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Updated: 24 March 2007

Big mailboxes here at last!

[Photo: New mail servers] After tonight Chebucto users will have access to a mail system second to none for its features, security and versatility. User mailboxes are about to vastly increase in size and speed of access as mail functions move from Chebucto's main server to a separate more powerful new server.

Chebucto Plus members and organizations with Neighbourhood Accounts will see their mailboxes grow in size from 4 MB to 1 GB (1,024 MB). Supporting members will see their mailboxes go from 2 MB to 512 MB. Full memberships will get 150 MB mailboxes, up from 1.5 MB while Assisted members and free accounts will each get 50 MB mailboxes.

In addition, saved mail folders will now reside in the much larger mailbox space so users will see more available disk space in their accounts freed up from the shifting of the mail folders to the new machine.

On the new mail system messages older than 30 days in your JUNKMAIL and Trash folders will be automatically deleted. Changes to the spam filtering preferences (here) mean that everyone with spam filtering ON will have a JUNKMAIL folder they can check for messages that may have been tagged as spam in error as well as a choice to turn our spam filtering OFF.

The changeover will take several hours starting around midnight as mail is transferred over from one server to another.

With these changes Chebucto Community Net mail offers secure encrypted email access, no advertising or data mining of your email, large mail folders with spam filtering, virus filtering and phishing (scam email) protection on all incoming email as well as being securely physically hosted right here in Halifax, Nova Scotia under Canadian privacy laws.

Email can be accessed securely from anywhere in the world through our Webmail service, through IMAP and POP3 with both TLS and SSL encryption available, and through our text service using telnet and secure encrypted SSH2.

Annual General Meeting announced!

In a letter to members, Chebucto Community Net Chair Bernie Hart announced the Annual General Meeting of the Chebucto Community Net Society will be held April 12, 2007 at 7 PM in Room 1020 in the Kenneth Rowe Management Building, 6100 University Avenue. See records of past AGMs here.

Participation from our members in the running of the Chebucto Community Net is absolutely critical to Chebucto's continuing existence. Remember, this is your community net. We're not some faceless company, we're you.

Please come to the AGM.

Chebucto wifi development ongoing

[Photo: Johnathan Thibodeau and his new directional antenna.] With the headaches of developing and moving user mailboxes to a completely new system almost done with and the problems of coping with the vast increase in the amount of incoming junk mail under control, time will become available again to continue setup and development of Chebucto's high speed wireless internet access.

Chebucto staff members and the Chebucto Board are eager to get the first area chosen for wireless access online.

The Chebucto Community Net plans to bring non-profit high-speed Internet to the metro Halifax area by building a mesh network of wireless nodes hosted by users themselves.

Currently in active development, Chebucto's plan would offer free public access to local metro and government websites and full Internet access to Chebucto Plus level memberships, currently $100 per year for individuals.

The areas to be served by the new wireless access will be determined by the residents of metro themselves.

Chebucto is looking for residents able to host wireless nodes, the cornerstone of the network, and when we get enough nodes in a neighbourhood, we can look at bringing network access where it is needed. A node sign-up form is online here.

Chebucto's project was the cover story of The Coast's August 3, 2006 issue. It was first announced to members at the Annual General Meeting this past April.

Help promote Chebucto!

We invite our members and supporters to help promote the Chebucto Community Net in the community by printing off and distributing Chebucto brochures and posters from our website.

We have added a new brochure for promoting our new wireless service in your neighbourhood.

Chebucto services maintenance window

The Chebucto Technical Committee wishes to advise Chebucto users of upcoming regularly scheduled planned maintenance downtimes. Chebucto Community Net services may be unavailable between 3:30 AM and 4:30 AM Tuesdays to allow for system upgrades. Some or all Chebucto services may go down with minimum or no warning during this maintenance window as systems are shut down and restarted.

Chebucto Community Net RSS how-to guide

Chebucto Community Net has posted a guide on how to use our RSS news feed here: chebucto.ca/rss/

Our RSS feed is our way of letting people know fast about important software updates and security alerts as well as new developments at Chebucto. Stay informed with the news as soon as we have it ourselves with our RSS news feed.

Updated - Recommended software list

With the recent interest in Internet security and the rise in various exploits meant to take over user machines, the Chebucto Office has compiled this list of recommended software for user computers running Microsoft Windows.

Web browser: Mozilla Firefox free from Mozilla.org
Upgraded to version 2.0.0.3.

Email client: Mozilla Thunderbird free from Mozilla.org
Upgraded to version 1.5.0.10.

Anti-Spyware Software:

Firewall: Zone Alarm free and paid versions from Zonelabs.com

Free anti-virus programs for home users (Note that both of these programs also have paid versions which offer additional features):

FTP Software: FileZilla free from FileZilla.SourceForge.net

RSS Newsfeed Reader: RSSOwl free from RSSOwl.Org

SSH Client: Putty free from Simon Tatham

The Chebucto Office does not recommend using the Internet Explorer web browser for any use except for accessing Microsoft's own Windows Update page. The popular web browser has been repeatedly successfully targetted by virus writers in particular seeking to break into home computers to use them for criminal purposes such as sending out spam, sending out viruses to break into other computers and being used to disrupt services on other computer systems.

After many reports about vulnerabilities for Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express email programs, and the constant stream of user complaints about randomly altered program settings and difficulty using the program, the Chebucto Community Net Office and the Chebucto Technical Committee recommend our users do not use either Outlook or Outlook Express as their email program.

Keeping Microsoft Windows up to date is also very important. Windows XP users should have Service Pack 2 installed. All Microsoft Windows users should make a point of using Internet Explorer to visit the Microsoft Windows Update site at least once a month and download all critical updates.

Cool Chebucto hats available!

[Photo: Cool Chebucto hat - click to see larger photo] We have available these excellent quality Chebucto Community Net hats. Click on photo to see larger version. These fashionable stone coloured washed cotton Chino twill hats are low fitting with adjustable strap and antique silver ring buckle for a perfect fit and are embroidered with the Chebucto Community Net logo and web address. Machine washable and drip dry with a pre curved peak, this hat will provide years of comfortable wear as well as showing your support for Halifax's own one-of-a-kind independent Community Net.

You can get your very own Chebucto Community Net hat from the Chebucto office for $20 or we can mail it out to you for an additional $10.


 

 

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