Safety On Social Networks

 

I do not know Nanniexttanyspj. That username is already very odd. Who would spell their own username that way? And she only tweeted a simple shortened url? Shortened urls can hide an unsafe website address. That should send the bells ringing.. VERY LOUDLY. 

People are worried about their accounts' safety especially when you see tweets or posts that you never made being posted by your own account. Do not freak out. 

Here's a simple step by step progress that you have to do to find the problem:

1) Change your password.

If that doesn't stop it, continue to #2. If this does stop it, it means your account is vulnerable to hackers. But, do not fret. Just make sure your account password is changed often and do NOT click on other people's spam links like "Do you wanna lose weight?"

2) Revoke all of the 3rd party access apps that you do not trust. Check your Twitter or Facebook's Third Party applications under Settings. Make sure there's no naughty Third Party applications sending out tweets without you knowing.

To edit your Third Party Applications, go to: https://twitter.com/settings/applications

If that doesn't stop it, continue to #3. If this does stop it, it means that you have to be careful of third party applications you accept to tweet or post on your behalf. Keep an close eye on them.

3) If you use any third party applications that has access to Twitter and Facebook, change their passwords. For example, Hootsuite helps you sends tweets or posts to Twitter, Facebook, etc. You must change Hootsuite's password just in case.

If that doesn't stop it, continue to #4. If this does stop it, ensure all of your third party applications' passwords are changed often. Do NOT click on any strange spam links while using that application.

4) Make sure you are on a secure network if you are using WiFi.

If that doesn't stop it, continue to #5. If this does stop it, ensure that your computer is on a secure network at all times as well as your other computers in the household.

5) Make sure your computer updates has been installed. Especially the security features.

If that doesn't stop it, continue to #5. If this does stop it, make sure your computer is updated at all times, especially the critical and security features.

5) Scan your computer for malware and/or viruses.

If that doesn't stop it, continue to #6. If this does stop it, make sure your computer is often scanned for malware and/or viruses. Do not download anything strange or untrustworthy which can bring malware or viruses onto your computer. If you cannot afford an expensive virusware, go to AVGFree which won't break the bank. It's FREE! http://www.avg.com/us-en/free-antivirus-download

6) Scan your computer for malware and/or viruses.

If this doesn't stop it, you might have to consult a computer professional about this. If this does stop it, make sure your computer is often scanned for malware and/or viruses. Do not download anything strange or untrustworthy which can bring malware or viruses onto your computer.

Doing them in those steps will show you where the problem truly lies, so you are aware where you are most vulnerable. But at whatever step you are at, please make sure you're on a secure network and scan your computer for viruses and malware as well as make sure your computer is up to date.

The Safety Measures For Your Account & Computer:

-Always make sure your computer is completely updated at all times.

-Do NOT click on any links that are obviously a spam such as "Want to lose weight?", "FYI this person said rude things about you" or even ones with just a name and a link without them saying actual things. It also applies to Twitter's Direct Messages or FB emails.

-Also if you are using WiFi, please make sure it is on a SECURE network. Unsecured networks can let hackers get to your computer which is very unsafe.

-Make sure your Twitter page and Facebook Wall is clean of spam to prevent your friends from accidentally getting "infected." They might think it's real and click on them. :(

-If you are friends with the infected account, simply let them know that they have been an victim of unwanted bot spam. If you are not, simply report them for spam.

-If in doubt, simply reply and ask the person if it's a real link before clicking.

-When visiting a link, always check the website address to make sure it's safe. If you are purchasing something on a site, make sure it has a "httpS://" at the very beginning. S means Secure.  Also make sure the social networks have S in the "https://" as well. Do NOT access any social site without a S in the "https://" because that means you are going in an unsecured site which is not safe.

-Update your passwords frequently. Make sure it has numbers and that it certainly is a very hard one to crack. No birthdays or no names and try to make it one that doesn't even relate to you at all.

Here's an article about the top worst passwords of 2012. Check to make sure yours is not one of them. http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/25/tech/web/worst-passwords-2012/index.html

LINKS TO BOOKMARK: 

Twitter - For more general information:

https://support.twitter.com/groups/33-report-abuse-or-policy-violations

For more information about compromised accounts:

https://support.twitter.com/groups/33-report-abuse-or-policy-violations/topics/122-reporting-violations/articles/31796-my-account-has-been-compromised

To edit your third party apps' permissions:

https://twitter.com/settings/applications

To report your account being a victim:

https://support.twitter.com/forms/hacked

Facebook - For more general information:

https://www.facebook.com/help/

To edit Third Party Apps:

Look under your Account tab, click on "Privacy Settings" & find the "Apps and Websites" settings management tool. You can remove or edit the permissions there. Also go to: https://www.facebook.com/settings/?tab=applications.

To report your account being a victim:

Email Facebook at: privacy@facebook.com

or go to: https://www.facebook.com/help/

Even Pinterest is having problems with spam that is spilling into Facebook. So be aware that whatever you do on Facebook can affect Twitter like Pinterest affecting Facebook. So be safe on ALL social platforms that you use. Even Pinterest! Don't believe me, check out the article below.

TheNextWeb article about Pinterest spam spilling onto Facebook:

http://thenextweb.com/insider/2012/09/11/pinterest-hacked-facebook-twitter-users-complain-removed-content-changed-boards-pinned-spam/

Pinterest - For more general information:

https://support.pinterest.com/forums/21100817-account-security

To report Spam or something that is offensive to you:

https://support.pinterest.com/entries/21051498-how-do-i-report-objectionable-content-or-spam

Good Luck!

Azteca & Dinosaurs

Walking around in Azteca brought back memories of an extremely funny TV Show that came onto our airwaves in 1991 and lasted until 1994. It would deal with important issues in a funny way.

DINOSAURS!

It was a hilarious sitcom all about Dinosaurs living just like us with TVs, Ovens, etc etc. Humans in this world were just pets or wild animals to them. Earl would go off to work to earn the pay for the family while his wife, Fran, would take care of the house.

They also had two older children, Robbie was a jock in High School and Charlene, a typical female teenanger who thought about boys and nail polish. They even had a crazy, funny grandmother who dropped by once in a while.

And last of all, Baby Sinclair, who was the center of the family and bought laughter with his crazy antics. He is the youngest of all in the family and his favorite weapon is the cooking pan. Literally LOL!

Yea I'm the Baby, Gotta Love Me!

The Making of Baby Sinclair

This series is now on Netflix and sold in Box Sets if you're interested in watching the entire series.

Who is your favorite Dinosaur icon? Barney, Yoshi, Baby Sinclair? Post a comment about who is your favorite Dinosaur Icon.

Level 90 W101 Gear - Need More Energy?

Just in case you didn't know, I have tested the prior packs including Keeper's Lore

and discovered that they now include Level 90 Gears.

Here's a sample of what I received from the Phoenix, Hydra and Keeper's Lore.

ENERGY GEAR

Wanna more energy? Check out this gear set. And a few other items you should get.

The Level 90 Pixie Set

From the Pet Pavilion Vendor, Nigel.

If you do not have the crafted WT Energy Ring, but have plenty of arena tickets to waste. This is for you. They both have EXACT same energy.

This will give you 148 Energy in Total at Level 90.

The Dino Bundle from Wizard101!

Arriving in GameStop in the United States.

Only for $39.

Yes you can finally ride a huge T-Rex which has space for two very brave wizards!

You also can own an HUGE amazing Azteca themed scrawling house that you can easily get lost in. There's a hidden room and tunnel that you can try to find in this maze of a house. Also there is a Hidden Catacombs that transports you to parts of the house. 

And there are beautiful rooms that are lit in a glow of dino green or a beautiful purple/pink.

In the very center of the house way under foots of dirt and above room leads to a huge underground cave.. a beautiful tranquil Azteca eden.

Best of all, you can run around with a super cute Baby Saurus pet in a Warrior Outfit, carrying a Hunter's Bow. What more could you want?!

Click Here For More Pictures From Wizard101

Image Source from Wizard101.com

Hurricane Sandy: The Devastation & Rebuilding Hope

My name is Kelsey Fireheart and I have survived the crazy events of Hurricane Sandy. My town is on the south shore of Long Island, New York. The water is just at the end of my street. So yes, I live in a coastal town where I constantly watch the boats sail by.

About 6:20pm, it started rising in my backyard quite rapidly. My house is on a 3 feet raised foundation. But it kept rising and rising. Then it found a way into the house, leaking through doors and places we have not even thought of. The garage was the first place to start filling up.

We were worried about the heater. But eventually the water wouldn't stop rising, in fact it rose so fast that we realized we had no chance of saving it. So we fled to higher ground, hoping that it wouldn't reach higher floors. We were wrong. Even the sandbags started to float outside our patio doors. It was so surreal watching our doors. It was like watching a fish tank. Except we were in the middle of the fish tank in a sealed place surrounded by water. 

Within 20 minutes, it was rising to dangerous heights and we were frightened because we knew it would touch the electrical plugs. We didn't want to be accidentally electrocuted. So we ran up to the top floor, me urging my cat and dogs upstairs with us. We couldn't believe our eyes how much water was coming in our house. The house was vibrating as the water was pushing its way through our floors and walls. I pulled the shades and looked through the windows. The sight is something I won't ever forget. Our street was COMPLETELY flooded from one side to other, from door to door. The moon was shining down through hazy clouds so we had this amazing sight of gentle waves going down our street. I was worried about all of the things I tried to save by putting up on tables and etc. I was hoping that the water didn't rise that high. Watching the neighbor's car being flooded, its alarms going off and the front and back lights flashing. Eventually the car stopped flashing and I knew that it was too late for their car. I just couldn't keep my eyes off the whole scenery. And within a few hours, the water started receding, so once our lower floors were clear of water. Quickly we worked through the night cleaning the water out by flashlight. My den wouldn't let the 4 inch flood of water recede for some reason, even though the water left the higher floors. So I actually had to open the patio doors and watched the water just rush out like they were glad to be free. Then Mike, my mother's boyfriend from around the corner, came to check on us. While checking our house and his in the middle of the night, he said his foundation was gone on one side. So we had him and his tenant sleep at our place because we feared for their safety. But by morning, we saw how much more was damaged in the hazy sunshine and we realized how lucky we were. A neighbor was crying that she lived here for 66 years and she lost everything. Mike was worried about how to rebuild his house and if his insurance covered it. The tree that toppled in the yard behind ours luckily didn't smash anyone's houses and my mother saying "Thank god that didn't hit us. That tree was HUGE!" There were so many hoses pumping water from houses that our streets were running with water and the sewers couldn't take that much water in that fast. So all you saw was water gurgling and bubbles.

We all tried our prevention measures, but it failed. But we were all determined to get our lives back to order. Shortly you started seeing appliances and furniture being dumped on the sidewalk. But this is gonna be a long hard road ahead. It is not over yet.

When the water rose so high in our house, the furniture actually floated.

Once the water receded, the furniture was half soaked that we had to throw them out.

The water line on our walls. That's about 3 feet of water.

Even the paint on the walls was affected because of the salt water.

The rebuilding. Slowly but surely. We have had to rip out all of the drywalls.

As you can see, the wood floors are not as smooth, it's very bumpy.

This is because of the water that made the wood swell.

The den floor actually bowed and the wood is popping up in a big hump.

We have to replace the entire wood floors.

Even our fence was damaged.

The water actually destroyed the bottom of the fence, about 4 inches,

due to the massive push of the sea.

Our heater vents that we have had to throw out. 

This is why we have no heat as well as our own heating boiler had to be removed.

Our Neighbor's tree smashed into another yard. It was a HUGE tree. This tree has been cut in half. They are slowly removing pieces of it.

That's the roots of the tree. When it toppled, the roots came with it and made

their shed not stable because the shed's walls was right above the tree's roots.

So when the roots came up, it dragged the shed's walls out. 

This is my mother's boyfriend's house. As you can see, there's 30 feet gaping hole

in its fountain. The village has deemed this house unsafe and set up a fence to prevent anyone going in.

There is so much more damage around in our coastal town. But I wanted to show you important parts of what Hurricane Sandy has done.

I find it essential to stay upbeat and positive, even though we don't have a stove, certain appliances where we can store and cook food with.

We are moving slowly but someday we will get our house to normal. It will take a few months of repairs. But I'm trying to see it as a positive thing. I mean maybe this means we can actually rebuild it in a better way that's more suited to our tastes. Who knows? We have applied for insurance and FEMA to help cover the costs which is going to be massive. The main thing that we are worried about is the heat since winter is coming. But you know, it's amazing to see how the community gets together and helps each other in the time of crisis. I have met electricians, handymen and FEMA staff that has come all way from Detroit, Texas, Upstate New York and other places that you wouldn't think of. I cannot believe they would give up their time to come all way out here just to help us rebuild. It's just an amazing thing that shows me that hope is still alive. It's alive in each person who gives a lending hand through donations, doing benefit events, giving blankets and doing direct repairs. Without them, we'd have fell apart. So thank you to each person who have donated or done something that helped the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Just remember, this will be ongoing for a few months. This will be a slow, steady recovery. Every bit helps every now and then. Hopefully by spring, we all will be back to normal and all of this will be a distant memory.

God bless those who did not survive the terrible storm and those

who are still struggling without heat, electricity and basic needs. 

To donate, please go to Red Cross:

http://www.redcross.org/templates/render/render.jsp?pageId=11400031&scode=RSG00000E017&subcode=paiddonationsbrand&gclid=CLeah9msyLMCFYKK4AodwFAAvg

Want to know how to donate or volunteer responsibly?

http://www.fema.gov/volunteer-donate-responsibly

Due to a lot of people's insistence on helping me out on this situation and wanting to donate directly, there is a donate button on my site at: http://www.starsofthespiral.com

Thank you for your kindness!

New Azteca Mounts, Pets & Gear in Crown Shop!

 MOUNTS

PETS

 

WANDS

 

GEARS

All of the gear sets can be also sold separately for approx 4500 Crowns each.
There are also Level 80 Gears. You can check them out in the Crown Shop. But I wanted to show you the 85s.