Comeuppance: Lo Que Has Guardado

Daily Digest for September 7th

ken — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:36:49 +0000

	Listened to 7 songs. Girl in a Coma – static mind Girl in a Coma – El Monte School of Seven Bells – Dust Devil School of Seven Bells – Heart Is Strange School of Seven Bells – Bye Bye Bye Babasónicos – Valle de Valium School of Seven Bells – Windstorm
	Listened to aquí y ahora (y después) – Gustavo Cerati.

Daily Digest for September 6th

ken — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 01:45:05 +0000

Daily Digest for September 5th

ken — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:46:12 +0000

Small Legal Office Suggestions (Short Version)

ken — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 19:02:51 +0000

Most small law offices require 3 elements to perform substantive work:

Phone
Internet
Case Management System

Each of these presents a unique challenge because there are a variety of options presented which claim to meet the needs of such small offices. The fact of the matter is that there is no complete and comprehensive solution which will work for all offices.

What follows is how I, as a technologist who has done legal work, would tackle such a challenge…and if not tackle, at least grasp at.

Phone

We know that a phone is essential…I may have not checked my voicemail at the office for 9 months, but we could probably agree a phone is indispensable. Next question is, in a small environment, how do we address this need at a low-cost but high value proposition (value also includes small office staff time).

Google Voice: Google Voice provides immediate PBX-like functions and rules based call routing to help you weed callers out. Additionally, if you have a Gizmo account, you can add your Gizmo configured phone as one of the many phones you have registered with your Google Voice number. Furthermore, you can, for now, make free outgoing calls from your Gizmo configured device (preferably a SIP phone, infra).
SIP Gate: SIP Gate is an outsourced IP PBX which, for the oxymoronically larger-small office can provide extensions and, most importantly, resolves your FAX issues/needs. There is a free starter account which doesn't permit outbound faxes but will get you a traditional phone number so you can test the service. One of the nicer options is the facility of adding extensions from the web-based interface.

To use either of the above services you would need a SIP-compliant VOIP phone or a softphone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Softphone). As far as SIP-phones go, I'm a big fan of the Cisco/Linksys phones such as this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833150069&cm_re=cisco_phone-_-33-150-069-_-Product –

One elemental factor in your phone solution is making sure your facility is cabled adequately.

Internet

Apart from using the internet for email, in this scenario, we're also using the internet as the technology which will provide phone service…apart from cellular service. We will assume the phones in place will be using an external power adapter. If the goal is to have the phones without an external power adaptor, then the solution would be a PoE network switch which is not covered here.

To share your internet connection with your phones and computers, you'll need a router. Here are a couple of router suggestions:

Cisco/Linksys router with wifi and virtual private network: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspxItem=N82E16833124334&cm_re=vpn_router-_-33-124-334-_-Product –for many offices, the ability to have up to 4 wireless networks is going to be overkill as is VPN support. VPN is a virtual private network…what that does is allow you to get into your network and access resources on that network. In many small offices, VPN support is truly gravy because files can be shared using Google Apps for domains and/or Dropbox. This Cisco router costs about $90/$100.
Therefore, a more practical approach to the router/switch issue could be an Asus router. The Asus router is a commodity router which means it's probably not as reliable as the Cisco device but it will get the job done for a fraction of the price. My suggestion would be to flash the Asus router with DD-WRT micro. This device is ~$50 and provides a print-server: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833320032&cm_re=asus_wrt-_-33-320-032-_-Product –

I'm partial to solution number 2 because most small offices won't need the sophistication of solution number 1. Caveat: small office person should bribe a technically inclined friend to flash the Asus router with DD-WRT firmware.

Another option, but not so viable in a small office environment, is to have a router which can take 2 external interfaces for a redundant internet connection…the reality is that even some large offices don't have a good backup connection so this might be gravy.

Case Management System

Personally, I'm a fan of Pika's case management system (CMS). Problem is that Pika is built for legal service/aid and not really for the small practitioner. That leaves the small practitioner with the option of purchasing a system from We$t or Lexi$. A different approach is running a case management system through:

Salesforce.com –great, requires set-up/customization
Civicrm.com –good, requires set-up/customization
Open-source hosted solution of something like: http://www.lcm.ngo-bg.org/en –though depreciated, the small office could probably use this in it's current iteration.

I meant to keep this shorter but figured I'd knock out something I've been meaning to do for quite a while.

PS: make sure to get a duplex printer!

Posted via email from Ken’s (Pro)posterous Posts

Daily Digest for September 4th

ken — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 01:47:00 +0000

	Shared A Primer on the 2010 US House and Senate Elections.
	Shared kmontenegro: http://twitpic.com/2kzdfy Blue moon at bar las playas: "we had it, but no one wanted to buy it" #fb.
	Published Daily Digest for September 3rd.
	Listened to 6 songs. Talvin Singh – Mombasstic Talvin Singh – Eclipse Talvin Singh – OK Talvin Singh – Decca Talvin Singh – Sutrix Talvin Singh – Distant God

Daily Digest for September 3rd

ken — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 01:48:05 +0000

Daily Digest for September 2nd

ken — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 01:43:57 +0000

	Shared SearchTemptest Crawls Multiple Craiglist Locales to Bring You the Best Deals [Craiglist].
	Published Daily Digest for September 1st.
	Listened to 100 Yard Dash – Raphael Saadiq.
	Queued 2 videos. Cheyenne Autumn Shadows

Daily Digest for September 1st

ken — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:44:12 +0000

	Published Daily Digest for August 31st.
	Listened to 3 songs. Blur – Girls & Boys The Jesus and Mary Chain – Frequency Phoenix – Lost And Found
	Shared Dead End for the Mexico City Superhighway?.
	Shared 6 Ways to Avoid a Social Media Meltdown.
	Shared Dimdim 6.0: Enhanced Screensharing, 4-Way Video Chat.
	Shared Wages Up or Down?.
	Shared Stash Ice in a Colander for Drip-Free Ice [Clever Uses].
	Shared The Cheapest Time to Book a Flight Is Eight Weeks Before You’re Traveling [Saving Money].

Daily Digest for August 31st

ken — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 01:37:27 +0000

	RT @VivirLatino: DREAM Now Letters to Barack Obama: Lizbeth Mateo http://fb.me/ww3xw5NE [kmontenegro]
	RT @willcoley: RT @willcoley: Detaining immigrants is big business for some Oklahoma counties http://bit.ly/aJXkWw #dwn #stopice immigration [kmontenegro]
	RT @ACLU: Racial Inequities Five Years after Katrina http://bit.ly/cgmfKj #fb [kmontenegro]
	time to review IP addressing schema for internal devices: we’ve grown over the past 5 years w/o me re-assessing internal IP ranges #sysadmin [kmontenegro]
	listening to Shipbuilding by Elvis Costello on @Grooveshark: http://tinysong.com/mY4a #musicmonday #nowplaying #fb [kmontenegro]
	listening to Johnny Ryall by Beastie Boys on @Grooveshark: http://tinysong.com/jVBr #musicmonday #nowplaying [kmontenegro]
	blah! there’s a cabling issue with our 1st floor tenant that was done while i was out…and a server that needs a reboot on Tuesday #sux #fb [kmontenegro]
	"@Defender411: Los Angeles Times – Special interests capitalize on Legislature’s end-of-session chaos http://bit.ly/bCKQFq" #fb [kmontenegro]
	Picking up my treasure who read his grand mom some pearl s buck! #fb [kmontenegro]
	Published Daily Digest for August 30th.
	Daily Digest for August 30th: Shared kmontenegro: http://twitpic.com/2jhx46 Best thing re: #kokoro … http://bit.ly/cxyyIy [kmontenegro]
	Queued Objectified.
	Listened to The Well and the Lighthouse – Arcade Fire.
	ah! solved my vpn’s software client issue…it was an address assignment issue. not what i expected to be doing at 1am. #fb [kmontenegro]
	RT @Info_Activism: The winning film treatment submissions for the @shootingpoverty competition http://bit.ly/95yaH2 [kmontenegro]
	RT @gabrielarana: RT @theprospect Today on TAP: They’re With Stupid: Anti-intellectualism rears its head. http://bit.ly/cbVlai [kmontenegro]
	"@VivirLatino: DHS Head Napolitano Brings More Enforcement, More Arrests, More Deportations http://fb.me/yIP31IX2" #dwn #migration #fb [kmontenegro]
	RT @JusticeReform: RT @slotslady2010: @JusticeReform shackling of inmates in labor now prohibited in Pa http://bit.ly/b2csN2 [kmontenegro]
	RT @accesstojustice: All About Rent Regulations in NYC http://bit.ly/cFvHRj [kmontenegro]
	RT @lafronteratimes: at LFT: Justice Roberts & denying undocumented kids an education…the right wing’s new initiative http://bit.ly/iV7zk [kmontenegro]
	RT @VivirLatino: Photo: Puerto Rican Poet Julia de Burgos to be honored on a U.S. Postage Stamp to be released on September… http://tu … [kmontenegro]
	RT @lawyerist: Should Law Schools Become Trade Schools? http://bit.ly/cTEFku [kmontenegro]
	RT @arnoldogarcia: The new "N" word, making us all poorer: http://bit.ly/bNj6em #immigration #latism [kmontenegro]
	Time to get that T1 circuit rebuilt so I can have more routeable ip addresses which means more work for same pay. :/ #sysadmin #fb [kmontenegro]

Daily Digest for August 30th

ken — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 01:36:35 +0000

	Shared kmontenegro: http://twitpic.com/2jhx46 Best thing re: #kokoro in #denver is my nephew trying to avoid being associated with my sapporo! #fb.
	http://twitpic.com/2jhx46 – Best thing re: #kokoro in #denver is my nephew trying to avoid being associated with my sapporo! #fb [kmontenegro]
	Published Daily Digest for August 29th.
	Daily Digest for August 29th: Mike is a natural teacher: he says sponge bob teaches kids that mr kr… http://bit.ly/don6QH [kmontenegro]
	Pulling up to #dia exhausted and saddened by not seeing my mom’s transfer to her hospice. Ride home = @dalitdiva! Working on monday. :/ #fb [kmontenegro]
	Long ass lines for #dia‘s security theater! What a useless drag! #fb [kmontenegro]
	Time for a large sam adams pre-flight #fb [kmontenegro]
	Really, I am going back to work on monday…but first must "deplane"#fb [kmontenegro]
	Optimus prime is en route to get me…under the skilled hand of my favorite #desi filmaker, @dalitdiva! #fb [kmontenegro]
	here we go…back to work…but what if i’m a tinder box and you’re a spark? #fb [kmontenegro]
	ugh! i think i left the office w/o my fucking key card… ::sigh:: [kmontenegro]
	bought coffee from kachi deli cafe for my boss and myself (coffee machine broken)….selected organic bitch’s brew as the blend. tasty. [kmontenegro]
	RT @jackaponte article wh/ starts by postulating tech’s immune 2 societal prejudice & privilege, I call blatant bullshit. http://is.gd/eLGcQ [kmontenegro]
	why am i editing a web page by hand?!? it’s not 1999 anymore folks….get a content management system, it will bring you contentment #fb [kmontenegro]
	http://bit.ly/94KRhB MLK v Glenn Beck…facts not hyperbole [kmontenegro]
	"…we refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation" MLK http://bit.ly/d9D0G0 #fb [kmontenegro]
	RT @LongIslandWins: Investigator in Mexican Migrant Massacre Missing http://bit.ly/ae6nGg #impunity #migration #legal [kmontenegro]

	Published Small Legal Office Suggestions (Short Version).
	Listened to 11 songs. Galaxie 500 – submission (sex pistols) Galaxie 500 – moonshot (buffy sainte marie) Gustavo Cerati – Artefacto Café Tacuba – 53100 Alejandro Escovedo – This Bed Is Getting Crowded Bauhaus – Dancing Joy Division – Dead Souls Gustavo Cerati – Cosas Imposibles Bauhaus – Mask Gustavo Cerati – Sulky Galaxie 500 – When Will You Come Home
	Shared kmontenegro: http://twitpic.com/2lmlaq Yay scoobys! #food #socal #fb.
	Published Daily Digest for September 5th.
	Listened to Valle de Valium – Babasónicos.

	Listened to 9 songs. Quantic – Time Is the Enemy Talvin Singh – Mombasstic Talvin Singh – Eclipse Talvin Singh – OK Talvin Singh – Decca Talvin Singh – Sutrix Talvin Singh – Distant God Massive Attack vs. Mad Professor – I Spy (Spying Glass) Groove Armada – Suntoucher
	Shared kmontenegro: http://twitpic.com/2lba2c The juli! #fb.
	Published Daily Digest for September 4th.
	Listened to 4 songs. Alejandro Escovedo – This Bed Is Getting Crowded Bauhaus – Dancing Joy Division – Dead Souls Bauhaus – Mask
	Queued 4 videos. La Pu.. & La Ballena Por La Libre Kept and Dreamless Night Watch

	Published Daily Digest for September 2nd.
	Listened to 6 songs. The Clash – Should I Stay or Should I Go Mano Negra – Soledad Breakestra – Show & Prove Raphael Saadiq – 100 Yard Dash Manu Chao – El Hoyo Manu Chao – Machine Gun
	Listened to 13 songs. Fe De Ratas – El laberinto de la existencia Julieta Venegas – Andar Conmigo Eulogies – Two Can Play Fe De Ratas – No me iré… Dum Dum Girls – Jail La La (Single) Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore – Something, Somewhere, Sometime (Album) Café Tacuba – María Happy Birthday – Subliminal Message Fe De Ratas – Rey del a vulgaridad The Album Leaf – Falling From the Sun Male Bonding – Years Not Long (Album) Foals – Spanish Sahara Blitzen Trapper – Heaven And Earth