Simon Dvorak.com

Seems Gmail is going full force. I’ve recieved another 6 invites in my account. The faster I give them away, the faster they refill!

So far, I’ve been really impressed with the Gmail service. It is very stable and contains some great email features. The one I like the best is the conversations feature. This groups emails together that are replies. So if you want to go back to a previous email it is right above the current one as a click open tab. Very convenient!

Since the invites seem to be never ending, if anyone wants one, just let me know!

I was lucky enough to recieve three extra Gmail invites the other day…then I got 6 more! I’m not sure how I was so lucky, but in total I have been blessed by Google with 12 Gmail invitations since my first invitation was posted in my Blogger account.

I have been over at Gmailswap.com trading them for neat tidbits. So far, I have recieved…

• My name written in chinese caligraphy
• Financial advice from a finance officer
• A postcard from Reykjavik, Iceland
• A postcard from Hershey Park, PA
• A postcard from Niagara Falls
• An Orkut invitation
• A hand-knit ski cap

Pretty cool I must say!

Well, another weekend come and gone. It’s been a busy one! Between going to a friends wedding (the picture above was taken near the weding site) and working on the intranet, it has really zoomed by. I’ve just finished up some of the last bits for section of the Village RV intranet I have been working on for quite some time…Customer Satisfaction Index. Sounds fun, huh?

Off to bed now…

Allison and I signed the counter offer yesterday on this house in Davis! There are still some inspections to complete, but were on our way. Ahh….home!

This morning on the news a news anchor who refers to himself as the “Car Czar” (aka Doug Brauner) did a segment on tips to keep spyware from hijacking your computer. This got me thinking about my own list of tips to help out the self proclaimed “Computer Illiterate” from these pesky problems that seem to be increasing in prevalence

Without further ado…

1. Install Linux

   I’m not a Linux evangelist. I happen to use Microsoft products and actually don’t find them to be a deep source of discomfort.(UPDATE: scratch that…I have experienced extreme discomfort lately due to IE6 and its flashing neon welcome sign for spyware/malware/adware) However, it is widely accepted that Linux has much better security features and less hacking zealots doing all they can to tear apart and expose it’s flaws. Besides, with all the time you’ll be spending just getting the OS to recognize your printer or install your network card, you won’t have to worry about getting on the internet at all. Which brings me to my next tip…

2. your network cable or telephone line
   Any connection to the internet, be it a DSL, Cable or dialup account, is like a giant open door through which any variety of nasty bits of code can come hopping through. Even spyware tools by trusted names such as Yahoo can’t protect you from their nefarious payloads. Best to unplug and be safe!
3. Uninstall Your Operating System
   I know in the first tip I suggested switching to the Linux OS. Scratch that. Don’t use any OS, they’re much to dangerous.