The [Ministry IT] Blog tag:ministry-it.com,2008-06-11:/the_blog//1 2008-09-16T20:43:16Z A voice in the conversation where Ministry and Information Technology meet Movable Type Open Source 4.2rc1-en Microsoft Prices Going Up tag:ministry-it.com,2008:/the_blog//1.21 2008-09-16T20:40:11Z 2008-09-16T20:43:16Z Just got the word that Microsoft is going to increase prices on software they license to non-profits.  Non-profits, including churches and ministries, have long benefited from deeply discounted prices on Microsoft products.  It is not clear yet whether this increase... Chris Blair
The new prices are supposed to go into effect 10/1.
]]> My New Friend tag:ministry-it.com,2008:/the_blog//1.20 2008-09-10T12:41:52Z 2008-09-10T12:32:24Z Chris Blair
My client, though thoroughly protected by Trend Micro's anti-virus / anti-spyware solution, was infected by a shiny new virus that hit the streets yesterday.  This virus masquerades as an antispyware / antivirus solution that begins complaining that you have been infected and attempts to induce you, with great persistence, to click OK to allow it to "clean" your system.

My new friend's name is Malware Byte.  It was the only product I could find that could tell me how to rid myself of this nuisance.  Naturally I was wary of downloading a tool to remove a virus that masqueraded as a tool to remove a virus, but...  the reviews I came across in my rush to determine its safety were stellar.

I'm not advocating that you throw out your current security solution and run for this one, but it's certainly a good tool to have in the toolbox.  Even better it is free.  They have a paid version as well, which I'll take some time soon to review.

Have you had any experience with this product?
]]> Cutting Through the Marketing Hype tag:ministry-it.com,2008:/the_blog//1.19 2008-09-04T19:07:21Z 2008-09-04T19:27:17Z Chris Blair pixel-vfl73.gifpixel-vfl73.gifOK, I admit it, I'm not always the brightest bulb.  As a visual learner I've often struggled with understanding things that I can't see.

Just today I was trying to understand some new concepts in Microsoft Server 2008.  Between all the marketing "enhanced" terminology and efforts to create slick acronyms, reading up on new feature / functionality can get tricky.

I've learned that a quick search on Youtube often dramatically cuts my learning curve.  Today I did a search on Presentation Virtualization and cut out a lot of confusion as it pertains to what I need to know about this technology.  In record time I was able to grasp the concept with enough understanding to relay it to others. Of course if they don't understand my explanation, I know where to send them.

By the way, naming something with two words comprised of 10 sylables and each ending in "tion" shouldn't happen.

Sure, Youtube is a social thing, and sure there is a lot of garbage out there, but there are also some very practical and helpful videos available that can dramatically ease your learning curve.

]]> Bandwidth Metering Coming??? tag:ministry-it.com,2008:/the_blog//1.17 2008-08-30T16:02:20Z 2008-08-30T16:02:25Z Comcast just announced that it will begin limiting bandwidth usage for their residential customers. In other words, they are going to limit the amount of information you can download. A download is anything coming to your PC from another computer... Chris Blair just announced that it will begin limiting bandwidth usage for their residential customers. In other words, they are going to limit the amount of information you can download.

A download is anything coming to your PC from another computer on the internet. That could take the form of the web pages you visit every day to online radio and video usage to programs you might download.

I realize this announcement hits residential but I also know that in the early days of DSL in Cincinnati, there really was no distinction. There are still churches and ministries in greater Cincinnati running on what is effectively residential DSL.

The big deal is that these "residential" users are multiplying their consumption by the number of people on the network.

No worries yet, Cincinnati Bell / Zoomtown and Time Warner Cable have not yet instituted such constraints. It wouldn't surprise me if they do in the future.

Cincinnati Bell is rolling out some newer affordable technologies. Time Warner Telecom (no longer related to Time Warner Cable) has had a similar and attractive T1 based solution for a few years now. Pricing is very comparable when you include telecom needs. May be worth taking a look.

I can hook you up with a good rep at Time Warner Telecom.

Now is not the time to panic, but it is good to be aware of what could be coming for us.

Stay tuned.
]]> Open DNS tag:ministry-it.com,2008:/the_blog//1.16 2008-08-13T13:47:15Z 2008-08-13T13:42:21Z I'm really intrigued by a service called Open DNS. I'm intrigued because of it's claim to offer content filtering for free. I've installed it on my laptop and so far am pleased with my experience. I'm hearing at least... Chris Blair Use OpenDNS I'm really intrigued by a service called Open DNS. I'm intrigued because of it's claim to offer content filtering for free. I've installed it on my laptop and so far am pleased with my experience. I'm hearing at least a little controversy surrounding the service due to privacy concerns -- some entity has access to the site's I'm visiting. Not a big one for me because I more-or-less assume that people have access to that data anyway -- after all the internet is about network traffic being routed through a gazillion devices on the internet, many of which are very capable of logging my activity.

Anyway, back to the subject. I'm wondering if it is as high a quality a service as perhaps Safe Eyes, at least on the content filtering front. I resell the Ethershield product, but perhaps OpenDNS is just as effective?

Let me know if you have any experience that helps.]]> If the shoe fits... tag:ministry-it.com,2008:/the_blog//1.15 2008-08-05T18:04:02Z 2008-08-05T18:07:42Z This probably doesn't matter to most readers of this blog, but if you are involved in web development and haven't heard, this is for you...... Chris Blair i-took-the-2008-survey.gif in web development and haven't heard, this is for you...




]]> Content Filtering tag:ministry-it.com,2008:/the_blog//1.14 2008-07-30T18:56:44Z 2008-07-30T19:08:37Z Chris Blair good to share.

Yes it's important to have content filtering on your home computers.  What about your church computers?  Church and ministry leaders are no less susceptible to temptation than anyone else.  It's not just about ministry leaders, however, it's about anyone who may have access to the church's networked computers, whether they are supposed to have access or not ...  The article does a good job of explaining the need.

Churches with open wireless networks are especially vulnerable.

There are several option options worth considering.  I'm a big fan of the EtherShield device discussed in the the article, but it may not be the best approach for everyone.

Either way, good food for thought.
]]> Schedule Power Off tag:ministry-it.com,2008:/the_blog//1.13 2008-07-23T13:43:05Z 2008-07-23T13:55:27Z I often recommend that offices leave their computers on at night but lock them for security so that backups and updates can be scheduled to occur overnight when they won't impact work during the day.A friend asked yesterday about putting... Chris Blair 61tI5682-VL._SL160_AA160_.gifI often recommend that offices leave their computers on at night but lock them for security so that backups and updates can be scheduled to occur overnight when they won't impact work during the day.

A friend asked yesterday about putting a timer on a computer so that when the backup / update is done it could power off.  While at first glance that didn't seem like a good idea it quickly led to the thought of scheduling a power down or hibernation.

A quick google search pulled up a number of utilities for doing this.  Wondering if anyone out there is doing this? My immediate (haven't thought this through) list of requirements includes:

*  Ability to administer centrally
*  Ability to Hibernate or Standby rather than power off completely.
*  Sensitivity to someone working late -- can't ignore the user.
*  Ability to setup a variable schedule to accommodate different things on different days of the week.

There may be more, but the above would be ideal.

Any thoughts?


]]> Domain Purgatory tag:ministry-it.com,2008:/the_blog//1.12 2008-07-22T13:03:06Z 2008-07-22T12:55:59Z Have you ever wondered what happens when your domain name expires? Well, often there is a period of grace before everything goes away, not sure if there is a mandated grace period or if it varies by supplier. I think... Chris Blair
Have you ever wondered what happens when your domain name expires? Well, often there is a period of grace before everything goes away, not sure if there is a mandated grace period or if it varies by supplier. I think the part that does vary, if anything, is what happens to the domain during this grace period.

In a recent situation with a client the domain magically turned into a landing page for all sorts of internet goodies. Sadly none of those goodies included her website.

Another client just experienced this and it looks like they gave him 6 weeks with the appearance that all was well then his site just disappeared. Where did it go? Purgatory.

After that period of "grace" the domain enters this purgatory where it may remain for several months before its ultimate fate is decided... either back to the market or back to the original owner. The price of redemption is steep -- how does $80 to bring your domain back to life sound? About 5-10x the original price. Yikes!

Sadly for my friend this all happened a couple of days after a presentation where he specifically drove potential clients to his website.

The moral of the story...
  • Pay attention to the renewal notices you get.
  • Keep track of your domain provider login information.
  • Check in on your domain from time to time to be sure your contact information is up to date.
  • Add your domain name to the list of what needs to be updated when your contact information changes
Ministry IT can help with all of this... hopefully before your domain goes into purgatory.

]]> When it Rains... tag:ministry-it.com,2008:/the_blog//1.10 2008-07-15T15:42:03Z 2008-07-15T15:42:07Z Beautiful outside, but this is one of those days...Late last night I got a message that a computer at Lakeside Christian Church let its smoke escape and would probably need attention today. The great thing about that is that I... Chris Blair
  • Late last night I got a message that a computer at Lakeside Christian Church let its smoke escape and would probably need attention today. The great thing about that is that I was at Lakeside all day yesterday. Today I'm at the NACC all day.
  • This morning I got up in time to go to the Y to do my workout only to discover that I forgot to bring my work clothes. Back to the house.
  • This morning after I walked Darlene through using a different computer (hoping the data she needed was on the shared drive like she thought it was) I walked into the NACC to learn that one of the computers here wasn't seeing the network.
  • While I'm troubleshooting that problem (appears to be a wiring problem) my wife called to tell me that the van had let its smoke escape (there is a pattern emerging).
  • While I'm on my way to pick up my stranded family I get another call from Lakeside, one of their computers isn't connecting to the network. During that call I get a hint that the plan for Darlene to use another computer might not be working out so great.
  • After gallantly rescuing my family and dropping them off at home I got the call confirming my fears about Darlene's setup. The data is on her hard drive and isn't backed up. I told her to grab the fire extinguisher (just kidding), fire up the PC (no pun intended) and see if it will boot and run long enough to get her data.
  • Now I'm back at the NACC with a USB wireless adapter temporarily resurrect the PC here and I've learned that the Lakeside computer isn't going to startup.
It's still morning. Pray for me :-).
]]> Kingdom Minded IT Professionals tag:ministry-it.com,2008:/the_blog//1.9 2008-07-11T12:02:09Z 2008-07-11T12:02:11Z I'm loving the emergence of Kingdom minded IT professionals. Were it not for the power of blogging there is a good chance that many of us would feel like we're all alone.Jason Powell, whom I've never met, IT Director at... Chris Blair I'm loving the emergence of Kingdom minded IT professionals. Were it not for the power of blogging there is a good chance that many of us would feel like we're all alone.

Jason Powell, whom I've never met, IT Director at Granger Community Church, a church I've never been to, recently shared a helpful article on IT Best Practices in the church.

Jason did a great job of organizing some really good, practical advice directly related to the intersection of IT and ministry. Even better, he shared his presentation of this document to the GCC staff in both blog form AND audio. Thanks, Jason!


]]> Silence is Golden tag:ministry-it.com,2008:/the_blog//1.8 2008-07-06T00:45:26Z 2008-07-06T00:45:29Z Except when it involves you blog. Don't worry, I've not abandoned ship. Was (working) at the North American Christian Convention (NACC) last week. Internet and time are scarce commodities there. Despite that it was a great experience!... Chris Blair ]]> Gmail Users & Firefox 3 tag:ministry-it.com,2008:/the_blog//1.7 2008-06-21T15:01:55Z 2008-06-21T15:01:55Z If you use an email client, like Outlook or Thunderbird, you probably can skip this. If you prefer to check your mail with a web client like Gmail or Yahoo Mail then this might be worth the read. Mailto links... Chris Blair
Mailto links are often the bane of web mail users. Firefox 3, which just released this week, has a cure for this that is worth passing on, especially since I'm such a big advocate of Google Apps.

LifeHacker published this tip recently. I tried it out and it seems to work great.

BTW, If you're more visual Webware added a helpful video.

]]> Power On or Power Off tag:ministry-it.com,2008:/the_blog//1.5 2008-06-16T13:56:42Z 2008-06-16T13:59:24Z As energy prices soar this question has come back to life. Sadly, there is not a cut and dry answer to this.I have no reason to doubt the claims that you can save about $100 / year per PC if... Chris Blair
I have no reason to doubt the claims that you can save about $100 / year per PC if you turn it off at night. However, energy is far from the only consideration. There are a number of pros and cons, some with price tags that can be calculated, others are quite a bit more fuzzy.

The Pros for turning your PC of at night:
  • Energy Savings -- green is in and few would argue against the positives of saving energy.
  • Rebooting is good for the system. This is why most IT people start the problem solving process by asking you to reboot.
  • More Secure -- even the best computer security strategy is a step below in effectiveness when compared to powering off the computer.
I'm sure there are other benefits to shutting down at night, but let's look at the cons:
  • Lost time getting started and ending the day. If you've been around computers for a while, you know the "jokes" about enjoying your first cup of coffee while the computer boots. After a while the joke isn't so funny.
  • Wear and tear on the computer. OK -- this one is up for debate. With MTB (mean time before failure) on many hard drives approaching 50-75 years, it would seem that we have a lot of cushion on this one. There are other things to consider though. First, the electronics are impacted with heating and cooling cycles. Though this may be minor, it's still a part of the equation. Also, it's pretty well established that the most stressful part of operating electronic equipment is the startup. Think about your experience with failing electronics, when does it most often occur? When is a lightbulb most likely to blow? Leaving your computer on should reduce stress on the system and extend its life by at least a few nano-seconds.
  • Backups, Updates & Virus Scans. This is tough. Depending on how juicy your system is, these background processes can have quite drain on the performance of your PC. To avoid the associated sluggishness we often schedule these activities for off hours. Can't do that if the PC is turned off.
So what's best? Well, it really depends. How much does down time cost you? Though still relatively rare, you are more vulnerable to downtime if you regularly cycle your power. Are you tolerant of background processes and updates running during the work day? You can't afford to let those lapse.

To me the bottom line is this. It's not a simple energy calculation. Lost time. Computer repair / replacement expenses. Risk of data loss. Regardless of how likely, there are other factors to consider. You need to determine whether the savings is worth the risk. For me, $100 a year in my pocket would be great... until something goes wrong and I'm left wondering if I had spent the $100, or less than $.50 / day, would I have avoided the downtime and it's associated costs? For me, that's money well spent, at least on some of my computers. For you??? Hopefully you have a little more information on which to make your decision.

BTW, modern computers have a lot of energy savings processes built in. There is probably a good happy medium for you depending on what you are working with.



]]> I Hate Email Clients... tag:ministry-it.com,2008:/the_blog//1.4 2008-06-12T22:54:07Z 2008-06-12T22:54:08Z Ok. I know. I said I wasn't going to rag on stuff all the time in this blog. Sadly, I need to do so again. I just spent a half hour on the phone trying to get an email account... Chris Blair
Solution -- start over. I had him create a new profile (Outlook Express) and wipe out the old one. Works like a charm. As far as we could tell, there was no visible difference between the two profiles. I know, something had to be different (to warrant different behavior). This happens enough for me to believe that it isn't all my client's eyesight.

Why can't email client providers, Microsoft for starters, give us a little help. How about the ability to print and/or send to clipboard the email settings for a profile so that I don't need to rely on other peoples eyes. Does anyone know of such a utility?
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