August 26, 2005
In this Issue:
Dear Friend,
CompleteCampaigns.com is built on a solid committment to customer service. While we can't always solve every problem a client has, we always try our best, and nothing makes us feel more proud than hearing comments like these:
- "You rock. You spoil me with this quick turn around time - wow."
- "Thank you very much for your helpfulness and your quick responsiveness. If only our legislature worked as well! :-)"
- "We really are pleased with the complete campaigns package - and with the customer service. Going through this audit - I can NOT imagine going through this with our previous system. Thanks."
Just like anyone, we love the praise that we get for our hard work. But truthfully, we're happy to get all kinds of feedback - requests, comments, your unadulterated opinions.
Always feel free to let us know what's on your mind: support@completecampaigns.com.
- Ben Katz
You might have password security problems if:
A. Your password is on a yellow sticky note on your monitor.
B. Your password is your child’s name, your dog’s name, your OWN name.
C. Your password is known by anyone on your staff who wants to log in.
Most of the time, we pick a password that we can remember. Honestly, that’s the biggest problem -- you can’t remember your password, so you write it down. But writing down your password is like writing your PIN number on your ATM card – pretty useless for security purposes.
I can’t tell you what the uncrackable password is – if I could the CIA might want to talk to me. However, I can give you some guidelines to help you through some of the more common mistakes we make when choosing passwords.
- Don’t write them down. Don’t keep a list of passwords for your staff. If you lose your password, you can just call us and we’ll reset it for you. By keeping a written log of passwords, you take the chance that the list will fall into the wrong hands.
- Don’t let people share log-ins. Each person who logs into your database should have their own log-in and password. Anytime a password is shared, even with someone you trust, you run the risk of accidentally sharing it with someone you don’t trust.
- Pick a unique password with a combination of numbers and letters and easy for you to remember. 1111, 1234, and WXYZ are not unique passwords.
- Go for 6-8 characters in length. Shorter passwords are easier to crack.
Okay, so you’ve read the list and now, you want to change your password.
1. Go to the System Menu
2. Select My Account.
3. Review your account information. Change the Password.
4. Type your password again.
5. Click the Save Changes button.
Now, shhhhh! It's a secret!
Using the Net in your Small Budget Campaign by Jim Fleming
I can’t e-mail my love. I can’t fax you my heart. I can’t see your face in cyberspace. I don’t know where to start.
-Jimmy Buffet
In the first edition of Winning Big in Small Budget Campaigns, which was first published in 1997, we dedicated just a few pages to an increasingly important campaign medium. In fact, we didn’t even include it under the media chapter, but relegated it to the leadoff item under the next, catchall chapter – “Fragmentary Bombs.”
But like my hero, Bob Dylan, once intoned (or moaned), “The times, they are ‘a changin’.” Like fax machines and cellular phones, which were considered novelties not long ago, the Internet has rapidly become the required World Wide Weapon in political arsenals, especially for small budget, down-the-ballot campaigns.
Read more in CompleteCampaigns.com's CampaignGuide.
Focus On is our new series of email tutorials. We will show you a few overlooked features in our system. We encourage you to print this document and keep it next to your computer, to follow along easily through the lesson.
In this edition, we show you the ins and outs of Pledge Tracking - you'll become your campaign's own resident fundraising wizard!
www.completecampaigns.com
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San Diego, CA 92102
888-217-9600