The Bench
Wednesday, January 31, 2001
Don't be fooled. Don't believe what you read until you check it out. I get too many silly alerts and chain letters. Look things up before you pass them along, so you won't embarass yourself or get ripped off. From Oprah to sponges, there's some BS circulating. Check it out first:
UrbanLegends.com
Symantec's Virus Hoax Encyclopedia
Practice safer computing.
Check the privacy news at thecodex.com
See also the List of Known Spyware Infested Software and get that stuff off your hard drive today.
And DO back up your computer and your website, then take the backups someplace else.
Give away someone else's money! Visit Peaceforall.com and click to donate sponsored funds to help refugees. This site and others like it, such as the TheHungerSite.com have created a new way to give that doesn't cost you anything. Please visit them often. There's also one that buys rainforest to save it! Make one of these your browser home page so you can remember to click once a day. Once per day per person is usually the limit, so no need to spend all day there.
Don't try this at home!
It isn't news anymore, but check out this Australian 747 and another one in Budapest.
Writers, like hackers, tend to point out security weaknesses that - if fixed - would benefit of us all, but don't expect to be thanked for it.
Painting planes can get you killed, so don't rush out there to get yours. These guys beat you to it and now it's been done.
Antigraffiti people always say: put it on canvas. But what happens when writers have a nice peaceful, civilized gallery opening? That's right, they send in the riot squad. Read about a recent event in LA.