Lost on the Net ..

Source: http://ssdirect.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=84:lost-on-the-net-&catid=18:internet&Itemid=33

I can’t settle on a favorite platform to post my insights on. I like Joomla but all my Joomla websites enjoy the almost exact look and feel. OK for ‘my’ sites, but not everyone wants to look just like me (he he). I am also testing out tumblr and twitter and facebook and google+ and even wordpress and weebly and google sites.This post is on tumblr which should forward to twitter which should be passed on my 3 friends at facebook, but getting that content back from those sites to links on my websites is unnecessarily awkward. I usually end up double posting the content back where it should end up .. when I get time.

Joomla is a CMS that I never use as one, because I really only have those 3 friends. So most of my sites end up like a large personal blog. Setting up a Joomla site for others to use has been less than successful due to the need to train users in entering passwords and basic html code. Their eyes start crossing and I have to back them slowly away from the computer screen.

Weebly was selected for the Magrath Museum website and it was easily mastered by the summer intern, but needs some full time tending. Content is king and I don’t have access to it unless I go work at the Museum (although my kids would say I belong there).

Google Sites has been used with some success for Westwinds Soccer. They only update it during the soccer season (a short season in Canada) and last year I convinced them to use a embedded Google Spreadsheet to report the League Standings with some success. It will remain to be seen if they will be able to update the site for 2012 without some assistance.

The Magrath Chamber of Commerce is a site I am donating space and time to. The primary site is on Joomla with links to Google Sites for projects like the upcoming Tradeshow. This approach allows for quick implementation and presentation of information for chamber projects without major webdesign project on the main site. I simply include a menu link to the Tradeshow on my main Joomla site and back to the Chamber site from the Google Sites page with similar theme and it seems to work ok.

Finally, a word on Social Media .. Google+ vs Twitter vs Facebook. Still find it awkward to use successfully. I would like to use my multiple personalities but these sites want only to know the actual me. I would like to post as Magrath Chamber when acting as there spokesperson and as Soft Serve Direct when wearing my business hat and only as R Davies when posting family news. Similar problem with email: I have Gmail accounts for all these same entities. To their credit, Google is making recent strides in letting me ‘switch identity’ as needed between my various email accounts.

Meanwhile, my webdesign efforts are much like my kindergarten art projects - various interesting pieces of information glued together in awkward ways with occasional missing links, that once in a while could be considered a masterpiece (by my mom).

1 week ago  /  0 notes

Magrath Students Killed in Car Crash Oct 2011

Funeral arrangements for our four Magrath School students are as follows:

• Clay Card’s funeral will be held on Thursday, October 20th at 2:00 pm in the Magrath LDS Stake Center (brown LDS church). School will be dismissed at noon that day. Friends may meet with the family on Wednesday evening, October 19th from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm, also at the Magrath LDS Stake Center. 
• Danae Gough’s funeral will be held on Saturday, October 22nd at 10:00 a.m. at the Magrath LDS Stake Center.
• Jorden Miller’s funeral will also be held at the Magrath LDS Stake Center on Saturday, at 2:00 p.m. Combined meet the family gatherings for Danae and Jorden will be on Friday evening from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the Magrath LDS Stake Center.
• The funeral service for Renzo Dainard will be held at the Magrath LDS Stake Center on Tuesday, October 25^th at 2:00 pm. School will be dismissed at noon on Tuesday.

Other Links:

• http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/emotional+candlelight+vigil+remembers+four+teens+killed+in+crash+near+magrath/6442502784/story.html
• http://www.cjocfm.com/news-and-info/local-news/tragedy-in-magrath-four-teens-die-in-car-crash-1432/

4 months ago  /  0 notes

Sound not working .. or is it just me?

Called in to fix a problem with a nice customer who ‘has tried everything to get the sound to work”. The volume was just muted in Windows. Showed how to correct that in first minute. Oops, is there anything else to fix? Well she had a long list of confusions, but mostly just needed to learn how to work the computer and/or windows itself.

How can such a user expect to safely navigate the treacherous open waters of the internet? A similar client got one of those “I’m from a company working with Microsoft and just need you to run this little program for me so I can ‘fix’ your computer for you” followed by “Oh no, you have a lots of virus problems, what is your banking information so we can fix that for you”! By then it was a bit too late. They already have full access remotely to your computer and could install pretty much anything. Even worse, the other computers in the house networked to that infected computer now are also vulnerable.

You may want to read this .. www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/18/phone-scam-india-call-centres?CMP=twt_gu and also www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/msname.aspx

Be careful out there!

4 months ago  /  0 notes

cci wireless - a new option for our area .. coming soon?

http://cciwireless.ca rep came by the Pharmacy last week to sell us on the option of a wireless internet. Apparently they are building new towers in Cardston and Magrath areas now. A bit more than the traditional providers, but available to many more who are just outside the reach of those providers. Is this something you may use?

4 months ago  /  0 notes