They interviewed an exec from a popular security company who, not surprisingly, explained the need for his companies products.  The 60 Minutes crew completely fails to explain the best and cheapest way to avoid the danger: don’t use Microsoft Windows.  The media never seems to grasp there are alternatives, like Linux, that will protect you from 99% of the malware without the need for special security software.  Are these media outfits on the Microsoft and Symantec payroll or are they just not doing a thorough reporting job?  The answer is yes to both.

Media ignores Linux because Microsoft is a major advertiser and they don’t want to lose millions of dollars in ad revenue.  Another reason is most people producing these stories are ignorant of Linux and the technical issues involved.  The OS (operating system) is never even mentioned.  Wake up and smell the conspiracy, folks.  You can and should ditch Microsoft Windows and use Linux – it’s faster, more secure, and free.

Video links:
The Internet is Infected
Sabotaging the System

Related Stories:
The Conficker worm on 60 Minutes
60 Minutes Missed the Elephant in the Room

In an effort to make clear my more objective reasons, I’m putting together a chart comparing Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems.  It is a work in progress.  I will add points of comparison and update the data as necessary.  If you find any errors or have suggestions, please let me know.  Obviously, I have a bias in favor of Linux, but I want the chart to be fair and accurate.

I hope this will save me from explaining my preference repeatedly.  I also hope this will make it clear to all why Linux is a superior system, demonstrated by a simple comparison of specifications.  Of course, as always, I support your right to pay too much money for an inferior product if that makes you happy.

Today, we celebrate our hard won freedom from an oppressive, tyrannical government which held little regard for the rights of the individual. The many were heavily burdened so a privileged few could benefit. Sound familiar? We won this precious independence by taking up arms and saying, “We’re mad as hell, and we’re not going to take this anymore.”

Just remember that, if we again feel the heavy boot of such would-be kings on our necks, we must be willing to fight again. Enjoy your ball games, your BBQ, your family reunions… and exercise your right to bear arms. Come the revolution brother, you’re on one side or the other.

Change in Relationship Status

I’m becoming single again.  I know it is the right thing for both of us, but I’ve never been good at dealing with breakups.  I realize I’m hurting her more by extending a relationship that isn’t (and will never be) what she wants, than by ending it.  I hope she can see that.  I hope we can remain friends.  She is a wonderful, loving woman with a bright future and a big heart.

Change in Financial Status

My financial situation is a mess.  At my age, with by background, I have little hope of becoming employed again.  Perhaps it’s a blessing.  I have no patience left and do not suffer fools gladly, even when I’m working for them.  I will be exercising my sales muscles, despite my fear and loathing of sales.  It’s the only way I can build my online revenue into something livable.  Fortunately, it’s something I can do anywhere I have an Internet connection.  Which leads me to the scariest part.

Change of Scenery

It’s time to go.  I’ve lived in this house (in a state I detest) for five years.  That’s twice as long as anywhere else I’ve lived since I was sixteen years old.  Wanderlust?  No, believe me, I’d much rather settle in somewhere.  But where?  ”LA’s fine but it ain’t home.  New York’s home but it ain’t mine no more.”  Time has come for a road trip.  I have no money, but I can’t delay it any longer.  A quarter of a century ago, I left New Jersey with my last (damn small) paycheck in my pocket and the clothes on my back.  Put my thumb out on I-95 and I was gone.  If I have to, I’ll do the same thing now.  It will be hard, no doubt.  But staying here is killing me.

Change of Faces

Since the death of my brother in ’06, I’ve been trying to look after my mom.  She’s eighty-one now and still manages to push my buttons.  My best friend, more like a sister to me, lives here and I will miss her more than words can express.  I just can’t stay any longer.  There are people and places I want to see before I die.  That event isn’t as distant as it once seemed.  The time to act is now.  Change can be scary.  But never changing is death.

I blame much of this on the use of spell-check utilities as an alternative to proofreading.  On a domain name auction site I was viewing this morning, the word ‘capitol’ was incorrectly used in place of  ’capital’.  Clearly, spell-check is useless here, as the word is spelled correctly but it is the wrong word.  What is needed here is a context-sensitive homonym checker. In other words, a human being.  This occurred on a page trying to persuade me to list my domains with this company.  I found it less than convincing.

My previous sentence reminds me of another common mistake of this same type.  It seems many folks don’t know the difference between ‘then’ and ‘than’.  The former is used to indicate a position in time while the latter compares two items.  For example:

I read six blogs today, five of which were rife with errors, then I became ill.

I would rather be publicly flogged than write with such carelessness.

Again, spell-check will not help in this case.  Some may think I’m being too fussy or trivial.  Ask yourself two simple questions.

1. Why do I publish on the Internet? The most common reasons include sharing experiences, communicating with friends and family, and conducting business.  Much of this communication will be publicly visible for a very long time.
2. Do I want to project the image of a lazy, careless person or even an idiot? Most will answer no, I hope.  Your message is important, but clear, concise communication is the best means of conveying your message.  Can you imagine someone offering to manage your marketing or public relations campaign when they can’t manage their own?

Because of the seemingly instant and informal nature of social media communication (email, Twitter, IM, texting, blog comments, etc.), it has become common to use conversational language with less strict usage.  No one wants to labor over the best possible way to craft an instant message.  I sometimes use ‘text speak’ when it seems appropriate.  While I find “Where r u?” acceptable for a text message, it is not acceptable in a blog post (except when used as an example, as it is here).

A comment on a post in today’s reading included this gem: “There is no such thing as Failures-they are only Delays!”  This should read, “There are no such things as failures – there are only delays ” or “There is no such thing as failure – there is only delay.”

Many people on the Internet today do not speak English as a first language.  I can forgive such errors in this case, as I am monolingual and in no position to criticize.  But I have actually asked some folks for their native language (I like to use Google Translate in an effort to communicate in someone’s native tongue), only to have the offended party exclaim, “Why, English, of course!”

Proper attribution of quotations is another pet peeve of mine.  This often comes from a lack of reading of the classics.  If I use the term, ‘Know thyself”, I assume the reader knows this should be attributed to Socrates, not to me.  Although I sometimes use it in the biblical context of  ’to know’ for people of whom I’m less than fond .

I could peruse a few blogs and sites for additional examples, but I leave that to the reader.  I will close here with this request: please proofread your writing before clicking the ‘submit’ button!  And, for the love of all you hold dear, please teach your children to do the same.  Maybe even have them read books that were published years ago, before people became dependent on spell-check.  It was rare to find errors in published material when I was a child.  Now, sadly, it is the rule rather than the exception.

elope.asia
erupt.asia
flee.asia
fling.asia
fondle.asia

hijack.asia
invade.asia
perform.asia
picket.asia
provoke.asia
publicize.asia
pursue.asia
ransack.asia
reconcile.asia
salute.asia
sexguides.asia
smuggle.asia
snatch.asia
sniff.asia
spike.asia
terrorize.asia
threaten.asia
tickle.asia
travelsin.asia
undress.asia

Changing Amazon Associates email is incredibly convoluted and stupid.  At every other site, you change your  email by logging in, changing your email,  and verifying the new address (with a notice sent to the old address).

Not at Amazon!  They are very security-minded.  I had to add another user (me) to my account.  Then click the link in the email sent to the “new user” (me) and register a new account (for myself).  Next, I logged back in as “the old me” and confirmed the new user (the new me), and deleted myself (the old me).

After logging back in as “the new me”, I find “the old me” is gone and my email is changed.  Who’s programming this crap for them, Microsoft?

Another area where CompTIA has emerged strong is its vendor-neutral certification programs, that develops human resource standards for IT professionals in the IT industry. It believes that technology lasts longer than vendor products, therefore, people with accredited expertise are more valuable to sustain the industry.

CompTIA Certifications has several tests, namely:

A+ – It is considered as the most popular certification in the IT industry worldwide. I validates skills in technical support covering products from leading IT manufacturers. Predictability certification programs developed by Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Cisco, Novell and Certiport II recognizes A+. The test covers the knowledge and skills of the professionals on installation, configuration, dagnosing, preventive maintenance and basic networking.

Network+ Its area of concern is in acquiring and validating fundamental networking and administrating skills and knowledge of IT professionals. As it is also a popular certification, it is recognized by MIcrosoft, Novell, Cisco, Compaq, Lotus and 3Com as part of its certification track.

IT Project+ – IT project management as its own qualifications skills. It is the first IT project management accreditation designed by IT professionals. It is particularly putting importance on soft skills and management in the IT industry.

There are more certifications that CompTIA gives. Among these are Linux+, Security +, CDIA+ (Electronic document imaging systems), CTT+ (Certified Technical Trainer), e-Biz+ (electronic business), HTI+ (Home Technology Integrator), i-Net+ (Internet and Web protocols, management and technologies) and Server+ (Server support and proficiency)

Here are the top reasons why this certification should be the preference:

1. CompTIA A+ Certification is recognized by major IT manufacturers. By obtaining your credentials for A+ you establish yourself as having the necessary knowledge to install software and hardware, do preventive maintenance, do basic networking and have a basic understanding on computer security. It also opens doors to more advanced certifications and job opportunities.
2. Open source software popularity to save on cost – Many companies are tightening their budgets on IT resources thus prefer the open source software. A CompTIA Linux+ certificate holder can install and maintain effectively programs that support open source software.

3. CompTIA certificaitons are popular worldwide – A holder of this certification will also enjoy the prestige thus opening more doors of job opportunities. Since CompTIA have a large number of members, recognition of competence is widely established in the industry.

4. IT Security is becoming a great concern among organizations – Security+ Certification holder can find jobs on the growing number of organizations who value the protection of their data.

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SelfTestEngine is Exams Preparation Tool for Comptia exams such as BR0-003 and BR0-001 exams.

The site does a thorough job of explaining the meaning and importance of this, but I will offer a brief summary here.

Many, if not most, people use proprietary software from companies like Microsoft and Adobe to create, edit, and manage their documents. Microsoft Office applications, Adobe Photoshop, and many others, create letters, spreadsheets and photos which are saved in a secret format known only to the company that created it. That’s great for the company that wants to control your access to your own data, determine how (and if) you can share it with others, and force you to upgrade if you want to keep support for your documents. Not so great for you, the creator/owner/manager of all these documents.

Another important issue is the preservation of documents in the digital era. There are documents from millennia gone by preserved on paper, scrolls, clay pots, even stone. The earliest known cave paintings are accessible to all who can see them. Who will read your Microsoft Word ’97 novel even five years from now?

I urge you to visit http://documentfreedom.org to learn more about the importance of document liberation. Start by freeing your own documents, then shine the light of freedom to light the way for others. Namaste.