|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
bulkhead row where seats contain the tray tables in the armrests. During the flight, both their PCs began to experience problems, and eventually both laptops totally crashed. Apparently, the tray tables were magnetized so they wouldn't make noises while stored in the armrests. The magnetized trays corrupted the hard drives of both laptops! Yikes! The aircraft was a new Airbus 340. Apparently, other manufacturers are aware of the potential nightmare and have elected not to use this "feature" in their designs. If you know a higher-up at Airbus, you might want to spread the word. Maybe that's what Hell will be like . . . rows and rows of airline seating with magnetized tray tables that erase your laptops. Arrrrghhhhhh! Get me outa' there! :-) From Brigada ****************** INTERNET SERVICE WITH A KICK -- Now there's a new genre of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that are attempting to provide you with a kickback if you're a mission org or ministry. Check out Integrity Online, 888-771-3414 or 317-638-5575 in the Indianapolis, IN, area. They reportedly give $10 to each non-profit for each new person signed-up -- network marketing style. Or, with perhaps an even more lucrative deal, write Frank Dickerson: frank@intersafenet.com at Intersafenet, who says he gives a $2/mo. "gift" (otherwise known as a kickback) to the referring non-profit. What does this mean? Well, to put it short, it could mean BUCKS to your mission work. If there are 100 people who sign up for Internet access because they want to keep in touch with you, then all of a sudden, you're churning in $200/month! But -- (read the fine print) -- keep in mind that if the service goes belly up or performs like a sloth (how do sloths really perform?), you might catch some of the bad feeling because you were the one recommending them. My experience with these "network marketing" schemes is that you should step VERY carefully indeed. [disclaimer, disclaimer, disclaimer] That having been said, if you have folks who need Internet access, and these people do their jobs, . . . hey -- you could pick up some extra support for just being the marketing arm for Frank and "Intersafenet." :-) From Brigada **************** I N T E R N E T A N D T W O - T H I R D S W O R L D - Last week I mentioned an ITU report on the Internet. Here's a snippet from the latest MARC newsletter that is relevant: "The term two-thirds world has evolved through cultural, political and demographic definitions. Now its definition is becoming technological. It defines those who lack access to information technology. Only one-third of the global population have access to the Internet, an information medium on which traffic has increased more than 400 percent in the past year. While Internet traffic is creating a global meta-culture, two-thirds of the global population are still waiting to make their first telephone call." From CMD Net? **************** I T U I N T E R N E T R E P O R T - Last week the International Telecommunication Unit released a "1998 World Telecommunications Development Report" ******************* LISTING OF HOAX VIRUSES: - ******************** LOOKING FOR A GREAT LAPTOP DEAL? -- As always, check out all the ads in the latest edition of _PC Magazine_ or equivalent. And in addition, here's an example of a guy wanting to sell directly to missionaries: NOTEBOOK COMPUTERS! - Jetta Jetbook 7050 with 12.1" ACTIVE MATRIX screen, AMD266 with MMX Processor, 48MB RAM, 3.1GB HDD, 20X CD-ROM, Windows 95 preinstalled. Also includes carrying case and one year warranty. All for only $1,817.00. For details call Bright-Line at 1-800-330-8474 or visit our website at http://www.bright-line.com -- remember to check international repair centers on whatever you buy, to be sure you understand where it will have to be sent in case it someday needs service.... and they essentially will all need service someday. I just had to send my Dell Inspiron back for service... and service is probably what separates the men from the boys. So ASK! From Brigada *********** MISSIONS SOFTWARE REPORT – From Brigada From: "Les E. Tilka" Personal Ministry Manager 5.0 for Windows - Price: $75 plus shipping - Contact: Bob Newman (rnewman@mindspring.com This is my choice. This software is designed with the missionary in mind. Very powerful and flexible. Easy to learn. Also priced with the missionary in mind! Have communicated with Bob directly and he seems very open to enhancements on his product. You deal directly with the author of the program. Keeps mailing list, contributions, correspondence. Full labeling and reporting functions. User defined fields for flexibility. Perform searches. Exporting functions and a whole lot more! Honor Roll - Managments for Non-Profits - Price: $495 for full program Honor Roll 200 * - Price: $50 *for smaller ministries, limit of 200 records - may be upgraded. Contact: Gene McGlasson (btn@bythenumbers.com) or 1-800-554-9116 A steeper learning curve than PMM but not as steep as some of the others. They are willing to customize their program for your ministry needs. Contact BTN directly for details. This program seemed to be more designed for the organization or mission office rather than the missionary. Both Windows and MAC versions available. Several mentioned writing their own programs. The choice for this seemed to be MS Access. Others mentioned were FileMaker Pro Some missionaries use one software for the finances (ie. Quickbooks) and other software for Contact Management (ACT or Goldmine) There were a couple that mentioned a program called Donation Manager but I never could get a reply from anyone on how to receive this. For contact management only: Maximizer This can be found at (www.maximizer.com) DonorQuest - (www.IntrepidSystems.com) - The program is rather expensive at $1,595 Very difficult to learn. This is definitely for the mission office. Can handle fund raising campaigns, etc. Very powerful but at that price-- it should be! Donation Tracker - Contact: Steve at ralph734@iserv.net I never got a response to my email but others said that the "cost is exceptionally reasonable and learning curve is easy. Another response from: Linda Pitts, Compu-Books Compubks@aol.com - The solution is in two pieces. I use a entry level accounting program called MYOB and a relational data base program called FileMaker Pro. I have custom designed a database to work with the accounting, transferring the donor and/or products purchased information between the two. The software costs about $500 (single user), or $1100 for 3 users. You can add users from there for $200 each for the database software, and $99 each for the accounting software. The custom donor data base template can be obtained through me for shareware fees, and can be customized for each ministry for an hourly rate of $40/hr. This solution runs on both Windows & Macintosh systems. Inter*Act. Price: Unknown - Contact: Richard Patzke (rcprod@mail.disc-cafe.com) Software is for missionaries who wish to more effectively track and correspond with their donors KMS Software Price: In the thousands Contact: 1-800-800-0293 Website: (www.kmssoftware.com) - A sophisticated and powerful program marketed by KMS software in Dallas Texas. Used by top Christian and Mission organizations but is far to costly for individual use. I AM SURE THERE ARE MANY OTHER OPTIONS OUT THERE THAT WEREN'T DISCOVERED. MY PURPOSE WAS LOOKING FOR SOFTWARE FOR MY NEEDS WHICH IS AS A MISSIONARY, ON THE FIELD, RAISING SUPPORT. THE ONE THAT MET MY NEEDS BEST WAS PMM 5.0. – Les ************ PC ADVICE – from Brigada - From: hub@XC.Org - Subject: Majordomo file: conference 'brigada' file 'pcexpert' Reply-To: hub@XC.Org [The following is taken from Nov. 18, '97, _PC Magazine_, p. 93-94; may not be re-sold] PC expert, was it? At least you're in good company. Because turning into a de facto technical-support person once you become knowledgeable about PCs is something that happens to us all. We wind up as the Designated Technical Support Providers for our husbands, wives, coworkers, neighbors, uncles, sisters, bowling team, beach volleyball partners, and more. (But not your kids, of course; they can run circles around you when it comes to explaining arcane corners of the Windows UI. They're your DTSPs.) A confession: I love it. I love the schizy moving from a three-day corporate retreat, where we battled 12 hours a day over a three-year, $100-million-technology strategic plan, to helping my brother-in-law escape from Drive-Space gone berserk or helping my wife get that new tape backup drive installed. And whether you're ready to admit it or not, I'll bet you do, too. The satisfaction of helping those close to you with a task they find baffling far outweighs the frustration of showing them how to create a folder for the tenth time. And if your work has to do with computers and software, this informal need-your-support network that has grown up around you is a huge advantage, because it reminds you what it's like not to know how to do these things. Over the years, I've come up with a short list of the most important tips that I give friends who turn to me for help. Many of these are perfectly obvious to the cognoscenti, but precisely because they are so obvious to us, we fail to pass them on to those for whom PCs are still mysteries. I think you'll find these Big Ten Tips handy for your friends, too - and maybe even for yourself. 1. Separate programs and data on your hard disk. Never mix program files together with your documents, worksheets, drawings, databases, and so forth, on your PC's hard disk. Instead, create one of more directories - say, by project, topic, or year - and save all your data there. That makes it much easier to find your files, as well as quicker to back up data files, since you're not making copies of all those programs as well. They're unnecessary, since (in case of a crash) you could easily reinstall them from their original CDs and floppy disks. 2. Use lots of directories to organize your data files. I've spent literally weeks of my life sitting at the elbows of friends, relatives, and clients, searching their hard disks for files they "just know are here somewhere!" Far too many users dump everything in Windows' infamous My Documents folder, just as a few years ago far too many users dumped everything in their C:\ directories. And use subfolders under your primary folders, too. For that program you agreed to design for the ballet, don't create just a folder titled Ballet Program, but under it create Artwork, Text, and Ads for storing all of the related files. Keeping your work sorted into logical clumps makes it easier to find a month or a year later. 2. Use Windows 95's Long Filenames feature. For years we complained about having to use the eight-dot-three filename scheme of DOS and the inscrutable filenames that resulted: FENZXDRK.DOC, NUETBUDG.XLS, DGRNGSL7.DBF. So Windows 95 comes along with filenames up to 255 characters that Windows allows, but why not something you'll be able to decipher next week, such as Fenwall Zero Budget Draft-Ken.doc, New Employee Transfers Budget.xls, or Deutsche Grammophon Recordings List 1997.dbf? 3. Lose Windows' File Find. Forget about Windows' built-in file finder. When you need to excavate a file you know is buried somewhere - and all you can remember is some key words in that file, not its filename - you need something better. Use a program like PowerHunter, which you can download from www.zdnet.com. PowerHunter indexes your data files, automatically updates the indexes, and then helps you to find files in that indexed universe fast. 4. Check for new video drivers. It's so easy to check vendors' Web sites for new drivers that there's just no excuse for putting up with poor display performance, which in my experience is caused by driver problems at least 75 percent of the time. Video problems are among the nastiest ones to solve; you can avoid having to walk down that dark road simply by installing an up-to-date driver for your video card. 5. Check for new printer drivers. Ditto. 6. Get old, unused programs and fonts off your hard disk. They waste space, clutter the registry file, and reduce performance. But don't just start erasing .EXE files willy-nilly; use an uninstall package like Quarterdeck's CleanSweep, my favorite among several good products in this category. These programs work best when they're uninstalling programs added to the PC after the uninstall was put on the disk, so go buy and set up the uninstall package now. 7. Run Scan and Defrag routines frequently. As Windows stores files on your hard disk, it spreads them all over the place. Soon, opening a file sends the disk's read/write heads racing back and forth across the disk, slowing performance. The slow, feeble Scan and Defrag routines that come with Windows 95 are better than nothing, though it's worth the money to pick up a serious disk-maintenance package such as Norton Utilities or Nuts & Bolts. But neither helps unless you use it; run a Scan every week and a Defrag every month and you'll avoid a lot of problems - maybe even catastrophic data loss. 9. Check the Web frequently for product upgrades and add-ons. Now that access to the Web is essentially universal, most software and hardware makers have gotten pretty good about posting frequent bug fixes, minor updates, and new add-ons to their Web sites. It's crazy not to take advantage of these free improvements in the products you already own. You absolutely want to keep your PC's BIOS at the latest level, both to add features (support for big EIDE drivers or better power management, for example) and to clean up bugs. Similarly, patches and upgrades from software vendors can help you to avoid problems - and often to get much of the functionality that's coming someday in the next major release. 10. Make an emergency disk, then keep it handy and up to date. Disk utility packages will produce a floppy boot disk, which can be absolutely essential if - when - your PC goes down. But hardly anyone makes such disks. Or if they do, they don't keep remaking the disks at regular intervals to keep up to date. Or they make them and then lose them. You can do a lot to calm the panic attack when your PC crashes if you make that emergency disk today. >From Nov. 18, '97, _PC Magazine_, p. 93-94 ********* NETIQUETTE *********** PGP (PRETTY GOOD PRIVACY PROGRAM) resources from Brigada: Write to: hub@XC.Org and ask for Majordomo file: conference 'brigada' file 'pgp-where' *********** Promoting a Site with Search Engines ************ Promoting Your Business Website (maybe an idea for tentmakers/church planters re entry strategy?) ************ READ A BOOK VIA YOUR LAPTOP -- Taking your laptop on your next mission cruise? Then why not catch up on your reading while you're at it (makes those long plane rides seem shorter). Project Gutenberg is constantly whacking out new books at < http://www.promo.net/pg http://www.promo.net/pg. They're free... and the New Testament and OT/NT is there too (in KJV). If you've got a new Windows/CE palmtop, you could download the whole novel there and read a book in your palm! From Brigada ************ RECYCLE COMPUTERS FOR CHRISTIAN MISSIONS ************* TALKING EMAIL TECHTOOLS: TALKING EMAIL -- Tim the Tech-Toolman came through again this week with "MyTalk" -- telephone-based e-mail! Browse http://www.mytalk.com for more info. MyTalk gives you a free e-mail address, User ID and password, along with a free web-based e-mail account you can check from any web browser. Nothing new there. But, the great part is... you can call a toll-free number (US and Canada) and enter your ID and password and it will READ your e-mail to you! Can you believe it? I think this has some really cool implications for the disabled and those still developing their typing skills. You can control it by talking to it. You can REPLY to e-mail, and it will record the file as a .wav file (no special applet needed to play it back, any Windows user who has sound capabilities can play it by clicking on it). AND it can retrieve POP mail from your regular e-mail account every few minutes and read *IT* to you too! It even works for America Online. The collection process checks every user's POP accounts in turn, and then starts over again. According to Tim, it can sometimes require *hours* to retrieve your email, but if you're the patient type, this might be just for you! A caveat: if you pay your regular ISP on a per-minute basis or a so-many-minutes-a-month basis, your ISP may charge you a minute for each time MyTalk checks your mail, so it may use up or charge for one minute out of every, say, fifteen. If you pay a flat rate for unlimited usage, that doesn't apply. Another caveat: You can't INITIATE e-mail, you can only reply to it. So if there are people you frequently send e-mail to, keep a message from them in your received mail folder so you have something to reply to. Thanks for another Cool Tech-Tool, Tim! From Brigada ************ T A R G E T T H E N A T I O N S C D - R O M - Galcom International has produced a new version of the "Go-Ye Network CD" called "Target The Nations". The CD provides specific information about each of the 11,886 people groups that live in the 233 nations of the world, along with video teachings on prayer by Bill Bright, Ted Haggard, George Otis Jr. and Peter Wagner. It also includes: The PIN (Peoples Information Network) data base of unreached peoples groups; a file on the main world religions; 25,000 screens of text, 150 pictures, drawings and 50 voice files; as well as a directory of U.S. and Canadian world mission agencies working among the unreached. All in all, the CD contains 648 megabytes of data and will run on IBM compatible 486 or higher computers. The cost is US$19.00. To order, contact: GalcomUSA@aol.com. From CMD Net or Joel News Int’l 
Computer Resources and Information ************** USE YOUR COMPUTER AS A SHORTWAVE! -- Have you checked out http://www.broadcast.com? They've got TONS of radio stations LIVE now . ..including the BBC World Service. Rick pointed out that you can go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/index.htm but you can also shop for just the right station from just the right place at the broadcast.com site. Check it out! (Recommended: modem speed of 14.4 or better; you'll also need some of their chosen utility software, namely, Real Audio rvplayer.) So who needs an expensive short-wave when you've already got your laptop! :-) From Brigada *************** WAITING TO CREATE YOUR OWN HOMEPAGE??? -- Wait no more. Brian also came up with a great URL to speed along your start-up. Try http://www.intel.com/cpc/create/multimedia/index.htm?iid=mail+oc6& to get free software AND a free site (GeoCities) where you'll be able to try your hand at your own webpage. Take a whirl for fun, for family, for friends, for furlough planning, for whatever you decide! (Thanks for the tip, Brian!) Fromm Brigada ------------------ WINDOWS STUDY BIBLE - BIBLESOFT has upgraded their entire line of products for use in the Windows environment. As a missionary serving overseas, you can purchase their products at a 50% discount. Their most popular package is the Reference Library Edition which includes: KJV, NIV, Nave's, Nelson's, Strong's, Englishman's andVine's. Discounted price: $119.98 US. Registered users of previous versions can buy an upgrade for $25.00 (regular price $39.995US). To order these products, send your disk size, payment method, and mailing instructions to Gary in the Firestone Canada office. (If ordering the upgraded, please send your registration number.). For a brochure with information about other editions and add-on products of BIBLESOFT, contact Gary. ************* WORK THE WEB WITHOUT THE WEB -- MAFxc technology guru Bob Sutterfield shared a tip with us this past week . . . somehow allowing you to access the web without even having the web! If all you have is email capability and you need a special page downloaded, this approach could be "just what the doctor ordered" for you! To learn more, send email to hub@xc.org with only the words "get brigada access-via-email" in the text of the message. Thanks Bob! So, if you need contact info for some of our members, request from us, or download the contents of URL I mentioned in the previous e-mail, http://www.sci.fi/~caf/dir/index_e.htm, and see what is the link to the relative URL and download that page. From Brigada? ************* The Franklin Bible - the entire King James Version of the Bible, O.T. and N.T., plus a complete concordance - electronic hand-held edition. For more info contact Jack Van Impe Ministries (who advertised it in Oct./94) - they may be able to get you the address for the manufacturers. Approximately $100. Includes book, chapter and verse search. Search only certain parts of the Bible if you wish. Single or multiple word search. Search for synonyms. Leave up to 30 electronic 'bookmarks'. Corrects your spelling. 5 1/2 " wide; 1" deep; 6.8 oz., plus 4 AAA batteries (not included). Maximum speed with 1.5 megabytes of computer power...with none of the hassles of operating a computer. Jack Van Impe Ministries - PO Box 7004, Troy, Michigan, 48007 Canada: Box 1717, Postal Station A, Windsor, ONT N9A 6Y1. For immediate attn., call their "order dept." at 810-852-5225 or fax 810-852-2692. *********** International Conf. on Computing and Missions (ICCM): email: program - Dan Dick 76066.713@compuserve.com ICCM, Taylor Univ., 500 W. Reade Ave., Upland, IN 46989-1001 Registration: Kim Johnson 317 998 5153 Fax: 317 998 4940 email: kmjohnsontayloru.edu ICCM is an annual get-together of dedicated people who have a common interest and involvement in computers and missions. They gather for a unique experience of spiritual fellowship, information-sharing and vision renewal. ICCM provides a forum for missions-related people to meet personally and to share ideas, information and expertise in order to perform their jobs more effectively. ********** 20:21 Library (Electronic Library of Mission and Evangelism Resources) -- good news for missionaries, mission professors and students, mission administrators and supporters! A computer software package for mission research has been produced and you do not have to be a computer buff or a professionaal researcher to us it. The 20:21 Library of Mission and Evangelism Resources has something for everyone interested in missions - the equivalent of more than 200 volumes of printed material. For more information, write to: Global Mapping Project, Global Mapping Ont'l, 7899 Lexington Dr., Suite 200A, Colorado Springs, CO 80920 USA ph: 719-531-3599 Fax: 719-548-7459 Internet: info@gmi.org *************** BE SAFE, NOT SORRY -- COMPUTER CARE TIPS One day your computer will not work. Take some time to prepare for that day. One of the first things you should do is to learn how to get into your computer's 'setup' and make a copy of the system parameters...especially the hard drive parameters. Get a virus scan program and use it to check disks you get from friends. Backup your work and have a plan to restore your programs. Zip drives (about $125) have become very popular backup units. Run SCANDISK about once a month and DEFRAG at least twice a year. If you have a DOS/Windows 3.11 computer, you should be able to do this from a DOS prompt by typing SCANDISK or DEFRAG and pressing Enter. If you have Windows 95, go to the START icon, then PROGRAMS, then ACCESSORIES, then SYSTEM TOOLS, and then ScanDisk or Disk Defragmenter and follow the instructions on the screen. Make a BOOT/STARTUP disk and make sure that it works. If you have a DOS/Windows 3.11 computer, you should be able to do this from a DOS prompt by typing FORMAT A:/S and pressing Enter. If your floppy disk has already been formatted, you can save a little time by typing SYS: A: and pressing Enter. If you have Windows 95, go to My Computer, then Control Panel, and then Add/Remove Programs. Select the Startup Disk option and follow the instructions on the screen. Since the above instructions are rather brief, you should make a 'test run' of everything so that you can get help if it is needed. We had much rather help you prevent problems than help you solve them!" (Missionary Computer, March 1998) From CURRENT TRENDS ********** FOR THOSE MISSIONARIES AMONG US WITH MONEY TO COUNT -- The recent software compilation turned up a pretty strong review on Membership Plus and Money Counts. I checked it out . . . downloaded a sampler help file and indeed it looks like it might work for missionaries. Check it out at http://www.parsonstech.com. (The sampler can be found at http://www.parsonstech.com/infocentral.) To get one user's opinion, write: NoelHyde@xc.org who says he's VERY satisfied. Les' other items are listed in a special document that you can retrieve by sending a note to: hub@xc.org that says, "get brigada accountingsoftware" (without the quotes). Thanks Les!!! You carried through! From Brigada ************* ARE YOU A TECHY OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIST FOR YOUR MISSION? -- Then you might like to take in the Ninth Annual International Conference on Computing and Mission, June 5-9, 1998, hosted this year by Abilene Christian University. See the details on the web at http://www.iccm.org. From Brigada ********** NEW REALPLAYER AND REALPLAYER PLUS G2 NOW AVAILABLE I also wanted to tell you about the 'pre-beta' preview release of RealPlayer and RealPlayer Plus G2. These new G2 players deliver dramatic quality improvements, including entirely new features like a 10-channel graphic equalizer and more. To download now, visit: http://www.real.com/50/tdpre.html ************* Computer Resource Links for Christians – Cross Search ********* NOW YOU CAN SET UP YOUR OWN WEB OFFICE FOR FREE! -- Just go to http://www.webex.com . This is a great site! You can arrange an international presentation where everyone shows up for a kind of "live and in person" meeting with you. You can do PowerPoints or take people on a tour of the web or . . . whatever! The first level is absolutely free (premier services are also available). From Brigada *********** RealPlayer G2 – Download this program free *********** TRAVEL: TIPS FOR INT'L EMAIL TRAVELERS - PART 1 -- Last week, a friend wrote to share some of the challenges he'd faced on a recent trip out of the country, trying to connect to the Internet. He asked that we pass along any tips we can think of, over the coming months. So... that's exactly what we'll do. The first tip is a simple one... Do your homework in advance! Depending on the length of your trip and how you'll be hosted in your destination country, find someone there who will be able to give you some local pointers to getting online there... and email them in advance. Be sensitive to their time commitments. Keep your questions short and to the point and, though it might seem funny to say so, I'd suggest you avoid chitchat. These missionary-types are usually very relational people! :-) Some of them only email as much as they have to ... They don't want to spend their evenings away from family with their face buried into a computer screen! We'll assume for this tip that you're on a two-week journey... fairly short as int'l travel goes. So ask simple things... a) Will our group be staying near anyone with a computer that we might be able to use to send back an occasional email message to our friends and family back home -- say once every 3 or 4 days? b) If so, we'll glad reimburse for the time online. (Note: this will probably be a combination of the local "units" [or number of minutes times the price per minute for a local call] plus the cost per minute for the Internet connectivity; still, it's probably less than the cost of you dialing Zurich or Penang or whatever.) c) If not, would he or she know of any locations -- like a "teleboutique" -- where we might be able to get a phone connection to call CompuServe or AOL or any other int'l carrier? If he or she writes back and says it'll be too much of a hassle, *trust* the response and leave the laptop at home. Plan on using a callback service (more on that later) or something similar. Sometimes email just isn't worth the trouble. Make two or three phone calls during your two-week trip... and that should be plenty to keep friends and family informed. That having been said, I haven't personally left the computer at home since 1991... :-) ... and our mission is at work in over two dozen countries and we've traveled through dozens of other lands without an email hitch... so more later on how to get connected from those impossible locations! But for now... trust your host! ______________________From Brigada TIPS FOR INT'L EMAIL TRAVELERS - PART 2 -- Last week we wrote about doing your homework before traveling overseas. That homework might point you to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) who has a point of presence (POP) in your destination country. But what if none are available there... at least none to which you can subscribe in advance. Well one option is to set up a web-mail account before you leave your home. Just about all the major "portals" are allowing you to set up free web-based email services now. You can do it at http://www.yahoo.com or http://www.hotmail.com or http://www.netaddress.net and many others. Roger wrote this past week to report that during his recent furlough in the USA, he found it very convenient to get a free Yahoo e-mail account. "We could access it anywhere we could get on the internet," he reported. "We had our xc.org address forwarded to the Yahoo address, and could thus receive all that mail directly. With a Yahoo account, you can also check external mail which has a POP account, so we could actually take our mail off our server in Irian Jaya, Indonesia, in that manner also." However, many are traveling the other direction -- where web access is either expensive or totally unavailable. If you've done your homework and, in spite of it, you can't locate an ISP with POPs in your destination area, ask once more if any locals there would help you set up an account with a local ISP. Sometimes, all it takes is a one-hour stop-in at their office in the capitol city. You might be surprised to learn how "high tech" their local network is . . . and they might have POPs throughout the country! Just be sensitive -- remember that anything and everything you say is being stored on local servers, maintained by friendly (or not-so-friendly) locals. To connect, you'll often need special phone tip adaptors. Again, it's better to find out about these in advance, where possible. Maybe someone would be willing to pick you up an adaptor so you can hit the ground running the moment you arrive. For example, those from the USA will want a tip-converter for an RJ-11 type plug. I find these in the most unlikely places. The Swiss-type connectors are available at a little computer store in the basement of the main downtown train station. I got the connection for Bosnia in an appliance store in Split. Croatia. These tips are enough to drive you crazy, so it's worth trying to set them up in advance. If you can't find a local to help you, talk to PORT, a computer company specializing in products for travelers, http://www.port.com or, in the USA, 1-800-242-3133. They can usually help you figure out what you need. Next week we'll talk about the minimum "secret agent tool kit" to take along on your trip. You can almost hear the _Mission: Impossible_ music in the background already, right? :-) |