Myzips.com Software Blog

The software tool I use frequently is Heat Plus Knowledge, by Front Range.

The software helpdesk side of the tool is simply HEAT. The Plus Knowledge component is a user friendly search database to find answers to their own questions. Knowledge databases are searchable databases in which users can search for the resolution to own problems. When dealing with user support systems, these are considered level 0. (Level 1, first level helpdesk tech, level 2, troubleshooting expert, level 3, a programmer, level 4, the software vendor).

1. Users can search for do-it-yourself help to fix their own problems
2. If the user cannot resolve their own problem, the solution tied to the error they are receiving can direct them to the correct helpdesk group to fix the problem
3. Users can search the knowledge database for how to instructions for new functions not covered in their training
4. The helpdesk staff can refer to the solution database to determine the correct second level solution to use to assist the user
5. The helpdesk staffs frequently search the entire database of solutions to determine what the root cause of a user’s problem is; this can lead to users being handed off to the correct support organization immediately, rather than being sent on a goose chase.

If a user can solve their own problem, they do not need to submit a ticket via the HEAT system to one of the helpdesk. Solutions that are Level 1 or higher are also in this database, directing users to the correct diagnosis and helpdesk. The solutions documents are created and maintained as filtered HTML documents. One benefit of this is that we can create the solutions, including screen shots, in Microsoft Word. Do a file save as to filtered HTML, and you have the solution document created. Move to the correct folder, and you’re done. Easy to use for support staff, straightforward for general users, and easy to maintain. That makes it ideal as a knowledge database and ticketing system. We already have enough problems to take care of without having to fix a buggy support tool, too.

The WordWeb Dictionary is the most widely used dictionary software on the PCs.

It not only brings the user the meaning of the entered word and its audio pronunciation but also it shows nearest words, synonyms, type of, and part of words associated with the word entered by the user. This handy application software termed as Dictionary + Thesaurus + Word Finder and its database has been developed in association with Princeton University. The latest version available on its official site at present is WordWeb v5. It comes in two differnt versions: Freeware and WordWeb Pro. It is for the Windows Platform compatible with Windows 98/2000/Me/XP/Vista. The software has a full dictionary and thesaurus for American, British, Canadian, Australian, Indian, and global English. The Pro version costs around USD 30 where as the free version can be downloaded anytime from their official site which offers Definitions and synonyms, Proper nouns, Related words, Pronunciations, 150,000 root words, 120,000 synonym sets, and fixed web reference tabs.

Until the computer revolution, equipment for people with disabilities was expensive and clunky.

Now, computers are bundled with some options for people who have visual, physical, hearing, and learning disabilities. Off-the-shelf personal computers can use visual signals, read text aloud, and adjust how the mouse works. Additionally, there is a group of people who are creating open source software to address even more needs of those with disabilities.

http://www.oatsoft.org is one such source and it provides software that meets more specific needs than the software bundled with the standard computer. Additionally, Open Source Assistive Technology Software (OATS) encourages users to become creators of software. The technological revolution has not only put almost all the world’s information at our fingertips, it has made communication and learning possible for people who traditionally have been isolated. With online communities such as OATS, even more people will be able to be served.

Wine is not an Emulator! If you are remotely interested in Linux as an OS you probably have some things holding you back from switching.

Namely that piece of software that you love so much. Be it Microsoft Office or World of War Craft, every one it seems, has that one app they can’t live without. Ah, but we have Linux alternatives some might cry, but alas not everyone wants to use a new piece of software. They want their widget to be exactly like they remember it and that toolbar has to be in just the right spot. Enter Wine. Wine is an abstraction layer (pretty name for “it makes Windows programs think they are installing in Windows”.)

While far from being a true blue install of Windows it has some amazing benefits. Aside from the amazing activity level of the developers (I have seen a new version every 2 or 3 weeks). Its simplicity and brilliance are amazing. Imagine being in Linux and popping in your Office XP CD, up pops the installer, you type in your name, your product id code, and boom it starts installing. When the installer finishes you click on your K or Gnome menu click Wine and there is Office. And it looks and runs just as well (for the most part) as it would in Windows. This amazing product has come a long ways since it’s early development and has recently added support for DirectX 9.0c and is actively working towards .NETt integration. To download go to http://www.winehq.org. Enjoy your Wine!

Slackware Linux is a packaged distribution of the Linux operating system, which is free and open source.

With Ubuntu getting all the headlines in open source world, you kind of have to see Slackware as the “anti-Ubuntu”. There is no package management system, the installer is text-only, and you’ll be doing lots of command-line work. It has a “do-it-yourself” feel to it. And beyond that, the system is highly conservative - Slackware doesn’t update a package until it’s been through extensive beta-testing. So why would anyone want to use it? The benefit of Slackware is that it is reliable, stable, and powerful. Everything you would want to do with a system can be done from Slackware, where other distros break down because they weren’t set up to handle the power-user. The saying goes that when you learn Ubuntu, you learn Ubuntu; but when you learn Slackware, you learn Linux!

Among the plethora of add-ons available for the Firefox browser, Piclens is one of the most impressive - mainly because it appears to offer much of the ‘wow’ of Vista or Leopard’s smooth graphical wizardry, but through a browser, and with none of the high RAM requirements of the operating systems. If you haven’t tried it, it’s a must to visit http://www.piclens.com and install.

Even more unusual, Piclens is also supported in Internet Explorer and Safari add-ons for Windows and Mac. Only Linux users are left in out in the cold. What Piclens does is more difficult to explain. At its most simple, it offers a view of the internet as a 3D, smoothly scrolling wall. The wall entirely replaces the usual browser interface, so it appears much more like a separate piece of software than a browser plugin. Try it with Flikr and you can immediately see the attraction, as an endless wall of beautifully rendered images sweeps by, which you can zoom into and manipulate at will. But it also integrates with Google, Amazon, YouTube (it shows videos too) and other search engines, so that you can search the internet in a new and visual way. Put simply, it’s about as far from your grandad’s HTML home page as you could imagine. One question remains: is it useful? While for graphical work it might be useful to view thousands of images at once, navigating them is quite difficult, and the ‘metadata’ that goes along with the images hard to view. Time will tell, but for now Piclens is the most impressive add-on you’ll never use.