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10/23/2009

Good Computer Guy Help Desk is operational!

Tags: Support
My new Help Desk went live today.  As per usual I've been looking for a good help desk system but haven't been able to find anything that I've been really happy with.  So I built it from the ground up in Lotus Notes.  The new Help Desk will assist in easily submitting new issues as well as managing and tracking open issues.  On the back end, it will be integrated with my contact management system, the Good Management System, an older version of which is available on OpenNTF (yeah, that REALLY needs to be updated as the version on OpenNTF has some known bugs and issues.)  I had been using Spiceworks in a few clients but while Spiceworks is pretty slick, the interface is slow and the help desk functionality couldn't be tied into a master database, which is really what I need to manage everything.

If you have an issue that needs support, simply go to my website, www.goodcomputerguy.com, click on "Help Desk" in the top menu, then "Submit a ticket."  You will immediately receive an confirmation e-mail with your ticket number and a link back to the ticket.  Save that e-mail as that is the easiest way to get back to your ticket online.

You can update your open ticket at any time by clicking on the link in the e-mail as well.  Any updates by me to your ticket will instantly notify you by e-mail.  If you lose the e-mail with your ticket number, simply go back to the Help Desk and click on "Resend existing ticket(s) via e-mail" to get a new message with all of your tickets.  Regular rates apply.  If you're on a Good Service Plan, many items may be included.  If you have a pre-paid block of hours then those may be used.

In addition to creating the Help Desk, I needed a way to let all of my current contacts know about it.  But I didn't just want to send out an e-mail blast blind copying everyone.  To be a responsible e-mailer I needed to include a link for anyone who wanted to be removed from my e-mail list.  So I built both an e-mail blaster and an unsubscribe application, both in Lotus Notes, too.  I suppose I should put those on OpenNTF, but I started getting lazy and hard-coded some stuff in there (bad, bad programmer!)  So far the e-mail blaster worked fine and only one person has unsubscribed from my updates (oh well.)

10/19/2009

Lotus Domino 8.5.1 upgrade complaint

Tags: Lotus Domino
I upgraded my Lotus Domino server recently and realized that I have a complaint.  There's not enough time to make and drink a cup of coffee during the upgrade.  Seriously, try it.  Better yet, try that with any competing product.  I continue to be amazed at what an amazing product Lotus Notes/Domino is.  I continue to be more amazed at what a lousy job IBM has done to market it since oh, I don't know, 1995?  I think I'll go grab another cup of coffee and upgrade another Domino server.

10/06/2009

iPhone Conditional Call Forwarding

Tags: iPhone
I could have sworn that I tried to do this when I first got my iPhone and failed for part of it.  Sure, iPhone Visual Voicemail is great an all, but it's not useful for me as I want all my voicemail in the same place.  My voicemail is recorded on my Asterisk server, then delivered to me via e-mail.  You may also want to use this if you have Google Voice and want to have your voicemail end up there (transcribed) instead.  So anyway, the missing links:

To Activate Call Forwarding...
...If Busy (this is when you are dialing, etc, not when you are actually talking on the phone, if you have call waiting): *67*hone number to forward to, then hit "Call."
...If Not Answered: *61*hone number to forward to, then hit "Call."
...If Unreachable: *62*hone number to forward to, then hit "Call."

To Deactivate Call Forwarding...
...If Busy : #67#
...If Not Answered: #61#
...If Unreachable: #62#

10/02/2009

Google Maps satellite updates - I see you!

Tags: Internet
I just got a ping from a friend who I'm meeting for lunch from Hey Where Are You (HeyWAY), an iPhone location app (and it looks like he's running late!)  I pinged him back since I'm still at home and then was a little startled to realize that the latest Google Map satellite update of my home shows my truck outside with remarkable clarity.  I have to admit, it was a little freaky.  Now, I can date the picture as being from over a year ago based on where my truck is, where my motorcycle cover is, and where the camper is in the yard, as well as the leaves on the trees.  I don't know how Google Maps is updated, but I know that picture has not been there until very recently, yet it's still pretty old.  And I still feel a little creepy - I think I'll close the blinds before I head out.

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