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BootAble – FreeDOS boot testing freeware
To obtain direct, low-level access to a system's mass storage drives, SpinRite runs under a GRC-customized version of FreeDOS which has been modified to add compatibility with all file systems. In order to run SpinRite it must first be possible to boot FreeDOS.
GRC's “BootAble” freeware allows anyone to easily create BIOS-bootable media in order to workout and confirm the details of getting a machine to boot FreeDOS through a BIOS. Once the means of doing that has been determined, the media created by SpinRite can be booted and run in the same way.
The participants here, who have taken the time to share their knowledge and experience, their successes and some frustrations with booting their computers into FreeDOS, have created a valuable knowledgebase which will benefit everyone who follows.
You may click on the image to the right to obtain your own copy of BootAble. Then use the knowledge and experience documented here to boot your computer(s) into FreeDOS. And please do not hesitate to ask questions – nowhere else can better answers be found.
(You may permanently close this reminder with the 'X' in the upper right.)
Moderation decisions happen for any number of reasons. Sometimes a topic runs its course and there isn't much new to be added to it, and it's taking more space than the value it brings. Sometimes old topics are removed to make space for new topics. If you truly have something new to add to the tragedy that is LastPass, it's still possible to create a new topic about it. It's probably more interesting to note that this site was created to support GRC products like SpinRite which is verging on a new 6.1 release, and so some cleanup has occurred in advance of that event.
If there is something you feel you have to say about LP, go ahead, create a new thread and say it. As far as I'm concerned, whatever needs to be said has been said... and there is little to do beyond migrate away from LP, which doesn't need further discussion. If you're just complaining because moderation has occurred, they maybe find a better use of your time. (Incidentally, probably over 100 threads were removed, but you don't notice those because they're not here any more. The LP threads were locked because they're too new to remove... In about three to six months, they too will be removed.)
So yes, you caught a cleanup in the middle of happening. If you look again, you may notice a difference. Anything older than about a month, that is not clearly still waiting for content, has been locked, in all topics. This is pending further cleanup actions. It's a lot of work, not much of which is "fun".
I note you previously wanted to use the word censor. This is not an act of censorship, as I have clearly stated, you can STILL make new threads. This is an effort to lock down spammers, to make room for NEW content, and to encourage new topics of discussion.
@PHolder I would like to respectfully suggest that this procedure might be over moderation. And, as you said, it's lots of unfun work. Not sure what you mean by statements about space. Disk space is cheap. I have seen many occasions on other forums when threads, even years old, can still have value, particularly when they link to resources. Taking the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors ( https://mb.nawcc.org/ ) forum as an example, they have Threads 178,823 / Messages 1,568,431 / Members 53,992. Granted they have about 50 times our membership and probably more moderators. But, I don't have any evidence that they do large amounts of thread locking and purging. I have replied to threads that are years old if I can add something useful, assuming that the interested parties will get a notification of the update. Granted, clocks and watches may have more staying power than security topics. But, new and updated threads automatically bubble up to the top of the what's new list. The longer a thread is ignored, the lower down it goes so it may end up on page 20 or something. But, the content is still accessible via search. Everything is largely automatic, and I'm guessing the moderators can focus more on the fires that need putting out. I realize that y'all don't generally want overly religious, political, sex, very controversial topics, profane language, illegal things, and cat fights here. That's understandable, although security often intersects with controversy, politics, and privacy issues. So does health, one of @Steve s pet topics. So, if things get out of hand, the moderators can jump in. Spammers hocking non relevant products or weight loss or mortgages or whatever should be put on pre moderation to post, warned if needed, then bounced. People posting active links to malicious sites, as opposed to neutered information links, could be bounced immediately. That's not the same as minor etiquette and procedural violations. Letting message flow and sorting be automatic might make your job much easier. Threads could be auto deleted after years, not months. Maybe 5 years. If they keep getting traction, they keep bubbling up to the top and the timer resets. I've seen threads with 100 pages of messages. And, threads that have enduring value could be made sticky and or locked to prevent deletion even if they're not updated often. Unless we do get in a cat fight or become abusive, you shouldn't have much to do. Just something to think about. We DO appreciate the efforts to keep the forum clean and functional.
May your bits be stable and your interfaces be fast.
Ron
May your bits be stable and your interfaces be fast.
Ron
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Thanks for your thoughts @rfrazier, I'm sorry you're unhappy with stuff aging out, but the forums are first and foremost a GRC support tool... Things need to be focused in that way. You should not consider the content here to be some sort of perpetual store of your greatest thoughts,.. you should consider it to be something that is constantly growing and evolving while leaving the dated stuff behind. As for how long it should remain, there is a cost beyond the cost of storage. It's stored in a database, which gets slower with more content to manage, and old content popping up on Google invites spammers to come here to try and take advantage of it.
I'll wager that as SpinRite 6.1 debuts, this place will become insanely busy... and the only thing that will matter then will be keeping up.
I'll wager that as SpinRite 6.1 debuts, this place will become insanely busy... and the only thing that will matter then will be keeping up.
I don't agree with that. If it was only for that, you wouldn't have non-business-related sections. This one is about the podcast, which in general doesn't deal with spinrite. For the past few years, Steve hardly talk about it, but rather sqrl. Sqrl even has its own forum.
Can understand the podcast being a form of publicity for grc and spinrite. However, after 15 years, would guess it has its own traction, and people here are interested in security and not so much in spinrite. So many of us come here to further discuss what we saw on the podcast or other security concerns.
By blocking threads, you are affecting the community that grew out because of the podcast. This community has transcended beyond the business side of spinrite.
However, if you rather this not be the place because you find the discussions inappropriate or take up too many resources, you could then move them to a free bbs, twit, or eliminate them completely from this forum. There are many examples started and curated by fans.
Could it be that you are ashamed that people are talking about the ill fate of a previously major sponsor (lp studio), and thus not wanting to see grc further associated with them?
GRC *is* Steve Gibson. The podcast is thus a GRC production. The forum moderators are a group of unpaid volunteers, who work cooperatively to ensure the site operates in a specific manner, at Steve's general request. As I understand it, at this point in time, with SpinRite still being supported exclusively in another manner (via email with Greg) these forums operate as an EXPENSE, they do not benefit GRC or it's bottom line. Steve generously allows a fairly free speech here, but there are limits, and there is not generally an attitude that users will dictate outcomes.
Review the https://forums.grc.com/help/terms/ if you are uncertain about how these forums are operated.
