Spam in French
Over the last couple of days, I’ve started to receive the usual search engine optimisation spam in French. It’s funny but it seemed to start after France’s real troubles started in the World Cup. I wonder why?
Windows Keyboard Shortcuts
I have found a full list here on Microsoft’s web site.
But I reaaly need some way of turning them off, or at least restricting them to the ones I want, to solve my keyboard problems.
One that seems to have caught me out is using the Windows key with L. This locks the computer.
Stroke-Friendly Keyboard
I know it will get better with practice, but my typing annoys me!
I usually hit the right key, or one that a spell-checker will correct, but it is the caps lock, shift and control keys that are the problem. For example :-
- I sometimes hit the caps lock instead of shift and get everything in caps. That is very rude in an e-mail and one has to have standards doesn’t one!
- I do a lot of shift characters by using two fingers of the right hand, rather than shift with the left hand and and the character with the right. But thinking back, I’ve always done this to a certain extent, but really I shouldn’t as it’s ignoring getting the left hand back in good form.
- I sometimes, hold the shift down with my left hand and not release it for the next characters. So I end up having to retype a whole phrase or sentence.
- But the major problem is that as the control and shift are so close together, I sometimes use control instead of shift. As control with a character has a meaning in most programs like Word or Internet Explorer,I tend to get in a mess, with all sorts of unwanted actions being carried out.
These problems are caused because the keys are so close together on my laptop, but even on a 2005-vintage Dell keyboard, I get the same problems.
I thought about disabling the control stroke, but that would mean I couldn’t use control-C and control-V for cut and paste. Old habits die hard.
How about the shift, control and old keys being something like piano keys on the edge of the keyboard.
Has anybody got a better solution?
Royal Dutch Shell – Service to Humanity
Have nothing to do with this? – I’ve just had four – One to each of the e-mail addreses that used to be on my web site – So someone has bought a mailing list from a scammer. They all came from an e-mail address at ahs.state.vt.us. Sounds like something to do with Vermont! It is this web site that looks totally kosher to me.
Royal Dutch Shell Plc. Service to Humanity
Your email has won you the amount of 500,000GBP HLP/200-26937
Contact Processing Agency: spdcgrants@discuz.orgDantino Gary
Shell Co-ordinator
Could It Be The Recession?
So England have underperformed, but so have virtually all the fancied European teams. Only the Dutch have done reasonably well!
But it’s not just the footballers, as lately the tennis and rugby players have been abysmal too! Only the golfers and cricketers have exceeded expectations.
I just wionder if it is the effect of the recession. Everyone knows people who have been hit hard and sportsmen are probably no exception. So how many have said things to their old school mates, like I’ll get everybody cheered up by bringing the World Cup. And these promises are making them all nervous. I suspect now with all the social networking and web sites, that some may have gone a bit over the top! Remember that the French have been worse than us and the Germans and Spanish about the same. All live in a similar society now!
But could those promises and that pressure turn it all round? Let’s see what happens to Spain and the Germans before England play again on Wednesday! If they perform well, I think we will!
Anti-Virus Protection
For years, I’ve used McAffee, but when it came to renew this year, they wanted me to take all sorts of software that I don’t need. I very much object to the completely unnecessary SiteAdvisor. At 62, I’m perfectly capable of deciding what I want to look at.
So McAffee has had to go. Sad really, as indirectly I was an investor in the company and I made some money and they have served me well for years. But why should I buy things I don’t need.
So what have I done?
Programmers know where to get trusted software and one of those resources is SourceForge. There I have found a free anti-virus program called ClamWin.
It installed easily, although McAffee tried to stop the installation.
I’ll let you know how I get on.
I’m Cheering Microsoft On
I have received this article from an anti-spam list I subscribe to.
Microsoft has sued Connecticut resident Boris Mizhen for allegedly gaming Hotmail’s spam filters and sending unwanted emails to consumers.
Mizhen, who previously settled a separate spam lawsuit brought by Microsoft, allegedly got around the company’s anti-spam system by creating millions of new email accounts and then arranging for those accounts to classify his messages as “not spam,” according to the lawsuit.
Microsoft also named other companies as defendants, including three that Mizhen allegedly controls: Media Network, Inc., New Age Opt-In, Inc. and Permission, Inc. Microsoft alleges that those companies all present themselves as online ad companies, but are actually used by Mizhen to send spam.
“Defendants developed and executed an elaborate scheme to circumvent Microsoft’s Hotmail spam filters to disseminate a large quantity of spam email advertisements to Microsoft’s Hotmail users,” the company alleges in its complaint, filed last week in federal district court in Seattle.
Good luck to them. I also know that Hotmail uses filter information from Spamhaus, just as SpamAssassin does!
SIngle Click Unsubscribe
I get masses of junk from all over the world and as I have two main e-mail addresses, it is often difficult to unsubscribe.
The best companies have a single-click unsubscribe, which is coded with the e-mail address.
Others however ask you to type in the e-mail address. I then have to check to find out to which the errant e-mail was sent. before typing it in.
All unsubscribes should be like the first. How about a £10 fine for every e-mail sent that didn’t have a single click unsubscribe? Governments need revenue and this would raise a lot of money, cure a problem and the only payers would be unprofessional companies. They could always get their act together to avoid the fines.
Incidentally, I’ve just unsubscribed from the Sky Player. It was one click to get the unsubscribe page and then another to actually unsubscribe. That is acceptable, as I didn’t type anything.
Stoph Schmitz
This seems to be a new line in scams. Ignore it or report it to your local police. Note the +4470 number which is high cost and diverts to somewhere unsavoury. Why don’t OFCOM ban the use of these numbers except by properly checked companies and individuals?
stoph Schmitz Our company is a trading firm specializing in repairs and retail distribution of electrical products within the United Kingdom and Wales.
We want to replace one of our Directors due to a problem he currently has with the Home office to save the company an embarrasment. If we are able to reach a meaningful agreement with you on your signifying your interest, I will then explain more to you.
This is all I can say for now but it is important that I mention that the Director stands a chance of being deported back to Rwanda from England and has agreed that he is willing to work out a deal whereby he will hand over his shares in the company through a mutual agreement to you, to be redeemed at a later stage and this is a legitimate transaction.
You will be compensated with 14 percent for management fees, kindly write back and I will provide further instructions. I am available via email or telephone: +44-7024045640 and fax: +44 844 774 5598 I will write you back on reading your email or recieving your call or fax.
Finally, please note that this must be concluded in a matter of weeks.
Yours Sincerely,
Charles Munyaneza
The Anonymous Widower 