The Internet is the Wild, Wild West ….

... and there ain’t no Sheriff in town!

Just like the western frontier the Internet is a place where opportunity abounds, but it is not without danger. If you understand risk, manage uncertainly and protect yourself from diabolical people, the Internet is a magical place. When online, a good rule to follow is “when in doubt – don’t.”

Two main problems with the Internet are that 1) there are more scammers than can be counted and 2) it is hard, sometimes impossible, to determine authenticity.

In the Wild, Wild West if some cowboy came riding up to you, you’d better be a quicker shot or have a trusted friend covering your back. You could never take any chances because there were all kinds of hoodlums out there, alone or in gangs, that were trying to separate you from your property. And if you had established your homestead (website, email address), you’d have even more to worry about because they would always know where to find you.

On the Internet, the cowboys are the scammers and your trusted friend is your firewall, Spam filter and malware protection software to name a few. But even with these helpers covering your back, you could fall prey to a malicious attack. So you have to have a backup plan to protect all your critical data.

On the Internet, anyone can pretend to be anyone. Determining someone’s authenticity is just not that easy. In the Wild, Wild West anyone could steal the sheriff’s badge and the judge’s credentials. Unless you had another way to identify them, you could be fooled. This happens several times a second on the Internet. A scam artist masquerading as a someone authentic gets you to download malware, adware, ransomware, gives you a virus, steals your identity, gets you to buy something or send money to claim your million dollar inheritance. Many of these scams are so obvious that it is hard to believe that people still fall for it, but then again it is the Wild, Wild West!

For ways to protect yourself, see our Tech Notes at http://www.lansystems.com.

OMG IONO Wa UR Saying!

Every generation has its slang and every industry its acronyms. Most of these abbreviations are just alphabet soup to outsiders. But if you are going to join an industry or snoop on your teenagers, you have to learn the lingo.

There are many abbreviations that have multiple meanings. Take GIS - I learned it as Gas Insulated Substation. The first time I heard GIS used as meaning Geographic Information System, it was in the context of "we need to update the GIS with the latest maps." It didn't make any sense at all. At the risk of embarrassing myself and sounding stupid, I asked what does GIS mean? You'd have thought I had two heads. After that I made a policy that acronyms have to be defined before they are used. I compiled a list of acronyms for our industry and put them in a manual and later and eBook. Not many people want to know what SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) means, but there are some that live for this information!

As you know, the military is great for acronyms and has some very flowery ones. Parents have to know what PAW, POS and P911 mean as well as a host of others that describe what your children are doing. Scan through the list and I think you will be surprised at the number of text message abbreviations dedicated to specific actions and emotions.

Will this generation destroy the world with text messaging? I don't think so. Every generation was going to destroy the world because of their reckless abandon and callous disregard for the way society works. Look rock-n-roll music, mini-shirts, MTV, the Internet and text messaging - each a danger in itself, but here we are. The analog generation figured it out and I think this millennium generation will too.
BTW, text abbreviations work for casual communications, but don't use in business correspondence or resumes. If you are not hip with the current lingo, look it up before retweeting or repeating. There are several sites that have deciphered lists. NetLingo has a good list with tips.

OMG IONO Wa UR Saying! means Oh my gosh, I don't know what your are saying!

Girl Scout Engineers!

LAN Systems helped sponsor a Girl Scout event yesterday at Southern Polytechnic State University introducing the girls to engineering as a career. Although the number of women in engineering is growing, the growth has been modest compared to other careers. That’s because even though girls have the smarts, if they don’t take the required math and science in high school, engineering school is a far reach. As a group, girls get less math and science training. That’s where we help.

Through programs like Girl Scout Engineers, women engineers show girls that math and science is fun and challenging. The girls always amaze us with their brilliance and their technical ability. Studies tell us that unless we reach girls by the 5th or 6th grade, they probably won’t get the courses needed in high school. That’s why the Girl Scout program is so important.

The activities included building a circuit, puff vehicle, ship-a-chip packaging and designing simple machines. The girls enjoyed making a circuit to illuminate a light bulb and were excited when they were able to “blow-up” the filament. In ship-a-chip, the girls designed packaging for a potato chip and then we dropped an atlas on it to see the survival rate. We engineers of both genders like controlled destruction!

Several teams designed and built vehicles that made it from start to finish in a single puff. The vehicles were made of paper, straws and LifeSavers. All the girls knew about simple machines because they had been studying them in their science classes. Kudos to the 5th grade science teachers.

Engineers make this world a better and safer place. Often women choose engineering because they love technology and want to help people. To see that excitement in the next generation of female engineers is rewarding beyond compare.

So encourage your daughters and sisters to explore math, science and technology. And I’ll guarantee there will be a female scientist or engineer to provide the inspiration!

Pictures at LAN Systems Facebook page.

Wait! Before you send that email ....

... go visit your customer or pick up the phone or look over the cubicle to see if anyone's home.

 

In this fast-paced, digital, virtual world, we often opt for the electronic message and the virtual experience. There are many amusing stories like the students that text message as they walk past each other at school; parents that are amazed their offspring will answer a text message, but not a phone call; and musing over the abundance of tweets about the cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

 

At the risk of seeming to be “way back in the 90’s,” opt for the personal interaction and show someone that you really care. There is nothing like a happy voice or a smiling face to make us feel human.

 

Time for full disclosure, I read and send many emails – too many emails. I text a little and tweet, but I do enjoy talking on the phone and face-to-face conversations. Most people do. Being old fashioned, I still send handwritten thank you notes that are often hand addressed. The other day someone told me how much they appreciated my thoughtfulness. Wow! It made the writer’s cramp worth it.

Electronic messages are important for getting out information, quick updates and retaining a copy of correspondence. Unless you are sending to someone you know very well, don’t try to be funny through sarcasm. Many an email war has erupted because humor or sarcasm came across as insulting.

 

So before you send that email, consider these -

• Don’t copy the world on your emails. You know what happens to emails when you are one of many in the distribution list. 
• Don’t forward chain emails or hoaxes. They just clog up the internet and irritate the recipient. 
• If you want something done, don’t send to more than one person. If you do, they will all ignore you. 
• Whenever you can, talk to your customer, coworker or employee. You’ll be surprised how good it feels.

Use email, but use it wisely.

 

Next time, text abbreviation primer for the analog generation.

 

Mary Hester joins AtlantaSmall.biz as contributor

AtlantaSmall.Biz is your source for business advice.  Contributors write on many topics that are focused on your business growth and  success.
Mary Hester's profile on AtlantaSmall.biz

April Puzzle

Parent to the college student, "If you can solve this cryptarithm, you'll get your wish!"


   SEND
+ MORE
________
  MONEY

*Hint in the parent's message.

Send your answer to puzzle@lansystems.com. All correct answers will be entered in our monthly drawing.

View last month's winner at: http://www.lansystems.com/Monthly_puzzle.html

Fighting Spam

Over 90% of email is unsolicited and unwanted. Junk emails flood the electronic delivery system with messages that we just don’t want and phishing schemes fool millions each year. These abuses waste time and resources and are one of the biggest productivity drains that businesses face.

Unfortunately, you can’t get rid of all spam but you can manage the problem and protect your business from incidental damage. Make sure you have a clear email policy and train users so they don’t fall for spam tricks.   

1. Use a Spam Filter – although spammers work on beating the filter, this is your best first defense.
2. Never reply to spam, not even to unsubscribe – often this just confirms your email is valid.
3. Disable automatic downloading of HTML pictures - spammers get confirmation that you opened the message if the graphics (pictures) are downloaded.
4. Don’t participate in chain emails – these often harvest email address and many recipients find them irritating.
5. Don’t respond to email requests that ask for personal information or money – this is the most common phishing scam.
6. Use privacy settings on your accounts – especially for social media sites, don’t publically list your email address.
7. Use care when giving your email – if you list your email on any site (or on your business card) remember it increases your chances of being spammed.
8. Don’t spam others – if you have a eNewsletter or send email information be sure you follow proper protocol and allow your recipients to easily unsubscribe.
9. Turn off read and delivery receipts and automatic response to meeting requests – these responses are used to validate your email address.
10. If you receive spam in your inbox, you can forward it with the proper header to uce@ftc.gov.

 More technical notes at www.lansystems.com/technotes.html