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MacAdmins Conference at Penn State workshop resources — July 7, 2026

Greetings, MacAdmins campers! 🏕️

You’ll find everything you need in these workshop resources. Keep this page handy!

Download a copy of the presentation slides and notes

  1. Welcome!
  2. What you’ll need for today
  3. Challenges
  4. Resize Safari Applescript
  5. About

Date and time

Today’s workshop is divided into two morning and two afternoon sessions:

🗓️ Tuesday, July 7, 2026 🕘 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. EDT
Session 1 (morning) 9:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
Break 10:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
Session 2 (morning) 10:45 a.m. - Noon
Lunch Noon - 1:30 p.m.
Session 3 (afternoon) 1:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
Break 2:45 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Session 4 (afternoon) 3:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Google Docs community notes

Every MacAdmins Conference workshop and presentation has a unique Google Docs community notes page for sharing notes with each other. You’re encouraged to contribute what you can.

Here's the Google Docs page for our workshop: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1toReHTE6A44iOIErHvK7MN3OGynwu_HKkx5-yW8VHD8/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.8dr8yja46mrh

#psumac-205 MacAdmins Slack channel

We’re meeting at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center in Room 205. There’s a Slack channel for that!

You can chat with each other in real time. (If you’re not part of the MacAdmins Slack community, you’re missing the best support resource for anyone who manages Apple computers and devices!)

Missed a step but too shy to raise your hand? Post a quick message in the channel. Someone will probably help you catch up.

Join the #psumac-205 channel on MacAdmins Slack

Feedback

You can provide me feedback on this workshop here: https://bit.ly/psumac26-1151024

Here’s what you'll need for today.

Not much.

Your computer

Should be a Mac.

TextEdit

Or any app that supports formatted text and pictures. Doesn't need to be fancy. Feel free to use a mardown editor, if you like.

Preview

Arguably one of the most versatile apps to come on your Mac!

AirPods or headphones

If you’re someone who finds concentration difficult with background noise, you may want to bring a set of AirPods or headphones to help you tune out sound.

Challenge 1

Simplify the following technical instructions:

  1. Locate a storage unit designated for aqueous containment vessels.

  2. Assess vessels for defects or residual contaminants, and choose one with minimal degree of structural defects and maximal degree of sterility.

  3. Carefully disengage vessel from its containment position, accounting for any neighboring vessels to avoid a cascade failure event.

  4. Transport vessel to an aqueous dissemination station, maintaining its vacuous, contaminant-free interior state.

  5. Engage dispensing station's valve, turning it counterclockwise on most single-handle systems — initiating the supply line flow.

  6. Calibrate supply line flow to produce moderate, non-turbulent dissemination.

  7. Align vessel with supply line flow at an approximately 10–15° angle to minimize turbulence and aeration.

  8. Monitor for target dissemination of 70–80% of total vessel capacity.

  9. Disengage station's valve by rotating it clockwise on most single-handle systems to terminate dissemination.

  10. Transport charged vessel smoothly to preferred consumption location, minimizing lateral acceleration to prevent aqueous fluid egress.

  11. Gripping vessel firmly, raise it at a tilted and controlled angle, allowing fluid to flow into oral cavity without aqueous fluid egress. Engage pharyngeal reflex activation. Repeat until objective is satisfied.

  12. Return vessel to the dispensing station after fluid processing.

  13. Initiate decontamination cycle. Apply small volume of antibacterial and grease diffuser to a sanitization instrument. Apply diffuser with instrument to dislodge any lipid residue or microbial load.

  14. Assess vessel for residual contaminants. Repeat step 13 as necessary until assessment reveals vessel is free of contaminants.

  15. Use drying agent to lower moisture content of vessel to 0 percent. Reinsert vessel into the storage unit.


Challenge 2

Edit the following statements for simplicity. Suggestion: Be brutal.

  1. Please authenticate to your computer using your Active Directory credentials.

  2. Click the Airport icon, click an SSID that doesn’t show a lock, and click “I agree” to connect to a hotel captive portal.

  3. Apple’s new Declarative Device Management (DDM) protocol is replacing the legacy Mobile Device Management (MDM) protocol for distributing Configuration Profiles and sending Management commands. Going forward, configure Software Updates (SUS) using DDM instead of MDM to take advantage of new features available only with DDM.

  4. Contact the Help Desk if you need additional creativity tools beyond Adobe Acrobat, Ai, Id, and Ps. Thank you!

  5. After using QuickTime to record your screen, you can share the recording to Windows Users with VLC installed on their computers. It supports all kinds of video formats like MPEG (ES,PS,TS,PVA,MP3), AVI, ASF / WMV / WMA, MP4 / MOV / 3GP, OGG / OGM / Annodex, Matroska (MKV), Real, WAV (including DTS), Raw Audio: DTS, AAC, AC3/A52, Raw DV, FLAC, FLV (Flash), MXF, Nut, Standard MIDI / SMF, Creative Voice.

  6. The 1998 IETF standard RITA describes the usage of Nondeterministic Troubleshooting and Diagnostic Methodologies as applied to today's complex nondeterministic networks and environments.

  7. When you’re done, click the File Menu and then the Save Menu. Saving your work is an essential habit that can make a significant difference in your productivity and data security.


Challenge 3

Edit the following statements or dialogs for simplicity. Look for speed bumps. Omit useless words. Use active voice. Be brutal. (Plain text for editing follows each image.)

  1. From a Nudge dialog:

    Plain text:

Your device requires a security update A friendly reminder from your local IT team

Your device will restart during this update Updates can take around 30 minutes to complete Update Device

Important Notes A fully up-to-date device is required to ensure that IT can accurately protect your device. If you do not update your device, you may lose access to some items necessary for your day-to-day tasks. To begin the update, simply click on the Update Device button and follow the provided

  1. Title and subtitle from a blog post:

    Plain text:

Managed software updates via DDM

As each annual Apple OS release provides exciting new features and capabilities, users want to update their devices as soon as possible. However, IT administrators have not always had a clear, best path. Managed software updates — powered by the Declarative Device Management (DDM) protocol — change that.

  1. From a Jamf Cloud Status alert:

    Plain text:

Jamf Cloud Minor Issue Alert

Please be aware there is a minor issue that may affect your Jamf Cloud instance. Compute Services - US: Degraded Performance Database Services - US: Degraded Performance


Challenge 4

Use the Apple Style Guide to identify the names of the user interface elements pictured below. Create a clause (subject + verb + object) for each element explaining how to interact with it.

Example: "click the button"


Challenge 5

Refer to Top 10 tips for Microsoft style and voice in Microsoft's Style Guide. Use its recommendations and what you've learned from this workshop so far to edit the following sentences. Be brutal.

  1. For a user's most important functions, data transfers and charging, IT recommends using only premium quallity Universal Serial Bus (USB) cables.

  2. Today's Brown Bag Lunch Seminar: Learn How To Identity Weak Passwords.

  3. Protect yourself now! When walking away from your desk close your device's lid to prevent "unwanted eyes" from PRYING into your PERSONAL FILES!

  4. The administrator should first authenticate to Apple's ADE portal. Once there, he can associate the organization's computers to his MDM.

  5. The user will not be able to use the computer until the software update are applied and the device reboots.

  6. More than likely, you will want to reduce your number of open browser tabs so that you get better performance.

  7. How To Enable Apple Intelligence:

    • Open the System Preferences app under the Apple Menu.
    • In the sidebar on the left choose "Apple Intelligence & Siri".
    • Switch on "Apple Intelligence" to turn it on.
  8. To help troubleshot networking issues, hold down the Option key while you click the wifi menu.

  9. End users can find the IT ticketing system for opening issues about software problems, hardware issues or access to secure servers by opening Firefox and navigating to https://helpdesk.local and filing out the form provided.

  10. In order to ensure our employees are protected against viruaes, malware, and phishing attempts, the IT department has completed its review of vulnerable endpoints, which could become compromised. IT will now instal software on each user's computer to protect against these and other threats.


Challenge 6

Turn this wall of text into an easier to read and digest set of instructions. Apply what you’ve learned from this workshop. Reword sentences if necessary. Be brutal.

Welcome! We’re excited to have you on board and we appreciate your attention as we demonstrate the safety features of this aircraft. FAA regulations require you to follow the instructions of our crew members and comply with posted and lighted signs. It’s important to have your seatbelt on at all times, to fasten your seatbelt slide the metal end into the buckle, tighten by pulling the loose end of the strap, and flip the top of the buckle to release. When the seatbelt sign is on, your seatbelt should be fastened low and tight across your lap. In case of unexpected turbulence keep your seatbelt fastened even when the seatbelt sign is off. Please take a look around to familiarize yourself with the aircraft. This aircraft has 8 exit doors, 4 on each side of the aircraft. If the doors are opened in an emergency slide rafts will automatically inflate, in a water landing the slides attached to the aircraft can be come unattached to be used as life rafts. All eight exits are marked with overhead signs. As you locate the two nearest exits to your seat, remember they may be behind you. If you are seated in an exit row, you may be asked to assist the crew during an evacuation. If you’re unable or uncomfortable please ask a flight attendant to be moved. If you must evacuate the aircraft, exit path lights on or neat the floor will illuminate and guide you to the exit. Look for a change in color or an exit sign to indicate that you’ve reached an exit. Leave all cary-on bags behind. Please refer to the safety card near your seat for the operation of the exit doors on this aircraft. If necessary an oxygen mask will drop from above your seat. If a strap appears flip down on the strap to access your mask from the compartment. Pull your mask down to extend the tubing, placed a mask over your nose and mouth and slip the band over your head. The band does not require adjustment. To start the flow of oxygen breathe normally make sure your mask is secure before helping others. Should you need it you will find a lifevest equipped with water of activated light under or near your seat when directed pull the tap to remove the pouch tear open the pouch remove and unfold the vest. Flip the best over your head wrap the belt around your waist and secure it to the buckle in front pull the loose end to tighten. Make sure you inflate your vest just prior to exiting the aircraft pulling down sharply on the red tab. You can also inflate the vest by blowing into the tube, this aircraft is also equipped with infant lifevests will be distributed if necessary. Smoking of any kind including e-cigarette’s is never allowed on the aircraft FAA regulations prohibit tampering with disabling or destroying lavatory smoke detectors. US law also requires passenger to comply with lighted signs and crewmember instructions. Make sure you’ve switched all smart phones tablets and E readers to airplane mode for taxi takeoff and landing large electronica devices must be turned off and stowed. For international destinations your flight attendants advise if that’s necessary to turn off and still your device. We will be taking off soon please review the safety card located on near your seat stow your tray table carry-on items head rests and foot rest and make sure your seat back is upright and your seatbelt is securely fastened. Please place per your personal items I see in front of you. At united we are connecting the world and doing it safely. Thank you and enjoy your flight.

-- tell application "Firefox"
-- tell application "Google Chrome"
tell application "Safari"
activate
-- get bounds of window 1
set windowLeft to "120" -- 120 by default
set windowright to "1400" -- 1400 by default
set windowtop to "60" -- 60 by default
set windowbottom to "900" -- 900 by default
set bounds of window 1 to {windowLeft, windowtop, windowright, windowbottom} -- 1380 wide x 940
end tell

Fonts

Throughout my slides I used fonts from the Atkinson Hyperlegible Font family from the Braille Institute of America, Inc. They are designed to improve legibility and readability for individuals with low vision with highly distinctive letters and numbers that make reading easier and more accessible.

The font family includes:

  • Atkinson Hyperlegible™
  • Atkinson Hyperlegible Next™
  • Atkinson Hyperlegible Mono™

They’re free for everyone — from personal use to all commercial applications.

Music

Vibe is important for some folks who write code, and music is a great way to define a mood or tempo. Music for scripting should be unintrusive and indistinct. I personally prefer music with either no vocals or vocals that are in a different language. Occassionally, I'll make exceptions.

I’ve found movie and TV soundtracks (especially science fiction) to have some of the best coding music. It's often instrumental not synthesized.

2Cellos

Luka Sulic & Stjepan Hauser


Alegría

Cirque du Soleil


Donnie Darko (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Michael Andrews


Schoolhouse Rock: Grammar Rock)

Various Artists


Mars (Original Series Soundtrack)

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis


The Martian (Original Motion Picture Score)

Harry Gregson-Williams


Twin Peaks (Soundtrack From)

Angelo Badalamenti


Westworld: Season 1 (Music from the HBO Series)

Ramin Djawadi


Westworld: Season 2 (Music from the HBO Series)

Ramin Djawadi

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