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I Built a Document Management System. Then I Took the Scanner Out of the Equation.
I Built a Document Management System. Then I Took the Scanner Out of the Equation. Sometimes the best upgrade isn’t adding something new. It’s realizing you don’t need something old. The Outlaw has a confession to make. I love scanners. Not just any scanners. I’m talking about those beautiful, industrial-strength Fujitsu ScanSnaps. Automatic document feeders….
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Microsoft: Two Computers, One Network, and a Subscription?
The cloud was supposed to make computing easier. So why does moving files between two computers suddenly need it? By The Open Source Outlaw 🤠 Well, folks, Microsoft has done it again. Imagine this. You’ve just purchased a brand-new computer. Your old computer is sitting right beside it. Both computers are connected to the same…
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WHEN AN UPGRADE IS ACTUALLY A DOWNGRADE
Just Because It’s New Doesn’t Mean It’s Better By The Open Source Outlaw 🤠🐧 Let me tell you a little story. Today, I was working with a piece of software that we’ve used for years. It’s a commercial product, and like so many others, the company has been moving customers from traditional on-premises installations to…
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Meet Steve
Every office has one. Every IT department knows one. And if we’re being honest, most of us have BEEN one. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Steve. Steve is an IT guy. At least that’s what his business card says. He’s got the Microsoft certification, the company polo shirt, the clipboard, and enough pens in his pocket…
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YouTube Is Good Again! And All It Took Was a Brave Little Browser
By The Open Source Outlaw Well, folks, sometimes you stumble across something on the internet that makes you stop what you’re doing, lean back in your chair, and say, “OH MY GOODNESS!” This morning was one of those moments. And believe it or not, it involved YouTube. Now, I’ve been using YouTube for years. I…
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I Didn’t Leave Windows. Windows Left Me.
By The Open Source Outlaw I’ve been using Microsoft Windows for a long time. And I mean a LONG time. I’ve watched it grow from something you installed on top of DOS into the operating system that practically ran the world. I’ve installed it, upgraded it, repaired it, cursed at it, and occasionally threatened to…
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The Grass Really IS Greener: I Left Windows, and I’m Not Coming Back
By The Open Source Outlaw Hey Steve, watch this! I’ve been in the technology business for a long time. I’ve installed Windows, supported Windows, repaired Windows, upgraded Windows, and spent more hours than I care to remember trying to figure out why Windows suddenly decided something that worked perfectly yesterday wasn’t going to work today….
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Size Doesn’t Matter!
You don’t have to have the biggest. You just need what works for YOU! Somewhere along the way, we got the idea that bigger was always better. Bigger computers. Bigger processors. Bigger hard drives. More memory. More features. More applications. More subscriptions. And, of course, bigger price tags. We’ve become so accustomed to comparing specifications…
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You Need a 2FA Authenticator. RIGHT NOW!
Your password isn’t enough anymore. And if you think it is, we need to talk. I want you to think about something for a minute. How many online accounts do you have? Email? Facebook? Amazon? Banking? Cloud storage? Maybe a few shopping sites you haven’t visited in years? Now let me ask you another question….
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Sony Is Going Digital Only. So Why Did Its CEO Sell 56% of His Stock?
Well, folks, this one made me raise an eyebrow. Actually, it made me raise both of them. On July 1, 2026, Sony announced that beginning in January 2028, it would stop producing physical discs for newly released PlayStation games. From that point forward, new games would be distributed digitally. No more buying a new game…
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It’s Not Obsolete If It Still Works
Somewhere along the way, we bought into the idea that just because something is old, it needs to be replaced. Your computer is five years old? Time for a new one. Your software is three versions behind? Better upgrade. Your operating system isn’t supported anymore? Well, clearly that machine belongs in a landfill. Says who?…
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The Outlaw Has Arrived
Well, here we go. After years of working with computers, managing servers, troubleshooting problems, and watching technology change around us, I’ve finally decided to do something I’ve been thinking about for a long time. I started a website. But not just another technology website. The internet has plenty of those. This one is called The…
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It’s Only $16.99 a Month.
The Subscription Trap Nobody Wants You to Add Up It’s only $16.99 a month. That’s what they tell you. And they’re right. It IS only $16.99 a month. Until you multiply it by twelve. Then it’s $203.88 a year. And then you remember the music subscription, the streaming service, the cloud storage, the software subscription,…
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Someday, Somebody Will Want to See That.
Why Preserving Your Family’s Memories Matters More Than You Think Somewhere in your house, there’s probably a box. Maybe it’s in the attic. Maybe it’s in a closet. Maybe it’s sitting on a shelf in the garage, covered in dust and surrounded by Christmas decorations that haven’t seen daylight since 1997. Inside that box are…
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I Used to Be Steve.
Confessions of a Reformed Corporate IT Guy I have a confession to make. It’s not something I’m particularly proud of, but I believe in being honest with people. And since we’re going to be spending some time together here at Open Source Outlaw, I figure you deserve to know the truth. Before there was the…
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I Threw My Server in the Garbage, and My Network Got Better
An Open Source Outlaw Story There comes a time in every man’s life when he has to admit that a relationship just isn’t working anymore. You’ve tried everything. You’ve invested time, money, patience, and more than a few colorful conversations. You’ve stayed up late trying to make things right. You’ve given second chances, third chances,…
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WHY?
The Microsoft Publisher Story and the Problem with Letting Somebody Else Control Your Digital Life I’ve got a question. Actually, I’ve got a lot of questions. But today, we’re going to start with one. WHY? Why do we keep allowing technology companies to make decisions that turn our perfectly functioning software into something we suddenly…
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How Cloudflare Changed All the Rules
Use the Cloud. Don’t Let the Cloud Use You. Let me tell you something that might surprise you. I love the cloud. Yep. You heard that right. The guy who spends his evenings installing Ubuntu, rebuilding servers, collecting hard drives, and figuring out how to stop paying monthly subscriptions actually LOVES the cloud. Well, sort…