Newsletter Archive

The Internet 800 Directory - http://www.inter800.com
The Internet 800 Directory Newsletter
This issue is for Friday, March 05, 2004
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Table of Contents
01. Creative Virus
02. Believing In Your Own B.S.
03. Tip Of The Week
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*01 Creative Virus

Seeing a new virus is really not much of an event any more and with the
distribution of Mydoom's source code it going to get worse. Last month,
computers that were infected with the Mydoom virus were attacked thru
the backdoor opened by the virus. This attack among other things
placed a copy of the Mydoom source code on the infected machines.  Some
experts believe the code could have been placed on up to 100,000
machines. It looks like we are already starting to see the effect of
this code distribution, with over seven new versions of this virus in
just the last few days.

One of the new versions (W32.Beagle.K@mm) uses a new way to try and fool
people into installing the virus. Instead of picking an address from the
infected machine as the sender, it spoofs the domain name of the address
it being sent to. It uses the following address:
management@
administration@
staff@
noreply@
support@

This gives the appearance that the e-mail came from your ISP or site
administrator. The messages look something like this:
----Start---------
Dear user of "Inter800.com" mailing system,

Our antivirus software has detected a large amount of viruses outgoing
from your email account, you may use our free anti-virus tool to clean
up your computer software.

For details see the attached file.

Attached file protected with the password for security reasons. Password
is 05066.

Cheers, The Inter800.com team    http://www.inter800.com
-----End--------
Here is a list of the different messages this virus sends:

---Your e-mail account has been temporary disabled because of
unauthorized access.

---Our main mailing server will be temporary unavaible for next two
days, to continue receiving mail in these days you have to configure our
free auto-forwarding service.

---Your e-mail account will be disabled because of improper using in
next three days, if you are still wishing to use it, please, resign your
account information.

---We warn you about some attacks on your e-mail account. Your computer
may contain viruses, in order to keep your computer and e-mail account
safe, please, follow the instructions.

---Our antivirus software has detected a large ammount of viruses
outgoing from your email account, you may use our free anti-virus tool
to clean up your computer software.

---Some of our clients complained about the spam (negative e-mail
content) outgoing from your e-mail account. Probably, you have been
infected by a proxy-relay trojan server. In order to keep your computer
safe, follow the instructions.

Please don't be fooled by this virus!

Don't open an attachment if you didn't ask for it to be sent to you. If
you receive an unsolicited attachment, call the person and ask why and
what they sent you. If you don't know the person that sent it, delete
it. Last, check all attachments with your virus software before opening.


Chuck Arning at chuck@inter800.com

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*02 Believing In Your Own B.S.

I recently talked at length with a business owner that was concerned and
confounded by why he was losing money. Since this was an old friend, I
agreed to spend a considerable amount of time listening to his product
and sales approach and looking at the numbers from a "professional"
point of view.

After a few hours, some things struck me that can hit some of us close
to home.

First was that his favorite product line, in which he spends the
majority of the time promoting and selling, is unprofitable. He not only
refused to believe this, but after line- item by line-item accounting,
including all of his expenses, it is true. Although he was operating
overall at about break-even, the product he loved the most was dragging
him down. His salary alone, which he allocates just as a lump sum item,
cannot be justified by the minimal profit he earns on his favorite
product, versus his overall sales and expenses.

Second, he has another product line that is highly profitable, but he
doesn't like it and he doesn't like spending the time and effort it
takes to promote it and sell it. However, he will spend and
extraordinary time on his favorite, there by making it even less
profitable.

Well I'll tell you folks, that if one is in business to make money then
one needs to do at least a couple of things outside of outstanding
customer service. First one has to cost-account for all expenses versus
product sales. Do not just include cost-of-goods sold as a premise
towards a product line, or the office rent, parking and other general
and administrative expenses will bite you when you are not looking.

Next, if one is not willing to do what it takes to sell or provide the
items that will make the company profitable, then he shouldn't be in
that business. If one is in it just for fun or self-gratification, then
join a non-profit organization.

It sometimes boils down to what an outstanding businessman once told me
(God bless you, Fenton Ward, wherever you are).

"Be careful of believing your own B.S."

Steven Jackson - sjackson@inter800.com
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Call 800-299-1879!
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Tip of the Week
Information you can use at your fingertips.

Google is one of the most powerful tools you can use on the Internet. If
you use Explorer, I recommend you install the Google toll bar. You will
find it at: http://toolbar.google.com/

Google has a built in calculator function, simply enter the calculation
and hit "Search"
Example: Enter "5+2=" Then hit "Search"

If you are reading a page and see a word or phrase you don't understand,
Google will define it for you. Enter the word or phrase with "define:"
in front, and then hit "Search"
Example: Enter "define:rambunctious" Then hit "Search"

If you are waiting on a package and want to check on it, all you have to
do is enter the tracking number and hit "Search". This works on UPS,
FEDEX and USPS tracking numbers.

Need a map, enter the address and hit "Search"

Want to check on an airport, enter the airport's three-letter code and
the word airport, and then hit "Search"
Example: Enter "ABQ airport" Then hit "Search"

To check the status of a U.S. flight, enter the airline and the flight
number and hit "Search"


If you have any tips or shortcuts that you think the readers of this
Newsletter will find useful, send them to chuck@inter800.com

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