FAQS! FACTS! FAX! 038 (31/12/96)

CAUGHT IN THE ACT?

In The Daily Telegraph recently you carried an item about a businessman being fined £50 and having to pay £683 costs for keeping an address list on his computer database. I am a newcomer to computing and have just purchased a PC with the express purpose of keeping lists of addresses of organisations that I intend sending a regular newsletter. I also keep Christmas and birthday card lists on the computer, how do I stand with regard to the Data Protection Act?

A. H., Milnthorp

A

The Data Protection Act 1984 is a large, complex, wide-ranging piece of legislation, that’s meant to protect the rights of individuals whose information is held on a database, and to place legal obligations on those who use and process data. There’s no need to worry about your Christmas card list or indeed any address files held on a computer, providing they’re solely for personal use. However, a mailing list of organisations, used for commercial or even charitable purposes, may well come within the scope of the Act, particularly if they contain any details, however brief, of individual persons.

It’s not quite that simple, though. There are exceptions; some address lists used in the course of running a business can be exempt -- accounts and payroll information for example -- but a personnel file would need to be registered. A simple company address file might be excluded but if your newsletter is being sent to individuals within those organisations, then their names could count as personal information. If you want to play it safe then have a word with the Data Protection Registrar’s enquiry office, who will be able determine the status of your database. Incidentally, registration costs £75, for three years. The Data Protection Registrar can be reached on: (01625) 545745. You can peruse the Act in all its glory on: http://www.hmsoinfo.gov.uk/hmso/document/acts

 00984035/dataprot.htm

TYPE CASTE

I learned to type on a QWERTY keyboard, but the one I now use in my office has an AZERTY layout. I need to get a home computer for my own use, and for my daughter’s school work, and she is used to QWERTY keys. Can I change keyboards, or is there a program that will ‘translate’ what is typed on the screen and printed?

G. E. S., Wezembeek-Oppem, Belgium

A

Changing keyboards on a PC or Apple Mac is very straightforward. In both instances it’s simply a question of altering the country selection in the keyboard section of the desktop Control Panel. On an Apple Mac you can find it on the Apple Menu, under keyboard. The Flemish option should be the right one for Belgium. On Windows 3.X it’s in the control panel selection under the ‘international’ icon,  and on Windows 95 it’s under ‘keyboard’. A full set of international keyboard drivers are pre-loaded on Apple Mac and Windows 95 operating systems. On PCs running Windows 3.X you may have to insert one of the original program discs. Windows 95 has a simple two-key macro to swap between two different keyboard layouts.

SLOW ON THE DRAW

Two months ago I brought a program called Professional Draw (UK Version) from a company called Gold Disk. I tried to install it on my PC, and reached a point where a password is required. I sent the registration card to their London address, but have received no reply and have been unable to track them down through Directory Enquiries, can you help?

T.W. T., Fladbury

A

It’s a bit complicated but here goes: the Canadian company Gold Disk was taken over Astound Inc. a few months ago, though their popular video editing packages are now distributed by Pinnacle Systems, who can be reached on (01189) 814230. Astound have a UK office (01442 61199), but they tell us that since Professional Draw has been deleted in the UK, customer support can only be obtained from the Canadian HQ, their number is 00 1 905 602 4000. Hope that makes sense...