New Threats to Your Computer Security

I consider the following article, "A Tale of Two Passwords," by Joseph Moran, published on smallbusinesscomputing.com February 29, 2008 and linked below to be very important. It has to do with a relatively new type of hacker attack called pharming, which is similar to phishing except much more dangerous. According to reports, attempts at this new type of theft already have been detected "in the wild," that is publicly.

If you are using a broadband cable or dsl router or wireless security methods WEP or WPA, I encourage you to read it. I was amazed to find that as the article points out, I could look up the default password for my router on the Internet. Of course, when I installed the router I changed the administrative password at the time, but have you?

http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/testdrive/article.php/3731171

An Indexer's Reference Shelf

What follows is one indexer's list of most used reference books (for indexing). There may well be later editions.

Benet’s Reader’s Encyclopedia. Harper & Row, 1987.
Bernstein’s Reverse Dictionary. New York Times Book Co., 1975.
Chicago Manual of Style. 15th ed., University of Chicago Press, 2003.
Merriam Webster’s Biographical Dictionary. Merriam Webster Inc., 1995.
Mulvany, Nancy. Indexing Books. University of Chicago Press, 2005.
Stedman’s Medical Dictionary. 27th Ed. Lippincott, 1999.

Plus a few online sources:

Bartleby.com
Medical Subject Headings Browser
Library of Congress Authorities
Internet Resources

Comments and addenda are welcomed and may be added to a later list unless someone objects.

Registry Cleaners--To Use or Not to Use

Please bear in mind that I am not recommending or advising against using a Registry Cleaner on your PC.

If you are having problems with a slow-running PC, the following link in my opinion offers some good advice. The best answer according to people who read the question about whether or not to use was by jim52. Scroll down the page until you see "Previous week's Q& A" and then to "Vote for the Best Answer". (Note: If you wait too long, the previous week Q & A will have moved on.)

Here is the link from a CNET source: nl.com.com/view_online_newsletter.jsp?list_id=e497

I have used the most recommended software for this purpose, ccleaner on a Vista machine and Wincleaner on an XP PC without any problems. I do follow all recommendations about backing up the Registry before starting.

Seeing Cindex Help Files with Vista

Were you under the impression that the Help file with Cindex for Windows could not be seen under Vista? Wrong!

You just have to download and install a Windows program named winhelp32.exe. To do this, go to www.microsoft.com/downloads and enter "winhelp32.exe" in the search box to the right of See all downloads. You will be led to the typical Windows authentication screen first and then on to download an install the program. It's quite short and goes rapidly.

There are two versions, one for x86 machines and the other for 64-bit machines. You want the x86 unless you are running the bigger version of Vista.

Important Marketing Tips

27 Proven Freelance Marketing Tips, by Matthew Stibbe, posted today on the somewhat oddly named (at least to me--but I guess it makes sense) site www.badlanguage.net, makes some very helpful suggestions about marketing services online. I think quite a few of these apply to indexers.

I was particularly struck by tip #27, "Stuff that doesn't work." Stibbe feels that fancy business cards, brochures, mail shots, or random cold calling doesn't help market your services. Perhaps that resonates with me because to my knowledge, I have never gotten a job by leaving my business card somewhere, sending editors printed rollodex cards, or brochures. I get jobs primarily in three ways: past clients, word-of-mouth from one editor to another; and my website.

More Web Page Search Optimization Techniques

The following article comes from smallbusinesscomputing.com

Jill Whalen writes: "There are many misconceptions about search engine optimization (SEO) that have sprung up over the years, says Jill Whalen, CEO and founder of High Rankings, that make it difficult for those in charge of online traffic to know exactly how to optimize their Web sites correctly . . . ."


Romancing the Rankings: Five SEO Tips
By Jill Whalen

More Helpful Hints for Web Page Design

From the Pro Blog Tips website comes this advice:

The pillars behind an accessible creative business web site design

Many suggestions at this link are easy to implement, but perhaps not always obvious when first designing an indexer's page.

Back of the Book Indexing System: NEH Grant

Well, this is quite interesting!

NEH DIGITAL HUMANITIES AWARDS
By Charles Ellwood Jones(Charles Ellwood Jones), reported on the Ancient World Bloggers Group

Title: A Machine Aided Back of the Book Indexing System
Award Amount: $131,465
Institution: Duquesne University
Project Director: Patrick Juola
To Support: Development and evaluation of a prototype system for helping indexers, including authors and publishers, produce traditional back of the book indexes...

Above information is licensed under the Creative Commons.org system

Helpful Newsletters with Advice from CNET.com

If you are at all technology-minded, or even know little more than how to turn on your PC, the a subscription to one or more of the CNET newsletters can provide not only interesting reading, but real solutions to problems that occur with hardware or software. A subscription is free--and can be cancelled at any time. Click on the link above to start .

Here's an example of a recent question (signup and you can see the answer(s).

"Member Question of the Week
Hi everyone. I bought a Western Digital 200GB external hard drive 90-plus days ago, and the buttons quit. I can't back up. I sent WD several e-mails, and no response from them. If I get another external hard drive, could I open this one, and transfer data to the new external one from the old? How would I do this? Also: If this can be done, could the one I have then be reformatted, put in a new casing? Does anyone know how to repair these on/off/auto buttons? Will I lose everything I backed up to the WD external drive? Please keep the explanation simple, as I'm a 63-year-old 'Nanny', IRS Reg. Tax Preparer. Thank you!"

Index Peer Review Group

The BLT (Below Lone Tree) Peer Review Group of the Rocky Mountain ASI will hold an informal index peer review at Panera Bread, 7344 North Academy Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80920, (719-522-1100) on Thursday February 21 from 10 am until noon.

Panera Bread is bakery + coffee shop + restaurant. We will have the use of a private room in the restaurant until noon on the 21st. After the meeting we hope you can join us for a Dutch Treat lunch.

A map to this Panera Bread location can be found at: www.panerabread.com

This meeting is open to all ASI members, non-members, indexing students and those exploring the career of indexing. Since we are hosting the ASI conference in Denver this year this will also serve as our spring chapter meeting.

Please RSVP to me, Donna Drialo, at DMDrialo@aol.com by February 15th if you are planning to attend. You have the option of sending me your index for advance review distribution in RTF (Rich Text Format) or you can bring copies (at least 6) to the meeting.

We hope to see you there!

Donna
Donna Drialo
Back of the Book Indexing
www.backofthebookindexing.net