July iiNews

letter from the editor

This month marks my one year anniversary at the helm of iiNews.

It's been a pleasure taking it on and a real challenge to tell you the truth - it would be great to imagine that there are some fish out there in the digital ocean that have enjoyed my ramblings (at least in part).

Here's hoping that I don't get overthrown anytime soon...

Speaking of anniversaries, one of my more realistic New Years resolutions this year was to remember more of my friends' birthdays - partly due to the fact that my own birthday slid by "under the radar" last year. You can do this in plenty of ways (having a good memory, keeping a calendar) but none of those are quite X-Generation enough for me.

A work colleague put me onto www.birthdayalarm.com which is a site that sends you reminders of your friends and families birthdays and anniversarys. Which is great, providing you use it. The site also allows you to send e-cards, but beware, e-cards are the next best thing to coloured-in spam if you ask me.

Last month I learnt the correct spelling of "segway" which is of course "segue", so for practice I thought I'd use it again by seguing onto our own anniversary. Last month we reached 100,000 people on our ADSL2+ network - a big achievement for us and a great sign for customers as it means more and more of you are getting up to speed.

Also this month: iiNet wins WA Contact Centre of the Year, we announce more xbox 360 winners, Niaal takes RPG sick leave and I go one-on-one with the new Aussie flick Solo .

I hope you enjoy.

Mark Welker
iiNews Editor

 

general news

iiNet hits 100,000!
We recently surpassed our June 2006 target for 100,000 customers on our ADSL2+ broadband infrastructure. This is a massive achievement for us, having just started our iiNet DSLAM rollout in July 2004.

In the last six months we have been through a sustained network expansion with more than 6000 existing customers transferred over to ADSL2+ each month and additional capacity built in to support new customers signing up. With the right equipment, customers connected to any of our ADSL2+ enabled exchanges are eligible for the fastest Internet available in Australia - with speeds of up to 24,000kbps.

Victorian resident and iiNet customer, Debbie Michelsen, was among the 100,000 group transferred over to iiNet's ADSL2+ network from the Telstra network and is now connecting at 8,300kbps - up from 512kbps previously. Debbie said she noticed the difference immediately.

"I would usually sit at my desk and look away, concentrating on other things while I waited for mail to download or web pages to pop up. Now it's practically instantaneous - even on my old and outdated computer."

Speeds like these allow iiNet customers to use content rich applications such as VoIP and video conferencing as well as enjoy significantly faster download speeds. When IPTV and Video on Demand really hits later this year, iiNet customers like Debbie will be ready with an affordable connection tailor-made for high bandwidth data transfer.

To find out if your area has an iiNet DSLAM visit http://www.iinet.net.au/dslams/updates/

xbox 360 winners
The xbox360 referral competition has now closed and the final winners are going through the judging process as we speak. In the meantime, here are the winners for the weeks 6 to 9.

Week 6 - Mark Smink who referred his work colleague, Vicki Samartgis
Week 7 - Chris Sculthorpe, who referred his father, Roger Sculthorpe
Week 8 - Thomas Haines, who referred his friend Gayle Maloney
Week 9 - Mary McNab, who referred her son Scott McNab

The final 10th week winners will be announced later this week.

kick off and win
The kick off and win competition also closed this week with 30 lucky iiNet customers picking up a $200 Rebel Sport gift voucher each. To view the final list of winners head on over to http://www.iinet.net.au/products/phone/football_promo.html.

We got more than 500 entires to the competition and a load of creative excuses for us to use in the future. You can read them all on the competition winners page.

support & services

customer service update
It's been a great couple of months for those in the iiNet Contact Centre - wait times are down to record lows, our new Virtual Contact Centre system is in place and delivering the goods, and most importantly, iiNet was recently named Contact Centre of the Year at the WA Chapter of the Australian Teleservices Association (ATA) Awards.

The ATA Awards are recognised within the contact centre industry as being the pre-eminent awards, recognising achievement and excellence of the highest level.

At the beginning of the year, this award was for many a pipe dream - something that we were always working towards, but not feasible at the time. A few months on, and that pipe dream has become a reality.

There's been a great deal of time and effort invested in getting our training, systems, and infrastructure up to scratch and a big thankyou goes out to all our customers for their support and patience over the last six months.

iiNet will now go on to the National ATA Awards to be held in September.

tech tip
This month we cover the top 5 things CSRs normally ask a customer to narrow down the problem:

1. Is the ADSL Light on your modem on?
2. Do you have a copy of the error message?
3. Can you browse to common sites such as http://www.google.com.au or http://www.ninemsn.com.au ?
4. Can you call us while the problem is occurring?
5. Are you using any Firewall software? If so, what is it?
   

virus alert

top 5 viruses reported to sophos in june

1. W32/Netsky-P
2. W32/Mytob-AS
3. W32/Nyxem-D
4. W32/Mytob-P
5. W32/Mytob-M

List provided by Sophos.

ii people

staff profile

Name: Balmik Soin
Title: Network Engineer

How long have you been with iiNet?
I've been at iiNet almost exactly two years now. I started off working in our Network Operations Centre, and after a few months I was seconded to the ihug Sydney office to assist with the integration at the time. Following that, I ended up moving into the Network Engineering group which is where I've been since - although I'm often "loaned" to various integration projects and as a result I've been a part of every acquisition since ihug.

What does your current role involve?
My current role as a Network Engineer involves a combination of proactive monitoring and fault fixing on the network, as well as project work to design and deploy new hardware and infrastructure. The upshot of this is that I get to play with lots of cool expensive toys and learn about new technology. However, because we're only allowed to make network changes after midnight to minimise customer impact, it often involves a lot of late or sleepless nights setting up and deploying hardware.

How do you think changes to the iiNet Network have enhanced the Internet experience for our clients?
Recently a lot of the project work we've been doing has been to upgrade all elements of the network to support much higher throughput and reliability. The big reason for this has been to support future voice and video products. The upshot of this is that customers have much faster and reliable access to the Internet as well.

What's been your most memorable or satisfying experience at iiNet?
My most memorable experience at iiNet would have to be the Vtown/BigBlue dial and DSL migration - we had a very short time to do it, and ended up working around the clock over a few days to move all the customers. Despite the lack of sleep and the sounds of cars racing past constantly (it was in Melbourne during the Grand Prix) we managed to shift all the customers over to iiNet without major issues.

customer of the month

Name: Sarah Treadgold
Location: Fortitude Valley QLD
Account type: broadband2+ with phone
Customer Since: January 2005

What do you use the Internet for most?
A combination of accessing web-based material for my university degree, news sites and accessing work material through an online server.

What are the best aspects of your broadband connection?
My partner is often downloading large documents for uni (and the odd movie or sports match from the weekend) and we've both really appreciated the extra speed compared to our previous provider. This significant improvement and speed, along with the low downtime and the low call costs for VOIP, are the best aspects for my connection.

How do you use the iiNet VOIP service?
We use the VOIP phone a lot as although we're both based in Brisbane, much of my partner's work happens in Perth and therefore he makes regular calls to Perth on work related matters. We also have a number of friends living interstate and overseas, and the low call rates make it cheaper to keep in contact.

What were your impressions of iiNet before joining and how have they changed since?
I always considered iiNet to be a very reliable Internet provider, and since joining this impression has been reinforced. Occasionally I've had to wait a while on the line for support, but I've always been more than happy with the result afterwards. What's probably best is that with iiNet you get the feeling that we're at the front of broadband technology, not paying a premium for the old stuff.

Interested in being one of our customer profiles? Email your details to iinewsfeedback@iinet.net.au.

digital gardener

It may seem strange to some, but winter is the best time to get outdoors and tend to your garden. More and more I'm getting to Monday mornings and finding dirt wedged beneath my fingernails from a weekend spent digging in the garden. With the chance of rain more likely, plants will be looking to stretch their limbs and dig their roots deep into the earth in order to establish before the summer months arrive. So, in the spirit of self interest I thought I'd share with you all a selection of helpful sites that I regularly visit to keep my green thumb strong and healthy.

GardenWeb
http://www.gardenweb.com/
This is by far one of my most favourite sites on the Internet. Here professional, amateur and beginner gardeners gather in forums to share their green thumb afflictions on an international scale. There are forums for every type of plant or garden hobby with tips on cultivation, pruning, transplanting, garden design and useful suggestions on how to get the best results from your greenery. Invaluable if you are out in the yard at any time of the year.

The Garden Gurus
http://www.thegardengurus.tv/
These guys have been hard at work in WA for the past few years living up to their "guru" name. If you're in WA then you may have seen the show on Saturday afternoons - the website is just as helpful with gardening advice specific to local conditions whether you're in WA, NSW, SA or VIC. Check out the fact cheets section or sign up for a local gardening workshop.

My Garden
http://www.mygarden.net.au/
How much garden advice do you actually need? Well while that question is being debated, check out My Garden; another great site for finding out the "how-tos" of a successful garden. Check out the articles on Permaculture and the extensive plant names database.

Chelsea Flower Show
http://www.rhs.org.uk/chelsea/2006/index.asp
The Chelsea Flower show has built itself up as one of the largest and finest examples of horticultural excellence in the world. Although it's not held here in Australia, the website provides some award-winning designs and ideas for those looking to transform their "outside living spaces."

Water Corporation (WA)
http://www.watercorporation.com.au/savingwater/savingwater_wiseways.cfm
While each state has it's own authority controlling and providing information on water supply, the WA Water Corporation has one of the most rigorous "waterwise campaigns" in Australia and an incredibly informative site. The section I have highlighted is on "waterwise design" and should help residents of all states create garden wonderlands that are both environmentally and resource friendly.

Did you enjoy this article? Have I forgotten your garden pick? Send your comments through to iinewsfeedback@iinet.net.au

feedback from last issue
"Thankyou for the links to all the kids sites. We have been searching the net for some rainy day fun but have not been able to find any, till now. The educational side is great, we recently had my Year 1 school boy looking for some homework material on Russia, surfing the net for that was frustrating as we were looking for the most basic level of info. Now we can't wait for his next homework project. Thanks heaps."

- Danielle Morris

"Hello. Good work with the iiNews this month. It has been getting better as of late. I thought the http://www.neopets.com website might be a good one for the kids, but maybe not that educational. Thanks."

- Jason Riggs

"With regard to games, www.garagegames.com sells a gaming platform. If the game you develop is good enough, it's sold on the site. Each game has a generous demo. Most are around $A25 depending on the exchange rate, and will run on Mac, Windows and Linux. Recognising that many homes now have more than one computer, once you have bought the game, you can download and install it on all your machines, activating it with a key."

- Deborah Ehrlich

"I was a bit dismayed on reading the latest newsletter on Internet security. The displayed ad for the scam NetBank looked big, bold and very trustworthy, plus showing a logo from a reputable bank; the very obvious intention of the scum-bags who do this sort of thing. What concerned me was the size of your response to that NetBank ad. I really believe that your response should have been bigger and bolder and more of it to help bring home the dangers of these scams and explain how to permanent delete before the email even gets past the inbox."

- Bill Fletcher

Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions.

competitions

white masai tickets giveaway
This month I'm quite excited as one of my favourite independent film distributors, Hopscotch, have kindly passed on to us passes to their latest release The White Masai .

Based on the autobiography of Corinne Hofmann, The White Masai tells the unbelievable - yet true - fish-out-of-water tale of a white European woman who becomes the wife of a Masai warrior. Although at first the two are barely able to communicate, Carola (Nina Hoss) follows Lemalian (Jacky Ido) to his remote village where their relationship must survive a cataclysmic culture clash.

To celebrate the release of the film on July 20, Hopscotch Films have kindly provided us with 35 in-season double passes to the film to give away to our readers.

To be in the running for this prize, please email competitions with "Masai Competition" in the subject line, and provide your username, full name, and address by 5pm WST, July 23, 2006, along with the answer to this question: What is the name of the industry award that our Contact Centre recently won? ( hint: you'll find the answer in the "support and services" section)

Winners with the correct answer will be drawn at random and prizes sent by mail.

hoodwinked tickets giveaway
Hoodwinked is a CG animated kids flick providing a new spin on an old fable; Little Red Riding Hood. Taking it's cues from the playful and very successful Shrek series, Hoodwinked takes elements of the classic fairy tale and injects it with enough red cordial and fairy bread to keep the kids going all day.

Featuring the voices of Glenn Close, Jim Belushi and Patrick Warburton (who voiced the lovable "Kronk" from The Emperor's New Groove ) Hoodwinked is shaping up to be one of the more humorous animated offerings to grace screens this year.

To celebrate the release of the film on August 3, Roadshow Films have kindly provided us with 50 in-season double passes to the film to give away to our readers.

To be in the running for this prize, please email competitions with "Hoodwinked Competition" in the subject line, and provide your username, full name, and address by 5pm WST, July 23, 2006, along with the answer to this question: What high speed milestone did iiNet recently crack? ( hint: you'll find the answer in the "general news" section)

Winners with the correct answer will be drawn at random and prizes sent by mail.

ii games

RPG Madness (multi-platform)
With Niaal Holder

Illness is a wonderful thing eh? Well no, not really. In fact it's usually quite horrible, I think that's sort of the point. But if we're ever lucky enough to have an illness or affliction that keeps us upright without needing to cough up a liver, it affords us the guilt-free hours to dive into the most evil of gaming genres: the role-playing game.

RPGs have held my attention for some time, with their depth, character development and sleep deprivation. So while I'm laid up this week, recovering from a quartet of wisdom tooth absences, I thought it high time I reviewed the RPGs that built my lurve for the genre. Six of the best, what ho:

Golvellius (master system)
Sounds like bodily swelling, plays with surprising depth for a console with little grunt. Memories of this title are sketchy at best, though hints of Zelda abounded in what was really just a clone for the devotees of Sega, back when your bread was very distinctly buttered one side or the other. Any title that purported "Battery Backup!" was always going to be a hit. Times were desperate.

Legend of Zelda (SNES)
The high lord of the early RPG scene, Zelda's polished cartoony depth gave the impression of non-linear gameplay in an overtly linear fashion that we simply chose to ignore. Strut around Hyrule with a sword and a boomerang, knutting beasties, building your character and acquiring unnervingly quest-specific items from unusually trusting strangers. Formulaic at best, Zelda was and still is the quasi-arcade RPG romp of the 90s. Marry it now.

Gauntlet (various)
To my mind, the patriarch that popularised the dungeon-crawling subgenre. While Gauntlet's children have gone on to make bombies of varying splash in the RPG pool, the original is still the best. Nothing beat huddling around an arcade machine with three mates, laughing it up as you strolled around endless, stupidly unfair labyrinths. Then you realised you die standing still, and you took your money elsewhere in disgust. But it was fun while it lasted.

Ultima Underworld (PC)
The Ultima franchise was always a bit prissy for my liking. Too much talking, not enough getting your axe away. Seems like someone noticed and served me up a hot piping Ultima adventure, in luscious 3D, as a pioneer of the virtual dungeon crawl. Imagine playing the original Doom if you slowed it down and bit, jumped all over the show and tried talking to monsters instead of putting a rocket up their nose.

Neverwinter Nights (PC)
Now we're talking. Who better to prepare your role-playing delight than the kings of nerd themselves, the D&D crowd? Whilst adhering to the same linear gaming mechanics popularised in the 80s for frig's sake, NWN managed to counter this with a gaming bender of character depth, diversity and replay value. Sure, so we're strolling around dungeons again, but this time we're doing it...sexfully.

Elder Scrolls: Oblivion (PC, 360)
The pizza with everything. Oblivion is the eden of RPGs, visually stunning, totally non-linear and varied in every way imaginable. It's rare to say it, but there is literally nothing wrong with this title. Cavort your way through Cyrodiil, doing pretty much whatever you want. If you feel like working on the storyline, go for it. Or perhaps you'd like to forage for berries by the river, like a sad git? Nick stuff from the Magistrate's underwear cupboard? Punch horses? The possibilities with this title are so flatly diverse, you'd be forgiven for missing the point entirely. I don't even know what it is.

ii flicks

movie review - Solo - Rated M

Solo is the new Australian hard-boiled crime thriller from first time director Morgan O'Neill. O'Neill submitted the screenplay for Solo to the Australian version of Project Greenlight - an awards scheme dreamt up originally by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck after the success of their independent feature Good Will Hunting back in the 90s. The winning entry is given a budget of $1 million to produce the goods.

For his first ever feature, with the pressures of a tight budget and hefty expectations from Greenlight, O'Neill has done a admirable job. Solo is a solid crime thriller and one of the better Australian films I have seen of late.

Jack Barrett (Colin Friels) is a hitman at the end of his career. At 53, he's given over 30 years of his life to crime and the smell of blood on his hands just ain't doing it for him anymore. Of course it's far harder to get out of a life of crime than it is to get in...

As hitman Barrett, Colin Friels is instantly engaging. Having been around the acting traps for a while now, Friels has perfected the "loveable oddball" figure he's relied upon in roles like Malcolm , Water Rats and Tom White . In Solo , this easy going nature shines through, adding an authenticity and humanity to the generic hitman caricature we usually see up on screen.

Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the cast of supporting characters. A low budget film ($1 mill doesn't go far you know) normally relies on solid performances to make up for the things it can't do; large set pieces, action scenes, special effects and time consuming camera work. In Solo , even the excellent performance from Friels can't buoy the average performances of others like Vince Colosimo ( Lantana ) and irritating new-comer Bojana Novakovic ( Chefs ).

For an award-winning script, the audience is too often left struggling to find a laugh and many scenes reek of a "just get it done so we can move on" flavour. Some minor characters (like the Vietnamese crime boss played by comedian Anh Do) drop into the story only to disappear two scenes later, begging the question why we were introduced to them at all.

In his defence, O'Neill is only a first timer and getting the most out of a cast that have been around a lot longer than he must have been tough. You can see many instances in the film where O'Neill is still feeling his way as "director"; implementing stylised camera work that appears quite unstuck from the jazz-infused Raymond Chandler-style of the rest of the movie.

The result is a film that just doesn't innovate enough or take enough risks to really standout. It's good, but I've seen this movie before ( The Professional ) only this one comes with an Australian language track.