Re: Human Process questions (not code questions ;)

[Rob Newberry <rob@eats.com>]

> What we really need, however, is the ability for our secretaries (Mac users)
> to be able to be the FAX routing people.  They are the ones with this
> responsibility on the paper-FAX machine.  Is there any way to give them this
> power from a Macintosh client?

First off, I'm the author of the Mac client, and am certainly willing to
look into any custom solutions that you might want -- it might require a
fee, though :-).

Second, I can think of some ways to do this right now.

#1 - Modify the "faxd.recv" script to email the FAX file in TIFF format
(note the default PS format) to your secretaries, preferably as an
enclosure.  I actually found some UNIX-based tools that do binhexing of
files, which allows me to set Mac type and creatore for the enclosure
before emailing it to my wife.  She uses Eudora, and the FAX files appear
as enclosures in her email.  Presumably your secretaries could then email
the FAX file to whoever else needs it.  It's just a TIFF image, so Windows
users should be able to look at it, although I'm not sure what viewer
they'd use.

#2 - Run some sort of Mac file sharing service, and share the FAX recv
queue.  I run HylaFAX and netatalk on my Linux box; the FAX recv
directory appears as a volume that I can mount on my Mac.  I just mount
that directory, and poof, there are all my received FAXes.  With netatalk
doing extension mapping (.tif --> MFXV, TIFf), I can double click them and
they open up in MacFlex Viewer.  Of course, the names of the files aren't
particularly helpful (fax00095.tif), but it still works.  Anyway, your
secretary could then attach the files as email to other employees.

Someday in the future, the Mac client may be upgraded to do this sort of
thing automatically.  Since the HylaFAX protocol supports it, you should
be able to retreive the FAXes from within the client.  But I don't know
when I'll be able to get to it.

For now, a combination of #1 and #2 above works well for me, and it might
meet your needs, too.  Good luck!

Rob

for more info on the Mac client, see http://www.eats.com/MacFlex/