Public Library patrons and creating greeting cards

Sherie Brown brownsh at oplin.lib.oh.us
Thu Mar 1 12:34:28 EST 2001


We have six public internet stations in our Reference Room, and I am
stumped about what seems a minor (hence annoying) problem that came up
yesterday.  I spent WAY too much time on it, but it caused grief to the
patrons, who came to me for help.

They wanted to use www.americangreetings.com to create and print a
greeting card (even though we have no color printer--talk about "when you
want to send the very least!)

The website says you have to download a plugin, which I did.   It worked 
fine on the Reference Desk machine, but on the public workstation the
patron was unable to print their creation.   I couldn't understand why, so
I tried the website on several other PCs in the building.  Some work, some
don't. All workstations use the same Netscape browser--Communicator 4.7

All workstations SAID the plugin was installed, and on some you can
proceed, create and print a card.

One some machines, you do exactly the same, but no "print" button exists
on the webpage after the card is customized.  (not the browser print
button, of course, but the one on your page.)

I have java and javascript enabled, and it's set to accept all cookies.

I see the certificate from the site in my Netscape Security config.

What kind of issue is this?  We ARE running DeepFreeze on the public
machines, but that seems unrelated because...

I fell into this because several of our patrons who attended one of the
Library's computer classes asked me to experiment.

They successfully created and printed AG cards for many months on their
brand new PC--very happily.  All of a sudden, no print button.

They were treated like idiots by AOL techs, who actually told them, "oh
yeah, we're having problems in your area with greeting cards."  WHAT?!?

This is not the most pressing technology issue here, but later the same
day another patron wanted to use your site to create a card, and we had to
send them to their friend's house until I get this issue resolved.

Any help would be appreciated.

Sherie Brown
Head of Reference
Massillon Public Library, OH

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Sherie Brown
Head of Reference Services
Massillon Public Library




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