User group Newsletter Editors: Utilize this content in your newsletter -- PLEASE ... reference UG Network Channel ... Shareware Manager is coming: YUM! Show us the shareware! The Info Manager is looking for your rumors and tidbits... give him a post! ...or subscribe... see subscription notes below . Info Manager - 12/22/Y2K Deja; Net2Phone; Donation Program; SmallDog; Apple Facts; Porn-Filter; Great Plains; Powerbooks to give away . Deja.com The web site formerly known as DejaVu.com has announced that it is selling off its services. It sold its comparison shopping service to Half.com (part of eBay) and will shortly sell the part that got it started, its Usenet newsgroup archives. I certainly hope that someone keeps it running as at times I need to access newsgroups discussing Microsoft Excel and other project at work, but the policy here is that you can't get them directly. Lets keep our eyes open for further developments. . Donation program I have long said that user groups should get involved in supporting other community groups with computer donations. Small Dog one of my favorite Mac-Internet vendors has launched a customer donation program in a similar vein. Insanely Great Mac newsletter reported that when placing orders, they now allow customers to add charitable donations to their shopping cart. The donations are offered in $10 increments for a number of charitable organizations. For every donation a customer makes, Small Dog will match that donation with one of its own. It is always good to seem someone putting good deeds ahead of profits. Good going guys! For more info, see their web site at: www.smalldog.com (The charities include The March of Dimes, Make a Wish Foundation, Greenpeace, Amnesty International, Planned Parenthood, Humane Society and the Vermont Foodbank.) . Don Mayer, Small Dog with Big Heart Small Dog dot com isn't just participating in the charitable program above... he's working with Fred Showker, User Group Academy to make the best equipment purchases available for this year's User Group Academy Awards Grants... one grant proposal called for five DV iMacs, and neither the Apple Store, nor the Mug Store would sharpen their pencils for this worthy cause. However, Don Mayer is working with UGA to cut costs of proposed equipment to within the grant specifications. Three cheers for Don Mayer and SmallDog.com. __ By the way... rumor has it that Don will be at the 2001 UG Soiree at Planet Hollywood on January 9. See'ya there. (RSVP: http://www.UGAcademy.org/Awards/Soiree.html) . Net2Phone >From Internet.com at: http://www.atnewyork.com/news/article/0,1471,8471_536201,00.html In a major shift in strategy, Voice Over Internet Protocol (Vo-IP) telephony play Net2Phone Inc. announced it plans to stop offering free PC-to-phone calls. However, PC-to-PC calls would still be free. They are still working out the details, but I am sure it will still be MUCH cheaper than standard long distance. And as broadband becomes more widely spread, it will also be almost as good a quality. . Apple Facts * Apple had $7.983 billion in sales for fiscal year 2000 (ended 9/30/00). * Apple sold 4.55 million Macs! * During 2000, the company experienced a 30% increase in net sales over 1999 which was the result of a 32% rise in Macintosh unit sales. * The company sold approximately 2.2 million iMacs in 2000, an increase of approximately 400,000 units or 22% over iMac unit sales in 1999. * Apple currently expects that it will be profitable during each of the last three quarters of 2001. * Net sales in the Europe segment increased 38% during 2000, driven by> a 53% increase in Macintosh unit sales. * Net sales in the Japan segment increased 57% to $1.345 billion in 2000 as compared to 1999, while Japan's Macintosh unit sales increased 39%. . Porn-filter disabler The Register is reporting that an anti-censorship group "Peacefire" has released a program that disables porn-filtering programs. This is being done in response to the passage of a bill by the US Congress that requires filtering software in schools and libraries that receive federal funds. Peacefire.exe is available as a free download and can disable popular Windows censorware programs, such as SurfWatch, Cyber Patrol, Net Nanny, CYBERsitter, X-Stop, PureSight and Cyber Snoop. It doesn't work against server level filters and requires Windows 98. The group says that it is acting on principle, and that many sites such as those affiliated to human rights organization, Amnesty International, are blocked by filtering software. As such, it says that filtering software is often politically motivated and filter messages that should be read. . Great Plains The San Jose Mercury News stated on 12/21, that Microsoft is purchasing Great Plains software for $1.1 billion. I believe Great Plains got started with an accounting package for the Apple II computers. For many years they had a high end package for PCs and Macs, but I don't think they were still publishing the Mac version recently. In any case, this give MS something more powerful than "Money." . Powerbooks to give away We never know what User Group Network founder Fred Showker is going to come up with next... but he's tapped into some cool auctions of Macintosh computer equipment, and as part of his philanthropic activities and the User Group Academy he's got Macs to give away. One particular lot of Macs happen to be powerbooks, and rumor has it that he's looking for user groups out there who have needy recipients for these computers. No web page or program is in place yet, but if you want more info you can email Fred at: showker@user-groups.net . Web site of the week: Looking to learn how to do things on the Mac? Of course, your user group is the best source, but an alternative is: Macinstruct.com so check it out. . pau . Don't forget . ... the Info Manager invites you to use all or part of his column in your user group newsletter. Please let him know, and if possible send an electronic copy for the old scrapbook. Any suggestions for topics and reports of rumors are always welcome. Please me know. Thanks The Info Manager is a veteran of the UGN (AOL User Groups Forum) and User Group Network. He's been a supporter and volunteer on many, many UGNet and User Group Academy projects. As a long time user group member, he's served as volunteer from Honolulu to Boston and many points in between. Currently working with the Apple Corp of Dallas, the Dallas Mac Pack, Cowtown MUG of Ft. Worth and TUMS (the Tulsa Users of Macintosh Society) doing newsletter articles and the monthly CD-ROM Update. Post a lead Rumor Manager should follow up on. 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