We also appreciate the feeling customers get when they find someone who has the time, patience, and answers they need. It's good for business.

Customers respond by going back to where they got those good answers if problems arise in the future. They go straight to the tech person who answered their questions before. It sounds like a solid technique, right?

Well, yes it is a good idea but we have a better suggestion.

As with most workplaces, people go on vacation, take time off, have sick days, get busy with special projects, or have their duties changed from time to time. As a result, the tech person some customers rely upon may not be available, despite sending e-mails to their e-mail address.

We have seen instances where customers have sent a number of e-mails and patiently awaited a response, unaware of the fact the person they were trying to contact was away. Patience turned to frustration after a while.

So, we're encouraging you to e-mail the "department" you need, rather than e-mailing a particular person at Islandnet--that is unless you're dealing with a current issue and a particular person. For support, you need to e-mail support. For billing, you need to e-mail billing. And so it goes.

Directing e-mail to the "department" instead of an individual will ensure the e-mail gets to someone who is on duty and able to respond.

The following are the main e-mail addresses here on the Island:

Support

support@islandnet.com

Billing

billing@islandnet.com

Domains

domains@islandnet.com

Sales

sales@islandnet.com

Privacy

privacy@islandnet.com

Yes, Murphy's law rules. And as someone once noted, Murphy was an optimist.

Three weeks ago, we decided that a better power backup system would be a good plan. Accordingly, we assessed our needs and put some new UPSs on order and looked forward to their arrival.

On Tuesday July 11 power was cut to many downtown businesses, including Islandnet.com. Unfortunately, this was no ordinary power outage and lasted three hours--far longer than any other power outage experienced at Islandnet.

Our announcement in the Helpdesk forums reads as follows:

It turns out that "something" was a hapless squirrel that made a connection it shouldn't have. Normally, that might start an outage of under an hour to 90 minutes or so--that having been the case for two previous outages. However, our electrical squirrel barbequed itself just when electrical demand was peaking, which caused some cascading failures in the downtown area. The additional problems took longer to fix.

Last week we ordered new high capacity UPSes (battery backed power) that each can keep an entire rack of servers running for up to two hours. These are due to arrive any day.

On July 14 we tested a new power generator that will be able to keep the most critical parts of our network running indefinitely (less important gear, like the News server for example, would be powered down during long outages, but web and mail servers would remain online). The test simulated a power failure to further test it. The test was done using non-production servers so it did not impact customers in any way. The new UPSes that were ordered over a week ago are still in transit (possibly delayed at the border, we're not sure yet).

Our existing systems worked well and did their job, but they just weren't up to the task of maintaining power for that long. If this were to happen again in a week or so there would be little or no noticeable loss of service, even if it lasted much longer.

Customers can now choose between MySQL 4 and MySQL 5 (versions 4.0.27 and 5.0.22 at the time of this post) when creating a new database.

We had originally planned to upgrade the existing MySQL servers, but there are far too many web site applications in place on customer sites that are unable to deal with version 5, so we've decided to make both versions available on different servers.

Customers can create/destroy databases via the helpdesk by clicking on 'My Account', then the 'Databases' tab. This page has been updated to let you pick whch MySQL version you'd like to use. Once you have created a database you can then use phpMyAdmin to define tables, import data, etc.

Existing databases will not be converted from version 4 to version 5 automatically. If you want to upgrade your database you will have to export the data and import it into a new database. We can help with this if you'd like, just contact support@islandnet.com.

Why upgrade you ask?

• It's (theoretically) faster, although this is unlikely to be noticeable for most applications.
• The physical hardware it's running on has (or will have shortly) more RAM and faster disks (also unlikely to be noticeable to end users).
• It's actively maintained by the MySQL developers, whereas version 4 will only get bug and security fixes.
• An application you decide to use might require certain features found only in version 5.
• All the cool kids are doing it.

So, let us know if you'd like some help. In the meantime, your website will continue to hum along happily with MySQL 4.

Islandnet Picks

C|News - News.com	ZDNet	Another Eagle Cam	Crazy Japanese to English Menu Translation
Type "news.com" into the address bar of your browser and this site pops up. While you won't get traditional news media news, you will get geek-oriented news, mixed with more traditional news fare. Other sections of the site provide product reviews; downloads of hundreds of thousands of programs, drivers, and other stuff; and even "how to" information related to the latest electronic wizardry. So, open your brain, go to this site, fill up your brain, then amaze friends, family, and colleagues with your news geekery.	If you've subscribed to PC Magazine or one of many other publications, you may already be familiar with ZDNet. "ZDNet" stands for "Ziff Davis Net," a publishing company responsible for many tech publications. Their online site is full of interesting tech information--from reviews and prices on the latest tech stuff to tech news, political news (tech relevant of course), and tech blogs. Speaking of blogs, you'll find some interesting stuff in that category, including opinions by some of the leading techno-literati.	Well, eagles are certainly popular. In April and May of this year, a site featuring a live web camera feed from an eagle's nest on Hornby Island got so many visits most people had a hard time even getting the feed to load. We learned that the site was getting millions of hits from all over the world. Unfortunately, the eggs in this nest failed to hatch. Here's a camera for a nest where the eggs actually hatched. There are two young-ones in the nest right now and if your timing is good, you'll see one of the parents feeding the eagle chicks.	I'll have the "Cowboy Leg" with a side of "J&J large intestine pot" and my companion will start with the "Lthick mordacity" pizza and have the "Brazil the carbon Burn a Meat" for the main course. And for dessert we'll both have the "Doublle Boiled Forest Frog" and the "Steamed Forest Frog Plaster W/Doublle Boiled." This page outlines one of the most outrageous Japanese to English translations we've ever seen. You'll probably laugh out loud at some of the twisted translations you'll find here. WARNING: there is some foul language on this page (part of the translation if you can believe it).

Islandnet.com Hosted Sites

Fernwood Community Association	Ecotourism Vancouver Island	John Simpson - Photographer	Ellswear - Activewear for Active Bodies
This Islandnet.com hosted website is operated by the Fernwood Community Association, a non-profit organization representing the Victoria neighbourhood of--you guessed it--Fernwood. Many people don't even know they have a community association so it's worthwhile checking out. Among others, the Fernwood Community Association's objective is "To promote, facilitate, support or undertake any activity that will enhance the quality of life in the Fernwood Community."	You should visit this site simply because--it's purdy! This simple but appealing site promotes eco-toursim in Vancouver Island--kayaking, biking, hiking, camping, whale watching, fishing, wind surfing, surfing, bird watching, photography, and other wilderness-oriented activities. People traveling to Victoria can look for places to stay, things to do, tours to take, species to photograph, and more. Actually, if you live in Victoria, it's a great site to visit as well. Oh, forgot to mention the site is hosted by us--Islandnet.com.	If you like photography, visit this Islandnet.com customer's site. He frequently adds new photos and they are are stunning--great colours, delicious composition, and wonderful subjects. If you like to see different parts of the world visit this site as well. There are photos from Lisbon, Belfast, Kristiansaand, Gdansk, Venice, Suva, Copenhagen, and other cities.	This Islandnet.com hosted website features ladies activewear - tops & tanks, jackets & zip tops, shorts & capris, pants, and more. So, if you're into sports, dance, gymnastics, or just being comfortable but fashionable, check out the Ellswear site.

We Love Websites!

Websites are our business--hosting them and building them. If you need a website--blog, retail, business-to-business, personal, database-driven, or something else--Islandnet has plenty of website development and programming experience. Call or e-mail us if you'd like anything from graphics to nit-picky programming.

We're not sure why but there has been an increase in non-technical, non-customer support requests over the last while. Here's an interesting one:

I am looking for a snake in a can for me Grandsons Birthday. We live on Ontario Canada. Do you know where I can purchase one. Thanks.

As mentioned that we're happy to help but we weren't sure how to help this person, other than doing an online search ourselves for "snakes in a can" or something of that ilk. Actually, this one piqued our interest and a staff member googled "snake in a can" and got 195 listings. The first listing has an actual novelty spring-loaded snake in a can. How 'bout that!

Here's another request that had us collectively scratching our heads in bemusement:

Dera Sir
How r u doing today .
i just whant to let u no that u have nove creat my acont b cos i dont now why plz can u let me no what is goin on

Our guess is that this person tried creating an account but found it hadn't been activated after a while and was contacting us to find out why it wasn't active. This is a wonderful example of text messaging brevity mixed with speed-induced typos. We were tempted to reply in kind to see what correspondence would result.

For those of you wondering why this fellow's account may not have been activated, accounts do not get activated without an initial payment. This helps prevent people from signing up, e-mailing everyone in their address book, then allowing the account to lapse due to non-payment.

We field lots of questions related to e-mail and how it works in relation to domain names. Here's some info that should clear up any mysteries.

Your Islandnet E-mail Address & Domain Names

Your Islandnet e-mail address is the foundation for all your e-mail, whether it relates to a domain or not.

Assuming your Islandnet.com username is "someperson," your Islandnet.com e-mail address will be "someperson@islandnet.com." Even if you have a domain, your Islandnet e-mail address is still the place where e-mail is directed.

For example, say you have the domain name, "example.com," hosted with Islandnet. And say you want the e-mail address "me@example.com" to work. If you've got your domain name properly setup and configured so that our servers handle your e-mail, then "me@example.com" will work. By default, any e-mail directed to "me@example.com" will get sent to your Islandnet.com e-mail address "someperson@islandnet.com."

Say, you want someone else to receive e-mail directed at "you@example.com." How do you do that?

By default, anything at your domain goes to "someperson@islandnet.com." So, "anything@example.com," "nothing@example.com," and "anybody@example.com" will all go to the "someperson@islandnet.com" e-mail address.

Directing E-mail to Another Address

Simply directing an e-mail to another address is easy! You can do this using a "map" file or a "mailrule" file.

Map Files

Using a "map" file is probably the easiest way to direct e-mail to another address. A map file is a text file that is stored in the root directory of your account.

What is and where is the "root" directory of your account? Glad you asked.

Whenever a customer creates a new Islandnet account, they are allocated a certain amount of disk space on our servers. The disk space is used to store e-mail messages, personal settings, web pages, web scripts, and other files. If a person has no web pages or scripts, they still have space on our servers to store their e-mail and settings.

The "root" of an account is the "base" of a person's disk space. It is a private directory to which our servers do not permit public access. This is where a "map" file can be created.

How do you create a "map" file? Again, glad you asked.

Probably the easiest way is to use our Helpdesk File Manager. Here's the URL you can use to get to the File Manager: https://helpdesk.islandnet.com/fm.cgi.

The File Manager allows you to create text files. You will need to create a file with the prefix "map." and the remainder of the file name being your domain name, like so: "map.example.com".

Say you want "anybody@example.com" to get directed to "bob@aol.com". You would add a line to your map file that looks like the following:

anybody: bob@aol.com

The part before the colon (":") tells our e-mail servers to look for messages addressed to "anybody@example.com". The part after the colon tells our servers that messages addressed to "anybody@example.com" need to go to "bob@aol.com". It's as simple as that.

You can have as many lines in your map file as you like so you can redirect virtually any number of e-mail addresses related to your domain to other e-mail addresses.

It's a good practice to end your map files with the following line:

*: !

What this last line does is deletes any e-mail not destined to a named address. Having this line is a great way to filter spam related to domain names and has the added benefit of reducing load on our e-mail servers. Messages deleted this way don't even make it to our servers. The messages are deleted before they're processed.

For full map file documentation, click here.

Mailrule Files

A mailrule file is similar to a map file, in that both file types are plain text and they reside in your root directory. However, they're processed differently and have very different capabilities. A map file is simple and does redirections. A "mailrule" file is an industrial strength tool you can use to redirect e-mail or clean spam off your dishes.

We're just kidding about the dishes thing but not by much. Note that what follows assumes you use only the mailrule file. A section further down outlines what to do if you're using both a map file and a mailrule file.

A mailrule file is used by Islandnet's Personal E-mail Processing program ("PEP" for short). PEP is a sophisticated e-mail management program available to all customers. Since we're talking about e-mail redirections here, we won't get into all of PEP's capabilities. For our help documents on PEP, click here.

Redirections with a mailrule aren't as simple as with map files but you can do much more. For example, you can redirect messages based on the subject of an e-mail--or based on pretty much any other message "header."

Here is what a redirection might look like in a mailrule:

forward if subject contains "quotation" "bob@aol.com"

You should keep in mind that any e-mail to any address related to your domain name or your regular Islandnet e-mail address (someperson@islandnet.com) with the word "quotation" in it would get redirected to "bob@aol.com".

You can also test for multiple conditions like so:

score if subject contains "quotation" +2
score if to matches "anybody@example.com" +1
forward if score = 2 "bob@aol.com"
forward if score = 3 "fred@msn.com"
forward if score = 1 "bob@aol.com"

The first line adds a "score" of two to any incoming message with a subject header containing the word "quotation." The second line adds a score of one to any incoming message addressed to "anybody@example.com". If a message is addressed to "anybody@example.com" and contains the word "quotation" in the subject, it is assigned a score of three.

Consequently, any incoming messages with "quotation" in the subject header get directed to "bob@aol.com". Any incoming messages with "quotation" in the subject header and addressed to "anybody@example.com" will get directed to "fred@msn.com". Any e-mail messages simply addressed to "anybody@example.com" but not containing the word "quotation" in the subject will get delivered to "bob@aol.com".

So, you can see there are practically an unlimited number of options you can use when filtering incoming messages with PEP.

"But what about the children?" - Using child accounts, map files, mailrule files, and domains together

Of course, if you do not have a map file or a mailrule file in place, nothing happens to messages on their way to your account. They simply get delivered.

An e-mail is sent to an address not listed in the account map file and final line in the map file is "*:!", which tells our system to delete the message before it is sent to the e-mail server. A message sent to an address listed in the account map file and the map file instructs our system to send the e-mail to a third party address. E-mail is sent to a specific address at a customer's domain. In this case the customer has redirected the e-mail destined to their domain to a "child" account associated with the customer's primary account. In this case, the "envelope-to" and "to" addresses are changed from the domain-related e-mail address to the child account e-mail address. E-mail is sent to a domain-related address and the map file simply forwards the message on to the user's account. As with case 3 above, the message can be processed twice. Also as with case 3, the message "to" and "envelope-to" addresses are changed from the domain related one to the user's Islandnet e-mail address.

On the other hand, what happens when you combine child accounts, map files, and mailrule files? If you need to direct domain-related e-mails to child accounts, you should know the order in which things happen and what happens at each stage. Fortunately, there are only two stages involved--the map file and the mailrule file.

When an e-mail arrives at our system and it's destined for a domain-related address, it's processed through the map file first. When processed through a mailrule, it's important to note that the "to" and "envelope-to" addresses get changed to whatever address is specified in the map file. For example, where a map file redirects a message destined for "anybody@example.com" to "childaccount@islandnet.com", the message is re-addressed to "childaccount@islandnet.com". Once processed by the map file, you can no longer test for "anybody@example.com."

Another tidbit worth noting is the fact that once you've directed a message to a child account using the map file, you can't do anything with it using the "parent" account mailrule. If you need to process messages destined for a child account with PEP, you'll need to either not use a map file or first direct them to your "parent" account using the map file. We recommend having a map file in order to deflect lots of spam.

So, how 'bout an example? Okay.

Continuing with the example addresses we used previously, let's say you want "anybody@example.com" to go to a child account called "somechild". You can use your map file (named "map.example.com" and located in your root directory) to direct the e-mail to your child account address like so:

anybody: somechild@islandnet.com

Then, you can process the incoming e-mail by using PEP and a mailrule file in the child account's root directory (child accounts are fully functioning accounts like "parent" accounts).

Using Your Domain Name in E-mail Messages

So, if my Islandnet e-mail address is "someperson@islandnet.com," how can I use my domain name for my address when I send and receive e-mails? Once again, glad you asked.

The "from" e-mail address and the "reply-to" e-mail address that gets added to your outgoing messages is set in your e-mail program. When you setup a new account in your e-mail program, you'll be asked to fill in a series of fields such as the account name, your username, your password, the outgoing server name, the incoming server name, et cetera. Only the username, password, and server names have to be exact in order to send and receive e-mail.

Other fields such as the "account name," the "sender" or "to" address, the "reply-to" address can be anything you like. So, if the e-mail address you wish to use is "anybody@example.com," you can fill it in as the "sender," "to," or "reply-to" address. Anyone getting one of your messages will see that as being the address from which the message was sent.

We are always working on ways to improve our customer service. The latest enhancement in this area is the addition of 'Live Help", a web based live chat system that lets you chat in real time with our staff. Customers do not need any special software beyond a Javascript enabled web browser, and it is not even necessary to log into the helpdesk to use it.

In the top right corner of every page on our helpdesk, just below the date and time, you'll see a new "Live Chat" button. This button changes to reflect the current status of our live chat operators. The four possible buttons you'll see are:

• 
  This means that at least one staff member is logged into the chat system and is accepting chat requests. Of course, they may be busy with a phone call, e-mail, or other chats at the same time, so please be patient.
• 
  This means that none of our staff members are currently logged into the chat system or available to accept chat requests.
• 
  This means that one or more staff members are logged into the chat system, but they are temporarily unavailable to accept chat requests (ie: they may be away from their desk for a few minutes, taking a phone call, etc.) but they will be back shortly.
• 
  This is similar to the one above, but it means the staff members have been away longer than expected (ie: they may be in a meeting, on a break, etc.) This usually happens when the software detects that the staff member's computer has been inactive for a while.

While many people will prefer to use the telephone for technical support, there are several advantages to using the chat system:

• It's available to our customers outside of Canada and the US without incurring a toll call.
• Dialup customers can talk to our staff while they are online without having to hang up to make a voice call.
• Our staff can carry on multiple chat sessions at the same time, which you can't do with telephone calls.
• The conversation is available to both customers and staff as a transcript that can be printed.
• Settings, URLs, and other items can easily be 'cut and pasted' from the chat window into other applications.
• Similarly, staff members can easily cut and paste information from elsewhere into the chat window.
• Staff members can give you clickable links, images (such as screen shots), etc.
• Customers have an opportunity to rate the support session after it's over, providing us with valuable feedback.

The highspeedplus.com SSL certificate for highspeedplus.com expires in August and we will not be renewing it. Highspeedplus.com and Islandnet.com have been the same system for many months now.

Any and all references to "www.highspeedplus.com" in web pages should be changed to "www.islandnet.com". If this is not done by August 14th, any secure pages will still work, but they will generate a warning about an expired certificate. The Islandnet.com certificate will be maintained, plus it offers a higher level of security (256 bit vs 128 bit).

After looking at the envelope and the enclosed notice a bit closer, though, you may have realized the mail you just got was from a private company, not a government or quasi-government agency. In fact, if that thought process is what you experienced, you're not alone.

We've scanned the "Domain Registry of Canada" notice to the left. If you click on the image, you can view a larger readable version. If you look closely at the maple leaf in the top, left-hand corner of the notice (similar to the graphic on the envelope), you'll notice a "†" after "Domain Registry of Canada," indicating a notice elsewhere on the page. If you look at the bottom of the page, you'll see the "†" signifies that "A Registered Business Style of Registration Services Inc." This is a key bit of information we'll cover later.

The "Domain Registry of Canada" used to go by the name "Internet Registry of Canada." The Industry Canada Competition Bureau issued the following statement regarding "Internet Registry of Canada (click here to view the statement on the Industry Canada website in its original context):"

"Domain Registrar of Canada" envelopes and notices are very similar to the ones they used to send out as the "Internet Registry of Canada." From the Industry Canada statement you can gather that many people recieving the notices were confused, some thinking that "Internet Registry of Canada" (and now "Domain Registry of Canada") is a government agency authorized to deal with Canadian domain names. As made known in the Industry Canada statement, Internet Registry of Canada was not a government agency. Obviously, "Domain Registry of Canada" is also not a government agency.

Remember that "†" and the notice "A Registered Business Style of Registration Services Inc." regarding the name "Domain Registry of Canada." Well, there's probably a good reason for this notice. It is very likely that any company trying to get such a name would be denied--unless they actually were a government or quai-government agency. So, instead of actually having the name, they use it as a "business style."

In fact, careful reading of the document will make clear the fact the company is not a government agency and that you do not have to renew or register with them. Only scanning the document might lead you to believe the opposite.

What ought to catch the attention of anyone reading their notices is the fact that their prices are extremely high, despite the notice proclaiming "our best savings" if people "act now." Notices we've seen lately offer domain renewals at $40 / year for one year, $35 / year for two years or $32 / year for 5 years. These rates compare poorly to Islandnet.com rates of $16.95 / year for ".com" domains and $21.95 / year for ".ca" domains. Indeed, there are few domain registrars that are more expensive than "Domain Registry of Canada".

Some characterize the tactics used by "Internet Registry of Canada" or "Domain Registry of Canada" as "domain slamming." Domain slamming is the practice of using either aggressive or deceptive tactics (or both) in getting consumers to register or renew (and switch) their domain names to another registrar.

So, if you get such a notice read it carefully and don't be mislead.

NS Computers - Saanich (Royal Oak Shopping Mall)

We're happy to say NS Computers has become an Islandnet.com agent in the Royal Oak Mall in Saanich. They're a local computer store with friendly, knowledgeable people to help you with your computer needs. They specialize in computer repairs.

NS Computers is located at 4456B West Saanich Road and you can reach them at (250) 881-8398. Check our Agents page and you'll see them there too.

NS Computers accepts Visa, Mastercard, Interac, and cash.

NS Computers' hours of operation are 9:30 am to 5:30 pm Monday to Friday and 10:30 am to 4:30 pm on Saturdays. NS Computers is closed on Sundays.

Legal Stuff

The information displayed in this newsletter and any previous or subsequent newsletters is for information purposes only. Islandnet.com, AMT Solutions Group, Inc. and related companies are not responsible for any losses or damages resulting from the use of information in the newsletter. While the information contained in this newsletter is believed accurate, readers must verify information for themselves. Sites we link to do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of AMT Solutions Group, Inc.