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LangaList 2005-07-18 Please visit our sponsors and help keep the LangaList S.E. free!
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1) He's B-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ckTesting, testing (tap tap tap). Is this thing on? Can you hear me in the back? <g> Hope you're doing fine. We are; we had a great vacation, motorcycling up through the Canadian Maritimes and taking the long 7 hour ferry out to Newfoundland. Spectacular scenery, good food, friendly people; a great trip. Some highlights included Gros Morne ( http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/nl/grosmorne/index_e.asp ), Terra Nova ( http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/nl/terranova/index_E.asp ); the reconstructed Viking settlement (that predates Christopher Columbus, by far) in the northern reaches of Newfoundland ( http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/nl/meadows/index_e.asp ) and Cape Spear, the easternmost point in all of North America ( http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/nl/spear/index_e.asp ). Lots more besides that--- those are just a sampling. But now: back to business! Click to email this item to a
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )------------- 2) Open-Source (Free) AntiVirus ProjectThis looks v-e-e-e-e-ry interesting:
Indeed, it's perking along nicely--- it's a 0.861 as I write this, and will no doubt be further along by the time your read this. I agree that this is a definitely one to watch, although I would caution against relying on it in a production environment--- that is, on a real-world system--- until it's released and proven itself reliable. Open Source software has the advantage of being "transparent," in that anyone can look at the source code, which usually means that problems can theoretically be found faster than otherwise. But the downside is that the bad guys also can look at the same source code in order to find exploitable weaknesses. Plus, AV tools require frequent updating, and I don't know if a volunteer-based Open Source project will be up to the task of churning out updates on a high-frequency basis. If they can do it, then it'll change the face of AV software as we know it. But we'll have to wait to see if, in fact, they really *can* do it. Time will tell. Thanks, Bruce! Click to email this item to a
friend 3) Internet Explorer Security Settings
IE6 has more options, but the core idea hasn't changed at all. Basically, you click to Tools/Internet Options/Security and then select "Custom Level." As you step through the settings, use the "?" button in the upper right corner of the dialog box to learn more about each setting: Click the "?" and then click the item you're working on: A brief and helpful explanation will appear in a small floating window. In general, you can pretty much lock down your browser by selecting "disable" on every item--- but many web sites and functions will stop working as well. One way to explore reasonable defaults is to try each of the four one-click security settings offered in the "Reset To:" portion of the dialog, and see how the settings for individual items change. Another reasonable approach is to start with the highest offered security setting in "Reset To" and then manually to relax individual settings on a step by step and case by case basis until you achieve the level of web functionality you wish. I personally find a slightly modified "medium" security setting to be OK for my purposes because, given all the other security tools I have running (examples: see http://langa.com/newsletters/2005/2005-06-27.htm#2 ), I don't need to have the browser itself try to do it all. Also, I believe there's an inherent danger in having any one tool try to do it all because any problem with that one tool then can leave you wide open. Having several different tools providing security means the tools can backstop each other to a degree, so even if one is attacked or compromised, odds are the others still will be OK. That said, here are the settings I use. They may or may not be OK for you, depending on what other security software you use, how you use your PC, and your level of online experience. I am not recommending these settings for everyone, but they work for me. Feel free to use them as a starting point to develop the settings that fit your specific needs and situation. Again, these are all accessible via Tools/Internet Options/Security and then selecting "Custom Level." ActiveX controls and plug-ins Font download Installation of desktop items Launching programs and files in an IFRAME Click to email this item to a
friend --- ( Your Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList S.E. Free! ) --- "Dear Fred, I want to thank you
for your data base of all your past 4) Wi-Fi LiabilityThe tech community is just starting to come to grips with the wider, legal issues of wireless insecurity: You see, the problem isn't just that someone might hack into your system to steal data or passwords--- although that's bad enough. But there also are legal implications if someone else simply uses your connection for nefarious purposes. For example, what happens if someone sends or gathers illegal porn via your wireless setup, or commits identity theft or some other online crime through your setup, even if you're not an active participant? At the very least, *your* IP address--- your digital fingerprint--- will be all over the evidence, so it could be very hard to establish your innocence. (And in these days of the "Patriot Act" and similar laws, the concept of "innocent until proven guilty" is increasingly quaint and meaningless.) And what about your liability of you access someone else's unprotected link? Even if all you do is surf the web via their connection, are you trespassing? Are you stealing services? Long-time readers have been attuned to some of these
issues, and how to avoid them, for years. For example we ran these items back in
2002: But there's growing general awareness of the issues now, and two recent papers may help further understanding of the problems: "Wi-Fi Liability: Potential Legal Risks in Accessing and
Operating Wireless Internet" is a scholarly legal paper available from Both are thought-provoking reading! (See also item #13 in this issue.) Click to email this item to a
friend 5) BookMarkBuddy
Wow, it does quite a lot! And the $30 price could be quite a bargain if you use all its features. For other options, including free ones, see our previous coverage of bookmark/favorites tools: http://langa.com/u/0t.htm Thanks, George! Click to email this item to a
friend 6) New Month, New ChancesIt's a new publication month, and right now your chances
are the best they'll ever be! Click to email this item to a
friend 7) Preventing Unwanted Quicktime "Tray" IconThe "System Notification Area," (aka the "Tray") down by the clock of a standard Windows setup, can become quite cluttered with busy little icons. XP does a pretty good job of suppressing the extras, but it's still annoying to have icons there you didn't ask for and have no need of. For example, Quicktime sits in the Tray even when it's inactive. Why? No real reason I can think of, except some in-your-face branding by Apple. That's why this reader email caught my eye:
Thanks, Andy! Click to email this item to a
friend 8) They Loaded The CodeDo you have a home page or website? (It doesn't matter
what size.) Please click over to
http://langa.com/code.htm , and maybe you can join the hundreds and hundreds
of LangaList readers who have "Loaded the Code!" (If you've already "Loaded The
Code" and are wondering if your site will appear here or on the Langa.Com web
site, please see http://langa.com/link.txt
) Manually Browse All Posted-to-Date Sites Starting At Freeware, websites, and more Anti-Spyware Tools Home of Health and Fitness Reproduction civil war documents Bob Daniel Home Page JonsJinc Wizard of Rock&Roll Javascript apps and utilities MJ Computer Services SgtGeek Click to email this item to a
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )------------- 9) Zabasearch
I can understand your concern, but it's not splitting hairs. Zabasearch, like Google, isn't generating any of the information it displays. All it does is show you what's already available in public records and on other public websites. Blaming Zabasearch or Google or similar search engines is kind of shooting the messenger. If there's information on the web that you don't want in circulation, you need to nip it at the front end--- at the original source--- and not at the back end; at the search engines. Remember that search engines only find stuff after the fact--- *after* it's already been posted somewhere else. It's the "somewhere else" that's the source of the information. If you prevent information from reaching the web in the first place, then it won't be there for anyone to find by any means--- manual or automated. *That's* the solution--- not merely blocking the search engines. Or to put it another way, telling the search engines not to display your data doesn't really do anything, because the original information is still out there on whatever sites the search engines were indexing. Someone wanting to do research on you might have to take a few more clicks, but all the original info is still there--- just not via sites like Zabasearch or Google. In a way, Zabasearch and Google can be seen as the "good guys" because they're showing you what's freely available about you on the web. They're not the problem: The problem is other sites that have gotten hold of, and are publishing, your personal data. Your best bet is to visit those other sites, and use whatever method they offer for not posting your information. Note that some legal documents, such as property ownership records, are public by necessity and design. Other records, such as telephone numbers and "reverse phone book" functions are based on published telephone directories--- also not private (unless you have a nonlisted number). Still other online databases come from magazine subscription cards, warranty-activation mail-in cards, mail-order catalog purchases, and the like. Unless you "opt out" of information sharing with these companies, many can and will sell their data on you to any interested parties. It's activities like that which are the real problem. Click to email this item to a
friend 10) Just For GrinsIt's zombie season, and I'm going to eat your brain: Click to email this item to a
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )------------- 11) Plus! Edition Highlights:Today's LangaList Plus! Edition contains all ten items above, plus about 40% more content including:
Complete Plus! Edition info: http://langa.com/plus.htm Click to email this item to a
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LangaList Plus edition! The LangaList is published about 72 times a year, or about 6 times a month. See you next issue, 2005-07-21! Best, Please recommend the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win a prize!) An easier-to read formatted HTML version is available in the "Current Issue" section of http://langa.com. (The HTML version of each issue normally is available by 9AM EST [UT-5] of the issue date.) All past LangaList issues are also available at the Langa.Com site. UNSUBSCRIBE (instant removal!):
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