Mr. IT Consulting Inc

Happy thoughts vs IT ones

Having someone you trust in your corner is a happy thought. Some clients have been with me since 2004, anecdotally proving their happiness.

I support Mac and Windows users day to day, and do my best to allow them happy thoughts. I also provide limited Linux support. As a managed IT service provider, I subscribe to an industry leading Remote Monitoring Platform. My RMM alerts me about potential issues on clients’ devices. I am able to be proactive because of the early warnings which I receive from this system.

Why pay for monitoring?

Here’s another happy thought — if you have fewer than three computers, you could use my basic device monitoring service for free. You may receive RMM generated performance alerts, if those are relevant to your life. I will merely pass on actionable recommendations for you to resolve on your own, at this level.

If you pay me for monitoring (because you have three or more monitored devices), things get more interesting. Then, you will receive RMM generated performance alerts, to keep you in the loop. I will still pass on actionable recommendations for you to resolve on your own, unless you want me to deal with things as they come up.

If you see the value in paying me to install your software updates, I can aggressive work on maintaining your happy thoughts. For this group of clients, I augment my monitoring service by connecting remotely to your computer (as needed). Installing software updates on your devices… Sometimes, I do this via remote instructions, if conditions are conducive to rebooting devices without actually observing them. It is my goal to replace every IT thought my clients have, by a happy thought.

I create WordPress sites

I have been using WordPress for many years now. WordPress is great for designing and maintaining basic websites. I do not want to work on websites which double as online shopping sites, as ‘they must’ remain operational and safe at all times. I do not have time for the intense level of care such sites. My design style induces happy thoughts in my small business clients. I cannot provide too much detail here, as that is irresponsible. I will not disclose information that could help a would-be criminal to profile any of my clients. Suffice to say, I make a special effort to secure those websites which I build, and always look after their update needs afterwards. Being meticulous, I follow the best current security practices in my pursuit of happiness.

Your cousins are cheaper

But do they know that public (WordPress) sites are popular targets for hackers? Hackers justifiably assume that many WordPress sites are poorly maintained. Many sites are not genuinely not sufficiently secured. The prevailing ‘cottage industry’ approach hardly ever leads to happy thoughts. Hackers do not usually break into sites due to vulnerabilities in WordPress. They get in because of preventable issues, left to fester. Criminals know that ‘casual web guys’ don’t bother to keep software up to date.

Many website administrators'accounts are not being protected by secure passwords or MFA.

You need to know that your website is being looked after by someone you can trust. Even more so if your website was built using WordPress! Your ‘web guy’ must be passionate about security. They must be diligent in following up on security alerts. Nobody can create a quick WordPress website, and sit back while ‘the cash rolls in. That does not lead to happiness. Stay away from gurus who peddle some ‘passive income formula’ with minimal effort. Criminals love neglected websites! They can take them over and repurpose them for nefarious purposes. Happy thoughts comes from having a secure website that will not be recruited to do someone’s evil bidding.

What brings me happiness?

I set up new Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) domains. I also support existing Google Workspaces whenever possible. You may not want to use Google, some people don’t. That is why I also provide Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) administration and support to some clients.

– Norman Atterbury

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• Yelp