BBC News Styleguide
Avoid clichés and improve your journalism with this PDF version of the BBC News Styleguide. The Guide gives practical suggestions on many aspects of journalism style, including abbreviations, clichés, reported speech - and how to avoid irritating your editor.

Who it's for:
This guide was written for BBC journalists but is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to write well.

Outline:
Every time anyone writes a script for BBC News they are potentially touching the lives of millions of people – through radio, tv and the internet. That is the privilege of working for one of the biggest news organisations in the world. It brings with it responsibilities. BBC News is expected to set the highest standards in accuracy, fairness, impartiality – and in the use of language. Clear story-telling and language is at the heart of good journalism. This PDF styleguide will help you to strengthen your journalism and connect with your audiences.

http://www.bbctraining.co.uk/onlineCourse.asp?tID=5487&cat=3

Sobig.f prevention and cure
Yet another member of the Sobig virus family is loose. Sobig.f (w32.sobig.f@mm) spreads via e-mail and shared network files and could slow e-mail servers with excessive traffic, so it rates a 7 on the ZDNet Virus Meter. This worm affects only Windows computers, not Mac, Linux, or Unix systems. Like its siblings, Sobig.f has a built-in termination date, September 10, 2003, and can attempt to retrieve, download, and finally execute a Trojan to steal credit card numbers and other personal account information. But Sobig.f differs in that it appends garbage characters to the end of the infected file, making it harder for antivirus products to recognize Sobig.f.

How it works
Sobig.f arrives as an e-mail with the following characteristics:

The From and To addresses are collected from infected PCs, from files ending with the extensions .dbx, .eml, .htm, .html, .txt, and .wab.

The Sobig.f subject line reads:


Re: Details
Re: Approved
Re: Re: My details
Re: Thank you!
Re: That movie
Re: Wicked screensaver
Re: Your application
Thank you!
Your details

Its body text reads:

See the attached file for details
Please see the attached file for details.…

Removal
Most antivirus-software companies have updated their signature files to include this worm. The updates will stop the infection upon contact and, in some cases, will remove an active infection from your system.…
http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/4520-6600_16-5065487.html

Google Labs
http://labs.google.com/
This Web site is the testing ground for new concepts unearthed by the creative minds that developed the Google Web search engine. "Google staffers with wild and crazy ideas post their prototypes on Google Labs and solicit feedback on how the technology could be used or improved." One of the current projects listed on the site is a distributed computing effort that allows users to contribute their computer's idle time to help solve a scientific research problem. Others add to the Web searching experience by providing a unique display of the results or enabling keyboard shortcuts. People who have experimented with the prototypes are encouraged to email their comments and suggestions to help with the development effort. Some of the prototypes require users to download and install software. [CL]

From The NSDL Scout Report for Math, Engineering, & Technology, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2003. http://www.scout.wisc.edu/


http://labs.google.com/

How to Stop Sobig.F
Tips and links to help you stop the Sobig variant from infecting your PC.
The Sobig.F worm is a variant of June's Sobig.A worm. The worm is also known as I-Worm.Sobig.f, W32/Sobig.F-mm, W32/Sobig.f@MM, and WORM_SOBIG.F.

Sobig.F only affects Windows systems, and it has been spreading rapidly since earlier this week. Machines running Windows 2000, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, and Windows XP are all susceptible to the worm.

On an infected system, the worm scans various documents for email addresses. The worm then distributes itself to other inboxes using a built-in SMTP engine. When it distributes itself, it "spoofs" in the "From:" field an email address it finds on the infected machine instead of using the infected user's address. Because the address doesn't match that of the infected machine, it's difficult to trace the string of infected computers.

The worm also has a built-in shutoff date. It'll stop working on September 10, 2003.

http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/howto/story/0,24330,3505076,00.html

Broadband Networking How-to Articles
This collection of articles will help you with the common procedures and tasks you might need to perform on your network. To learn more about a specific procedure, choose from one of the categories below.

Using your base station
Using your network

http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/broadbandnetworking/howto.aspx

Broadband Networking How-to Articles
This collection of articles will help you with the common procedures and tasks you might need to perform on your network. To learn more about a specific procedure, choose from one of the categories below.

Using your base station
Using your network

http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/broadbandnetworking/howto.aspx

Microsoft Virtual PC
Microsoft Virtual PC is a powerful software virtualization solution that allows you to run multiple PC-based operating systems simultaneously on one workstation, providing a safety net to maintain compatibility with legacy applications while you migrate to a new operating system. It also saves reconfiguration time, so your support, development, and training staff can work more efficiently.

Microsoft will release Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 late in calendar year 2003. In the meantime, a 45-day free trial of the Connectix Virtual PC for Windows version 5, now from Microsoft, can be downloaded for evaluation purposes.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/virtualpc/downloads/trial.asp

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/virtualpc/

Verifying Blaster E-mail Communications from Microsoft
http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=221444
The above link resolves to https://register.microsoft.com/security/incident/verify.asp

If you applied security patch MS03-026 prior to the discovery of the Blaster worm, your system is secure from the vulnerability that W32.Blaster is using. For the most current information on determining if your systems are infected and how to recover from the infection, please go to the following web site and perform the prescribed steps: http://www.microsoft.com/security/incident/blast.asp. This site will be updated as more information regarding the W32.blaster worm becomes available.

In order to help protect your computing environment from security vulnerabilities, use the Windows Update service by going to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com and also subscribe to Microsoft's security notification service at http://register.microsoft.com/subscription/subscribeme.asp?ID=135. By using these two services you will automatically receive information on the latest software updates and the latest security notifications, thereby improving the likelihood that your computing environment will be safe from the worms and viruses that occur.

https://register.microsoft.com/security/incident/verify.asp

How To Avoid Blaster Infection
What's more important than figuring out how to get uninfected? Avoiding infection in the first place. Here are some simple steps you can take to safeguard your systems.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1220051,00.asp

typoGRAPHIC
typoGRAPHIC, an interactive experience informed by type and typography. It aims to illustrate the depth and import of type, and to raise relevant questions about how typography is treated in the digital media, specifically online.

http://www.rsub.com/typographic/

Actions for the Blaster Worm
For Windows XP
1. If your computer reboots repeatedly, please unplug your network cable from
the wall.

2. First, enable Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) in Windows XP:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=283673
--In Control Panel, double-click "Networking and Internet Connections", and
then click "Network Connections".
--Right-click the connection on which you would like to enable ICF, and then
click "Properties".
--On the Advanced tab, click the box to select the option to "Protect my
computer or network".

3. Plug the network cable back into the wall to reconnect your computer to the
Internet

4. Download the MS03-026 security patch from Microsoft and install it on your
computer:

5.Install or update your antivirus signature software and scan your computer

6.Download and run the worm removal tool from your antivirus vendor.

Windows XP (32 bit)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=2354406c-c5b6-44ac-9532-3de40f69c074&displaylang=en

Related Knowledge Base Articles:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=826955

Related Microsoft Security Bulletins:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-026.asp

http://www.microsoft.com/security/incident/blast.asp

Free Software servers breached
A key server housing software used in Linux and other projects was open to an attacker for four months, creating fears that source code was compromised

The GNU Project, which develops many of the components in the Linux operating system, said this week that the system housing its primary download servers has been compromised by an attacker. The project urged those who have downloaded software from the server since March to check that the source code has not been tampered with.

Linux, an open-source operating system that dominates the Web server market, uses the compiler, libraries and other software that was originally developed by the GNU project. The project warned that the attacker may have inserted malicious code into its software, although it said all the code checked so far appeared to be intact.

In an alert issued on Wednesday, computer security response organisation CERT warned that the breach could prove to be a serious problem. "Because this system serves as a centralised archive of popular software, the insertion of malicious code into the distributed software is a serious threat," the warning stated.…

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020330,39115701,00.htm

Worm a Sign of Horrors to Come?
The attack forced Maryland's motor vehicle agency to close for the day and kicked Swedish Internet users offline as it spread.

Security experts said the world was lucky this time because LovSan is comparatively mild and doesn't destroy files. They worry that a subsequent attack exploiting the same flaw -- one of the most severe to afflict Windows -- could be much more damaging.

"We think we're going to be dealing with it for quite some time," said Dan Ingevaldson, engineering manager at Internet Security Systems in Atlanta.

Although LovSan does not appear to do any permanent damage, Ingevaldson said instructions to do that could easily be written into a worm that propagates in the same way.

Microsoft itself still faces the wrath of the worm's coder.…

The attack was preventable for many machines running Windows. On July 16, Microsoft posted on its website a free patch that prevents LovSan and similar infections. The patch fixes an underlying flaw that affects nearly all versions of the software giant's flagship Windows operating system.

Notwithstanding high-profile alerts issued by Microsoft and the Department of Homeland Security, many businesses did not install the patches and scrambled Tuesday to shore up their computers.

Security experts say patches often stay on "to do" lists until outbreaks occur.

"You're looking at 70 new vulnerabilities every week," said Sharon Ruckman, senior director at the research lab for antivirus vendor Symantec. "It's more than a full-time job trying to make sure you are up-to-date."

Microsoft spokesman Sean Sundwall acknowledged that the blame does not really lie with customers.

"Ultimately, it's a flaw in our software," he said.

Non-Microsoft systems were not vulnerable, though some may have had trouble connecting with websites, e-mail and other servers that run on Windows.

Symantec's probes detected more than 125,000 infected computers worldwide.

The worm exploits a flaw in a Windows feature for sharing data files across computer networks. It was reported Monday in the United States first and spread across the globe as businesses opened Tuesday and workers logged on.

Additional U.S. computers were hit Tuesday, and Maryland's Motor Vehicle Administration shut all its offices at noon.

"There's no telephone service right now. There's no online service right now. There's no kiosk or express office service," spokeswoman Cheron Wicker said. "We are currently working on a fix and expect to be operational again in the morning."

In Sweden, Internet provider TeliaSonera said about 20,000 of its customers were affected after the infection clogged 40 servers that handle Internet traffic.

Among companies affected in Germany was automaker BMW, said spokesman Eckhard Vannieck. He said the problems did not affect production.

The worm also affected networks in China, but the damage apparently was not serious.…

http://www.wired.com/news/infostructure/0,1377,59994,00.html
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,60019,00.html

Breadcrumb Navigation: Further Investigation of Usage
The term “breadcrumb” derives its name from the Grimm’s fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel. Hansel left a trail of breadcrumbs through the woods as a strategy to find his way back home. Since today’s internet user often has a need to navigate back through a website path, the cyber-version “breadcrumb trail” was named1.

There are three different types of breadcrumbs represented in websites – path, attribute, and location…

In general, the breadcrumb trail serves two purposes: 1) it provides information to users as to where they are located within the site, and 2) it offers shortcut links for users to “jump” to previously viewed pages without using the Back button, other navigation bars, or typing in a keyword search. Breadcrumb trails give location information and links in a backward linear manner; whereas, navigation methods, such as search fields or horizontal/vertical navigation bars, serve to retrieve information for the user in a forward-seeking approach. As suggested by Marchionini (1995), systems that support navigation by both browsing and analytical strategies are most beneficial to users since tactics associated with both types of strategies are normally used. According to Steven Krug (2000), breadcrumb trails are most valuable as an accessory to a site’s navigational scheme and are optimally located at the top of a web page in a smaller font.

There has been speculation that a breadcrumb trail also aids the user’s “mental model” of the site’s layout to reduce disorientation within the site (Bernard, 2003); however, we have not found research to validate this assumption. It would seem logical, however, that a constant visualization of the path to the user’s current location would increase their awareness and knowledge of the site structure. Toms (2000) suggests that users need both a stable orienting device, such as a menu, to facilitate pathways through the site, as well as a system that supports scanning to smooth the progress of the search. Research has reported that breadcrumb navigation improves measures of site efficiency (Maldonado & Resnick, 2002; Bowler, Ng & Schwartz, 2001). Our earlier study, however, found limited use of breadcrumb trails as a navigational tool and no differences in site efficiency for two online sites, OfficeMax and Google Directory (Lida, et al. 2003).…

http://psychology.wichita.edu/surl/usabilitynews/52/breadcrumb.htm