The Estrin Report

"Deleting embarrassing e-mails isn't easy, experts say"

So, you think those embarrassing emails sent to the computer's trash can are truly deleted, right? Uh, no:

"If Karl Rove or other White House staffers tried to delete sensitive e-mails from their computers, experts said, investigators usually could recover all or most of them.

"The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is investigating whether the White House or the Republican National Committee erased 'a large volume of e-mails' that may be related to the firings of eight U.S. attorneys.

[snip]

"Deleting a document or e-mail doesn't remove the file from a computer's hard drive or a backup server. The only thing that's erased is the address - known as a 'pointer' - indicating where the file is stored.

"It's like 'removing an index card in a library,' said Robert Guinaugh, a senior partner at CyberControls LLC, a data forensic-support company in Barrington, Ill. 'You take the card out, but the book is still on the shelf.'"

"Ten Must-Have Apps for the Solo Practitioner"

More helpful info from Rick Georges, author of the FutureLawyer blog [links below from original post]:

"This month I'm focusing on application software. Although there are different software preferences for every lawyer, I'm sticking to Windows, since most lawyers use it. As with last month's article, 'Ten Must-Have Web Sites for Solo Practitioners,' picking the best of anything is difficult, so I'll focus on what I use every day in my practice. I'm sure I'll hear from you about software you use, that I missed.

[snip]

"As with last month's article [Ten Must-Have Web Sites for Solo Practitioners], there are many other software applications that I could have mentioned, as I'm certain that there are a few that you might suggest. However, I use every application in this column at least once each day of my life, and my law practice would be lost without them. If you have an essential application that is important to your law practice, send me an e-mail and let me know. Now, go out and use computer software to improve your life and your law practice."

Definitely liked the inside scoop of how this lawyer daily uses technology. What would your list of "top apps" look like? Is your own Treo "NEVER far from [your] cold hands"?

"Five Things You Should Know About Fighting Spam"

Sadly, this scenario sounds all too familiar! But there's a good reason:

"When you started your e-mail client this morning, you were prepared for the usual set of correspondence: your daily dose of corporate politics, a dollop of technical emergencies and the background hum of projects under way. Annoyingly, your inbox also contained a few messages advertising products you would never buy, and perhaps a phishing notice warning that your account was frozen at a financial institution where you don't have an account. Your company has antispam measures in place; surely, the IT staff should be able to keep this junk out of your inbox?

"Perhaps they can, but the task of doing so has become much more difficult in recent years, partly because 85 percent or more of all e-mail traffic today is spam.

[snip]

"The primary directive, for e-mail admins, is 'lose no mail.' If that means that an occasional spam message wends its merry way into users' mailboxes, so be it. E-mail administrators would prefer that users encounter a few annoyances than miss an important business message."

Also, remember that "People are Making Money on Spam," so there may always be strong incentives for spam senders to fight against spam blockers. Who knows, you might want some of that uninvited email....

"Paralegals and Smartphones"

I'm not saying you should buy a smartphone, but the Indiana Paralegal Association rightly points out the value of quick email replies:

"I am willing to go out on a limb with this one, but I have come to the conclusion that smartphones are quickly becoming a requirement for paralegals. Whether we like it or not, we live in a world of invisible fences and constant communication (as one of my collegues constantly reminds me). Several weeks ago, I finally broke down and purchased the Samsung Blackjack smart phone (I highly recommend this phone to anyone interested in a slim smart phone)."

"RIM announces Blackberry 8800"

Yay! It's way past time to get a new Blackberry, isn't it?

"Research in Motion (RIM) today announced a new Blackberry smartphone. The new 8800 merges the form factor of the traditional Blackberry with the piano-black design of the 8100. The new phone comes with integrated GPS and a n illuminated 'Pearl' trackball.

"Other than the original 8100 Pearl, the 8800 tries to appeal to traditional Blackberry customers with a security-focused, but enhanced feature set. As the original Blackberry devices, the 8800 is wider than the 8100 and offers a full QWERTY keyboard."

Oh yeah, it's stylish!

"27 Tips for Teleconferencing"

Wow, this is a remarkably smart list! Stuff I hadn't even thought about. (Links below are from the original post.):

"Whether you call them conference calls or telecons or excruciatingly dull time-wasters, multi-participant phone conversations are as important to most web workers [& paralegals] as email. If you can’t meet face to face or arrange video conferencing, the conference call is the next best thing. But just as with email and instant messaging, people don’t always agree on how to use them as effectively as possible as a tool for collaboration.

"Try these tips for your next telecon whether you’re the leader of the call or just a participant."

BTW, you can find more info about Web Worker Daily here...

"Are BlackBerry users the new smokers?"

Well, people do seem addicted to these devices (cell phones too). What do you think?

"I have a new policy with my friends. I will not meet them in a restaurant or bar - holiday cheer notwithstanding - unless they promise to switch off their cellphones and BlackBerrys.

"It's embarrassing to impose such sanctions. It seems discourteous. Yet I feel like I have to speak up. The idea of a ban came to me after dining with an old college friend. I was confiding something, when it dawned on me that he wasn't even listening. He was staring down at his lap, instead.

"'What are you doing?' I asked, feeling dismayed.

"'I'm sending you an e-mail,' he muttered.

[snip]

"What is the behavioral equivalent of this socially sanctioned and business-approved use of gadgetry? It's like having a dinner party guest pull out her crime thriller to read while she slurps up your pasta. It's like a man striding 10 feet ahead of his lady companion when they're out for a stroll, or someone firing up a cigarette in an elevator."

The annoyance & rudeness aside, can this in-your-face technology be healthy?

"Free Services to Inspire Your Cellphone"

Helpful NY Times techie, David Pogue, offers up a batch of useful cell phone services:

"With every passing month, cellphones are becoming even more useful. Sure, it’s nice that they let you call people from the road. But lately, their reach has grown, thanks to clever programmers making links between the cellular world and the Internet.

"Here, for your gratitude-generating pleasure, is a rundown of some of the most exciting and powerful services awaiting your cellphone at this very moment. Better yet, at the moment, they’re all free."

Descriptions included:

§          Free Directory Assistance

§          Free Answers

§          Free International Calls

§          Free ‘Pings’

§          Free Fun

§          Free Price Comparisons

You've got to try the personalized outgoing messages from YouMail.com!

"Law Firm's 'Trial-in-a-Box' Rescues Cases"

Well, this approach to get-there-quick-litigation sure sounds smart!

"Any serious trial law firm must have the capability to 'parachute' into a problem case and try a matter on short notice. At Houston's Beirne, Maynard & Parsons, we have developed a comprehensive program to deal with remote trials, which we call 'trial-in-a-box.' This consists of custom-made cases that house separate sets of desktop computers, Internet capabilities, laptop computers, printers, fax machines, a complete wireless phone system and all associated peripheral technology and equipment.

"With this system, we can send a trial team on short notice to assist clients with emergency needs. We have established relationships with communication vendors to facilitate prompt installation of high speed data circuits and phone lines at any designated trial location.

"But you don't just need hardware -- you also need solid, user-friendly litigation support software to succeed in today's courtroom. If you, like so many of our colleagues, are just beginning to incorporate technology into your litigation practice, choosing software is a good place to start."

Read more about "what you need to know before you pack that parachute" in the balance of this article. This "litigation-only" firm is serious about technology!

Article by Martin Beirne, managing partner & Scott Marrs, partner at Houston's Beirne, Maynard & Parsons.

"My cell phone is bigger than yours..."

Yeah, this AlterNet post is only tangentially related to the legal field. But don't most lawyers & paralegals use cell phones?

"Just a short reminder that we're all hopeless monkeys trapped inside one giant National Geographic special, via TechDirt [links below are from original post]:

"Well, it appears some things don't change much. Almost exactly six years ago, we wrote about a study that said that men tend to use mobile phones in the same way that peacocks display their plumage: as a mating call to try to impress women. A new study has found that this still happens. Men are much more likely to actively display their mobile phones in social situations. The article suggests it's a way to pick up women, but it also notes that men are just as eager to display their mobile phones to other men to make themselves appear more important. Of course, what makes this even more interesting is the study we saw this past summer that found that women use mobile phones for almost the exact opposite purpose. They do it to keep men from approaching them. That is, if they see someone approaching them, they may pull out the phone so they have an excuse to avoid talking to the man. No wonder the sexes have so much trouble communicating. They don't even use communication devices the same way."

So, tell us how you use cell phones!