It’s time to march into spring and this March issue gives you plenty of ideas to explore as you move through the month. Since we don’t want scammers to take you on a detour, we include a warning about tax-related scams and share valuable tips to help keep your identity safe. You’ll also find helpful tips about the “404 Page Not Found” message and how to
save on your printing costs.

Just for fun, check out the Pinterest pins, videos, and websites we’ve selected for you. They feature lots of fresh ideas for your spring activities, whether it’s cooking something new, sprucing up your home, or planning your vegetable garden.

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 March 2014 Newsletter:

SCAM ALERT – WATCH FOR IRS TAX-RELATED SCAMS

NEWS FROM THE SHOP

THIS MONTH’S FAQ – WHAT DOES “404 PAGE NOT FOUND” MEAN?

SITES OF THE MONTH – GREAT SITES TO CHECK OUT IN MARCH

TWO TO VIEW – A COUPLE OF AMAZING VIDEOS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS

SHORT TUTORIAL – HOW TO PRINT ONLY A SECTION OF A WEBPAGE

The Gulfcoast Networking Team

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SCAM ALERT – WATCH FOR IRS TAX-RELATED SCAMS

It’s not only tax season at the IRS; it’s also tax season for scammers.  Since tax-related scams are becoming increasingly common and more sophisticated, the IRS has issued these tips to help you spot potential fraud and reduce your exposure to identity theft:

1. Be wary of any unexpected communications claiming to be from the IRS.  If you receive any tax notices, take them to the person who prepared your income tax return to determine their validity and to create a necessary course of action if the notice is legitimate.

2. Don’t talk to anyone claiming to be from the IRS on the phone. The agency will not call you on the phone.

3. The IRS will never send emails to taxpayers. If you receive an email supposedly from the IRS, forward it to phishing@irs.gov and do not open any attachments.

4. The IRS will never ask you for your bank account PIN number, passwords, or other similar confidential information such as mother’s maiden name for bank accounts or credit card accounts.

5. Don’t carry your Social Security card or any documents that include your Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. Keep them stored in a safe place away from the eyes of others.

6. Don’t give a business your Social Security number or ITIN just because they ask. Give it only when required. If you are self-employed providing services to other businesses, you may be required to provide this information on IRS Form W9 for 1099 purposes. For this reason, it may be prudent to apply for a Federal ID number to further ensure the security
of your Social Security number.

7. Secure personal information in your home in a safe place.

8. Check your credit report every 12 months to make sure there’s no unusual activity or illegitimate credit lines.

9. Protect your personal computers by using firewalls and anti-spam/virus software, updating security patches, and changing passwords for Internet accounts.

10. Don’t give personal information over the phone, through the mail, or on the Internet unless you have initiated the contact and are sure of the recipient.

11. Be careful when you choose a tax preparer. Most preparers provide excellent service but there are a few who are unscrupulous.

For more on this topic, see the special identity theft section on IRS.gov.

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NEWS FROM THE SHOP

As I write this, there are just five weeks before Windows XP sunsets.  We STRONGLY encourage anyone with a Windows XP box to contact us ASAP to see what options are available.  We are building some great Windows 7 systems with our 3 year warranty.  We also have access to a number of name brand systems with Windows 7 installed.

 

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Try Yummy Tomato
Butternut Squash Soup
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/291537775850347718/

Sliding Barn Door Adds
Cool Country Touch
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/291537775850074822/

This Baby Giraffe Is Too Cute For Words
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/291537775850347890/

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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THIS MONTH’S FAQ – WHAT DOES “404 PAGE NOT FOUND” MEAN?

Question: Sometimes when I try to visit a website, I get a message that says something like, “404 Page Not Found.” What does this mean and what should I do next?

Answer: This error message means the page corresponding to the URL you entered cannot be found on the site’s server. It’s possible the page no longer exists or that there is an error in the URL you entered. To rule out the second possibility, check the URL carefully to ensure you didn’t mistype. If it seems accurate, try these steps:

1. Click the reload button in your browser.

2. Try removing one level of the URL at a time. For example, if you typed in “http://www.abc.com/x/y/z,” remove “/z.” If you still see nothing, or an error message, remove “/y,” and so on. If you finally get to the home page (e.g. “http://www.abc.com”), try browsing or doing a search for the information you’re looking for.

3. Test the URL at the site http://downforeveryoneorjustme.com. This site will tell you if just you are unable to access the page or if it’s a problem with the site itself.

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SITES OF THE MONTH – GREAT SITES TO CHECK OUT IN MARCH

Chasco Fiesta
http://www.chascofiesta.com
The 2014 edition of the Chasco Fiesta will be here before you know it.  The fiesta runs from March 21st through March 29th in downtown New Port Richey.  Highlights include the street parade on March 22nd and the boat parade on March 29th.  There will be music every night, different styles for different tastes, so check out the Chasco calendar of events and plan your visits to Sims Park Accordingly.  The Chasco Fiesta gives area non-profits an opportunity to raise money to fund their operations and the Fiesta has become the largest special event in Pasco.  Gulfcoast Networking is very pleased to be donating the web hosting for this event.

Rob Marlowe for Mayor
http://www.robmarlowe2014.com
Just in case you hadn’t heard, I’m running for mayor of New Port Richey this year.  The election is April 8th and I encourage you to check out my website for details on what I see as the issues facing our city.  (Political advertisement paid for and approved by Robert C Marlowe, non-partisan, for Mayor of New Port Richey)

Antiques Roadshow Sweepstakes
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow
If you’re a fan of Antiques Roadshow, enter the “Golden Ticket” Sweepstakes now for a chance to win a 3-day, 2-night trip for two to Chicago and experience an exclusive VIP day during Roadshow’s 2014 Tour.  This site also offers resources to value your treasures.

Score Big With Party Recipes
http://allrecipes.com/recipes/holidays-and-events/events-and-gatherings/march-madness
You’ll find “slam dunk” party food here to keep the gang happy while watching the games. Big winners include Boilermaker Tailgate Chili, Annie’s Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips, Grilled Bacon and Jalapeno Wraps, and Antipasto Squares.

Green Means Go … Enjoy Ireland!
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/ireland-photos
Given St. Patrick’s Day, March is the month when many people’s thoughts turn to Ireland. Leave it to National Geographic to capture this country’s most beautiful scenery. If you can’t get there in person, this site’s stunning photos are the next best thing.

Get Tips For Spring Planting
http://www.garden.org/foodguide/browse
It’s the time of year to start planning your garden and this site has plenty of resources to help you successfully grow vegetables, fruits, and herbs. You’ll be able to harvest plenty of expert advice from the Plant Finder, How-To Videos, Food Garden Guide, and much more.

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TWO TO VIEW – A COUPLE OF AMAZING VIDEOS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS

http://www.eNewsletterHome.com/_eNewsletter/2014/1403_VIDEO_A.htm

Coca-Cola Happiness Machine
Watch the fun reactions on the faces of people when they’re surprised by a special Coke machine at a bus stop in Sweden. The machine displayed large images of summer scenes during the dead of winter.

http://www.eNewsletterHome.com/_eNewsletter/2014/1403_VIDEO_B.htm
Tips For Growing Giant Tomatoes
The Three-Minute Gardener, Marvin Meisner, shares his tips for how to grow giant tomatoes. He takes you through the steps of choosing the right tomato variety, preparing the soil, watering, pruning, and plant support.

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SHORT TUTORIAL – HOW TO PRINT ONLY A SECTION OF A WEBPAGE

To save on paper and ink, you may sometimes want to print just a portion of a webpage rather than the whole thing including the ads, comments, etc. After all, what’s the point of printing extra pages that just end up in the trash?

Here’s how to print only a portion of a webpage:

1. Highlight the portion that you want to print by left-clicking at the beginning of the text and dragging your mouse until the end of the text.

2. Once this is highlighted, click your cursor arrow on “File” from the menu bar.

3. Click on “Print” from the resulting drop-down menu.

Many webpages feature icons with options such as Print, Email, and Share.  If this is the case, click on their Print icon and an advertisement-free version of the article will appear, ready to print.

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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.

Happy New Year! Once the confetti is cleaned up and the noisemakers put away, it’s time to tackle new challenges and enjoy new experiences. This January issue has plenty of new ideas to help you in the year ahead.

First you’ll learn about the increased use of social media spam and its related phishing attacks. Be sure to review the precautions you can take to avoid becoming a victim. Also in the learning category, this issue explains the end of support for Windows XP and shares tips on how to search for people to follow on Twitter. To start 2014 with plenty of fresh ideas, check out the cool Pinterest pins, incredible videos, and resource-rich websites.

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 January 2014 Newsletter:

SOCIAL MEDIA ALERT – WATCH OUT FOR SOCIAL MEDIA SPAM (AND SCAMS)

NEWS FROM THE SHOP

GO PINTEREST-ING! COOL STUFF TO PIN ON YOUR PINTEREST BOARDS

THIS MONTH’S FAQ – DO I HAVE TO STOP USING MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP AFTER ITS SUPPORT ENDS?

SITES OF THE MONTH – GREAT SITES TO CHECK OUT IN JANUARY

TWO TO VIEW – A COUPLE OF AMAZING VIDEOS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS

SHORT TUTORIAL – HOW TO FIND PEOPLE TO FOLLOW ON TWITTER

The Gulfcoast Networking Team

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SOCIAL MEDIA ALERT – WATCH OUT FOR SOCIAL MEDIA SPAM (AND SCAMS)

In the first half of 2013, spam — the scourge of the Internet since 1993 — grew by 355 percent across the Internet’s most popular social networks. This is according to data from Nexgate’s State of Social Media Spam Report. It shows that about 1 in 200 social messages contain spam. Facebook and YouTube were the most infected, containing more spam than other social networks by a ratio of 100 to 1. Facebook also has the largest number of phishing attacks — schemes in which a victim’s password or credit card information is hacked.

Social media spam is growing at high rates due to spammers moving away from email. Why? It’s harder to detect spam on social media sites and spammers can potentially reach millions of people with a single ad or post. Spammers have also developed a variety of ways to trick users with appealing visuals beyond the typical spam email.

What should you do? The Better Business Bureau recommends the following:

~ Never reveal overly personal or financial information on a social media site.

~ Avoid following unfamiliar or unknown links or pop-up ads.

~ Make sure to keep up with the latest operating systems, software, web browsers, antivirus protection and apps for the best defense against viruses, malware, and other online threats.

~ Report any possible spam to the appropriate people within the organization, including network administrators. They can be alert for any suspicious or unusual activity.

~ If you believe your financial accounts may be compromised, contact your financial institution immediately and close the account(s). Monitor all accounts for suspicious activity.

In addition, when browsing users’ profiles or pages, remember that not everything on these pages may be safe. Despite the circle of trust that social media sites create, cybercriminals are constantly lurking behind virtual corners, just waiting for opportunities to strike.

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NEWS FROM THE SHOP

2013 was an exciting year at Gulfcoast Networking.   In addition to some of the obvious things you probably noticed, like our website revamp, a number of other behind the scenes changes have begun to have a positive impact on our day to day operations.  As we told you this time last year, our primary focus for 2013 was on enhancing our corporate services and this has been a resounding success:   Our corporate customers now enjoy better reporting, better trouble ticketing, a better emergency contact system, and extended support hours.

Some things haven’t changed:  We have received the  “Super Service Award” by Angies List for the second year running.  We continue to offer some of the best custom built PCs that money can buy and we can still get you a Windows 7 system, so you don’t have to learn Windows 8.  We also continue to offer consumers the personal attention and service that they have come to expect from us, including the exceptional values of our Safe Computing Packages.

2014 promises to be exciting year as well.  We have absolutely no intention of standing still:

We’ve got some seriously cool new systems available, including systems featuring the latest fourth gen Intel i-series processors.    These should be of interest to both our consumer and corporate clients.

Corporate clients will continue to see ongoing enhancements to our suite of managed services.   We have several new features and enhanced services in testing and expect to roll them out in early 2014.

If you have someone in your family or circle of friends who is not computer savvy and needs someone they can call, please suggest that they talk to us.  With our Safe Computing Packages, they can feel free to pick up the phone and call for assistance without worrying about the clock ticking.  If they like, we can even set their computer up so that we can jump right onto their computer to assist them without them having to go through the remote support setup process at the start of each call.

Thank you to each and every one of our clients.  We couldn’t have done any of this without you.

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GO PINTEREST-ING! COOL STUFF TO PIN ON YOUR PINTEREST BOARDS

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/291537775849826251/
Light Up Where You Dine With Wine

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/291537775849623886/
A Dreamy Photo Of A Beach Paradise

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/291537775849826204/
A Little Bit of London For Afternoon Tea

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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THIS MONTH’S FAQ – DO I HAVE TO STOP USING MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP AFTER ITS SUPPORT ENDS?

Question: I’m still using Microsoft Windows XP as my operating system. Can I keep using it after Microsoft ends its support in April 2014?

Answer: Support for Windows XP (and Office 2003) will end on April 8, 2014. After that date, Microsoft will no longer provide new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options, or online technical content updates.

You can continue to use Windows XP, but it’s not recommended since your computer might become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses.  Microsoft strongly recommends you get current with Windows and Office.

Gulfcoast Networking goes a step further and strongly recommends that you retire any XP systems as soon as possible and replace them with Windows 7 systems so you can avoid the learning curve associated with Windows 8.

Microsoft is ALSO dropping Microsoft Security Essentials.  We don’t view this as a loss.  We STRONGLY recommend that our clients using MSE uninstall it and replace it with a quality anti-malware product, like the F-Secure products we sell.

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SITES OF THE MONTH – GREAT SITES TO CHECK OUT IN JANUARY

West Pasco Chamber of Commerce – Business Development Week
http://www.westpasco.com/bdw.php
We’ve been on the BDW committee for years and we strongly encourage you to take advantage of some great programs the last week of January.

Go For The Gold!
http://www.teamusa.org/Road-to-Sochi-2014
Join Team USA on the Road to the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games. Get to know the athletes by reading their bios, watching video interviews, and checking out their blogs. You can also browse around the Team USA Shop to pick up clothing to show your support for the team.

Recipes For A Healthier 2014
http://www.eatingwell.com
If you’re making a New Year’s resolution to eat better in 2014, this site can make it easier for you to be successful. You’ll find all kinds of recipes that are healthy and delicious including Breakfasts to Grab & Go, Quick 5-Ingredient Dinners, and 26 Soups to Help You Lose Weight.

It Pays To Be Smart About Money
http://www.smartaboutmoney.org
Smart About Money (SAM) is a program of the National Endowment for Financial Education — an independent, nonprofit foundation. This site’s many tools and resources include calculators to help with budgeting and debt management, a LifeValues quiz, worksheets, and more.

Take a Free Personality Test
http://www.learnmyself.com
What’s more fascinating than learning about yourself? This site offers a free personality test that shows the five main aspects of your personality as well as a breakdown of 30 traits like kindness, anger, imagination, and intellect. One user described it as eerily accurate!  Nine other free tests are also available.

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TWO TO VIEW – A COUPLE OF AMAZING VIDEOS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS

http://www.eNewsletterHome.com/_eNewsletter/2014/1401_VIDEO_A.htm

Killer Trees on Whistler Mountain
This video lets you go along for the adventure of snowboarding over buried stumps and deep powder in a tree-filled run on Whistler Mountain.  It’s a fast-paced adrenalin rush that includes some close calls!

http://www.eNewsletterHome.com/_eNewsletter/2014/1401_VIDEO_B.htm
1964 Predictions About 2014
In 1964, science fiction writer Isaac Asimov made predictions about 2014.  Many of them came true, such as: “Communications will become sight-sound and you will see as well as hear the person you telephone.”

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SHORT TUTORIAL – HOW TO FIND PEOPLE TO FOLLOW ON TWITTER

If you’re fairly new to Twitter, or are simply looking for new people to follow, check out the Twitter search tips below:

How to find people by name:

~Type the person’s name into the search box at the top of your Twitter homepage.

~Results for your search will show up under the People tab on the search results page.

~You can also search by typing the person’s name into the search box on the Connect page.

How to browse accounts by interest:

~From the Discover page, click https://twitter.com/who_to_follow/interests Browse categories.

~Click on any interesting category. You’ll be shown a list of accounts you may want to follow.

~You can also browse by interest using the search box at the top of the Browse categories page. Type in a topic (like “news” or “basketball”) or a descriptive phrase (such as “ballet dancer” or “actor”) and you’ll see a list of account results for that search term.

How to browse Twitter’s suggestions:

~On the Discover page, click on
https://twitter.com/who_to_follow/suggestions Who to follow.

~Browse suggestions Twitter has generated for you based on who Twitter thinks you might find interesting.

~Click Follow to follow any user, or click their username to learn more about them.

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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
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.