›

Ancient Geek - The Computing Q&A Thread

jedijudyjedijudy Heaven Host
edited December 2025 in Heaven
Somehow our thread for technology questions has disappeared! (Very likely my fault!)
I took a quick look through the Heavenly pages and didn't see it, so will start this new thread.

If somebody sees the old Ancient Geek thread, just send me a message!

Thanks to @Lily Pad for bringing this to my attention.

jedijudy
One of the friendly Heaven Hosts
Tagged:

Comments

  • Wesley JWesley J Circus Host
    Thanks muchly for this, jj! - Very useful indeed! (He said, as former Ancient Geek thread starter.) :)
  • jedijudyjedijudy Heaven Host
    You are so welcome, Wesley J! I know we all need help sometimes. :blush:
  • Gracious RebelGracious Rebel Shipmate
    So here's a question for our shiny new Ancient Geek thread. I'm webmaster for my church and one of my responsibilities is being the admin for our email domain, which is provided via the Google platform via Google for non profits. I have access to an admin console where I can add users, issue them with email addresses on our church domain, reset passwords etc. People expect me to be some sort of tech expert but I'm far from it, mostly I just muddle through. The issue is this. Our church treasurer is retiring. He has a church email address in the format treasurer@churchname.org.uk. He will spend a few months training up his successor and he wants this new person to have access to all the treasurer emails in the interim period ... but he doesn't want to lose sight of them himself during that time. He asked me yesterday if that was possible, and I promised to try to find out!

    Is it really as simple as sharing his password with the new person, so that both get to see the emails? Could they both reply to emails? Is it just like seeing your personal gmail emails on different devices? (I do this myself and can answer from either my phone, PC or ipad) I don't want to fall foul of any GDPR requirements or whatever, but I know shared mailboxes are possible on certain types of infrastructure as we use one at work (but thats in outlook/office). Once the handover period is over he won't require access, so the password could be changed I suppose.
  • carexcarex Shipmate
    Often such an account would simply forward all mail to another email address. I don't know if you could set it up to forward to two other accounts. But if the treasurer actually checks the account via Google, then you can use the forwarding option to send it to someone else as well.
  • Jengie JonJengie Jon Shipmate
    Yes, it is possible. Google has a whole raft of ways that this can be done. I would suggest that delegating and working out a protocol for the switch over would be a good way to work.
  • SarasaSarasa All Saints Host
    Has anyone got a simple way of stopping Meta putting useless comments about posts on my Facebook page? I've just looked at a post and underneath Meta says who are these women. When I click on it it tells me it doesn't know. I know exactly who they are but I'm not going to tell it and I don't want spurious messages cluttering up my Facebook feed. I've googled a few suggestions but can't get any of them to work.
  • Lamb ChoppedLamb Chopped Shipmate
    On the two-person mailbox--

    It may be obvious, but they need to agree who's going to answer what, when, and so forth. Technology won't handle those issues. And even with that settled, a lot of the tech solutions require you to actively think about including your teammate (for example, by remembering to hit "reply all" rather than simply "reply" and so forth. The other person is rarely notified by default.)
  • chrisstileschrisstiles Hell Host
    Wasn't it named something else before? I thought this was one of those 'guess the geeks in the bible' threads.
  • jedijudyjedijudy Heaven Host
    @chrisstiles, I think the tech threads have been named Ancient Geek since 2018-ish? Before that we had Geek Revival and Geek Bail-Out. Probably some other names, too!
  • Wesley JWesley J Circus Host
    jedijudy wrote: »
    @chrisstiles, I think the tech threads have been named Ancient Geek since 2018-ish? Before that we had Geek Revival and Geek Bail-Out. Probably some other names, too!
    It's been going on for far longer that this, see here, which is not even the first incarnation, as the punny title was mine (unsurprisingly). :smile:

    I think I started it in 2007, but can't find the original thread on the Old Ship right now. I remember bragging about my new computer and keyboard. :blush:
  • Wesley JWesley J Circus Host
    Ah yes - Ancient Geek - the computer thread, was started on 30 May 2007, or so says the old Ship search function... but it links to 2010 posts on the first page, and on the 2nd page flips back to 24 June 2007, so the initial first page seems lost. - Strange!
  • jedijudyjedijudy Heaven Host
    @Wesley J, thanks for checking that out! I have amended the title of this thread.

    jedijudy
    Heaven Host
  • PuzzlerPuzzler Shipmate
    I have been thinking seriously about a new laptop as mine is showing its age. Not only is Windows 10 no longer supported, the screen sometimes goes black with a white stripe, which suggests to me it might die at any minute.

    But when I look at what is available there is too much choice. Especially in the Sales.
    If I go for one at the cheaper end, will it date too quickly? They all have Windows 11. Will my printer still work?
    I haven’t a clue about how to transfer everything across, including contacts, documents, photos etc.
    I even still like to use ancient software like Lotus Word Pro. Would that transfer?
    The late Mr Puzzler would have sorted everything for me.
    I know one can pay Curry’s to set the thing up, and there is a very friendly computer shop in the next village who will sort problems, as will my son and grandson when they have time eventually.

    What should I be doing on my old laptop to prepare? ( in simple terms please!)
    TIA.
  • ArethosemyfeetArethosemyfeet Shipmate, Heaven Host
    If you know what folders you've got important things in then making a list of what you want to keep or putting them all in a new folder marked "to be transferred" would be helpful. Alternatively a sufficiently competent tame IT monkey can just transfer the whole drive (either physically or virtually) to the new machine, and this will also save re-installing software.

    For the most part what works on Windows 10 will also work on Windows 11, though you might need to google specifics for older stuff.

    As far as looking for a new laptop, so long as it has 8GB or 16GB of RAM and an SSD or (better) NVME storage drive it will likely be more than adequate for your needs. Any processor that's Windows 11 capable will be comfortable doing web browsing, word processing, light photo editing, and the like.
  • DoublethinkDoublethink Admin, 8th Day Host
    edited December 30
    If I buy into the hype, and buy a steam machine when they go on sale - will I also be able to do light word processing and browsing as well as using it for gami;g ?
  • PuzzlerPuzzler Shipmate
    Thank you @Arethosemyfeet.

    Today I spent some time looking at various files. My Christmas letters made interesting reading, a kind of annual diary, a record of events since 1998. I think I might save these as pdfs or even print them off.
    That’s just for starters. A huge task lies ahead.
Sign In or Register to comment.