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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Steverooo" data-source="post: 1042274" data-attributes="member: 9410">Better Plans for Next Time1) First of all, hire a network administrator (preferably one with experience in more than one NOS (Network Operating System) who can explain to you the difference between a virus and a worm.A virus is not a worm.  A worm is not a virus.  Not in the real world, and not on computers.  Antibiotics generally won't kill worms.  Vermicides generally won't kill viruses.  McAfees and Symantec will not help you against worms.  Your SysAdmin should be able to configure your (unnamed) NOS to prevent worms.  Hire someone who knows how.2) Use Anti-Virus software, anyway.  The NOS Config won't protect you from viruses, either.  A Virus Shield program would prevent the download of virus-infected attachments (if that was the problem, which I doubt).3) As someone else previously suggested, the public terminals and the Registration ones should have been on separate networks.4) BOTH should have been protected.5) As previously mentioned by others, Firewall!6) Once a SysAdmin has been hired and set up your next system, it needs to be TESTED, BEFORE the next con.  You've got 216 copies of worms/viruses, put them on the network, and see if it survives.  If not, it still needs some work!7) Since computers WILL go down, you MUST have a non-computer back-up plan.  Boxes of pens, pre-printed badges and tickets, etc., should be under the tables, and everyone should be TRAINED to "go for them" when the system crashes.  This should be part of the training!8) Redundancy, redundancy, and redundancy!  Have a plan.  Have a back-up plan.  Have a back-up-back-up plan.If you pre-print badges and tickets, what happens when attendance is 50% more than expected, and you run out?Answer: You use the current computerized method as a back-up plan!What happens when you run out of pre-printed badges/tickets, AND the power goes out (or the 'puters crash, or Godzilla attacks, or...)?  You use the back-up-back-up plan!  (Get the boxes of pens and sticky notes out from under the tables, and keep going).9) Anytime there's a line, there must be porta-potties!  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue    :p"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" /> 10)  Always under-promise and over-deliver.  This year, you expected "flat" attendance, and got 10-15% more.  Even if you had supplied 10% over, you would still have fallen short...Next time, be ready with 150% of the supplies you EXPECT to need.  Pens and sticky notes are reusable, next con.  Badges and tickets may or may not be, depending upon how they're designed...  It is always better to have too many, than too few.11) Back-up computers should be laptops.  They are easier to transport and store, and quicker to set up.12) Never trust your livlihood to a PC (or even a Mac)!  Do not trust HAL-9000, Dave!  There must ALWAYS be a way to open the airlock BY HAND!  If not, you will die!... (at least in a business sense!)PS: You MIGHT want to consider an "Express Lane" for the handicapped, people with medical problems, etc.  It's impossible to tell who has what, of course, but some disabilities are OBVIOUS, and if a few people "sneak in" with a wheelchair, well... they spent $150+ on their "disguise"...Better luck next time!  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /></blockquote>

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