WHAT LUCK, IT'S UP A BUCK - "BASIC" OR "TURBO" HIGH SPEED CONNECTIONS

Shaw is raising it's prices across Canada for "Basic" high speed connections. Accordingly, our cost for obtaining "Turbo" or "Basic" high speed services from Shaw is going up by one dollar per month and the cost will be passed along to our customers. There is good news on the horizon; however. We are working on a new pricing structure with Shaw and expect to have lower prices overall for all of our high speed connections. We hope to have our new pricing in place soon and we will notify our customers as soon as we have the new deal finalized.

IT'S NEW, IT'S IMPROVED, IT'S OUR NEW CUSTOMER ACCOUNT SYSTEM!

We have nearly finished converting customer accounts to the new system. While the conversion process has been designed to be as nondisruptive as possible, customers will see varying minor changes that will depend on which service they use.

The new system includes new account packages and pricing options, starting as low as $4.95 CDN per month. New packages include even more dialup hours, disk space, and bandwidth than before. Every account includes a certain amount of dialup hours and web space, and all accounts can optionally add extra dialup hours or high speed connections or child accounts, etc. Pricing is designed to be compatible with existing plans on all three services, so when we convert an account the customer's costs will generally stay the same or decrease, while they get more service for their money. For more details about the new packages and pricing, visit https://helpdesk.islandnet.com/help/pricing.php

All accounts on all three services must be converted eventually, but we are not doing them all at once. Where a conversion requires the customer to make changes to their settings, we will contact them first (and schedule a better time for the conversion if necessary). However, if you don't want to wait and you'd like to take advantage of the new pricing now, you can contact us at support@islandnet.com and arrange early conversion of your account.

To help customers decide which new plan is right for them, we have created a new package calculator. Simply enter your estimated resource requirements (disk space, bandwidth, dialup hours, domains, etc.) and the calculator will tell you what your requirements will cost under each of the available plans, with the lowest cost highlighted for you. You can access this calculator here: https://helpdesk.islandnet.com/packagecalc.php By default accounts will be converted to the closest matching plan that is the same price or less.

NEW TOOLS:

Some of the new features, like the new host manager, have been available for a while now. There are several other new features as well, including:

• A new account manager that provides all sorts of information about your account, including past trends in resource consumption.
  
  
• A new child account manager that lets you create, edit, and delete "child accounts". These are fully functional accounts that share the resources of the "parent" account. You can individually control whether each child account is allowed to change its own password, host web pages, use dialup access, access newsgroups, and more.
  
  
• A new and improved file manager that includes new ways of displaying your files (eg: thumbnails of images, icon views, tree views, etc).
  
  
• The ability to add any number of alternate contacts to your account and classify them as 'Account Owner', 'Technical Contact', or 'Billing Contact'.
  
  
• Other new tools we're working on include a MySQL Database manager that lets you create new databases without having to request one from us, and a DNS manager that gives you more control over the DNS settings for your domains.
  

SERVER CLUSTER:

Under the new system all HighSpeedPlus.com and Islandhosting.com customers will now have their e-mail and web pages hosted by our "cluster". This vastly improves performance, since surges in e-mail or web hits are spread across several identical machines instead of just one. It also greatly improves reliability because if one machine in the cluster goes down the others will take over for it.

The cluster is also easy for us to expand as required. In fact we are about to increase the cluster's capacity by an extra 33%.

NEW BILLING SYSTEM:

Islandhosting.com and HighSpeedPlus.com customers are already familiar with how the new billing system works, but it will be new to most Islandnet.com customers. The new system generates a statement each month that outlines any old and new charges and how much is due. This is similar to how utilities billing works, for example, phone bills, cable bills, etc.

Customers can choose to have statements delivered as PDF files via email, automatically faxed to them, or printed and sent Canada Post (for a small surcharge). Or, if you prefer, you can choose to not get statements at all and review them online via the helpdesk instead.

Customers can choose to pay via automatic credit card or chequing account withdrawal each month, or you can pay manually when you get your statement. In addition to VISA and MasterCard, you can pay online through all major banks and credit unions, in person via cash, debit card, or cheque, or you can visit one of our authorized agents.

Customers can also choose to get their statements on either the 1^st or 15^th of the month. This choice is available when accounts are created but customers may change the date of their statement after their account is created by making a request.

The biggest change in this regard primarily affects Islandnet.com customers who are used to paying in advance for their service. Under the new system you will receive your statements and pay after the fact, like any other utility bill. However, if you prefer to pay in advance you still can, and while there is no longer a discount for prepaying, we do pay you interest on your positive balance every month so you get a similar benefit (ie: you are rewarded for prepaying).

CUSTOMER REWARDS PROGRAM:

The new system includes a new customer rewards program. Rewards are given in the form of "Islandnet.com dollars" that can be used to pay for Islandnet.com services or merchandise. There are many different ways to earn rewards, such as getting other people to sign up for accounts, or paying in advance on your account, or putting an Islandnet.com "badge" on your web site, etc. For more details visit https://helpdesk.islandnet.com/help/rewards.php

COMMON QUESTIONS FOR ISLANDNET.COM USERS:

I have accumulated X bonus points on my Islandnet.com account. What happens to these?
They are converted into "rewards" that can be used to make payments on your account.

How can I tell when my account expires in the new system?
With the new billing system, accounts do not expire like they did before. You will continue to get monthly statements until you choose to cancel your account. So there's no worry about running out of time and getting cut off. As long as you pay your bills and don't let your account get into arrears you won't have any disruptions to your service.

I have already prepaid for time on my Islandnet.com account, will I lose that?
No. Any time remaining in your account is converted into a "conversion credit" in the form of a dollar amount. This value is calculated such that if you don't make any changes to your current plan, it will cover your monthly statements until your old expiry date. This value is visible on the new account manager summary screen.

Do I still get the X percent discount for prepaying for Y months in advance?
No, however you do get a similar benefit by way of interest that is accumulated on any positive balance on your account each month. This interest comes in the form of rewards which may be used to make payments towards your account. We have created a prepayment calulator that will show you how interest is accumulated for prepayement: https://helpdesk.islandnet.com/help/prepay.php

Does the "red eye" discount for dialup still apply?
Yes. For those that aren't aware, the portion of any dialup session that falls within the 1:00am to 7:00am window are treated as if they lasted only half as long. This is to encourage use of our modem pools during off-peak hours. So a two hour call that falls entirely in that time period will only count as a one hour call for billing purposes.

Do I have to change my settings on my computer in any way?
No, current Islandnet.com customers do not need to make any changes to their software settings.

COMMON QUESTIONS FOR ISLANDHOSTING.COM AND HIGHSPEEDPLUS.COM USERS:

What changes do I have to make to my software settings?
After your account is converted, you will need to start using "mail.islandnet.com" for sending and receiving mail, and "islandnet.com" for uploading files via FTP, etc.

Can I keep my islandhosting.com/highspeedplus.com address?
Yes, but it will become an alias that will forward to your new Islandnet.com address.

LAUNCH SPECIAL!

Until October 15th, earn extra rewards when you make a payment on your account. Not only will you earn the regular monthly interest on any positive balance, but we'll give you an additional reward of 5% of your purchase. The more you pay, the bigger your rewards!

If you have any questions or concerns about this new system, please email support@islandnet.com
--
Mark Morley

EVERYTHING ABOUT ISLANDNET.COM'S WEBMAIL - A COMPLETE GUIDE (WELL, ALMOST) ;-)

Of course, we believe it's because it's a great tool. Just in case you haven't used it or have used it infrequently, here's a guide to what it can do for you.

Click here to see a screen shot of the Webmail Inbox webpage.

You'll notice a set of links rendered in small text just below the page title "Webmail: Inbox." The links are "Reload," "Compose," "Folders," "Address Book," "Challenged," and "Preferences."

"RELOAD"

This menu item does pretty much what you'd expect. It reloads the Webmail page. You can do this from time to time when you're viewing your e-mail to see if additional mail has arrived in your account.

"COMPOSE"

Clicking on this link will take you to a page where you can compose an e-mail.

INPUT FIELDS

The Compose page offers you input fields for "From," "To," "CC," "BCC," and "Subject." Of course, there's a "Message" field you can use to write your message.

The "From" field is a drop-down list that gives you a choice of addresses to insert in the From field. You can setup multiple addresses when you edit your Webmail preferences.

The other fields--"To," "CC," "BCC," and "Subject"--allow you to input any text you wish. Of course, you can't leave the "To" address blank and the Webmail program checks to see if the "To" address is valid.

To the right of "To," "CC," and "BCC," you'll see tiny icons that look like address cards, which is what they represent. If you first fill in the "To," "CC," and "BCC" fields and then click on the corresponding address card icon, you'll be able to save the addresses to your online addressbook.

MESSAGE OPTIONS

Just below the "Subject" field are a row of checkboxes and a drop-down selection box.

"BCC Self" allows you to copy a message to yourself. "BCC" stands for "Blind Carbon Copy." When you "BCC" someone a copy of yoru message, the message is delivered to its intended recipient but without the address of the person to whom you sent the BCC displayed.

Enabling this option will mean a copy of the message will arrive in your inbox--just as it will in the inbox of your intended recipient.

You can permanently (until you change it again) enable or disable this checkbox using Webmail preferences.

"Copy to Sent" allows you to save a copy of your outgoing message in a "Sent" folder that you can view with Webmail.

You may be asking yourself "why would I want to BCC myself and save a copy of the message to my Sent folder?"

You might want to have both these options in the event you want to save a message in your e-mail client (such as Outlook, Outlook Express, Eudora, or Thunderbird) and have a copy available to you online using Webmail.

"Priority" allows you to set the priority of your message. Messages having a high priority will likely display a small exclamation mark or other attention-getting graphic beside your message when it arrives in the recipient's inbox.

"Priority" is set by choosing from a drop-down selction list.

"Request a Delivery Receipt" allows you to cause a popup window to appear in the recipient's e-mail program when they first click on your message. The recipient will have a choice of either sending you an acknowledgement or ignoring your request for acknowledgement.

COMPOSE ACTION BUTTONS

Directly underneath the Message Option checkboxes and drop-down list is a row of buttons--"Send," "Spelling," "Save to Draft," "Address Book," and "Cancel." Each button causes something to happen.

"Save" obviously sends the message you've composed. If you've forgotten something crucial like the "To" address, you'll get an error message telling you you haven't given a valid e-mail address.

"Spelling" causes a new window to open and any apparent spelling errors are identified. The first field the spell checker reviews is the "Subject" field. By clicking on the "Next Field" button in the new window, the message field is reviewed and any apparent spelling errors are highlighted.

From within the Spell Checker window, you can choose from dozens of language dictionaries. The spell checker will even make suggestions for words it doesn't recognize.

"Save to Draft" will save a copy of your message to the "Drafts" folder. You can then safely abandon your message and come back to it later.

"Address Book" opens another window containing your online address book and its listings--if you have any. You'll be able to select recipients from your address book by enabling checkboxes beside entries. The address box even allows you to specify whether the message is addressed directly to them, is CC'd to them, or is BCC'd to them.

You may want to note that the online address book can import your Outlook, Outlook Express, Eudora, or Thunderbird contacts. If you'd like to import entries, click here to go to the address book. When in your address book, click on "Import."

"Cancel" simply closes the compose page and takes you to the Webmail inbox.

ATTACHMENT BUTTONS

At the bottom of the compose page are a series of buttons with input fields to the left of them. The buttons are labeled "Browse.." and clicking on them allows you to look for a file on your computer to attach to your outgoing message.

By default, there are three "Browse..." buttons. You can add more buttons (allowing you to attach more than three files) or delete the buttons by changing your Webmail preferences.

"FOLDERS"

Clicking on the "Folders" link will take you to a page where you can add, delete, and empty e-mail folders. The page also gives you information about how many messages are in each folder and how much disk space each folder requires.

To add a folder, simply click on the "Create" folder link near the top, left-hand side of the page. To delete a folder, simply click on the "Delete Folder" link corresponding to the folder you want deleted. Emptying a folder is done in the same way as deleting a folder.

"ADDRESS BOOK"

Clicking on the "Address Book" link will take you to your address book page. Just below the page name, "Address Book," you'll see four links--"New Entry," "New List," "Import," and "Export."

NEW ENTRY

Clicking on "New Entry" takes you to a page where you can add a person to your address book. Although the address book list displays a minimal amount of information, you can store many fields of information about your contacts. There are 36 fields of information, including the standard, name, address, phone number, fax number, et cetera.

NEW LIST

Clicking on "New List" lets you create a sub-list of names and addresses. This is handy if you have a group of people you e-mail regularly. You can add their records to a sub-list and then e-mail all of them at once, rather than selecting each of them individually or typing in their e-mail addresses each time you compose a message.

When you've created a list, all you need to do to send a message to the list is select the list name from your address book when you compose the message.

IMPORT

As mentioned above, you can import your address books from various e-mail clients.

EXPORT

In addition to importing contact lists, you can export them as well. This may be useful if you wish to update your e-mail program's address book or even your PDA.

"CHALLENGED" - MANAGING "FROZEN" MESSAGES

Clicking on the "Challenged" link will take you to a page where you can manage "Challenged" messages. A Challenged message is one that has been "frozen" and not delivered to your inbox.

Why would you challenge a message and how is that done?

Well, challenging e-mail messages is beyond this guide but here's a thumbnail sketch. When message challenging is enabled, every incoming message is reviewed to see if the sender is someone who's sent e-mail to you before. If the sender has corresponded with you in the past, the message is simply sent on its way and delivered to your inbox.

If the sender is someone the system doesn't recall, the message is "frozen" and a reply is sent automatically to the sender. The reply is a canned message telling the sender their e-mail is frozen unless they respond to your reply. If they respond, the original message is unfrozen and delivered to your inbox. If the sender doesn't respond, the original message is eventually deleted without being delivered to your inbox.

Of course, this is a good strategy for any SPAM directed at you. Spammers will not reply to a challenged e-mail and their messages will get deleted.

On the other hand, challenges aren't a good idea if you subscribe to mailing lists. Mailing lists are not setup to respond to challenged messages. As a result, mailing list message may get deleted by accident.

If you'd like more information on challenging e-mail messages, click here.

"PREFERENCES" - CONFIGURING WEBMAIL

Clicking on "Preferences" will take you to a page where you can configure your Webmail. Click here to go to our Webmail system now.

You can also get to the Webmail configuration page by first "mousing over" "My Account" and then clicking on "Preferences."

Selecting a RETURN ADDRESS

Just like the e-mail programs you run on your desktop (Windows, Mac, or others), you can configure your webmail to insert any return address you wish to use. Moreover, you can use multiple return addresses in case you need to have people reply to different mailboxes. Whenever you compose a message with webmail, each of those return addresses can be inserted by choosing them from a drop-down box.

Adding an E-MAIL SIGNATURE

Again, just like the e-mail program you may use on your desktop, you can select a signature to add at the bottom of all your outgoing messages. If you insert HTML code in the form field where you write your signature and you've selected "HTML" as the format for outgoing e-mails, your signature will display as HTML rather than plain text.

USEing THE TRASH FOLDER

By default, this checkbox is enabled. Unchecking the "USE TRASH FOLDER" will mean any e-mail you delete from your inbox or other folders will be deleted immediately. By leaving this checkbox enabled, all e-mail deleted from other folders gets stored in the Trash folder for a maximum of seven days or until you delete the messages yourself.

You should note that any e-mail left in the Trash folder contributes to your overall disk usage. So if you get a lot of e-mail with large attachments, you may want to either disable use of the Trash folder or you may want to frequently check your Trash folder to make sure you're not wasting disk space and incurring overcharges.

You can also use the next Webmail peference (below) to ensure you don't waste any disk space.

EMPTY TRASH FOLDER ON LOGOUT

By default, this option is enabled. Keeping this option enabled ensures unneeded e-mails get deleted automatically each time you log out of our Helpdesk system.

If you disable this option, messages in the Trash folder will still be deleted automatically after seven days.

SAVEing TO the SENT Folder

By default this option is enabled. Keeping it enabled means any message you compose and send using our Webmail system is saved into the SENT folder. This ensures that you have a record of important e-mails.

You should noted that you can disable this option and still save your messages to the SENT folder. When you compose an e-mail, a checkbox is available for you to enable this option. If you've enabled this option from the preferences page (rather than on the page used for composing messages), the checkbox will be automatically enabled.

BCCing YOURSELF

If you don't know what "BCC" is, it stands for "Blind Carbon Copy." "BCCing" a message is usually done when you send a message to someone and want to send a copy to someone else without the recipient seeing the address of the person to whom you copied the message.

This checkbox is enabled by default. Keeping the checkbox enabled will mean the checkbox entitled "BCC Self?" will be checked whenever you compose a message. Unchecking the checkbox will ensure the "BCC Self?" checkbox is disabled whenever you compose a message.

AUTO BCC

As much as this sounds like it's some sort of automobile organization, it isn't. If you fill in this box with one or more e-mail addresses, a copy of every message you send will go to the addresses you've specified. This action is independent of whether you've chosen to BCC other people when you compose a message.

DISPLAYing IMAGES

If this checkbox is enabled, any images in messages you view will appear inline (where they're located in the message). Leaving this checkbox disabled will mean you'll need to click on the image to view it.

DISPLAY HTML/TEXT ATTACHMENTS

Similar to "DISPLAY IMAGES," enabling this checkbox will mean any HTML code and text attachments will appear inline in the message itself. In other words, attachments will appear as part of the message rather than as an attachment, which you'd view by clicking on it.

MAXimum ATTACHMENTS

This preferences field comes pre-filled at "3." This means that when you compose a message, you're offered three buttons at the bottom, which allow you to attach a file. If you find yourself attaching more than three files when you send messages, change this to a number that makes sense to you. From that point forward, you'll have as many buttons allowing you to attach as many files as you've specified.

MESSAGES PER PAGE

This preference setting allows you to display as many or as few messages per page when you view your "Inbox," "Sent," "Trash," and other folders. The default setting is "20."

Specifying a FROM FORMAT

When you view the messages in your "Inbox," you can view the sender's name, their address or both. This drop-down box allows you to specify how the sender's name and address appears.

Specifying a SUBJECT LENGTH

By specifying a number in this preference field, you can limit the number of characters displayed for the subject header of each message displayed in various e-mail folders. Setting this field to "0" means there is no limit (the default setting) and the entire subject line will appear in your folder.