November is the month when temperatures cool down and holiday preparations heat up. We’ve gathered seasonal content here to help you enjoy what makes November special (as well as avoid one of the month’s potential threats). We start with a warning about the fake charity scams that turn up every fall, and we offer tips on how to avoid them.
Need recipe ideas for entertaining family and friends? Check out the hot cider and pumpkin doughnut recipes in the Pinterest section. Want to better understand your furry companions? Head for the fascinating dog site in Sites of the Month. Need inspiration for a building project? Watch a barn go up in minutes in Two to View.
This November issue also includes advice on how to pick a good security question as well as how to save interesting items on Facebook for reading later.
We think you’ll find the information contained in this newsletter to be a valuable tool for enhancing your Internet experience.
Here’s what’s inside our November 2014 Newsletter:
GO PINTEREST-ING! COOL STUFF TO PIN ON YOUR PINTEREST BOARDS
SITES OF THE MONTH – GREAT SITES TO CHECK OUT IN NOVEMBER
SCAM ALERT – WATCH OUT FOR FAKE CHARITIES DURING HOLIDAY SEASON
THIS MONTH’S FAQ – WHICH SECURITY QUESTION SHOULD I PICK FOR A “FORGOT PASSWORD” FEATURE?
TWO TO VIEW – A COUPLE OF AMAZING VIDEOS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS
SHORT TUTORIAL – HOW TO SAVE INTERESTING ITEMS ON FACEBOOK
The Gulfcoast Networking Team
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NEWS FROM THE SHOP
It is hard to believe that it is November already. As you get ready to do your Christmas shopping, please keep Gulfcoast Networking in mind. We stock a wide variety of products and we have easy access to thousands of additional products…pretty much anything you might want to give someone for Christmas.
We are planning to be open on Saturday, November 29th, for Small Business Saturday. There will be lots of other things going on downtown that weekend as well. We’ll shoot details out to our mailing list as we get more information. (There is a link to signup for our email list in the upper right corner of this page if you aren’t already a subscriber.)
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GO PINTEREST-ING! COOL STUFF TO PIN ON YOUR PINTEREST BOARDS
Spice Up Fall With This Apple Cider Recipe
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/291537775852563350/
Pumpkin Doughnuts Round Out Breakfast
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/291537775849430518/
A Baby Donkey That’s All Ears And All Too Cute
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/291537775852563416/
You haven’t started pinning on Pinterest yet and you want to get started?
To sign up, go here https://pinterest.com/join/signup/
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SITES OF THE MONTH – GREAT SITES TO CHECK OUT IN NOVEMBER
Try New Side Dishes For Thanksgiving
http://www.southernliving.com/food/holidays-occasions/thanksgiving-dinner-side-dishes
The main dish of turkey may be non-negotiable, but we bet there’s room on your Thanksgiving table for a new side dish or two. Check out this mouthwatering collection of recipes from Southern Living including Bacon & Brown Sugar Brussels Sprouts and Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Cumin.
See The World Through Your Dog’s Eyes
http://www.dognition.com
This fascinating site helps you learn how your dog’s mind works. The Dognition Assessment uses science-based games to look at empathy, communication, cunning, memory, and reasoning. The results will give you a richer understanding of your dog’s behavior.
Make The Most Of Your Money
http://www.clarkhoward.com
Clark Howard is a nationally syndicated consumer expert who shares ways for people to “save more, spend less, and avoid getting ripped off.” You can watch recent video tips, listen to his radio show, and browse through information on everything from buying a car to negotiating a raise.
What’s Trending In Holiday Decorating?
http://www.christmas.com/blog/christmas-style-holiday-decorating-trends-2014
Using the same holiday decorations year after year can get boring. So before you deck the halls, pick up fresh ideas such as re-purposing vintage items and adding texture through burlap. You can also create a family page to share holiday photos, save recipes, and more.
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SCAM ALERT – WATCH OUT FOR FAKE CHARITIES DURING HOLIDAY SEASON
People tend to feel especially kindhearted and generous during the holiday season, which is why scammers take full advantage of this time of year. In order to not fall victim to a fake charity email or website, take these precautions:
~ Stay suspicious. Look for telltale signs that an email or website may not be legitimate, such as low-resolution images, misspellings, poor grammar, or odd links. Also be aware that some fake charities may look real at first glance, taking on a name similar to a legitimate charity.
~ Think before you click. Don’t click on any links in emails or text messages from people you don’t know, and if you come across a shortened URL, use a URL expander, such as LongURL.org, to see where the link is directed to before you click.
~ Do a background check on charities. Before donating, research a charity thoroughly. You can enter the name of the charity at www.give.org to get information from the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance.
~ Beware of charity requests by email. Most legitimate charities don’t use email for their solicitations so there’s a higher likelihood that an emailed request for donations is a scam. (Some legitimate charities, however, will email people who have donated to their organization before.)
~ Take control of your giving. The best way to avoid charity scams is to decide in advance of the holiday season which charities you’ll support and contact them yourself.
Visit this link for additional tips…
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/feature-0011-charity-scams
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THIS MONTH’S FAQ – WHICH SECURITY QUESTION SHOULD I PICK FOR A “FORGOT PASSWORD” FEATURE?
Question: Sometimes a website will ask me to choose a security question from a list or write my own. What makes a good security question for a “Forgot Password” feature?
Answer: The security question (and answer) that’s associated with an online account enables you to be sent your password in case you forget it. In order to prevent someone not authorized to access your account from getting your password, it’s important to use a security question with an answer that has these characteristics:
~It should be difficult to discover through research. The answer to your security question should not be something that could be easily looked up online, such as, “What is my high school’s mascot?”
~It should be hard to guess. This means any question with a limited list of answers is not a secure one. For example, don’t use any security question where the answer is a month, a color, or a day of the week. An intruder could probably guess with just a few tries the answer to a bad question such as “What color is my bedroom?”
~It shouldn’t change over time. The problem with a question such as, “What is your favorite book?” is that the answer may not be the same five years from now.
It’s well worth your time to make sure your security questions and answers (along with your passwords) create a strong defense against hackers.
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TWO TO VIEW – A COUPLE OF AMAZING VIDEOS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS
http://www.eNewsletterHome.com/_eNewsletter/2014/1411_VIDEO_A.htm
See Why Not To Text And Drive
This video catches moviegoers off guard as it dramatically shows what can happen when you quit watching the road to reach for your phone.
http://www.eNewsletterHome.com/_eNewsletter/2014/1411_VIDEO_B.htm
Amazing Amish Barn Raising
See more than 10 hours of barn building in just 3 minutes and 30 seconds. Clearly, many hands do make light work!
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SHORT TUTORIAL – HOW TO SAVE INTERESTING ITEMS ON FACEBOOK
Tired of scrolling through a friend’s Facebook news feed to find the link to that cool story you didn’t have time to read when it was originally posted? Thanks to a new feature in Facebook, you can save interesting items to check out later.
To save something you see on Facebook:
~From your News Feed: Click the down arrow icon and then select Save
~From a Page: Click the three dots icon and then select Save
~From an event: Click the bookmark icon Save
Note: You can’t save photos or posts without links.
When you save things on Facebook, they’ll appear in your Saved Items that only you can see.
To view the things you’ve saved:
1. Go to http://Facebook.com/saved or click Saved in the left column of your homepage after you’ve saved something.
2. Click a saved category at the top or click a saved item to view it.
For more details, http://facebook.com/help/1471345899777163 visit this link.
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We hope you found this newsletter to be informative. It’s our way of keeping you posted on the happenings at our shop.
Thanks for your business!
Best regards,
Rob Marlowe, Senior Geek
Gulfcoast Networking, Inc
6335 Grand Blvd
New Port Richey, FL 34652
727-847-2424
(We have used our best efforts in collecting and preparing the information published herein. However, we do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any and all liability for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions resulted from negligence, accident, or other causes.)
©2014 Gulfcoast Networking, Inc.
Portions ©2014 Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc., used with permission