UNHCE Information Technology & Distance Education Blog: General Archives

How to Speak: Lecture Tips from Patrick Winston

In this skillful lecture, Professor Patrick Winston of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers tips on how to give an effective talk, cleverly illustrating his suggestions by using them himself. He emphasizes how to start a lecture, cycling in on the material, using verbal punctuation to indicate transitions, describing "near misses" that strengthen the intended concept, and asking questions. He also talks about using the blackboard, overhead projections, props, and "how to stop."

Running time: 45 minutes.

The following objectives for the UNH Cooperative Extension website were developed by the Web Subcommittee of the ITDE Committee:

• Provide the public access to research-based educational resources relating to our programming areas.


• When available or pertinent to our programming, providing timely information related to current events affecting NH people.


• Provide Extension staff and volunteers with access to up-to-date resources to facilitate their jobs/volunteer roles.


• Develop innovative models of interactive learning and teaching that (1) expand current CE staff capacity (2) reach new audiences unable to participate in conventional face-to-face programming.


• Publicize Extension events, programs, and research.


• Provide background information on who we are (including our connection to UNH) and the types of things we do.

Would you like to be able to send large documents to your colleagues from home or other non-office locations? Try using the FTP server. It's easy to set up.

• Download and print instructions.
• Contact the FTP administrator for your user name and password.
• Follow the directions. Be sure to check "save password".

The format of the staff biographies have been updated based on input from staff, primarily Merrimack County. The new listings and individual profiles are more closely aligned to our overall site design. Two new items have been added, a tagline and a "what I do" section. The tagline if present will display after the person's name in parentheses (for example, Thom Linehan - (Parenting, Human Development)). If no tagline is present, either the person's title or office will display, depending on the context. The "what I do" section, if present will display on an individual's profile page right after their name and before the biography section.

Also, group listings (e.g., each county or program area) will retain the side navigation of the relevant group. For example, when looking at the listing of Merrimack county staff profiles, the left hand navigation buttons will be consistent with the rest of the Merrimack county pages. We have also linked to the profiles from more places, including the About Us and Contact Us pages, each program area section, and from the staff directory. The links from county pages remain.

To update your profile, log in to the employee database menu and click on Bio. This will bring you to a new form where you can update your information and optionally upload a picture.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Stephen Judd.

I found an interesting blog (Scouting Around) today, written by John Dorner, IT Trainer for NC Cooperative Extension. Check out these two recent posts:

Can Blogs Replace Newsletters: "Make your blog better than the hard copy issue - put more in your blog articles than your hard copy articles - because you aren't limited by the size of the piece of paper. Use photographs and links to related information - because you can. In the hard copy newsletter, be sure to mention that there is more in the blog and where to find it. This will encourage your clients to opt for the method that is better, faster, easier and cheaper for you to deliver."

"My audience doesn't use the internet": "I've heard more educators say - "My audience doesn't use the internet" or they "don't have email". If your audience isn't extremely poor (i.e. living in assisted housing or homeless), maybe you could do them more good by teaching them about the benefits of using the computer and the internet than anything else you can teach them. Teach them how to learn and the best tool to do that with is a computer connected to the internet."

In a recent meeting of the UNH Technology Planning and Policy Group (TPPG), it was announced 17 UNH students will receive pre-lawsuit settlement letters regarding alleged copyright violations from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). RIAA (through its legal counsel) notifies the ISP (UNH) of their intent to take action on an alleged violation based on an IP address. The letter provides specific information about the alleged copyright violation, naming the peer-to-peer software used and listing the specific artists and tracks alleged to be in violation of copyright. The letter encourages the recipient to contact the RIAA lawyer to settle the claims for a significantly reduced amount. The letter also directs the recipient to disable the peer-to-peer software, but directs them to retain the files as evidence.

IMPORTANT - Using peer to peer software like Limewire, Kazaa, Ares, WinMX, etc., to share copyrighted files, i.e. music, video, etc., is not permitted on the UNH campus or remote networks and alleged violators are being prosecuted. To review the UNH policies click on:

• UNH Pipeline Announcement
• UNH DMCA Policy
• RIAA Policy

On January 10 at 3:30 PM Eastern Time, a new "30 Minute Session" Social Bookmarking as a Collaborative Tool -- how to keep your work team on the same page without burying them in email. Participants will be exposed to several social bookmarking tools with an emphasis on del.icio.us (for all Extension).

eXtension's professional development opportunities are open to all Cooperative Extension faculty, staff and employees.

These sessions will be held via Breeze at http://breeze.extension.iastate.edu/learn and your telephone. Plan to join the session 5 minutes before the starting time.

The ITDE offices has published a new ITDE User's guide. This guide was developed to address the specific needs of UNHCE staff.

This document provides answers to many "FAQs" regarding technical/computer-related procedures UNH Cooperative Extension staff encounter. It also contains links to other useful resources, such as posting in the ITDE Blog.

This guide was designed to be used as an orientation tool for new employees as well as a serve as a "how to" guide for current staff.

To access this new guide, go to: http://extension.unh.edu/Intranet/NewEmp/ITDEOrnt.pdf 

There are a couple of different ways to create a message filter in Eudora. These instructions refer to the manual method as that is the most straightforward. Making filters automatically can easily result in your filtering unintended messages. 

UNHCE has the opportunity to purchase licenses for Adobe products in bulk, at a significant discount. Titles include: PageMaker (desktop publishing), Photoshop (image editing), Acrobat (generate PDF's), Adobe InDesign CS2 for Windows (replaces PageMaker), and Adobe Creative Suites Premium (a bundle which includes Photoshop CS2, Illustrator CS2, InDesign CS2, GoLive CS2, Acrobat 7.0 Pro, and Version Cue.)

The ITDE team will purchase the media kit to install the software, so you only need to purchase the license(s).

For a limited time only (through January 30, 2006), prices are as follows:

* Adobe Photoshop CS2 for Windows (License) $115.00

* Adobe Acrobat Professional 7.0 for Windows (License) $39.00 (Not for use with Windows 98)

* Adobe InDesign CS2 for Windows (License) $ 77.00

* Adobe Creative Suites Premium for Windows (License) $172.00
(Includes Photoshop CS2, Illustrator CS2, InDesign CS2, GoLive CS2, Acrobat 7.0 Pro, and Version Cue)

FYI - Adobe is phasing out the design software, "PageMaker." There will not be a new version of PageMaker after version 7.0. It is being replaced with "InDesign," which is what Cooperative Extension will be supporting. It is not recommend that you upgrade PageMaker, since the company is phasing out this software.

For information on any of these products, go to Adobe's web site at: http://www.adobe.com/products/main.html

To order any of these applications at the group discount, please send an email to Siobhan Craig (siobhan.craig@unh.edu) by January 30, 2006. Include the following information:

1. Software title you want to purchase
2. Quantity of each software
3. Account number to charge (county offices need to cut a check payable to UNH Cooperative Extension)

For further information, please contact Siobhan at: siobhan.craig@unh.edu or 862-1498.

In order to facilitate the ability of UNHCE staff to share documents and to better enable the ITDE office to assist people when they encounter problems, UNHCE uses and, in some cases, provides a consistent set of software for UNHCE staff.

Use of non-compliant software must be approved by Stephen Judd, and may not be supported by the ITDE team.

UNHCE does not support the installation or use of unapproved software on its computers. In particular, memory-resident applications, such as security devices and instant messaging software should not be installed on UNHCE hardware, as it may conflict with other applications.

For a listing of software approved for use within UNHCE, go to: http://ceinfo.unh.edu/Intranet/ITDE/Docs/Supsftwr.pdf

Try before you buy!

Many people are taking a more-serious look at their workstations and layouts, and evaluating the ergonomics of their regular activities. In the process, trying different mice, keyboards, keyboard trays, etc. can be helpful.

The ITDE group has sample mice that UNHCE staff may borrow for a 2-week period, if they would like to try a different mouse before buying it. (See: "Ergonomic Mice available for Loan" at: http://extension.unh.edu/blogs/itde/archives/001109.html

We have just purchased an ergonomic keyboard, which we have added to our "sign-out pool."

For further information, or to sign out a mouse or the ergonomic keyboard, contact Barbara Wright (barbara.wright@unh.edu.)

Have you ever attempted to address something to someone who recently joined UNHCE, and been unable to locate the person in your address book? More than likely, that is due to not having the most recent version of the address book on your computer.

It is important to keep your Eudora address book up-to-date. It will give you access to addresses for all current users as well as current distribution lists.

The address book also contains useful information about the user's physical addresses, phone numbers, and listings of members of a distribution list. (See: http://extension.unh.edu/blogs/itde/archives/001412.html )

For information on updating your Eudora address book, go to: http://ceinfo.unh.edu/Intranet/ITDE/addres.pdf

Did you know your Eudora address book is more than a listing of email addresses? You can obtain information about people in our organization, along with other information, by using the Tabs in the Eudora address book. Here are two nice options:

Staff Addresses and Phone Numbers

A nice feature within the address book, is that you can obtain contact information on UNHCE staff, beyond just their email addresses. TO obtain this, first select the use. Then click on the "Info" tab for any user. That area will give you their physical address, phone number, and FAX number. It's a fast & easy way to get a directory information for UNHCE staff, and you don't even have to be on line to get it!

Who's on that distribution list?

The Notes tab is another useful feature. If you are wondering who is associated with a distribution list, select that distribution list, and click on the Notes tab. It will give you a listing of the people included in that distribution list.

Phishing is a techniques which utilizes the Internet to obtain personal information about you. It can be used to redirect your funds, steal your identity, and more.

ALWAYS be careful when entering credit card, banking, or personal account information over the web. Never enter information from a link provided in an unsolicited email unless you verify the source. "Phishermen" are resourceful at setting up sites which appear to be legitimate, yet your information is redirected to the spammer who "phishes" out your data.

For an article about it's risks and how to avoid it, go to: http://www.unh.edu/signals/october2005/phishing.htm

T.H.E. Journal Online lists 20 technology skills that every educator should have, and incudes some resources for each.

1) Word Processing Skills
2) Spreadsheets Skills
3) Database Skills
4) Electronic Presentation Skills
5) Web Navigation Skills
6) Web Site Design Skills
7) E-Mail Management Skills
8) Digital Cameras
9) Computer Network Knowledge Applicable to your School System
10) File Management & Windows Explorer Skills
11) Downloading Software From the Web (Knowledge including eBooks)
12) Installing Computer Software onto a Computer System
13) WebCT or Blackboard Teaching Skills
14) Videoconferencing skills
15) Computer-Related Storage Devices (Knowledge: disks, CDs, USB drives, zip disks, DVDs, etc.)
16) Scanner Knowledge
17) Knowledge of PDAs
18) Deep Web Knowledge
19) Educational Copyright Knowledge
20) Computer Security Knowledge

Via Deb Coates blog

Computer keyboards havens for superbugs: study

Free Online Collection of 275,000 Images from World-Renowned New York Public Library Launches March 3

New York, NY, March 2, 2005 -- A large, rich treasury of images from the collections of The New York Public Library will be accessible free of charge over the Internet starting tomorrow via NYPL Digital Gallery, according to Dr. Paul LeClerc, President of the Library. "By opening the doors of our acclaimed collections to users over the Internet, we are plunging fully into an exciting new era of Library service," said Dr. LeClerc. "These visual materials, many of which are unique to the Library, will be available to anyone in the world with an Internet connection at any time, free of charge. We see new possibilities for exciting intellectual discoveries and accomplishments by scholars, researchers, and artists from remote locations who will be able to easily use our materials."NYPL Digital Gallery is accessible at digitalgallery.nypl.org.

The ITDE team has been updating computers running Windows XP to Service Pack 2 over the last few months. There are few noticeable changes to the user. However, one change is the way Windows Updates are handled. We have been setting the operating system to download available update, and notify you that they're ready to install. If you get a small balloon message near the system tray asking if you want to install updates, please do so by clicking on the icon.

Windows XP Service Pack 2 is designed to enhance the security of your computer. The other noticeable change is to Internet Explorer, which will now block pop-up windows and ask for permission before running or installing new files from the web.

More information about SP2 is available at the Microsoft website.

Are you curious about traffic on the UNH Cooperative Extension website? Want to know the most frequently viewed pages, downloaded documents, or search engine terms?

You can view the statistics for all visitors at:

- http://ceinfo.unh.edu/awstats/awstats.pl?config=extension.unh.edu

You can view the statistics for all visitors not in the UNH domain at:

- http://ceinfo.unh.edu/awstats/awstats.pl?config=external

The site statistics are updated hourly and may be accessed at any time.

Please take a moment to provide input about your dealings with the Information Technology and Distance Education staff. Your feedback is valuable in assessing how well each team member is doing in helping ITDE achieve it's core objectives.

Your input will be sent directly to the team member's supervisor and will be considered in the performance evaluation process.

ITDE Feedback site

Videocconferencing 101 - “Conducting a Successful Videoconference Meeting” is being offered on January 20, 2005, and again on February 10, 2005. Sign up by clicking on this link to our Inservice Calendar. DESCRIPTION: This inservice is for the novice videoconference user. It will teach staff the technical, administrative and facilitation skills necessary for conducting a successful meeting via the Polycom/Picturetel system. The workshop will consist of a combination of demonstrations, short lectures and hands-on activities. In the afternoon, participants will have the chance to practice the skills they have learned using the Polycom/Picturetel equipment.

UNH offices are closed from 12/24/04 through 1/2/05, therefore the ITDE team will not be providing computer support during that time. You may submit an on-line request or leave a message on the Support Line and we will follow-up on Monday 1/3/05.

Happy Holidays!

The new list for announcements is up and ready to use (for background, please see the announced policy on the One Copy All Staff list.) This list is to be used for Cooperative Extension broadcast messages that are not necessarily work related but are of interest to CE employees - this could include birth and death notices, retirement party invites, marriage announcements, etc. Please use this list instead of One Copy All Staff for these type of messages.

Please note that only list members will be able to post to the list. The address for the list is announce@ceunh.unh.edu and a nickname will be included in the next address book update.

To be added to or removed from the list, please email Judi Strauss.

We've modified the Web Update Request forms to allow you to select a specific future date for web content to expire. By collecting this date in a standard format, we can better handle the tracking and implementation of expirations.

Setting an expiration date is especially useful for information you may be posting that's related to a specific event, and therefore should be removed or changed after the event is held. Please be specific in the expiration instructions so we know what you'd like done on the specified date.

Google has introduced a new search refinement called Google Scholar:

Google Scholar enables you to search specifically for scholarly literature, including peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports from all broad areas of research. Use Google Scholar to find articles from a wide variety of academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories and universities, as well as scholarly articles available across the web.

The following information pertains to UNH Campus staff only
(County Staff do not need to take any action)

PART I
Go to www.unh.edu/helpdesk
On the right hand column of this page,
you should see a link that reads “FIND YOUR UNH IT ID” (click on this link)
Enter your University ID = (enter your social security number here without hyphens)
(enter your birth day, month, and year as prompted in the next line)
then, click on find.

You should see a screen come up with FOUND! And then it tells you your UNH IT ID

PART II
Go to register.unh.edu
Please read, AND,
then check off the box (to the left) acknowledging agreement with the UNH Acceptable Use Policy
click on box that reads “continue”
UNH IT ID: (Enter ID that CIS gave you)
Password: (Enter Social Security Number without hyphens)
Last, click on submit registration

YOU ARE ALL DONE!!

In reviewing the usage statistics for the UNHCE website for January 2004 through July 2004, I noticed some interesting things:

• There were about 3,000 user sessions per day.


• The most downloaded file was The Effects Of Divorce On Children (24,823 views)


• The next five most downloaded files were: The 3, 4 and 5 Year-Old Child: Changes in Social Behavior (8,959 views), The 3, 4 and 5-Year-Old: Physical Changes (8,010 views), Care of the Mature Backyard Apple Tree (7,398 views), Growing Raspberries (6,444 views), and Growing Strawberries (5,483 views)


• The top referring sites were Google, Yahoo, MSN Search, and AOL Search.


• Some of the top search phrases: "effects of divorce on children," "growing strawberries," "disciplining children," "growing raspberries," "how to sharpen chainsaw," "tomato blight," "raising turkeys," "verbal communication," and "french fries."


• Microsoft Internet Explorer was used by 67% of visitors and Netscape Navigator by 20%.

Please don't install the newly released Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, unless and until instructed to do so by an ITDE staff person. We don't plan on installing the service pack for at least a month, until we can be sure it won't cause additional problems.

Microsoft routinely provides updates or patches for its operating systems through the Windows Update system. This service pack features a number of new security "enhancements," an update to the Internet Connection Firewall, and an update to Internet Explorer. Because of the scope of changes implemented, the ITDE team needs time to ensure that these changes won't adversely impact current operations.

Microsoft is listing service pack 2 as a critical update, but you should not install it; in all likelihood, the ITDE team will perform the installation once we decide it's appropriate. If you are notified of critical updates automatically (most Extension computers running Windows XP have this feature enabled) please ensure that you deselect Service Pack 2 from the list of updates to install (you can view the downloaded updates by clicking on details.) If you aren't sure how to do this, please contact the ITDE team through the web interface, or via the Hot Seat phone number.

From now until Labor day Office Depot and HP are offering free recycling of computer hardware and electronics. For more information you can go to the following web site:

http://www.officedepot.com/promo.do?file=/promo/pages/recycle.jsp

One of the newest trends in Internet threats is a process called “Phishing”. In it the user receives an innocent looking email from their bank, credit card company or even Amazon.com. Although “Phishing” uses a lot of different tag lines the most frequent message is that there may be a problem with their security, or your account. They then ask you to help fix/test/protect their system. They frequently ask you to go to there web site and login your information regarding your account. They even provide you with a handy link to go to the site. This could be anything from your social security number, bank account number, or credit card number. Once you log in to there web site they then own that information.

How do you know if you are being “Phished”. First you should be aware of the problem and view any and all messages you get, no matter what they look like, with a healthy sense of scepticism. Because of the nature of the web someone running this scam can download all the graphics from a web site and build an identical site. So just because it looks official does not mean it is! Second, realize that no legitimate business that you deal with will ask you to perform these types of activities for them. If you do get a official looking message check out the URL they give you. The URL will look very close to the actual address of the site they are trying mimic. For example www.amazon.com may be www.amason.com. If you are not paying attention you may overlook the misspelling and think that it is a legitimate address.

What should you do. First, don’t do what they want you to do! Second, go to the address of the business they are trying to use via a different method. Use your bookmarks of the site or search for it on a search engine. Don’t use their link. Once you go to the site you may find information about the “Phishing” scheme and what to do about it. If you don’t find out anything on the web site, call the company and report the “Phishing”. Lastly, DONT do what they want you to do! A good rule of thumb is never do anything contained in an email. This includes helping orphans in Nigeria, forwarding prayers, or helping a poor company fix your account.

For more information on “Phishing” and other related Internet problems check these links out. (They have been tested and are safe:)

http://www.antiphishing.org/

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1625219,00.asp

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/security?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

http://enterprisesecurity.symantec.com/content.cfm?articleid=3864&EID=0

Weblogs as a Disruptive Technology for Extension (Deborah Coates, IT Specialist at Iowa State University Extension, Journal of Extension, June 2004)

Professional weblogs must be professional. But they must also be individual. And it's this combination that is both truly disruptive and a reflection of things that Extension has always done well. One of Extension's strengths has always resided in its local presence and in building trusted relationships. We don't speak with one voice in our program meetings, in our newspaper columns, or in our radio shows. We need not speak with one voice on the Internet, either.

The Web is about conversation, and the conversation is going on now. The conversation is only momentarily interested in static Web pages and online forms. People want to ask us questions, tell us who they are, find out who we are in turn, and learn new things. We can choose to participate in the conversation or not, but if we don't participate as individuals, the conversation will go on without us.

Though not typically used on your work computers, I thought you might be interested in information on security and the use of instant messaging and chat software. This might be useful for your kids at home, 4-H groups, etc.:

Using Instant Messaging and Chat Rooms Safely - from the United States Computer Emergency Response Team

The ITDE Team operates the Computer Support Line (affectionately called the Hot Seat) at 862-0351. With the departure of our administrative assistant, Jennifer, the Hot Seat line will be forwarded, each day, directly to the ITDE Team member providing coverage.

In the past, we had a problem with the phone continually ringing and never going to voice mail if the staff member was on another line or away from their desk. We have resolved this problem with UNH Telecomm, so that if the phone is not answered, it will go to voicemail. The ITDE member providing coverage will be picking up the Hot Seat voicemail regularly during the day.

As always, please only use the Hot Seat for support of an urgent nature. For all other request, please use the on-line computer support request form, which we regularly check. Before requesting support, please reboot your computer and make sure the problem persists (unless you are afraid of losing unsaved changes.)

It used to be that we just complained about all that unwanted spam filling our Inbox. Now, we are seeing an increase in the proliferation of spyware (or adware.) If your homepage has suddenly changed, you get flooded with pop-up windows on the Internet, your search engine doesn’t come up right, or you have strange system performance problems, your computer may be infected with spyware.

At its worst, spyware can send sensitive information from your computer (e.g., passwords, credit card numbers, etc.) to a remote computer without your knowledge. At its best, spyware is a huge annoyance and drain on system resources.

So how does it get on your system? Spyware is not a virus or a worm; it is typically installed as part of another application. These applications are usually free downloads from the Internet that promise to personalize systems with American flags, add smiley faces as the mouse pointer, share files, customize the desktop, etc. When you agree to install one of these programs, you may also be agreeing to install spyware on your machine.

How to keep it off: Do not install any software on your Extension computer unless approved by, or at the direction of, an ITDE staff member. Be careful when presented with pop-up advertising; often the cancel or no button being displayed will actually install a program (use the X in the upper right hand corner to close the window instead.)

What if you’re infected? Fill out the on-line Computer Support Request form, and someone from the ITDE staff will contact you with instructions for removing the offending programs. Spyware can be difficult to remove, and may require a visit from an ITDE staff member to fully resolve the problem.

What about your home PC? Some of the biggest offenders of distributing spyware are music-sharing programs like KaZaa. Don't install free downloaded software, unless your sure it isn't carrying spyware. There are free utilities that will detect and remove spyware; CNET labs recently reviewed several.

The Leadership Team recently decided:

1. Only L Team members can approve the posting of web content including who
can post and manage blogs
2. Material for posting on the web will no longer be accepted in WordPerfect
3. Oversight for the web content will be as follows:
- front page-Peg, Holly and Nancy
- administrative and intranet- L Team
- program area content- Program Leaders
- interdisciplinary content- Program Council (PLs, Interdisciplinary team chairs and Nancy)

Any staff wishing to use a blog should contact their program leader for approval, and then contact Steve Judd to have it set up.

I read a recent article that estimates that 83% of all email traffic in the U.S. is unsolicited spam. Therefore, I thought I'd republish some information from the April 2003 ITDE Newsletter concerning filtering spam using Eudora:

Reducing email SPAM – help from UNH CIS.

In recent weeks you may have noticed that some of your email has additional headers in it that refer to X-MailScanner: Found to be clean and X-MailScanner-SpamCheck. These new headers are the result of CIS implementing virus scanning and SPAM checking on all email that is passing through the cisunix system. A large portion of our email passes through this system as well. The benefit of the new virus scanning program is automatic – should a virus be detected in incoming mail, you will receive a notice telling you what the virus was and what measure was taken to prevent the virus from making it to your computer.

In order to take advantage of the SPAM checking portion of the implementation, SpamAssassin, you will need to set up a filter in Eudora. Members of the ITDE team have implemented this filter at varying levels of sensitivity with consistent success. CIS has posted a detailed "howdoi" for setting up this filter located at the following URL: http://pubpages.unh.edu/notes/eudora_filter_howdoi.html

Although the document states that the instructions are for Eudora 5.2 and Windows XP, they work fine with Eudora 4.2 and other Windows OS versions. Additionally, if you have questions or problems while trying to set up the filter, please contact the ITDE office and *NOT* the CIS contact listed at the end of the document.

Please make sure to check the folder you send the messages to, as some messages may be marked as spam, that shouldn't be. If that is the case, you can modify the filter per the instructions, or contact the ITDE team for additional information.

Please read the newly approved policy for ITDE Support of UNHCE Staff Home Computers. Boiling it down: ITDE will not provide support for computers not owned by Extension and we may require the user to bring Extension-owned computers, that are used at home, to an Extension location to be serviced.

We have changed the format of the Staff Biographies to be more consistent and match the new web design. The biographies are now stored in our staff database, to make it easier to display them in different ways, and to enable individual staff to edit their own biography.

To edit your biography, log in to the Staff Database menu. If you have an existing biography, click on Edit Bio. If you don't have a biography yet click on Add Bio. This will bring you to a Flash-based interface to create or edit your biography. (Note: this requires Flash Player 7. Internet Explorer will automatically update the player if necessary. If using Netscape, and the form doesn't appear correct, please upgrade the player at the Macromedia Website. Most computers in the county offices have been upgraded to Flash 7.)

The biographies are organized uniformly: A main narrative and then sections for Educational Background, Program Specialty Areas, Experience, Select Publications, Current Research, and Professional Associations. If any of these areas has no entries, it simply won't show, so you don't need to fill them all in. The editing form is fairly straight forward, but we are working on a help file to assist in using it.

Biographies can also display a picture of the staff member. If you would like to add or update your picture, please email it to Stephen Judd.

If you have comments or questions about the system, please post them here or email Stephen Judd.

As I'm sure many have noted, there is an attack going around that is forcing computers running Windows XP, 2000, or NT to shutdown prematurely. The problem is coming across the network, not through an email attachment (discussed in detail in a MS Security Bulletin). To resolve the issue or prevent it from occurring, please complete the following steps:

1) From an unaffected computer in the office, download the Microsoft patch for the problem - XP or 2000. Create a CD or Zip disk with this file on it.

2) On each computer running XP or 2000, disconnect the network cable and run the downloaded patch.

3) After the computer reboots, reconnect the network cable and run LiveUpdate to update your virus definitions. Do a complete virus scan of the computer.

4) If the problem is not resolved, contact the ITDE Support Line (Hot Seat - 862-0351) for further assistance.

Fred Langa, who publishes a great newsletter, recently found some disturbing information about the handling of email by AOL:

AOL is at it again. This time, it's reading *inside* its members' emails, and preemptively blocking any messages that contain links to sites that AOL doesn't want you to see.

Note: I'm *not* talking about simple mail blocks, where a mail is discarded if it originates from a "forbidden" address. No: AOL is parsing the content of its members' emails and blocking them even if they merely *mention* a site that AOL disapproves of.

If you use AOL, you should read the full story.

Blogs are a great tool to enhance the interactivity and timeliness of on-line communications. UNH Cooperative Extension is in the process of formulating policies, terms of use, privacy policy, and guidelines related to our usage of blogs and discussion forums for internal and external communications. Please visit the Communications Work Team Blog and provide your thoughts and comments.

To provide easier access to email for staff who are away from their normal computers (conferences, workshops, etc.), we now provide WebMail, an on-line email interface much like that of Yahoo or Hotmail. Using Internet Explorer, go to: http://ceunh.unh.edu and log in using your first initial and last name @ ceunh.unh.edu (e.g., sjudd@ceunh.unh.edu). Your password will be your normal "Eudora" password. WebMail will give you access to your Cooperative Extension account, and allow you to read and send mail from your regular email address. You will be able to see all mail on the server, and if you don't delete it, it will download to Eudora the next time you use it to check mail.

The WebMail interface will only work effectively with Internet Explorer. The staff addresses and distribution lists are available through WebMail, however, items that you have created locally in Eudora are not available in WebMail (e.g., personal addresses, signatures, filters, sent mail, local folders, etc.)

Please note that this service is NOT available to state Family Lifeskills staff whose email is linked through the state server.

Thanks to Sarah Smith for suggesting we look at a utility that optimizes PowerPoint presentations, making them significantly smaller in size without sacrificing slide quality or performance. The software, NXPowerLite, reduces the size of your Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, which decreases the chances of oversized emails being returned and allows you to save most PowerPoint presentations on a floppy disk.
To use NXPowerLite, all you do is drag your PowerPoint file onto the NXPowerLite icon, choose your compression level (highest still leaves you with a great looking presentation) and click on the 'Optimize' button. NXPowerLite will automatically search through your presentation, finding ways to optimize the content.
NXPowerLite is compatible with all recent versions of Microsoft Windows and PowerPoint, costs just $30.21 and can be downloaded directly from their website. Check out the demo version to see for yourself.
Learn more about NXPowerLite by browsing their website: http://www.nxpowerlite.com/

Adobe has just released a software program that offers many of the same capabilities that you find in Photoshop, but in a leaner, cheaper program. Compared to Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Elements is an easier-to-use, less comprehensive and considerably less expensive digital imaging package. Elements costs about $49 and can be purchased through www.Adobe.com or at the UNH computer store.

To assist the ITDE team in repairing laptops and desktops brought to Taylor Hall for service, please bring the following with your machine:

Laptops – All the original software, as well as driver disks for your printer, scanner, etc.
Please bring alll cords and external drives (a modular disk drive, for example)

Desktops – All original software (anything that came with your system), as well as driver disks for your printer, scanner, etc. Bring ONLY the CPU (the tower). There's no need to bring cords.

Please remember to use the Computer Support Request form at http://cecf1.unh.edu/itde/staff/itde_staff_home.cfm for non-emergency computer assistance.

The ITDE team is pleased to announce the availability of a new on-line FormBuilder application. This application will allow any Extension staff member to create their own survey, registration form, etc.; publish it to the web; and view or download responses.

Some of the features of UNHCE FormBuilder include:
- Forms can be for public or internal use.
- Responses can be emailed to the form creator as they come in.
- Results can be viewed on-line or downloaded in an Excel file for analysis.
- No knowledge of HTML is required, form creation and editing are menu driven.
- On-line Help is available for each step.

The FormBuilder application authenticates users with the username and password you received a few weeks ago (or your new password if you've changed it.)

Please contact Stephen.judd@unh.edu if you are interested in setting up a FormBuilder account.

The ITDE Team has established an employee database to provide information for the on-line staff directory and to provide user security and authentication for future web applications. As a result, when we deploy new applications that require user authentication (e.g., Soils Recommendations, Request for Educational Materials, FormBuilder, etc.), we will use the employee database as our user base. This means that each staff member will have a single username and password that will apply across the web applications we deploy.

In the coming days, each employee will receive an email with their username and password and a link to the Employee Database. Each person should log in to the management interface at: http://cecf1.unh.edu/cestaffadmin/staff/staff_home.cfm , using the username and password provided in the email. You should then go to the "Edit my information" option to check your personal information. Please note that holding the mouse pointer over the question marks next to some fields will provide more information about how the field is used. For example, the message "only enter a phone (or FAX) number if you have a direct phone line; if you are in an office with a shared incoming phone (or FAX) number, it will be listed that way in the directory" will appear while holding the pointer over the question mark next to the phone information input field.

You may also want to change your password to one that's easier for you to remember. Please don't choose a simple password (e.g., "coopext", "password", etc.) since your username and password will be the basis for securing all of our future web applications. If at anytime you forget your password, there is an option on the login screen to have it emailed to you (ITDE staff will not be able to retrieve your password.)

The goal of this system is to make it more seamless when moving from one web application to another, and to be able to provide different levels of functionality depending on a user's role.

Existing web applications (e.g., TERS) will continue to work as before. Older applications will only be modified to use the new staff database when they undergo an upgrade or major modification. Therefore, you will still encounter the pop-up dialog box asking for our standard username (ceuser) and password.

You may have noticed a change when you navigate to the Staff Directory on our website (http://cecf1.unh.edu/cestaff/cestaff.html). This new tool will make it easier to look up a single phone number or address, and contains drop-down lists to allow you to filter by county or office.

As of this month, the print version of the directory is being generated automatically from the staff database. You'll notice that the format is slightly changed and that it is no longer a PDF document. This change will allow us to maintain staff information in one spot, without needing to recreate the directory, by hand, with each change. The link to the print directory is at the bottom of the staff lookup tool at the URL above.

If you will be on leave or unable to respond to email for an extended period of time, we can configure your email account to reply to incoming messages automatically. (This process must be done on the server; you can't setup Eudora to do it yourself.) The response lets senders know when you'll be checking email and can offer alternate contact information. Senders receive an automatic reply only to their first message, and all incoming messages will continue to be held on the server.

To request an autoreply, go to http://cecf1.unh.edu/autoreply/autoreply_form.cfm and complete the request form. Please make your request at least a week before the autoreply needs to be in place, if possible.

We have added a new section to our ITDE help area which contains a wealth of information on the YOUTH software. Sections include FAQs, Fixes, Hints and tips, ES-237 information, and Upgrade information. You can access this new support area at: http://www.ceinfo.unh.edu/cragin/common/documents/BRHntTip.pdf

In upgrading the software on all computers, we installed both Internet Explorer 6 and Netscape 7. So, which browser should you be using?

The answer is that it's up to you. While web pages are constructed in a standard language called HTML, they will sometimes behave differently in different browsers, since the browser must interpret the coding. Therefore, you will occasionally encounter a site that displays "better" in one browser than the other. For example, the new job posting and application processing site run by UNH Human Resources looks and behaves better in Internet Explorer.

You may base your choice on the browser features, how your favorite sites appear, or your own comfort level with a particular browser. Netscape 7 has some features that Internet Explorer doesn't have, such as the sidebar tab (for which we have a UNHCE sidebar linking to frequently used pages) and the ability to open multiple sites within the same window.

Because each user’s files are stored on their individual computer, backing up the files is the user’s responsibility. If the hard drive fails due to a hardware failure, virus, etc. (and hard drives will fail!) the ITDE team will be able to reinstall the operating system and programs. However, we will ask you for your most recent copy of the “data” files from your computer. These include any documents, spreadsheets, and databases you’ve created, email messages, bookmarks, favorites, etc.

So, how often should you back up your files? That’s entirely up to you. Remember that we can only restore your files to the point of your last backup, so if that was a year ago, you’ve lost a year’s worth of data.

What should you back up? At a minimum, you should backup your email folder (c:\eudora) to preserve all of your messages, attachments, and nicknames; all of your documents (this is easiest if they are all in one folder like “My Documents” or “My Files”; and your Netscape bookmarks or Internet Explorer Favorites. If you use other software, and store files you create in other folders, you should back them up as well.

Many of the new computers are being purchased without tape drives due to the cost (~$250.) However, most have Zip drives and “burnable” CDs which can be used to back up files. Alternatively, offices can purchase a portable hard drive that could be used to back up all computers at a particular location (see Purchasing Equipment below for details on our recommendation.)

It is also generally recommended that a copy of the backed up data be kept off-site to insure against a general catastrophe.

If you aren’t sure how to back up your files, ask some one else in your office, or contact the ITDE office for assistance.

Reducing email SPAM – help from UNH CIS.

In recent weeks you may have noticed that some of your email has additional headers in it that refer to X-MailScanner: Found to be clean and X-MailScanner-SpamCheck. These new headers are the result of CIS implementing virus scanning and SPAM checking on all email that is passing through the cisunix system. A large portion of our email passes through this system as well. The benefit of the new virus scanning program is automatic – should a virus be detected in incoming mail, you will receive a notice telling you what the virus was and what measure was taken to prevent the virus from making it to your computer.

In order to take advantage of the SPAM checking portion of the implementation, SpamAssassin, you will need to set up a filter in Eudora. Members of the ITDE team have implemented this filter at varying levels of sensitivity with consistent success. CIS has posted a detailed "howdoi" for setting up this filter located at the following URL: http://pubpages.unh.edu/notes/eudora_filter_howdoi.html
Although the document states that the instructions are for Eudora 5.2 and Windows XP, they work fine with Eudora 4.2 and other Windows OS versions. Additionally, if you have questions or problems while trying to set up the filter, please contact the ITDE office and *NOT* the CIS contact listed at the end of the document.

Please make sure to check the folder you send the messages to, as some messages may be marked as spam, that shouldn't be. If that is the case, you can modify the filter per the instructions, or contact the ITDE team for additional information.

Mike Toepfer, Barbara Wright, and Stephen Judd, of the ITDE team, recently received training to provide ergonomic assessments of computer workstations. Patricia Gaudet, UNH Occupational Health & Safety Coordinator, conducted the training, which was held as a follow-up to a discussion at the last EMT meeting.

If you would like an ergonomics assessment of your computer workstation, please email Stephen (stephen.judd@unh.edu) so we can schedule a time. To facilitate the process, it would be helpful if staff at particular locations could all be scheduled for the same time frame.

For more information on ergonomics, check the following web sites:
UNH - http://www.unh.edu/ehs/occsafety/
OSHA - http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/computerworkstations_ecat/index.html
UCLA - http://ergonomics.ucla.edu/index.html
Stretching - http://www.shelterpub.com/_fitness/_office_fitness_clinic/hwf.pdf

The ITDE team has been working to identify and resolve problems experienced by some users after the upgrade to WordPerfect Suite 2002 (Version 10.) Most, if not all, of the problems stem from the way WordPerfect 10 handles printers. The problems are most pronounced on older computers and those with many printers (especially shared network printers) assigned. Symptoms include a long load time of WordPerfect, slow printing, freezing when printing, and unexpected shutdown of WordPerfect.

Another issue that has arisen involves the way WordPerfect 10 handles non-standard paper sizes and manual feeding of paper (especially on LaserJet 4 printers.) We have identified fixes for these problems, though we are still trying to refine some of them. For information on how to have WordPerfect use the manual feed tray, please see the tip at the end of this newsletter.

We have been able to resolve most of these issues with some tweaking of the registry and adjustments to the printer setups. These are not things the average end user should try to do on their own. If you have been upgraded to WordPerfect 10 and are experiencing problems that the ITDE team is not already aware of, please submit a request for support at http://cecf1.unh.edu/itde/staff/itde_staff_home.cfm

The ITDE team recommends using WS_FTP for transferring files to and from the FTP site. This is particularly important as newer versions of Netscape and Internet Explorer have very poor FTP support.

For full details: http://www.ceinfo.unh.edu/cragin/common/documents/wsftple.pdf

As mentioned in a previous newsletter, the ITDE team is in the process of upgrading the software on all compatible Extension computers to Microsoft Office XP, Corel WordPerfect Suite 2002, Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0, and Netscape 7.0. We had originally anticipated finishing the upgrades by the end of January, but due to other issues and the number of new computer purchases catalyzed by the upgrades, we won't complete the upgrades until mid to late February.

So far, the primary issues we have been dealing with after the upgrades are problems with WordPerfect 10. It is sometimes slow to open or print, and we have had a few problems with WordPerfect crashing. We are addressing these issues, and Corel recently released a new patch which should resolve some of the problems.

Thank you for your patience as we work to upgrade all of the computers.

The ITDE team is often asked questions about the ergonomic setup for individual computer users. None of us are experts in this field, but UNH Office of Environmental Health and Safety provides the following link for information on ergonomic considerations:
http://www.ergonomics.com.au/howtosit.htm

Here are some other useful links:
• Cornell University Ergonomics Web: http://ergo.human.cornell.edu/
• OSHA Computer Workstation Ergonomics: http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/computerworkstations/index.html

Starting later this month or in early December, the ITDE team will begin installing the software upgrades as detailed earlier. We will try to give at least a week's notice of a visit, so you can ensure that any laptops that need to be upgraded are present.

Our goal is to have all upgrades installed by the end of January. We will also be supplying sites with copies of the installation disks and information on what's changed in the new versions.

We are recommending that each staff member have at least one system with a 300 MHz CPU with 128 MB of RAM for good performance. All COA's and responsible staff have been given a list of those primary computers that don't meet these requirements. Some staff members have older laptop computers, in addition to their primary system, that do not meet these requirements. We can upgrade the software on these systems as well, but performance will not be ideal. The absolute minimum system requirements for us to install the software is a 166 MHz CPU with 64 MB of RAM.

For more information on the upgrades, click on the following link: http://ceinfo.unh.edu/cragin/common/documents/ITDEN902.htm#TO_Two

If you have questions about the software upgrade plan, or about your computer systems, please email Stephen Judd, or submit a request through our on-line Computer Support Request form at http://cecf1.unh.edu/itde/staff/itde_staff_home.cfm

Networks worldwide are becoming increasingly clogged by e-mail pitches for pornography, money-making schemes, medicines and a multitude of other products. This unsolicited bulk advertising e-mail is known as Spam. Junk e-mail is currently estimated to be nearly 40% of all e-mail traffic on the Internet and some experts believe the reality is even higher. The associated cost to corporations and employers is astronomical. If an employee uses 10 minutes a day to filter through, delete, and otherwise try to address the junk, at year's end they will have used a full work week in dealing with Spam. This doesn't even address the costs of the technological resources that are used and abused during the process.

Not all of that junk clogging up our mailboxes is really Spam. An innocent visit to a legitimate business on the Internet can result in your address being shared with a number of businesses that pool or sell their e-mail address contact lists. If you are making a purchase on-line, carefully examine the screens and be sure to uncheck any boxes that refer to being added to any kind of list or advertising. Do not participate in giveaways or surveys that they may be offering. Should you end up getting multiple e-mails from a legitimate business (such as Sears.com) this may be the reason. In this case, answering the link to be removed from the e-mail list will most likely work, but, you must exercise caution and use good judgment. If there is any doubt in your mind, do not respond to the e-mail.

True Spam is very difficult to fight. The persons responsible have become very efficient at circumventing tools meant to keep them in check. Many states are enacting laws to combat unsolicited e-mail and software firms are working diligently to create programs that can identify rapidly changing Spam techniques. UNH Cooperative Extension subscribes to some of the best anti-spam tools available and we will continue to evaluate new tools as they become available. Unfortunately, until these new systems are perfected, their implementation simply runs too much risk of blocking legitimate e-mail. The biggest offenders for allowing these bulk e-mailers to exist are the huge ISPs like Excite.com. Since they make their money by advertising, there are many conflicting interests involved. They certainly aren't going to implement anything that will cut into profits unless they are forced. Hopefully, some of the new legislation that is being passed will curb their appetite for profit.

In the meantime, one thing that you can do is to set up a filter in Eudora to help you automatically weed some of the junk mail from your Inbox. The tip of the month in this newsletter will give you some basic instructions for implementing Eudora filters.

The ITDE team has implemented an on-line scheduling application that is available for use by any staff group. The application displays a weekly (Monday - Friday) schedule for a group of staff (e.g., ITDE, BSC, Campus 4-H Staff, etc.) Individual staff members enter their own schedule information, which is then displayed on selected calendars and on an individual monthly calendar available only to that staff member.

The application is at: http://cecf1.unh.edu/ceschedule/index.cfm and is located in our protected area, so it is only viewable by Extension staff.
If any county office or other group would like to use the calendar, please email to Stephen Judd and a calendar will be created for your group.

A listing of Frequently Asked Questions about Eudora and the answers to these questions is available on our site. This FAQ is on-line in the ITDE section of the Extension website at: http://ceinfo.unh.edu/Intranet/ITDE/ITDEEM.htm

Please have a look, as this FAQ addresses most of the email problems we respond to on the Computer Help Line.

The ITDE team and the Communications and Technology Committee have recommended upgrading several of the software packages used throughout Extension. Over the next several months the ITDE team will be installing these upgrades on Extension computers. Upgrades to Microsoft Office and Corel WordPerfect suite are being funded centrally by Extension administration. Information on the upgrade decisions is at http://www.ceinfo.unh.edu/cragin/Admin/nonsecure/upgrdpln.PDF .

The following software will be installed:
Microsoft Office XP - Professional Edition
Corel WordPerfect Suite 2002
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0
Netscape 7.0
Eudora 4.22
WS_FTP LE

The ITDE team is also currently evaluating which computers may need to be replaced in order to satisfactorily run the new applications. We are tentatively recommending a minimum hardware standard of a 300 MHz CPU with 128 megabytes of RAM.

In an effort to improve support and manage our resources wisely, we are contracting with MarTech, the maker of the Blue Ribbon Youth software, to provide technical support to the end-users of the Youth software in the counties. Information on MarTech support will be made available to Blue Ribbon users once the support contract is formally in place.

With the holiday season quickly approaching, we would like to take this opportunity to remind staff that our distribution lists are for legitimate internal business purposes only. The addresses of the lists should never be given out to non-Extension employees nor should they be used on websites such as those offering to send greeting cards. Before hitting that Send button, please be sure that the list you are using is targeted to the correct audience and that the content is appropriate and necessary for everyone on the list. Members of any list can be seen on the Notes tab in your Eudora address book.

Support is available to all Extension employees from the ITDE team, in the form of the Computer Help Line (862-0351), on-site visits, and regular training. Please note that because of the reorganization of the ITDE team, on-site visits (particularly for county sites) will shift from a regular schedule to an as warranted schedule.

To make this system work we have created a Computer Support Request form on our website. Please visit the site at http://cecf1.unh.edu/itde/staff/itde_staff_home.cfm and add it to your bookmarks. This form should be used to request non-emergency computer assistance, and will be monitored daily by ITDE staff. If your problem can be resolved by a phone call or e-mail, we’ll respond as soon as possible. More complex issues will be deferred until the next on-site support visit to your location (we’ll let you know by e-mail if that is the case for your request.) On-site support visits will be scheduled based on the number of support requests for each location.

For emergency or time-sensitive support, continue to call the Computer Help Line at 862-0351. Before calling, please try rebooting your computer and recreating the problem. Often, rebooting is sufficient to resolve transient problems. Don’t reboot if you are afraid of losing an unsaved document.