Surges through the phone line typically kill just the modem but a severe strike can lead to system board failure.  Surges through the power lines typically cause power supply failure, but again, can cause total failure.  In addition to surges, blackouts and brownouts can also cause failures.  Sudden loss of power or low voltage situations while the computer is running can cause power supply, fan motor and worse, hard drive failure.  Protection from power loss and low voltage can be achieved only with an Uninterruptible Power Supply (USP). And remember:  Back up early, back up often!

Domain Name Ownership --top

If you are thinking of obtaining a domain name, be sure to deal with a reputable provider and ask questions! 

The first question you need to have answered is:  Will you retain ownership and control of the domain name?  We have had a couple of customers obtain a domain from someone, only to find out a few of years later that they did not own or control that domain.  The ownership remained with the person who initially set up the domain, making it impossible to move their website and email to another provider.

Once you have a domain...

• Keep tabs on the expiration date and do not let it expire! 

• Be aware that there are some hosting providers that send out "renewal" notices that are way ahead of the actual expiration date.  If you renew too early you may effectively be paying double for a period of time.

• Know who your hosting provider is!  You will probably receive junk renewal notices in the mail, i.e., notices from a company that is not even hosting your website.  If you renew with them, you may effectively give them control of the domain name.

http://www.internic.net/ (ICANN) is the organization that controls all domain names and their whois link is where you can review your domain information...

ICANN is responsible for the global coordination of the Internet's system of unique identifiers. These include domain names (like .org, .museum and country codes like .UK), as well as the addresses used in a variety of Internet protocols. Computers use these identifiers to reach each other over the Internet.

Phishing --top

Phishing is when someone attempts to gain something from you or your computer. Originally phishing began as bogus email messages baiting you to click a link and provide information that someone should not have, e.g., credit card numbers.  But phishing has evolved to websites.  When you visit these sites, the web page itself attempts to gain information from your computer.

The new release of the Internet Explorer, Firefox and others attempt to block these attacks, but are they successful?  Not really!  As the browser's security becomes better, the phishing sites find other ways to extract information.

One way to combat the problem is a "black list," but it is simply not feasible to have a computer check a black list before entering a website.  Another way is to have the browser or another application loaded on the computer inspect the site for indications of phishing, but website writers will quickly circumvent these tools.

Microsoft and others are leaning toward Extended Validation Secure Sockets Layer (EV SSL).  The way EV SSL works is websites are "approved" by a third party and if deemed "safe," the browser will indicate the site is safe.  The article.

We see some real problems here! 

• In order to become "approved" by whatever third party, the site would have to be inspected.  With millions of web pages to inspect, it is unlikely that third party will do it for free.  And while the big companies could afford that inspection, they would (probably) not risk bad publicity by having phishing tools found on their website anyway.  But the web is made up of millions of little guys like us who simply could not afford an inspection fee...

• Nothing is stopping the web page writer from changing the page once approved. 

• We believe EV SSL could slow the Internet browser, perhaps substantially as it would have to "look up" the intended website in the third party's database and if that database is busy or its site is down, you wait...

So for now and as the article stated, the best protection is you!

Doug Kantor's site --top

Doug is the local American Family Insurance agent and like us, enjoys working with computers.  He has put together a very nice website with local and state news, the Annandale School Calendar and more.  Stop by his site sometime...

http://www.annandalemn.com/

And there it is... --top

Prior to the last elections there was this big push to divert 100% of vehicle sales tax to transportation, but in the fine print was the fact that nearly half of that would go exclusively to mass transit. 

But that was insufficient for our State Spenders.  In addition they now want to raise fuel tax and vehicle license tab fees, remove the cap on registration fees!  The article.

This should say it all...

The State of MN is reporting a surplus, but according to this article, Minnesotans "are failing to pay more than $1 billion annually in taxes..."  This looks like simple math to us:
 

	People underpaying	1.00   billion dollars
+	State's huge surplus	2.16   billion dollars
=	Overtaxation of Minnesotans	3.16 billion dollars

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