Phoenix.pm: Fwd: Internet Annoyances Needed for New Book

[Jacob Powers]

Google's toolbar will actually ask you up front, during installation, if
you would like to report your usage back to their systems. If request
that this information not be sent back to their systems they will honor
this request. I have installed it in this manner and have monitored its
habits, if you ask it not to call home it won't.

Jake Powers

-----Original Message-----
From: Scott Walters [mailto:scott at illogics.org] 
Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 10:46 AM
To: Tran Forsythe
Cc: phoenix-pm-list at happyfunball.pm.org; marsee at oreilly.com
Subject: Re: Phoenix.pm: Fwd: Internet Annoyances Needed for New Book

It's also spyware, which is an annoyance in and of itself. It reports
your surfing habits back to Google. For the R&D department of a
corporation, this could be sensitive information, exposed to
eavesdroppers on the net, not to mention URLs often contain passwords.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm just so good at it.

-scott

On  0, Tran Forsythe <tran_fors at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
> Re: #9, Google's popup-blocker is quite effective and is toggleable; I
use
> it at work where I can't install my own firewall/etc.
> -Kurt
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Scott Walters" <scott at illogics.org>
> To: "Douglas E. Miles" <perlguy at earthlink.net>
> Cc: "Phoenix.pm" <phoenix-pm-list at happyfunball.pm.org>;
<marsee at oreilly.com>
> Sent: Friday, March 19, 2004 5:13 PM
> Subject: Re: Phoenix.pm: Fwd: Internet Annoyances Needed for New Book
> 
> 
> > Hi,
> >
> > 1. Installing Flash and Java plugins plugins on Mozilla on
> Linux/BSD/Solaris/etc.
> > Lacking Solution: One good FAQ, which I've yet to see, on what files
need
> to be
> > edit to contain what information and why. I'm dependent on pkgsrc
> (NetBSD's
> > package system, FreeBSD has a similar package system that fetches
the
> right binaries
> > and shoves them in the right places under control of 'make').
> >
> > 2. Sometimes you really need IE on Linux/BSD/Solaris to use an IE
only
> plugin or view
> > a non-standards-compliant page or use NT domain auth to validate on
> webservers
> > in a corporate setting.
> > Solution: IE runs under Wine, the free Windows API implementation
and
> binary layer.
> > Wine, available from winehq.com, supports Linux, FreeBSD and Solaris
> officially,
> > though NetBSD and OpenBSD maintain ports.
> >
> > 3. 802.11 isn't ubiquitously enough - running to Starbucks or
searching
> maps for
> > area hotspots is too much bother.
> > Solution: Several cell carries now have fixed rate data pricing with
> different
> > fixed prices and speeds. Sprint is reguarded as the fasting with
> approximately
> > a 70kbps data rate (compare to 56kbps for a dialup modem) and
T-Mobile,
> who
> > also sells 802.11 in chains such as Starbucks, currently has a
$20/month
> > unlimited plan, and throughput is usually between 30kbps and 40kbps.
> T-Mobile
> > also has a dedicated unlimited plan that doesn't piggy back on a
voice
> plan,
> > for use with PC-card modems, that is $30/month. You may need to
speak to a
> few
> > customer service representitives before you find someone who
understands
> data.
> > Before purchasing a phone, make sure it is data capable. Don't trust
the
> sales
> > guys, ask to see the instruction manual for the phone. Don't be
mislead by
> > phones offering short messages service (SMS) or built-in web
browsers
> > (WAP) - you want either a GPRS (general packet radio service) or
CDPD
> > (cellular digital packet data) phone, depending on the technology
your
> > carrier users.
> >
> > 4. Download requires BitTorrent
> > Solution: How to install BitTorrent on various systems, how to get
it, a 5
> cent
> > view of what it is.
> >
> > 5. Users are usually the larger Internet Annoyance. Back in *my*
day,
> there were
> > writeups on "netiquette" all over the place, and new users were sent
there
> and
> > ignored until they've obviously read it. Any book on Internet
Annoyances
> *must*
> > include a brief writeup on network etiquette. Specifically, the
Internet
> is
> > largely staffed by volunteers. By paying $16 a month to use AOL,
everyone
> isn't
> > magically obligated to you. There are a lot of users on the net and
places
> > providing help aren't adequately able to deal with all problemx,
> especially
> > complex ones and ones where the user themselves hasn't done their
reading.
> > Don't publicly disclose peoples email addresses or other
information, but
> > especially email addresses and hone numbers. This generates spam for
them.
> > Don't cc people whom you haven't introduced. Don't forward email
messages
> >
> > 6. On avoiding spam: Hotmail, after Microsoft purchased it, start
selling
> not
> > only their the email addresses of the people with free accounts
there, but
> > also the email addresses of people who mailed people with free
accounts
> there.
> > Posting to Usenet, chatting on IRC from a machine that email can be
> addressed
> > to, and posting messages on most online bulletin boards will earn
you
> spam.
> > Several commercial services such as pobox.com offer excellent spam
> filtering
> > in a mailbox with a web interface as well as POP access for programs
like
> > Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla, Eudora, and so on.
> > See also 7, the frequently changing email address.
> >
> > 7. Frequently changing email address
> > Because of spam or because of ISP changes, email addresses
frequently
> change.
> > This is a huge annoyance. You can't stop your friends from changing
> > email addresses (except perhaps by buying them a copy of this book
for
> > their birthday) but you can do something about it for yourself.
> > pobox.com offers strong spam filtering standard and the email boxes
> > may be accessed in the same ways that your ISP's boxes may be. That
is,
> > through the web and through Microsoft Outlook, Eudora, Mozilla, and
> > so forth. Best of all, you can keep your email address when you
finish
> > school, change jobs, or get a new ISP.
> > Most domain name registrars will give you a mail box and a small
amount
> > of space on a webserver when you buy purchase a domain name from
them.
> > Start at icann.org and read through the various offerings.
> > If you have a Hotmail or Yahoo account and you're really happy with
it
> > except for the spam, Mozilla, available from mozilla.org, has
> > Bayeseon spam filtering which takes a statistical approach to word
usage
> > in spam and non spam email address to adaptively learn the
difference
> > between the two given the kind of email you receive. Most users
> > report it to be almost 100% effective. To use this, you must upgrade
> > to a paid account at Hotmail or Yahoo with POP or IMAP access to
your
> > email.
> >
> > 8. Your machine has been hijacked by a spammer and now you're
sending
> spam!
> > Don't open attachments sent to you unless it is both something
you're
> > expecting and from someone you know. Most email-borne worms steal
names
> and
> > email addresses from the address book and then fake the sender
> information,
> > appearing to come from someone you know, so it is never out of place
to
> reply
> > to the message and ask your friend or associate if they meant to
send you
> > an attachment. This is a mark of an experienced network user, not a
> novice.
> > Don't trust what you see. Especially be suspicious of emails that
are
> threatening
> > in tone, demand you open it immediately, or it promises to fix a
problem
> > you supposedly have. Microsoft and other venders and ISPs never mass
> > mail binary attachments but instead send you a URL to go to download
> > the file. This is far more secure, though IE has had bugs which
allowed
> > deceptive URLs.
> > Keep your software up to date, especially any network applications
such
> > as P2P clients, web browsers, email programs, and
especially-especially
> > the operationg system itself. Microsoft is able to trigger your
computer
> > to download updates through IE, so all you need is a trip to
> microsoft.com.
> > Keep your anti-virus software up to date on Windows!
> > Linux distributions and the BSDs all have upgrade procedures where
you
> > download the latest version of the OS and then boot into the
installation
> > program and request an upgrade to an existing system.
> > Linux doesn't require anti-virus software for various reasons, but
> > Lindows (lindows.com) sells it for private use if you must have it.
> >
> > 9. Pop-Up Window Floods
> > Mozilla can block these, giving you an icon to click on to easily
unblock
> sites
> > you wish to accept pop-ups from. Opera does an exceptionally good
job at
> > this as well and many people swear by it for that reason alone.
> > (Konq? Safari?)
> >
> > Good luck, and best wishes!
> > -scott
> >
> > On  0, "Douglas E. Miles" <perlguy at earthlink.net> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Dear User Group Leader:
> > >
> > > Thanks for the great response to our call, over the last month or
two,
> > > for annoyances, gripes, and complaints about Excel and PC
hardware. The
> > > email we got was very useful and a lot of your members not only
> > > sent annoyances, but fixes! As always, many thanks for the input.
> > >
> > > This time around, we have yet another book in the wings--this one
> focusing
> > > on Internet annoyances. Some of the annoying areas: Email (and
spam),
> > > connecting to the Net (via dialup, DSL, cable, configuration and
all
> > > that), wireless annoyances (from WiFi hassles to hotspots to
fiddling
> with
> > > WEP), web sites (namely creating, hosting, and maintaining your
own web
> > > site), browsing and browsers (Internet Explorer, Netscape, and
others),
> > > AOL, instant messaging, using search sites, security annoyances,
and of
> > > course, shopping and auctions.
> > >
> > > Got Internet gripes/annoyances/kvetches? Send 'em our way by
having your
> > > members email me (marsee at oreilly.com) with "Internet Annoyance" in
the
> > > subject line and we'll put our author on the job.
> > >
> > > As thanks for sharing, we'll make sure to get copies of "Internet
> > > Annoyances" sent to your group shortly after publication.
> > >
> > > --Marsee
> > >
> > >
> > > ***
> > >
> > > An example:
> > >
> > > Pictureless Pages Predicament
> > >
> > > THE ANNOYANCE: There are some great pictures available on the Web,
but
> > > certain pictures don't appear on web pages I visit. Instead I see
a red
> X
> > > or a funny little icon where the picture is supposed to be.
> > >
> > > THE FIX: Several circumstances can keep pictures from appearing:
> > >
> > > * There's a logjam at the web server or somewhere along the miles
of
> wires
> > > between the web server and your browser. Try refreshing the page
(press
> > > F5 or click the Refresh button on the toolbar). But you probably
already
> > > tried that.
> > >
> > > * Something's wrong with the web server. The picture might not be
on the
> > > server, or the programmer who created the web page might have put
in the
> > > wrong path to the picture.
> > >
> > > * Internet Explorer may be configured so that it doesn't show
pictures,
> > > a common setup for those with slow dialup connections who don't
want
> > > to waste time downloading pictures. (If this option is set, you
can
> > > selectively display pictures by right-clicking the X or the icon
and
> > > choosing Show Picture.) To undo this setting in Internet Explorer,
> choose
> > > Tools-->Internet Options. Click the Advanced tab, and in the
Multimedia
> > > section, check the Show Pictures box to make your pictures appear.
> > >
> > > * An invalid value in the Windows Registry is preventing pictures
from
> > > appearing. It's an easy fix, even for those who are squeamish
about
> poking
> > > around in the Registry. (Before you mess around with the Registry,
back
> it
> > > up as per the instructions in the sidebar on page 47.) Select
> Start-->Run,
> > > type in regedit, and hit Enter. In Registry Editor, navigate to
> > > \HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.gif. In the right pane, click the Content Type
item;
> > > its value should be image/gif. Then check \HKEY_CLASSES_
ROOT\.jpg;
> > > Content Type should be set to image/jpg or image/jpeg. For more
> > > information about this fix, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article
307239.
> > >
> > >
> > > ***
> > >
>