Ok, it's only 30 days rather than 30 years - but we're thrilled by the positive response to justFRED.ca after just one month in operation, and we have a lot of prizes we want to give away by the end of the week. They include two $20 gift certificates for lunch (only available if you haven't already been the winner of one of these certificates in December), gift baskets for men, for women, for teen girls, for young boys, young girls and for pets.

So here's how it works:

You have until Tuesday, December 19, 2006, at 6 p.m. to earn points. How do you do that?

1 point - Post a local event in the calendars (one that's not already posted - an event spread over two days or two weeks still counts as one point)

1 point - Post an ad in the classifieds

1 point - Send us your holiday season photo used on the site (we don't have to remind you that this is a family friendly web site, right?). The contributed photo that's voted the best wins an extra 5 points. Email your photos to jfcontests@justfred.ca

2 points - Sign up a new member and tell us who it is (and we'll give you a point for every point that new member gets in this contest)

1 point - Vote in our latest poll and post a note in the forum about how you voted and why

2 points - Sing us one verse of a Christmas carol and send us a copy of the audio file (by email to jfcontests@justFRED.ca)

5 points - For the best idea about how to promote our FREE birth announcements section in the Classifieds for 2007.

Cheers,
George

So head back to http://www.justFRED.ca/">the justFRED.ca home page and get started.

http://blogs.justfred.ca/justfred/files/2006/11/shelter2.jpg" title="shelter2.jpg">http://blogs.justfred.ca/justfred/files/2006/11/shelter2.thumbnail.jpg" alt="shelter2.jpg" />
We still have a somewhat scattered approach to communicating with you:

• email - preferred by the majority, partially blocked by Aliant


• blog - some read 'em, some don't


• forums - same as blogs


• on-site graphics

jennifer rightly says we should do them all...and efficiently. She's right. We're working on it.

The contests will also change as we move out of the holiday season. And we'll begin to introduce more non-profit organizations and family related activities to justFRED.ca members and visitors.

As you'll see in the calendars, Child Find NB is holding a fingerprint / ID clinic at WalMart in the Regent Mall on Saturday, January 13, 2007. Any volunteers? (You'll have to undergo a police check, which generally takes a few days.)

We've reached an agreement with the Fredericton Emergency Shelters that will combine support for their important work and some unique prizes.

Cheers,
George
justFRED.ca

PS - I know it's time for a day off when I write posts, then forget to publish them. Duh.

http://blogs.justfred.ca/justfred/files/2006/11/img_5981.JPG" title="img_5981.JPG">http://blogs.justfred.ca/justfred/files/2006/11/img_5981.thumbnail.JPG" alt="img_5981.JPG" />

We don't intend for justFRED.ca to sleep through the holidays - but like you, we want to spend time with family and friends.

So we're trying to sort out the best way to mix site updates with downtime.

As always, good ideas will be rewarded.

Cheers,
George

More back and forth with Aliant yesterday - they're having the ISP where we host our mail server contact the Internet National Management Center in the USA to get them to list our email notifications as legitimate messages.

We'll keep you informed about our progress - or lack thereof.

Cheers,
George

http://blogs.justfred.ca/justfred/files/2006/12/img_6862.JPG" title="img_6862.JPG">http://blogs.justfred.ca/justfred/files/2006/12/img_6862.thumbnail.JPG" alt="img_6862.JPG" />
mrs_mbird is our latest $20 gift certificate winner.

Thank you to everyone who entered. And watch for our major giveaways between now and the end of the start of the holidays.

Cheers,
George

If you own a domain name, at some point you're going to get a brown, official-looking envelope with a red maple leaf in the corner.

Inside, is a notice that you could be in danger of losing your domain along with an invoice.

But guess what? The Domain Registry of Canada isn't your domain name registrar. That's usually a different company. What DROC is trying to do is steal your business away - at rates that are generally higher than you're already paying.

If you read all of the fine print - you'll soon discover that it's a trick. But most people don't read the fine print. They simply write the cheque.

The latest victim of this practice is Transition House in Fredericton. Were they fooled? Yep. They thought this was an invoice from a Canadian government agency that handles domain names. Which is precisely what the mailing was intended to do.

They're trying to put a stop payment on the cheque.

And I'm going to do my best to let the public know about this deceptive company from Ontario.

Meanwhile, be forewarned.

Cheers,
George

One of the features we've been working on - and which went into operation yesterday - is the ability to create and send an ecard directly from our photo galleries. So if you find a picture of you or a friend or family member and want to email it directly to someone else, follow these simple steps.

1. Go to the http://www.justfred.ca/cmine/index.php">Photo Gallery (You might want to keep reading before you click on that link...)


2. Select the individual gallery - which takes you to the thumbnail view of the photos in that gallery


3. Click on the photo you want to use for your ecard


4. Click on the envelope icon in the green bar above the photo (circled in red below)http://blogs.justfred.ca/justfred/files/2007/01/ecard-added.jpg" title="ecard-added.jpg">
   http://blogs.justfred.ca/justfred/files/2007/01/ecard-added.thumbnail.jpg" alt="ecard-added.jpg" />


5. Follow the instructions on the page that comes up.

You'll be able to see a sample of your ecard when you've completed the process.

Cheers,
George

http://blogs.justfred.ca/justfred/files/2006/11/free-lunch-ad-2.jpg" title="free-lunch-ad-2.jpg">http://blogs.justfred.ca/justfred/files/2006/11/free-lunch-ad-2.thumbnail.jpg" alt="free-lunch-ad-2.jpg" />
I know - I know: you want email notification.

But until we get this silliness cleared up with Aliant (which makes for a big mess at this end and prevents many of our members from getting email notifications), we're going to stick with our usual method of letting you know about the latest contest.

The top prize in this one is a $20 gift certificate for lunch at Hannah's Restaurant at the City Motel - and there will be a bunch of second prizes (candy, toys, etc.).

Go http://www.justfred.ca/justfred.forums/showthread.php?t=17">here for details.

Cheers,
George
justFRED.ca

PS - If you've already won a FREE lunch contest this month - you only have 16 more days to wait before you qualify for the top prize again.

http://blogs.justfred.ca/justfred/files/2006/12/ecard-added.jpg" title="ecard-added.jpg">http://blogs.justfred.ca/justfred/files/2006/12/ecard-added.thumbnail.jpg" alt="ecard-added.jpg" />

We've added the ability to send ecards from our photo galleries. Just in time for the holidays.

Click http://www.justfred.ca/cmine/index.php?cat=8">here to try it out.

Cheers,
George

http://blogs.justfred.ca/justfred/files/2006/12/img_7602.JPG" title="img_7602.JPG">http://blogs.justfred.ca/justfred/files/2006/12/img_7602.thumbnail.JPG" alt="img_7602.JPG" />
DeeKnee wins the $20 gift certificate for lunch at the Grill on York. And the justFRED.ca members listed below each receive a holiday Candy Bag:

• shasta911ca


• jodua6


• phillipsmom


• jennifer


• babysitter


• mrs_mbird


• siskadawn


• pookiebear


• starr_4dm


• NascarFan


• mwhyte


• cinsmother


• and angiej

Thanks again for taking part - and for sending us all of your useful suggestions.

Cheers,
George