b. Thanks to Dan Rodriguez for filling in for Zach this morning. Zach is again leading worship at Camp Shamineau this weekend.
b.i. AND our Youth Group is up there as well for their first-ever retreat!
c. I can tell you though that conference and camp season is now over, so Zach will be back consistently with us starting next week.
d. This morning we are going to be talking about sharing.
d.i. We all learn it as kids right? Share with your brother. Share with your sister.
d.i.1. But selfishness starts early, right?
d.ii. I mean, what are some of the first words kids learn?
d.iii. But eventually we grow up and, we grow out of it. Right? Right?
d.iii.1. Or maybe we just grow out of shouting "Mine" out loud, but we still think it.
e. We are "kind of" starting a new series this morning.
e.i. We are actually continuing a message series that we started this Fall.
e.i.1. We are going through the book of Acts in the Bible.
f. And before we get to that, let me make a bridge to our last series on Church Teeter Totters.
f.i. We didn't do it, but we certainly could have done a message on how different churches get over-obsessed with the speaking styles of their pastor.
f.i.1. There are numerous churches who will only do verse-by-verse preaching through books while others adamantly refuse to do anything but topical sermons.
g. I just want to be clear, if you've never heard me say this before, for us, it's a balance.
g.i. We often really want to dive into Scripture and go verse by verse (that's why we're doing Acts).
g.i.1. But sometimes, God really lays on our hearts certain things to talk about.
g.i.1.a. Like our last series was something God had been putting on my heart for a long time. And I don't want to just ignore that because it doesn't work with our verse-by-verse schedule.
g.i.2. We've got to sometimes make rooms for the pressing issues of our day and when God is speaking to our hearts.
h. Anyway, that being said, we are continuing in the book of Acts today.
i.i. Acts is the story of the early church and takes place right after Jesus ascends back into heaven.
i.i.1.a. When Spirit does, they begin to do ministry in power, and thousands and thousands of people are coming to Christ.
i.ii. We see the apostles begin to perform miracles, the church grows and ppl gather in houses AND the temple to hear the apostles teach, and we begin to see early opposition to the church as well.
i.ii.1. And all that in just 3 and a half chapters we covered this fall.
a. We are now going to rejoin the book of Acts in the middle of chapter 4…starting at verse 32.
c. 32 All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. 33 The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God's great blessing was upon them all. 34 There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them 35and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need. 36 For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means "Son of Encouragement"). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. 37 He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles.
c.ii. The next section in the book of Acts (the story of Ananias and Sapphira) is loosely tied to this passage as well.
c.ii.1. I had high hopes of covering it today, but we are actually going to cover it in House Groups this week.
c.ii.1.a. Which we Won't do often, but I gotta be careful, or I'm going to keep us in the book of Acts for 150 weeks here.
d. Our passage today, however, has a lot to say about sharing. & for adults no less.
d.i. This isn't the first time this has been mentioned in Acts either.
f. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
g. So, what kind of sharing is this exactly??
h. Let's take a look at a few things that it's NOT.
i. This is NOT, as it has often been characterized, communism.
i.i. It's not a forced redistribution of wealth. It's voluntary.
i.ii. Everyone was sharing their stuff, and those who had the blessing of extra land and extra possessions often even sold them to help out. Not everyone though. It wasn't forced.
j.i. We do see examples (particularly when it's a large amount of money) of certain people selling land and laying it at the apostles feet, saying, do what you will.
j.ii. But most of the other times, it appears that they are just straight sharing with each other.
j.ii.1. In Acts 2, it simply says that the believers (not the leaders) sold possessions and gave to everyone who was in need.
k.i. It doesn't create a dependent relationship between people. Churches are interested in ultimately advancing the cause of Christ.
k.i.1. But really, at the heart, THIS passage is about us as INDIVIDUALS taking care of the people around us, in our Christian community.
k.ii. I'd love to say that this passage is just about giving money to your church, but I'm not sure it is.
k.ii.1. That's part of it.
k.ii.2. Don't get me wrong, it's an important thing, and probably a different topic, but we also are called to additionally share with those in need that we personally know in our churches.
l. Which leads me to the next thing this passage is NOT about.
l.i.1. This passage isn't talking about giving to the poor down in the city or in a distant land (although there are plenty of others about that). It's talking about caring for the very people among you.
m. So God is calling us here to share, to support the very people in our midst. Specifically the other believers in our midst.
m.i. And a great application of this is the people in your house groups. Many of you for the first time ever, or maybe in years, now have a community of people, much like the early church, that you can support.
m.i.1. And if you're not in a house group… get in one. Not just so you can support others, so that you could be supported in a time of need someday.
a. But yet, sharing with each other, and supporting each other, perhaps even financially in a time of need, is not an easy thing.
b. And if we're going to do this, we first have to get to the point where we realize that our possessions are not our own.
f.i. No, they simply began to recognize that their possessions are "not their own." They're for everyone.
g. In fact, I would ask, what do we really "own" anyway?
g.i. Aren't you just really temporarily borrowing God's stuff?
g.i.1. Here's what I mean: When you die, what happens to that house you owned? When you die, what happens to your boat? Your flat screen?
g.ii. No seriously. Can you really "OWN" anything?
g.ii.1. It's like one of my all-time favorite sayings. You can't take a U-Haul behind the hearse.
g.ii.1.b. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.
h. So, that being said, we need to start radically looking at the things we "own" in a different way.
h.i. The summer before we started this church, I went and visited my friend Mike Binder's new church, Mill City Church, in NE Minneapolis.
h.ii.1. So, you could offer a car to someone you didn't need anymore. You could offer your time to mow someone's lawn. You could offer your house for someone to meet at.
h.ii.1.a. And I thought that was pretty cool. It shows us that EVERYTHING we have is God's.
h.iii. And it should get us thinking.
h.iii.1. Are there things we could get rid of? By the way, the answer is yes.
h.iv.1. Wait, you have multiple racks shoes?
h.iv.2. You have a garage for your car! But, you can't park your car in the garage because it's too full of other stuff?
h.iv.3. You have even MORE "stuff" in a storage garage?
h.iv.3.a. We just have tons of stuff! Do we not??
h.iv.4. And I think we oughta just start giving more it away.
h.iv.4.a. We don't really need it a lot of it, do we?
h.iv.5. I don't know. Pray about it.
h.iv.5.a. Have a garage sale. And give all the money to God. Give it to someone in your house group who's struggling.
h.iv.5.a.i. Take a possession from your house that you don't need and give to someone who actually could use it.
h.iv.6. I mean, what could you do? What could YOU give away? What could you share?
h.iv.7. I know we don't do this a lot, but we can!
h.iv.7.a. We just have to start looking at what we "own" differently.
i. And let's be careful to point out that this isn't a call for everyone to be poor. Sometimes God really uses wealthy people.
i.i. It's not a call to poverty, but a call to change our attitudes about our possessions and other people in the body of Christ.
j. Read a story recently of a congregation on Buenos Aires, Argentina, church grew quickly, revival was happening, people were coming to Christ. They talked about radically supporting each other.
j.i. People started bringing the titles to their homes and apartments to the church. And them more and more, and more and more.
j.ii. For 6 months the leaders prayed about what to do, and decided to return everyone's real estate.
j.iii. And the pastor said, what happened was, astonishing. Now, all the houses are open.
j.iii.1. If a person loses their home and doesn't have a place to stay, it's so easy to find them a place, everyone knows that their house is not theirs, it's the Lord's. The pastors have plenty of options to put people with out a home.
j.iii.1.a. When someone needs a car, the one who has two, will easily give theirs a way. It's not theirs!
k. And I love that! We are really just stewards of His things. Managers of his possessions.
k.i. And when you see it that way, it makes a HUGE difference.
k.i.1. It's like, some of you, when you were little would get a few dollars from your parents to put in the offering plate.
k.i.1.a. Did you ever hesitate to put it in??
k.i.2. NO way. It's always easier to give away someone else's stuff!
k.i.2.a. So start seeing your "stuff" as someone else's.
l. But if we're going to be successful in this…in "not seeing our possessions as our own," we're going to need some help.
l.i. And I think part of the problem why we Americans need so much help here is this: We simply do not like talking about our money and possessions with other people.
l.i.1. After all, it's none of their business!!
l.ii. But, a refusal to share this aspect of our lives (how much we have, what we do with our money), is an unfortunate mistake of elevating our American culture over a Biblical mandate.
l.ii.1. Because when we keep secret what we do with our money and our stuff, it immediately lowers the level of fellowship you can have with people.
l.iii. It's as if, I want to get close and tell you everything, but not EVERYTHING.
l.iii.1. People think: I'll tell you about my marriage problems, my gossip issues, my gambling addictions, but don't even think to talk to me about how much money I have and what I do with it!
m. Lindsey and I recently had a financial change in our family. She had been going to school for a bazillion years, and she is now finally finished and working.
m.i. And listen, if I'm not willing to let my close friends, my accountability partner ask me questions about it, and what I'm going to with a change in finances, then I have a problem.
m.i.1. I don't have to talk to everyone in the world about it, but we better let somebody talk to us about what we do with our possessions, right?
n. And we don't just struggle with pride at those rare times when we actually have a little bit of money, we also really struggle with pride when people want to help us out.
n.i.1. I imagine that was a temptation for the early Christians. To say, "I don't need your help!" But they didn't let their pride get in the way.
o.i. Having an economically diverse church is also important.
o.i.1. This is true for our House groups especially.
o.i.2. It's one of the reasons our house groups are intergenerational.
o.i.2.a. We learn a lot by rubbing shoulders with people who are different.
o.i.3. I don't think we buy ourselves any favors if we only surround ourselves with people who look just like us.
p. QUICK SIDENOTE HERE: Let's not forget the end goal of Christianity. The goal is not Amish separatism where we all just support ourselves.
p.i. Notice the structure of verses 32 and 34. Two verses about sharing possessions. And right in between them is a verse about evangelism. Telling others about God. Look at verse 33.
p.iii. 33 The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God's great blessing was upon them all.
p.iii.1. Community-life is never an end in itself.
p.iv. This has major implications for our CORE VALUES. Two of three are community and evangelism (reaching people).
p.iv.1. We must always be careful to never get so inwardly focused on community that we forget our mission as Christian is outward.
p.v. And the community itself IS a form of evangelism. We live such lives of isolation, that if people could see a group of people taking care of each other, how attractive is that?? It's amazing!
a. So, if we're going to be a community that takes care of each other, or even communitIES that take care of each other, we're got to have a ready heart to give.
a.i. The principle is not just to emotionally give everything away, but to spiritually relinquish your control, so that when God asks you, you're ready to let go.
a.i.1. It's to stop gripping so hard to the things you have.
a.i.2. We look too much like a little kid tightly gripping their toys to make sure no one takes them.
b. And I think we need to acknowledge the reality that holding on to a lot of money or a lot of stuff can be dangerous. It certainly doesn't have to be. But it certainly can be.
b.i. And if you feel like it's starting to get to you. If you feel like you couldn't just give some of it away…say more than you usually do…than, maybe start the discipline of giving more.
b.i.1. Here's a little test to help you.
b.i.1.a. In a lot of third world countries, if you point at something and say you like a possession of a person's, they will just give it to you.
b.i.2. Michelle Peterson hair clip story.
b.ii. This really is a good litmus test: Could you pass that test with your most of your possessions?
b.ii.1. What if I brought a really in need person from our church over to your house and told them they could point at 3 things and have them. Could you handle that?
b.ii.1.a. It's a crazy question really!
c. Because sadly, our money and our possessions can have a strong pull on us. A pull that tries to take you away from goodness, and selflessness, and pull you into yourself.
d. It's like this. How many of you have seen the Lord of the Rings movies?
e. Now, this isn't a perfect metaphor, so don't take it to the extreme here. But in Lord of the Rings, Frodo has to carry the ring on their journey.
e.i. But every time he has the ring it wants to corrupt him. It wants to turn him inward. To selfishness.
e.ii. But the thing is, Frodo has this ability that hardly anyone else has…it's this:even though he's still tempted by it, he can carry it & still do his job.
e.ii.1. But for almost every other person, as soon as they get the ring, they can't handle it.
e.iii. Now, this isn't a perfect metaphor because the ring needs to eventually be destroyed and I'm not saying we should all take all of our money and burn it in mount doom.
f. But what I am saying is that some people have a greater ability than others to carry more money and not turn inward. They could, if prompted give even thousands away.
f.i. It's a gift. Like Frodo had a special gift. It's the gift of generosity.
f.i.1. But others of us…and I'm probably closer to this category…I've always felt like I was a little too selfish…we start to get some of it, we see it pile up…and we start to say…MINE! My precious…..
g. And that should be a warning to us to live a disciplined life of generosity. Support your church, support a child, support people in your house group, your neighborhood.
g.i. It's freeing…and it starts to help you constantly recognize…it's NOT mine. It's His.
h. And when you start managing it as He intended, it just feels right.
h.i. And we realize, huh, I guess He is better at managing it anyway.
i. My encouragement to you is this: Get yourself in a place where you CAN give…give to others. Have margin.
i.i. We see an example in this passage of people selling possessions to give to others, the same in Acts 2. It's not always land. Often smaller items.
i.i.1.a. Partly for their church.
i.i.1.b. But also for just the people around them.
i.ii. They are making sure they have enough finances to be generous.
i.ii.1. And that's a key question for us to ask ourselves. Do we have margin for generosity?
i.iii. I mean, One question is: Are you willing to let go of some of your possessions & give them to those in need. Or at minimum share them.
i.iv. But the other question is: Do you have margin for generosity?
i.iv.1. If one of your close Christian friends from this church hit hard times, do you have any margin to help them? In any way?
i.v. And if you don't…. if you don't feel like you do, I would challenge you that you are missing out on a part of being a Christian.
i.v.1. We give because He gave. Because He gave his Life on the cross.
i.v.2. And we are called to give to Him. To His church. To support the people around us.
i.vi. And if you don't feel like you have margin to do that…follow the intensity of these early Christians here (who by the way were as a whole MUCH, MUCH poorer than we are). They were willing to do so much because they realized how much Christ did.
j.ii. Also, probably true. But, let's be honest w/ ourselves. We don't live in the 3rd world. We still have "things." Be willing to share. We can all find ways to support each other if we're willing to look for it.
j.ii.1. Another great thing to do: Change your budget. Sometimes we try and create a budget line for giving to the church, but maybe create a budget line of supporting your friends in need.
j.ii.1.a. Create a margin of generosity in your life.
j.ii.2. The Bible wants to mess w/ our financial priorities.
j.ii.2.a. Because our first priority is Him, and our second is loving people.
j.ii.4. And we sort of this, "But…I thought it was mine" life.
k. But everything we have, every dollar we own, for all of it….we are just temporary managers of God's stuff.
a. And if we can start seeing it that way, we're going to be able to do a lot more with it.
a.i. And the early believers in Acts were able to do so because they were so united about God's mission.
a.ii.1. It was their deep unity that causes them to share.
a.iii. Because this intense kind of caring for each other and looking out for each only happens when a group of people care deeply for each other AND care deeply for the incredible mission of God.
a.iii.1. And it's an incredible one. One worth changing our lives for.


Demintia: Is it more painful to forget, or be forgotten?
Name: Demintia: Is it more painful to forget, or be forgotten?
Dementia: Is it more painful to forget, or to be forgotten?
Come explore this callenging concern to better understand how our loved ones move through the process of the disease to varying degrees.


Meeting the need for advocacy, social mobilisation and communication in the introduction of three new vaccines in South Africa - successes and challenges.
Introducing human papillomavirus vaccines into the health system in South Africa.
Immunising the HIV-infected child: a view from sub-Saharan Africa.
When, and how, should we introduce a combination measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine into the national childhood expanded immunization programme in South Africa?
An update after 16 years of hepatitis B vaccination in South Africa.
Introducing new vaccines into the South African national immunisation programme - a case study.
Introduction of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) into the routine immunization schedule of South Africa.
The decision making process on new vaccines introduction in South Africa.
New vaccine introduction in the East and Southern African sub-region of the WHO African region in the context of GIVS and MDGs.


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Proofpoint Email Protection Reviews
Proofpoint Email Protection OverviewUNIXBusinessApplication
Proofpoint Email Protection is #1 ranked solution in top Office 365 Protection tools and #2 ranked solution in top Email Security tools. PeerSpot users give Proofpoint Email Protection an average rating of 8 out of 10. Proofpoint Email Protection is most commonly compared to Microsoft Defender for Office 365: Proofpoint Email Protection vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365. Proofpoint Email Protection is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 63% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 24% of all views.
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Proofpoint Email Protection was previously known as Proofpoint Enterprise Protection.
Proofpoint Email Protection Buyer's Guide
Download the Proofpoint Email Protection Buyer's Guide including reviews and more. Updated: January 2022
Proofpoint Email Protection Customers
Blocket, University of Waterloo, Lincoln Memorial University, WellSpan Health, U-Haul, Carestream Health, Westinghouse
Proofpoint Email Protection Video
Proofpoint Email Protection Pricing Advice
What users are saying about Proofpoint Email Protection pricing:
"The licensing is basically $8/user."
"Proofpoint is fairly expensive."
"It is multiple times more expensive, which made it very much less attractive."
"Annually, it costs us about $92,000. This is pretty much what it costs us. There is no additional cost."
Forcepoint Email Security
Symantec Messaging Gateway
McAfee Email Gateway [EOL]
Cisco Secure Email
Microsoft Defender for Office 365
McAfee Email Security Appliance [EOL]
Information Technology Help Desk Technician at a consumer goods company with 51-200 employees
Flexible, very secure, and offers excellent technical support
"The solution offers very good flexibility. You can blacklist or whitelist with ease."
"The Secure Mail aspect should have an Outlook add-in, instead of an external dashboard that outside users have to access."
We use it as a corporate or as an exchange email filter to protect, to stop any executables from coming through email, and to halt phishing scams. Basically, the product is for email security. We use it for our network.
Also, if a user thinks that they didn't get an email, we can access the Proofpoint dashboard and go find missing mail that either people didn't get so we can rerelease it to them. Or if it did get quarantined, we can release and approve a sender.
You can blacklist and whitelist sender lists. If you are getting phishing scams that get through the filter, you can end up shutting those down. You can actually block the entire domain so that domain can never email you ever again.
If there is an external email outside of your network or your company, you can whitelist them if it's an unknown sender, so you don't ever have to worry about missing their emails.
We had an attempt for a ransomware attack and we were able to block them through Proofpoint Essentials. It's keeping us very safe. Our antivirus shut down the first one and then when the attacker tried again, we were able to block and cease all attacks. In the end, we didn't end up becoming a victim of a ransomware attack.
The solution offers very good flexibility. You can blacklist or whitelist with ease.
Their entire dashboard is excellent. It's completely user-friendly, it's easy to navigate. Anything you need to get done, you can do right from the dashboard, which is incredible.
What makes it so easy is the features of Proofpoint and how secure it is.
You could have no IT experience and go in there and control Proofpoint. If your company says "Hey, we need somebody to control Proofpoint," you could hire a kid out of high school to learn it. That's how easy it is.
The Secure Mail aspect should have an Outlook add-in, instead of an external dashboard that outside users have to access. If we send a payment to one of our customers or an ACH or a form to fill out, they have to go through this entire subscription process on a separate website to read the secure mail.
It should be like Ignite, where you can access the internal portal so then our customers aren't having to go through all these hoops just to read an email that we're trying to send them securely. That would be the one thing I would change. Basically, the Secure Mail portal wouldn't be its own portal; it would be an add-in.
I've been using the solution for two years and the company itself has used it for five.
The solution is 100% stable. It's incredible. We haven't had any issues with it. No downtime, no hiccups. Obviously, it's not going to catch everything, however, we have the ability to go in there and block stuff that it does miss. It's an incredible solution.
The scalability capability is based on the packages. We're not at the highest package, however, from what I've read, it's got some incredible scalability. With our package, it does everything we need and we have over 200 users.
It does more than what we need it to. There's stuff we don't even use as we don't use those capabilities of it. The scalability would be incredible as with 200 users we still don't touch all of its features.
As far as I know, we'll continue using it. The company has been happy with it for over five years and I've been around it for two years and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Now that we've added Secure Mail, it's really probably not going anywhere.
I'd rate technical support eight out of ten.
You pay for what you get, and we didn't pay for the enterprise tier, so we're in a middle tier. Sometimes it does take 24 hours to hear back, however, if it's a high priority that they'll call you within 30 minutes. It's pretty incredible how prompt they are.
Once you do get a hold of them, it's not like, "Okay, well, we'll look this up and we'll call you back." No - they sit there and they'll work you through it. They'll remote into your machine if you need them to. They're excellent.
I haven't previously used any other solution. Before, the company only used the security features in Exchange Online admin center, which obviously wasn't as secure as they wanted it to be. That's why they went to Proofpoint.
The initial setup was straightforward. It's real easy to integrate with Active Directory exchange online. You just pretty much point and click and follow the prompts and it's there. Now, some of the whitelisting, you would have to have some experience, however, not too much. You would want someone knowledgeable to just navigate some of the approved domains and stuff like that to whitelist IPs as that portion was a little more work.
It probably took about six hours to whitelist IPs. The deployment is a moderate amount of work, however, not much, not a lot.
We didn't do a very complex setup since most of our users are silent users. They have it, however, we don't allow them access as we don't want them to be able to release something onto the network. It probably was a six-hour job to just get everybody added in from Active Directory and integrated into the system.
The maintenance is basically two people. It's all it really takes. It really only takes one person, however, there are usually two of us here that can access it and go in and clean stuff up. And as far as the roles, there's not really assigned roles for who goes in and does what. As far as users, they're silent users and active users, and only active users can actually access the portal, and then the administration is the only one that can change settings.
We did use a consultant to help us with the implementation. Our network admin did most of the work, however, the consultants were there just to guide us through it, just in case we hit a hiccup, which we didn't.
The consultants were great. They were easy to work with. They were prompt in responses.
The biggest ROI for us was when it stopped a ransomware attack. It could have cost us a ton of money. It could have been detrimental to the company. It basically paid for itself right there.
The licensing is basically $8/user. We pay yearly, however, they do allow for month-to-month billing.
It's just a straight licensing fee. For support, you'll pay extra for that. If you want to move up to a higher tier, I don't know how much it is, however, I know you pay more to get a higher level of support. Tier One support is way cheaper than Tier Four. You are paying pretty much to have your own project manager. Proofpoint literally assigns someone to you. When you call, it's getting taken care of by his or her team. That's pretty expensive, however, I'm not sure of the cost.
I'd advise users to get the package with the Secure Mail feature and then make sure that you whitelist all your important IPs and then add domains of all known users, so you don't run across any blocked or missing mail.
Our users have learned to be more careful and look for more phishing attempts from it, because now they know what a normal email should look like instead of, "Hey, here's a link you need to update your password." And then just clicking away. Through this they've been able to see, because we can show them, "Look, this is blocked, this wasn't, here's why." Right. So we've been actually able to teach that culture and teach the hesitancy. With this solution, our users have become much more informed.
I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. It's a great product and they have great customer service, a great support team.
Principal Consultant at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
A reputation-based service that denies the connection from known malicious sites
"Proofpoint is the main tool for blocking spam because it denies the connection altogether."
"It's scalable, but the devil's in the details — you have to know your email volumes."
We use this solution as a firewall for our email environment; it's basically a reputation-based service. It denies the connection from known bad sites. That's the biggest protection they have when you go to the antivirus and anti-spam modules. They even have an encryption piece in it.
There's Microsoft Office 365 email protection. The one good thing they have over Microsoft is their incredible search engine. That's why our clients like it. They like the search engine because they can search anything to do with their messages incredibly easily. This allows them to find troubleshooting issues. That's a big selling point.
There are some tools within it that are amazing. Even from a configuration standpoint, it's a hardened system. It's never been penetrated, so that's another great feature about Proofpoint.
They handle combined attacks. Defender for Office 365 does this as well. For instance, if you have an obfuscated URL embedded into an email and the email looks very legitimate, they can track that. Provepoint offers the same flexibility when combined with Office 365 as well. You can do your spam scores, and you can set up policies for people. From here, they can make a decision whether to select a spam policy or not. You can do the same thing with a lot of products, but Proofpoint makes it easy.
They all have quarantines where you can release messages. They're all very on par with each other. However, if you don't have Defender for Office 365, the feature parity is just not there. But there are lots of selling points, Proofpoint, in particular, takes care of. Still, they have a business continuity piece that is lacking in the Office 365 suite.
Not one of them is one hundred percent when it comes to reputation scores. It doesn't matter which solution — none of them are. Not one of them is a hundred percent on false negatives or false positives.
Proofpoint scores way up there along with Cisco. You used to have a choice with Proofpoint which one you use. They may be using multiples now, too. Proofpoint is the main tool for blocking spam because it denies the connection altogether.
I know for a fact that I can set Proofpoint up to what they call SYN attacks. SYN attacks basically open a connection, and then a handshake starts, and thousands of connections form. So, Proofpoint waits for a timeout to occur and then allows you to tie up all your connections, which is basically an out-of-service attack. They have something similar in Office 365, too.
Still, the reputation services, the antivirus modules, none of them are a hundred percent when it comes to false positives or false negatives.
It's the whole industry. The SMTP protocol needs to be totally rewritten. It was designed in the fifties or sixties. Changing it would be very, very difficult.
They put band-aids on it for security — that's essentially what's happened with that. That email is not secure by design because it's still using an old design from many moons ago.
I have been working with Proofpoint Email Protection for 15 years.
It's scalable, but the devil's in the details — you have to know your email volumes. Like anything else, you've got to know those kinds of things. You have to know email volumes, you have to properly scale it, and this is the bottom line. I've seen people do a lot of really stupid things.
I've always had good luck with both. I think Proofpoint has always been superior — they do a very, very good job. They're a small organization though, so it's pretty tightly controlled as far as versioning is concerned. Compared to Microsoft, which is a huge organization, the lack of documentation revisions, that's where you have a harder time finding the information and connecting the dots than you do with Proofpoint.
When it comes to the initial setup, you have to know the product well or get outside help; that's literally what it comes down to it. You have to know what the hell are you doing with email. Literally, I just had one client acquired a company that wanted to put Proofpoint Email Protection behind their email messaging security gateways — they don't know how to do it. If you're running M365 and you decide you want to put it behind Proofpoint, for instance, you have to know how to set up both to route email inbound and outbound, to your message security gateways.
Proofpoint is fairly expensive. Most people, when they go to buy their M365 licenses, they buy them in a bundle. It's more than just email protection. It's actually lots of different protections.
You need to be able to connect the dots on what the licensing buys you and what that particular module is to accomplish. Therefore, it behooves you to get someone that understands how the product works, what each module's intended for, what the licensing entails, and the cost-effectiveness of it.
It's one of the top products out there. Overall, on a scale from one to ten, I would give this solution a rating of nine.
It's just got the BC feature on it. If you get Defender for Office 365 specifically, that is the key to email protection from the Microsoft product. If you don't have that, then you will either have to purchase a third-party product or buy the add-on for Defender for Office 365.
Free Report: Proofpoint Email Protection Reviews and More
Learn what your peers think about Proofpoint Email Protection. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2022.
Head of IT Department at a construction company with 1,001-5,000 employees
I previously used Symantec and switched because the quality of support, stability, and accuracy went down
"I like all the features with Proofpoint, such as how it filters the spam and marketing mail, lost reality mail, blocks phishing attacks, blocks malicious attachments, and stops phishing links. Also it can defend against the business email compromise impersonation technique. It is a complete solution for all email attacks. It filters for the bad, malicious attachments. If there is any executable file, it can be deleted. It is a good, complete solution."
"The reporting section could be enhanced. I like some reports but if they could allow us to create custom reports with more flexibility it would enhance the reports more."
Our primary use case for Proofpoint Email Protection is for email security, to secure all the inbound and outbound emails.
The improvement was achieved by solving the problem of huge false positives and thus saving the time wasted by me in advance to check the legitimate e-mails that Symantec Messaging Gateway had stopped by mistake.
In addition to the additional protection layers that we got in this solution, such as : URL Defense , Attachment Defense (Sandboxing)
I like all the features with Proofpoint, such as how it filters the spam and marketing mail, lost reality mail, blocks phishing attacks, blocks malicious attachments, and stops phishing links. Also it can defend against the business email compromise impersonation technique. It is a complete solution for all email attacks. It filters for the bad, malicious attachments. If there is any executable file, it can be deleted. It is a good, complete solution.
Additionally, the user interface is good, it's easy to use. Whoever has good technical skills can understand it. Even the normal user can handle this solution easily. By the way, I was using Symantec Messaging Gateway. I don't recommended it at all, it makes a lot of issues. A lot of false positives were happening. So I started evaluating Proofpoint and Mimecast. Both products are okay, but I liked Proofpoint more because I saw that it has a high accuracy, offers a very good service, and their support is amazing. So as a whole product, I preferred Proofpoint. But Mimecast is also good.
I have been using Proofpoint Email Protection for four months.
Proofpoint is stable I have not had any issues. Their system was never down over the last four or five months. Their system is fine, perfect until now. It is okay, it's stable, without any issues.
In terms of scalability, they have many bundles, but I only take the section that will secure my email, both the inbound and the outbound email. Now they have other advanced bundles, for example for email archiving. I didn't take it. They have other sections and other bundles, but I'm not interested in them because I have alternative solutions.
I previously used Symantec. After the acquisition process, Symantec was sold to Broadcom. There are many reasons I switched to Proofpoint. The first one was that their support became very bad. If you opened a ticket they would respond after two weeks. Secondly, the quality, stability, and accuracy of their product started to be bad. So much legitimate mail was stopped by this solution which made issues with my business, even for the outbound email. I switched because of the quality of the product and the product support.
The initial setup is normal. It's not complex. Yes I'm a technical guy so I didn't face any issues. For me it was okay to implement, maybe it only took two or three hours.
Proofpoint is a little bit expensive. The pricing could be more competitive.
Mimecast and Barracuda prices are cheaper than Proofpoint. But there are other vendors, like Firefly and others whose prices are not cheap. But they provided me a good price because I was a Symantec customer moving to Proofpoint. I think the price is significant, it's not too expensive but not cheap. Just a little bit expensive. But everything is included.
My advice is that any customer who is concerned for his users has to look at Proofpoint. I recommend Proofpoint. You see a lot of attacks coming through emails. So I recommend Proofpoint for any customer, regardless of the size of the company. By the way, they have another product for smaller companies, the essential version. I have the enterprise version because I need more customization with more features. The smaller companies who have less than 100 users can go with the essential version, which is cheaper.
On a scale of one to ten, I would give Proofpoint Email Protection a nine.
Chief Information Officer at a consumer goods company with 51-200 employees
Reliable, scalable, protects your email from threats, and has good support
"The setup was easy."
"I would want better spear phishing protection in the essentials package."
I am the CIO, I have consultants.
We use Proofpoint Email Protection to filter out malicious emails.
We have a lot fewer malicious emails coming in since implementing this product.
The setup was easy.
It was easier to use Microsoft than Proofpoint.
We had some issues with their sales consultant. We got into a dispute and he ended up leaving the company. It's unknown if he was unhappy being at the company, or if it was a reflection of the company, but I can say that their sales consultant was not good.
I think they have everything that I would want in the advanced version.
There are certain things, I would want. I would want better spear phishing protection in the essentials package.
I have been working with Proofpoint Email Protection for two years.
It's a subscription, and we are always using the latest version.
The stability is fine.
The scalability is good.
I am going to reiterate. To move to a more sophisticated email security solution was cost-prohibitive. When you compare it to others, it was too expensive.
All users of the company, all departments were using this solution.
The technical support was okay. I think it was good, although it wasn't outstanding.
It would be excellent, f they had chats and instantaneous responses. That would make it better.
We always struggled with getting on the phone with someone.
We were able to get the same security levels using Microsoft that we were getting with Proofpoint.
With this company, we used Proofpoint straight out of the gate.
We have now switched to Microsoft. The features were definitely there. It was more integrated; people don't have to go to a different website to see what was quarantined. They can see it right in their account on Outlook.
Microsoft is easier to use, it's more integrated, and it's cheaper. It was cheaper than their advanced module, for sure, but it was comparable to their basic package.
The initial setup was straightforward. It was easy to set up.
It took few hours to set up. It was really quick.
We have an admin that would go in to see what was quarantined every now and again a quarter of full-time equivalent approximately 10 hours a week.
This solution was being used every day, 24 hours a day.
We used a consultant to deploy the solution.
I have had a relationship with this consultant for more than 20 years. If I keep a consultant for that long it's because they are worth their weight.
It is always a pleasant experience working with them.
For sure, we have seen a return on investment. It does what it's supposed to do, which is to protects you.
If Proofpoint was the only product out there, I would gladly pay for it. It would be fine and good. But they are not the only game in town. Their competitors managed to give the same level of protection for much less.
The Basic Email Coverage is pretty close to the same price as the Extended Email Security of other companies.
To start basic at Proofpoint, let's say more expensive than other basic packages.
To jump into the Advanced versions of Proofpoint, the costs multiply four or five times, which made it not feasible for us. Being multiple times more expensive, it very much less attractive.
I would advise people to look at the options.
It does what it says it's going to do. The only issue is the cost.
I would rate Proofpoint Email Protection an eight out of ten.
Sheikh Rehan
Data Security Engineer at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Excellent quarantining function and very powerful
"Provides better control over emails, especially those sent via Office 365 on the cloud."
"Integration for reporting needs to be improved, it's too complex."
Our primary use case is the encryption tooling of email security. Emails sent externally are automatically encrypted as is all the information included. There are some DLP related options available in Proofpoint, which we enabled with the help of classifying the emails, like internal, external, private, public, sharing. That's our main use. We are customers of Proofpoint.
The value for us is that we now have much better control over emails, especially those sent via Office 365 on the cloud. We've configured it so that all emails go to Proofpoint and are quarantined or encrypted. I believe the quarantine email function is very rare to find in other solutions. It's a powerful tool and I believe cost effective.
Integration for reporting needs to be improved, it's a little complex. Right now we have integrated with Power BI to get logs and information from Proofpoint. That has to be improved with the API and there are also latency issues which need to be simplified and improved. Those are the areas I've observed that need improvement.
The solution is hosted by Proofpoint on Amazon AWS, with some on servers on-prem. We've done the load balancing and I believe it's pretty strong now. We haven't experienced any issues.
Scalability is good, we have around 100,000 employees. For now, we have implemented two data centers. It covers 60% of traffic. We're moving ahead so that by the end of the year we'll have 100% implementation.
Technical support is relatively good although the solutions and ticketing system requires a lot of improvement.
We were previously using Symantec but switched to Proofpoint because Symantec didn't offer the email quarantine function. Cost was another issue with Symantec being a more expensive solution. But the main reason we switched was because we were looking for more control over the cloud email, especially with the sensitive information we have.
The initial setup was a mixed experience. Nothing is simple nowadays and we were dealing with both cloud and on-prem, dividing the load blancing. As a result, it's taken almost six months to get full implementation. We were testing for a lot of that time. We initially implemented only in the cloud. And later on we integrated it with the reporting applications, and lastly we implemented on-prem. We are a team of seven, and implemented ourselves. I did a lot of demos and trainings which helped us a lot when it came to deploying ourselves.
We now have around 10 staff who have access to the administration portal; the project manager, a couple from the messaging team, architects, and security engineers.
We evaluated Forcepoint and McAfee but both dropped out in the middle stage and we moved on to testing with Proofpoint. Both solutions had an easy environment, with an easy to configure and straightforward dashboard. However, when it came to security controls, including inscription and quarantine options, those things were more available in Proofpoint.
We've observed that we have almost 99.9% control over our emails now in an easy to configure and easy to implement solution. It's simple and easy for the administration as well. We're looking forward to any upgrades or updates they provide. I recommend this solution if it suits your needs and requirements. If you have concerns about data floating in emails, it's a good solution. If that's not an issue then you can choose something else.
I rate the solution nine out of 10.
Luis Brown
Chief Information Security Officer at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
A stable and capable anti-phishing, anti-malware, and threat protection solution
"Its anti-phishing functionality is the most valuable. Certainly, the biggest problem I have is phishing."
"It has too many screens. It is kind of a conglomeration of products. In other words, they built product A, product B, and product C, and they are yet to integrate them into a single administrative console. I would certainly like to see a more seamless administrative interface. I would also like to see them include more bang for the buck, by including features like email fraud protection, rather than making their product so piecemeal, where you are buying little pieces. I agree with the idea of having multiple tiers or layers, but maybe as small, medium, and large, as opposed to an a la carte menu."
We use it in front of Office 365 for anti-phishing, anti-malware, and threat protection.
Proofpoint Email Protection has reduced the analyst overhead in responding to phishing incidents by several orders of magnitude. We did not have the resources to respond directly to all Phishing Reports under the old system With automated responses, we are able to address all Phishing Reports automatically.
Its anti-phishing functionality is very valuable to the organization. As outlined above, we are able to automatically respond to Phishing Reports as well as stop as much as 80% of most Phishing Attacks at the front end leaving only a small percentage to be handled after the fact.
It has too many screens. It is kind of a conglomeration of products. In other words, they built product A, product B, and product C, and they are yet to integrate them into a single administrative console. I would certainly like to see a more seamless administrative interface.
I would also like to see them include more bang for the buck, by including features like email fraud protection, rather than making their product so piecemeal, where you are buying little pieces. I agree with the idea of having multiple tiers or layers, but maybe as small, medium, and large, as opposed to an a la carte menu.
I have been using this solution for one year.
It is very stable.
It is fairly scalable. When we had a problem with capacity on one of the clusters, we simply added more members. We have probably 32,000 to 34,000 users in a given period.
Their technical support is mediocre. It could be better. They're a little slow to respond at times, and depending on the product, they're not always very knowledgeable. In one case, I had to fix it myself and show their tech how to fix it.
I found it to be fairly straightforward. It had medium complexity. The deployment was very fairly fast. I did it in about three to four hours.
Annually, it costs us about $92,000. This is pretty much what it costs us. There is no additional cost.
I evaluated Microsoft ATP or Microsoft Advanced Threat Protection. I also evaluated Mimecast at least at face value. I also looked at GreatHorn technologies.
They're the best in the breed. I would rate Proofpoint Email Protection a ten out of ten for the capability of doing its job. I am happy with this solution.
CISO at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
Good stability and a straightforward setup with good URL rewrite capabilities
"The initial implementation is pretty easy to handle."
"We find the cost to be prohibitive."
We primarily use the solution to block malicious email and spam in bulk.
The URL rewrites on the solution are excellent.
The system offers good flexibility.
The initial implementation is pretty easy to handle.
The solution is quite reliable and doesn't fail.
The solution needs to better detect emails that don't have a malicious payload. They need to ensure those that have a link to a malicious Google Drive or something like that are captured.
We find the cost to be prohibitive.
Their smart search needs to be much more intuitive and flexible.
I've been using the solution for five years.
The solution is very stable. It doesn't crash or freeze and we don't experience bugs or glitches. It's quite reliable.
We don't plan on increasing the solution's usage in the future.
Technical support is very, very good. We've found them to be knowledgeable and responsive. We're satisfied with the level of service.
The initial setup was not complex at all. It was pretty straightforward.
The solution is quite expensive.
Right now, we're paying about $80,000.
We're simply customers of the solution. We don't have a business relationship with the company.
I'm not sure which version of the solution we are using.
The advice that I would give to other companies who are considering using the solution is to really test the systems, even for outlandish attacks, to see if it will hold up.
For me personally, I actually have two Proofpoint accounts. I have a Proofpoint account for something completely unrelated to B&H and I was able to prove that's almost anything you think of you can do, although it might not say in the documentation or the people at Proofpoint might not think of that scenario, however, it's still a way to achieve almost everything you were trying to achieve with your email filter.
The flexibility is unbelievable. And you could get very creative. You just need to be very careful to not mess it up. However, you could get extremely creative to accommodate real case scenarios.
Overall, I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.
Good security with reasonable pricing and a straightforward setup
"The solution scales quite well."
"The incident reporting on offer needs to be improved. It's lacking right now. It should be on the platform somewhere."
We primarily use the solution for a variety of services. It's mostly related to email.
The state-of-the-art security is the solution's most valuable aspect.
The solution scales quite well.
The product offers very good value for money.
The solution is very easy to handle overall.
The implementation process is simple and straightforward.
The incident reporting on offer needs to be improved. It's lacking right now. It should be on the platform somewhere.
I've been using the solution for three years so far.
The scalability of the solution is excellent. That has to do with the fact that it is placed behind the load balancers. It makes it so that we have no problems with scalability. It's very, very good. If a company needs to scale, they can do so with ease.
The technical support is okay. We don't have any complaints on that front. We're largely satisfied with the level of support we receive.
Our organization also has some experience with Cisco, however, I don't directly deal with it on a technical level per se.
While the initial setup is straightforward, in all cases, those doing the impr=lementation need to be well-prepared for the project.
While the final deployment takes two days, which isn't very long, the research front should take at least a month. Being prepared at the outset will ensure all parties are happy with the end results once everything is up and running.
The pricing is reasonable, however, it's expensive. It offers good value. You get good value for your money for it, so it's no problem spending as much as you do.
We're just consultants. We help our clients with this product.
Overall, we've been happy with the product and the results we've gotten. I would rate the product at a nine out of ten.
While I don't have specific advice, I can say that the solution is easy to handle and we didn't have any troubles with the initial implementation. It was pretty seamless. I'd recommend the solution to other organizations.
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Download our free Proofpoint Email Protection Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
When evaluating Messaging Security, what aspect do you think is the most important to look for?
What is the best email encryption software for small enterprises using Office 365?

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Microsoft Excel 2021 (Mac)
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Turn your data into useful insights
Compatible with the latest macOS
24/7 lifetime support
An electronic code will be emailed to you 15-30 minutes after checkout.
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If you work with data sets, you're familiar with one name: Excel. The latest version for Mac is out, and it has more features than ever to make working with data easy. From organizing your budget to tracking your sales figures, Excel is the go-to application for anyone who needs to work with numbers. And with the new features in Excel 2021, it's easier than ever to get the most out of your data.
Excel 2021 for Mac has been completely redesigned with a new, modern interface that is easier to use and more powerful than ever. With Excel 2021 on your macOS system, you can easily create beautiful charts and graphs, work with large data sets, and collaborate with others on your work.
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Excel 2021 for Mac comes with various features and improvements over its predecessors. A new, modern interface makes Excel 2021 more straightforward to use and more powerful than ever before. You get new formulas and charts to work with and analyze, then visualize your data.
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The feature highlights for Excel 2021 for Mac include:
The latest version of Excel for Mac features a sleek, modern design that makes navigating your way around the various features and functions easy. It perfectly matches the look and feel of macOS and the other Microsoft Office 2021 for Mac apps. The ribbon interface has been replaced with a tabbed interface, making it easier to find the tools you need.
Excel 2021 for Mac has been designed to provide users with better performance and improved stability. The new version of Excel includes a number of enhancements that make it easier to use, including support for macOS and the ability to open and save files in the cloud. Overall, Excel 2021 for Mac is a significant update that delivers reliability, performance and a host of new features.
Dynamic Arrays
The new Excel 2021 for Mac version's Dynamic Arrays feature has been significantly enhanced. This exciting upgrade has added the following functions: FILTER, SORT, SORTBY, UNIQUE, SEQUENCE, and RANDARRAY.
More New Functions
Excel 2021 for Mac also includes a host of other new functions to make working with data even easier. These include:
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These are only a few new functions you can take advantage of with Excel 2021 for Mac! So, if you're looking for the best way to work with data on your Mac, look no further than Excel 2021.
Formula Watch
The Watch Window feature in Excel 2021 for Mac allows you to monitor cells simultaneously in multiple sheets and workbooks, making it simple to check formulas and results on large worksheets.
"Tell Me" Bar
With the new "Tell me" bar on Mac, you can search for cells, commands and help without opening your browser or asking anyone else for assistance. Simply enter keywords about what your next action should be in order to access Excel 2021's features more quickly than ever before!
Microsoft Excel 2021 (Mac) system requirements
Here are the minimum system requirements for installing Excel 2021. We recommend exceeding these in order to guarantee yourself an enjoyable experience with the software:
Processor: 1.6 GHz or faster, 2-core processor.
Memory / RAM: 4 GB or more for 64-bit; 2 GB or more for 32-bit-based systems.
Hard disk: A minimum of 4GB of available hard disk space is required on the installation hard drive.
Operating System: One of the current or past two macOS releases is required to install and use Excel 2021 for Mac.
Graphics: Graphics hardware acceleration requires DirectX 9 or later, with WDDM 2.0 or higher on Windows 10.
.NET version: Some features may require .NET 3.5 or 4.6 or higher to be installed.
Internet functionality requires an internet connection.
A Microsoft account may be required.
A touch-enabled device is required to use any multitouch functionality.
The functionality and graphics of the included applications may vary based on your system.
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Purchased Office 2019 - Recommend Softwaredepot!
I bought a Microsoft Office product and everything worked out perfectly! The software came with a link and detailed instructions on uninstalling, removing prior licenses, and installing the new products. I ran into one minor issue with the licensing and contacted Support via Chat. Daniel helped me and did an outstanding job of helping and resolving my issue. I highly recommend Softwaredepot and if you need any help - ask for Daniel! :)
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I recently purchased a product from Softwaredepot and had some difficulty installing the product. I started a chat with Adin and he was able to help me resolve all the problems on my MAC. He quickly replied to all my messages, his expertise in using the MAC was very helpful in aiding me to run all the recovery procedures. I was able to install and test the purchased product. I really appreciate that Adin is on your customer service team. Thank you for the support.
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Great Prices & Excellent Service
I'm certainly glad I decided to take a chance on Softwaredepot.co. Before I made my purchase, I read a lot of favorable reviews and noticed that people gave high marks for customer service. I have to agree with that, because Paul helped me every step of the way - from purchase to download to installation. I was very pleased.
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Users can activate 1 Office 365 Home and Office 365 Personal subscription, and up to 25 Office Home & Student 2019, Office Home & Business 2019, and Office Professional 2019 licenses.


For over 5 years now, the Department of Functional Materials at Fraunhofer IPA has been using its nanotechnology expertise to develop printed electronic applications and energy storage systems. Key areas of application include transparent electrodes, electrodes for use in supercaps, printed electroactive polymers (EAPs) as well as the manufacture and development of applications, such as heating layers.
Based on the nano-structured modification of carbon, such as graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), Fraunhofer further develops printed electronic applications and energy storage systems to create marketable products. It has acquired this expertise through industrial and research projects. Fraunhofer IPA implements different printing and coating technologies, such as screen printing, blanket coating and spraying. The knowledge possessed by the Department of Functional Materials enables us to give advice to our customers and partners on much more than just printing technologies for nanoscale materials. We work together with you to develop new methods for processing nano materials.
Two of our key public projects are CarboTCF (BMBF) and ElectroGraph (EU). In the project CarboTCF, transparent electrodes were manufactured on the basis of single-walled CNT hybrids. The project ElectroGraph was concerned with the development of graphene-based electrodes for use in supercaps.
If you would like to benefit from our expertise, we would be very interested in conducting joint projects with you to develop new, innovative processes. We can also help you reach your individual targets in the field of printed electronic applications. Together with you, we devise resource-efficient and cost-effective solutions to manufacture your products.


This weeks challenge at Crop Chocolate is: Here it is March already and so many of us are ready for warmer weather or at least a break from the cold, so our challenge for you this week is to create something (LO, card, altered art, etc.) representing or showing something you do on Spring Break. And get a double entry by also using a common (or unique) household item on it.
I re-purposed a frame for a photo of the beach in Malibu from last spring. Make sure you check out the other entries, they are super duper!!
Crop Chocolate product: MME Miss Caroline Dolled Up and Howdy Doody, MME Nostalgia, MME Lime Twist, Crackle Paint-Clear Rock Candy, Distress Ink-Walnut Stain, Fancy Pants Buttons, MME Fiddlesticks twine, MME Miss Caroline Dolled Up gems.
Other products: Um Wow Studio rosette, VLVS! Chicken Wire, white ink, Fiskar's punches, Sissix pennant die, Quick Kutz bird die.
I hope you are inspired to get crafty and that you will let me see what you come up with!!


Please consider making a donation to VRWA to help us further our mission. With your support we work to promote public health and protect the local environment by providing support to water and wastewater systems.
VRWA is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. All donors will receive a receipt for tax purposes.


text:
DREAM MOBILE PHOTOGRAPHER? – Review and experience of using Samsung A9 2018
Marketers Samsung clearly know how to "HYIP", because on Galaxy A9 2018 did not say just lazy. Ordinary at first glance, the smartphone middle segment was able to attract a lot of attention due to four main cameras. But let's look at what is actually waiting for user who spent $ 600 on new.
Despite the almost identical design of all modern phones, taking the A9 in hand, you immediately realize that this Samsung. Phone nice, well built, weighty and even in minor elements follow the General style of its devices.
But also comes the understanding that this is not a flagship phone, because a smooth transition from the glass to the metal frame there. The angle of the frame can clearly be felt, which may confuse some potential buyers.
The smartphone was rather large, and even with my not very small hand for normal use I like to intercept the device. But a couple of hours and you get used to it.
Controls are placed closer to the upper edge, which brings some inconveniences, can not be said about the fingerprint scanner. It is slightly recessed and to find it in the blind without any problems.
Recognition works extremely adequately and quickly. Plus the phone is support for unlock by face recognition. Setup takes a couple of minutes, and A9 is ready to work. As for speed, it upset me a little. For example, my personal Meizu 15 Samsung was faster by 2-3 seconds. However, this may change with the update.
The device I liked. Closing his eyes to minor things, global issues here to be found. Would be allowed to reassign the call button is extremely "useful" Bixby on something else — it would be cool.
Custom module four camera quite successfully entered in the General style of the phone and does not feel alien. So ugly it is because this module did not.
The tray for SIM-cards here the king's – here's two separate slots for SIM cards plus space for a microSD. But I've got interested in something else: around tray there is a rubber seal, which confirms the possible certification of the device according to the standard of ip67 or ip68, but the exact information yet, so under the water we did not be omitted.
Oh, I almost forgot to say the most important thing! The headphone output on the spot, no adapters USB Type-C to a 3.5 mm Jack is not needed.
The front side is covered with a rounded glass with a good layer of oleophobic. Under it is a 6.3-inch screen on the basis of SuperAMOLED-matrix with a resolution 2220 x 1080 pixels.
Proprietary features panels allow to obtain excellent black, AlwaysOn display and a steep saturation. But on the green hue deviation should not be forgotten.
In the settings screen has all the necessary settings to calibrate it for themselves, making the image less saturated or activate the filter mode blue.
Brightness suffices with a head. Even on a Sunny day you can see the text on the display. And that's the only thing that would change is the frame around the display.
They are then symmetrical to that question is no, but there are phones which cost less and offer a bar for a few tenths of an inch more in the same case.
Technical characteristics of the device is familiar to the pain. The basis is one of the most popular processors for devices in the medium price segment – Snapdragon 660. He is very cheerful, only to meet it, as the Xiaomi for $ 200 and the Samsung for $ 600. A pair to it with 6 or 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal. Plus, as I said, the phone has support for microSD cards.
On the one hand, on gland all is well. The device works quickly, the interface is smooth, games run on high settings, and the amount of RAM here will last for a long time. Without knowing the exact model of the processor, we can assume that there is the flagship chip. But on the other – such the hardware platform used in smartphones, which are much cheaper than the Samsung A9. And the only justification would be a wide set of wireless modules present in the model.
So, of course, for the money it is possible to find more efficient solutions, and you're right, buying them. But I personally know people who can not stand any of the Chinese and they are willing to pay more for the brand. And 128 GB of internal memory you get not free. So to sum it up – comfortable to work and play, but dragomoschenko.
In addition, A9 is the whole useful set: dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC and GPS. So fast Internet you, and contactless payments. The shell was usable, I can finally feel at ease to say that the irritation it I have no objections. Quick, easy and with lots of Goodies. Well, inside it Android 8.0.
Autonomy and sound
The sound in the headphones I liked. Settings full, any "uluchshayzerov" too, and the volume level. But the external speaker is simple and only one. For this price I want a stereo sound and not going anywhere until I get. The call will hear you clearly, but from watching clips or movies satisfaction don't wait.
The battery capacity of 3800 mAh delivers. I'm only in if the phones will be a millimeter thicker, but with a big battery. Autonomy here a day and a half, well, or very active day. Charging the case via USB Type-C and up to one hundred percent takes a little less than two hours.
Here are the company "Poipet" on the number of cameras, adding to the device in the medium price segment, and shirik, and telephoto, and a normal module and even the device responsible for determining the depth of the frame. Looking at this kit, the impression that this is a good choice for the mobile photographer. But I'll tell you right now, this fourth camera is needed here more for quantity than for real problems. After all, a phone with two modules well shoot portrait photography, and some cost one.
The final software on the Galaxy A9 yet, so these cameras have a certain specifics, but this is not surprising because this device is the first of the company's experience with so many cameras. To understand how well pictures of the novelty, I took Meizu 15 (excellent fotosmoralo in the middle price range) and Huawei P20 Pro, which plays in the League of flagships. About overloaded with all sorts of features of the camera to talk a lot of sense. There, where to spend a few hours studying every mode, but I'm interested in is the quality of the photos.
Start with sirica. It is 8 MP with f/2.4 and good does what it's designed. 120 degree angle should be enough for most tasks. The quality of the final images at the level of middle price range. Detail a bit, but those that are can be sharpley. The lack of light it gets worse. So wide module is a good option to make a couple of shots of urban architecture, but no more. The main camera makes the footage a little better.
The main module then 24 MP with aperture of f/1.7. Taking three telephones in fully automatic mode and removing the same objects, I realized that even with active HDR from the A9 still happen overexposure due to the lack of dynamic range, and detail, there are some problems.
Plus the white balance sometimes goes to red tones, which is strange. The main condition to get a good picture – a lot of light. In a dark room does not help even the existence of stabilization. Perhaps by turning the manual settings, you can get a better quality picture, but in automatic the situation is the following – on the screen of the smartphone all is well, but on closer examination one sees the problems.
At the moment telephoto is enabled only after a bit of playing with the zoom, because on the test device by pressing the switch occurs simple digital zoom. But having spent a couple of minutes, I was able to deal with this bug, which soon must fix. Despite a positive attitude, telephoto A9 in the Galaxy was mediocre. First, it is very difficult to catch the focus, because sometimes the phone just refuses to do it. And secondly, there are some problems with dynamic range and detail.
Huawei P20 Pro there is a clear leader, but not particularly expensive Meizu 15 shows themselves very cheerfully, despite the fact that the magnification a bit lower than Samsung and Huawei. So to make a really good shot at telephoto is too heavy.
Left portrait mode. There are all approximately equal. One missed a bit there, this bit of butchered the contours, but the result is almost the same. The funny thing A9 should include the ability to change the blur strength and pattern of the side after shooting photos.
The frontalka nothing unusual: module 24 MP makes the ordinary as "Sebaste". Plus there is the extended self, in which is glued a few photos.
In the end, four cameras A9 Galaxy is nothing more than a nice marketing ploy. Yes, after the update the picture quality might improve, but to take it just for the sake of the cameras, I would not. The formula "shirik, telephoto and normal module" – an excellent number of extra modes huge, but a welcome detail pictures, unfortunately, I have not received. Today this is clearly not the best choice for a mobile photographer for the money.
What the company requests from the buyer $ 600? I will say this, for the combined weight of the chips brand, the quality of housing and a certain uniqueness. Where you'll meet a phone with four cameras? Rumor has it that the local cost may be a little less than $ 600, but at a serious discount, and I wouldn't count on it. So the phone will be a good option for supporters of the brand, fans of unusual devices and those who simply can not tolerate Chinese brands.
What do you think about Samsung Galaxy A9?
Previous Article Best app to read and put notes on PDF books on iPad
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CLARENDON – The Chapman State Park campground will officially open for the 2015 camping season beginning Friday, April 10 to accommodate trout fishermen. The April 10 opening includes all campsites in the lower loop, camping cottages, and yurts. Sites in the lower loop are now open to pets. Upper loop campsites will open May 15, 2015.
Reservations can be made online and through the PA State Parks call center up to 11 months in advance, or at the park office the day of arrival only. Facilities available for reservations include campsites, camping cottages, yurts, organized group tenting area, pavilions, and an amphitheater.
Chapman State Park's campground is a beautiful wooded site and consists of three camping cottages, two yurts, and 82 campsites that vary from secluded tent only sites to 100 foot camping spurs with 50 amp electric hook-ups.
To make a reservation or for more information on any of Pennsylvania's other state parks, contact the Pennsylvania State Parks Reservation System at 1-888-PA-PARKS (1-888-727-2757) between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, or visit us online at www.dcnr.state.pa.us.


Articles about open access as it pertains to research and repositories.
This report is a pre-print that has been submitted for publication with UNESCO. It will be published as part of the publication: "Open Access to Scholarly Communication in 2016: Status and Benefits Review". It looks to answer the question: "why does open access matter?" We examined 100 stories of impact to produce a framework for describing the concrete benefits of open access for readers, authors and institutions.
This paper presents a summary of reported studies on the Open Access citation advantage.
The digital revolution has made it easier for Political Scientists to share and access high-quality research online. However, many of these articles are stored in proprietary databases that some institutions cannot afford. High-quality, peer reviewed, top-tier journal articles that have been made open access (freely available online) should theoretically be more easily accessed and cited than articles of similar quality that are only available to paying customers.
Jonathan Miller explains how a faculty open access policy is both a critical element of information services and an extension of his college's mission.
Academic libraries continue to expand their use of institutional repositories. Awareness of institutional repositories and their benefits for the institution, faculty, and students has grown over the past several years. These repositories are known as useful and effective tools for increasing visibility of the research and academic output of higher education institutions.


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Home/World/Earth's inner core may have started spinning in the other direction, study says
Earth's inner core may have started spinning in the other direction, study says
Earth's inner core, a hot iron ball the size of Pluto, has stopped spinning in the same direction as the rest of the planet and might even be rotating the other way, research suggested on Monday.
Roughly 3,100 miles below the Earth's surface, this "planet within the planet" can spin independently because it floats in the liquid metal outer core.
Exactly how the inner core rotates has been a matter of debate between scientists — and the latest research is expected to prove controversial.
What little we know about the inner core comes from measuring the tiny differences in seismic waves — created by earthquakes or sometimes nuclear explosions — as they pass through the middle of the Earth.
Seeking to track the inner core's movements, new research published in the journal Nature Geoscience analyzed seismic waves from repeating earthquakes over the last six decades.
The study's authors, Xiaodong Song and Yi Yang of China's Peking University, said they found that the inner core's rotation "came to near halt around 2009 and then turned in an opposite direction."
"We believe the inner core rotates, relative to the Earth's surface, back and forth, like a swing," they told AFP.
Diagram of the Earth's interior showing the crust (aluminium, silicate), the mantle (magnesium, silicate) and the core (iron, nickel). Colour illustration.
Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images
"One cycle of the swing is about seven decades," meaning it changes direction roughly every 35 years, they said.
They said it previously changed direction in the early 1970s and predicted the next about-face would be in the mid-2040s.
The researchers said this rotation roughly lines up with changes in what is called the "length of day" — small variations in the exact time it takes Earth to rotate on its axis.
So far there is little to indicate that what the inner core does has much effect on we surface dwellers.
But the researchers said they believed there are physical links between all Earth's layers, from the inner core to the surface.
"We hope our study can motivate some researchers to build and test models which treat the whole Earth as an integrated dynamic system," they said.
"The geophysical community will be divided"
Experts not involved in the study expressed caution about its findings, pointing to several other theories and warning that many mysteries remain about the center of the Earth.
"This is a very careful study by excellent scientists putting in a lot of data," said John Vidale, a seismologist at the University of Southern California.
"(But) none of the models explain all the data very well in my opinion," he added.
Vidale published research last year suggesting the inner core oscillates far more quickly, changing direction every six years or so. His work was based on seismic waves from two nuclear explosions in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
That time frame is around the point when Monday's research says the inner core last changed direction — which Vidale called "kind of a coincidence."
Another theory — which Vidale said has some good evidence supporting it — is that the inner core only significantly moved between 2001 to 2013 and has stayed put since.
Hrvoje Tkalcic, a geophysicist at the Australian National University, has published research suggesting that the inner core's cycle is every 20 to 30 years, rather than the 70 proposed in the latest study.
"These mathematical models are most likely all incorrect because they explain the observed data but are not required by the data," Tkalcic said.
"Therefore, the geophysical community will be divided about this finding and the topic will remain controversial."
He compared seismologists to doctors "who study the internal organs of patients' bodies using imperfect or limited equipment."
Lacking something like a CT scan, "our image of the inner Earth is still blurry," he said, predicting more surprises ahead.
That could include more about a theory that the inner core might have yet another iron ball inside it — like a Russian doll.
"Something's happening and I think we're gonna figure it out," Vidale said. "But it may take a decade."
Core direction Earths spinning started Study World world news
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German foreign office "sorry" for tweet taking a dig at Russia's African outreach with a leopard emoji


text:
/* eslint-disable react/prop-types */
import React from 'react';
import TestUtils from 'react-dom/test-utils';
import { highlightCell } from '../src';

describe('search.highlightCell', function () {
  it('digs data from _highlights of the row', function () {
    const value = 'foobar';
    const result = TestUtils.renderIntoDocument(
      React.createElement(
        Wrapper,
        {},
        highlightCell(value, {
          rowData: {
            _highlights: {
              demo: [{ startIndex: 0, length: value.length }]
            }

          },
          property: 'demo',
          _classNames: {
            searchResult: 'foo',
            highlight: 'bar'
          }
        })
      )
    );
    const highlightedResult = TestUtils.findRenderedDOMComponentWithClass(
      result, 'highlight'
    );

    expect(highlightedResult.innerHTML).toEqual(value);
  });

  it('digs data from _highlights of the row with arrays', function () {
    const value = ['my', 'foobar', 'value'];
    const result = TestUtils.renderIntoDocument(
      React.createElement(
        Wrapper,
        {},
        highlightCell(value, {
          rowData: {
            _highlights: {
              demo: [
                [],
                [{ startIndex: 2, length: 3 }],
                []
              ]
            }
          },
          property: 'demo'
        })
      )
    );
    const highlightedResult = TestUtils.findRenderedDOMComponentWithClass(
      result, 'highlight'
    );

    expect(highlightedResult.innerHTML).toEqual('oba');
  });

  it('does not crash if only value is provided', function () {
    const value = 'foobar';
    const result = TestUtils.renderIntoDocument(
      React.createElement(
        Wrapper,
        {},
        highlightCell(value)
      )
    );
    const resultElement = TestUtils.findRenderedDOMComponentWithTag(
      result, 'span'
    );

    expect(resultElement.innerHTML).toEqual(value);
  });

  it('does not crash without _highlights', function () {
    const value = 'foobar';
    const result = TestUtils.renderIntoDocument(
      React.createElement(
        Wrapper,
        {},
        highlightCell(value, { rowData: {} })
      )
    );
    const resultElement = TestUtils.findRenderedDOMComponentWithTag(
      result, 'span'
    );

    expect(resultElement.innerHTML).toEqual(value);
  });
});

class Wrapper extends React.Component { // eslint-disable-line max-len, react/prefer-stateless-function
  render() {
    return React.createElement('div', {}, this.props.children);
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
/ University of Economics, Prague VSE
University of Economics, Prague VSE
The University of Economics, Prague consists of six faculties: The Faculty of Finance and Accounting, the Faculty of International Relations, the Faculty of Business Administration, the Faculty of Statistics and Informatics and the Faculty of Economics and Public Administration as well as the Faculty for Management. Besides the Faculty of Management, which is based in Jindřichův Hradec, all are located in Prague. The university offers a variety of study programs in the capital of the Czech Republic.
Studying in at the University of Economics in Prague means being part of a University with around 19.000 students and 630 academic staff. In the year 2010, the University of Economics in Prague has been declared to be the best business school in the East European Zone 2010 (see Press release VSE, 29.10.2010: http://www.vse.cz/media/TZ_Eduniversal2010_eng_EDITED.pdf). University projects are supported by many international known companies, such as Price Waterhouse Coopers, Ernst & Young or Deloitte, which interact as the main partners.Students wealth is guaranteed by the local ESN student organization, which tries to introduce the newcomers in Prague's culture and lifestyle. The academic year in Czech Republic starts a bit earlier than in Germany, mainly at September 1st, followed by a 13 weeks teaching period and last but not least an examination period of 6 weeks.
The nomination for an exchange programme at University of Economics in Prague is only possible via the application process in the Friedrich-Alexander University. Freemovers are not accepted.
University Logo:
Exchange Type:
University Link:
http://www.vse.cz/english/
Int Office Link:
Course Languages:
English, Czech


text:
Home News Girls' Clubs enable out-of-school girls to access vital education and training in Sierra Leone
Girls' Clubs enable out-of-school girls to access vital education and training in Sierra Leone
Hawa Sannoh (in green) with colleagues at the Levuma Kandu Community Learning Centre, Kenema district, © UNFPA Sierra Leone 2018/Ellen Donnelly
BO, Sierra Leone -
Hawa Sannoh is a determined nineteen-year-old young woman. She is wearing a pair of trousers with the Nike slogan 'Just do it' written on one leg, that reflects precisely Hawa's outlook on life. As a participant in the national life skills training programme in Bo district, Hawa confidently stands in front of 60 other participants in Bo Teacher's Union building, presenting a session on goal setting; an activity she knows very well.
Hawa is taking part in one of four training sessions of the Training on the National Life Skills Manual' programme, under the Girls' Access to Education and Services (GATES) project. This programme, spread over five days in September, is organized by the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, and supported by the UNFPA with funding from Irish Aid. By attending the training, Hawa is taking her first step in becoming a mentor to 50 young girls aged 10-18 in her community in Kenema district.
In 2015, at the height of the Ebola crisis, like many of her peers, Hawa became pregnant. Having lost her father when she was just 12 years old, Hawa was fortunate to have a supportive mother who ensured she accessed antenatal care services during her pregnancy and delivered her baby girl in the local hospital. "My mother encouraged me," she recalled. "She said that this was not the end of my life. I was not the only person that had gone through this situation."
With her mother's support, Hawa was able to attend the Levuma Kandu community learning centre programme (funded by UK aid and Irish Aid) which provides access to education and services for pregnant girls, who are not allowed to attend school in Sierra Leone. "I didn't want to stay at home and not learn anything. When I went to the centre I learnt a lot, so when I went back to school it was easier for me to continue with my studies."
This experience led to the GATES mentorship training. When asked why Hawa was chosen, the training coordinator Vandi Musa said, "Hawa had benefited from the GATES Project and she is a good example for every other girl in the community. She fell pregnant and left school for a year, but she returned to continue her education, and this determination shows other girls that you can always continue your education."
The training brings together coordinators, facilitators and youth mentors from 40 community learning centres across the country to develop their facilitation skills and prepare them to deliver life skills sessions. The training sessions were conducted in four regions, with a total of 240 participants, as a key part of the 80 girls' clubs which were launched in September 2018. The sessions cover topics such as sexual reproductive health information and referrals, menstruation, prevention of gender-based violence and response services, and teenage pregnancy and critical thinking skills.
Hawa now works at the Levuma Kandu community learning centre in Kenema that she once attended. Mentors are a key component of the girls' club model in the community learning centre. In a society like Sierra Leone where gender inequality has led to lower educational attainment among women, the majority of teachers in community learning centres are older males. As a younger female, Hawa along with Kadiatu, another female mentor, bring a gender balance to the team. "I enjoyed the training programme because it helped me to gain knowledge. I especially liked the facilitator because he was very good at teaching us how to mentor others, which provided me with key mentoring skills," explained Hawa.
She believes that as a young person and especially as a young mother, she would be a good role model for young people in her community. "I want to talk to my friends and tell them that if they have goals in life, they can go back to school and get educated," said Hawa. "If an elder talks to them, they will most likely just ignore them. They are more likely to listen to me because I am in the same age group and I will encourage them." About her future, Hawa said, "I want to be educated so I can take care of my mother in her old age and my child." Her personal goals already set, Hawa's professional aspiration is to become a nurse.
UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA reaches millions of women and young people in 155 countries and territories.
Ms. Angelique Reid, Communications Specialist
UNFPA Sierra Leone
M: 078 340044
E: areid@unfpa.org
Addressing child marriage and adolescent pregnancy in Port Loko district
National strategy for the reduction of adolescent pregnancy and child marriage 2018 - 2022
The National Strategy for the Reduction of Adolescent Pregnancy and Child Marriage (...
Rapid Assessment of Pregnant Adolescent Girls in Sierra Leone
The assessment of adolescent pregnancy in Sierra Leone was undertaken in order to map...


We're pleased to announce that Meryll wants a Cookie is officially released!
After playtesting for over a year, showing it to both professionals as consumer gamers, we feel the project is finally ready to stand on its two legs (and break down the whole room along side it).
This game is dedicated to my wonderful late partner, Thomas Wrobel, who will forever be an inspiration to me. Meryll is our collective joy and we're pleased to share it with you.
'Meryll wants a Cookie' was initially designed as a sandbox to test our technology and gameplay in. Over time, it grew into the proper game.
The main design consideration of 'Meryll wants a Cookie' is what we'd like to call the 'Locked Door Problem'. Often in games the player encounters a locked door - it may not be a literal locked door, but it functions as one nonetheless. In order to proceed, they need to find the key, which is at the other side of the level. The player also sees there is a fire axe hanging next to the door. However, the game doesn't recognise your attempt to destroy the door with the axe; it still demands you to find the specific key to solve your problem. With 'Meryll' we explored different ways to deal with this issue, ranging from providing players many ways to achieve the same goal to creating an easy-so-use semantic system where interactions are largely decided by the properties that objects have, rather than hard-coded solutions.