Cruzio Newsletter - Number 105, June 11, 2007
1. We'd Like Your Opinion
2. Brown Bag Workshop this Thursday: "Online Photo Galleries"
3. Two Hands-on Classes in June: "One Day Blog" & "One Day Photo Gallery"
4. Port 25
5. Cruzio Staff Goes to Google
6. Gizmo of the Month: The Humble Earbud
7. Computer Slow? We'll Install Memory
8. How *Not* to Choose a Password
9. Class Schedule Through August
10. Buddy Bucks
11. Feed the Hungry, Get Late Fees Waived
12. Moving?
13. About This Newsletter
14. How to Reach Cruzio (Dial-in or Tech Support)
1. We'd Like Your Opinion
We always pay attention to your ideas, questions, compliments
and suggestions for improvement. Now, for your convenience
and ours, we'd like you to give us your opinions via a short,
interesting survey:
http://survey.cruzio.com
This survey is constructed with Cruzio's own Web 2.0 tools --
the same tools available to members with newer Web hosting on
Cruzio. Surveys are an easy and useful feature to add to your
Web site. So as you take the survey, think to yourself "would I
like to give a survey like this one?" and that question's
natural corollary, "how cool would that be?"
As for our survey's immediate use: Cruzio is not a giant,
impersonal company. Your opinions will quickly be read by top
management. We can't adopt every clever suggestion, but we will
use your input to help us plan and make decisions.
So please take the survey. It will only take you five minutes and
we very much appreciate it. The survey will be active until
July 13th -- but why not take it now? Again:
http://survey.cruzio.com
2. Brown Bag Workshop this Thursday: Online Photo Galleries
"Photo Galleries for Artists and Families"
Thursday June 14, 12 - 1:30 PM $10
903 Pacific Avenue, Downtown Santa Cruz
Online photo galleries organize your digital photographs and artwork
into a pleasant published format. It's easy to add new photos and
captions. And rather than send a few pictures at a time, you can simply
email your family, friends or customers a link to your latest shots.
Your folks can download the photos they like, and if you're a professional
you can sell your work over the Web.
To find out more, come to our low-cost Brown Bag workshop this Thursday.
We'll describe the tools and options, everything you need to get started,
and if you'd like additional help you can follow up with our more
intensive Hands-on Photo Gallery class (see below).
Lunches from the Java Lounge are available for an additional $7.
Space is limited, so register today:
http://classes.cruzio.com/workshops.html
3. Two Hands-on Classes in June: "One Day Blog" & "One Day Photo Gallery"
"One Day Blog," Thursday June 21, 9 - 11 AM $99
"One Day Photo Gallery," Thursday June 28, 9 - 11 AM $99
903 Pacific Avenue, Downtown Santa Cruz
Is it time to jump-start your blog or your online gallery?
Here's the opportunity to do so. We'll make sure you have all the
tools and necessary expertise at hand, so that in just a couple
of hours you'll be well on your way.
In the "One Day Blog" class, two creative, experienced instructors --
Mike Brogan and Jessi Hance -- will describe how to install and
customize the blogging software that comes free with a Cruzio Website
Plus or Premium account. Then they will help you actually set up your
own blog right then and there. You'll be seated at a computer with
everything you need, and with a maximum of eight students to two
teachers you'll get attention and answers just when you need them.
On the following Thursday, learn how to publish photographs or artwork
on the Web using convenient (and free) gallery software. With the help
of patient instructors, you'll create a gallery on your own live Web site
and put in the first pictures. When you leave that morning, it will be
ready for more. This is a great class for someone with far-flung family,
and even better for professional artists who wish to display and sell
their work at low cost. It's taught by our consummate professionals
Mike Brogan and Edgar Landeros.
Both Hands-on classes require Cruzio Website Plus or Premium. If you
need to start Web service or aren't sure, please give a quick call to
our Customer Service team, 459-6301 option 2. If you don't already have
this service, starting or switching is easy and inexpensive, and you'll
gain a wealth of free tools and features.
For more information, and to register, check:
http://classes.cruzio.com/hands_on.html
4. Port 25
As we mentioned last month, in our never-ending fight against spam
we need to make a change to the way a small percentage of Cruzio
accounts use our email servers. Because we don't want anyone to
be caught short, we are giving plenty of advance notice on this
change -- we will not carry it out for at least another month.
If you are using port 25 on Cruzio's network for a non-Cruzio mail
server -- for example, if you've set up your own mail server on a
DSL line -- you'll be affected by the changes. Please contact us,
we have workarounds available for every customer.
If you are part of the 95 percent of Cruzio members who are *not*
doing this, don't worry about it. You won't notice any change
at all. This is not an immediate fix to the spam problem, but in the
long run, if every ISP controls port 25 access, spam will be reduced
for all of us.
5. Cruzio Staff Goes to Google
Two weeks ago a group of Cruzio staff went to the Google Developers
Forum to learn about new tools and techniques to improve our Web site.
You'll be seeing a number of enhancements to our site in the near
future as a result: new maps, better newsfeeds (especially on our
Spanish site, http://www.micruzio.com ), and nifty slide shows.
We take our position as technology advisors seriously and we often
attend Internet technology forums. We take advantage of our closeness
to Silicon Valley to attend symposia hosted by some of the largest
hardware and software organizations in the nation, such as Apple Computer
and Usenix. At these conferences, we learn how to fight spam, how to move
data faster, how to keep data secure. Our field moves quickly and we
want to provide you with the latest tools, as well as pass on the latest
knowledge.
6. Gizmo of the Month: The Humble Earbud
What other gizmo could transform a mundane jog or a stroll
down a busy sidewalk into an auditory environment of your own
choosing? Without earbuds you could not hear what your MP3
player was playing.
The earbud works like an ear, only backwards, taking intelligence
and converting it to sound. Another marvel of technology that
would have passed for a religious experience a few centuries
ago.
But mainly, it's a little teeny thing that you can easily lose.
Or the delicate "bud" part can get squished under something, and
then you can't listen to your music. It's really best to have a spare.
We just want you to know you can get them at Cruzio, only $4.99
a pair.
Buy your earbuds any time: Cruzio will ship to you or hold them
until you get to downtown Santa Cruz to pick them up.
http://shopcruzio.com/accessories.html
(By the way, our beautiful online shop uses ShopSite, software
which is available to Cruzio customers. It was created by Jessi
Hance and Bruce Emond. Nice job!)
7. Computer Slow? We'll Install Memory
If your computer chugs, groans, or crashes on big files, more memory
can make your life more liveable. At Cruzio we can purchase the correct
memory for you and install it for just $49 plus the price of the memory.
Call Computer Care -- 459-6301 press 5.
If slowness is caused by other reasons, such as overloaded startup
routines or virus infection, we can help with that, too (and slowness
can indicate a security problem which may be putting your private data
at risk!). See our list of Computer Care services on
http://www.cruzio.com/services/tech_services/
8. How *Not* to Choose a Password
Malevolent computer hackers (often called "crackers") don't have to be
smart if they can count on computer users to be lazy. One vulnerable
area is your password, the front door to your online accounts from
Internet access to shopping to banking and more.
Choosing a good password and keeping it secret is important to
everything the password protects, which is usually private or
valuable information about you.
Statistics, however, show that a large number of people are
unintentionally putting the safety of their personal information
-- and sometimes their family's or company's whole network -- at risk.
First: choosing a password. As President Skroob said in the movie
Spaceballs: "12345? That's AMAZING! I've got the same combination
on my luggage!"
And so do many other people. Here, in order, are the top 10 passwords,
courtesy of PC Magazine:
1. password
2. 123456
3. qwerty
4. abc123
5. letmein
6. monkey
7. myspace1
8. password1
9. blink182
10. (your first name)
As PC Magazine says tartly, "If you recognize yours [in the list], you
may as well hand over your wallet or purse to the first person you see
on the street."
Crackers have programs which quickly try thousands of passwords to get
into an account. They will have no trouble decoding the passwords above.
Also, some have programs which search your hard disk and try all the
words found in your email and other files. So the name of a family
member or dog may not be as secure as you might wish for, say, access
to your bank account. Or, as one user on Digg said, "I should
never have named my dog Password."
Longer passwords that don't use dictionary words and do combine letters
and numbers are best. Numbers in the middle rather than the beginning
or end of the password are preferable. For an article describing the
why's and how's, visit:
http://www.schneier.com/essay-148.html
Next there's the matter of keeping a secret. A recent study by the
ITC Institute in England showed that, when asked politely, 64% of
people simply told a questioner their passwords. In this study,
the researchers pretended to take a survey. They asked office workers
what they thought was the most common password, and then what their
own password was. A majority of people, and even many professionals
attending an IT conference (22%), gave the "researcher" their password.
Although Microsoft has discussed getting rid of password security
altogether ( http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6039177.html?tag=nl ),
it's not going to come to pass soon. Better to think up a couple of
really good passwords, commit them to memory, and then the next step:
don't tell anyone! Passwords are secret (this is important to tell
your kids, too). For more tips on security, look for our Security
Brown Bag workshops, given every few months for low cost at Cruzio.
9. Class Schedule Through August
June
14th "Photo Gallery" Brown Bag
21st "One Day Blog" Hands-on Class
28th "Photo Gallery" Hands-on Class
July
12th "Web 2.0 Tools for Business or Non-profit" Brown Bag
24th "One Day Blog" Hands-on Class
26th "One Night Web Site" Hands-on Class
August
16th "Troubleshooting Your Computer" Brown Bag
23rd "Photo Gallery" Hands-on Class
25th Computer Care Clinic
30th "Advanced Blogging" Hands-on Class
This schedule is subject to change, so please check our
Web site to confirm and register:
http://classes.cruzio.com
10. Buddy Bucks
Recommend us to friends, family, colleagues: if a new customer
gives us your email address, registration number, or full name when
they sign up you'll get $10 credit to your account. If two friends
sign up, $20. Three friends, $30. It just goes on and on.
11. Feed the Hungry, Get Late Fees Waived
If you're late on a payment to Cruzio, turn it into a donation
to hungry folks in our community. We will waive your late
fee if you bring 3 cans into our office for our Second Harvest
Food Bank barrel. Learn more about this charity at
http://www.thefoodbank.org
12. Moving?
If you are moving your home or office, please contact Cruzio.
We're here to help the Internet portion of your move go smoothly.
It's best to let us know several weeks ahead of time, especially
if you have DSL or if you're canceling a phone line. We can often
save you from an interruption in Internet service and prevent
costly fees -- but you've got to let us know. For more information,
please see
http://www.cruzio.com/services/highspeed_access/move_dsl.html
13. About This Newsletter
Cruzio doesn't like to waste bandwidth with extra email, but we sometimes
have events and announcements that users need to know about. This seems
like the most efficient way to let people know what's happening. Hope
it's helpful. Please email support@cruzio.com with any comments or questions.
By the way, we would love to have a regular, predictable schedule
for this newsletter...but we simply do not send it unless there is real
news enclosed. Thus the haphazard datelines.
14. How to Reach Cruzio (dial-in or tech support)
For all the information you could ever want about Cruzio
and the our community of Santa Cruz County, California:
http://www.cruzio.com
To reach the Cruzio Information Center, for online technical and
sales information:
http://www.cruzio.com/support
To dial in to Cruzio, set your software to dial one of the numbers
below (note: we've expanded and joined modem pools, so you may be
using another number. If so, don't worry, it still works just fine).
Dialup (in Santa Cruz County): 459-9408
Nationwide Dialup: Look up local number on our Web page:
http://www.cruzio.com/support/dialup_isdn/nationwide_numbers.html
or call Cruzio toll free, 1.800.303.3302
To call Cruzio:
459-6301............Use this number to check Cruzio's system status,
pay your Cruzio bill, find out more about our hours and location,
or to reach someone in customer service and technical support.
722-6200 .......... Cruzio's number in Watsonville.
To send email to Cruzio, use one of these addresses:
support@cruzio.com ......for technical support
office@cruzio.com .......for billing and ordering information
Cruzio's locations:
Santa Cruz: 903 Pacific Avenue, Suite 101, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Watsonville: Plaza Vigil, 23 E. Beach Street, Watsonville, CA 95076
Cruzio's hours:
Sales hours: 10 am-6 pm, Mon through Fri; 10 am - 2 pm Saturday
Technical support: 8 am - 6 pm, Mon to Fri, 10 am - 2 pm Saturday
System monitoring, including customer-alerted emergencies, 24 hours
per day, 365 days per year (leap years, 366 days)
Thanks very much from Cruzio:
Chris, Peggy, Julianne, Mark, Stephen, Paul, Gershom,
Jessi, James, Juana, Nikkie, Mike, Don, Bruce, Edgar,
Brian, Westi, Andrew, Jaime, another Chris,
yet another Chris, Diana, and Maria;
our awesome interns, Brian, Cindy, and Helen;
Jake, Annika, and Carly (the kids)
Waking Carly up for school last week:
Carly: "I don't feel well this morning."
Mom: "You must be tired, you went to bed really late last
night."
Carly: "I couldn't sleep, it wasn't my fault."
Mom: "I didn't say it was your fault."
Carly: "Yes, but your voice was faulty."
