Welcome to the final days of 2018.  Senior Net Kapiti Inc has closed its doors for the remainder of the year, but we are back in late January with our Coastlands Day event on the 29^th.  If you are at the mall that day, drop by the table and have a talk with the volunteers about what’s coming up. Our courses and workshops will be commencing in February.

As always, our schedule for the upcoming term is on our website for when you have a spare moment to check it out (Courses here and Workshops here). And, also don’t forget to browse through our other offerings on the website, we keep the content fresh with great articles on a wide variety of computer related topics that entertain and inform.

For now, enjoy the summer break, refresh and recharge.  Take care of yourselves and come back to SeniorNet rested and ready to learn.  We look forward to hearing and seeing you in the New Year. You can book courses and workshops anytime with Teresa (standing in for Elaine) at 021 169 6256.

It’s That Time of the Year!

It’s Christmas time and there are a whole lot of people who seem to think it’s the season to take advantage of other people’s generosity.

Please be very careful when opening emails from senders you don’t know or recognise. No genuine (aka honest) person is going to write to you offering you free gift cards or other goods/services for no charge. Remember the old adage: There’s no such thing as a free lunch! Be very cautious and if you don’t know the sender, we would recommend you err on the side of caution and simply DELETE the message.

This year’s favourite ploy appears to be sending messages telling you that your courier parcel has been delayed. BEWARE. This doesn’t happen and I’ve NEVER been contacted by a courier company in this manner. Please do not respond to these emails EVER! Just delete them – any genuinely delayed parcel will get to you eventually without you “helping” the courier company!!

Please be computer savvy this Christmas and above all, resist the temptation to click those innocent-looking links – nothing good will ever come of it!

Communication from SeniorNet Kapiti

In recent weeks, we’ve been struggling to keep in touch with our members via email. In an ironic twist of fate, Gmail (ie Google) decided that we were a spammer and started blocking all our messages to you. Xtra have also done the same on a more selective basis!

Our technical experts have been on the job doing everything in their power to convince the mighty behemoths that we are a genuine, honest, caring organisation. If you receive this Newsletter directly into your Inbox (or an email with a link to it), then we’ll know we’ve been successful.

Our new communication strategy is to use a Bulk Mailer service known to Google which should ensure our mail gets through. Routine messages from SeniorNet Kapiti will, in future, be sent to you via SendPulse. You have our promise that these are legitimate and also our assurance that your contact details will remain secure within our SendPulse Account. SendPulse will add a small “self-promoting advertisement” to the bottom of our emails but that’s the price of a free account with them and it doesn’t appear to be intrusive.

All communication with us (other than course and workshop bookings) should still be through our primary email address at kapiti@seniornet.co.nz.

As an aside, it REALLY helps if you add our email address (above) into your (Gmail/Outlook etc) Contacts List as it helps confirm our legitimacy when your email service provider is working out where to deliver our messages (Inbox or Spam folder!)

New Section on our Website

In response to our recent communication difficulties, we have decided to add a new section to our website called “Technical Advice”. You will see it in the black band of menu options at the top of this (and every) webpage. The new menu item already contains a number of articles which may interest you
This new section of our website can be expected to grow over time as useful articles are written for members, so it’s worth checking back from time to time.

For now though, if you are a Gmail user (and over 60% of our members are), please check out the article on Managing Spam on your PC and/or if you do your email on a smartphone, tablet, iPhone or iPad Managing Spam in the Gmail App

We need a Cleaner!

If you are interested in the paying job of cleaning the Learning Centre starting in the
New Year, please call Teresa on (04) 298 3132  or (021) 152 8404 for details.

Duties include:

• Empty rubbish bins and replace liners
• Cleaning the men’s and women’s toilets
• Vacuum kitchen, toilets and foyer
• Mop all vinyl floors
• Wipe bench surfaces in kitchen
• Replace tea towels
• Wipe surfaces in main room
• Occasionally clean keyboards
• Occasionally, dust ledges/windowsills behind curtains/chairs.
• Vacuum office, and wipe surfaces/ledges
• Check toilet supplies each week, and replace as necessary.
• Take tea towels/ hand towels/ cleaning cloths home and launder
• Take away rubbish

A closing thought in time for the holidays –

“Three Wise WOMEN would have asked directions, arrived on time, helped deliver the baby, bought practical gifts, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, and there would be peace on earth!” – From the Homemade Gifts Made Easy website

Happy Holidays, no matter what or how you celebrate.

Teresa Urutia
Chair SeniorNet Kapiti Inc.