Joy
of SIGs
By Dan Evans
INTERNET SIG: There was a very small turn out at
the October Internet SIG. We discussed digital cameras and sources for
information on them. Jerry Finkelstein gave us several web sites he
found interesting. Inkfinder.com
is a good source for printer cartridges. If you’re a casual movie-goer
or died-in-the-wool movie buff, check out Rottentomatoes.com
for a unique approach to film reviews.
Last month I attempted an analogy between a basic human intimacy; use
it or lose it (sex), and a couple of SIGs in danger of being dropped.
Somehow intimacy was changed to qualities. Well I guess good typesetters
are hard to find these days! As it goes, the Quicken SIG has been dropped.
The Internet SIG is still salvageable if the interest is there. Let
us know how we can make it better.
GENEALOGY CLUB: The focus for the Genealogy meeting in October
was GEDCOM files and genealogy software. GEDCOM is an acronym for GEnealogical
Data COMmunications, a file format developed by the Family History Department
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). It has become
a standard file format allowing data to be shared between the many different
brands of genealogy software. The file can be traded by way of email
attachment or floppy and can also be converted into HTML code to display
and share your personal research information on a web site. Judy Boniface
explained to the group how to create, export, import and use GEDCOM
files. There are differences between genealogy programs as to how this
is all accomplished so a little experimenting may be necessary. For
more on GEDCOM files, check out the web site genealogy.about.com/cs/gedcom.
The next several meetings, Judi would like to engage discussion on how
to "get through the brick wall". These proposed meetings can
present a chance to tap the talent of this club for advise researching
your problem ancestors.
Q & A SIG: Tim Clinehens once again fielded questions during
his Question & Answer session in October. A member wanted to know
what to do with a slow Internet connection when using his computer from
camp. After exploring all the factors influencing download speeds it
was discovered he was using a 14.4 k modem. An upgrade was strongly
suggested. Another question concerned problems during boot up of a Windows
XP operating system. This was a problem that wouldn’t repair itself
so reinstalling the operation system would be necessary. In all, Tim
does a masterful job sorting through the complexities of your computer
problems.
BASIC TRAINING SIG: Basic training started out this month with
a question about purchasing a digital camera. It seems this member has
an older system with Win95. Lisa Britt went on line to Belarc.com
to demonstrate a program that checks your system configuration. Compare
your computer’s configuration with the basic requirements for the
digital camera before you buy. Also, consider how the camera will interface
with the computer as Win95 doesn’t support USB.
The aggravation of pop-up windows came up. Lisa found several free programs
on line using Google.com and searching
"pop up stopper". We also went to Grisoft.com
looking at a free anti-virus program. Other topics discussed included
dealing with spam, updating scanner drivers and BriefCase.Yahoo.com
where you can use 30mb of free online storage space. Files stored here
can be accessed through email or the owner can download to any other
computer. In keeping with Halloween, we ended the evening at Cyberhaunt.com,
a Halloween haunted house.
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