Internet scams and frauds are perpetrated worldwide. With the widespread use of the Internet, these criminals have easier access to their unsuspecting victims. The most important thing to do is to be vigilant and careful so as to avoid falling into their traps.

Incidents of scams and frauds are increasing every year. Many people fall victims to these crimes and lose thousands, and some even millions of bucks. Today, as scores of people are using the Internet, criminals are taking advantage of this, and many of them are using this technology as a means to promote their illegal activities.

The FBI received numerous complaints of online frauds and scams. Based on the report of Gartner, a research firm, there are about 10 million Americans who have been victimized by these criminals.

Phishing is the latest form of scam on the Internet. Scammers use e-mails to send information of what seems to be a legitimate website and eventually, if not dismissed by the victim, ask for his or her personal information. Unknowingly, he or she is being lured to a fake website and the personal information thus obtained is misused. Right from there, stealing from bank accounts and credit cards can begin.

Search engines have been around for almost as long as computers have been able to store large amounts of data. From their first days when they were sifting through large local archives, to their current ability to sift through the entire internet in seconds, search engines have shaped our computer using habits. Search engines and their popularity have many different implications for both the home user and for internet commerce in general. Here, I will discuss the search engine’s effect on both of these areas.

For the average person, the most noticeable change from search engines has been on regular browsing habits. If you began using the internet after the modern conveniences were invented, then it may be hard for you to imagine what it was like before search engines abounded. If you wanted to find a site, you had to know the exact address, and punch it in correctly. If you want to do research on trees, the internet might not be the best place to go unless you know of any good tree sites. But now, that has all changed. To do research on trees, you can jump on your favorite search engine and immediately get hundreds of thousands of results. Where the internet used to be a tangled web, it is now sorted and organized to achieve the best results for the user. Read the rest of this entry »

Littering is literally of epidemic proportions in our country. It seems that our enigmatic routines get clear in the way of making any sense of our behavioral patters - particularly when it comes to our driving habits, or, more accurately, to practices we have when we’re driving. One of them is particularly bothersome to yours truly, if you don’t mind. It relates fundamentally to our notion of patriotism and respect - if those are qualities we profess to hold dear to our hearts.

One of the most beautiful sounding words to me in our vernacular is kalikasan. It almost sounds like a canny combination between kalayaan (freedom) and kinabukasan (tomorrow). So, c’mon, all you experts in our national language, what does kalikasan mean? Stumped? Ok, it means: environment! And what do too many of us do when we’re driving? We throw directly at its deterioration and eventual destruction: by littering. Read the rest of this entry »