Alan asked me about RFID, which stands for Radio Frequency Identification. An RFID tag is a small object, sometimes a sticker, that is attached to a book, video, CD, or even a beer keg. Mobil SpeedPass and EZ Pass use RFID. Stores often use them for inventory control. Some libraries use them instead of barcodes because several items can be checked out simultaneously just by placing them on the RFID reader.

The ALA web site has an article describing how RFID works, as well as its advantages and disadvantages.

Joe Janes' column in American Libraries asserts that "Librarians are not Search Engines." What do you think? Post your comments by clicking on the link below.

Here's an interesting article, The Top 5 Reasons Why Search is Still Way Too Hard, on the problems with web searching. It begins, "Nowadays, when you find yourself utterly disgusted by "American Idol," or any other of the latest "reality" shows on TV, you may decide, "What the heck, time to seek a slightly less horrible form of punishment: let's get on the Web."

Trojan Horses

In Homer's "The Iliad", the city of Troy was defeated by Greeks who hid inside a large wooden horse. Today, the term Trojan horse refers to a computer program disguised as something benign, such as a game, that attacks your computer. Trojans can erase your disk, send your credit card numbers and passwords to a stranger, or let someone hijack your computer. Trojans often hide in e-mail attachments or in music and movie files. When you click the file the Trojan is unleashed. Keep your anti-virus software updated and scan attachments and files before you open them. If you get an attachment from someone you don't know, delete the message. Don't download files or click on links that you get from strangers.

Macworld is reporting a malicious Trojan that will delete the Home folder on your computer. It is disguised as a demo of Microsoft Word 2004. Microsoft says it has not released any demos like this. If you see this in an e-mail message or on a web site, do not install it. Read the full article here.

CNN is reporting a flaw in the Windows computer operating system that could allow hackers to take control of a computer by luring users to a malicious web site and coaxing them into clicking on a link. Read the entire story here.

The Ask A Librarian service received this message today. It was cc'd to Elizabeth and me. It's a scam. This person is phishing. They are hoping that we will answer back so they can confirm our e-mail address as active. Then we'll get even more messages and who knows what else.

There are several things that made me suspicious. The web site mentioned here does not exist. Also notice the odd grammar and punctuation. Would a business representative really write like this? Finally, there is no picture of an "adoption kid" on our site.

When you see a message like this, please delete it. If you're not sure, please ask me or someone in tech support. Most phishing scams try to get important personal information, such as Social Security numbers, credit card numbers or bank account numbers. For more info about phishing, see the Antiphishing site.

I've deleted the sender's e-mail address from the header.
===========
From: xxxx.com>
To:refdesk@mailbox.lpl.org
Subject: lpl.org ranked # 34 in Google for adoption kid picture

Hi! I was just doing some research online, and came across your site while searching in Google! for adoption kid picture. Your domain, lpl.org ranked 34...which got me thinking...

I publish a site about Business - Services. We've got a very strong following, primarily because we only produce informational content, since you also produce a quality site in this category, I'd like to link to you. I get a pretty good amount of visitors to my property, so if I link up to your site you should benefit from a traffic standpoint.

Please take a look at my site when you get a chance -- I think you'll find it to be knowledgeable and tasteful. If you like what you agree, please link to it -- I'll send you all of my info on your request.

I've already linked to you to get the ball rolling. I'll keep it up a few days until I hear back from you, so please respond at your earliest convenience. Thanks for your time.

There is a new kind of spam that has started appearing in the Ask A Librarian account. The message typically starts like this:

Date: 13 May 2004 11:48:11 -0000
From: MAILER-DAEMON@vm18.variomedia.de
To: refdesk@mailbox.lpl.org
Subject: failure notice

Hi. This is the qmail-send program at vm18.variomedia.de.
I'm afraid I wasn't able to deliver your message to the following addresses.
This is a permanent error; I've given up. Sorry it didn't work out.
---------------------------
This is followed by a long string of computer code, which probably contains a virus. Although our e-mail address appears in the header, this message is not in response to anything we sent out. (According to the domain, this message came from Denmark. Actually, it has probably been routed through several e-mail servers to hide the original sender.) It's just spam. Please delete the message.

If you have a comment or question about this blog, you can post it here. At the bottom the blog entry, click the link titled "comments". Next, click "post a comment". Type in the box, then click "publish your comment". I'll be e-mailed as soon as any comments are posted, and I'll try to answer your questions quickly. Your posts will be anonymous and can be viewed by anyone who visits the blog.

Stopping the Sasser Worm

A new computer worm, called Sasser, is spreading quickly on the Internet. If you are using a Windows computer, you should protect yourself. Microsoft has set up a web site where you can download and install security update 835732. The site also tells you what to do if your computer has been infected.

If you get an e-mail message claiming to offer a fix for this worm, do not open this message. It contains another worm that will infect your computer.

It's a good idea to run Windows Update regularly to check for Critical Updates. Go to the Start Menu and select Windows Update. Let Update scan your computer, then download and install all security updates.

Identity Theft E-mail Messages

Identity thieves are sending bogus e-mail messages. These messages appear to be from the IRS and say that you are being investigated. The message instructs you to log onto a Web site and provide personal information such as your Social Security number and credit card numbers. The IRS does not send e-mail messages to people about their accounts.

If you've received an e-mail message like this, call the Treasury Department toll-free at 1-800-366-4484 or the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.