Author Archive
Steve Graves
Infrastructure
Smooth the bumpy road to 508 compliance
In the year since Section 508 of the Disability Act Amendments took effect, we've seen considerable advances. One is a better toolkit to make agency Web sites accessible for every user.
Digital Government
SharePoint is worth the upgrade to FrontPage 2002
A single feature of Microsoft FrontPage 2002 makes the upgrade worthwhile for agencies with developer staffs: SharePoint Team Services.
Digital Government
Check sites for 508 with audit-edit tools
Agency webmasters are just beginning to stock their Section 508 tool kits with products to make their sites adhere to the accessibility standards.
Digital Government
Code goof mars FedWeb '97 site
Federal Web Consortium program manager Valerie Gregg, a National Science Foundation employee, told the workshop attendees that a GCN reporter had notified FedWeb '97 organizers late last month that he had seen credit card numbers on the registration site. Gregg said the organizers then investigated and found that sensitive information had been posted on the site for about four hours.
Digital Government
Hitch up your database to your Web site
Agencies are hard at work building bridges between their vast database collections and their World Wide Web sites. Some even plan to maintain and update the databases across the Internet. I've had the same goal for more than a year. The ideal program to achieve this goal would be easy to use, scalable to enterprise level and capable of handling free-form documents as well as relational databases.
Digital Government
If it seems spam rains on your e-mail, here are two umbrellas
Spam Shot, still in beta testing, works hand-in-hand with your e-mail client's filters. It operates like a virus program, creating a kill filter full of identifying data from known spammers. The program scans your e-mail header fields such as From, To and Subject. When it finds something that matches your filter data, Spam Shot zaps the information into the trash.
Digital Government
Hayes' 56-kilobit/sec modem comes close to its touted speed -
Modem speed and price wars are causing some casualties. The first thing I noticed when I opened the box containing Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc.'s external 56-kilobit/sec Accura 56K modem was that there was no serial cable. I happened to have a couple of spare cables squirreled away, but buyers who expect ready-to-install products should be aware that few modem makers include cables anymore. A notation to that effect on the box would save
Digital Government
Microsoft: Explorer's no monopolizer
It counters claims that Windows 98 will discourage the use of other browsers Microsoft Corp. has charged that Netscape Communications Corp. and other companies are conducting a misinformation campaign against Microsoft's Internet Explorer 4.0 browser. In June, Netscape and Gateway 2000 Inc. officials complained to several senators that Microsoft's tight integration of Explorer 4.0 with the forthcoming Microsoft Windows 98 will discourage use of any other browser.
Digital Government
Hone puzzle-piecing skills for Web work
In the tradition of the Web's ubiquitous Frequently Asked Questions from users in search of answers, here are some hands-on FAQs that agency webmasters and site designers may ask. Q:When I try to preview Hypertext Markup Language pages on my development server with Microsoft Internet Explorer, the browser attempts a dial-up connection and displays the message, "Cannot findhttp://localhost/webcontent/page.HTML." What's going on?
Digital Government
Encryption software ensures messages are for your eyes only
For the security-conscious, PGP for Personal Privacy 5.0 has better key distribution features and a better graphical interface than its previous incarnations. Earlier versions of the encryption package are in use at NASA, the Treasury Department and some Defense Department offices. You can now encrypt through the Microsoft Windows 95 or Windows NT system tray or the Microsoft Internet Explorer file menu. Also, you can directly encrypt or decrypt messages from within your mail
Digital Government
Ergonomic keyboard holder prevents wrist strain
The solidly built AKP Adjustable Keyboard Podium will hold your keyboard, mouse and even mouse pad in the wrist-neutral position that relieves repetitive-motion strain. You can sit or stand at the AKP and roll it about to give presentations. The height adjusts via a lever-controlled, gas spring cylinder similar to those on office chairs.
Featured eBooks
Digital Government
Post-it software takes notes without the sticky stuff
If you find personal information managers too constraining and hunt for telephone numbers written in an assortment of matchbook covers, Post-it Software Notes is for you. Electronic imitations of 3M's little yellow sticky notes have been around for years. Now 3M has jumped into the software business with its own electronic version of the company's ubiquitous Post-it note.
Digital Government
FootPrints extends reach of your help desk via TCP/IP
FootPrints, a problem-tracking and help desk package, has promise as a dark-horse entry in the crowded help desk field. UniPress Software Inc.'s FootPrints uses TCP/IP to follow the World Wide Web metaphor and do the same basic things LAN help desks do. With a Web-style help desk, technicians can economically support users on an intranet or anywhere around the globe via the Internet.
Digital Government
Starfish Software offers a $20 grab bag of utilities for users
The $20 Internet Utilities 97 from Starfish Software is like a grab bag for geeks. It's stuffed with utilities, some more impressive than others. Individually, most of the tools don't match up to their commercial or freeware rivals. But the grab bag holds a couple of winners and, as a whole, the collection is indubitably useful.
Digital Government
LaserTools develops new, thrifty printer tricks
But LaserTools Corp. has an inexpensive utility called Power PrintCache that can dramatically expand the abilities of almost any printer, save time and cut consumables up to 50 percent. LaserTools officials told me that independent research shows about 75 percent of business printing is for internal document review, drafts and personal file copies.
Digital Government
Microsoft's Battle is for the Small Guy - May 28, 1998
Not everyone believes Microsoft Corp. is out to squish the small guy. In fact, Microsoft has made it possible for hundreds of small businesses to thrive under its partnership programs. Some of those partners are rising to Microsoft's defense in the looming anti-trust battle. Demonstrating support for Microsoft in its battle with the Justice Department, M. Victor Janulaitis, CEO of Positive Support Review, a Santa Monica, Calif. software firm announced that it has posted a petition
Digital Government
Proper protocol sends the best message
It has changed the way we work and done more than any other technology to rid the office of paper. E-mail is faster than conventional postal delivery and almost as dependable. Neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor gloom of night will stop e-mail from arriving shortly after you hit the Send button. That is, unless your e-mail server, local network or provider's connection is down.
Digital Government
Eye-catching Web art just got easier
Microsoft Image Composer is an exception. This graphics manipulation package is designed expressly to create images for on-screen display. It's truly powerful, fairly intuitive and lots of fun to use. Image Composer comes as part of Microsoft's FrontPage 97 Bonus Pack with 700 pieces of clip art and photographs. You can download Image Composer, sans clip art, for free from Microsoft's World Wide Web site at http://www.microsoft.com.
