Selecting a Domain Name

July 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Website

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A domain name is the name portion of a web address, which allows users to visit the site. Websites in the United States are typically registered under .com, .net, or .org, although there are several others that aren’t as widely used. Websites built in other countries may end with the abbreviation of the country, such as .uk. A website must have a domain name in order to be registered online and useable by anyone with an internet connection.

There are copyright and privacy laws in place that help protect web developers and others who create websites, so that multiple people cannot register the same domain name. Once it has been taken, it is no longer available unless the site is shut down. It is smart for web designers to select a domain name that is easy to remember, so that customers and other visitors to the site will have no trouble typing it into the address bar.

Some sites can be easily confused with others, so before selecting a domain name, performing a web search for similar names might be smart. Businesses might not want their sites confused with websites geared toward adult entertainment or similar content, as this could deter potential clients who have stumbled on the wrong site by accident.

Once the domain name has been chosen, it can be registered through several different hosting websites. This will often come at a fee, and the price will depend on the popularity of the name. Thousands of potential customers spend hours every day online, so a quality website is a must.

Filed Under: Copyrighting, Creative Commons Tagged With: , ,

Protecting Identity while Using the Internet

July 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment
NEW YORK - MAY 20: In this photo illustration...

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Many people are concerned about the safety of their personal information while shopping online or using other websites that require certain information. With the risk of systems being hacked and private details being sold or made public, there is a much higher risk of identity theft online.

There are ways to protect one’s identity when using technology. If a website requires sign-up, put in as little information as is required. Don’t fill in any portions that are optional, as these can be a security risk. When using a credit card or putting in very private information, such as a social security number, users should verify a picture of a lock near the domain name on the browser.

Many hackers are now using email to gain access to personal financial information. Unsuspecting victims receive emails from what they believe to be their bank or credit card company, with a link to click and verify bank account information. This link will then lead directly to the hacker’s site, designed to look like the bank’s site, and privacy is lost. If such an email or message is received, go directly to the secure website of the bank instead of clicking a link. There should be additional information listed there, if the threat is real. If not, share the email with the bank.

When using the Internet, it’s smart to follow any instincts. If a person feels that an offer or gimmick is too good to be true, it probably is. Protecting one’s identity is crucial, as the theft of this can leave a person feeling betrayed, and could lead to the loss of money and other assets.

Filed Under: Copyrighting, Creative Commons Tagged With: , ,

Avoiding Copyright Infringement Online

July 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment
© is the copyright symbol in a copyright notice

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With billions of web pages available on the Internet, it may be difficult to know for sure when a copyright violation is taking place. Some photos or text may be published on websites that seem to be public domain and available for anyone. However, this is not true. It is important to take caution when using anything found on another person’s website, as it could constitute copyright infringement.

There are laws in place to protect copyrighted items from being stolen. Music, photos, videos, and just about any form of media falls under the spectrum of these laws, and anyone who even possesses stolen items could be punished. Even websites that do not explicitly state that the items are copyrighted, or items that are not registered, can still be protected under the restrictions. Subjects, characters, and storylines in books and online stories are often copyrighted and cannot be used without the express consent of the original author.

Students who are performing research online must be cautious when using information found within an assignment. Even if only using the ideas presented in an article or on a personal blog, the student must always cite a source that offered any insight into the subject matter. If quoting directly, quotation marks must be used. Many colleges and universities are using online databases to check for plagiarism, and violating this can sometimes be grounds for expulsion from the school.

Stealing from another is wrong, and items posted on websites are no exception. Users must be careful not to accidentally infringe any laws in order to protect the ideas and artistic expressions of others.

Filed Under: Copyrighting, Creative Commons Tagged With: , ,

Creating Ways to Announce a Pregnancy

June 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The most exciting part about being pregnant is how expecting parents announce their news to family, friends and co-workers. Many people love getting creative when they announce to the world that they’re going to be parents.
Whether you’re first time parents or not, once you find out your due date, making that big announcement is an exciting time. Thanks to social media and the Internet, there are so many creative ways you can share the news with your family and friends… once you’ve told your husband, of course! Here are a few popular ways to announce a pregnancy.
Sharing your News on the Internet
Sharing your important news with social media is an amazing thing. Millions of people log onto social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook each day. In just a matter of a couple of minutes, you can make an announcement, and people all over the world will know what’s going on.
Twitter is an outlet where celebrities reach out to their fans. Actress Tori Spelling announced her pregnancy via her Twitter account. While most people won’t announce a pregnancy on Twitter, they will make a post about it on their Facebook page that they use to stay in touch with family and friends who don’t necessarily live nearby.
Some women will post a photo of them holding their pregnancy test or will wait until they’re showing to post a photo of their beautiful growing belly. Pregnancy is an amazing and beautiful thing, and expecting mothers want to share it with the world. The most popular photo to post on Facebook, however, is a picture of the ultrasound.
Some stores have parking spots for women who are pregnant. Some women park in the spot and use that as a way to announce they’re pregnant. You can get a little more creative by taking a photo of your car parked in the spot and uploading it to Twitter & Facebook. That will definitely get people talking and guessing.
 
Using Items to Announce your Pregnancy
A popular item kids like to buy for their parents are mugs that say “I heart Mom” or “World’s Greatest Dad”. Sneak off to the store to purchase one of those mugs and give it to him in the morning with his coffee in it.
Putting the pregnancy test in a gift box is a great way of announcing a pregnancy. Instead of using the actual test, purchase another one from the dollar store and draw in the lines announcing you’re pregnant. This might be a better option over using the real one that still has urine on it.
Writing letters and making phone calls are out, and social media is in. With social media, there are so many fun and creative ways you can announce to people that you’re expecting. This is a huge moment in your life that you want to share with others… so think of fun, new ways to announce your amazing news.
Filed Under: Creative Commons

Domain Name Disputes

June 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Plaque on the ICANN (Internet Corporation for ... 

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Before the huge explosion of the Internet, obtaining a domain name used to be simple. However, several issues have developed concerning these names. Prior to the Internet gaining popularity, there was an activity that was being performed by “squatters” wherein a huge list of domain names were registered which may be similar to major companies and/or products. As these companies started to develop their websites, there were oftentimes required to go to these squatters to purchase the rights to use their own company’s name.

In 1999, ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) implemented regulations for domain name registrations, as well as putting into place a dispute process for trademark and name infringement.

Presently, people wishing to register domain names must give accurate and proper information. In addition, a domain name that may infringe on another parties rights cannot be registered. A registrant who does register a name that infringes on another’s trademark or copyright, may be open for formal complaints and proceedings.

Purchasing domain names that may match a trademark and then attempting to sell that name to the trademark holder for profit may be considered “bad faith.” Bad faith is also represented by registrants who show squatting patterns by registering numerous domain names in order to resell or keep them from the actual copyright holders.

If a domain name holder receives a complaint, he or she must prove that there is a true and verifiable commercial use of that name. It must also be proved that the name was not acquired to be resold.

Filed Under: Tips Tagged With: , ,

Filing Online Privacy Complaints

June 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Protecting your online privacy is of the utmost importance. In today’s connected world, it is far too easy to lose your privacy to the hands of many unscrupulous individuals. What can you do if you have discovered that your privacy has been violated?

Your privacy rights are addressed with two acts: the 1974 Privacy Act and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1984. There are also many agencies that handle the enforcement of Internet privacy laws, including the FTC (Federal Trade Commission).

Protect yourself from privacy violations by thoroughly reading any and all privacy policies for any website entities you want to do business with. Do not, in any case provide private information, if you think that website may use your information fraudulently. Make sure you feel secure prior to any financial transactions.

If you feel your rights have been infringed, first research which agency will be appropriate for your particular situation. A simple internet search will identify the proper agency.

You have 180 days to report these violations under a general statute of limitations. Your individual state may also have other rules and regulations for reporting these violations .

Use the FTC’s online form to file a complaint. You can report cases of unwanted spyware installations, online shopping fraud and internet auction complaints using this process.

You can try to contact the disputed company directly to try resolving the issue prior to filing a formal complaint. If this fails, file the FTC report and be sure to attach any and all documentation, including prior attempts at resolution.

Filed Under: Laws Tagged With: , ,

Finding Public Domain Music and Compositions

June 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment
© is the copyright symbol in a copyright notice 

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You may be looking for some music to accompany an online project or video that you want to disseminate publicly. You may be wanting to sell or distribute this project for profit; however, you are working on a budget. You are faced with finding just the right music to make your video project shine, but you don’t have the funds to purchase the right to many commercial songs.

However, there is an option. Whether you need some obscure, out there Delta blues song or an early Baroque piece it may be found in the public domain. You can also find out if a particular tune you want to record for profit is part of the public domain. With only a few exceptions, music is no longer has copyright protection 70 years after the death of the original composer. This mean after the copyright has expired, any one can profit from the piece.

It’s easy to find music and composition in the public domain.

Visit the Pubic Domain Information Project (pdinfo.com) or archive.org. Both of these sites have links to music and compositions that are in the public domain.

Determine the original publication date of composition you want to use. Certain arrangements of that particular song may still be copyright protected. Be certain that the arrangement you want to use is not protected.

Other public domain search options include the Library of Congress. In addition, you can submit a formal copyright search at www.copyright.gov.

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Protecting your privacy online

May 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 

 

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There are millions of people around the globe who regularly use the internet to look up information, conduct researches, read the news, listen to music, play online games, communicate with friends and family and much more. This increasing incident of internet usage means that people are willing to share certain personal details over the net in order to get particular services. This is especially true in the case of social networking sites such as Facebook, Orkut and Twitter.

 

While sharing information online can seem safe enough, it might easily make you the victim of cyber crime. Cyber criminals devise all kinds of ways to get private details that can result in illegal usage of your bank account, identity theft as well as infecting your computer with viruses. This is why you need to be cautious when sharing information online. Here are some tips:

 

  1. Before you sign up for a site that requires you to give out personal details like your email ID, date of birth or gender, make it a point to go through its privacy policy. This may take some time but will let you know if the site intends to share your information with ‘partners’ who may not be trustworthy!
  2. Try not to check your mail or bank account from a shared computer. Computers at schools, libraries or internet cafes often don’t have safe connections and your activity may be tracked.
  3. Never give out confidential information such as your social security number, passwords or account PIN numbers online, even when requested by a site. Companies don’t need these details for ANY online transaction, unless it’s a secured online payment.
Filed Under: Dos & Donts Tagged With: , ,

Online Privacy Tips

May 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 

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Cyber crime has become one of the hottest topics being talked about around technological circles. No matter how many anti-virus, anti-spam and other such technologies are developed, the rate of cyber crime just keeps on growing. Most experts emphasize that a major part of online crimes such as identity theft, spamming, phishing and hacking are possible when cyber criminals have access to a person’s personal data.

 

In order to combat cyber crime effectively, it is you, the consumer that needs to be vigilant. Here are a few tips on how you can protect your privacy online:

 

  1. Never give out confidential data such as your social security number, bank details or passwords over chat or in forums. Giving such details out to strangers is an absolute no-no but even when sharing it with family and friends, these details can be stolen by hackers. In fact, you shouldn’t disclose confidential information even if sites require them until and unless you are making payments through a secured gateway like Verified by Visa.
  2. Install good anti-virus software on your computer that has features like protection against spam and phishing. Most modern anti-virus software com with these features built in and are effective in protecting your computer against virus attacks as well as hackers.
  3. If you absolutely must share confidential information through email, make sure you encrypt it. Saving information as a document and then send it as a .zip file is also safer than sending it out as regular email.
  4. There are paid services like Anonimizer that allow you to connect directly to your proxy server enabling you to use the internet anonymously.

 

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The importance of online privacy

May 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Instances of identity theft, virus attacks and online frauds and scams have been making the news for years now. IT giants struggle to churn out updated anti-virus software that can battle the growing onslaught of virtual threats. Yet, the tide of cyber crime doesn’t seem to be abating. Despite increasing awareness about online scams, people still fall victims to cyber criminals. Online privacy protection experts have kept saying that, at a base level, the safety of surfing the internet lies with the consumer.

 

In other words, if you want to protect yourself from cyber crime, then the first steps towards safety have to be taken by you! You may be wondering what you can possibly do to protect yourself from cyber criminals. Here are some handy tips!

 

  1. Whenever registering at a site you will most likely be asked to fill out a registration form that has several information fields. Provide only that information that is marked as mandatory and leave the rest blank.
  2. Even when providing mandatory data, make sure the site isn’t asking for details that may be misused. Such information would include your bank account details, social security number, passwords or Personal Identification Numbers and other such confidential information.
  3. If you are making online purchases that require you to give your credit or debit card details, make sure it is using a secure payment gateway like Verified by Visa.
  4. To know what information about you is available on the internet, try searching your own name through a search engine like Google. If you see anything you don’t want to share, go to site and have the data removed.

 

Filed Under: Dos & Donts Tagged With: , ,
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