UWG
News Item
Contact: University Communications & Marketing
Phone (678) 839-6464, FAX (678) 839-6645
ucm@westga.edu
PC Fear Factor!
February 27, 2003
CARROLLTON, GA - It’s your worst nightmare. You’re working on your computer, just like you always do, and FLASH! your screen goes blank and your data is gone — or, worse, your computer locks up and you can’t reboot. This is a Fear Factor challenge that would make most people break out in a cold sweat.
Luckily,
it’s only a nightmare — for now. Keeping it from becoming
reality is the goal of an upcoming special seminar offered by the University of West Georgia Department of Continuing Education at the University’s
Newnan Center. Geared for non-technical computer users, the one-day PC
Fear Factor class will demonstrate how to prevent and recover from most
computer disasters.
It will be taught by Alan Luber, author of the widely popular book PC Fear Factor: The Ultimate PC Disaster Prevention Guide (2002). The owner of ADL Consulting Inc. as well as an author, journalist and computer expert, Luber has a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from Pennsylvania State University and has worked for General Electric, Management Science America and Digital Equipment Corp.
Because many of his friends and family called him for help with their computers after it was too late — when a disaster had already occurred, Luber decided to write a book to help people prevent the worst from happening.
“I find that most people never consider the possibility of a computer disaster, or the terrible impact it will have on their lives until it is too late,” he explains. “Most people just don’t realize how complex and fragile their computing environments are.”
Now Luber is taking his humorous, conversational approach straight to the people by offering a course to help the non-technical learn to protect themselves from disasters caused by a whole gamut of demons, including computer viruses, hackers, badly behaved software applications, changes to the computing environment, bad device drivers, and the two most frustrating enemies: problems that are self-inflicted or of unknown origin.
Though Luber’s suggestions apply to the range of Windows applications, from Windows 98 to Millennium and XP, he keeps his material easy to understand and user friendly because, as he says, “… most people are not computer experts and have no desire to become computer experts, just as most people drive cars but have no desire to become auto mechanics.”
In addition to the tools and procedures for preventing most computer disasters, participants will learn how to recover quickly, easily and completely when the inevitable disaster strikes. The only course prerequisites Luber requires are a basic knowledge of either Microsoft Windows 98, Millennium or XP and an interest in self-preservation.
“Computer disasters are gut-wrenching experiences,” says Luber. “Anyone who has ever seen his digital photographs, spreadsheets or MP3s vanish into cyberspace can attest to this. And even if you have a recent backup of your data, you may have to labor for weeks to recover from a computer disaster if you are unprepared. Rebuilding your hard disk from scratch is a very difficult task, and if you follow the advice in PC Fear Factor I guarantee that you will never have to do this.”
PC Fear Factor will be offered at the Newnan Center in Newnan on Saturday, March 15, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break. The cost is $89 and participants will receive a copy of Luber’s book. For more information, visit the PC Fear Factor web site at www.pcfearfactor.com. To register, contact the UWG Department of Continuing Education at 770-836-6611.
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