VO has it's share of technologically competent members, probably more so than most games I would assume, but that doesn't mean they all got that way by walking on clouds and roses.

So here we are, show us some of those darker times in your tech life, what sketchy stuff have you done when you needed results more than anything else!

First off let me show you my old router, I was experimenting with DD-WRT for everything, and burning up lots of under powered stuff in the process. So when my router started slowing down and I didn't have the money to replace it, Dremel and Heatsink to the rescue!

Not long after this router I had to move, but only owning a 91 Jetta at the time, I had to borrow a truck to move all my big furniture, and just keep the bare necessities until I could transfer those as well.

But did not having a desk didn't mean I was going to go without VO, of course not!

So here we are with my temporary desk!

What is the best use for all those Pentium 4 machines that have been retired finally?

Door Stops!

I might be addicted to multi monitor setups... even if they are CRT's held together by a strap

So kids, I know you like to keep your laptops on beds and couches and tablecloths and all sorts of fabric surfaces. Try not to, I can't tell you how many laptops I have pulled apart in my lifetime to clean out clogged radiators. I call it "Making Carpet"

My dad once asked me to rebuild his computer, wanted to have it done as cheaply as possible. He asked me if I could use the case he already had, I thought, most cases are pretty universal so probably.

What he neglected to tell me was that this was an old Dell Pentium II computer he had bought USED for $150 back in 2002! And still had the original newspaper ad taped on the back!

I saw it, and decided, eh, why not! And went ahead and rebuilt that computer in the same case, even going as far as to paint the new DVD burner that was originally black to match the case, and soldering a new set of wires to the front panel to keep the original switches and lights working.

I'm sad that there's not even a whiff of linux in any of your pictures. I've built a fair amount of computers and I usually install linux or hackintosh on them.

Sadly the only time I use linux or OSX is when I have to fix something else, I'm deep in that dark hole of Adobe products and it makes it hard to use anything else on a daily basis.

God, if I had only taken pictures of some of my setups over the years...

You got some good ones though.

RS6000 servers and an x350 running a combination of Linux and AIX for the most power-hungry inefficient file server, DNS server, web server, and a variety of other uses for development and play.




Fixed wireless modem and signal booster. For a long time, the only way to get "broadband" out in the boondocks.

All I could think was "that isn't ghetto!"... then I saw the plywood

Is the wire separation to keep from signal feedback on the booster or something?

That was the idea, to minimize the amount of possible interference and provide some sort of cable routing. You have to appreciate the tasteful use of both gorilla tape and staples.

Re: the servers, I would consider the use of antiquated enterprise equipment in the home a little ghetto considering that modern home computing can run a VM that completely trivializes the ability of the servers. The only thing I couldn't do was virtualize RISC, and I am a big fan of RISC.