I'm not sure how we did it, but SPAUG has, by counting the membership list, about 107 members. This means that we have the cash flow to permit the Planning Committee to pretty much do what we need to do when new projects are considered.
That having been said, we are looking around to present items of interest that include operating systems that are felt might make it in the future. A moderator is needed.
One of the members brought a brand new laptop to the Clinic in order to get it started correctly in the face of the gale of viruses, worms, etc. So we obliged by setting up firewalls before even getting the latest updates. In this case, the Norton AntiVirus was about a year and a half old. The manufacturer had not updated the loads given to customers for that amount of time. The amount of Critical Updates bore out that assertion.
What this particular manufacturer did do was to give the buyer restore CDs, which many do not. What the manufacturer did not do was provide a simple means of restoring the backed up files in case of a crash because there was no floppy drive on the computer, the USB interface was not a bootable interface and the backup software provided by the manufacturer required a floppy boot to restore the image of the hard drive. What a mess that could have been avoided if either appropriate boot options were enforced by the manufacturer or a bootable floppy was included in the purchase specification. Hopefully the buyer will never need to restore the hard drive, but the lesson is still very much caveat emptor.
This same computer came with a small LCD screen that replaced a bunch of LCDs. It was very difficult to see the LCD information as one had to get almost vertical to see the action. These all are things that you might like to look out for in your next laptop purchase.
And finally, the same manufacturer failed to set aside a "D" drive with enough space for a backup - so we set one up. Then when we went to use the new partition, the software was set up to allow for the automatic enlarging of the original "D" partition to a usable size - but nothing was mentioned in the documentation.
And then, finally, the antenna for wi-fi was embedded into the case which meant that the case acts as a Faraday shield which appears to diminish the sensitivity of the antenna.
Keep in mind that you are entitled to a "restore" CD and if it is not offered, don't buy the product.
Is it a bad buy? No, but it could have been documented in a more realistic way. Hopefully, you will look for these items in a computer you propose to purchase.
Internet Explorer has 96% of the marketplace, yet I have been using the replacement to Netscape called Mozilla Firefox because it does have some features that IE does not do well. One of them is the ability to read the TV guide in big letters under Excite that seems to work better for the distance that I use. Generally Mozilla is quite effective, but whenever it has to act as a surrogate of IE in financial operation and advanced actions like downloading files to locations or choosing to execute in place, the program falls short. The one I am using is a version 0.8 and I suspect the 1.0 version will be much better without these problems.
I still find Acronis True Image 7.x the most effective way to backup a computer on a daily basis. Whenever I am about to do something risky, I just spend 6 minutes accomplishing the backup and then go on with my business. If the action proves to be a disaster, I can restore in about 4 minutes and go on with life. Periodically, however, I make a DVD of my HDD and give it to a friend for fire and theft protection.
Wireless connections are easy - too easy. All you have to do is plug in the devices and then choose what network you want to join. The network can be your neighbor's or the kid's down the street. Figure out how to turn on encryption on your computer!
SPAUG has bought some wi-fi to be used at the Elks Lodge so that our speakers can use on-line demonstrations if that is desirable. We initially install and then remove the equipment at the end of the evening. There is enough signal strength to make it through the wall and to the table where we do the demonstrations. Without the directional antennas, the signal would not make it reliably to the pool table in the pool room where we were last time, and I did not have enough time to do the installation of those antennas and line them up.
The greatest use I can see for the vast majority of dialup modem users is to use wireless to speed up their updating of their computer. I can understand why many users have not updated their computers and are reluctant to spend about 6 hours on-line in order to get the latest updates. The answer is to spring $60 for a laptop or desktop wi-fi and go down to the local coffee shop and use their network to make the 6 hours into about an hour. Pick a place with good coffee and an entrepreneurial atmosphere. Note that the time to download is one of the key reasons why Microsoft is making available to all, at no cost, not even mailing, a CD which will help greatly to alleviate this problem as it contains the patches for most of the operating systems for the past few years. No downloading at all. But there will always need latest patches that appeared since the CD was created.
The best review of the support for activities on the Internet I have seen for a while was from Newsweek, March 22, 2004 page 65 and can be read at: msnbc.msn.com/id/4523296/.
Included in the above URL are the comparison shopping sites, the rebate sites, and the coupon sites.
The SPAUG Mid-2004 CD is being finalized as this is being written. The guys have reviewed all the software items for applicability, effectiveness, and license. The survivors are what you will want to have. And no, Zone labs did not give us permission to include their free version.
Help is always needed both after and before the General Meetings to get the materials and trappings of SPAUG back to the respective persons' cars. As you leave, please help transport.
The computer Clinic will be closed for the remainder of March and the month of April.
Corey Bridges and Misha of Zone Labs, the maker of the software firewall ZoneAlarm, which is well regarded and recommended by the club, gave a talk on the threats awaiting us on the Internet, and what ZoneAlarm, ZoneAlarm Plus, and ZoneAlarm Pro can do to protect us. The threats include hackers & crackers, script kiddies, targeted attacks, denial of service (DoS) attacks, worms, trojans, viruses of all description, and malware.
The ZoneAlarm product family stops inbound, outbound, and email threats. The Plus and Pro have additional "bells & whistles" that appeal to professional security types. The free version is usually sufficient for the casual user who doesn't want to configure and control every little detail, although the 47 additional extensions quarantined by the Pro version in MailSafe may be worth $49.95 to some of us. The "net nanny" and ID Lock features that block the site categories you choose and prevent sending personal information could be especially attractive to parents (and grandparents) whose family members use the computer to surf. These and other features are also useful for other applications or situations.
Corey mentioned that Check Point Software Technologies is in the process of acquiring Zone Labs.
Corey recommends the chat feature if you have any problems. It's very responsive, and you can quickly get answers to questions or problems. Some advice he offered includes, don't run multiple software firewalls or multiple virus checkers, using a hardware firewall (i.e., a router) and a software firewall is usually a good idea, you need antivirus AND firewall AND malware defenses; and you can get free versions of all of them. Just be sure to update them shortly after you turn on your computer, and before you start surfing.
There's been lots of talk about CDR longevity, so I'll add my two cents. It's a subject worth a little thought as we entrust our precious data to these unknown quantities.
Like everything else, there are good CDRs and there are others. Maybe you gets what you pays for, maybe not, but it is wise to shop carefully. Sadly, there's not a lot of reliable information available as to who makes the most reliable or long-lived CDR, most of what I see appears to be opinion rather than fact-based.
There are, however some basic safeguards one can employ to enhance the longevity of one's CDR and to secure one's data. I've looked into the matter a little, and have come up with a few links that might interest some of you. These are by no means comprehensive, and their real value may be in the links they contain, as following the trail can only serve to edify. That's what I did, and I recommend it. BTW, I came up with these pretty quick by searching Google for 'cd longevity'. The subject has generated research and papers from many arenas, including the Library of Congress.
This link contained what to me was the most useful info for day-to-day care and feeding of CDRs, the tips are common sense and easy to adapt into one's life, and can't help but tip the odds in your favor: www.short-media.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3378 Don't stop reading after the first message, read the follow-up too: library.wustl.edu/~listmgr/imagelib/May2002/0028.html
Langa article: www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=15800263 (I can't recommend his FREE newsletter enough, and the paid-version is hands-down the best computing investment I make each each year - www.langa.com). http://www.cd-info.com/CDIC/Technology/CD-R/Media/Longevity.html, electronics.howstuffworks.com/cd.htm/printable.
There is a LOT more info out there, just depends on how far you want to go. The gist of it all is that NO MEDIA IS FOREVER. With care one can improve one's odds, but multiple copies of valuable data and perhaps duplicating that data at regular intervals is prudent. Of course, that depends on the value of the data.
Mike Richter's site is a treasure trove of well-written, easy-to-read, common-sense solid information, and it is replete with links to more resources. The internet at its best. No bells 'n whistles, just well-organized info in a format that's easy to get at. I learned a lot in a few minutes, bookmarked it, and will be back for more.
You can find his site here: www.mrichter.com
Me? I store images on optical discs AND on magnetic media (HDs are getting ridiculously cheap these days, I've recently paid less than fifty-cents a gigabyte! That's VERY competitive with CDRs, especially if you keep 'em in jewel cases, and it takes a lot less space, too.) and REALLY important stuff is archived off-site and duplicated annually. I've also recently begun archiving data on the web as well - storage is available in a lot of ways these days.
There's no reason to think that what applies to CDRs doesn't apply as well to DVDs, and in the absence of facts to the contrary one would be well-advised to shop for and care for one's DVD media as carefully as one does their CDR media.
As excerpted from an article by Fred Langa (Fred's Langalist is hands-down the best Internet newsletter around—if you haven't yet subscribed, stop what you are doing and head over to http://langa.com/newsletter.htm).
Take advantage of Microsoft's free Security Update CD. According to Microsoft, the Windows Security Update CD will be shipped to you free of charge. This CD includes Microsoft critical updates released through October 2003 and information to help you protect your PC. In addition, you will also receive a free antivirus and firewall trial software CD. That's the good news. There are three pieces of bad news:
1. The CD is only available for Windows XP, Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows 98, and Windows 98 Second Edition (SE). Sorry Windows 95 users.
2. It'll take been two and four weeks for you to receive your free CD.
3. If you are outside of the United States and Canada, CD availability varies by country.
To order a free copy of Microsoft's Windows Security Update CD, or to see if the CD is available in your country, hop on over to http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/cd/order.asp
Think of this CD as a restore tool, something you'll use only if you decide to erase your hard drive and start from scratch. If you ever have to reinstall Windows, you can use this CD to install the older critical updates and service packs for your operating system. You'll still need to run Windows Update once you finish—the CD only contains critical updates released through October 2003—but this CD should speed up the process of getting your rebuilt computer up, running, and on its way to being fully patched.
One final word of warning, stolen straight from Fred Langa:
I assume that the costs of the CD are being borne in full or part by the vendors of the bundled AV and firewall tools. I haven't seen the CD yet, so I don't know how aggressively they might try to install themselves, or what other "gotchas" there might be.
But still, it could be handy having the patches preassembled on CD. As long as you're careful--- read the licenses, and select a
"custom" install, if one's available--- it's probably worth having the CD
[From http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2004/2004-03-01.htm#2 ]
Here's a reference Google™ found that might be helpful
Here's another possibly useful page, from page 4 of Google's hits list.
Here is the Google-search URL, with all the hits found. for AOL spam mistake.
If you have blocked someone's email by accident on AOL, you can unblock that person by going to AOL keyword: mail controls
In the "Customize" section you will be able to see a list of all of the people you have blocked. Highlight the person's email that you want to "unblock" and click "remove"
Follow the instructions on the rest of the screens and make sure that you click "save" to save your changes
AOL contains a facility called Mail Controls. Mail Controls allows you to block all mail originating on the Internet to your AOL account. If you set this control, we will not be able to send you your registration confirmation message, nor will we be able to answer your requests for help or technical support. You will not be able to receive email from winning bidders or persons you have bought items from.
To unblock Internet mail to your AOL account, please go to AOL and enter the keyword: MailControls. You must turn off Mail Controls or else you will not be able to receive email from us, nor from any sellers you buy from or buyers you sell to. [N.B.- this might turn off all mail blocking, probably not what you want]
AOL Users -- Unblock Your Email
If you are using an America Online account and you have set up mail controls on your email address, you might have chosen a mail option which blocks email from non-AOL addresses. SeniorNet staff and volunteers need to be able to reach you for a variety of reasons including to welcome you, to provide help, or to alert you if changes are made to a post or discussion you've created.
Please choose one of the following options in your AOL mail controls:
Allow all email (N.B.-probably not what you want)
or
Allow email from all AOL members and only from the listed Internet domains and addresses then add seniornet.org (N.B.- you'd add cloves.montereynet.net, earthlink.net, mindspring.com, LMCO.com to receive email from SPAUG personnel) to the list of Internet domains from which you will accept email.
or
Allow email from listed AOL members, Internet domains and addresses then add seniornet.org to the list of Internet domains from which you will accept email.