes and a more normal level is appropriate. I usually change the DEFCON level twice a month - once before the Microsoft updates are released, and once a few weeks later - when I determine it’s safe enough to install updates. MS-DEFCON level 1 means “absolutely don’t patch” MS-DEFCON level 5 means “all clear.” Woody modeled it after the US Armed Forces DEFCON system - the smaller the number, the higher the risk. You know it as a visual system of numbers and colors that provides a quick indicator of the relative safety of applying updates (patching) to Windows and other Microsoft apps and services. The MS-DEFCON system has been a staple of the AskWoody site for many years now. The new AskWoody SMS alert system is now available for Plus members.
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