TOPS Home E-Zine
Issue #28 - June 2004
June 2004: Inside TOPS Home
1)
How to Stay Ahead in a Tech-Savvy World
2)
New Online Payments Flier for Board Members
3)
More Support for Administrators
4)
New Features on Your Web Sites
5)
Excellence Community Management
6)
Save Your Neighbors from Poor Judgment
7)
Two Events Calendars?
8)
Fighting Spyware and Ad-ware
Read this issue and archived issues of the TOPS Home E-Zine online at:
http://www.topshome.com/topshome/Administrators/TOPS_Home_ezine.htm
How to stay ahead of the competition in a tech-Savvy world
Today’s savvy consumers are looking for the latest communication technologies. With a TOPS Interactive Web Site, you can edge out the competition by offering residents innovative communication tools that will simplify their lives, increase their connectivity to community and revolutionize the way they interact with their neighbors!
Now you can provide residents with a private web site dedicated to their community, where they can see their own account balance, submit work orders, exchange opinions with their neighbors on the new restaurant around the corner, reserve the common area, pay their dues online and so much more! By using TOPS technology, you ensure that you get a web site that meets the most stringent standards for reliability, feature set and performance.
With a TOPS Interactive Web Site, your associations won’t be left behind!
Contact websales@topshome.com for details!
Educate Board Members about Online Payments
This month, we have created a flier in MS Word that you can customize, print out, and distribute to community officers at board meetings. The flier is called "Interactive Web Sites with Online Payments" and is located in the downloads section of our web site:
www.TOPSHome.com/topshome/Administrators/downloads.htm.To customize the handout, simply download and save the MS Word document, find and replace the words 'Your Management Company" with your company's name, and VIOLA! Instant marketing materials to hand out at this month's round of board meetings.
More Support for Administrators
Community Web Site Administrators are the lifeblood of our product. TOPS Community Web Sites are only as good as the effort that is put into them, and that effort is put forth by the administrators. So, in an effort to make your life a little easier, we have been working on providing a better support experience for you. Here are a few of the things that we have implemented, or are in the process of implementing:
- Updated Knowledge Base: Our Knowledge Base is the proud recipient of a major overhaul! We have added more than 60 new topics, and updated nearly every existing topic. We have cross referenced all of the features, and reordered the index to make it easier to locate the topics you need to find. The knowledge Base is available at www.topshome.net/topshome/Administrators/Help/CWS_Help.htm.
- Administrator Only Private Site: We are working on adding an Administrator Only site where you can meet and greet other admins, share ideas, post documents and sample forms, and so much more! The site should be ready sometime in the next month.
We'd love to hear your opinions on the new Administrator Only web site. Please email us at websupport@topssoft.com and let us know what features or additions you would like to see there.
New Features on Your Web Sites
- Added “spouse cell phone” field and moved some profile fields to a more logical order
- Added two new custom fields to the user profile. The first of these fields, located at the bottom of the profile in a new "Administrative Information" section is currently blocked to both viewing and editing by the resident. This area can be for administrative use only and therefore can be used to enter information the board may want to track but not let the resident see, such as "dues status" or "violation status”. By default, the second of these two areas is locked from editing by the resident BUT it is viewable by the resident, so this might be useful for "crime watch zone" or "pool key number".
These security levels can be changed so that you can make both fields full-lock or open them up completely for residents to edit and view- Added "Move-In Date" field to the user profile.
- Increased timeout on calendar save from 3 to 15 minutes (for sending lots of email bulletins)
- Added “event time” to announcement and email bulletin associated with adding a new event to the events calendar. Now when you create a calendar event and check the box to post an automatic announcement or send an email bulletin, the time of the event will show up in the announcement and in the email bulletin
Excellence Community Management, Nevada
Excellence Community Management, located in Henderson, NV is dedicated to providing excellent management service to their clients. We believe that one of the most valuable services we provide to our clients is our excellent customer service.
Excellence Community Management is an active member of the Community Association Institute. We specialize in community association management and we work well with all types of associations, from the small associations to Master Planned Communities.
The decision was made to get a web site for Excellence Community Management [www.excellencemgmt.com] and a few companies were looked into, including TOPS Software. Once we saw what TOPS had to offer there was no need to look anywhere else. Through TOPS we could have the community web sites integrated with Excellence Community Management and homeowners would be able to access their account histories, violations and documents online. TOPS Interactive Web Site Service is convenient and cost-effective, and like Excellence Community Management, provides excellent customer service.
We feel TOPS is the only way to go if you want a web site for your management company and the communities that you manage.
One of the communities we manage is Ventana Canyon, Henderson, NV [www.excellencemgmt.com/ventanacanyon/] and we have received several enthusiastic e-mails from the homeowners in Ventana Canyon stating how much they are enjoying their new web site. After just a few days of being notified of their web site they have placed classified ads, are utilizing the message board with various topics and getting to know their neighbors via the message board and chat.
The residents are also taking advantage of checking their account histories and using the direct payment form that has been provided on the web site, as well as the Architectural Forms. It saves us, the management company, from having to take the phone calls and faxing/mailing out the forms. The web site is a real time-saver for homeowners, the Board of Directors, and the management company.
Would you like your web site to be spotlighted in the TOPS Home E-Zine? Send us a description of your community, tell us what led you to getting a Community Web Site, and let us know what features you like best. Send your spotlight to websupport@topssoft.com.
Keep Them Coming Back!
You can publish this article to help promote your web site and let your residents know about the features it has. Just cut and paste the article below into your community newsletter (or an email bulletin), and customize it by inserting your community web site domain name! You can find statistics (for the last paragraph) in the Statistics menu under the Admin Only heading of your web site.
Save Your Neighbors from Poor Judgment: Share your Experiences in Reviews
Choosing a vendor to do work on or around your home is a big decision. One of the best ways to choose the right vendor is to get the advice of other homeowners in our community that have worked with vendors on similar projects. You can find out from others who have already gone through the pain and suffering of a project which vendor is good, which is overpriced, and which is the right/wrong choice altogether. While walking through the neighborhood canvassing your neighbors for their opinions is an option, there is a better way.
Our community web site, located at [community web site address], comes equipped with a handy feature called "Reviews" that allows you to post your opinions and comments about any topic you like. You can post reviews about the vendors you have employed to work on your lawn, pool, or home; or you can post your opinion on other topics, such as local restaurants, books, movies, and more.
The reviews feature is an excellent place to go to learn about a particular business or vendor, but only if we take the time to populate it. You've probably heard that word of mouth is the best form of advertisement. If you know a business that is a hidden gem, or one that you will never shop with again, please take a moment to log in and share that opinion with your neighbors.
If you are not logging on to our community web site, you're really missing out on a great thing! Over _____ of the homeowners in our community have logged in, and in the past 30 days we've had over _____ hits. It is the primary communication tool for our neighborhood so we encourage you to visit it often at [community web site address].
If you have a method of drawing visitors to your site that has been successful for you, please take a moment to share it with your fellow community web site administrators. You can send your tips to websupport@topssoft.com.
Two Events Calendars?
Many of our customers have clubhouses or other facilities that need to have a special calendar. There is only one Calendar feature per web site, but separate categories can be created under the existing Calendar. (For Example, a Reservations Category for the Clubhouse or Facilities Calendar) Since the Calendar is a placeable object, we can give the illusion of two separate calendars by providing direct links to a specific category. Here is the process that has been successful for our other customers:
- Add the Clubhouse (or whatever) to the Facilities section. Include all information, including regulations, pictures etc. (This can also be done as a separate custom module if you want the clubhouse to have separate page sections under it.)
- Add a new category under the Events Calendar called "Clubhouse Reservations" or whatever you wish it to be called.
- Contact web support at websupport@topssoft.com and request that the calendar object be added to your calendar page, with a direct link to the new category you created (Make sure you tell us the name of the category).
- Create an eForm to gather the reservations information, such as the times, dates, etc.
- On the Facilities page for the clubhouse, add a hyperlink to refer homeowners wishing to make a reservation to the new reservation eform that you created.
- A person (either yourself, or whomever you defined to receive the eform) will receive these email submissions and can copy/paste them into the Calendar under the new reservations category created there.
Alternatively, you can skip steps 4-6 and allow residents to post their own reservations for the clubhouse, but since most communities charge for use of these facilities, that is rarely done.
Is there a feature that you would like to learn more about? Send an email to websupport@topssoft.com with your suggestions for our next Feature Teacher.
Fighting Spyware and Ad-ware
Viruses have often been perceived as the biggest danger to personal computers and workstations, but there is another threat which is far exceeding the traditional viral threat. Spyware and Ad-ware are posing a larger threat every day to everyday PC users, and they can often bog down a computer system so much that it is practically unusable.
What are they?
- Spyware is any software that covertly gathers user information and activity without the user’s knowledge. It can record keystrokes to find out passwords, credit card information, and other sensitive information. Spyware is the key culprit in the growing problem of identity theft, so it is important to make sure that your system is safeguarded from it.
- Ad-ware is more of an annoyance than a threat, but it can be a danger to your system. Ad-ware is software that often comes bundled with legitimate software, but runs covertly and acts to some degree as spyware. Ad-ware will monitor your internet activity, looking for trends in the types of sites you visit. It will then market to you based on your internet activity, often using pop-up windows. Ad-ware is not always bad, but if you have too much of it and/or your computer is older, it may bog your computer down to the point of being unusable.
How did I get it on my computer?
Viruses and Worms are usually spread via e-mail, and many people have gotten used to being wary of opening e-mail attachments that they do not recognize. Spyware and ad-ware, however, are usually installed from web sites and from software packages that are downloaded. Occasionally when browsing the web, a prompt will come up asking if you want to install a particular program. This is often done when the site you are accessing has content that your browser cannot currently display. Some examples are Macromedia Flash Player, Microsoft Windows Update, and browser plug ins from other well-known software companies. Sometimes, however, a web site will attempt to install its own software this way. One of the most well-known offenders is from the GAIN Corporation (a.k.a. Gator-ware). As a general rule, if you do not know the software that is requesting to be installed on your computer, do not install it. Search for reviews on the software and make sure that the company that is publishing the software is legitimate.
Another way spyware and ad-ware are installed is by piggybacking "legitimate" software packages. This would occur when you install a program you want to use, and spyware or ad-ware programs are installed along with that program. So-called "free" utilities such as screen saver packages and animated cursor programs often use this method to make up for the costs of the software. How do they get away with this? When you install the programs on your computer, there is often a long document known as the End-User-License-Agreement (EULA). If you read it carefully, you will find that it often makes mention of the Ad-ware being installed. When installing a new product, especially freeware or shareware, it is important to read this EULA for anything mentioning other software packages, using your data, or displaying advertising.
File sharing programs such as Kazaa and Music City Morpheus are another dangerous program type, as they install spyware and ad-ware on your computer to monitor your activities. They also expose your computer to large security risks (they make your computer easier to hack into). So you should definitely be concerned about how these programs expose your computer to internet attacks and hacking.
How does this relate to my TOPS web site?
When you add content to your TOPS web site using the rich-text editor, some of these intrusive software products have been known to cause problems. Hotbar is one product that is known to add unwanted content to the rich-text editor. Making things worse, you cannot delete what it adds using the rich-text interface. You can delete the unwanted content by editing via the Source tab in the editor. Look for any unusual HTML tags that refer to Hotbar or something you know you did not add. If you need further help with this, please let us know and we can help you remove it. Other spyware and ad-ware products may also have adverse affects, since many of them work in similar manners.
How do I get rid of this thing?
There are several software packages that search your computer for and remove spyware and ad-ware products. My personal favorite is Ad-Aware, a free utility that is available for download at www.ad-aware.com. It is also important to know what programs may be spy/ad-ware and which ones are legitimate programs. For a comprehensive help guide to defending your system from these intrusive programs, and a free online spyware scanner, check out www.spywareguide.com.
Did you know that TOPS Software will provide you with a free
community web site CD demo? Follow this link to apply for your free demo today!~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~
Here is a list of some of the most common contact data for TOPS Software:
Department
Contact
Phone
Software Sales
Nicole Sezov
800-760-9966
Web Site Sales
Susan Sanders
800-556-7852
Technical Support
Jeanne Plennert
800-899-5689
Web Site Support
Brandon Kelley
800-899-5689
Accounting
Cande Estrella
301-869-8144
Designed by TOPS Software, LLC. Copyright© 2001-2004 TOPS Software, LLC, 364-C Christopher Ave, Gaithersburg, MD 2879. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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1-800-556-7852
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Please contact TOPS Software at info@topssoft.com,
or visit our website at www.topssoft.com.