CHCS Blog - General

New .co domain names now available

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:34:00-0700

As you may have heard, a new domain type -- .co -- is now available. Such a name can point to an existing site, or can be used any way you wish. If anyone wants a .co domain name, we can purchase and set them up for you. Contact us for details.

Blog Action Day on Climate Change

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:20:00-0700

CHCS is committed to minimizing our contribution to the elements that cause climate change.

Of our three staff members, two of us don't own cars. We support public transit and have a membership in Zipcar. We work with a hosting company that features its "Green Web Program" and do everything we can to maximize our energy efficiency.

See my article at Web Worker Daily for some ideas for things all of us can do.

7 Websites, 7 Days, $777.77 Each

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:05:00-0700

Do you know someone who needs a web site? This is their lucky week!

For the next 7 days, CHCS is offering a special deal: creation and hosting of a customized web site for only $777.77. But only 7 sites are available at this price, so contact us now!

A professional web site with a simple, customized, elegant design.
A home page, an "about me" page, and a "contact me" page (other pages may be substituted if desired).
Web hosting for 1 year (renewals available).
Ability for the owner to edit site text, links and images using a password-protected, easy-to-use content management system -- no software needed.
Internet domain name registration ("your_name.com") for 1 year (renewals available).
Personal email address ("you@your_name.com") hosting for 1 year (renewals available).
Training in use of the web and email systems.
CHCS support.

This personal web package usually retails for $1,534. For more information, contact us now!

Offer expires July 28, 2009.

Walter Cronkite: Proto-Blogger

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 10:46:00-0700

I became a newshound when, at the age of eleven or so, my family moved to a town where it was possible to watch the evening newscasts of all three American TV networks, one after the other. Each night, I was able to compare what each network considered news, how the stories were presented, and how much importance was attached to each story. The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite came last, and it was almost always the best.

At that time (the late 1960s), all of the network newscasts were presented by old white guys who had been newspaper and/or radio journalists before moving to the relatively new field of television news. The broadcast media tried to be "objective," which generally meant airing the opinions of opposing spokespeople, but not delving too deeply into details.

Cronkite made the best of a limited format, but he truly shone in formats other than the evening news: documentaries, series such as "The 21st Century," and of course, coverage of space missions. Like a lot of kids my age, I was fascinated by the Apollo program, and while I knew that I'd never be an astronaut, I figured that becoming a journalist who covered technology would be the next best thing. Today, I have the good fortune to be a web worker, and to write about it for WWD.

Cronkite was one of the first broadcast journalists who enhanced understanding of the world by mixing facts with opinion when appropriate -- and he did so without sacrificing quality. The best of today's online media have continued and refined that tradition. Thank you, Walter Cronkite, for leading the way.

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Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:34:00-0700

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News You Might Like

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:42:00-0700

We spend a lot of time keeping up with trends. We publish articles that may be of interest to our customers. Check them out at:

Also, check out Charlie's writing at WebWorkerDaily.com.

Finally, don't forget to follow us on:

Let us know if you find this information helpful!

CHCS' Martin Potter Gets His Degree

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:43:00-0700

I don't usually talk about our staff very much, but for this news I'll make an exception. On Saturday, CHCS programmer and co-owner Martin Potter will receive his bachelor's degree in computer science from Western Washington University in Bellingham.

Martin is already a superb programmer, and has been, since before he joined CHCS in 2000. He has created many tools that allow us to do what we do. Notably, Martin suggested that we produce a content management system at a time when the commercial alternatives were either limited in features, very hard to use, or beyond the budget of our customers. He developed the CMS we use today. In addition, Martin has developed a number of custom products for specific clients, including e-commerce, search, and membership applications.

In addition to his academics and his work for CHCS, Martin has often been the primary caregiver for his two-year-old son. (He seems to have a clock with about 28 hours in the day...)

Please congratulate Martin as he walks* across the stage at WWU to get his diploma!

*Hobbles, really. He broke his foot a few days ago while playing with his son. But Martin says he's going to try to walk the stage without crutches.

Follow My Blogs on WebWorkerDaily

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:36:00-0700

I am honored to be writing for WebWorkerDaily, a well-known blog that describes itself this way:

WebWorkerDaily was launched by GigaOM’s Om Malik in September 2006 and is written by a growing team of writers who cover the future of work in a post-broadband world. We offer practical tips and advice for anyone who uses the web for work, especially those who want to use the web to be more productive, more connected and more successful than they could otherwise.

Follow my posts here!

Take Charge of Your Business Listing on Google and Elsewhere

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:49:00-0700

I don't know why this isn't better known, but Google has a service called Local Business Center, at which you can claim your business listing, and ensure that it is correct. You can even create online coupons!

I recently wrote about Google Profiles, a similar service for individuals. In another article, I included links to creating company pages on social networks like LinkedIn, Facebook and Yelp. (Note to LinkedIn: Please respond to my inquiry about getting rid of listing for an employee that isn't ours!)

Take a few minutes to check out these links. It's always worth making sure that your search results are correct.

The Big Picture in Narrow Times

Thu, 21 May 2009 19:58:00-0700

It's hard to think about large issues in a tight econony. But I'd like to step back and consider the big picture of CHCS, and how, more than ever, we are well-positioned to help businesses and nonprofit organizations survive and grow.

I founded CHCS almost twenty-five years ago. Its focus has changed a lot over the years, but its fundamental mission remains the same: to bridge the gap between "the real world" and the increasingly-sophisticated technologies on which we all depend to tell our stories.

I have been lucky to be able to build on liberal-arts degrees, and learn technical skills informally. I hung out with electrical-engineering majors as an undergraduate (before computer-science degrees existed) and got to play with one of the two computers on campus. I learned word processing on my own after work, since only the secretaries got formal training. I learned audio production by being asked to teach the course -- and thanks to the younger brother of a friend who had taken it the previous year, I managed to stay one lesson ahead of the students (thanks, Joe!).

I learned customer service in my very first job at the age of fourteen, in a small-town bookstore. I learned to write clearly (I hope) from a professional who rid me of the bad habits picked up after years of being a student and a bureaucrat (thanks, Eleanor!). And I still use the skills I learned in the certificate program I took on how to train trainers -- although I laugh that we spent three days on how to create training materials with things like Prestype and overhead projectors.

Of course, technology changes ever more quickly, but communication skills -- telling stories, and presenting them attractively -- stay the same.

I am grateful to have worked with so many outstanding colleagues over the years, many of whom are much younger than I, and whose technical skills far surpass what I know. Long-time CHCS clients may remember Casey Haakenson, my first employee, who was responsible for getting us started with interactive websites and into web and email hosting; Ajit Jagdale, who refined our programming skills; and Christophe Bisciglia, who went on to fame and fortune.

Since 2000, I have had the great good fortune to work with Martin Potter, the programmer behind our very successful content management system, and Darren Coen, the graphic designer who makes creates the stunning visual appeal of our sites, and who has developed the tools that allow us to produce standards-compliant sites easily and quickly. We believe that our small team can produce sites that are every bit as effective as those developed by much larger (and more expensive) companies.

And I am also grateful to be able to partner with many people who have outstanding skillls and experience in related areas. People like Robert Smith, computer hardware, networking and backup; Scott Aitken, photography; Randall Cohen, logo design, animation and video production; Karen Anderson, writing and editing; Curt Harpold and Steve Lawson, voiceovers; and Josh Freeman, search engine optimization.

What do all of these folks have in common? They have proven skills, and their commitment to customer service is unsurpassed. They share with me an understanding that small companies such as ours can provide services and insights that are the equal of bigger competitors, and personal service that large companies can never match.

Despite our attention to individual service, CHCS spends a lot of time evaluating the latest tools and technologies, and implementing them when we see the benefit to our clients. This blog is where you can find out about the tools we like.

In fact, one of the advantages of being a small organization is the ability to deploy the latest technologies quickly. We can, and do, change our offerings to suit current conditions. But the mission of CHCS has not changed in nearly twenty-five years: we help organizations use the technologies needed to communicate effectively.

Thanks to you, our clients and friends, for trusting us to do our best work for you. We look forward to continuing that relationship for many years in the future.

Special price on email service and support from CHCS

Wed, 13 May 2009 03:18:00-0700

We are offering a special deal on Premier email service and support to the first 25 accounts that sign up.

Premier accounts include:

No advertising, including in the web interface.
25 GB of storage space for your message -- about four times more than with standard accounts.
Store and search archived messages.
Post and share up to 3 GB of video files with co-workers.
More control over spam filtering, including the ability to block or allow specific addresses.
Phone and email support directly from Google, in addition to service from CHCS.
99.9% uptime guarantee.

See more details on Premier accounts.

The first 25 accounts that sign up can receive these services at a special price:

$119 for the first account in a domain (save $30)
$59 for each additional account (save $10)
Setup fee waived ($95 value)

Web Developers Are Professionals

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:17:00-0700

After being a technical professional for almost 25 years, and designing web sites for 15 years, I should no longer be surprised how often my customers forget that simple fact. Here are a few friendly reminders of things to think about when dealing with web development professionals.

Yes, it's possible to build a web site yourself, or get your co-worker's teenager to create one. But you get what you pay for. Professional web developers know how to make sites that look good, are written well, are easy to navigate, can be updated by clients, work well in all browsers, and are optimized for search engines. Visitors to your web site will know the difference right away, and it's probably more expensive to fix a poor web site than to do it right the first time.
When you ask for professional advice from a lawyer or accountant, you expect to pay for that advice in deference to their education, training and experience. Professional web developers have that sort background, too, and spend an immense amount of time keeping up with the latest developments in the field.
If you approach a professional web developer, but then decide not to use their services, tell them!
Web developers understand when you need help right away, but expect to pay a premium. If you plan ahead, you'll save money and get better results. Remember the old maxim: you can have your project fast, or cheap, or good, but you can't have all three!

Successful web developers enjoy what we do, and if we have a good rapport with you, we'll go the extra mile to do a great job. In today's economy, an outstanding web site is imperative. Let us do our best for you!

We must be doing something right...

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 22:55:00-0700

Former CHCS intern Christophe Bisciglia, who worked with us while he was completing his Computer Science degree at the University of Washington, has been named one of the "Best Young Tech Entrepreneurs of 2009" by Business Week magazine.

After working with us, he spent several years at Google before starting his latest venture, Cloudera, which has gotten significant venture capital funding and quite a bit of notice.

Congratulations, Christophe, from all of us at CHCS.

Surviving the Big Bad Wolves of the Internet

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 13:42:00-0700

I think that the Internet has changed society profoundly, in generally positive ways. (We could have an endless discussion about the details, of course, and I won't start one here.) But we've also had to learn how to protect ourselves -- by guarding our privacy, avoiding viruses, filtering spam, and so on.

And individuals like you and me have been forced to interact with large, interpersonal companies, more directly than ever before. Maybe fifteen years ago, you'd buy a computer from Acme Computer Geeks down the street, who'd help you decide what you needed, then put it together for you. You could buy a dialup connection from any number of ISPs, many of which were one-person operations. I even remember walking into a local telephone company office, and picking out a new phone number from a hand-written list (with numbers already taken crossed out)!

Now, of course, it's all "more efficient," which means that phone support, when you can get it at all, is of poor quality, and takes a lot of your time. And there are horror stories about all of the big names -- Amazon, Apple, AT&T, Comcast, Dell, Facebook, GoDaddy, Google, HP, IBM, Microsoft, MySpace, Network Solutions, Palm, Plaxo, Qwest, Sprint, Verizon, Viatalk, Vonage, Yahoo, Yelp, and on and on.

So what's the little guy or gal to do? Give up on computers and the Internet entirely, or try to avoid all the big companies? In the 21st century, that's not a very reasonable alternative, especially if you're running a business or a non-profit organization. Since, ironically, you can find lots of news about these companies on the Internet itself, you could spend lots of time keeping up on the issues. But most people don't have the time or the desire to do that. Just as, for most people, it makes sense to consult an attorney, an accountant or an auto mechanic, I hope you will take the advice of a technical professional when the need arises.

In an interconnected world, it's not possible to avoid the big companies, unless you want to become a hermit. Let local, independent professionals -- who keep up with the latest news, and who know how to interact with the big companies -- do it for you. Contact us and we can assist you, or recommend someone we trust.

Friends Don't Let Friends Have Lousy Web Sites

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:18:00-0700

CHCS is keeping very busy these days. Business and organization managers are deciding that in order to survive the current economy, they must have excellent web sites.

The next time that you chat with someone who runs a business or non-profit organization, look at their web site. Is it attractive? Is it easy to navigate? Is it up to date? Does it highlight how the organization stands out from the crowd?

If not, connect your friend with us. We'll give your friend special rates, and we'll give you a discount on your CHCS services. Contact us for details.

CHCS counts on our clients and friends to give us referrals. Our sincere thanks to you!