Har1eygur1’s Weblog

 Phishing by kenk124

You said 1 month ago:

I do my banking online, but I have everything setup to automatically pay. I prefer to do that over autodrafting, where I give a company my bank info and they take it out monthly, I feel I have the control. I will have to check to see how much information my bank has on phishing, it will be interesting.
Where I work we have to take credit card and bank information over the phone for customers/members to pay on their accounts and we have to watch putting the info in notes. The customers/members will ask us to use the card or account we have on file but they can still dispute the charge – we have no signature.
I think the 3 digit pin number that the banks and credit card companies have started putting on the back of the cards are great, the only thing is if the card is physically stolen.
I think it is funny when you pull up to a drive up ATM machine and the passenager is standing outside the car doing the transaction, do they not trust the driver with their card for the couple of minutes they will have it to put it into the ATM and then the pin number to enter. The driver will not remember the card number because more then likely they are not even going to look at the card and for them to use it later they would have to have the card in their hand to your the pin number.
Have we become that bad of a society that we do not even trust our friends or relatives with a debit/ATM card for a couple of minutes even when we are sitting right beside them? I hope not, I give my boyfriend my card anytime at a gas pump so I do not have to pump the gas and give him the pin number too and he does the same if I am driving and we stop at his ATM for cash, he hands me the card and tells me his pin number and you know what I could not even tell you his pin number right now; we have done this at once a month.

Phishing isn’t only Grandpa’s favorite activity by andrew5952

You said 1 month ago:

Thanks, for the information about OnGuard Online, this is the first time I have heard about that website. I did a paper on identity theft and did not see it.
I have 4 personal e-mail addresses plus my work one and only have problems with spam on one of my personal ones and my work e-mail. We have a great spam blocker/spyware system but they still get through at times. The one personal e-mail address I have the problem with is the one I give my friends to use when sending me an e-mail and I think a couple of them have had problems and that is why I get them at that address. The other 3 I have had no problems with, one is the address I use if I need to give an e-mail address for coupons from a resturant, my bills, stores or filling out a questionairre and have no problems with spam at that address.
I will have to pass along the e-mail address spam@uce.gov and the OnGuard Online website to our IT guy at work, if he does not already know about them.
Thanks, again for the information, it was very informing.

Cable vs Fios by young42 

You said 1 month ago:

At least cable internet finally came to your area, it is only in select areas of Caroline, as is Verizon. When I stayed at my house all the time, right now I stay in Richmond more, I wanted to get cable I would say I started looking around 2002 after I moved into my house and they were not offering internet service. My house is in a large large community and I know as of January of this year digital cable was not even offered in the lake. It is, also, only offered in select areas. With Verizon you had to be within a 3 mile range of a Verizon sub-station (not a straight route but how the lines went) because if you went straight through the woods I was within the 3 mile range. So nothing was really offered there but DirectTV’s internet which I think the get from HughesNet. Trying to find internet service that is right or is offered where you are can be a pain. Hopefully, with everything changing for TV’s in February of 2009, they will finally be able to get cable internet in Lake Caroline.

 The cheaper way to keep in touch by angie79

You said 1 month ago:

I was curious about VoIP, I really had not heard a lot about it. I did a little research and found Microsoft VoIp Software Solutions http://www.microsoft.com/uc/voipasyouare/default.aspx?WT.srch=1 and it says despite what we have heard you can keep the current hardware. It says to, also, keep the routers, gateways, the PBX, and the phones and to let VoIP software evolve around your telephony for future communications. Software-based VoIP will be the next generation for voice communications. Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 can manage real-time communications, suchas instant messaging, VoIP, audio and video conferencing. At this website you can even download a trial.
I may need to look more into this, it sounds interesting. We do a lot of phone time within a couple of departments in our office and I am not sure what type of phone service we have. I do know the name of the company, just not sure of this. We have what I call the company ghost, which we have also given a name, this ghost likes to disconnect us when we are on the phone. I am not sure if our IT person has looked into this service yet.

Help for those challenged by the road ways! by angie79

You said 1 month ago:

I have thought about getting one, as I travel a little with my job. But once I have been to a place I can normally find my way back. I may not know my left from my right, especially when driving or giving directions, I am better with this way or that way. But I think having a GPS would be great when stuck in traffic on the interstate and not sure about the next exit, where it will lead me.
The one thing I have enjoyed about getting lost, is finding new ways to get to a place I already knew the location.
Now I can say, I wish I had one in 1983 when I drove to Richmond for the first time myself and took 95 and got off the Blvd the wrong way. I wanted to go to Broad Street and instead was heading back towards Hermitage and Lakeside Avenue; now that was an experience.
I have thought about buying one for my mom, then I think where does she go that she would need one.
I think that they are a great device and may have to look into one in the next couple of years.

New ERA of Software by kmaryland