Fred Showker,
Editor/Publisher, User Group Network News

March, 2002 .
In this issue:

* MUG of the Month: The Rest of Us, Chicago IL
* Free downloadable "Custom" Photoshop plug-in, 16-bits/channel
* This Old Mouse: The old beige box gets a new Optical Mouse
* The MUG Help Files: Dealing with Difficult People
* Symantec Knows Good Security
* Put Spam in its place with Email Magician and FileMaker
* ConceptDraw boosts the juice
* InfoManager Update
* Association News: 2nd Annual Meeting

* The Designer's Bookshelf:

featuring Robin Williams, Kathleen Ziegler and "Designing Women" month
* http://www.design-bookshelf.com/
.

* MUG of the Month: The Rest of Us, Chicago IL

.
The Rest of Us (TROU) is a long time standing Mac User Group with it's feet on the ground and it's sites on the future!
___ They've won numerous awards, including the coveted User Group Academy Award, and continue as a strong service organization for Mac users in and around Chicago.
___ If you haven't seen their newsletter "Mactropolis" you should -- it's newly renovated sporting an all new calligraphic logo, and new typography treatment. Under the capable design hands of Editor Alejandro Luis Molina, Manager Dianne Kinast and Design Director John Brandt, it continues it's long standing tradition of solid writing and concise reporting.
Tro means a lot of service for "The Rest Of Us."
* SEE: Guy Kawasaki on Preaching the Macintosh Religion
. . . TROU article by John Brandt
.

* Free downloadable "Custom" Photoshop plug-in

.
Reindeer Graphics has written a very much enhanced version of Photoshop's "custom" filter, which , like the Photoshop one has an interactive preview, and is recordable in Actions. In addition, the plug-in:
1. supports both 8 and 16 bit per channel grey and RGB images
2. works on the intensity channel leaving hue and saturation unchanged
3. accepts up to a 7x7 array of floating point (real number) values, for much greater precision
4. can scale the results with a floating point number, or automatically for maximum unclipped contrast
5. reads Photoshop format files AND ALSO plain ascii text files
6. works in Photoshop and all compatible programs on both Mac and Windows computers.
___ Encouraged by the recent response from readers of the UG TALK list, Reindeer Graphics is offering this plug-in for free download and use. It is one of nearly 200 plug-ins in the widely used Fovea Pro package, but can be used without installing or owning that package.
___ The plug-in, along with instructions and some example filter files, can be downloaded as a .sit file for Macintosh or a .zip file for Windows. While you are there, please take a look at the full range of Fovea Pro capabilities, which include comprehensive tools for image processing and analysis. Also, check out some of the other free downloads that are available.
___ Thanks to TALK reader Chris Russ - for sending in this offer! It's always great to get new stuff for Photoshop Image Processing: graphics, illustration, photography Download and enjoy...
* http://www.reindeergraphics.com/free.html#custom
.
Do you believe in Macintosh?
* Association of Apple Computer User Groups - http://www.AACUG.org/
* Mac Users Against Spam - http://www.AACUG.org/advocacy.html

---

.
Updating your beige box to a fancy new optical mouse is as easy as saying "cheese" with a little help from "This Old Mouse"
.

This Old Mouse:
* The old beige box gets a new Optical Mouse

Follow along the procedure with pictures:
http://www.user-groups.net/Mac/usbaby/index.html
... including complete information, photos of the CPU, and
links to related products and vendors.
Pictures:
Sonnett's USB/Firewire PCI card
http://www.user-groups.net/Mac/usbaby/tangot.jpg
Kensington's "Mouse in a Box"
http://www.user-groups.net/Mac/usbaby/mouse.jpg
.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* MUG Talk .. http://www.user-groups.net/UGCommunity/subscribe.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

.

* The MUG Help Files: Dealing with Difficult People

.
Dealing with difficult people takes a careful tact and a soft 'hand' -- a difficult task for most of us. Sometimes you can't avoid hostile and aggressive people, particularly in a service oriented group. They put us on the defensive, cause us anxiety, and frustrates our efforts to provide a useful and enjoyable service to our membership. Always remember the three "Cs" when dealing with difficult people.
___ This month UGN presents a two-part essay originally published (by yours truly) in the User Group Forum Help Files, and brought up to date with (Part II) comments from prominent MUG leaders during an online discussion.
* http://www.user-groups.net/UGNetwork/UGHelp/difficult.html
.

* Last month: Favorite MUG Meetings

.
Favorite Mug Meetings A collection of meeting ideas as gathered from more than 12 years of experience in working with groups, online chats, and discussion lists. It's a five page library of great ideas:
* http://www.user-groups.net/UGNetwork/UGHelp/Meetings/index.html
.

* Symantec Knows Good Security

.
Symantec has announced their new Norton Internet Security for Macintosh 2.0 includes Open Door Networks' acclaimed "Who's There? Firewall Advisor". Who's There? helps users understand, analyze and react to attacks detected by the Norton Personal Firewall component of Norton Internet Security.
___ With an ever-growing number of computers connected to the Internet through "always on" connections, there has been a significant increase in the number of hackers attempting to infiltrate those computers. Norton Personal Firewall was developed to thwart and log those intrusion attempts. Who's There? Firewall Advisor works with Norton Personal Firewall to provide in-depth information that helps users determine the degree to which they should be concerned about particular intrusion attempts, and what they can do in response.
___ But you don't have to buy Norton in order to get this protection. Open Door will also continue to distribute Who's There? independently. Details of Who's There? and free evaluation versions of the product for both Mac OS 9 and X are available at Open Door web site. Information about Symantec's Internet security products is available at http://www.symantec.com.
Thanks to Alan Oppenheimer - for sending this info. File it under Home, Business, Personal Privacy, Security Get all the details at:
* http://www.opendoor.com/whosthere/
.

* Put Spam in its place with Email Magician and FileMaker

If you happen to use Eudora (like me) and FileMaker (like me) then YAV Interactive Media has answered our prayers! Email Magician, their popular utility for Eudora Mac (new version 1.4) has added options to export Eudora mailboxes to FileMaker Pro. Not only do you get the "Spammer Address Collection" and four new types of spam filters -- but now you get nearly 200 existing subject-based spam filters included with Email Magician.
___ Besides automatically creating filters, mailboxes, and address book entries for Eudora, Email Magician automates many tasks related to archiving mailboxes and messages, and optimizing your Eudora folder. The program includes an intelligent Urgent Filter note-pad, where you jot down phrases that tell Email Magician to override existing filters and, for example, gather all your "to do" items together for quick disposition.
___ Never make filters, mailboxes, or nicknames in Eudora again! Put spam in its proper place. Let Email Magician keep your inbox and outbox clean -- or any other boxes that you tell it to monitor. View screenshots, and download a trial copy of Email Magician. The price remains at $35 and registered users can upgrade for no charge.
Thanks to Christopher Yavelow - this is exactly what we've been looking for. File this one under Online: email, networking, web, internet, html, ftp Download the evaluation copy, or purchase at:
* http://www.yav.com/emailmagician.html
.

* ConceptDraw boosts the juice

.
ConceptDraw is a cross-platform flowcharting and diagramming software package for Mac OS, Mac OS X and Windows -- ConceptDraw 1.7.5 adds a variety of new and improved features and content to help users to fully utilize the potential of their brain. Enhancements include export to PDF, improved work of DXF and EPS. The current version also features enhanced OS X compatibility, such as working with wheel mouse and interface changes. More flexibility can be found in the Outline format and the Stamp tool has been improved. This update is free to the current users of ConceptDraw Standard and Professional. Just download the updater at the web site.
___ Thanks to Irina Nazarova - for sending this info in to our graphic art, design and CAD department. You can see complete rundown on this new version at:
http://www.conceptdraw.com/en/resources/versionch/vers171ch175.shtml
.

* InfoManager Update

Each week the Info Manager digests the best and most interesting stories from all around the world and brings it to you complete with links.
___ For UG Newsletter Editors it's a real pick-up because you can utilize any part or all, and be assured you're getting the latest thing for your members -- or pick and choose all month long!
* http://www.user-groups.net/InfoManager/
.

* Association News: 2nd Annual Meeting

.
The Association of Apple Computer Users & Groups held their second annual meeting last weekend at the Best Western BWI, in Baltimore MD.
___ Topics discussed among others were * local chapter dues and requirements; * order slate for collateral materials; * nominations of National Advisory Board members; * Regulations for starting local chapters; * certification of existing MUGs as local chapters, and an approval for the acquisition of online commerce services for accepting membership dues and donations online.
___ While Executive Director Dan Sailers was not at liberty to publish the specifics of upcoming programs, he assured UGN that good news would be forthcoming at the AACUG.org web site.
* http://www.AACUG.org/
.

* That wraps it up for March...

.
You can find these and lots of other items for use in your local UG newsletter at: http://www.User-Groups.net/
___ I encourage you to contribute, and add your voice to the UGNN Newsletter, feel free to contact me any time.
Take care, we'll see'ya next issue.
.
Fred Showker
.
Editor-in-Chief, UGN User Group Network News Service
http://www.User-Groups.net/news/

As usual we invite YOUR input, comments, suggestions and participation in the original User Group Network, the longest running commercial-free, independent, multi platform user group support organization in the world.

... http://www.user-groups.net/contact.html


From Fred Showker, Editor/Publisher, User Group Network News: December 15 User Group Network News Service at http://www.user-groups.net/news/index.html.

NOTICE TO EDITORS: ______________________
User Group Editors may reprint this article so long as they include the credit line above, and the link to the User Group Network. Copyright 2000, All Rights Reserved.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The UGNN cannot guarantee accuracy or timeliness of articles. Many have been forwarded to us by field correspondents, or press release services. All care is taken to assure the accuracy of URLs and email addresses. Some items may be 30 to 60 days old. All commercial names herein, including publication, product, and company names are assumed to be the registered trademarks of their respective owner companies. User Group Network, UGN, UGNN, UGNet News, are all trademarks for The User Group Network, copyright 1994 - 2001 all rights reserved ------------------------------------------------------------------------