http://www.schiffkey.com/schiffkeynews.htm
May 7, 2006 - Newsletter by Jerrold Schiff
1) How important is your computer? one word: BACKUP
2) Seniors - Free expo - May 9th and 10th
3) What is "angieslist" -
How to find Local Businesses
Please rate "Computer Virus Removal" (be creating a user account)
4) Torrents - Another way to download music etc
Is it any safer? Faster? Better? Legal?
5) ORLANDO SENTINEL - Mission Space - My letter to the editor
6) Web sites - Clients who have purchased web space
- They've started creating their web pages....
- And need your business!
3973rd CDS
maxintro.com
peggydelaura.com
rockspringsbar.com
nfkids.com (not hosted. just teaching web page design)
7) Comments?
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1) How important is your computer?
As much as I abhor high pressure sales techniques,
for people who DEPEND on their computers....
Here are some things to think about:
What would it cost you if your computer died?
- lost emails
- lost address book (contact names numbers addresses)
- lost financials (quickbooks peachtree etc)
- lost pictures (digital pictures have no "negatives" to make second prints)
- lost down time - being without a computer - without email capabilities
- lost bargaining power when trying to buy a replacement computer
What are you doing to protect your "investment"?
- backing up data on a regular basis
- keeping your computer free of viruses, spyware and trojans
- deleting ALL the temporary files, folders and programs
- uncovering why your computer is slowing down
- electrical protection (surge bar protectors are not enough!)
- is your internet connection open to your neighbours and other strangers?
- are other family members using their own computers, or yours,
opening the door for indirect attacks?
While it is true that the price of a computer is getting lower
and thus more "affordable" and "replaceable",
how you actually USE the computer and spend time on the computer
is NOT A RENEWABLE RESOURCE. It comes with a price. A price worth protecting.
If you would like a professional analysis of your "computing habits",
or would like to hire me to back up your computer... call me.
Methods: Back up to a CD/DVD. Back up to another hard drive. Offsite storage.
2a) Seniors - Free expo - May 9th and 10th
Price: Free.
Senior Expo
Where: Central Florida Fairgrounds
4603 W. Colonial Drive Orlando, FL
Orlando's 10th annual Senior Expo will feature health screenings, educational seminars and door prizes.
When: May. 9: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
May. 10: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
[ found on http://orlandocitybeat.metromix.com/ ]
2b) Central Florida Computer Society [ Web site and Monthly Meetings]
Its a great place to meet and get free advice among people
who may or may not know as much as you do,
or specialists who know a lot about certain things
http://www.cfcs.org/
3) What is "angieslist"
http://www.angieslist.com/
As listed in the Orlando Sentinel, Friday April 28th by Greg Dawson (Page E2)
I'm hoping, that if you liked the work that I did on your computer,
that you'd give me a great rating !
Hello Jerrold,
Thank you for your interest in Angie's List(r). It is always great to hear from companies that are interested in getting on the list. Angie's List is a consumer-based organization that collects ratings on local companies in over 250 different types of services ranging from plumbers and handymen to movers and mulch. Angie's List members are area consumers, who provide Angie's List detailed feedback regarding their experiences with area service providers.
Our members check Angie's List to see what companies other members rate well.
It does not cost companies anything to be on Angie's List. The only way companies get on the list is when a member who has used a company reports on them. A company's standing with Angie's List is recorded on an A -F scale (just like a school report card.) If a company maintains an A or B rating then we will distribute their name and information to our members when they inquire about categories in which the company is rated.
Companies start out by asking their current clients if they happen to be members of Angie's List. If so, that person can submit a report on their experience with your company. If you run into someone who is not a member and wants to become an Angie's List member, they can do so while reporting on your company. We welcome reports (and memberships) over the phone at,
(407) 916-5478 or toll free (888) 822-4345, and via our website, www.angieslist.com.
If you have any questions please do no not hesitate to contact us. You, as a service provider, may contact us at 1.866.843.5478 or companyhelp@angieslist.com. Thanks again for your interest in being on Angie's List, and we look forward to helping you serve the community.
Good luck getting on Angie's List!
Carson Gillespie
Company Help Specialist
Toll Free 866-843-5478
companyhelp@angieslist.com
4) Torrents - Another way to download music etc
We all know people like to download music, software, movies and pictures.
Let's face it: Some things you can download are perfectly legal, while others unquestionably illegal.
Examples of downloads: Songs (name a song, any song - its somewhere on the internet)
Movies (from any year, heck, even movies with subtitles)
Software (computer people call this "try before you buy" - sadly, most rarely follow thru and buy)
My role is more like a librarian:
"Here is how you find the book - but its up to you whether you borrow it or buy it"
Programs of yesteryear are fraught with danger - hidden within the seemingly safe files are trojans, viruses and spyware. Its easy to get confused: Something says "baby.jpg" - so you think its a picture - right? Wrong.
c:> rename virus.exe baby.jpg (that was written in DOS if you are old enough to remember it!)
Programs such as Bearshare, Ares, Kazaa and Limewire - if indeed they still work - are easy and popular targets to rework popular downloads into some really nasty viruses. [ Remember to call me often if you use these programs ]
TORRENTS: While not necessarily safer, this is gaining popularity for downloading
Concept: Instead of downloading from ONE computer (which may or may not be infected),
download PARTS of a file from MANY computers - put it all together and you have your file.
Let's say there was a non-copyrighted edition of "Bambi meets Godzilla"
And it was say, 500 megabytes (the size of a CD - in other words - huge)
Downloading using Limewire would take hours - and if the other computer was turned off, or lost its connections - you would be stuck with a useless partial download - and have to start over again.
Instead, if you used a TORRENT (a file seed or pointer if you will)
Then, it would find 500 different computers, download all the parts, and then put them all together - you now have your movie.
Is it any faster? Sometimes. But the files I download are huge - and would take hours anyway.
Is it safer? Vastly safer [ But I still scan all downloads for viruses, trojans and spyware ]
Is it easy to do? No !!!
- Initially - NO it is NOT at all easy.
Setting up a torrent program (and there are lots of different kinds)
means giving permission to your firewall program, windows, and router (if you have one).
- Once that is done, you are not out of the water:
- Now, you need to find a torrent (the seed)
There are certain web sites that help you search for torrents.
- Once you have a torrent, you can start your download
- And once you have your download, provided it comes up clean when scanned,
you are set to "run it"
If learning about Torrents is of interest, give me a call.
The first 20 callers can have a special install price of $60 - flat rate (not hourly).
But budget to be available for an hour or three until it works (no charge if it doesn't)
5) ORLANDO SENTINEL - Mission Space - My letter to the editor
ps: You can read the newspaper online !
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/letters/orl-le06_506may06,0,6374433.story?coll=orl-opin-letters-headlines
"While we all can deeply sympathize with families of those who have been injured on or have passed away after going on rides such as Mission: Space, there are many of us who do not believe the solution is to "stop rides from having motion."
If Mission: Space can have a "non-motion" version, then it can have a "seasoned veteran" version, where the ride is twice as good as the "standard" ride.
I have ridden Mission: Space many times -- and come away wishing it could spin faster, harder and longer. Disney needs to sell a "Mission Commander Times Two" pass. This would certify and set aside one of the four "gravitons" to double the effects -- such as gravity!
Keep the tame one labelled "Mission to Mars" -- and sign me up for the super-deluxe "Mission to Jupiter."
Beam me up, Scotty!"
Jerrold Schiff
Apopka
