Articles

Charlie the Tuna® is, according to StarKist® (his "sponsor"), America's favorite tuna.  Growing up we saw Charlie left behind in the water time after time only to be told, "Sorry, Charlie!"  Too many are hearing that same kind of disappointing line these days because someone has "phished" (pronounced fished) their identity information and taken all their cash and assets before moving on. This has become the number one threat to consumers and financial institutions on the Internet.  What exactly is phishing?  How can we recognize it?  What can we do about it?

Growing churches and ministries often find themselves in the building / up-sizing process.  While such business essentials as telephones are usually factored into the planning process, computer systems are often forgotten.  Yet today’s ministries are dependent on the digital storage and movement of information we affectionately call data.  What needs to be considered when designing new buildings?

Bill Gates once said, “Why would anyone want more than 640k of RAM memory?”  That was a couple of decades ago, and a lot has changed since then.  Today’s PCs process more information faster than anything imagined in the early days of computing.  The software is demanding, however, and needs a lot of resources to work well. The question is, “When is it good stewardship to upgrade computers?”  At what point does it cost more to work with older computer technology than it costs to upgrade?

Many disagree about the best way to design church computer networks.  Someone once said that if you ask three network engineers how to build a network you’ll get four answers!  But is there a way to tell if a design strategy makes sense?  I think so.

Churches are about program, not administration.  During church site development projects we focus on program-related needs— auditorium, classrooms, etc— that’s only natural.  We look ahead with vision to meet our growing needs in these areas.  What often gets left behind is a balanced look at our growing administrative needs.  One of those is setting our campuses up for data communications— our network. Networks run best when their infrastructure is solid.  Let’s look at a few network cable issues worth keeping in mind as we plan our new site.

Are you tired of getting those emails too?  Most people don’t realize that modern viruses are able to spoof the From email address.  That means you may not have been the source of the virus you’ve just been told you sent.