Could a Database be for you?

A lot of the most popular sites on the internet today utilize a database backend, but unfortunately little is said to help those who aren't pursuing an IT career on how it could benefit them. A database could be utilized in all kinds of ways to meet clients needs, and hopefully I can describe a few here to help those who have a problem that could be solved with database implementation.

A database could be used to store statistical information, perhaps an online survey, site comments, etc. The data is pretty boring in its raw format, so we can take the data your visitors submit and output it in any format, whether plain HTML, piecharts, graphs, even excel spreadsheets. It could also be used with a simple editor frontend to allow clients to update their site on a periodic basis without having to go into the details of knowing HTML! And as a side benefit of that, a database is easily searchable (hint: all the popular search engines use a database of some sort) and could provide your visitors with quick access to your site content.

But the ball doesn't stop there... in fact, the many gains your site could have from using a database are only limited by imagination. It could be used to provide secure authorization to sections of a site, process online job applications, have an online forum, and allow you to automate many tasks your business performs, such as storing timesheets, sales data, and much much more.

And best of all, data stored in a database is easily retrievable and modified, a must on those larger sites out there to keep them from growing to thousands of files!

Rent our Dell 2100MP Projector! You can rent this equipment for two days for $50.00. You can set up the projector yourself or we can assist you! Set up fees within the Quincy area are $25 or $50 for outlying areas. The projector may be rented for additional days. Call 222.1451 for pricing and scheduling.

Lightning Damage

This time of year you can usually find yourself running in from the rain or getting caught without an umbrella when you need it most. Along with that comes lightning. Lightning can by a very neat thing as it creates a visual spectacle and is exciting to watch.

There is a major downside to this phenomenon; computer damage. Its heavy thunderstorms create a significant amount of lightning that
can potentially destroy your computer if not properly protected. At a
minimum, you might lose your modem to a surge. At a maximum, you can have parts of your computer melted down. I pass this along not to alarm or scare you, but it is a reality. But there are things that you can do:

Get yourself a high quality surge protector. Find one that promises to reimburse you if there is damage. Please remember, however, that they do not guarantee 100% that lightning will not get through. Our experience has shown they can be destroyed by lightning, allowing damage to the computer.

The most important thing and safest thing you can do is simply unplug the phone line and power chord from your computer or outlets. This is the best method to ensure your system is safe. Yes it can be a bit of trouble to reach back there and unplug the phone line and power chord, but if you setup your computer for this initially, you should be able to minimize the fuss. Besides, it's cheaper to do this than to replace your computer or lose all your important data.

Thanks for your time, and don't forget to visit us at ETC Computer Solutions!