|
As all of you probably know by now, we are moving our Web Site
and our Email Server to a new location. This is being done primarily
to provide a higher level of Email function
in the Web interface to our mail, greater
security of our web email and better
technical support for both Email and the Web Site. This
includes secure email sessions and more frequent backups performed
by the hosting company.
This discussion
will serve the purposes of:
- Providing
a migration timetable
- Identifying
salient features of the new Email system
- Letting
you know what's expected of you in migrating and protecting your
email
- Providing
a preview of what's in store via a demonstration
After you've
reviewed this material, feel free to address any questions to Theresa
Luhm or Sam
Gerber, the consultant maintaining our web site. Let's
use an FAQ format to make it easier for you to jump to specific
questions that interest you.
1.
When is this going to happen?
This is going
to take place
in
two phases. The web site is just about ready to relocate now and
when it happens, that will be transparent to you. You'll continue
to point your browser to http://www.edlawcenter.org
and all files will be there and will be up-to-date.
After the web
site is relocated, then we will deal with the email. This has been
arranged to take place on Friday, June 6, around midnight. This
is being delayed purposely so that we can give everyone some advance
notice. Action on your part is required to minimize or avoid loss
of mail. FAQs 3 and 4 explain this.
Back
to Question List
2.
What do you mean by "secure email sessions"?
A secure mail
session is like any other secure web session, typically found on
financial and ecommerce sites. You have a right to expect this protection
also when you're paying for an email service.
Security is
implemented by a cooperation between the server and your browser.
Entries from you and responses from the server are both encrypted
using a 128-bit algorithm and then decrypted at the other end, making
it nearly impossible for the most clever hackers to decipher.
Modern browsers
like Netscape, Internet Explorer and AOL all support 128-bit encryption.
To determine if your session is "secure" just look down
on the right of your status bar at the bottom of the browser window.
Internet Explorer versions typically show no icon of a closed padlock
if security is off, and a closed padlock if it is enabled. Netscape
shows a padlock icon always, but it will either be open or closed,
depending on security being enabled.
This security
persists not only during the log on process, protecting your userid
and password, but also during your entire email session. You have
additional security as well in knowing that you're doing your email
directly on Swishmail's server. You have to trust Swishmail, of
course, but many webmail users take advantage of free webmail servers
all over the Internet. Their servers may or may not be "secure"
but consider that this email is not a direct link between them and
their server; it goes through an intermediary server computer where
hackers could be lurking. At Swishmail you have the best of both worlds.
It's important
to note that at Swishmail the security default is "off".
When you enter the main "Welcome" screen, look to the
right and you'll see how to enable it. When you bypass this dialogue
and go directly to the mail function Web
Mail 3.1, your login dialogue box gives you the opportunity
there as well. See the graphic associated with FAQ 8.
Back
to Question List
3.
What happens to all the mail I've left on the old server so that
I can work with it at home?
Unfortunately,
it will be available only until the end of June.
Back
to Question List
4.
Will I lose some mail during the changeover?
For a few hours,
after midnight Friday, June 7, mail could come to either the old
server or the new one. On Monday, June 9, begin checking your mail
on the new server. Periodically check your mail on the old server
using the webmail interface until you are confident no mail is coming
to it.
As long as the
technical work is done properly by the new email hosting company,
there should not be any loss of mail.
Back
to Question List
5.
Will I still have the same userid?
Yes you will.
Only your password will change. See FAQ 11
or scroll down to the next item.
Back
to Question List
6.
Will I still have the same password? If not, how do I change it?
No! The first
time you log in to the new server, your default password will be
xx07102 where "xx"
is your first and last initial. In fact, this will be a very good
clue that your server has been moved. (When your current password
no longer works.)
To change your
password, you will point your browser to http://ivanova.swishmail.com
and on the resultant screen, select Email
Account Control Panel, and in fact, you can actually
log in now using the special link below and enter your present userid
and the password assigned in the paragraph above. Once you've logged
in, you will see your mailbox space allocation and amount used,
and then you have the opportunity to change your password, enter
a vacation message, and change your mail routing (normal, forward
the mail, or send a vacation message). The graphic below shows the
login box you'll encounter. Click the graphic below to go there.
You can even
change your password at Swishmail now if you'd like.
Back
to Question List
7.
Am I going to get enough mailbox space with the new system?
Education Law
Center received a sufficient amount to allocate 10MB to each of
15 mail accounts, after subtracting space for special purpose accounts
like "ELC", "Postmaster", and others that may
be implemented. Many of you have 10MB, except a couple "casual
users", who have 5MB, and a couple users who receive large
file attachments, who have a little more. If you feel the need to
have more, please see Theresa Luhm who presently is the "keeper
of the keys".
You'll see your
scheduled allocation when you log into the Email
Account Control Panel. (See FAQ 6)
This information also displays conveniently in the center of the
screen when you're working with your INBOX.
Back
to Question List
8.
How do I log in to do web email?
Point your browser
to http://ivanova.swishmail.com
and on the resultant screen, select Web
Mail 3.1.
Your login will be similar to the graphic below. If you
want to try this now, your default password will be xx07102
where "xx" is your
first and last initial. Click the following graphic (which has a
special link) and enjoy the experience.
Back
to Question List
9.
What features are in the new web interface? Do I still have vacation
(autoresponder) messages. Can I have an alias email address that
will go to my regular mailbox? Is there an address book capability?
Can I send attachments? Is there spell checking? Can I request a
return receipt? Can I search my messages? Can I set up folders to
keep my mail organized? Can I filter out unwanted mail that comes
from a certain person or domain. Is there any an-line help available?
The answer to
all these questions is "Yes, and more". You'll
have two places to go to see all the customizations you have available.
You can see these now by going to the "Welcome" Screen
and selecting either Email Account Control
Panel or Web Mail 3.1.
In Email
Account Control Panel you'll have the customizations
mentioned in FAQ 6. There's
also a link to take you there.
In Web
Mail 3.1 you are presented with the normal mail login
dialogue box. After you log in, click on Options
and you'll see all the things you can do to tailor your mail session.
There are too many to mention here. See FAQ 8
for some information and the link.
Back
to Question List
10.
How can I see a demonstration?
See
FAQ 6 or FAQ 8.
Back
to Question List
11.
How
do I configure my PC email program for the mail I download in the
office?
There
should be no change to the way you presently do this, other than
the specification of your new password. The screen shot below is
taken from Outlook 97. Yours should be similar.
Since
your old password will no longer be valid, you will have to tell
Outlook that it is xx07102,
where "xx" is your
first and last initial. Change this password as soon as possible.
You can use the one you had before or something similar to it. See
FAQ 6 to see how to change
it.
Back
to Question List
12.
We had a web page we were using to easily link to our web mail. Is
that still available?
Yes, it's been
updated by our webmaster. Continue to use http://www.edlawcenter.org/ELC
Back
to Question List
|
