John K. Davis, Executive Director

A New Business Model

I love coaching people, both individuals and business teams, to learn new ways to get organized, be productive, stay connected and have fun by using various technologies. But I do not seem to be able to find the time to send invoices. I would much rather assist a client or charitable organization or do research about a new device or software application or read a book or learn something new than to go through the drudgery of keeping track of my time and sending an itemized bill to the many people I assist.

I have been feeling overwhelmed lately because I'm busy, having a great time, but I am over three months behind on sending invoices. Well, I am not going to worry about it anymore. So, do not expect an invoice from me; I've decided to stop sending billing statements. I will assist you for whatever you think is fair and can afford.

Some people pay me well and I enjoy working with them and I will prioritize my schedule so that I will be there when they want me. I also assist a few non-profit organizations without any expectation of payment--doing volunteer work has always been an important part of my life and I will continue to make contributions to causes and institutions that I believe in enough to donate my time and energy and sometimes even my financial resources.

Friends and family have not received invoices from me in the past, so this is nothing new for them. A number of my friends have sent me a check or funds via PayPal and I appreciate their support. In fact, it is their support that has inspired me to work this way with others.

I have billed $60 an hour in the past for my services. I suppose that is what I think I'm worth. But from now on I will accept whatever you want to pay me.

You can send me a check via snail mail (my mailing address is available by clicking on the "About" link under my Webcam image at the top of this website's left column), or you can transfer money to me via my Tip Jar.

You do not need a PayPal account to make a payment via the Tip Jar with a credit card, but you will need a PayPal account to make an electronic transfer from your bank account. In either case you can initiate Tip Jar payments to me by clicking on the Tip Jar icon at the top of this website's right column.

When you send me funds via the Tip Jar, I get an email notification of the transaction that contains the payer's name and a short message (the message is optional). No other information is given to me.

If I have assisted you in the past few months you will get a personal email message from me about this change in my "business model" soon. I hope everyone will respond well to this change--it is a big relief for me and I suspect that the pay-whatever-you-want arrangement will work out fine for me.

Gmail Filters

I have been using Gmail a lot lately. The reason I am steadily increasing the use of the service flows mainly from a unique feature of Gmail: filters.

Gmail filters can be used in many ways. I’m using them to identify the source of email messages that are sent to me. Whenever I register online when I purchase something or I want to use an online service, I use my Gmail email address when completing the registration form. When I enter the address I add an identifier. Then, whenever I get an email message using that identifier, I know where the sender got the email address.

So, let me give an example. I recently rented a car using Priceline dot com. When I registered at the site, I used "jkdmail+priceline@gmail" dot com for the email address. The "+priceline" is the identifier. Then I went to my Gmail account and added a filter I called “Priceline.” This filter captures every email message coming into my inbox that has the +priceline identifier. I can view new and archived messages using the filter.

This works great, but I have run into an occasional problem. Every once in a while I register at a website that will not allow the identifier in the email address. For many months this has not been a big deal, I would just email the company and asked them to change their validation criteria so Gmail, with an identifier added, would be accepted. Everyone was glad to do so. The new Glide dot com website is an example of a site where I got this kind of quick response.

There are companies that will not change their email validation criteria. One such company is DHD Media, a company that provides website registration services, credit card processing and billing, streaming media and DRM, and managed hosting for a number of companies. When they refused to change their email address validation criteria, I sent them this message:

Tip Jar

TypePad, the weblog hosting service I use, has created a new feature called "Tip Jar." I have long had a PayPal link in the right column for those who want to pay for my services. The Tip Jar is a more elegant solution and I'm pleased to use it instead of a direct link to PayPal.

I bill $60 per hour for the technology coaching services I offer, but I only bill for the time I am on site coaching a client. When someone asks for assistance by posting a comment here, sends me an email message, calls me because they are having a problem or to ask a few questions, I assist without billing for my time.

You can use the Tip Jar to make payment on an invoice and you can also use the Tip Jar to give me a small tip. If you have a PayPal account, you can use it via the Tip Jar. If not, you can handle the transaction with a credit card. I appreciate your support of my efforts.

Dealing With Malware

Don’t Click on a Hyperlink within an Email Message

Scammers obfuscate links in email messages so that they appear to be legitimate websites, but they are not. Never click a link in an email message unless you are absolutely sure it is OK. It is easy to go to the link by copying the link and pasting in into your Web browser, or by typing the link address into your Web browser.

Remember, deception like this is the thief’s most powerful weapon. They make their living off deception, they're going to try and look as official as possible, so don't let them scare you into giving up any personal information, fear is the tool most commonly used to drive consumers into the identity thief’s trap.

Keep in mind when it comes to email messages, most real companies will address you by your real name, not a generic "Dear verified member" or something similar. This is one of the most simple and effective ways to spot a scam from a mile away and it requires no technical knowledge whatsoever!

Use Anti-Virus and Anti-Adware Software

Anti-virus software can protect you against viruses, worms and Trojan horses before they are installed on your computer. It's important to make sure your anti-virus software is kept up to date so you stay current with the latest threats. If your not running a firewall (explained below), and someone manages to exploit your computer and starts loading your computer up with Trojan horses, viruses and worms, an anti-virus program will stop them before the malware can run on your computer.

I use ESET NOD32 for anti-virus protection. There are many other good options. The important thing is to purchase from a reputable company. The hyperlink for ESET NOD32 is here:

http://www.nod32.com/home/home.htm

It is also important to use anti-adware or anti-spyware software. Spyware and adware allow others to monitor your computer usage and can also force advertisements on you—it is mostly about making money off of you. Sometimes this might be OK with you, like when you want a company you trust to let you know when they have something they think would interest you. But most spyware and adware will be very sneaky about how they get installed onto your computer. Even "experts" can be surprised to find that they have fallen victim to spyware and adware. Just visiting a website can make you vulnerable.

The most common place to acquire malware is through email messages, peer-to-peer file sharing networks and sneaky websites. It's also possible to get infected because you do not keep your computer up-to-date with the latest security updates and operating system patches. Hackers are constantly scanning the Internet looking for computers to hack into. The thieves among the hackers want to install malware. New scams and bugs appear every day. Stay up-to-date!

If you surf the Internet and notice you are now getting annoying pop up ads, this means you are infected with spyware or adware.

There are three good software options to control spyware and adware that are free. You can try Free Adware and Spyware Scan - Privacy Defender 3.0. It will remove all the latest known threats. Another good option is Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition. I use the professional version of this software. Finally, you might like Spybot Search and Destroy. This software was the best option when the spyware threat first became a serious problem and it continues to do a great job.

Here are the URLs if you would rather copy-and-paste than to click on the links above:

http://www.pcsecurityshield.com/webApp/90014a.asp?trk=WTK&affid=319
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/
http://www.spybot.info/en/index.html

Use a Personal Firewall

Computer Maintenance

Assuming your computer is running under Windows 98, 98SE, ME, 2000, or XP, then you may find these tips useful. These suggestions also assume that you're comfortable doing things in your computer other than opening a document, sending an email message or surfing the Web. If not, find someone who is (I can refer you to good technicians and I can also coach you so you can do it yourself).

Every day

Backup. There are many ways to back up files. If you have a lot of data an external hard drive is one way. I back up my computer by moving files to other computers in my office. You will probably want to compress the files to fit onto your backup media (CD, DVD or external hard drive). Microsoft's built-in backup program works great for this task. Go to My Computer, right-click on your hard drive (probably "C:,") choose Properties, then Tools; there you will see a button for doing a backup. Just click the button and complete the wizard.

It is also important to back up your e-mail each day. Outlook users have it easy; do a search on *.pst to find your Outlook data file. Then you can drag-and-drop the file to your backup media.

Some programs store stuff in places other than the My Documents folder, so if you chose that limited option for backups using the process above, then exploring the Application Data folder would be a good idea. If you do not know where it is, just do a search for it. The Application Data folder contains many sub-folders where programs might store data and personalized settings. If you do not back up the entire hard disk, you should use the drag-and-drop technique to back up the Application Data folder, too.

Don't turn your computer off. If you'll be back on your computer within 12 hours you should keep it running. The most demanding thing your computer does is to power up. It will work better longer if you are not constantly turning it on and off. Instead, go to your Control Panel and choose Display, then Power. Change the setting for hard disks to power down after an hour, or two, of inactivity.

Get rid of the surge suppressor. No sane person would use a power strip for their computer equipment, but if you know someone who does this goes for them, too. This may cost you a few bucks. Get yourself an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). A decent one will cost around $65, but it may be the best money you can spend to protect your hardware. It will not wear out for many years, so it will last through a few generations of new computers. When the power fails the UPS will give you about 10 minutes or more to save your work and power everything down. Some come with software that will do the shut down automatically if you are not there.

When you turn your computer on, power up the monitor and any accessories first, and then power on the PC itself. When you turn the computer off reverse this process--first power down the PC, then the monitor and accessories. Doing this will protect your computer from some types of power spikes that circumvent the UPS.

Every week...

Get 1-Click Answers

You may have heard me rave about GuruNet (here is an example: GuruNet). I have used this service for years. It enables you to Alt-Click on any word or phrase when you are writing in any software application, reading any file with text or just surfing the Web and a window pops up with tons of information about the item. Here is an image that shows kind of what the window will look like:

Notice the amazing list of resources in the left column--and these are in addition to the Dictionary, Thesaurus, Sign Language, WordNet, Wikepedia, Encylopedia, Investement Information, Politics, Translations, Images, News and, depending on what you are researching, many other tabs that run across the top of the main window. It is the most useful on-line tool I have seen.

Well, the application is now FREE! I have added an Answers.com plug-in on the left column of this page. Try it out. Type something like "elephant" in the Answers.com entry field and press Enter.

If you like the service, download the 1-Click Answers software you will find at the Answer.com Web site and install the application on your computer. You will be Alt-Clicking in no time!

Solving A Puzzle

The Dock-N-Talk got installed yesterday after three days trying to correct a problem with the telephone wiring in our home. Now that it is working, I am very impressed with the device. But, in this post let me explain about the wiring glitch that held up installation of the gadget.

I opened the small box containing the Dock-N-Talk on Monday. The package contained the small unit, 9-volt power supply, short and long modular telephone line cords, Quick Start Guide, Warranty Mailer, and a small User’s Guide. There was also a custom docking cable designed to work with my Sony Ericsson T610 wireless phone. Total cost including Sales Tax was $162.97.

Installation for most users is very simple. Place the Dock-N-Talk at a location where you get excellent wireless reception with your cellphone. Plug the power supply into a standard 120 volt wall outlet and insert the power connector into the back of the Dock-N-Talk unit. The LED on the unit will begin flashing green. Set the slide switch on the back of the Dock-N-Talk to line pair 2 (LP2). Plug a line cord into a modular wall jack and the other end into either of the ports on the back of the Dock-N-Talk unit. The LED should continue to blink green (in my case it turned a solid red). If you have an operating landline and want to use both the landline and cellphone via a landline handset near the Dock-N-Talk, use the other supplied line cord to plug a 2-line telephone into the other port on the back of the gadget. Use the custom docking cable to connect the Dock-N-Talk with your cellphone and you have a successful installation. That’s it. You’re done. Now you can play with your new toy and see for yourself how effective the Dock-N-Talk is at doing its thing with any 2-line extension phone in your home or office.

Neighbor Search

A neighbor knocked at my door on Sunday. She knew I was good with computers and the Internet and hoped I might be able to find someone she knew was now living somewhere in San Diego County. I Googled the guy's name and found him listed in a military regiment roster with an Escondido address. The roster also provided email addresses. I sent an email invitation to dinner on behalf of my neighbor and he called her an hour later.

An example of how the Internet brings people together.

Home Network

I just completed a fun project. Good friends decided to upgrade their computer recently (see the prior article on Support Blogger). After the new workstation was working, we set up a small local area network (LAN). Well, it was only a few hours later that I got a call from my friends No one wanted to use the old computer, so they wanted to buy another new computer exactly like the one we just purchased.

Five days later the second new computer arrived and we had it up, on the network and all of the essential software configured and ready for use an hour after we opened the carton. We had transferred all of the data from the old computer a few days before, so both systems had access to the archive of files they saved over the years. I left my friends giggling as they forwarded email messages to one another from across the small room where the system was set up.

Networking has many advantages. Instead of sharing a computer and competing for CPU cycles, everyone has their own workstation. Sharing files, printers and a broadband Internet connection gives all users a consistent and convenient user experience. And you may be surprised how often you use email to communicate with the person who sits a few feet away.

Creating a small LAN is a simple process. Most systems require only one piece of additional hardware, a router, and a little CAT 5 or 6 cabling. The hardware can easily be acquired for less than $100. If you are going wireless, you will need a wireless transceiver for those workstations that are not hardwired into the LAN. The wireless access point can be easily integrated into the router at minimal additional cost. A wireless network for two computers will cost about $200. Cables or wireless, a small LAN can save money by sharing components, services and files while expanding the ways those who are networked communicate with one another.

New PC

Good friends asked me to assist them to purchase a new PC. Their five-year-old Win95 computer was choking on new devices and plug-ins for their Internet browser--it was definitely time to upgrade.

We began by talking about what they wanted to do with the new computer. They went back-and-forth with one another about this-and-that. In the end they decided on a good quality PC with average features and a flat-screen monitor. The key was keeping the price under $1,000.

I recommended a Dell Dimension 4600 with a Pentium® 4 Processor running at 2.66GHz with 533MHz front side bus...