Cruzio Newsletter - Number 111, December 5, 2007 1. The Great Domain Name Giveaway: Saturday December 15th 2. Give Cruzio for Christmas 3. It's All About Building Web Sites at Cruzio This Month: 3 Classes Thurs, Dec 6: "Planning Your Web Presence" Tues, Dec 11: "One Night Web Site" Thurs, Dec 13: "One Day Web Site" 4. When You're Weary of Walking: Stop at a Cyberhub and Check Email 5. The Year Gone By (2007) 6. The Year Coming Up (2008) 7. Peace Tee Shirts Have Arrived -- Profits to Disabled Vets 8. Tech Tip: Email Trouble? 9. ShopSite Upgrade 10. Gizmo of the Month: Computer Memory, Installed by Cruzio 11. We'll Match Your Donations to Second Harvest Food Bank 12. Class Schedule for the Next Three Months 13. Classes -- Let Us Know What You'd Like 14. Cruzio's Holiday Hours 15. Buddy Bucks 16. Moving? 17. About This Newsletter 18. How to Reach Cruzio (Dial-in or Tech Support) 1. The Great Domain Name Giveaway: Saturday December 15th Have you been dreaming of owning your own corner of the Internet -- a corner named after you? We appreciate your membership and this year we'd like to give you a holiday gift: a free domain name of your choice. Often that will be the name of your business or your last name, with a .com at the end. Secure your name by coming to our Santa Cruz store on The Great Giveaway Day, Saturday December 15th. We'll be open from 9 am to 4 pm, serving free coffee and snacks to members only. To see what's available -- names like johnsmith.com are long taken, for example -- try your ideas at: http://www.cruzio.com/support/domain_web/whois.html Our staff can help you with any questions. There are so many names available you may find it hard to choose, so here is a second part to the story: bring in three cans of food for the Second Harvest Food Bank and Cruzio will give you a second free name. 2. Give Cruzio for Christmas In our consumer society, holidays can be packed with an overabundance of meaningless plastic objects. That's why we like the gift of intelligence. Literally, adding to someone's computer or Internet adds to their ability to reason, remember and create. Here are some specific suggestions: i. Get a friend more memory for his computer and have it custom-installed at Cruzio's shop. His computer will run better and he won't even have to know the details. Just $49 plus the cost of the hardware. ii. Treat your dad to his own domain name. It's just $14.95 to register and $10.95 to park it for a year. (If you come in on December 15th for the Great Domain Name Giveaway, both are free!) If you're a really great son or daughter, you might also get him Website Plus ($19.95/mo) or Premium ($39.95/mo) so he can put up photos, start a blog, or publish a family calendar. The best children, of course, set the whole thing up for him. Note that we have classes on how to do just that: http://classes.cruzio.com iii. Upgrade a pal's Internet connection. If she has dialup, give her DSL ($22.95/mo). If she has DSL 1.5, give her DSL 3.0 ($32.95/mo). Great for games and videos. iv. Bring your sweetie's aging computer in for a full treatment: Cruzio will clean out viruses and popups, and install protective software, everything included for just $129 if you're a Cruzio member. ($149 for non-members). v. Cruzio's mugs and tee shirts are high quality and will last for years. Plus they have the Cruzio kitty on them -- and, if you like, a peace sign (see item 7 below). Order online at our shop: http://www.shopcruzio.com vi. Get Cruzio gift certificates and they can get themselves any of the above. Christmas, Kwanzaa and the solstice are coming... Hanukkah's already begun. Happy holidays everyone! 3. It's All About Building Web Sites at Cruzio This Month: 3 Classes Thurs, Dec 6: "Planning Your Web Presence" Tues, Dec 11: "One Night Web Site" Thurs, Dec 13: "One Day Web Site" Celebrate the New Year with a spiffy new Web site. If you've been putting off an upgrade, this is a good time to get started -- Web 2.0 tools make it easier than ever before. A Cruzio workshop or hands-on class can show you how. The best Web sites start by converting a vision to a plan, so we begin with a workshop this Thursday to identify your needs and help you outline the kind of Web site you'd like to have. Date: Thursday, December 6th, 2007 Time: Noon to 1:30 pm Location: Cruzio, 903 Pacific Avenue, downtown Santa Cruz Cost: $10, $7 additional if you'd like lunch as well Register at: http://classes.cruzio.com The next step is to actually build the site. It's easier than you might think. Some people like to take a class in the evening after work. Others prefer the morning, especially when a class is job-related. This month, Cruzio's ace teaching staff is offering both -- a morning and an evening version of our most popular class, "One Night Web Site." In these hands-on classes, you'll have access to hours of personalized instruction from our friendly experts at a computer dedicated to you. Best of all, you'll be able to work on your own real Web site, setting it up and adding text, pictures and features under the guidance of two instructors who'll show you what to do and answer any questions you have. The classes are limited to just eight students each. By the end of the hands-on class, you'll have the framework of a site and the know-how to continue enhancing it. Because you create the site with the latest technology, you can show off your work for years to come. Compare the cost of these classes to extension classes over the hill: Cruzio classes are a great deal. Date: Tuesday, December 11th, 2007 Time: 5 to 8 pm Location: Cruzio, 903 Pacific Avenue, downtown Santa Cruz Cost: $199 Date: Thursday, December 13th, 2007 Time: 9 am to noon Location: Cruzio, 903 Pacific Avenue, downtown Santa Cruz Cost: $199 Get more information and register at: http://classes.cruzio.com 4. When You're Weary of Walking: Stop at a Cyberhub and Check Email If you bring a laptop along on your holiday shopping trips, remember you can stop for a cup of coffee and a session of free email at one of Cruzio's many cyberhub hot spots. There's definitely one near you -- check our cyberhub map: http://www.cruzio.com/local_info/wireless/index.html 5. The Year Gone By 2007 is nearly over (that was fast) and we're thankful for what the year brought Cruzio-wise. Some highlights: - A new Watsonville store (25 E. Beach Street). - Ever-expanding Web services and understanding of Web 2.0 - New hands-on classes and business packages. - Free domains for every Cruzio member (come in Dec. 15th for yours). - More members than ever before. - http://www.cuteoverload.com/ - Another year doing what we love to do. Thank you so much for being a part of it. 6. The Year Coming Up The new year is a time for personal resolutions, and since Cruzio is a company with personality we're setting our company resolutions as well. We'll be taking time to go through all our products and priorities and make sure our customers are getting the best service in every possible way. If you'd like to contribute suggestions to our discussion, we welcome your comments (now and always). There's a "suggestion box" at the bottom of every page in our Web site, http://www.cruzio.com. Let us know what you like and what we could improve, whether it's DSL, dialup, email, Web -- or some service we haven't even thought of yet. Thanks! 7. Peace Tee Shirts Have Arrived -- Profits to Disabled Vets Cruzio tee shirts with a peace sign on the front are now on sale for just $15.95! So cool. See a photo or order them from our online shop at http://www.shopcruzio.com All profits from these tee shirts will go to benefit the Disabled American Veteran's Charitable Services Trust: http://www.dav.org/cst/ http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=7589 8. Tech Tip: Email Trouble? Loren, a helpful Cruzio staffer, offers this technique frequently used by Cruzio Technical Support: If your email isn't downloading properly using an email client program like Outlook Express, Thunderbird, or Apple's Mail, a quick and easy troubleshooting tip is to check your mail on our WebMail service at http://www.cruzio.com -- select the "My Email" link. With our easy-to-use WebMail software, you can quickly diagnose the source of your problem. If you are not able to connect to your WebMail, you know that you're either having a password issue, or that there is a problem on the server side. If you are able to log into our WebMail software, then you know that everything is working fine on the server, and the problem is probably in your settings. Check to make sure your preferences match all the settings listed on your login sheet. Either way, if at any point you are unsure of how to proceed, please don't hesitate to call Cruzio's award-winning Tech Support team at 459-6301, option 4. 9. ShopSite upgrade As the Internet grows up, so does the software. Cruzio doesn't switch to new versions until we are satisfied they're stable and useful. With these criteria in mind, our Chief Systems Engineer, Mark, has just upgraded our ShopSite online store creation tool to version 9.02. ShopSite Starter customers will see the upgrade automatically -- it is already in place, and it's free of charge. Manager and Pro customers will need to pay $85 and $215, respectively, to use the new features. Cruzio passes along what we are charged for these upgrades; list price is 35% to 50% higher. The most compelling features in the new ShopSite may be the new themes (with multiple color options), US Post Office shipping options, and logging of searches so you can track what customers are seeking on your site. To see all the new features included with ShopSite 9, please visit http://www.shopsite.com/help/9.0/en-US/new-features.html If you'd like to upgrade, please call customer service at 459-6301, option 2. Or email office@cruzio.com. Thanks Mark! 10. Gizmo of the Month: Computer Memory, Installed by Cruzio Have you ever wished you could go to the store and get more memory for your brain? It would help you win trivia games with your family and score well on IQ tests, among other things. Cruzio does not currently sell brain memory -- that's a messy business which exists exclusively in science fiction at the moment. But we can do the next best thing: our expert technicians can increase your computer's memory for you. For just $49 plus the cost of the hardware, Cruzio will select the memory, order it at a discount price, install it, test it, and voila. Depending on the condition of your computer, you will probably see an improvement in speed and performance, especially in memory-intensive programs like Photoshop. Memory is also a common cure for computers that slow down or crash when you try to do more than one thing at once. (But that can also be due to a virus -- we can check that for you, too). If you think you'd like a computer that slows less and crashes less, give us a call (831 459-6301, choose option 5) and talk to one of our techs. We'll help you figure out if memory would help you or, if you can get a peek at their computer, your sweetie (see "Give Cruzio for Christmas" in item 2 above). 11. We'll Match Your Donations to Second Harvest Food Bank This year newspapers are reporting that donations are down and food banks are cutting back on their services to the needy. Let's reverse that trend. Increase the effectiveness of your donation by sending it via Cruzio. We will see it and match it and pass our increased donation to Second Harvest, up to $1,500. Cruzio's members have been very supportive in the past and Second Harvest has given us a variety of awards over the years -- thanks to you. That means we're effective in getting food to the people who need it in our community. And as always, if you're late on a payment to Cruzio you can convert your slipup into a donation. We will forgive your late fee if you bring 3 cans into our office for our Second Harvest Food Bank barrel. For more information about Second Harvest, see http://www.thefoodbank.org http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=6374 12. Class Schedule for the Next Three Months Here's a sneak peek at the revised class listings slated to begin in the new year. Lots of new classes! The final schedule will be posted and ready for signups soon at http://classes.cruzio.com All the classes below will be held at our downtown Santa Cruz store, 903 Pacific Avenue. January 8th 9 - 11 am "Administrate Your Domain Like a Pro" 10th 9 - 12 pm "One Day Web Site" 17th 1 - 3 pm "Internet 101" 22nd 5 - 8 pm "One Night Web Site" 24th 9 - 11 am "How to Market Your Web Site to Get New Customers" 29th 1 - 3 pm "Start Making Money Online" February 5th 9 - 11 am "Mailing lists and Surveys" 12th 9 - 11 am "Administrate Your Domain Like a Pro" 14th 5 - 8 pm "One Night Web Site" 21st 2 - 4 pm "How to Market Your Web Site to Get New Customers" 26th 9 - 11 am "Start Making Money Online" March 4th 1 - 3 pm "Administrate Your Domain Like a Pro" 6th 9 - 12 pm "One Day Web Site" 13th 9 - 11 am "Get to the Top of Search Engines" 18th 9 - 11 am "Start Making Money Online" 25th 9 - 11 am "Internet 101" 27th 5 - 8 pm "One Night Web Site" 13. Classes -- Let Us Know What You'd Like Do you like Cruzio classes just as they are? Or do you wish we would teach different subjects or hold the classes at different times or locations? Now's the time to let us know in our class survey: http://classes.cruzio.com/survey Mike, our resourceful Class Program Manager, is gathering data to plan next year's computer and Web-building instruction. If you've attended a class before, you know they are terrific: friendly, helpful, and extremely informative. And our students are enthusiastic and fun to work with. Let us know what adjustments you'd like and we'll try to tailor the classes to serve the maximum number of people. By the way, we have once again built the survey with our easy-to-use survey builder, which comes free with any Website Plus or Premium account. It's a great tool, try it! 14. Cruzio's Holiday Hours Cruzio's customer service offices will close early, at 2 pm, on December 24th, and we'll be closed December 25th. We'll also be closed New Year's Day, January 1st 2008. We'll be open on New Year's Eve. As always, though we're not open for customer visits or calls, we'll be monitoring the system and responding to problems throughout the holidays. We've been here before, tinkering on Christmas day; we've been here New Year's Eve at midnight. Whatever it takes. We're also ready to set up accounts or issue gift certificates for last-minute gifts right up until December 24th at 2 pm. We'll make you a very pretty package to look great under a tree or in a stocking. Have a great holiday season! 15. 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 or more credit to your account. If two friends sign up, $20. Three friends, $30. It just goes on and on. The more they buy, the more you benefit. 16. 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 cancelling 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 17. 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. 18. How to Reach Cruzio (dial-in or tech support) 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, 25 E. Beach Street, Watsonville, CA 95076 Cruzio's hours: Sales hours: 10am-6pm, Monday through Friday; 10 am - 2 pm Saturday Technical support: 8am to 6pm, Mon to Fri, 10am - 2pm 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, Paul, Gershom, Jessi, James, Juana, Nikkie, Mike, Don, Bruce, Brian, Westi, Andrew, Jaime, another Chris, yet another Chris, Diana, Jake, Tommy, Loren, Shawn and Zachary; our awesome interns, Melinda and Anna Jake, Annika, and Carly (the kids) "You don't make it with your hands. You form it with your hands. You make it with your mind." Edgar Tolson, sculptor. "It had a droll apathy towards death." -- review of the movie "300" by Jake, age 15.