I was just messin' wit you, Horace. Clearly your technical discussion was
above this 19th century craftsperson.
That being said, I find that the pop-up blocker often renders certain
interactive websites unusable. The only answer then is to disable the
pop-up blocker, at least temporarily. You can then engage it again when you
are done. My experience with earthlink as a webhost is mixed but I'm too
lazy to change. Certain browsers work well with it and others don't.
Anyway, I don't know if that's the issue here or not but it occurred to me
as one possibility. I'll certainly leave it to others to make that
determination.
David Love
www.davidlovepianos.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Horace Greeley [mailto:hgreeley at sonic.net]
Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2012 5:46 PM
To: David Love
Subject: Fwd: Re: [pianotech] dues payment fiasco
Hi, David,
You wrote:
>Huh?
In your previous EM to the list, you suggested disabling pop-up blockers.
The problem with doing that is that it pop-ups are one of the most
easy to use ways to hack into a Windows machine. That's why the
blocker is usually supplied enabled (on later IE versions and most
other browsers), and why making sure that pop-ups are blocked are
among the steps included in almost all lists for securing Windows machines.
I think I remember you mentioned that you use Earthlink. If that's
the case, then, depending on how you have your account set up with
them, you have much less to worry about from Internet sources than
people who don't have Earthlink/AOL/other ISPs who handle a good deal
of end-user security. People who use basically non-secure ISP
resources (like Comcast, among others) have very different problems
with which to deal.
It's no big deal; rather, just that everyone's setup is
different. You use Earthlink. I accomplish the same thing a
different way, doing all that filtering/etc via a computer which runs
Linux-based firewall. Someone who has a plain-vanilla ADSL
("Asynchronous Digital Service Line"), dialup or similar connection
should be encouraged to exercise much more vigilance, because they
probably don't have the same level of protection built in their
overall configuration. So, for them, turning off their pop-up
blocker might well be an invitation to having their computer hacked or
worse.
Partly, I suppose, I'm hoping that someone at the home office gets
the idea that they (and whoever their consultants are) don't have a
corner on how things work. They've been pretty high-handed with this
whole rollout. That the new system still doesn't work properly
nearly a full year after its introduction speaks volumes about the
planning and testing that went into its design and function. And,
while I know that a number of our colleagues are relatively computer
literate, I also know that many are not. If the attention of the
folks who fall into the latter category can be aroused, maybe they'll
experience a more safe computing environment.
In any event, I hope that all is well with you and yours.
Kind regards.
Horace
>David Love
>www.davidlovepianos.com
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On
Behalf
>Of Horace Greeley
>Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2012 4:28 PM
>To: pianotech at ptg.org
>Subject: Re: [pianotech] dues payment fiasco
>
>
>Hi, David, All,
>
>At 12:57 PM 2/1/2012, you wrote:
> >One thing though is to make sure that your pop-up blocker is disabled.
>
>Please be aware that a blanket/complete disabling of a browser's
>pop-up blocker is considered one of the first steps in "best
>practice" securing a Windows machine. While many website developers
>don't like it, and it can slow down one's Internet "experience",
>purging both the main browser cache and deleting "cookies" can save a
>great many headaches with security issues.
>
>Most modern browsers will allow the user to selectively enable
>pop-ups from specific sites while still keeping the blocker otherwise
>in place. Competent web developers actively test their work product
>across (at least) Chrome, Firefox, IE, Opera, and Safari, each on
>several different platforms (which means multiple versions of
>Windows, MacOS, and, yes, Linux...in today's world of being able to
>run multiple virtualized machines on a single physical devices,
>failing to do this kind of testing is simply unprofessional). As
>much of the world moves to more WebKit and Java-based browsers for
>things like iWhatever and all the look-alike tablet-type devices,
>developers are going to have to keep up with a greater number of such
>interfaces. One snare that keeps surfacing for Windows-based
>back-end webservices (servers, applications, databases, and the like)
>is that the platform still does not play nicely with other, non-MS,
>software and/or operating systems. Choosing to use an MS back-end
>presupposes an assumption of responsibility to make sure that other
>software will interface at least reasonably well.
>
>Users of IE should be aware that patch levels on Windows machines are
>critical to security; and functionality/usability of various tools
>within the Windows environment (including IE) will be affected
>(sometimes dramatically) if/as there are any mis-matches. While one
>can still get into trouble by enabling Windows to automagically
>update, that process is safer than it used to be; and is definitely
>better than nothing. There is a bewilderingly huge amount of
>information on line about how to configure various Windows versions
>so that they are at least marginally secure and still usable. While
>much of the stuff on the MS site is primarily aimed at institutional
>and/or commercial users and their service personnel, following their
>security guidelines will help minimize potential problems.
>
>Another thing to consider is that, if you're running an older system
>and/or operating system and/or software, you're running out of time
>for your current setup to be able to handle the volume of data that
>is being forced down the wire to your electronic workspace. Several
>iterations of various MS and Mac OSes will be "end of life" within
>the next year. Part of the reason for that (beyond security issues)
>is that they don't "speak" IPv6, which is the "new" (which means
>finally officially implemented) addressing scheme for the entire
>Internet. If you know the difference between IPv4 and IPv6, then
>you, too, probably know too much about this stuff already. For
>everyone else, it simply means that, unless your ISP starts turning
>hand-springs and keeps backward compatibility alive for their
>customers, your machine really won't be compatible with the overall
>Internet infrastructure for more than another couple of
>years. You'll have less trouble with this if you're using some
>flavor of Linux because most distributions already have the new
>coding built into their OS kernel; and, only FWIW, if you can tune
>and regulate a piano with any degree of competency, you can use Linux
>for your workstation...it simply isn't rocket science. For everyone
>else, there's Windows 7 (Pro version, please; the lower versions
>don't have enough turned on and all that "Ultimate" really gets you
>is advanced language support) and/or Mac OS flavour du jour (currently
>10.6.8).
>
>Anyway, if your Internet connection is less than broadband ethernet
>or ADSL2 (compliance with ADSL2 standards will work, too). That is,
>if it's taking 30 to 60 seconds for a webpage to load or to navigate
>from one to another, it's time to re-evaluate your present overall
>setup and decide if what you have is sufficient (and won't make you
>too crazy) to keep using. If you've been thinking about making any
>changes...looking into another ISP, getting a new computer,
>etc...now's as good a time as any.
>
>In any event, there's more to this set of issues than meets the eye;
>and, especially as everyone's setup is going to be almost
>definitionally different, there simply isn't a one-size-fits-all solution.
>
>Sorry the above is complicated. I hope that it is of some help.
>
>Kind regards.
>
>Horace
>
>
>
> >
> >David Love
> >www.davidlovepianos.com
> >
> >From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org]
> >On Behalf Of David Love
> >Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2012 12:40 PM
> >To: pianotech at ptg.org
> >Subject: Re: [pianotech] dues payment fiasco
> >
> >I saw your posting that you are using IE after I wrote that and
> >yes, you're right, IE is generally supported, though it has other issues.
> >
> >David Love
> >www.davidlovepianos.com
> >
> >From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org]
> >On Behalf Of Encore Pianos
> >Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2012 12:33 PM
> >To: pianotech at ptg.org
> >Subject: Re: [pianotech] dues payment fiasco
> >
> >A good comment David, but one tends to think that Internet Explorer
> >would be supported, since it is still the 800 pound gorilla of the
> >Browsers. If it is not, that should raise some eyebrows.
> >
> >Will
> >
> >From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org]
> >On Behalf Of David Love
> >Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2012 2:47 PM
> >To: pianotech at ptg.org
> >Subject: Re: [pianotech] dues payment fiasco
> >
> >Comments made about various browsers having problems might be worth
> >looking into. My own website, for example, using earthlink is
> >temperamental when I try and edit or even view it using Mozilla
> >Foxfire. The display using Foxfire is distorted in a way that
> >doesn't happen with either Google Chrome or IE. I've had certain
> >sites advise me that they aren't supported by various browsers and
> >suggest others to use. Sometimes technologies aren't compatible. I
> >don't know if that's the case here but probably worth the home
> >office checking.
> >
> >David Love
> ><http://www.davidlovepianos.com>www.davidlovepianos.com
> >
> >From: <mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org>pianotech-bounces at ptg.org
> >[mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Encore Pianos
> >Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2012 11:14 AM
> >To: <mailto:pianotech at ptg.org>pianotech at ptg.org
> >Subject: Re: [pianotech] dues payment fiasco
> >
> >Where, since you are so knowledgeable?
> >
> >Will
> >
> >From: <mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org>pianotech-bounces at ptg.org
> >[mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
> ><mailto:tnrwim at aol.com>tnrwim at aol.com
> >Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2012 1:52 PM
> >To: <mailto:pianotech at ptg.org>pianotech at ptg.org
> >Subject: Re: [pianotech] dues payment fiasco
> >
> >I tried it in both places with the same results .
> >Will
> >
> >Will
> >
> >It would seem to me that when there are people who have no problems
> >paying dues on line, perhaps the problems lies elsewhere.
> >
> >Wim
> >
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Encore Pianos
> ><<mailto:encorepianos at metrocast.net>encorepianos at metrocast.net>
> >To: pianotech <<mailto:pianotech at ptg.org>pianotech at ptg.org>
> >Sent: Wed, Feb 1, 2012 8:46 am
> >Subject: Re: [pianotech] dues payment fiasco
> >I tried it in both places with the same results .
> >
> >Will
> >
> >From: <mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org>pianotech-bounces at ptg.org
> >[mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of David Boyce
> >Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2012 1:02 PM
> >To: <mailto:pianotech at ptg.org>pianotech at ptg.org
> >Subject: Re: [pianotech] dues payment fiasco
> >
> >Well, I too left paying my dues until the last minute. I didn't
> >have any problem doing it online; the transaction went
> >smoothly. BUT I did it on <http://www.ptg.org/>www.ptg.org and NOT
> >on my.ptg, where I couldn't see a place to do it.
> >
> >Some months ago I had a similar frustrating "round in circles
> >logging on" experience when I was trying to do something else; I
> >forget exactly what, perhaps by some Care of my Piano booklets. I
> >emailed the home office who were very helpful, and told me to clear
> >my browser cache and try again on <http://www.ptg.org/>www.ptg.org.
> >
> >Clearly, there are problems which are not yet resolved.
> >
> >Best regards,
> >
> >David.
> ><http://www.davidboyce.co.uk/>www.davidboyce.co.uk
> >
> >Ok, so I am going to do some venting now. I just spent a
> >frustrating 50 minutes trying to pay my dues, and by some miracle
> >was finally able to actually do so. It only took me about 50 tries
> >to log in, although my username and password information were
> >entered correctly. It simply just kept going around in circles and
> >kept asking me for the same info on the page I started with, again
> >and again and again.
> >
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