email

It's time to outsource your e-mail to Google

CurtMonash — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 03:24:40 -0400

If you outsource your email to your web hosting company, you definitely should move it to Google instead. If you run your email servers internally, you should at least take a hard look at the Google option.

My views on this are shaped in no small part by a leading independent e-mail analysis firm, Ferris Research. Ferris not only recommended moving to Google, they followed their own advice and moved themselves. Based on their recommendations, I followed suit.

Basic reasons for moving to Google include:

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Why search technologies are going to recombine

CurtMonash — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:26:19 -0400

I gave a talk Monday starting from the premise that there are at least 8 separate text technology markets. But one of the concluding points was that many of these distinct markets are poised to recombine. Here are some examples of what I mean.

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NSF funds research into how email chain letters spread

Alpha Doggs — Fri, 16 May 2008 17:10:51 -0400

E-mail chain letters travel much more circuitous routes to reach recipients than previously thought, according to new research funded by the National Science Foundation , Google, Yahoo and the MacArthur Foundation.

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Blackberry Bold Staves Off Business iPhone Migration

Mitchell Ashley — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:49:25 -0400

The Blackberry Bold (9000) was announced this week, with a plethora of new and upgraded hardware and software features. If the Apple iPhone has done nothing else, it's causing RIM to raise its game and bring out even better devices. The net-net on the Blackberry 9000 is a beautiful 480x320 display, 3.5G / Bluetooth / GPS network support, upgraded apps, better media / music apps, and iPhone-ish stylized case. An iPhone killer? No, but it's feature and upgrades are rich enough to keep many existing or new Blackberry users happy, and possibly stave off running down to get the new iPhone 3G this summer... maybe.

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Outlook Bloatware Loses Its Brains

Mitchell Ashley — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 11:40:09 -0400

Besides being the biggest piece of bloatware on the planet (next to Apple iTunes), one of Microsoft Outlooks' biggest annoyances is when email messages get stuck in the Outlook outbox. This happens to me about once a month, where outbound email messages start to stack up in the outbox, with no hope of reaching my SMTP mail server. There's no error message, nothing... they just sit there. Just what I needed, spending time fixing an email problem. Very annoying when I'm getting ready to head out the door to meet up with a customer or business associate.

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FBI, law enforcement community warns of California wildfire disaster fraud schemes

Layer 8 — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 15:14:16 -0400

The FBI, Better Business Bureau and California prosecutors today separately issued warnings concerning potential disaster related fraud schemes in connection with the ongoing Southern California wildfires.

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Information Security: 7 Data Leaks You Can't Ignore

mroedell — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 21:57:34 -0400

Information security controls are an essential part of operations for all financial institutions. Members expect that their local Credit Union is just as secure as the “big bank” located a few hundred feet away in the same parking lot at the mall. The only difference is that the local Credit Union information security budget pales in comparison to the multi million that the big bank will spend.

When a limited budget is combined with a lack of understanding proper security controls, many Credit Unions turn to local consulting companies who often times roll out ineffective “security programs” that can be costly and don’t add much value to increasing their security posture.

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Is IT losing the battle against DNS attacks?

Layer 8 — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 12:24:45 -0400

Few things can strike fear into the heart of the IT department like an attack on a company’s Domain Name System servers. Which may explain why companies are sending so much time and to deploy a complex myriad security measures to keep their DNS protected from malicious attackers.

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Email hoax has Texas drivers seeing red

Layer 8 — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 11:14:49 -0400

You know that Texas is supposed to do things in a big way, so I guess it's no surprise that an email hoax had thousands of Texans calling their public safety officials this week.

The email warns of huge increases in fines for driving violations and that drivers are now required to use hands-free devices for their cell phones while driving. For example, the email said an incorrect lane change could result in a $380 fine. Drivers, it says, must use a hands-free cell phone device or face a fine of $285. Driving more than 3 mph over the speed limit will lead to a speeding ticket.

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Government warns of fraudulent email campaign

Layer 8 — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 12:31:57 -0400

The Department of Justice has issued a warning about fraudulent spam e-mail messages claiming to be from DOJ.

Based upon complaints from the public, the DOJ says the fraudulent messages are addressed "Dear Citizen."

"The messages are believed to assert that the recipients or their businesses have been the subject of complaints filed with DOJ and also forwarded to the Internal Revenue Service.

In addition, such email messages may provide a case number, and state that the complaint was "filled [sic] by Mr. Henry Stewart." A DOJ logo may appear at the top of the email message or in an attached file."

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Study: For many, vacation means quality time with their laptops

Layer 8 — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 13:29:33 -0400

So the summer vacation season is upon us. And what will you bring along?

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Minding the Empathy Gap

Ken Fasimpaur — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 18:25:39 -0400

I’m beginning to think that empathy is a critically underutilized IT skill. Far too often we remain mired in the silo of our technical mindset without being able to picture the world through the eyes of a typical person. Instead we tend to think that everyone is just like us.

Take for instance a recent set of email instructions I received:

Here's how to enter your phone number in your email preferences: Scroll to the bottom of THIS email. You will see a link that states: "To unsubscribe..." Click on that link. Don't worry, you will *still* remain on the mailing list unless you wish to unsubscribe. You are taken to a web page where you have the chance to either unsubscribe, or change your email preferences.

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The Format is in the Email

Mark Gibbs — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 00:00:08 -0500

In this week's Backspin I discuss the value of HTML formatted e-mail. I contend that HTML email is not only useful as it increases the information carried, it also improves the quality of users' writing. So, can we find a safe, expressive medium that satisfies the presentation requirements of the New School of email users while it addresses at least some of the Old School’s concerns? My suggestions are either a limited set of HTML that excludes scripting and CSS or a technology like Adobe’s Flashpaper. Your th

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Email can be private, sometimes

Linda Musthaler — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 17:26:03 -0500

Just after I post an article reminding people that "email is not private," I learn that it can be, and for a very low cost. A Canadian company called Echoworx Corporation has a service called Echoworx Secure Mail that allows you to send an encrypted email message to any recipient. Echoworx has packaged the service so that providers like Verizon Online, BellSouth and Sun Microsystems can sell it on a monthly basis. You can get Verizon Secure Mail for only $6.95 a month per email address.

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Employee e-mail is not private

Linda Musthaler — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 14:46:14 -0500

Last May, I wrote a column in which I said that employers not only have the right to screen employees' e-mails, but they almost have an obligation to do so. I wrote: "Reviews of messages in a company-provided e-mail system can reveal misuse of company resources, theft of intellectual property or other concerns. What's more, the contents of e-mail messages can be subpoenaed in the event of a lawsuit, so the business owner or executive team should know what's going through company systems."

Little did I know how close to home I was when I wrote those words.

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