Weekly Chat, Sunday September 13, 2009

wow, you are up early Annette. Get back to sleep or you will need a nap this afternoon LOL

Very funny about the cat. Our barn cat is getting more blind and deaf by the day, I need to almost clap a foor away from him if he hasn't seen me

I am involved with Neighbourhood Watch in Surrey. Last night I sent out a warning about a phone scam, involving a demand for money, which if not paid would mean that one's phone would be cut off, immediately. It is not this specific scam that concerns me, because I am not sure if the warning is genuine. My question is "does anyone have experience  of email warnings sent to friends and acquaintances, that contain the message be sure to pass this on to your friends and neighbours, a bit like a chain letter?" Have you subsequently found out that they were in fact genuine, or false? Web links would be helpful. Thanks.

jsb:  I do get warning chain letters which are almost invariably false (urban legends). They always seem to have lots of exclamation marks.   However I always check  with www.snopes.com first.  They have a search facility which makes it easy to check out.  

FlyingC: Many thanks, I looked at snopes and it comments on this precise case. However I am still not sure whether we are talking here about a genuine scam warning or a hoax. Would the police say "pass this on by word of mouth" and the article talks about "lack of detail" in the report of the scam. Our communications are either by a Surrey Police press release, or the 'Ringmaster' system by phone recorded message, or by email. One wishes to get residents involved, but, avoid sending out misleading warnings.

However, as I say thanks for the link to snopes and I shall try out some warnings that know to be genuine, to see, if their site would have convinced me, had I not known. I have to go out now, but shall continue later.

Diane, hi - just looking in, taking a break from my computer troubles which are looking less likely to be solved. I really enjoy your avatar - Great Horned Owl I take it ? He's just ACE.

Lovely to read everyone's comments. Enjoyed yours Margobird

Annette, just saying 'hi.'

 I can at least check up on Rothes and Mallachie now. I really hope  Mallachie is doing SOME successful fishing. What d'you think fans?

I walked into a computer shop yesterday and asked about my PC 'problems'  only to be told 'Oh, don't know anything about Windows Server 2003 , We just deal with XP and Vista'.  Yrch ! So, I may need to just accept I'm not going to be able to Hibernate my system any more and will have to make do with my scrolling looking like waves and not look at it too much so I don't get sick. (amongst other thing). The moral being: DON'T get a Worm on your system. I have a much better Firewall now I'm happy to say but to find software like a Firewall that will actually install on a server is like finding emeralds without occlutions. You'd think, being a server, special software would be available like water. But then, maybe it is you want to pay. (1000s - I kid you not)

OK , I'm now going to try and find something that will give me a spell checker in Word. Later   . ....

jsb: We get those here too. Typically I ignore them unless I've heard about them from another source. Also, the target company (phone service in your case?) might have an "abuse" address so you can forward things to them or info on their website about scams. I get phishing e-mails, allegedly from my bank, saying they need to confirm info and please follow this link.....and I always forward those to the real abuse e-mail address at the bank.  On another note, I've just located a former Chief Inspector from the CID who I knew when we were both teenagers back in Watford and he does the newsletter for the local Neighborhood Watch. I'll ask him what he tells his readers about scam stuff next time I e-mail him. 

Cirrus: Are you at the point where you might just wait and upgrade to Windows 7 when it comes out - and even splurge on a new computer?

I'm either late for this chat or early for the next one. Wanted to say hello, I'm new to the group and happy to be aboard.

Best,

Caerann

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

P.S.

I'm so excited to share, if he/she doesn't fly off now that is, there is a beautiful Peregrine perched on the nestbox at Lincoln Nebraska at 11:43 a.m. local time. You can view, with hopefully the bird still there at:

http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/wildlife/webcam/peregrine/peregrinecam.asp

Best,

Caerann

Chicago, Cook County, Illlinois

Thanks, Caerann, & welcome!

NEW BLOG FROM ALICE,  everyone. (all is well.........)