Re: [Be Careful of this cool tool!]

ontop wrote: > > This is a multi-part message in MIME format. > --------------B3051E0075F4A42E11667BF7 > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > As Mr. Shaefer suggested I downloaded NetMedic's demo. It is an > intriguing idea and I have wanted to analyze the communications going on > in my internet dealings. However after installing the product I was > unable to use any, not just one, but any of my browsers. NetMedic > modified them all, Netscape and Explorer alike. Admittedly I was asked > if I wanted that to happen and I agreed, but I rather expected this to > work. > Well then, it's actually better than I thought. It disabled Explorer for you! Now all you have to do is delete Explorer off your hard disk and you'll have more room for other software... "-) > The Net Medic people insist that you shut down your browser while > installing the demo. I did. I received a message box which said > NetScape was unable to initialize the network, check my Winsock when I > tried to start it. "Winsock," thought I, "I don't use any Winsock. I > don't any stinkin Winsock I got Reflections network software runnin". > As I understand it, Netscape 4 is still in 'pre-release', thus suggesting that it may have some issues that are not fully resolved. But since you have an internet connection, you could probably email your findings to both Netscape and the Net Medic people. I firmly believe that even if these companies do not respond directly to your email, they send the information to their developers and investigate it. I think Informix reads this newsgroup but rarely do any of their people actually contact me regarding my posts, or my product observations. :-) I don't think they change anything because of what I say either as evidenced by the slow change in their product line, and marketing strategy. It was also my impression that this was a product for dial-up, however I can see how you might want to use it on a regular non-dialup network. Keep in mind "buyer-beware". I haven't tried it on our systems at work, honestly because I haven't really had time to use it at work, and the fact that the network is "working", and thus no need for a net medic. Network software is also something to be cautious with, as you don't want to bring attention to yourself using something that might hose the network. The information the program produces is really nice, and the point to all of this is the product produces information about my network connection the way no other software I know of does. In that respect it is a cool tool. It would be great to see Informix upgrade their products to work like this. A GUI onstat would be good, but why not take it further and allow me to TUNE the engine with it, WITHOUT having to bounce the engine. I've been involved in tuning of late, and can't tell you how many times I've stopped and restarted the engine just to make minor configuration changes take effect. We could look to history and see how the ole steam engine worked. It had valves and guages on it, and knobs to adjust the engine. We need this for OnLine. The engineer on the steam engine didn't bring the engine down just to boost performance on the steam engine. Imagine pulling a train, and stopping the train just to modify the engine. Or your car! > Sadder but wiser I asked a dude I know on our local net for a copy of > NetScape 4.0 and I am back. What's sad about it? You demo bleeding-edge software, find bugs, and re-install. Welcome to the 90's! And "wiser" could have been: you save a copy of the install so you don't have to ask for it again. :-) >Beware the ides of April and NetMedic too. > Sage advice. :-) Tim Schaefer \\\\|// tschaefe@mindspring.com (6 6) ------------------------oOOo---( )---o00o-------------------