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E-Mail Scam Website Award |
Hello from
PSCI |
E-Mail Scam - E-Card Scheme Sends
E-Mail Messages To Everyone In Your Windows Outlook Address Book
You may have heard
about the widespread e-mails recently circulating around the Internet that
invite users to pick up an e-card from one of several websites including
CoolDownloads.com, Friend-Greetings.com and FriendGreetings.com. These e-mail
messages are personalized to the recipient from a friend (within both the
subject line and the message) and the messages contain a link which direct the
recipients to one of the aforementioned websites. Upon going to one of these
linked sites, recipients are asked to install a software program onto their
computer in order to grab their e-card. Just prior to the installation process,
a couple of lengthy end-user license agreements (EULAs) are displayed. The
second agreement states that the installation of the software gives the site
permission to automatically send the same greeting the recipient received to
everyone in the user's Outlook address book. Clicking "yes" to this agreement
results in this very occurrence -- personalized messages being sent to the
e-mail addresses listed in the address book of the person who downloaded the
software. This software program can be installed only on Windows based
computers. Mac, Unix and Linux users are not affected.
Technically,
these "greeting e-mail messages" are not viruses or worms because they have no
attachments. However, they can be nuisances because of the large amount of
unsolicited e-mail messages they can generate. It also points to the importance
of carefully reading EULAs prior to downloading software applications.
E-cards are a great way to spread some cheer to friends and family this
holiday season but remember to use caution regarding the e-card website that you
utilize to send your greetings. Also, never install software onto your computer
before first carefully reading the site's EULA and privacy agreement, and
scanning it for viruses.
My PSCI - A Christmas Present For
You
PSCI has been
providing local, toll-free Internet service to our community since 1995, and
this month will be releasing “My PSCI”, our new and improved web page. “My
PSCI” subscribers will be able to customize local news and weather, local
merchant deals, local sports, a community calendar, national news, sports and
entertainment, stock quotes, games, e-greetings, movie listings and much more –
all in one convenient location.
Local schools, churches, law enforcement and other community organizations
will be able to supply news, community events and informational content – all
online. “My PSCI” will also give area businesses additional opportunities to
advertise their products and services to the people that live in their
community.
PSCI subscribers will be sent an e-mail when “My PSCI” is released,
and the best news is that this upgrade is free – with no interruption of
service.
“We at PSCI are very excited about the new features we are bringing to our
Internet subscribers and the community at large. By providing truly local
content we can create a connection between our community and our customers that
no other Internet service is capable of. We will be able to partner with
community organizations and local media to bring the most up-to-date information
directly to the people who want it most. Local businesses will have additional
opportunities to advertise their products and special offers through “My PSCI”,
which is one of the most accessed websites in our area. We encourage people to
shop locally, and what better way to do that than to offer this type of service
to our sponsors, advertisers and consumers.”
- Jim Dauby, President, PSCI
Website Award - Website is Runner-Up in
National Competition!
The National
Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) announced that Lake Rudolph
Campground & RV Resort in Santa Claus was the runner-up in the website
category for the 2002 Awards of Excellence. The website was designed by Dave
Lovell, Marketing Director for Lake Rudolph and by Mary Sampson from
Perry-Spencer Communications.
Launched in September, 2001, www.lakerudolph.com features dozens of
photos of the campground, an online newsletter, online reservations, an online
survey, information on area attractions, and everything one would need to know
about Lake Rudolph and the surrounding area. Between April and August of 2002,
the website recorded over two million hits. Lake Rudolph Campground and RV
Resort is located next door to Holiday World Theme Park and Splashin’ Safari
Water Park. It is open to the public.
Perry-Spencer Communications, Inc. (PSCI) is a subsidiary of Perry-Spencer
RTC, Inc. and offers local (toll-free) Internet access to all of Perry, Spencer
and Dubois counties. PSCI also offers web hosting and website design services.
They also recently introduced Wireless High Speed Internet in the Ferdinand area
and are planning to extend that service into the surrounding communities. For
more information, contact PSCI at 357-2123, 536-3344, 843-5951 or 800-511-4899.
You can also visit the website at www.psci.net
Ask The Help Desk - Blocking
Unwanted Websites Question: My oldest child, a ten-year-old boy, currently only
uses the Internet to do research for schoolwork. He just began doing this last
month. Although I do sit with him as he is doing his online research, I am
concerned about the "adult" material he may come across when he's doing his
online searches. Any suggestions? Great Sites To Check Out This Month Lord Of The
Rings: The Two Towers Short Tutorial - Flagging
E-mail Messages In Your Inbox Do you get e-mail
messages from friends that you want to "mark" so you can easily go back and find
the messages at a later date? Both Outlook Express and Netscape Communicator
provide an easy method for accomplishing this goal. By following the steps
below, you'll be able to place a little flag icon next to messages within your
inbox to assist you in locating them at a later date. We hope you found
this newsletter to be informative. It's our way of keeping you posted on the
happenings at our shop. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins
on a monthly basis, click HERE. ©2002
Cornerstone Publishing Group Inc.
Answer: It's wise that you
are monitoring your son's use of the Internet as he does his research. A simple
option to utilize (and one that most people don't know about) is the
implementation of filters that are provided by most search engines. These "Web
Content Filters" can be adjusted to screen offensive websites from showing up
when doing searches within a particular search engine. (They do not work outside
the search engine.) To find and set these filters, see below:
Each of the above search engine filters
will reduce the likelihood that your son will be exposed to inappropriate
content when doing a search. However, none of these filters are perfect. The
content of pages changes daily and the filters only work as long as the user is
within a particular search engine in which the filters have been set. In
addition, some of these filters rely on cookie technology, so if the cookies on
the user's computer are deleted, the corresponding filter settings will be
turned off as well.
Before your son gets much older and begins to use
the Internet more often, we strongly suggest that you obtain a filtering
application to help protect your family from the offensive material they may
come across while on the Web. The cost is nominal and well worth the small
investment. It'd be a great gift for your family this Christmas!
http://lordoftherings.net - The
most talked about motion picture this month is the release of Lord Of The
Rings: The Two Towers. It's the second movie of the Lord of the Rings
trilogy. This official site includes sneak previews and a gallery of images. It
also provides text explaining the various characters (in case you missed the
first movie and haven't read the books) and the actors who play the parts. The
movie is rated PG-13 for epic battle sequences and scary
images.
Lyrics To Christmas Songs
http://christmas-carols.net -
Are you planning on doing some Christmas caroling this holiday season but you've
forgotten the words to some of those classics? This site provides the lyrics to
dozens of Christmas songs. It's time to "Deck the Halls!"
Fun
Activities From Santa's Workshop
http://santas-workshop.org -
Here's a fun site to check out with the kids. It's got pages the kids can color,
a live "Elf Cam," some easy-to-make Christmas cookie recipes and a fun "Santa's
Christmas Quiz" page. You can also learn how to build a gingerbread house and
make a variety of Christmas crafts.
Great Holiday Recipes
http://eatturkey.com - Nothing tastes
better during the holidays than a delicious turkey. If you're looking for ideas
on how to cook that perfect bird this year, this site, produced by the National
Turkey Federation, has all the information that you will need. The site includes
holiday tips for preparing and carving your turkey as well as great stuffing,
gravy, side dish, dessert and leftover ideas. It also includes virtual cooking
demonstrations by thirty renowned chefs. Bon appetit!
Tracking Last
Minute Christmas Presents
http://fedex.com/us/tracking/?link=1.com -
Are you sending a holiday gift at the last minute this year? When it absolutely,
positively has to get there overnight, these are the guys to call. (At least
their marketing slogan used to say something like that.) If you want to track a
package you sent via Federal Express, head to the FedEx.com site, type in the
tracking number of your package and it'll tell you its exact location!
Outlook
Express/Mac and Windows PC Users:
Netscape Communicator 4.x and 7.0/Mac and Windows PC Users:
Eudora 5.1/Mac and Windows PC Users:
Eudora uses labels
to mark messages instead of flags.
Macintosh OS X "Mail.app":
Thanks for
your business!
Best regards,
Perry-Spencer Communications,
Inc.
One Community On-line
Trademarks: All brand names and
product names used in this eNewsletter are trade names, service marks,
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.