8:08 p.m.
Hello all. The Revinci list is running through the National Capital
Freenet -- a non-profit computer service provider whose goal it is to
offer affordable access to citizens of Ottawa. . I thought some of you
might be interested in the newsletter below which has information about
free computer workshops for 55+ and ways to dispose of old computer
equipment.
Marita
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: NCF birthday newsletter: grant, workshops, modems, e-waste
recycling and more!
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2016 18:47:08 -0400 (EDT)
From: NCF Executive Director <execdir(a)ncf.ca>
To: NCF Members <members(a)ncf.ca>
Hope this finds you all well and enjoying the crisper weather and
changing leaves.
Things are also changing at NCF, even as we stay committed to the values
we started with. Speaking of which:
*1) Happy birthday to us!*
National Capital FreeNet was incorporated on September 29, 1992 — it's
almost our 24^th birthday! This means it's also the kick-off of our
25^th year, a time for us to take stock of where we came from, and where
we're going. We'll have cake in the office this Thursday,
September 29^th if you want to drop by. Thanks to all our members for
your ongoing support!
*2) $25,000 government grant! *
We received federal funding from Employment and Social Development
Canada through the New Horizons for Seniors Program. The program is
designed to help seniors make a difference in the lives of others and in
their communities.
The NCF WiseNet project has three main areas: offering basic computer
and internet skills workshops to our members who are 55 years and older;
recruiting and training folks with tech experience who are 55 years and
older to volunteer on our award-winning
HelpDesk; and offering opportunities for those who have retired from
tech careers to network with their peers.
To find out more about volunteering with NCF, please email shelley(a)ncf.ca.
*3) WiseNet basic computer/internet workshops*
As mentioned above, we got a grant to help us offer computer/internet
skills workshops for members who are 55+ years old. We are partnering
with Pinecrest-Queensway Employment Centre on the second floor of the
Lincoln Fields Shopping Centre to offer
the following workshops. By member request, they are day-time sessions.
Each workshop is repeated twice, in case you can't make the first one.
Register early, maximum 20 people per session. Email shelley(a)ncf.ca
<mailto:shelley@ncf.ca> to register. All the workshops are offered by
NCF HelpDesk volunteers. You will be able to practice the new skills
hands-on. The focus is on PCs using Microsoft Windows and/or the Ubuntu
Operating System, but we are keeping the content as universal as possible.
/*Computer Basics: */
Thursday, October 6^th from 10:30am-noon
Wednesday, October 19^th from 2:00-3:30pm
/This workshop includes content on the basics of your computer, from
connecting your mouse and keyboard, to types of memory, installing a new
program, creating short-cuts, to how to turn on your wi-fi, use a USB
port and more! /
/*Office suites/word processing: */
Thursday, November 3^rd from 10:30am-noon
Wednesday, November 16^th from 2:00-3:30
/This workshop includes the basics on different office suites (MS Office
vs. LibreOffice), how to start a document, save it, and retrieve it. As
well as different file types, and how to change font size, page
alignment, numbering, margins etc. /
/*Basic internet/web browsing:*/
Thursday, December 1^st from 10:30am-noon
Wednesday, January 18^th from 2:00-3:30pm
/This workshop includes an overview of different browsers, bookmarking,
how to optimize your search results, and some basics on safe web-surfing./
/*Basics of computer and internet security:*/
Thursday, February 2^nd from 10:30am-noon
Wednesday, February 15^th from 2:00-3:30pm
/This workshop digs into malware, how to create strong passwords, how to
set-up secure wi-fi, and anti-virus programs. /
/*Email: */
Thursday, March 2^nd from 10:30am-noon
Wednesday, March 15^th from 2:00-3:30pm
/This workshop covers browser-based email vs using a mail client, IMAP
vs POP, attaching documents and images, and a detailed exploration of
spam/spoofing/phishing and how to avoid them./
/*Communications: */
Thursday, April 6^th from 10:30am-noon
Wednesday, April 19^th from 2:00-3:30pm
/This workshop includes an overview of Voice over Internet Protocol
(VOIP) telephone services, as well as Skype and similar programs. /
/*Photography and your computer: */
Thursday, May 4^th from 10:30am-noon
Wednesday, May 17^th from 2:00-3:30pm
/This workshop will explore the forms of digital photography and images,
how to get images off your camera (or phone), and how to send them,
store them, retrieve them, share them and print them. /
We are also working to offer more night-time workshops for all NCF
members. Stay tuned!
*4) Have a modem, give a modem? Need a modem? New price!*
Do you have a second-hand DSL modem you're no longer using? If so,
consider donating it to us! We re-furbish, re-configure and sell those
modems for a greatly reduced price as part of our mandate to providing
affordable access to the internet to everyone
in the region.
Also, as of October 1^st we are dropping the rate on SmartRG VDSL modems
from $110 to $105 +HST. TP-Link 9970s VDSL modems are still on
back-order, expected sometime in late October. They will be the same
price as SmartRGs.
*4) Recycle your e-waste safely with NCF! *
The NCF office is now registered with Ontario's Electronic Resource
Recovery Program through our work with Evolu-tic Outaouais. This means
you can drop-off your old/broken computers, monitors, keyboards, mobile
phones, and hard drives with confidence that
all personal data will be destroyed while also helping keep trash out of
the landfill!
All drop-offs must be done during NCF hours: Monday-Friday 8am-7pm,
Saturday 10am-5pm.
*5) Added capacity!*
We are constantly upgrading our capacity and this past summer we took
that a step further by adding another circuit to ensure that you
continue to enjoy an affordable and high quality service. We will be
undertaking some re-balancing and service this coming
Thursday, September 29^th . We take the utmost care with all technical
upgrades, but you may experience some brief service disruption.
Thanks for reading! If you are having a service issue, please open a
ticket by emailing support(a)ncf.ca or calling 613-721-1773 ext. 0 to
leave a voicemail or talk to a HelpDesk Analyst. For any other comments
about NCF and our services, feel free to email me at shelley(a)ncf.ca
Shelley Robinson
Executive Director
National Capital FreeNet
1305 Richmond Rd. Suite 206
613-721-1773
shelley(a)ncf.ca