Computer Networks

Memory Upgrades

jons — 2008-03-19T17:50:07Z

Can you ever have enough memory in your computer?

The answer, surprisingly, is yes. However, chances are that you probably don't have enough.

If your hard drive is like your file cabinet, where you store information permanently, then Random Access Memory (RAM) is like the surface of your desk: its where your computer stores data that its working on right now.

You need to have enough RAM in order to run the latest, most complicated programs, to have several programs open at once, and to work with large graphics files. If your computer does not have enough RAM, it will use space on your hard drive to store "overflow" information; this is known as "virtual memory." However, because reading and writing information to and from your hard drive is much slower than accessing RAM, relying heavily on virtual memory causes your system to run very slowly.

The good news is that upgrading your computers RAM is very cheap. In most cases, you should be able to upgrade your machine for less than $75

How Much Memory Do I Have?

First, you need to determine how much memory is in your computer:

To find out how much memory is in your Macintosh, choose "About Your Macintosh" from the Apple Menu.
To find how much memory is in a machine running Windows XP, click on the "My Computer" icon with the right mouse button, and select "Properties." Then select the "Performance" tab.

How Much Memory Do I Need?

As of early 2008, we recommend 2GB of RAM as an ideal amount of memory for a machine running Windows XP, Windows Vista or Mac OS X. 1 GB of RAM is acceptable for machines that are lightly used.

What Kind of Memory Do I Order?

The easiest way to find out what kind of memory to order is to use an online memory configurator from a major memory manufacturer such as Crucial.

You simply enter your computer's brand and model and the configurator tells you exactly what kind of memory you need and how much it will cost. It probably pays to shop around, though; memory is a commodity item, and the market is both fast-moving and competitive.

If all else fails, we suggest that you bring your machine into a computer repair store. Opening the machine and inspecting its RAM should be a quick, painless and relatively inexpensive process.

Where Should I Buy Memory?

Memory is a commodity item; prices change often and competition is fierce. You should be prepared to do some comparison shopping. Luckily, a number of major memory vendors have Web sites with current price and ordering information, and virtually everyone ships next-day air.

ONE/Northwest has had good luck buying memory from:

How Do I Install Memory?

Although figuring out exactly what kind of RAM you need can be confusing, installing RAM is usually fairly simple--if you are comfortable opening your computer. If you have never opened a computer before, now is probably not the time to start; we suggest that you find someone experienced to help you, or bring your computer in to a repair shop for installation. Many computer stores will do this for free--make a couple of phone calls.

Lifehacker has a nice, generic, illustrated guide to installing RAM for the slightly adventurous.

Computer Recycling

jons — 2007-07-16T20:26:02Z

Have your current computers reached the end of their useful life with the organization? Because computer equipment is fast becoming a major solid waste problem (especially monitors), we believe the best way for environmental organizations to retire their outdated computers is to recycle them.

Recycling computers requires some effort and sometimes a bit of cost. The best option is to take advantage of local computer recycling options in your community. This is the most convenient and inexpensive way to make sure your computer equipment is recycled appropriately. The bad news is that not every community has computer recycling programs.

Here are some options in the Pacific Northwest:

British Columbia

Vancouver

Intercon Solutions
http://www.interconrecycling.com

Nanaimo

Nanaimo Recycling Exchange
http://www.recycling.bc.ca

Idaho

Boise

Idaho Department of Environmental Quality http://www.deq.state.id.us/assistance/recycle.htm

Computers for Kids

http://www.cfkidaho.org

Montana

Billings, Bozeman, Helena, Missoula, etc.

Montana Department of Environmental Quality
http://www.deq.mt.gov/Recycle/cpuList.asp

Oregon

Portland

Free Geek
http://www.freegeek.org/recycle.php
StRUT
http://www.strut.org

Clackamas

E-Waste Solutions

http://www.ewastesolutions.biz

Eugene

Computer Reuse and Recycling
http://www.laneccrc.org

Washington

Seattle/King County

Computer Recovery Project
http://dnr.metrokc.gov/swd/default.shtml

A longer listing of Northwest electronics recycling providers can be found at http://www.recyclingadvocates.org/wepsi/recycle.htm

If there's no computer recycling service available in your area, you may need to look farther afield. Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition is one of the leading groups working on responsible e-waste recycling issues. They maintain links to electronics recycling resources at http://www.svtc.org/cleancc/recycle/recycle_otherstates.htm.

For more information on e-waste-related policy issues, see Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition's "Clean Computer Campaign" at http://www.svtc.org/cleancc/index.html.

Thanks to Alex McCallum and Suzanne for updates and suggestions.

NTEN's 2006 Nonprofit IT Staffing Report

jon — 2007-07-13T19:06:49Z

Our friends at NTEN recently published the results from a wide-ranging survey of nonprofit information technology staffing they conducted during 2006. Their first-of-a-kind study generated some great baseline data, and it's well worth a read if your organization is considering how to make IT staff investments, or wondering how your organization compares with other nonprofits. Here are some of their key findings:

● Salary and budget expenses: Nonprofits’ IT salary and budget investments varied widely.
They didn’t just differ from smaller organizations to larger ones, but between organizations of
the same size. Larger organizations not only had more IT expenses, but invested more per
employee as well.

● Technology adoption and investment: Technology “Early Adopters” and “Fast Followers”
invested substantially more in all aspects of their IT infrastructure.

● Nonprofit IT staffing levels: Nonprofits on average had about one staff member with some
IT responsibility for every five organizational staff members. Smaller organizations had more IT
staff per employee than larger ones.

● IT within the organization: Where does the responsibility for IT live in nonprofit
organizations? Small nonprofits most frequently answered that they had no one with official IT
responsibility. Large organizations most typically had a separate IT function. It was also
common to consider IT part of general operating functions, or part of the finance department.

● Staff time across functions: Nonprofit IT staff spent the most time on desktop and
application support, but they devoted significant time to management and strategic issues as
well.

● The understaffed perception: The majority of organizations felt they were understaffed in
the IT area. While larger organizations were slightly more satisfied with their staffing level,
there was not a substantial gap between large and small organizations. Organizations with
higher turnover or lower salaries were more likely to feel they were understaffed.

● Salary baselines: The survey provides some baselines for typical salaries. Some positions,
like CTOs, paid a wide range of salaries, while others, like Webmaster, were fairly low for
everyone. The salaries were not significantly different by level of education, issue area, or
geographic region.

● Outsourcing: Nonprofits tended to outsource fairly technical things the most – the most
commonly outsourced functions were website hosting, telephone services, and custom software
development.

● Organizational digital divide: Smaller organizations appear to be notably behind on the IT
adoption curve – indicating a substantial organizational digital divide.

Download the entire survey at:

http://www.nten.org/sites/nten/files/NTEN_ITstaffing_survey.pdf

Registering a Domain Name

jons — 2007-06-26T17:48:38Z

What is a domain name?

If you're reading this online, you're already familiar with Internet domain names perhaps without even knowing it. An Internet domain name is essentially the unique, "user friendly" name for each machine connected to the Internet; they make it easy to keep track of people, organizations and businesses who use these machines for email, the World Wide Web and other Internet services. In email addresses, the domain name is everything after the "@" symbol in an address (i.e. in "stevea@onenw.org", "onenw.org" is our domain name). In web addresses, domain names usually found after the "www", as in "www.onenw.org." Again, "onenw.org" is the domain name. These friendly names mask a more complex numbering system used to keep track of the hundreds of thousands of machines on the Internet.

Domain names, like street addresses, are unique; each machine has a unique name that no other machine on the Internet can use. To keep all these domain names straight, they are managed by an organization in Virginia known as Network Solutions. Network Solutions maintains a large database listing all the domain names currently registered by companies, non-profits, educational institutions, etc.

Why should I register a domain name for my organization?

Two important reasons. First, registering a domain name enables you to establish a recognizable presence in cyberspace that you can use for your Web site (www.myorganization.org) and for email addresses (myname@myorganization.org). This helps people find and recognize you on the Internet, and helps establish the online identify of your organization. Second, having your own domain allows you to "move" your Internet presence to another Internet service provider without having to change your email or Web address on business cards, letterhead, and other materials. If you find a better service provider, it is fairly easy to move your information to the new provider's server and arrange for all inquiries to your domain (emails and Web browsings) to go to this new machine. This portability in a time of ever-changing Internet rates and services makes sense for groups that are planning to be online for the duration. Again, Domain names must be unique, and they are being allocated on a first-come, first-served basis by Network Solutions. Even if your organization is not ready to make the leap to individual email accounts for every staff member and to the World Wide Web, registering a domain now that clearly reflects the name of your organization will prevent others from "taking" this name later. As an example, if another organization had already secured "onenw.org" as their domain, we may have been forced to select "onenorthwest.org" or "1northwest" as our domains. Still workable, but not as easy to work with.

How do I register a domain name? How much does it cost?

Domain names are administered locally by Internet service providers (i.e. the company that provides you with your email account and/or Web site), who work directly with Network Solutions. To register your domain, do the following:

Select a domain name that closely matches the name of your organization or is otherwise easy to recognize as representing your organization. Shorter domain names are generally better (saves on keystrokes!). For example, when we registered a domain for ONE/Northwest, we selected the domain name "onenw.org".
To see if anyone has already claimed that domain as their own, go to GKG.net and check your proposed name. Type in your preferred domain name ("enviro.org", for example) and hit the search key. If it returns a match, you're out of luck: someone else has already registered that name. "No match" means that the name has not been taken, and it is probably yours to register.
Register your domain name with GKG.net (cost is ~$9/year).
You'll need to also establish web/email hosting service with a high-quality web/email hosting provider. If you aren't ready to "go live" with a website and email, then you can "park" your domain name with GKG for next-to-nothing.

For more information

GKG.net: http://www.gkg.net

Recommended Web, Email and Domain Name Hosting Providers

jons — 2007-06-26T17:46:19Z

This article had become outdated, and the landscape of web, email and domain hosting providers has become more complex, so we've replaced it with the following three articles:

Comparing the costs of new vs. donated used computers

jons — 2007-04-30T20:44:30Z

We are often asked whether or not to seek or accept used (older) PCs, or buy new workstations. Inevitably, our answer has almost always been the same: if youre able to buy new, you are almost certainly better off. Yet increasingly, the quality and speed of available free/used hardware has begun to shift causing us to reevaluate when donated computers make sense. This process of reassessment has caused us to change our tune, if only a little.

Today, our standard answer when a group asks whether to go new or used is it depends. We like to ask the following questions.

Replacing an existing computer:

What is the state of the computer this one will be replacing? The easiest way to figure this out is to run a great little tool called Belarc advisor, available for free at http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html.
Have you budgeted for the obsolescence of the existing computer?
How much will the computer be used?
What will this computer be used for?

Adding an additional computer to your network or organization.

Why do you need another computer?
Did you budget for this new computer as the need became apparent?
How much will this computer be used?
What will this computer be used for?

In both cases, we also like to have a complete picture of the other computers in your office. This allows us to help you match your most powerful computers with the people that are doing more demanding tasks. This also allows us to assess whether a prospective used machine will fit in well with your existing computers.

Generally, we find that purchasing new computers is almost always more cost effective in the long run. Used computers generally require more effort to set up, require more maintenance, and will need to be replaced sooner than new computers. The spreadsheet that accompanies this article is designed to help you assess the costs and benefits of new versus used computers.

It is VERY important to note that in some cases, groups are using very old computers. For these groups, a more up-to-date used machine (e.g. a two-year old machine that replaces a four-year-old machine) will provide a worthwhile performance and productivity boost.

Resources

Compare the costs of new vs. used computers with this simple spreadsheet.

Buying a Projector

deane — 2007-04-17T16:10:09Z

Driven by increased corporate and home entertainment use, portable projectors have become more affordable to activists in the past few years. The increased competition means that there are more available options, so it's important to get a baseline education on what makes a projector useful in an activist context. Below are four criteria that you can use to evaluate your LCD Projector purchase.

Ease of Use
Can the average activist use this equipment with minimal effort?

Brightness
Will the projector shine brightly in a partially lit room?
Portability/Durability
Can this equipment be transported easily and safely?
Image Quality
Can I get high quality image from a projector from any source?
Recommendations
What to get; where to shop?

Ease of Use

Most of today's portable projectors are very easy to use. They come with about as much hardware as a laptop. Usually just two to three cords (15 pin power adapter, PS2 mouse cord, and audio/video cables) and the projector itself pack into a bag small enough to carry on the plane, or place in the back seat.

Projectors are now plug-and-play, user-friendly and they can be put together in a matter of minutes. Even with the challenges of a constantly changing environment, in most cases all you will need to shine is a power outlet (and an extension cord!).

Brightness

Projector brightness is measured in ANSI lumens. Ultra-portables start as low as 350 lumens (best for lights-off presentations) all the way up to a stunning 2500 lumens. Low or lights off presentations are not generally desirable, as you may be inviting people to doze (or pass notes) during your presentation. A projector with at least 800 lumens is desirable for use in rooms where there will be some ambient light that cannot be eliminated, or in cases when you want your audience to see your winning smile.

A projector rated at 1500 or more ANSI lumens would put you ahead of the pack however, and these brighter projectors should soon become the industry standard. In any case, brighter can't hurt you, but it may cost a little more for the quality.

Image Quality

A lot of people think first about resolution when fretting over image quality. The quick and easy answer is simply match your projector's resolution to your laptop's resolution. New laptops are moving away from SVGA (800x600) into XGA (1024x768) resolutions, so keep that in mind.

Another way to think about image quality is uniformity. Uniformity is measured by percentage. The higher uniformity rating will give you better quality throughout your image, thus eliminating hot spots and distortion around the edges. A good range to shoot for is about 85-95%. The best quality projectors produce such a sharp picture that you can use your projector for home theatre use. HDTV compatibility in your projector is something you might want to consider if you'd like to 'super-size' your home theater in the future.

Portability/Durability

Ultra-portable projectors tend to run between 5 and 10 lbs. The lightest projectors are convenient to carry; however, often there is a trade off for brightness, image quality, or features. I recommend something that best suits your individual needs. Sometimes, but not always, lighter projectors are a little less durable too. However, a good sturdy hard case can help minimize that problem and is recommended for anyone who travels by air. A case with wheels is great to have if you elect to go for a heavier portable, particularly if you tote your laptop too. In some instances, a soft or hard case may be included in the original purchase.

Recommendations

Today, the technology has greatly improved. They have added things that can make your presenting life easier and more successful. Some examples are; memory cards for computer-less presentation, digital keystone correction for versatility in projector placement, digital zoom and digital freeze for visual poignancy, wireless mouse control, on screen pointer, and multiple computer inputs for complex presentations. You may not require all of these bells and whistles for your purposes, but keep them in mind when shopping around for the best deals.

Sacrificing quality is not worth the marginal dollars on an investment that will (hopefully) last 3+ years. That said, there are some great projectors for around $1000-$1500 (USD) capable of doing everything a busy activst needs.

ProjectorCentral.com provides good coverage of projectors and current reviews.

We suggest looking for the best price online, evaluating the vendor's shipping and return policy, and making a smart choice. A good source of online price comparisions is Pricegrabber.com.

Buying a New Monitor

jons — 2007-03-06T18:24:51Z

Monitors are one of the most important components of your computer system. If you have any doubts ask yourself what other thing in this world do you stare at more. Unless you say your spouse's eyes, the answer is probably nothing.

A good monitor can help you work more productively by improving visual access to your work and perhaps more importantly, by improving visual and even physical comfort. It's also a very good investment. Unlike most other computer components, the monitor will likely last a number of years without becoming obsolete. Thus, it's usually worth spending a few extra dollars to get a quality monitor.

What to Look For

Ergonomic Considerations
Before purchasing a new monitor you should make sure that your current setup is ergonomically healthy. It is often said, "the eyes lead the body" and as we continue to stare at our monitors for much of the day, it is important to think about the impact this has on our bodies. When viewing a poorly positioned monitor the necessity to see clearly will force your body to adjust, which creates significant strain and often results in headaches, back pain and eye problems. Ideally, the screen of your monitor will be just below eye level and directly in front of you, about 20-24 inches away. It is also recommended to limit glare and to keep your screen free of dust. Additional computer related health information can be found here.

Technology
Monitors come intwo general flavors, CRT and LCD. The CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) is the conventional tv-style monitor and has been available for years. It shoots electrons at a special screen, which responds with the orderly light that forms the images we see. An LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) monitor uses a completely different technology involving electrical current through a liquid crystal solution. Notebook computers were the first to adopt LCD displays, and now because they are smaller, lighter and more energy-efficient than traditional CRT displays. For a detailed comparison see http://www.bigbruin.com/techtip.php?file=005.

Environmental considerations
LCD monitors do more than save desk space -- they save electricity, which is an important consideration for folks dedicated to protecting the environment. As typical with many eco-friendly products, the initial costis slightly higher, but the total cost of ownership is less expensive. LCD monitors are no exception. LCD monitors are more energy-efficient than CRTs, and do not emit radiation. LCD monitors contain less toxic lead than CRT displays, and the EPA has estimated that their overall environmental impact is less than CRTs. More information about the benefits of LCD monitors can be found at:

Life-Cycle Assessment of Desktop Computer Displays
http://www.epa.gov/oppt/dfe/pubs/comp-dic/lca-sum

Benefits of LCD Computer Displays
http://web.archive.org/web/20021113120519/ http://
yosemite.epa.gov/estar/consumers.nsf/content/LCDorCRT.htm

Size
Screen size is probably the most important feature to consider when buying a new monitor. While a quality 15" monitor will suffice for many users, a larger viewing window means less scrolling and less squinting. A 17" monitor tends to make the standard office user quite happy, and with good 17" monitors around $400, they have become the standard for most new systems. Graphics and design work represent high-end needs and such users will receive greater benefit from the larger workspace provided by a 19" or 21" monitor.

Resolution
Directly related to the size of the monitor is resolution. Resolution is a measurement of the size of the picture displayed on the screen, measured in number of dots or pixels. A big monitor is not only capable of a higher resolution, but displays lower resolutions in a bigger, more clear picture. For example, a 15" monitor might be capable of a 1024x768 resolution, but any given image will take up much more of the screen (and be less comfortable to look at) than if it were displayed on a 17" monitor at the same resolution.

Refresh Rate
Directly related to resolution is refresh rate, which is essentially the rate at which images on the screen are recreated. Increasing the resolution or size of the image makes it harder to recreate that image. Thus it is recreated slower, causing the screen to flicker or tremble. So, in order to display a high resolution you need an appropriately high refresh rate. Generally, your monitor should display your target resolution at a refresh rate of at least 75MHz. Anything lower will appear to flicker and cause perceptible eye strain.

Dot Pitch
Dot pitch is the distance between dots of the same type, measured in millimeters. The smaller the dot pitch the closer the dots are together, thus the finer the detail. Any new monitor purchased should have a dot pitch of .27 or lower.

It is also important to consider features like screen treatments to reduce glare, warranties and how easy it is to make adjustments to the picture.

Video/Graphics Card
Having a great monitor on your desk is almost worthless if the picture it's being sent is poor. The images that the monitor displays come from the video card. So, it is important to make sure that your video card will support the features of your new monitor. Generally speaking, you'll be fine with the one that came with you computer. However, if you're planning to buy a new monitor for a five year old machine, you may be disappointed. If this is the case, a good video card can be purchased for about $70. An ideal video card will have a DVI (Digital Video Interface) connector, which offers higher image quality when paired with an LCD monitor.

Summary and Recommendations

Your purchase will probably boil down to a tradeoff between screen size and money. How big a monitor can you buy within your budget? That's not to say however, that bigger is always better. A 30" LCD display looks great, but will burn a huge hole in your wallet.

For a typical small office user, a 17" LCD monitor offers an ideal combination of image quality, usable screen real estate, small size, environmental friendliness and moderate cost. 19" LCD monitors are now also pretty affordable, and offer a significant boost in usable screen real estate.

17" LCD monitor reviews:
http://reviews.cnet.com/4323-6529_7-6509062.html

19" LCD monitor reviews:
http://reviews.cnet.com/4323-6529_7-6509063.html?tag=subnav

Protecting Your Computers From Viruses and Spyware

jons — 2007-03-06T18:05:56Z

What is a virus?

(Adapted from the alt.comp.virus FAQ, maintained by David Harley at
http://www.bocklabs.wisc.edu/~janda/acv_faq.html )

A computer virus is a program which attaches itself to, overwrites or otherwise replaces another program in order to reproduce itself without the knowledge of the PC user.

Most viruses are comparatively harmless, and may be present for years with no noticeable effect: some, however, may cause random damage to data files (sometimes insidiously, over a long period) or attempt to destroy files and disks. Others cause unintended damage. Even benign viruses (apparently non-destructive viruses) cause significant damage by occupying disk space and/or main memory, by using up CPU processing time, and by the time and expense wasted in detecting and removing them.

A Trojan horse is a program intended to perform some covert and usually malicious act which the victim did not expect or want. For most intents and purposes, it is similar to a virus, although Trojan horses are generally not self-propagating, like viruses or worms.

A worm is a program which spreads (usually) over network connections. Unlike a virus, it does not attach itself to a host program, but exists as independent entity. Recent worms such as Melissa and ILOVEYOU spread by sending themselves via email to the victim's entire address book. Worms can spread very quickly and can cripple mail servers across the globe in less than 24 hours.

Viruses, Trojan horses, and worms are all often lumped together as "viruses" and antivirus software typically offers protection against all three.

In addition, spyware are stealthy programs that display obnoxious advertising messages and can sometimes be malicious or harmful. These programs are most often bundled with free downloads such as peer-to-peer music sharing software. Spyware is a newly emerging security threat.

Where can I get more information about a specific virus or spyware program?

There is a great deal of very detailed information about viruses available online. The most user friendly information on virus comes from two of the major anti-virus software manufacturers, Symantec and McAfee. CERT is another good source for more in-depth information.

SpywareGuide.com has a great deal of information about spyware.

Five tips for preventing virus and spyware infection

New list:

Use antivirus software, and keep it updated. Every computer in your organization should have up-to-date antivirus software. At ONE/Northwest we use the free, open-source product ClamWin, which does the job with a minimum of fuss. Norton Antivirus is probably the most popular commerical program, and is available at reasonable prices through TechSoup's nonprofit software sales program. Whichever program you use, you should be updating its virus definitions at least once per month.
Use anti-spyware software, and keep it updated. We recommend that you use the free version of Lavasoft Ad-Aware, Spybot Search & Destroy and /or Microsoft AntiSpyware to find, remove and prevent stealthy ad-ware and spyware programs from hijacking your web browser, inserting ads, and/or leaking information about your web surfing habits to unscrupulous advertising firms. Each of these programs tends to pick up different pests, so using more than one is advisable. Again, making sure they are configured to automatically download updates or manually downloading updates once a month is a good habit.
Make sure your email provider is filtering viruses on the server. Virtually all quality email hosting providers now run very tight antivirus screens on their mail servers, which should be extremely effective at preveting email-borne viruses from reaching your desktop. If you're not sure whether your mail provider does, take a minute and ask them. If they don't, you should consider switching mail hosting providers.
Run Windows Update or Apple Software Update regularly. Windows Update (and Apple's "Software Update" tool) provide you with easy downloads of all the latest security fixes. Windows Update is in your start menu, and online at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com. Apple's Software Update is under Apple Menu in OS X.
Check all incoming floppy disks and removable drives. Make sure that either your antivirus and spyware software is configured to automatically scan floppies or other removable drives or that you manually do it before viewing their contents.

Recommendations for larger networks

While offering highly specific recommendations for protecting large networks is beyond the scope of this article, here are a few thoughts that may be helpful if you're dealing with a network with more than a dozen or so machines.

If you have an Windows Server, you can get server-based antivirus programs that can protect your server, and manage the distribution of virus updates to all of your client machines. Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition is one such product, and there are others from antivirus/security vendors such as McAfee, F-Secure, Trend Micro..
If you run an email server, we strongly recommend installing antivirus software that is specifically designed to scan email on the server. This can be extremely effective at preventing the infection and spread of email-borne viruses. There are both open-source and commercial packages available.
If you have lots of volunteers coming in working with floppy disks or removable drives, restrict use of outside floppies to one machine with very tight virus scanning software that scans all removable media.

Internet-based Fax Services

jons — 2007-03-06T18:05:53Z

The rise of email has reduced our dependency on the fax machine, but faxing still remains an important form of electronic communication for many groups. Most often, a fax is used to distribute press releases, send non-digital documents or sometimes for one-time transmission of documents to parties who don't have access to email.

There is no "magic bullet" solution for faxing, but by appropriately applying several different techniques for sending and receiving faxes, the online organization can realize considerable cost and time savings.

Fax machine

The keystone of any organization's fax system should be a fax machine. Having a standard fax machine is essential to most organizations, as they often need to fax documents with signatures, or other original documents not generated on their computers. A plain paper fax machine is preferred as it's output of received faxes is much nicer than thermal paper faxes. However, a thermal fax machine can be had for half the price and with the recent proliferation of Internet based faxing services, it may be all that you need.

Internet-based faxing services

In the past few years, a number of companies have begun offering fax services over the Internet. While the exact details of various Internet fax services differ, the concept is as follows:

Your computer sends the content of your fax as an email message to a computer operated by the Internet fax service. This machine then converts your email into a fax and sends it to the destination fax machine(s). Receiving faxes through this type of service is pretty much the same, only in reverse. A fax is sent to your fax number (assigned by the service, and quite possibly not a local number for you) where a server converts it into an image file and forwards it to your email address as an attachment.

Internet-based faxing, particularly broadcast faxing, has several advantages over faxing from a fax machine or from a modem attached to your computer.

1) Internet based faxing works over your existing Internet connection, and does not require a dedicated modem or phone line. This alone can save you $20/month or more.

2) Internet-based broadcast faxing does not tie up your computer for the duration of the broadcast fax; all you send is a single email message--the Internet fax service's computers do the rest, and provide you with a complete report of successful and unsuccessful faxes. A

3) Receiving faxes in an electronic format is resource efficient and makes forwarding faxes via email easy.

4) Internet-based faxing, is usually cheaper, especially for in-state long distance faxes.

Here's a quick rundown on some of the leading Internet fax services.

J2 also offers an inexpensive and rich set of services, including online faxing, online conference calling, and more.

eFax also offers good Interest faxing services, with a bit more of a consumer focus. ONE/Northwest has used efax for several years as our primary fax number, and have been very satisfied with their service.

Both of these companies have very similar products and pricing models.

	J2		eFax
Plan	Free	Premier	eFax Free	eFax Plus
Monthly Cost	Free	$15 setup $15.00/mo ($165/year)	Free	$12.95/mo
Fax Receive	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fax Send	No	$0.10/min	No	Yes
Broadcast faxes	via JBlast service $0.06 /page	via JBlast service $0.06/ page	No	Yes
Voicemail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Phone Number	No choice	Choice	No choice	Choice
Toll-Free number for incoming faxes	No	$0.20/page	No	$0.20/page
Conference Calling	No	$.09-$0.15 min/person up to 16 people	No	No

Summary

Any small office that has a dedicated fax line or does a lot of broadcast faxing should strongly consider moving to Internet-based faxing as its primary fax tool, possibly retaining a regular fax machine on a non-dedicated line. You will save money, time and frustration by sending and receiving your faxes online, especially if you're dependent on broadcast faxing for media outreach.

The only substantial disadvantage of moving to an Internet-based fax infrastructure is the inevitable change to your organization's fax number. Internet fax services do not yet offer local numbers outside of major urban areas, and even when they do, moving to Internet-based faxing always involves changing your fax number. While this can be a bit of an administrative hassle for high-volume fax users, we think the long-term cost savings are often worth the short-term hassle.

Another consideration is the fact that if you're outside Seattle/Portland/Vancouver, using Internet-based faxing to receive faxes means that your fax number will be a random long-distance call away. If you receive most of your faxes from folks outside of your hometown, it's not a big deal, but if most of your incoming faxes are local calls, then it may be a concern.

Overall, though, we think the benefits of Internet-based faxing--convenience, reliability, cost savings--generally outweigh the short-term administrative hassles in most circumstances. Of course, you'll have to be the final judge.

For more information

J2: http://www.j2.com/

eFax: http://www.efax.com.

Providing Individual Email Accounts to Everyone in Your Organization

jons — 2007-03-06T18:05:53Z

Most conservation organizations now have at least one organizational email account, and most have found that access to email has significantly enhanced their ability to collaborate and communicate with their boards, their members, and their peer groups.

Imagine if your office had a single telephone, and that people who wanted to make calls had to get up from their desk, walk over to the phone, and maybe even wait for it to be free before they could make a call. It would be awfully hard to tap the power of the telephone as a communications tool, right? Yet this is how too many organizations are still using email.

We believe that in order for conservation organizations to be able to harness the power of email in their work, email must be accessible to each person in your organization--at their own desk. If using email is a break in a person's routine, or an interruption to their work, it will simply not get used as much or as effectively as it could.

We recommend that every conservation organization take the steps necessary to provide each of their staff members with desktop access to their own individual email account. This includes support staff, as well as full-time program staff--most organizations have found that intra-organizational email is a powerful and efficient tool for sharing information, even within a single office. (It's also very important to help your board members get on email.)

Prerequisites

In order to provide each person with desktop access to their own individual email account, there are several pieces of infrastructure that you'll need to have in place.

Access to the Internet for each staff person: In order to send and receive email, each person's computer must be able to access the Internet. This doesn't mean providing a modem and phone line for each machine--there are much more cost-effective ways to get everyone in your organization online with a single shared Internet connection.

A POP email client: Once connected to the Internet, each of your computers must have email software installed on it.

Strongly recommended: your own domain name: We strongly recommend establishing an Internet domain name for your organization. A domain name is the part of the email address after the "@" symbol, or the part of the Web address after the "www.". (E.g. ONE/Northwest's domain name is "onenw.org," allowing us to have email addresses such as "stevea@onenw.org" and a Web address of "www.onenw.org." While not essential to providing an email account for each of your staff members, registering a domain name makes is easy to establish a simple, consistent, and permanent online identity for your organization.

Suggestions for establishing email accounts

We recommend that you establish one email account for each staff member in your organization.If you've registered a domain name, firstname@yourgroup.org is a good standard for naming accounts. Be consistent the way you name accounts so that your email addresses are logical and easy to remember.

We also recommend setting up a general email address for your group. It's handy to have a general email address to put on letterhead, on your Web site, in publications, etc., rather than use the email of a particular person. The address info@yourgroup.org is the standard for general email addresses. It is usually possible to set this up as an "alias" that forwards to one or more people, so you don't have to check a separate mail account to get general mail.

If appropriate, you also might want to establish additional "general" email aliases for major program areas.

Ways to provide individual email accounts

There are at least four ways to provide each person in your organization with an email account. Each has different costs, advantages, and disadvantages, and each may be appropriate for different types of organizations.

1) Add additional email accounts from your current Internet service provider: Every dialup Internet account comes with one email account, and many ISPs now offer the option to add additional accounts, usually for a fee of $3-5 per month per mailbox. Some Internet service plans include multiple email accounts--typically 2-5. If your organization is small, this may be enough.

Advantages

May be relatively easy--depending on the quality of your ISPs customer support.

No additional companies to deal with.

Disadvantages

Most ISPs charge about $5/month per additional mailbox; this can add up quickly if you have more than 3-4 staff members.

Some ISPs cannot host email accounts under your a domain name (i.e. your-organization.org)--and others can, but will only do it as part of an expensive Web & email hosting package.

Contact: your Internet Service Provider for more information on establishing additional email accounts.

2) Free email services

In the past few years, dozens of companies have sprung up that offering free email accounts. There are several different types of free email services. Among the most popular are "web-based email' services, which are designed to allow users to send and receive email by visiting their Web site. HotMail is perhaps the best known example of this type of free email service.

Web-based email services are usually not the best choice for everyday email users; their browser-based user interfaces usually offer only rudimentary mail-handling commands, and because everything takes place over the Web, you must be actively online to compose or browse through your old email. Storage space for email is usually very limited as well.

There are a number of companies offering free POP email accounts, which are the standard type of email account that all ISPs offer. These are less common than web-based free email providers, but because they are standard POP email accounts that can be checked with any email program, they may be a viable choice for conservation activists who can't afford another alternative.

Advantages

Cheap

Disadvantages

You'll have to have an email address under their domain name of the free POP email provider (e.g.,. user@hotpop.com).

Free email providers are often small companies that may come and go with little warning.

Customer support may be limited or nonexistent. (You get what you pay for.)

Free POP email providers typically limit the amount of mail that can accumulate before you download it to several megabytes. Many also limit the size of file attachments you can receive.

To protect against abuse by spammers, many free POP email providers do not offer outbound email servers, meaning that you may need to use your ISP's mail server for sending mail. This is a possible source of configuration confusion, but usually solvable.

Many free services are advertising supported; this can be annoying at best and intrusive at worst.

3) Combine web and email hosting services under your own domain name from a specialized web/email hosting provider, not your ISP: Many organizations have now registered Internet domain names (e.g. onenw.org, ibm.com, etc.) which give them a unique and consistent online identity. We strongly recommend registering your own domain, as it gives you a permanent online identity that you can keep even if you change service providers in the future. Email addresses of the form user@yourgroup.org are much easier to remember, and having your own domain makes you look more professional online.

Many ISPs provide domain-hosting services, but they are not usually particularly good values. There are now many companies that provide only web and email hosting services, typically at a lower cost and a higher service level than ISPs that primarily offer dialup services.

If you're ready to update and consolidate your web and email services under a domain name, moving the whole deal to a specialized web/email hosting provider is probably a cost-effective move. (You'll can keep using your ISP for Internet access.)

See our article "Web, email and domain name hosting providers" for more information on getting a web/email hosting provider for you.

4) Install your own mail server.

Larger organizations, or those with a technically sophisticated staff, may wish to consider the option of installing an in-house mail server. We generally don't think this is an appropriate choice for most grassroots activist groups, as the financial and administrative costs of setting up and maintaining your own mail server are significant.

Advantages

Maximum control of email accounts
Potential for advanced features such as shared email folders, centralized calendars, etc.

Disadvantages

Complexity: maintaining a mail server is beyond the technical capacity of most groups.

Cost of access. Mail servers work best with a permanent Internet connection. There are ways to use mail servers behind dialup connections, but it requires some technical sophistication from both the group and the Internet Service Provider.

Difficult/impossible to access an in-house mail server from remote locations without a permanent Internet connection.

Scanners

jons — 2007-03-06T18:05:53Z

Scanners are the simplest and most ubiquitous digital imaging tool. Scanners are used to capture ordinary prints and slides for use online. High quality flatbed scanners now cost under $250, and many can be had for less than $150. Typical scanners now offer 600-1200 dpi resolution, easy connectivity via your computer's USB interface, and reasonably good bundled software for imagine editing, OCR, etc. In addition, more specialized (and expensive) scanners exist for scanning long documents, and for doing high-quality scans of slides.

Flatbed scanners

Flatbed scanners are the everyday workhorse scanners most folks rely on. They can scan photos, documents, and some even havetransparency adapters that will allow them to scan slides.(But most flatbed scanners lack the resolution to produce truly great slide scans).

For current reviews of scanners, see:

C|Net - http://www.cnet.com/Scanners/4502-3137_7-0.html
C|Net's reviews are somewhat consumer-oriented, but pretty solid overall.

We've had good luck with the Epson Perfection series. Visioneer, Canon and HP are among the other leading scanner manufacturers. There are a lot of good choices in the $100-200 range.

Slide scanners

If scanning slides is important to your organization's publishing work, we recommend purchasing a dedicated slide scanner. While slide scanners can be somewhat expensive, they are capable of producing the truly outstanding image quality that is essential to creating persuasive high-impact materials.

There are several appealing choices at two price tiers: around $500 and $1000.. Advantages of the more expensive scanners include: slightly higher resolution and ability to deal with "difficult" exposures (i.e. lots of shadow, etc.), built-in "scratch/dust removal" technology, and more robust software. Recommended "low-end" slide scanners include the Minolta Dimage Scan Dual II ($500) and the HP PhotoSmart S20xi ($400). Recommended midrange slide scanners include the Minolta Dimage Scan Elite** (US$1000) and the Nikon CoolScan III LS-30 (US$770).

http://www.flatbed-scanner-review.org/
35mm_slide_film_scanners/35mm_film_slide_scanners.html
has some real-world (if somewhat wordy) reviews.

Also see http://www.photo.net/digital/scanners/for some more opinions from photo geeks.

Document scanners

Someorganizations (typically folks working with legal documents) frequently need to scan in long paper documents. This can be very slow with typical flatbed scanners. There are specialized document scanners that do this job quickly and efficiently. They're not cheap, but if you have to scan long documents frequently, they're well worthwhile.

The best resource we've found on this somewhat esoteric market is CD Dimensions' Document Scanner Comparison chart:
http://www.cddimensions.com/document_scanner/scanners.asp

Scanner Galaxy (http://www.scannergalaxy.com/) is an online vendor with a wide range of document scanners.

Digital Cameras

jonb — 2007-03-06T18:05:53Z

It's an old saw, but a picture is worth a thousand words. This is especially true for the environmental movement; we work to protect some of the most beautiful places on earth, and using making effective use of images has long been one of our most important techniques for building support for environmental protection. On the other hand, many of the day-to-day materials we produce are "text-heavy"--because we lack the tools to readily incorporate images into our work. Digital cameras can allow us to easily capture and use images every day, not just on "special projects."

Digital still cameras

Digital still cameras are now squarely in the mainstream of the consumer electronics world. Prices have fallen dramatically in the past couple of years, and quality is now generally excellent.. The main advantage of a digital camera over a conventional film camera is the low cost of use. Because digital cameras don't use film (and expensive photo processing services!) you can shoot hundreds of pictures just as cheaply as you can shoot two or three.

The other advantage is the immediate availability of digital images. You just hook the camera to your computer, download the images and go--there's no waiting to get your film back! Digital photography is the most practical way to incorporate images into time-sensitive campaign work.

Key features to look for in a digital camera:

a resolution of 4 to 6 Megapixels, which will yield solid 8" X 10" print images;
uses compact flash memory, which is the most common, inexpensive storage media
a modest zoom lens

The digital camera market is evolving rapidly; new and improved cameras come out continuously, and prices are in a continual free-fall. Check current reviews before you buy. We've found that C|NET and Digital Photography Review generally have good information and reviews on digital cameras. We've had good experiences with Canon, Nikon and Olympus cameras, but there are lots of good cameras out there.

Worthwhile extras for digital cameras

Whichever camera you buy, there are a few worthwhile accessories.

1) Rechargeable batteries. Some cameras come with rechargeable batteries. If yours doesn't, be sure to invest in rechargeable batteries. Digital cameras--and their LCD viewscreens in particular--can eat batteries for breakfast. Rechargeables areeasier on your wallet and on the environment.

2)An external media reader. While all digital cameras will hook up directly to your computer, this isnot the fastest way to transfer lots of imges.External "media readers" are under $30 and provide a tremendous boost to image download speeds.

For current pricing on a wide range of essentially similar media readers, see: http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_attrib.php?page_id=152
&sortby=popular-&form_keyword=reader&sortby=priceA

3) Additional memory. Most cameras ship with pretty skimpy memory cards. If your camera uses Compact Flash memory, the most common and inexpensive kind, you can easily add a 256 - 512 MB memory card for $20-50. This will give you the space to store hundreds of photos on your camera without erasing or downloading images.

Current pricing on 256 MB Compact Flash: http://tinyurl.com/2653c
Current pricing on512 MB Compact Flash: http://tinyurl.com/3gudu

Digital video (DV) cameras

Digital video (DV) cameras have finally come within reach of motivated users. These cameras store images digitally on tape, and can quickly transfer recordings to computers via high-speed FireWire connections. Digital video cameras can also capture still images. The incredible image quality and easy access of DV, coupled with the availability of affordable video editing software (championed of late by Apple), has made near-broadcast quality video readily available to grassroots activists.

Solid digital video cameras are now in the $1000-$1500 range. Sony and Canon are the two leading manufacturers of DV cameras, and both have a range of models that are appropriate for nonprofit use. While a DV camera is a substantial investment, it's well within the reach of a group that is ready to commit the time and energy to incorporating video into its communications mix.

If you're interested in pursuing digital video production in your organization, we strongly suggest you seek advice from someone experienced with grassroots media production. (Contact us if you need a referral.) Again, C|Net offers useful reviews. We also recommend looking About.com's resources on desktop video.

Using Retrospect to Backup Effectively

jons — 2007-03-06T18:05:52Z

Overview

As environmental activists become increasingly dependent on email and databases for their day-to-day operations, effective backup routines become even more critical. Imagine, for a moment, what would happen if a hard drive crash wiped out your organization's membership database, your accounting files, or your last month's worth of email. What if you had a major virus infestation? What if your computers were destroyed by fire or stolen? For many organizations, a "data catastrophe" could cause serious damage to the organization. Investing time, energy and money in a backup system that works can help insure you against the lost of the irreplaceable information that has become one of our movement's most valuable assets.

Five tips for using Retrospect effectively

ONE/Northwest generally recommends that organizations with more than 3-4 computers use Retrospect Workgroup Backup software. Retrospect is unique among low-cost backup programs because it includes Retrospect Client, which you install on each of your workstations, and allows the main Retrospect program to access any and all files on your machines, regardless of whether or not they are shared. This makes it much easier to automate backups of all key data files on every machine on your network.

Retrospect Workgroup Backup is an extremely powerful (and somewhat complex) program. Following are some specific suggestions for using it in typical environmental office situations.

We also note that Retrospect also makes products that are well-suited for backing up individual computers (Retrospect Express) and for very large networks (Retrospect Server Backup).

Retrospect Tip #1: Create 2 or 3 rotating backup sets

Rotating a set of backups off-site helps insure you against fire, flood and break-in. We think that an ideal backup strategy has three backup sets -- one that is "live," one that is on-hand, and one that is off-site. Assuming you're rotating backups each week, this means that the current week's backup is "live in the drive," last week's backup are in a safety deposit box or a fire safe, and the backup set from two weeks ago is close at hand, preferably in a fire safe.

Retrospect Tip #2: Use "Recycle" backups at the beginning of the week to erase your tapes

Retrospect has three kinds of backups it can perform: "Normal," "Recycle" and "New Media." These terms are a bit unintuitive, but once you understand them, it will help you manage your backup sets much more effectively.

A "Normal" backup appends the backup data to whatever is already on the tape. Normal backups NEVER erase, re-use or write over existing data on a tape. When a tape fills up, Retrospect prompts you to put in a new tape, and adds that tape to the current backup set. For example, you have a backup set called "Backup Set A," and you only perform "Normal" backups, that tape will quickly fill up, and then Retrospect will ask you to add a new, blank tape to the backup set, and it will label the tape "2-Backup Set A." The other key thing to know about Normal backups is that they only backup files that are new or changed since the last Normal backup.

A "Recycle" backup tells Retrospect to ERASE the tape before starting the backup. All old data will be wiped off the tape, and then the backup proceeds just like a Normal backup -- except that because you've just erased the tape, ALL files will be backed up during a Recycle backup.

A "New Media" backup requires a new, never-used backup tape. It's not something you'd typically use, unless you're planning to periodically pull tapes out of your backup rotation for "deep storage." (Not a bad idea, but it's advanced concept that goes beyond the scope of this article.)

To sum up the key concepts:

A "Recycle" backup erases the tape and backs up all files.
A "Normal" backup adds new and changed files onto the end of the tape.

How should you apply this? Well, we think it makes sense to start your week off with a Recycle backup -- erasing the tape you've just rotated in from your off-site storage. Then, for the rest of the week, you should perform Normal backups -- adding on new and changed files to the tape. This makes efficient use of the limited tape storage space, and at the end of the week, you've got a tape that contains all of your data from each day that week. Starting off each week with a Recycle backup means that you can continue using tapes indefinitely without worrying that they'll fill up. This helps keep media costs down.

Erasing tapes manually

Sometimes, you may need to erase a tape manually. Retrospect allows you to do this by going to Tools>Devices. Put the tape to be erased in the drive. It should appear in the Devices display window. Then click the Erase button -- it's the button in toolbar that looks like an eraser. (Labels will pop up if you hover your mouse over each button.) It's a good idea to erase new tapes before you use them in your backup routine.

Retrospect Tip #3: Ways to get only the files you need

One of the keys to an effective backup routine is to keep the total amount of data you're backing up under control by making sure your backup routine includes only the most important files. (See above more more detail on what files to back up.) Retrospect offers you two ways to target your backups precisely: Selectors and Subvolumes.

Selectors

Selectors let you tell Retrospect to back up only files that match specific criteria. Retrospect comes with a number of built-in Selectors, and you can define custom Selectors. For example, one built-in Selector is the "Documents" Selector which backs up only the files contained in Windows' "My Documents" folder (or, on the Mac, in any folder named "Documents"). Selectors can define files based on their name, their type, the name of the folder they're in, and many other criteria. Selectors can also include (or exclude) other Selectors, allowing to build powerful and complex "compound" Selectors.

To define a Selector, go to Special>Selectors.

The cool thing about Selectors is that you can back up files without needing to know exactly where on the hard drive they are. For example, you could create a Selector to back up all Outlook email files on a hard drive by selecting all files named "*.pst."

Subvolumes

By default, Retrospect backs up the entire hard drive of each machine you select to back up. You can use Retrospect's "Subvolumes" feature to define specific subfolders of a hard drive as the source for a backup. For example, you might define your "My Documents" folder as a Subvolume, or the folder where you store your email files, or your database folder.

You can combine Selectors and Subvolumes in a backup script, but the key thing to keep in mind is that a Selector will apply to all the sources/subvolumes named in that script. That is you, can't create a script that uses a Subvolume to back up all the files in the My Documents folder and also backs up all files named *.pst on the hard drive using a Selector.

Thus, we recommend that you create two backup scripts -- one to back up specific important places using Subvolumes, and one to backup certain types of documents using Selectors. A good way to manage this is to train your to staff to save all of their documents in the "My Documents" folder in Windows, or the "Documents" folder on the Mac. Then, you can use the "Documents" Selector in Retrospect to easily back up the contents of those folders. You can then modify the Selector to also include the folder that contains your email (see above for details on finding email files for different email programs.)

Retrospect Tip #4: Backing up laptops with Backup Server scripts

Laptops pose a special backup challenge. Often, laptops go home at night with their owners, making them hard to back up with a normal backup script that runs overnight. Fortunately, Retrospect has a Backup Server feature that allows you to back up laptops when they reconnect to the network, rather than on a specific fixed schedule.

What this means is that you don't have to make sure that your laptops be in the office at a specific time or day when the backup script is going to run. The Backup Server lets your laptops get backed up when they're in the office, while your desktops and servers are backed up on a fixed schedule.

For a complete overview of Backup Server scripts, which are separate from the normal backup scripts discussed above, see your Retrospect manual. Once you're familiar with the concept, we recommend that you configure a Backup Server script to automatically back up the key files on your laptops at least weekly. Dantz also has a nice tutorial module on Backup Server scripts at http://www.dantz.com/index.php3?SCREEN=tutorial_bus1.

Retrospect Tip #5: Monitoring backups

Monitoring your backups to make sure they're working properly is an essential part of your backup routine. Each day, you should take a few minutes to launch Retrospect and check Reports>Reports to see if Retrospect encountered any significant errors in its last backup. If you find more than a few errors, double-click the item to view the detailed Log entry. The Retrospect manual can help you understand what Retrospect's error codes mean, and offers many helpful troubleshooting solutions.

It's also a good idea to perform occasional restore tests to make sure that you can restore data properly. Dantz has a nice tutorial on performing restores at http://www.dantz.com/index.php3?SCREEN=tutorial_ir1.

Where email files are stored on your computer(s)

The following matrix gives you all the information you should need to locate the email files for a variety of commonly-used email programs.

Program	OS	Default email file name(s)	Default folder location
Outlook	Windows 95/98/ME	outlook.pst	c:\windows\local settings\application data\microsoft\outlook
	Windows 2000/XP	outlook.pst	c:\windows\documents and settings\\application data\microsoft\outlook
	Notes	Outlook stores all of its data and settings in a single "pst" file.
Outlook Express 5.x/6.x	Windows 95/98/ME	*.dbx	c:\windows\application data\identities\
	Windows 2000/XP	*.dbx	c:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\\Microsoft\Outlook Express
	Mac OS 8/9
	Notes	Outlook Express 5/6 creates a "dbx" file for each email folder you create. You need to backup the entire "Outlook Express" folder.
Outlook Express 4.x	Windows 95/98/ME	Outlook Express 4.x users should upgrade to Outlook Express 5 or 6 immediately.
Outlook Express 4.x	Windows 2000/XP
Eudora 3.x/4.x/5.x	Windows	*.mbx	c:\eudora
Eudora 3.x/4.x/5.x	Notes	Eudora for Windows creates a "mbx" file for each mail folder you create, and stores all of these files in the same folder with the Eudora program and its key settings.
Eudora 3.x/4.x/5.x	Mac OS 8/9	varies	System Folder:Eudora Folder
Eudora 3.x/4.x/5.x	Notes	Eudora for Mac creates a file for each mail folder you create, and stores them in the Eudora Folder file, separate from the Eudora program.
Entourage	Mac OS 9	varies	Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2001Identities.
Entourage	Notes	Entourage creates a folder for each person at the location noted above. Entourage creates a file here for each mail folder you create.
Entourage	Mac OS X	varies	Users/[username]/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office X Identities

Moving email files

Some email programs bury their email files deep in your hard drive. Outlook and Outlook Express for Windows are the worst offenders. One way you can make it easier to backup your staff's email files is to move them to the "My Documents" folder. Different email programs have different ways to move their mail files (summarized above).

If you're concerned that folks might unwittingly delete the mail files from their My Documents folder, you can "hide" the files to make them invisible. Simply right-click on the files, choose properties, and then check the box marked "Hidden."

However, if you have a Windows 2000 file server, and are using Group Policy to redirect My Documents folders to the server, don't store mail files in the My Documents folder. Synchronizing such large files to the server can cause problems.

Troubleshooting Retrospect

Backups can be finicky, and a lot can go wrong. The best place to start if something's not right is to look closely at the Log (Reports>Log), and try to figure out exactly what's tripping Retrospect up. Is it because a file is "in use?" Is it because Retrospect couldn't communicate with a backup client? Is it because there was a problem with a tape?

The single best resource for troubleshooting tips is -- perhaps surprisingly -- the Retrospect manual. If you haven't read it before, GO FIND IT NOW! Seriously -- we've read a lot of computer manuals, and the Retrospect manual stands out as a great example of documentation that's written in plain English for normal human beings. We strongly encourage you to spend some time browsing through Retrospect manual.

Another good resource is Dantz's support Web site. It offers a variety of resources, including a knowledge base, tutorials, a discussion form, and ways to contact their support staff.

Retrospect Technical Support can be found at:: http://www.dantz.com/

Getting Good Deals: How to Bargain When Buying Computers

jonb — 2007-03-06T18:05:52Z

Conventional wisdom is that computer companies operate on very small margins and are unwilling to bargain. This is a myth.

As relatively new organization, Dogwood Initiative operates with a small budget. Yet our staff is sophisticated -- and growing quickly. We need to squeeze every penny from our limited technology budgets.

Our entry into bargaining for computer hardware began out of desperation. The euphoria of our first successful technology grant quickly wore off when we tried to purchase computers. Taxes and shipping charges (which we hadnt budgeted for) ate into our budget. The initial quotes we received were higher than we anticipated, jeopardizing our ability to purchase our first, long-awaited (and much anticipated) laptop computer. As result of hard bargaining, to our surprise, we saved approximately $1,300. Since then we have saved thousands of dollars and acquired significantly more technology horsepower then we thought possible.

Here are some tips:

Tip 1: Be audaciousbegin haggling

You'll never get a deal if you don't ask. The hardest part for me, and many North Americans, is to begin to bargain. Except for cars, we are so used paying the sticker price, we don't try to haggle. What Ive learned is that everything is negotiable, but you need to begin the negotiation process. It can be as simple as saying, is that your best offer or can you do better. Remember, the worst that can happen is the other side can say no.

Tip 2: Know what you want

Preparation is the key in getting good deals. The more you're familiar with the going rate for computers and peripherals the better prepared you'll be. As with any negotiations, you need to establish your negotiating envelope: your opening position, your target, and your bottom line.

As negotiating guru Jim Thomas says, increase your aspiration level. Don't set your initial request too near your goal. Begin acting on your higher aspirations through your opening offer.

To set your envelope you need to know the essential components you need, what you'd like to have if you can afford it, and what is non-essential or dispensable. For our recent desktop purchase, we knew that large hard drive was essential, a CD burner was desirable but not essential, and a floppy drive was disposable. Technical consultants like ONE/Northwest can help you figure out what you need, and what you don't.

Tip 3: Shop aroundget quotes

After you've established what you need, would like, and don't need, get some price benchmarks. You do this through research on the web as well as soliciting quotes. Recently, we solicited written quotes from Canadian computer retailer, Dell and a local computer builder. Ask for the price as a package and for each individual component including desired but non-essential components and those that are dispensable. Always request the quote indicate the discount available for purchasing in volume (this helps you figure out their true cost). Do not forget to have them itemize taxes, shipping, delivery and warranty prices as well. Get them to commit to a delivery date.

With Dell, keep researchingnew offers occur nearly everyday on the web or in the newspaper. Using the component prices they have quoted, you can subtract from or add to these advertised prices to get a better deal. By doing this we saved about $450 and got upgraded components on our last purchase. One good source of Dell deals is http://www.gotapex.com. TechFoundation (a Boston-based nonprofit tech assistance provider) has pre-negotiated a 10-15% discount on Dell equipment, which any nonprofit can take advantage of at http://www.dell.com/epp/techfoundation/. An excellent source of price comparisons from multiple online vendors is PriceGrabber (http://www.pricegrabber.com).

Tip 4: Build relationshipsor pretend to

Generally, computer retailers want repeat customers. This means they are usually prepared to sacrifice some profit to build longer-term relationships. Exploit this desire! Always remind them that this is only one of a number of purchases your organization will make over the next few years.

This plays out differently with different retailers. With local vendors, indicate you'd much rather buy local, but as a nonprofit you're very price sensitive and worried about their ability to provide service over time. With larger retailers indicate that stability is an advantage, but there is lots of competition.

Remember, you are building a relationship with both the company and the salesperson. Many work on commission and rely on repeat business.

Tip 5: Use competitors prices

Written quotes help you play retailers off against the other. I have succeeded in getting Dell to drop their quotes on both desktops and notebooks to well below advertised prices by informing them of a lower quote from Gateway or a local retailer. I said, I have been pleased with our previous Dell purchases, and would prefer to deal with one vendor and Dells superior product, but as a cash-strapped non-profit Ill have to go with the lowest price.

Tip 5: Use your nonprofit status

Continually reinforce that you are a non-profit agency operating on low budget. With some sales agents, especially those that support your mission, this seems to encourage them to go the extra yard. If the sales agent doesnt seem sympathetic, call another agent.

Once you get a good agent, get as much direct contact information as possible so you can establish a relationship they want to maintain.

Tip 6: Dicker on components

Once the core components of the package are dealt with, wrangle about everything elsethis is where your desired and disposable components, taxes and shipping come in. Negotiating guru Jim Thomas calls this nibbling at the end. If is your operative word. Say things like, that would work, if you could throw in______. I was able to get Dell to throw in Windows XP, a leather briefcase, an extended warranty, free shipping and a monitor stand all essentially for free.

When nibbling, research is importantestimate the hard cost of the item. For example, extending the warranty may not cost a company much if it does it in house, but it can be expensive to outsource. I have had some success getting companies to throw in free software, security packages, and extra RAM and colleagues have gotten a free wireless mouse and keyboards as nibbles.

Tip 7: Haggle some more

When you are almost embarrassed to keep nibblingask for one more thing. Westerners are usually embarrassed to keep askingdont be, the company will let you know if you have reached the limit. Recently, I have been asking a retail computer store for a discount of the sticker price on every purchase. They immediately offer a 7-30% discount that I would have never gotten if I hadnt asked.

Tip 8: Walk away

Salespeople, especially those on commission, want to close sales. If they have invested significant time in the back and forth they often will be more willing to haggle after you have let them sweat for awhile. If you think they will come down more, tell them, I want to (1) think about it or (2) shop around. Often they will respond with a another inducement.

Tip 9: Hold them accountable

Document everything. If the company doesnt perform exactly as promised, ask for additional benefits. We keep detailed notes of all our interactions with computer service providers and this has proven very useful in getting additional concessions.

If the shipment is late, service is poor, or components dont work or are missing, demand something in return. Last year when my laptop wasnt replaced by the promised date (note: dont let anyone drop your laptop in the ocean), I wrote to the CEO documenting all our problems. Ultimately, the company agreed to provide me with a more powerful replacment machine, double my memory and RAM and throw extra peripherals. The replacement was worth $4,700 and I only paid $2,500 for the original computer.

Tip 10: Be patientbut time is money

Bargaining takes time. Be patientknow your limitations and set boundaries. Always ask yourself: Are the potential savings worth the time and effort needed to save money?

Your organization has to evaluate each transaction to determine the relative benefits. Sometimes it may be worth spending the extra money to get equipment quickly.