Stamp Column Archives

Glassine Surfer September 2003

Then there's the "Iceberg," a simple site of articles and links to other stamp scam reporting sites.

The Tip of the Iceberg
http://www.pcug.org.au/~sheryll/Forgeries/Forgeries_article.htm

And for the US classics major there's SCRAP, a site that shows 5600 scraps (fakes, frauds, and forgeries) as a reference. Arm thyself with knowledge noble philatelist!

The US Philatelic Classics
http://www.uspcs.org/

Part of the effort to get information out and shared is also being done by the IPDA (“Internet Philatelic Dealers Association”), a group for online stamp dealers, who swap information important to stamp dealers on the Web.

Internet Philatelic Dealers Association
http://www.ipdaonline.com

Of course, other nefarious sorts are hard at work on the 'Net pickpocketing whatever they can get their hands on, and small applets called adware is their weapon of choice. Adware can give them access to certain operational areas of your browser, from which they can harvest information or perhaps alter what you see on the Web for their benefit,

Adware, scumware, or stealthware sometimes replaces the banner ads on a site you visit with one from the scumware's company, or starts loading popup windows when you search on certain keywords because the intent of is to quietly, perhaps secretly, manipulate you.

These applets usually come bundled with free software, or can be secretly loaded to your browser when you visit offending Websites. You can stop these driveby downloads if you change your IE settings. Click on Select Tools - Internet Options - Security (tab) - Custom Level. Then select “prompt” for both “download signed ActiveX controls” and “download unsigned ActiveX controls.”

Scumware.com
http://www.scumware.com/

Lavasoft
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

But as long as your aware of the trouble and take precautions, surfing the Web should be as safe as a walk in the park. Just avoid the parks in certain parts of town.

One great little neighborhood on the Web are the directories, such as "The Electric Eclectic." The best way to find things on the Web is to ask someone who has already found what you want, and this site is a compilation of those uncovered resources that really matter.

EE is a homemade link directory with hundreds of links to sites chosen on the basis of their content. You won't find 50 links on a subject just a handful of the best, which should answer your question.

The Electric Eclectic
http://bloxword.ca/jimsbmks.htm

And though by now, you've probably settled in to a online news reading routine with your favorite portal and news source, check out MyWay, a very flexible site without banners or pop-ups. MyWay offers the usual free portal fare and users can create customized info pages quickly.

The big portals keep adding more and more complexity to mine their advertisers, making MyWay a refreshing switch. Dare I say it's the Un-Portal.

MyWay.com
http://www.myway.com

Tools

Our last set of sites are tools for the Web and PC, and curiously there aren't as many this year as in days gone by. Few voids have been left unfulfilled, though some things will always need to be tweaked.

"POP Peeper" is a handy gadget that lets you check your webmail accounts automatically from one little window, letting you see message headers first and then clicking for the full text rendering.

POP Peeper
http://www.poppeeper.com/

They're everywhere and universally condemned. They may die out, but not soon enough for most of us. So, what PC would be complete without a pop-up stopper.

Panicware offers a freeware version of "Pop Up Stopper" that's simple and effective for most common annoyances. When active, it sits in the system tray killing off pop ups. Run it and surf for a few days, and a non-intrusive sound will indicate when a pop up has been stopped before it spawned.

Pop Up Stopper
http://www.panicware.com/popupstopper.html

Be aware that the second version of the Google IE Toolbar will have a pop-up stopper integrated within it, so check for it.

And if you haven't heard, there's a rumor around that when Microsoft's new operating system comes out, the browser will be integrated into the OS and the then-old IE's will be put out to pasture, i.e. no upgrades, security patches, etc.

At the same time Netscape's owner, AOL, is having Microsoft engineer their new interface, which will put an end to Netscape's crippled browser, leaving the rebels on the Web without a browser. Not to worry, Luke Skywalker has been seen in Norway where Opera is headquartered.

Opera is a fast, alternative Web browser with a lot of bells and whistles that lets users customize it to fit his or her way of surfing. Opera runs a banner ad in the corner, but registered versions remove the ad, similar to the system Eudora uses. The browser has looks, personality, and brains, and promises to get better and better. Besides which, I like being able to choose.

Opera
http://www.opera.com

Lastly, we come to "Rough Draft" for the recency effect. This is a nice word processor designed for writers, or anyone who has to write. It's very easy to use and very useful, and the integrated clipboard comes in very handy.

Sometimes, being last doesn't mean having the least to offer.

Rough Draft
http://www.rsalsbury.co.uk/rd.htm

Glassine Surfer

The Glassine Surfer archive is online along with other stories, help, and links to stamp collecting sites. When e-mailing me, slip "GS" into the subject line along with your topic. I filter my mail for spam and don't want to mistakenly delete your message.

The Glassine Surfer
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