Spammers and Scammers

Isn’t it bad enough that spammers feel the need to overwhelm our email inbox with offer after offer for everything from financial services to other “services.”  Now they have decided to target blogs as well.  I am probably pretty fortunate that I only have to clear out a half dozen comment spam items each day.  Comment spam is where spammers automatically post a comment that is nothing but a series of links to their sites.  Argh!  Give me a break.  Luckily, the WordPress blogging tool is pretty good at weeding them out.  I simply have to delete them – but what a hassle.

Scammers are even worse.  Several times during the last year, my office has received a solicitation in the mail from someplace called Listingcorp.com.  Listingcorp purports to be a service that enhances your search engine ranking – something I have long considered a scam, as true search engine optimization comes from good website coding not some magical listing service.  The scammers at Listingcorp put them all to shame.  Not only is their line of business a scam – their “solicitation” looks a lot like a bill for $65.00.  So much so that it was passed on to my bookkeeper who entered it as a bill to be paid.  Others have reported the same thing and many have paid the fake bill.  Fortunately, I discovered it before it was paid.

Vista, Longhorn Server, and Microsoft Software Protection Platform

Microsoft recently announced that Vista, its new desktop operating system, and Longhorn, its new server platform, will both include a new anti-piracy technology called Microsoft Software Protection Platform. The Business Software Alliance’s most recent report estimates that 35% of software installed around the world is pirated.

The new platform will require users to register their copy of Vista or Longhorn or face limited functionality. This is nothing new. Microsoft has attempted to place similar limits since the release of XP. The new platform might more aptly be described as an “expanded” limitation. Among the features likely to be disabled are Aero, the new graphics capability in Vista. More persistent “You are using an unlicensed copy of Windows” messages are also likely.

Microsoft will apparently continue to allow unlicensed users to receive security updates. Pirated or legal, compromised copies of Windows put everyone at risk and create bad press for Microsoft.

For more information, please see Microsoft White Paper on Software Protection Platform.