mini’app’les Newsletter the minnesota apple computer users’ group, inc. July 2008
Upcoming Meetings
Here is a list of mini’app’les meetings for July and August, 2008. The information was compiled as this newsletter was being assembled and is subject to change. As always, confirm the Special Interest Group (SIG) date, time, and location with the cognizant SIG Leader or the mini’app’les web site (http://www.miniapples.org).
July Calendar Tuesday July 1 7:00 pm Mac OS X SIG Wednesday July 2 6:30 pm AppleWorks SIG Thursday July 17 7:00 am Macintosh Consultants SIG Thursday July 24 7:00 pm FileMaker Pro SIG Thursday July 24 7:00 pm VectorWorks SIG Monday July 28 7:00 pm Mac Q&A SIG
MEETING LOCATION LEADER Board of Directors Merriam Park Library, 1831 Marshall Ave, St Paul Bruce Thompson, 763-546-1088 FileMaker Pro SIG Partners, 2250 Terminal Road, Roseville Steve Wilmes, 651-458-1513 iWork/AppleWorks Augsburg Park Library, 7100 Nicollet Ave S, John Hunkins Sr, 651-457-8949 SIG Richfield Mac OS X SIG The Foundation, 615 North 3rd St, Minneapolis Bob Demeules, 763-559-1124 Mac Q&A SIG Merriam Park Library, 1831 Marshall Ave, St Paul Les Anderson, 651-735-3953 Macintosh Good Day Café, 5410 Wayzata Blvd, Golden Valley Bob Demeules, 763-559-1124 Consultants SIG TC Photoshop SIG Minneapolis College of Art & Design, Auditorium Jeff Tranberry, phone number 150, 2501 Stevens Ave S, Minneapolis not available VectorWorks SIG CJR Office, Suite 220, 7805 Telegraph Road, Charles Radloff, 952-941-1667 Bloomington
August Calendar Monday August 4 7:00 pm Board of Directors meeting Tuesday August 5 7:00 pm Mac OS X SIG Wednesday August 6 6:30 pm iWork/AppleWorks SIG Wednesday August 13 7:00 pm TC Photoshop SIG Monday August 18 7:00 pm Mac Q&A SIG Thursday August 21 7:00 am Macintosh Consultants SIG Thursday August 28 7:00 pm FileMaker Pro SIG Thursday August 28 7:00 pm VectorWorks SIG
The mini’app’les Newsletter is an independent publication not affiliated, sponsored, or sanctioned by Apple, Inc. or any other computer manufacturer. The opinions, statements, positions, and views are those of the author(s) or newsletter staff and are not intended to represent the opinions, statements, positions, or views of Apple, Inc. or any other computer manufacturer. Instead of placing a trademark symbol at every occurrence of a trade-marked name, we state we are using the names only in an editorial manner, to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark.
Page 1 of 12 mini’app’les Newsletter the minnesota apple computer users’ group, inc. July 2008
Board of Directors Introduction — This is the newsletter of mini’app’les, the President Bruce Thompson Minnesota Apple Computer Users’ Group Inc., a Minnesota non-profit club. The whole newsletter is copyrighted© by 763-546-1088 mini’app’les. Articles may be reproduced in other non-profit [email protected] User Groups' publications except where specifically Vice President David Peck copyrighted by the author (permission to reproduce these 612-423-5711 articles must be given by the author). Please include the source when reprinting. [email protected] Secretary Harry Lienke Questions — Please direct questions to an appropriate board 651-457-6026 member. Users with technical questions should refer to the plienke@aol.com Members Helping Members section.
Treasurer Don Walz Dealers — mini’app’les does not endorse specific dealers. The 651-426-5602 club promotes distribution of information that may help members identify best buys and service. The club itself does not Membership Director Chuck Hauge participate in bulk purchases of media, software, hardware, and 612-963-5064 publications. Members may organize such activities on behalf [email protected] of other members. Publications Director HELP NEEDED Newsletter Contributions — Please send contributions Please let a Board member directly to our post office box (mini’app’les, PO Box 796, know if you are interested Hopkins MN 55343) or email them to [email protected]. SIG Director Kevin Strysik 65l-489-4691 Deadline for material for the next newsletter is the fifteenth of the month. An article will be printed when space permits and, if [email protected] in the opinion of the Newsletter Editor or Publications Director, Director at Large Tom Gates it constitutes material suitable for publication. 612-789-1713 Newsletter Staff this month: Harry and Pam Lienke [email protected]
Membership Erik Knopp mini’app’les forums: http://miniapples.7.forumer.com Coordinator mini’app’les web site: http://www.miniapples.org mini’app’les email: [email protected]
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Moving? Going to be away from home and leaving a forwarding address with the Post Office? Changing to a better email provider? Please send us a Change of Address when you are informing others. By using a moment of your time, you ensure you receive a notice when your club membership is expiring and you get your newsletter email notification delivered promptly. Change of Address should be sent to the club's mailing address (mini’app’les, Attn: Membership Director, Box 796, Hopkins MN 55343) or to the club’s email address ([email protected]).
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
From the Editor’s Desk — July, 2008 ...... 3 Members Helping Members...... 4 OS X SIG of June 3, 2008 ...... 5 iWork/AppleWorks SIG of June 4, 2008 ...... 5 When Good Computers Go Bad...... 6 From .Mac to MobileMe...... 7 Benefits of mini’app’les Membership ...... 8 What MobileMe Means for Current .Mac Users...... 9 mini’app’les Directors Meeting Minutes for June 2, 2008 ...... 10 Membership Application and Renewal Form ...... 12
From the Editor’s Desk — step forward and help with the questions to the club’s post office July, 2008 tasks mentioned above. Please box (mini’app’les, PO Box 796, step up and get the iLife SIG Hopkins MN 55343). You should Volunteers Needed started and the Main Mac SIG send email to the club’s .mac restarted. Please write a couple of address ([email protected]). Last month I asked mini’app’les paragraphs and tell us about that Let’s pack those mail boxes full. members to help “make the club problem you had and how it was more enticing to Mac users by solved so we can apply your Hope to see you at a meeting soon. increasing the number of special knowledge to our situations. interest group (SIG) meetings we Please volunteer to be a member Harry Lienke have available, by having more helping other members so we all content in the newsletter, and by become more efficient resolving having more volunteers who are problems. Members Helping Members.” I am completely underwhelmed by How Are We Doing? the response; I am not aware of anyone offering to help with club How do you like our new business. Why is it that folks are newsletter format? What do you not willing to step forward and like? What should be changed? help? In the thirty years this club What should be added? Are there has been in operation (yea verily, particular topics you think should mini’app’les is thirty years old this be covered? Do you like receiving year), no SIG leader has been the newsletter as a PDF attach- stoned, no one who has written an ment to an email or do you prefer article has been drummed out of to get a notice that a new news- the club, no one has been laughed letter is available and then at or cursed because he/she didn’t download the newsletter yourself know the answer to another from the web site? Should we be member’s question. We need adding a Dear Mr. Jobs column to someone besides the same old answer questions you send via group of folks carrying the load; snail mail and email? Please send we need to have some other folks your snail mail comments and
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Members Helping Members
Need Help? Have a question the manual doesn’t answer? Members Helping Members is a group of volunteers who have generously agreed to help. They are just a phone or an email away. Please call only during the appropriate times, and only if you are a current mini’app’les member and own the software in question.
Apple II / IIGS Software & Hardware 1, 2 AppleWorks / ClarisWorks-Draw 3, 4 Classic Macs Cross-Platform File Transfer 2, 3 FileMaker Pro Intel Based Macs iMacs iPhoto 3 iTunes / iMovie Mac OS Classic 3 Mac OS X Microsoft Excel 2, 5, 8 Microsoft Word 2, 8 MYOB 5 Networks 7 New Users 1 PhotoShop QuarkXPress 8 Quicken 5 QuickBooks and QuickBooks Pro 5 VectorWorks 6
1. Les Anderson 651-735-3953 [email protected] DEW 2. Tom Ostertag 651-488-9979 [email protected] EW 3. Bruce Thompson 763-546-1088 [email protected] EW 4. Pam Lienke 651-457-6026 [email protected] DEW 5. Ardie Predweshny 612-978-9774 DEW 6. Charles Radloff 952-941-1667 D 7. Chuck Hauge 612-963-5064 [email protected] D 8. Ron Heck 651-774-9151 DEW
D: Days, generally 9 am to 5 pm E: Evenings, generally 5 pm to 9 pm W: Weekends, generally 1 pm to 9 pm
Please call at reasonable hours and ask if it is a convenient time for helping you. By the way, many of these volunteers can also be contacted on our forums. We appreciate your cooperation.
mini’app’les needs more volunteers for Members Helping Members — If you are willing to be a Members Helping Member volunteer, please send an email message to Chuck Hauge or contact him on our forums with your name, telephone number, contact hours, and the software or hardware areas you are willing to support.
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OS X SIG of June 3, 2008 Finally, Bob showed how to have a copy of Pages. The by Bruce Thompson integrate web mail (Yahoo, Gmail, questioner had tried TextEdit to no Hotmail) with Apple Mail. When avail. Someone suggested that The OS X SIG was held on June Mail is used with multiple CanOpener could be used to 3, 2008, at the recently renovated accounts, it creates a separate recover the text. Several attendees offices of The Foundation. The "inbox" for each account. If you expressed surprise that CanOpener meeting started with a discussion use IMAP connectivity, account was still available and compatible of the changes in Leopard 10.5.3, changes made in Apple Mail are with OS X; the SIG moderator which had just been released. Bob reflected in the online web mail assured them she had version 5.0 Demeules, SIG leader, questioned account. of CanOpener on her PowerBook how many of those in attendance running under OS X 10.4.11. The were using Leopard. About 1/3 The next OS X meeting is July 1, questioner indicated the document appeared to be using it, with most 2008. had been provided in a different of those getting it on a recently format which he could open so the purchased computer. question was really rhetorical. It was pointed out that Pages has the There was also some speculation capability to export documents in about the announcements coming several different formats including at the World Wide Developers' Word 2004 (doc), Adobe’s Conference (WWDC). The Portable Document Format (pdf), WWDC has become the second and Rich Text Format (rtf). most anticipated Mac conference after MacWorld. Most interest was Our moderator, Pam Lienke, now focused on the possibilities of a presented a very nice introduction new iPhone and new laptops to Numbers, assisted by Bob (iPhone true, laptops not). Demeules. Numbers differs from iWork/AppleWorks SIG of Excel in that Numbers permits Then Bob moved on to a June 4, 2008 multiple tables to be included on a continuation of last month's by Harry Lienke sheet in addition to permitting discussion of email (Apple Mail) multiple sheets in a file; the in OS X. Of particular note, he There were no AppleWorks method for controlling Numbers is showed the long headers and how questions to start the meeting so quite different from that of Excel, they track where the email we proceeded to iWork. and the Numbers process was message has traveled. Also, he shown. The use of many features pointed out how some of the Continuing the Pages versus Word from the Format Bar, the Tool information is used to filter spam compatibility topic we talked Bar, and the Inspector was (either by the mail provider or by about last month, Harry Lienke demonstrated. A Sample Expense your own software). pointed out that June’s newsletter Report was then formatted using was generated using Word’s the fancy Numbers capabilities There was discussion of how multi-column and section just demonstrated. attachments can be done in Mail. capabilities. When the Word Much as with many word format newsletter was imported Please come join us to discuss processors, the attachment can into Pages, the eighteen page iWork and AppleWorks on the either be contained in-line or in a document became a twenty-two first Wednesday of the coming separate file. On one occasion, page document. As we have seen, months. The upcoming meetings however, when Bob pasted a Pages has some problems reading are being held at the Augsburg picture into an email, the picture and producing “Word compatible” Park Library at 7100 Nicollet turned into a tiff file (and became documents. Avenue South in Richfield; the much larger); beware when library is conveniently located just pasting pictures that they remain An attendee wondered what a few blocks north of I-494. in jpeg format. applications could be used to open a Pages document if one does not
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The X Lex what to do with an instruction it’s applications, and enslaves your Monthly Excerpts for MUGs from received: you get a black box on smaller utilities. Take Control: The Mac OS X your screen with white text that Beware of geeks bearing gifts, and Lexicon usually says, “You need to restart check out the TidBITS article by Andy Baird and Sharon Zardetto your computer.” (No kidding!) about a Mac Trojan horse. Also One possible cause of a kernel see worm and virus. When Good Computers Go Bad panic is a damaged (or moved-out- of-the-right-place) system file or worm Sometimes your Mac—like your folder; another is an application or child, or puppy, or even you—just system utility utterly misbehaving. A form of malware chiefly doesn’t behave. Here’s the best of A simple restart almost always differentiated from a virus our bad definitions (if you know fixes the problem; if it doesn’t, in that the virus hides inside a what we mean). you should consider reinstalling program, using it as a host to your system, using the Archive & spread itself, while a worm “lives” Bug Install option. independently and travels through A mistake in the design or networks by itself. A worm’s programming of an Sad Mac autonomy isn’t surprising when application. Many people you learn that the first ones were The now-retired symbol invented to squirm around a mistakenly report the origin of a Mac in trouble at of this term as a 1947 incident in network and assign tasks to idle startup, the Sad Mac used processors. Humans being what which a (pre-transistor) computer to show up on the screen, error was caused by a moth they are, it didn’t take long for accompanied by a cryptic error things to get out of hand. Even a trapped in a relay. However, the code and the Chimes of Doom, log entry at the scene of the crime, worm with no particular purpose when something Really Wrong in life can cause harm just by the Harvard Computation occurred—such as a bad memory Laboratory, states, “First actual clogging network traffic. Did I say chip. His (her?) counterpart, the “just”? Worms have brought case of a bug being found.”; so, startup Happy Mac, has also been it’s obvious that the term “bug” networks to their cybernetic knees retired. We now have bad news just by their very presence. predates the incident. In fact, the accompanied by the international word “bug” for a design error or “no” symbol (the red, slashed And, of course, it didn’t take long problem was used in the circle), and a normal startup for a twisted mind to realize that a engineering field a hundred years graced by a dull gray apple. worm could carry a payload— before the personal computer was instructions to delete files, for born; even Edison wrote of The Sad Mac’s descendent— instance. dealing with bugs in his inventions perhaps the child of Happy and in the 1870s. Sad—lives on as Sad iPod, Most worms need a user’s help to displayed on an iPod screen when drop their payload, however, and The Harvard log has been it fails to start up. elicit that with such sophisticated preserved for posterity, with the social engineering ploys as “Click desiccated insect still taped to the Trojan horse here for naked pictures of…”. page. (It is safe to say that this is Also see virus and Trojan horse. the only entry that mixes Malware disguised as etymology and entomology.) a useful or amusing— ©Sharon Zardetto and Andy Baird. http://ei.cs.vt.edu/~history/Bug.GI or, in any case, Reprinted with permission. F harmless—program, so that a user Take Control: The Mac OS X Lexicon is will run it. As soon as you open an ebook available at the program, Odysseus and his www.takecontrolbooks .com/mac- kernel, kernel panic lexicon.html. User-group member soldiers pour out; while the rest of The kernel is the core of the Mac discount, 10% on all Take Control titles: your computer programs lie in a coupon code CPN31208MUG. operating system, alternatively drunken stupor after celebrating called the kernel environment. Excerpt files for user group publications: the end of the siege of Troy, the http://www.33thingsbooks.com/XLex.html The panic sets in when the Greek army pours through the . Queries: [email protected]. operating system doesn’t know gates, slays your major
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From .Mac to MobileMe iPhone, iPod touch and even PC in Also, MobileMe works with the by Ed, [email protected] sync with each other. New native applications you already contacts, calendar events, and know and use, including Mail, Good-bye, Mac.com, hello bookmarks are automatically Address Book, and iCal on a Mac; Me.com. In early July, Apple is pushed to your Mac or PC and or Microsoft Outlook on a PC with replacing the six-year old .Mac over the air to your iPhone or iPod Windows XP or Vista; and the suite of internet tools with a new, touch. Add a calendar event on the built-in applications on your drastically overhauled service web, and the change is iPhone or iPod touch. called MobileMe. MobileMe was automatically pushed to your Mac demonstrated at WWDC, and and iPhone. New email is pushed 3. iDisk: With a new web interface looks like an awesome service - to your iPhone in seconds, so you that looks like the Mac OS X definitely much better than .Mac, don’t have to check for messages Finder, iDisk features drag-and- and very strong contender among manually. MobileMe Calendar drop filing and an easy way to other clunkier web services. The pushes calendar changes over the share large documents. Because gateway to MobileMe is Me.com; air to your iPhone or iPod touch, MobileMe iDisk is built into the you can also access the site at so you don’t have to sync core of Mac OS X, accessing it on Mobileme.com. manually with a dock or do your Mac is as easy as opening a anything at all. Also, the web- Finder window. From there, just First, Apple says MobileMe is its based email and calendars have drag and drop to upload files or “new Internet service for Mac, been substantially upgraded, with manage your folders. Share with iPhone, iPod touch, and PC that a clean new look, intuitive anyone by dropping files into your takes the best of .Mac and adds interface, and easier-to-use iDisk Public folder. And when many new features. With controls. you’re away from your computer, MobileMe you continue to get you can always access your iDisk services that take advantage of 2. Sync all your Mac computers: from a web browser at me.com. Mac integration such as iDisk and You might have a Mac at home, a photo sharing from iPhoto ’08. PC at work, along with an iPhone 4. Share from iPhoto, iMovie, and You also get a suite of new web or iPod touch. The challenge is Aperture: With a couple of clicks, applications at me.com: push keeping multiple devices always you can upload entire photo email, push contacts, and push in sync. Enterprises can use a albums from iPhoto ’08 or calendar; and 20GB of online server like Exchange. For Aperture 2 to your MobileMe storage.” Apple also describes everyone else, there's MobileMe. Gallery. Now you can share MobileMe as "Exchange for the Use MobileMe to push email, photos and manage your albums rest of us," after Microsoft's contacts, calendars, and from any web browser. Friends widespread Exchange Server bookmarks to all of your Mac and family can view, download, software. computers and even a PC. With and contribute photos to your Mac OS X Leopard, you can also gallery right from the web. Upload Second, Apple hopes to make all sync Dashboard widget pictures, rearrange the order, and MobileMe application so clean preferences, Dock items, many set sharing preferences. And when and ad free that it will almost be application and system someone does add photos, the like you’re on a Mac. I'll outline preferences, and Mail notes with images are automatically pushed some of the major aspects of all of your Leopard-based Mac down to your iPhoto or Aperture MobileMe, and then discuss what computers. If you have more than library on your Mac so you never it means for you (especially if one PC, use MobileMe to keep miss a shot. With iMovie ’08, you you're currently using .Mac). email, contacts, calendars, and can upload high-quality movies to bookmarks the same on all of your gallery in a variety of sizes 1. Push email, contacts, calendar: them. If you have a Mac and a PC, perfect for viewing on the web, "Push" is a powerful technology they can share the same iPod, iPhone, or Apple TV. that automates the updating and information. MobileMe keeps synchronization of data across the your computers, iPhone, and iPod 5. Behind the scenes with iWeb: internet. MobileMe uses push touch in sync and up to date. MobileMe is built to work technology to keep your Mac, seamlessly with iWeb. You simply
Page 7 of 12 create your site, click Publish, and Benefits of mini’app’les it’s online. There are no settings or Membership configurations to remember — MobileMe does it all behind the Access to the mini’app’les online scenes and all you see are the forums. Post questions and/or beautiful results. MobileMe also answers about issues, trouble hosts your personal domain name shooting, products, buying and so you can publish your site selling, special events, discounts, directly to www.youraddress.com. and news about Apple and the mini’app’les club. You can read more about MobileMe and watch a guided Access to our Members Helping tour here: Members network of professional www.apple.com/mobileme and advanced users of Apple technologies. These members Read about the eight-year history volunteer their time to help other of the evolution of iTools to .Mac members with software, hardware, to MobileMe here: and other Apple related issues. www.macworld.com/article/13382 6/2008/06/dotmachistory.html?t=2 A variety of Mac Special Interest 24 Groups (SIGs) that meet each month. Read about one of Apple's earliest internet suites, Cyberdog on Workshops to help members with Wikipedia: computer problems. You can bring en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberdog your equipment in to these events and receive support from Reprinted from Small Dog knowledgeable Mac users to help Electronics Tech Tails #614 - June diagnose your problem(s). 10, 2008 — Submitted by Bruce Thompson Participation in drawings for computer hardware, software, and other computer related materials.
Discounts from vendors and manufacturers.
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What MobileMe Means for from your mac.com iChat ID and domain setup for your iWeb site, it Current .Mac Users will work only as long as your will continue to work without By Ed, [email protected] MobileMe subscription is active. changing any settings at your registrar. If you have a .Mac account, you With MobileMe, you will get will automatically be upgraded to twice as much storage as you did Can I continue to use my mac.com a MobileMe account when the with .Mac. Individual subscription ID for iChat? service rolls out in July. A change storage doubles from 10GB to of service email will be sent to 20GB. Family Packs now get Your @mac.com ID will still your mac.com address when the 40GB of storage: 20GB for the work for iChat. You will also be upgrade occurs. Here's what main account and 5GB for each of able to use your @me.com ID for current .Mac subscribers can the four sub-accounts. If you iChat. However, it will be separate expect as the transition takes purchased a storage upgrade, it from your mac.com iChat ID and place. will also be upgraded at no will work only as long as your additional charge, so a 10GB MobileMe subscription is active. First, current mac.com email storage upgrade is now 20GB. addresses will continue to work as Your new total storage will be Web access to bookmarks, iCards, they do today. If you have any 40GB, and a 20GB storage .Mac slides, and support for Mac email aliases at mac.com, they upgrade is now 40GB. Your new OS X 10.3 Panther sync will be will also continue to work. In total storage will be 60GB. The discontinued (bookmark sync addition to your mac.com email storage increase is effective after between your Macs and/or PCs address, you will also get an MobileMe launches, and may take will still be supported). address at me.com with the same up to 10 days to appear on all username when MobileMe is accounts. MobileMe will cost the same as available. For example, if your .Mac, $99 per year. A 60-day free current email is All existing iDisk files will be trial will be available when iPhone [email protected], you will available on MobileMe iDisk. 2.0 software ships in early July. get [email protected]. You Backup 3.1.2 will continue to Again, current .Mac subscribers can send from whichever address work with MobileMe. will automatically be upgraded to you choose. The choice is yours. MobileMe. MobileMe’s web You will still receive email sent to Back to My Mac will continue to applications use the latest web your mac.com address so you work, this time with MobileMe technologies, so you will need won’t miss any emails. All of instead of .Mac. Safari 3 or Firefox 2 on a Mac, or existing email messages with Safari 3, Firefox 2 or Internet MobileMe Mail will continue to Your Web Gallery will still be Explorer 7 on a PC. Other exist, along with contacts in your available at the same URL and browsers will likely work, but .Mac Address Book. will also be given a new URL at these are the browsers Apple me.com. For example, recommends. On a Mac, Your @mac.com ID will still "gallery.mac.com/emily_parker/ " MobileMe requires the latest work as an Apple ID for purchases will work, as will versions of Mac OS X 10.5 on the iTunes Store, Apple Online "gallery.me.com/emily_parker" Leopard or Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger Store, and Apple print products (both will go to the same website). (use Software Update to update to created with iPhoto or Aperture. the latest versions). Once MobileMe becomes Your iWeb web site will still be available, you may continue to use available at the same URLs and your @mac.com ID or your new will also be given a new URL at Reprinted from Small Dog me.com ID as an Apple ID. Both me.com. For example, Electronics Tech Tails #614 - June names will access the same ID. "web.mac.com/emily_parker/" 10, 2008 — Submitted by Bruce Your @mac.com ID will still will work, as will Thompson work for iChat. You will also be "web.me.com/emily_parker" able to use your @me.com ID for (again, both will go to the same iChat. However, it will be separate website). If you have a personal
Page 9 of 12 mini’app’les Directors has a note indicating that only Meeting Minutes for June 2, Eric & I counted the ballots on members are eligible for help; the 2008 May 2, 2008. There were 26 folks listed as helpers should make ballots submitted, 25 were sure callers are members before In attendance: Bruce Thompson, declared valid. providing assistance. Items like David Peck, Harry Lienke, Kevin offers limited to members will Strysik, Chuck Hauge, Tom Gates, Results were as follows: appear in the Member’s Private Les Anderson President - Bruce Thompson Forum on forumer.com rather than Absent: Don Walz, Erik Knopp, 24, no write-ins. in the newsletter to maintain the John Pruski VP - Dave Peck 13, Bert exclusivity of the items. Persson 8, no write-ins. Agenda: One item moved Secretary - Harry Lienke 24, Dave wondered if the publishing forward and one item added. See Les Anderson 1 schedule should be reduced since Directors Reports and Old and Treasurer - Don Walz 24, no there was little technical content in New Business below. write-ins. many of the past issues – Membership - Chuck Hauge publishing every other month was Minutes: The minutes for the 25, no write-ins. suggested. There appears to be April 7, 2008, meeting were Publication - John Pruski 24, nothing in the Bylaws requiring approved electronically and no write-ins. the newsletter to be published published on forumer.com on SIG Director - Kevin Strysik monthly, so an every other month April 12. 24, no write-ins. publishing schedule is possible. It BYLAW Change - YES 24, was decided that the newsletter is Directors Reports NO 0 a very important communication tool that should be published Treasurer Don Walz’s report: All Motion to accept election results monthly even if only the SIG bills are paid. Written reports were made, seconded, and passed meeting schedule and general provided for 1/1 to 4/30. (MSP). information appear in a particular issue. President Bruce Thompson’s Monthly email newsletter — report: Thanks to all past and Bruce has been unable to contact Terrorist insurance coverage — present Board of Directors (BOD) John. John has provided no No information provided by Don. members for contributing to the newsletter –related material or continuing success of the club. communication since the March- Multi-SIG meeting — Chuck April 2008 issue. The Lienkes received good feedback from folks Vice President David Peck’s created the June on-line attending the April 19 meeting. report: Happy to be on the BOD. newsletter. Bruce will contact Three new members were Going to be living part-time in John to find out what his plans are. recruited. The folks at Yugma Houston but will make sure to We need an alternate person to expressed appreciation for being schedule time here to include publish the next newsletter or two able to make a presentation BOD meetings. while we try to contact John about highlighting their software. Tom the future. indicated the folks at St. Charles SIG Director Kevin Strysik’s are amenable to hosting more report: Multi-SIG meeting held on There was much discussion of the meetings. Chuck said we need April 19; attendance promising. intended audience for the BOD members to have assigned Discussion indicated the Word newsletter. Is it a private duties at future Multi-SIGs so the SIG is on hiatus and not likely to document meant for members or is meeting responsibilities do not fall return. it a lure to attract new club on just one or two people. A members? It was decided to make suggestion was made to have two Old Business the newsletter a public document Multi-SIG meetings per year in with links to the latest issue and to the future. The offer from Election results — Les and Erik an archive of recent issues. The Ambrosia Software to talk about provided the following: Members Helping Members list their products could be a
Page 10 of 12 presentation at a future Multi-SIG. participate in a members-only site; we could use Net Alliance to Tom will check with the drawing or special offer). A renew our domain name for $25 authorities at St. Charles about particular membership number for one year or $100 for five years holding another meeting in remains with a given member and and provide them with a little October. is never re-issued. Although email revenue. A motion to use Net could be used to send renewal Alliance to renew our domain Compensation for Buchner — notices it was pointed out that the name for five years at a cost of On April 9, Greg posted the BOD had previously decided to $100 was MSP. following on forumer.com: I gave use snail mail for notices and had Don a check for $17.75 at the included costs of snail mail New Business Annual meeting and it cleared my renewal notices in the budget. bank on 2/21/08. Chuck is to come up with a Electronic file storage medium proposal that incorporates a — We ran out of time before this New flyer for advertising the membership card into the renewal item could be considered. club — Kudos to Bert Persson for notice. producing a new pamphlet to be Response to IRS re: 990-EZ, used to attract new members. New Member CD update — Schedule A — Bruce, with Don’s Thanks for your effort to produce Chuck is updating the material help as needed, will review the this document. Harry will send the sent out on the New Member CD; forms and determine what pamphlet file to Dave so it can be it consists primarily of software information needs to be provided. put on the web site. like freeware utilities and browsers. Several BOD members October meeting date/location Membership list update — Erik suggested other software that — Merriam Park Library is closed sends Bruce new members could be included; Chuck asked for remodeling at the beginning of information via the club’s .mac that suggested items be sent to October when the BOD meeting account. Bruce is going to ask for him. would normally be held. Monday, a complete membership list. October 20, is available so the Because there have been a couple Disposing of BBS hardware — BOD meeting was moved to that of cases where information on the Bruce disposed of the hardware date. date a membership began or was formerly provided by Steve renewed would have been useful, Wilmes for the First Class BBS. Webmaster needed — Although Bruce will ask Erik to provide a Dave is willing to continue as our log of those dates. Ad-free forumer.com service — webmaster, he is willing to step Chuck paid $5 for ad-free aside for someone with a greater Bruce has been sending emails to forumer.com service but the knowledge of and/or enthusiasm new members to provide timely 30,000 ad-free hits were used up for webmastering. We need to notification of the receipt of their in only 1.5 months. There must be advertise for candidates. Dave applications. It was suggested this lots of activity such as web suggested maybe someone like should be a duty of the crawlers that are being counted as Bob Demeules might be able to Membership Director. hits. Since there are a number of upgrade the structure of our web freeware add-ons like SafariBlock site and then turn the job of Membership cards — It was that can be used to prevent the ads maintaining the site back to Dave. suggested we send renewal notices from appearing, we won’t pay for with a person’s membership ad-free service again. Next meeting: Scheduled for number shown on the notice with August 4, 2008, at the Merriam the caveat that the membership Web site/domain name renewal Park Library at 7:00 pm. All club number is valid only with — We have been using Network members are welcome to attend. continued membership (a Solutions to register our domain membership number is required to name; their current charge is $35 cast a ballot in a mini’app’les for one year or $100 for five years. election and a membership card is Net Alliance has been providing one way to establish the right to us with free space for our web
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Membership Application and Renewal Form
Name: Company (if mailed to): Address:
City, State, Zip: Phone # (home): Phone # (work): Phone # (cell): Occupation (if applicable): Membership ID # (if renewal): Email: Your e-mail address will NOT be sold, shared or distributed. It will be used to notify you of the availability of a new issue of the newsletter.
Check if this is a change of address notice Check if you want to volunteer Check if you want to be added to “Members Helping Members” Check if you were referred by a club member (if so, please give member’s name)
Membership cost is $15.00 for one year. Please make your check payable to “mini’app’les”.
Please send this application and your payment to: mini’app’les P.O. Box 796 Hopkins, MN 55343-0796
Thank you for your support!
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