I’m the person you hate to sit next to on an airplane. I admit
it. I’m a “ripper.” I take all of the magazines I haven’t read yet,
schlep them onto the plane with me, and then start ripping out
pages of things that inspire me, things that I’d like to remember
or things that I can pass on that I think other people would like
to know.
After dating for about three years, my boyfriend turned to me
one day and asked just exactly what happened to all of these
magazine pages. I told him that I file them of course. He smirked
and replied, “I’ve never seen those files. I bet those pages end up
in a black hole somewhere.”
Well, today, I’m going to dig into my black hole and share a
handful of tips and ideas that kitchen and bath dealers can use to
make their computer time safer, more efficient and more
productive.
Googling Error Messages
Have you ever been
baffled by an error message that suddenly pops up onto the screen?
Of course, they only pop up at inopportune timesa special division
of Murphy’s Law just for computers.
My secret weapon for decoding these problems is the search
engine “Google.” Cut and paste or copy down the error exactly as it
comes up and put it into the search engine. It’s very important to
put quotes at the beginning and end of what you are entering.
Otherwise, you’ll google a mishmash of stuff that will confuse you
even more.
Anyway, in nine out of 10 cases, you should get back an
explanation for the message you weren’t able to previously decode
(even though you were using your best secret decoder ring.) It’s a
great way to figure out what exactly that error is caused by, and
that leads you down the path to fix it.
Keeping the Coffers Safe
Banking and buying
online can save kitchen and bath firms s a great deal of time. And,
with our schedules seemingly more packed than ever before, saving
time is a pretty appealing option. Invariably, we’ll have to learn
how to do it sooner or later, so why not now? If the thought of it
still frightens you, take heart; there are a couple of things that
you can do to keep your business or personal finances safe.
My first hint, and one that seems rather obvious but I’m going
to throw it out there nonetheless, is to never, ever respond to an
e-mail asking for your social security number, confirmation of a
password or any other information that is proprietary. Some of the
“bad guys” will cut and paste the logo of, let’s say, VISA, into
their e-mail to you. By doing this, they can make their e-mails
look pretty official. But never give out any information unless you
are contacting the bank or credit card company yourself. Your best
bet is to not even respond to the e-mail.
When making purchases online, also avoid using a debit credit
card. While credit card companies are pretty good about covering
you when your credit card numbers have been stolen, many debit
cards aren’t covered in the same way.
If you are currently using a debit card for online purchases,
contact the issuer. Get in writing from them what is and is not
covered in the event of theft.
Remember, just because you secure this information today may not
mean it will hold true tomorrow. Find out how they notify customers
of any changes the company might make so that you can be on the
lookout for extreme changes that might put your money and your
credit rating in harm’s way.
Spim Spam
“Spimming” is probably a new word
for you. Think spam, as in the junk e-mail. Spim is just another
form of spam. Spim, Spam. Cute, huh? (Who comes up with these
words, anyway?)
While spam occurs in e-mail, spim occurs in IMs, or instant
messages. IM is when you set your computer to let others know when
you’re online so they can chat with you in real time. When you type
something in and then the other person responds right back, just as
in a phone conversation, you are IMing or chatting in real
time.
Spimming is when someone sends you an IM, and in that IM they
direct you to check out their Web site. When you click on the link
in the IM to get to the Web site, they download a virus onto your
computer. You’ve just been spimmed. The sad thing is that you
thought the IM was coming from a friend or co-worker. In truth,
however, their IM list had been commandeered by spimmers. So that
friendly IM was not friendly at all.
My advice to you is to stay away from clicking on Web links via
IMs. If you are curious, write down the Web address you want to
visit, and then type it directly into the Internet yourself.
Dead Ahead
After I’ve finished ripping out
all of those magazine pages on the plane, I like to work on my
computer to help pass the time. And, while I may not have any top
secret information that I’m working on, it always seems like the
person next to me has finished ripping apart their magazine pages,
too, and has nothing better to do than read what I’m working
on.
It may not be an airplane where you seek a little privacy; maybe
you are dealing with the same thing in the office. Well, there’s
good news for all of us. There is now a special screen to prevent
this. You put it right over your computer screen. It allows you to
see your computer if you are staring at it dead on, but prevents
people from seeing it from an angled view.
Camera Phones
Camera phones are hated by
some, embraced by others. Just a thought why not provide them to
your installers or others who are out on the job sites? They are a
great way to quickly get a photo of a damaged cabinet to the
factory or send back a photo example of what is otherwise a tough
thing to explain? After all, time is money.
Now that we’ve googled, spimmed, spammed, battened down the
coffers, kept the nosey people in the next seat over from checking
out our computer screen and sent back a photo for posterity, I’m
off to the black hole to do some filing.
Karla Krengel is a third generation kitchen and bath industry
entrepreneur. She recently started Krengel Media, a publicity firm
bridging the gap between kitchen designers and the media. Krengel
is also recognized as the “face” of Kitchens.com, which creates Web
sites for the kitchen and bath industry as well as provides design
and product information. She currently sits on NKBA’s sub-committee
for Technology and the Professional Development committee.