# Canforgens?



## Shrek1985 (9 Sep 2012)

I want to know how to find out about new canforgens when they come out, can I get on a mailing list that will talk to my civilian email?


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## Occam (9 Sep 2012)

Do you have a DWAN account?  They're all on the DWAN...and no, there's no way to subscribe to them to have them mailed to you.


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## bridges (10 Sep 2012)

There a few CANFORGENs whose text is available online on DND's site - very few, though, and it depends on the subject.  Just do an internet search and specify the site as forces.gc.ca.  

Also, many of them are reproduced here on this site word-for-word, by users.  

If you're inclined to request that DND make these available on the internet, you could always pose the question to the public affairs folks:  http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/contact-eng.asp.  I don't necessarily think they should be made available - but that's the means of asking about it.


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## Shrek1985 (10 Sep 2012)

I have DWAN/DIN, but I can't just come in and use a computer anytime I want.


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## aesop081 (10 Sep 2012)

Shrek1985 said:
			
		

> I have DWAN/DIN, but I can't just come in and use a computer anytime I want.



Then you will have to wait until you get on a computer or get someone else to print one or email the text to you when new ones come out. there is no mailing list that will send them home for you.


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## bridges (10 Sep 2012)

CDN Aviator said:
			
		

> Then you will have to wait until you get on a computer or get someone else to print one or email the text to you when new ones come out. there is no mailing list that will send them home for you.



There isn't a mailing list or notification system for those on the DIN, either.  I only check the CANFORGEN site when I happen to remember it.  We don't get ROs sent to us - there are some on the CFSU(O) page, but I only check those when I remember, which is even less often than the CANFORGEN page.  Not complaining, just stating.  Maybe it's different in units where someone circulates these things on a 'push' basis.


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## Shrek1985 (11 Sep 2012)

What a drag, all the useless crap I get sent on allergy alerts, bear sightings, ect and there is no system in place to automatically get us up to date policy information.


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## dapaterson (11 Sep 2012)

DWAN and DND's IM/IT security policies run counter to good communications.  With nearly ubiquitous internet, it's tiem for DND/CF to start pushing info on the interent and not on the DWAN - easier accessibility for those who need it coupled with reduced costs would seem to make it a no-brainer.


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## Shrek1985 (11 Sep 2012)

dapaterson said:
			
		

> DWAN and DND's IM/IT security policies run counter to good communications.  With nearly ubiquitous internet, it's tiem for DND/CF to start pushing info on the interent and not on the DWAN - easier accessibility for those who need it coupled with reduced costs would seem to make it a no-brainer.



agreed, but how would that reduce costs?


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## dapaterson (11 Sep 2012)

Shrek1985 said:
			
		

> agreed, but how would that reduce costs?



More internet access = less need for DND IM/IT resources at units, as people can do things from home.

Less DND computers (and their ridiculous cost for MS licenses for office (which we should replace with Open Office) = lower costs.


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## The_Falcon (12 Sep 2012)

Its not hard to make the link to the CANFORGENs a bookmark above your address bar.  Every morning when I log into work, I check them, if I see something pertinent to me and my interests I read it.  It takes literally less than a minute to check.


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## dapaterson (12 Sep 2012)

Hatchet Man said:
			
		

> Its not hard to make the link to the CANFORGENs a bookmark above your address bar.  Every morning when I log into work, I check them, if I see something pertinent to me and my interests I read it.  It takes literally less than a minute to check.



Not everyone works full-time for DND/CF.  Not everyone has ready access to DWAN.  Pushing information through the internet would help resolve that issue.


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## Occam (12 Sep 2012)

dapaterson said:
			
		

> More internet access = less need for DND IM/IT resources at units, as people can do things from home.



= more opportunity for malware to gain a foothold in our networks.  As soon as you want to let people start using their own computers to connect to work, you have to set minimum standards for hardware and software.  Next you know, people will be claiming that they should be reimbursed for some/all of the cost of their home computers so that they can carry out work-related functions.



> Less DND computers (and their ridiculous cost for MS licenses for office (which we should replace with Open Office) = lower costs.



To be honest, Microsoft has volume licencing agreements with DND for many different types of software, and it's not as expensive as you might think.  I can't give you exact figures, but I can promise you that we're not paying anywhere close to the street price for a one-workstation licence for Office.

Open Office might be a great office suite, but does it work and play nicely with Windows Server 2008 R2?  Sharepoint?  MS Project?  Any of the dozens of other applications available on DSB?  At this stage of the game, we may as well stick with Microsoft products because of interoperability and configuration management reasons.  Remember when we switched from WordPerfect to Office?  I never want to go through that again...   

Could more use be made of the internet to make life easier for our members?  Sure.  It's got to be done carefully though.


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## dapaterson (12 Sep 2012)

Occam said:
			
		

> = more opportunity for malware to gain a foothold in our networks.  As soon as you want to let people start using their own computers to connect to work, you have to set minimum standards for hardware and software.  Next you know, people will be claiming that they should be reimbursed for some/all of the cost of their home computers so that they can carry out work-related functions.



Bah, humbug.  Simple posting of documents to the internet does not introduce significant risk.



> To be honest, Microsoft has volume licencing agreements with DND for many different types of software, and it's not as expensive as you might think.  I can't give you exact figures, but I can promise you that we're not paying anywhere close to the street price for a one-workstation licence for Office.



If we assume $50 per license, per year, with a DND footprint around 80k units, we're talking about real money - $4M per year.  I suspect the number is greater.



> Open Office might be a great office suite, but does it work and play nicely with Windows Server 2008 R2?  Sharepoint?  MS Project?  Any of the dozens of other applications available on DSB?  At this stage of the game, we may as well stick with Microsoft products because of interoperability and configuration management reasons.  Remember when we switched from WordPerfect to Office?  I never want to go through that again...



Tools are for users to use - not for ease of admin by IT staff.  Sharepoint could be scrapped for open source wiki software that is a more suable product.  MS Project has a very limited footprint and a limited number of users - besides, OO can read/write .doc and .xls.



> Could more use be made of the internet to make life easier for our members?  Sure.  It's got to be done carefully though.



Unfortunately, while I agree we need care, we also need to break through the 6 world.  They will always produce numerous reasons not to do things - for their own simplicity.

(This is where I'd normally go into my C&A rant, but it's late, and I need to get some sleep...)


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## The_Falcon (12 Sep 2012)

dapaterson said:
			
		

> Not everyone works full-time for DND/CF.  Not everyone has ready access to DWAN.  Pushing information through the internet would help resolve that issue.



I know, I was more referring to Bridges post, where alot of people, including people who do have regular access to the DWAN don't check CANFORGENs, and wait for the "important" ones to be disseminated down through their CofC. Just pointing out for those who have the access its not all that time consuming to check them.


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## Shrek1985 (12 Sep 2012)

Hatchet Man said:
			
		

> I know, I was more referring to Bridges post, where alot of people, including people who do have regular access to the DWAN don't check CANFORGENs, and wait for the "important" ones to be disseminated down through their CofC. Just pointing out for those who have the access its not all that time consuming to check them.



next time I have DIN access, I'll find that link


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## bridges (12 Sep 2012)

Hatchet Man said:
			
		

> I know, I was more referring to Bridges post, where alot of people, including people who do have regular access to the DWAN don't check CANFORGENs, and wait for the "important" ones to be disseminated down through their CofC. Just pointing out for those who have the access its not all that time consuming to check them.



I never said I was waiting for the "important" ones to be disseminated through the CoC.  If we did that, we'd never see them at all.  What I was getting at was the necessity of remembering, amid the daily onslaught of information, to check the CANFORGEN page every day just in case there's something new - among many other resources we access on a daily basis as well.  Yes, you could set it as your home page so it's right there when you boot up in the morning - but I have my home page set to something else that's more time-sensitive for my job at the moment.  

Ironically, where I work we get "All pers" e-mails sent to the entire region for stuff like golf tournaments and fundraising barbecues - but for the important stuff, it's every member & employee for themselves.  I see the OP's point, and I'm wondering what the harm would be in making CFGs aval on the internet at all - let alone with a 'notification' option.   Many of them show up here on Army.ca within minutes anyway.


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## Shamrock (12 Sep 2012)

Shrek1985 said:
			
		

> next time I have DIN access, I'll find that link



Most every (DWAN) link you'll ever need.


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