Medlin Software, Dennis

I do understand a release is needed, thus maybe the second set already copied. While the client may be less than business like, I try not to be, especially when I would rather play in the mud. In my case, I do not communicate with third parties, but it is because there is no reason to pay a third party for help with my software. Even when I fire someone, I provide information how to get the figures out of the software so they can setup their new software, and even though a refund is given, I allow use of the software for several months for transition. It is a bit boggling how many (most) fired folks ask to come back. Kind professional acts often deflect action. I have been threatened more than once in 40 years, but so far, never served.

Likely the wisest steps. If the neighbor wanted to get involved, the client would already have given you the neighbors signed and backed by their license and e&o opinion letter. Instead, you likely have a no evidence based threat to get you to pay for their mistake A younger me would handle it differently, but age and experience has taught me not to waste time on folks who handle themselves in such a manner. And that paying for insurance is a reason to use the service one is paying for.

Personally. I would return all documents, keeping copies. Some sort of signed delivery. I would not ask for any back amount due, and I would send something like a note agreeing to forward copies to their next preparer if desired, or include a sealed set of copies intended for their next preparer. The idea is to make it clear you are done, but not to be closed off or showing emotion. It sounds like a catch-22. You cannot prove non receipt of something and they cannot prove you received something specific. BUT, consider there must be a reason the person is not using their “neighbor” already, so personally, I would not be surprised if that part of the statement is a toothless threat, if even true. Either way, once the letter is sent, no need to communicate with them directly again. If needed, you have your insurer to step in. Maybe your insurer has advice, or is willing to help with the firing?

Are you saying you are essentially hostage? What is the loss of firing when you have already reached out to your insurer? If you did nothing wrong, you have at least some chance of a successful defense, assuming they follow through. Sadly, one can pay for any desired opinion.

Same as are taught to sports officials, personal, profane, and/or prolonged is a request to be ejected. For pro sports, profane is ignored. For amateur games, profane may be ignored if no spectator could have heard it, depending on the situation.

I would fire immediately based on the threat, then do nothing. No need to file a claim or take any action based on a childish threat. Any customer who leads with or starts with some sort of threat immediacy becomes an ex customer. In my case, threats are usually to cancel, to challenge a charge card payment, or to post bad reviews. These are almost allays the first sentence in the first message in a thread. It seems safe to believe these folks have Come to believe being unprofessional is the way to get things done.

Some people have the strategy of either purposefully trying to offload responsibility, believe responsibility cannot possibly be theirs, or have a plan to defer and deflect as long as possible.

A good example is driving aids. I go through a weird 5 way intersection often. There is no reasonable way self driving can handle this particular spot because of some wonky factors. Another is a situation where the light is on the wrong side of the road because of a curve. While I don’t use driving assist in town, the “green light” beep or lack of is a fair indication of the struggle at theater two locations. Another is how driving maps have misinterpreted a construction zone for months, and direct their users to a closed ramp. Or how in Hawaii, driving map software has a flaw which sends people to a boat ramp, and how there was call for the ramp to add signage and lights (instead of outcry about the software?). The point is the reader/user must still consider the accuracy and hopefully have (now un)common sense.

For me, unless there is documentation of the information which makes up what the ai learned, it seems the ai is feeding whatever it scrapes from web sites, likely violating copyright. Clearly, “news” articles are already polluted. Meaning I can read usually reliable sites and can often find articles which could not possibly have been human written or edited. (Specific topics with clear errors.) since nearly day one of our web site, I have actively blocked scraper access as best I can. Before ai, the biggest scrapers were those who were looking to compile data to sell to others, and those who sell anti-plagiarism tools.

Just made a big deposit towards this. Even though I know how it works, I still have to do the math each year to prove it works.

I expect it has already made more than a few a nice sum. On the backs of others who published data and did not protect it from things like web scraping. Unless the source is public domain or license was granted, it may be based on a fair amount of stolen data.

Sadly, assuming the information we are given is false should not be a new issue. Much safer and often expedient to consider the end game as a factor in the information being given.

No federal restriction preventing buying multiple eligible vehicles. MUST meet eligibility income level, and have enough liability for each credit (cannot carry over). States may have a hold period. CA does. If the vehicle gets resold from an eligible retailer, the buyer of the used vehicle may be eligible for a rebate too. The used cr market is still wonky. But not as wonky as a year or so ago. It could be the credit will offset most or all of the depreciation on the first buy.

Chicago Hope, ER 2.0, TV. The AI to assist the surgeon created a tumor because it did not know what to do...

I have seen, on major sites, "news" articles which are clearly not edited or fact checked. I am hearing programmers are using AI as their framework / starting point for code. It is a dilemma for certain, but not new. I remain old (school) and create my own code. I am not above reviewing snippets of code from others for things - which I then follow but not copy/paste. The issue is if whatever is used as the framework contains an unnoticed error, it propagates from something like AI or snippet, as once used by others, it becomes the "norm" rather quickly. None of this is new, we have seen things formerly of mostly trust go away (photo editing). The problem, as I see it, is we now must use (now un)common sense as we cannot automatically believe what we see, read, observe, or are told. As with critical thinking and ethics, we have a severe lack of common sense in society. There are new trusted Uncle Walter sources we can just believe at face value, and with even modest effort, one can find something to back nearly any opinion/side, and claim it is the truth. Times have changed so much, that weeks later, I still struggle to accept I observed great, over the top, service from a used car dealer. Helped someone buy a car from a car rental sales office, and they followed through on every item they stated, even beyond the contract.

The "relatively" safe method, barring a new machine, is to setup a second machine, and use it exclusively for a bit. This ensures you have everything you need on the second machine. At that point, upgrade the other machine. The more risky method is to just go ahead and update your main machine. This assumes you have known good (AND tested) backups. Candidly, I don't always follow my own advice. But, and this is a "large" but, I have many known good and tested backups I can restore from, and know I can restore - from scratch if needed - in a few hours at most. I have a reasonably current second machine at the ready at all times, an alternate collecting dust at my feet, I can "borrow" a different one from a family member, and if I really had to, I can get a new machine within an hour. My former advice was to simply plan on (meaning budget time and $) for a new machine for each new version of Windows. This keeps your machine current as well as having a clean install of Windows. Still likely the best advice. While machines are not getting noticeably faster for the average user, there have been hardware security updates we all should use. Consider - a client asking what OS you are using, and what hardware - and whether or not you are current enough to be able to reply in a professional manner. Not professional, for instance, is "I am using 'insert dead OS version here' on a 5 year old computer".

Easiest upgrade is with a new machine. You have your prior machine as a backup. I’ve installed new versions one current machine, but I have a separate machine as a backup at all times.

While not likely strange in history, times seem strange now that I am more enlightened. States where I would likely have domiciled, while in mobile retirement - best tax and health care options for my planned situation, have made law changes which I do not agree with and would have caused me to leave their state. Enough so that if I have to pass through, I will spend as little as possible in those places. Not exactly thrilled with CA politics either, but as a CA lifer, it is a system I know and understand, and have been through some luck, and a little (now un)common sense, have benefited enough to leave our kids with a generous legacy (via home appreciation).

Maybe more accurately "trying" to leave CA/NY. Breaking nexus is a long road once established in either. Many years ago, I was trying to get approval to print a NYS payroll form. Went a test print, with fake data, as required. Somehow, NYS interpreted it (it was sent to their forms approval office) as being actual data and dunned me for a couple of years. Thankfully the employee names were things like "Test Data" and "John Q Public", so they eventually let it go. I am sure I am "on their list" since one of my replies was similar to "come get me, I have no nexus in NYS, and had, at that time, not been in NYS since '75 when I was a child". I can only logically assume the person in the form approval office forgot to set some sort of flag when they ran the forms through their scanner and the data "slipped" into the live data stream. Instead of trying to add a fee on delivered items, states should be a bit more forceful with delivery vehicle registration. Blue vans with MN, WY, TN, etc. plates have no business making deliveries in CA, for example. The last mile vans, at least here, belong to someone who contracts with the shipper to make the last mile delivery (similar to how many driving the white trucks do).

1a. TEST your backup to prove it has all the information you intend, and to prove you can successfully restore. If you do not prove you can properly restore, then backing up is likely a waste of time. ESPECIALLY if you are not self managing your backup (selecting files and folders manually). Backup assistants usually default to saving certain folders, which may or may not contain all the information you want to backup. If I had a $20 (inflation) for every customer who thought they had a solid backup, or had received something useful from their computer tech...

In all seriousness, if one has any concerns about updating their OS, it would be better to do a fresh install on another machine (or obtain a preinstall on a new machine), then move over your apps and data. Doing this will reduce the risk of issues exponentially! I have been using computers since just before there were consumer available models. I am still learning things which I would think are not issues. My recent, which I think I posted on this BBS (age related reference) was a built into Windows reinstall of Windows, and how it offered no options NOT to wipe out the "program files" folders. So while not falling into "line" for installation of the software I license to others (I force install into a root folder), I had ignored this option for most apps I use, and suffered because of my complacency.

I did not notice I dropped something where it should not have been in an engine rebuild. Broke in fine, practiced fine. But during the race, on a hairpin at over 80mph, when the engine froze, the mistake came to light. Thankfully there was good run off area.

Cruise ships feed 60v to each prong, power strips would cause issues.

I just got a notice today about something missing from a Ty20 paper return. Maybe they are catching up a little? Of course it is a return with a refund, since a balance owed would likely have been processed a bit more timely. Or maybe I should have filed it one day late as it would likely have been opened sooner.

Cruise lines generally allow power strips, as long as they do NOT have surge protectors. I have not looked at the science behind the restriction.