HONESTLY speaking, when almost everyone in any field can receive an award for excellence, why should bloggers be left out? After all, there are many bloggers out there who put in a tremendous amount of work into their blogs.
While some like to tinker with their templates, adding new interactive features every now and then, others take ages to type their entries to provide an entertaining and intellectually stimulating read to their visitors.
It seems as though some webmasters are thinking along similar lines. A quick search on the internet shows that there are now certain websites which are completely dedicated to giving out blog awards.
One such website is Asia Weblog Awards . Awards here are quite analogous to the “Viewers’ Choice Awards” which is a popular feature on most television channels. Similarly, these are “Bloggers’ Choice Awards.”
Probing further into this website, one can’t help but wonder why these awards are being given out in the first place. According to the webmaster Phil Ingram, director and co-founder of Upstart Design, a Hong Kong-based company, “someone was doing something similar in the US — and 95 per cent of the world was in the foreign category so while sitting in the bath I suddenly thought why not do something closer to home? I coded the whole thing in a day.”
Categories anyone?: There are about 26 categories including “best essayist,” “best political blog,” “best designed blog” to name a few. There are national categories too, “best Pakistani blog,” being one of them. So how did Ingram decide on these diverse categories? “The categories were just what came to me. I added a few by popular request over time,” he explains.
Of course one has the right to be a tad sceptical about the winners.
After all, voting is done through the internet and its quite possible that one person casts his/her vote an indefinite number of times, especially if there isn’t a foolproof system to prevent this. So how did the webmaster manage?
“Voting control was done though a combination of IP recording, cookies, and going through 24000 votes by eye, sorting them by different fields, looking for obvious patterns. I’d say I was 99 per cent accurate.”
The “Best Pakistani Blog” Award went to Zackaria Ajmal (http://zackvision.com/weblog/). When asked about his thoughts on the fairness of the voting process, he replied, “Any internet voting process cannot, by definition, be fair. However, Phil did his best to weed out spurious votes. My guess is that it should have removed a majority of vote stuffing.
There are still ways to vote multiple times but it requires a bit more effort. There is also an extra bias based on which internet users find out about the voting and are motivated enough to vote. That means only readers and friends of those bloggers who publicized the awards would vote.”
Furthermore, he pointed out that “a blog award is not an Oscar. I think of these awards more in terms of the publicity they give the nominated bloggers than in terms of winning. For example, I got quite a few visitors from the Asia Weblog Awards website. I hope some of them stick around and become regular readers” (the official website of this year’s Asia Weblog Awards is http://2004weblogawards.com).
Apart from Asia Weblog Awards, there are many national websites awarding bloggers. Two notable websites in this regard are the Philippine Blog Awards and Australian Blog Awards .
The Guardian also held its second British blog awards . Of course the downside of these localized awards is the limited number of blogs to which one can relate to, unless there is an award in the foreign category. Websites which award bloggers from around the world are more extensive and have a wider range of interesting blogs to bookmark.
One example of the latter which has already held its fourth blog awards ceremony is Weblog Awards
.com/>.
It picks out the best in the blogging world during a year and then awards them as “Bloggie.” Aspiring bloggers can submit their nominations via the website. Some of the fascinating categories include “Best Weblog Directory,” “Best Article or Essay about Weblog,” “Best Web Application for Weblogs,” “Best Programming of a Weblog site” and “Best Group Weblog.”
What is interesting to note is that the website gives out awards not only with respect to their content, layout and programming, but it also awards those websites which offer a blog-related service such as commenting and blog directories. Bloggers are also awarded according to region such as “Best Asian Blog” and “Best American Blog.”
Although there are no cameras or lights and no victory speeches, getting a blog award is definitely an ego booster. One hopes that such awards will become more popular and will be publicized more effectively around the internet.
It is after all, the competition spurred by the awards, which will go a long way in improving the quality of blogs in general. And the average internet user will ultimately benefit from more thought-provoking content presented in a creative way.
Saturday, December 25, 2004
Monday, November 1, 2004
Radio Islam
There was a time when one could actually differentiate between radio and internet as two different mass media. With sophisticated technology associated with sound and video cards on the rise, internet radio is catching on fast. With nearly 15 days to go before Ramadan concludes, you can still add a spiritual touch to your web experience by tuning into Islamic broadcasting networks on the net.
Islamic Broadcasting Network
www.ibn.net
IBN has a wide variety of shows catering to different age groups. The website features schedules and highlights of different shows. You can also access shows from the IBN archives and rate them. There is a separate website for IBN Youth which has programs tailor-made for a younger audience. Some notable programs discuss book reviews, international law, Muslim identity in the West, internships and careers, family and community issues.
Radio Islam
www.radioislam.org
This is another 24/7 radio station which focuses on a variety of different subjects. From Quranic ayats with tafsir to ahadis and their explanation to Islamic songs and discussions on various issues. You can also apply for a radio program and become a reporter. Some interesting shows include “Talk Radio” which discusses topics regarding why new Muslims leave Islam and the different challenges Muslims face today. Apart from that, there are short stories, lectures from different scholars and news reports from the Muslim point of view.
Window on Islam
www.windowonislam.com
Window on Islam is a weekly radio show which you can tune into online. You can browse through the show’s complete catalogue and access old audio files from the archives. Some of the topics discussed here include the fundamentals of Islam, women’s rights in Islam, stories of Prophets and misconceptions about Islam.
Multimedia Centre
www.islamicity.com/multimedia
This website not only offers radio programs, but you can also view the broadcasts online as well. There are loads of lectures, audio and video, as well as live Taraweeh in Ramadan, religious debates, coverage of conferences, documentaries and Quran recitation and translation.
Islamic Broadcasting Network
www.ibn.net
IBN has a wide variety of shows catering to different age groups. The website features schedules and highlights of different shows. You can also access shows from the IBN archives and rate them. There is a separate website for IBN Youth which has programs tailor-made for a younger audience. Some notable programs discuss book reviews, international law, Muslim identity in the West, internships and careers, family and community issues.
Radio Islam
www.radioislam.org
This is another 24/7 radio station which focuses on a variety of different subjects. From Quranic ayats with tafsir to ahadis and their explanation to Islamic songs and discussions on various issues. You can also apply for a radio program and become a reporter. Some interesting shows include “Talk Radio” which discusses topics regarding why new Muslims leave Islam and the different challenges Muslims face today. Apart from that, there are short stories, lectures from different scholars and news reports from the Muslim point of view.
Window on Islam
www.windowonislam.com
Window on Islam is a weekly radio show which you can tune into online. You can browse through the show’s complete catalogue and access old audio files from the archives. Some of the topics discussed here include the fundamentals of Islam, women’s rights in Islam, stories of Prophets and misconceptions about Islam.
Multimedia Centre
www.islamicity.com/multimedia
This website not only offers radio programs, but you can also view the broadcasts online as well. There are loads of lectures, audio and video, as well as live Taraweeh in Ramadan, religious debates, coverage of conferences, documentaries and Quran recitation and translation.
Sunday, October 24, 2004
Ramazan on the web
FOR millions of Muslims around the world the holy month of Ramazan signifies a total rescheduling of our daily routine as we start paying more attention to our spiritual endeavours. Ninth month of the lunar year, the month is significant in many aspects: fasting, one of the five pillars of Islam, is ordained in this month, each good deed carries extra rewards, the Taraweeh prayers are held and most importantly, there is the Night of Power (Lailat-ul-Qadr) during which the first revelation of the Quran was sent down upon Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). And you can know all about it though some really comprehensive web sites around.
One web site which is definitely worth starting off with is http://www.ramadan.co.uk/. This place is totally dedicated to the month; you can not only read about the significance of Ramazan, but you can also pore through the articles on how to prepare for it and how to ensure that you don’t miss out on doing the smallest good deed.
There is an extensive audio section where you can listen to the recitation of the Quran, various supplications and Islamic songs. For children, there is an interesting collection of stories and activities related to Ramazan. Plus, the Salaam E-Cards section is there for you to wish a blessed Ramazan to your friends and relatives across the globe. Finally, if you can’t think of what to prepare for iftari, there is a whole Ramadan Recipes section featuring dishes from the cuisines of different countries. For more Ramazan special recipes you can access http://www.paknet.com.pk/recipies/ramadan.php. And for a more vast collection of e-cards, the Ramazan e-cards section on http://www.eidmubarak.com and http://www.eidmubarak.net will definitely suffice.
To find out more about Ramazan, the online Ramazan information centre at http://www.islamicity.com/ramadan/ is a very extensive web site. Here, you can listen to Quranic recitation with translation as well as memorize verses and learn Quranic Arabic. An interesting section Ramadan Around the World will detail you on how Muslims in different countries carry out the obligatory fast. Also available are some valuable references of the Quran and Hadith regarding fasting, health aspects of Ramazan, guidelines on how to develop one’s character during Ramazan and the merits of the Night of Power.
Some more details on the different aspects of fasting are discussed in the e-book 70 Matters Related to Fasting available online at http://www.islam-qa.com/Books/seyam/english.shtml. This book explains in detail the definition, benefits and virtues of fasting. It also delves on the proper etiquette of fasting, like having sehri, not delaying iftar, refraining from verbal vices while fasting, ensuring that the time during which we are fasting is spent in constructive activities etc. There are various rulings given here too, pertaining to the fast of the travellers, the sick and the elderly. There is also a detailed list of things which can break the fast. All in all, it’s a very helpful and informative e-book available for immediate reference.
Where fasting is concerned, there are many questions related to fiqh that spring to mind. If someone moves to a different country during Ramazan and there is a difference of dates, then what? What is the right age to start fasting regularly? Can one brush teeth while fasting? All these questions and loads more are answered on http://www.islam-qa.com/cgi-local/view-sub?/5|Jurisprudence_and_Islamic_Rulings(Fiqh)/Sawm_(_Fasting_). If you don’t find the answer to your question, you can check out the timings at which the web site accepts questions from the readers and then submit your own.
Health factor is extremely important where Ramazan is concerned. To ensure that you’re fit enough to fast and pray extensively during Ramazan, keep checking out http://www.muhajabah.com/ramadan-health.htm. This web site is a pretty informative health guide detailing which kinds of foods to avoid and the causes and remedies of common ailments which may strike during Ramazan. The address also explains the medical benefits of fasting as well as taraweeh prayers.
Speaking of taraweeh, listening to the taraweeh prayers broadcast from Makkah and Madina are a treat for many. And if you’re one of those people, then you can listen to the prayers at the site http://www.saudiembassy.net/Media/SaudiTV.asp. The people here claim the site will “provide a live feed of Saudi Television wherever possible.” All you need is Real Player and a sound card. If you don’t have the former, the web site has a link which you can follow to download it.
Finally, any web sites’ collection of Ramazan would be incomplete without a reference to http://www.soundvision.com/info/ramadan/. One of the most comprehensive web sites on the subject, this one not only talks about the usual aspects of fasting but also encourages you to do something for the community as a whole. If you’re a teacher, then there many Ramazan-related school projects which you can check out. If you’re a parent, there are some tips to familiarize your children with Ramazan. There are guidelines on sharing Ramazan with your neighbours and colleagues. There is also a collection of duas which you choose from to recite on the Night of Power. To follow some of the instructions on this web site, you can download, print and distribute a very good brochure from http://www.youngmuslims.ca/publications/ramadan.pdf
I hope this collection of web sites will be of help to all of you.
One web site which is definitely worth starting off with is http://www.ramadan.co.uk/. This place is totally dedicated to the month; you can not only read about the significance of Ramazan, but you can also pore through the articles on how to prepare for it and how to ensure that you don’t miss out on doing the smallest good deed.
There is an extensive audio section where you can listen to the recitation of the Quran, various supplications and Islamic songs. For children, there is an interesting collection of stories and activities related to Ramazan. Plus, the Salaam E-Cards section is there for you to wish a blessed Ramazan to your friends and relatives across the globe. Finally, if you can’t think of what to prepare for iftari, there is a whole Ramadan Recipes section featuring dishes from the cuisines of different countries. For more Ramazan special recipes you can access http://www.paknet.com.pk/recipies/ramadan.php. And for a more vast collection of e-cards, the Ramazan e-cards section on http://www.eidmubarak.com and http://www.eidmubarak.net will definitely suffice.
To find out more about Ramazan, the online Ramazan information centre at http://www.islamicity.com/ramadan/ is a very extensive web site. Here, you can listen to Quranic recitation with translation as well as memorize verses and learn Quranic Arabic. An interesting section Ramadan Around the World will detail you on how Muslims in different countries carry out the obligatory fast. Also available are some valuable references of the Quran and Hadith regarding fasting, health aspects of Ramazan, guidelines on how to develop one’s character during Ramazan and the merits of the Night of Power.
Some more details on the different aspects of fasting are discussed in the e-book 70 Matters Related to Fasting available online at http://www.islam-qa.com/Books/seyam/english.shtml. This book explains in detail the definition, benefits and virtues of fasting. It also delves on the proper etiquette of fasting, like having sehri, not delaying iftar, refraining from verbal vices while fasting, ensuring that the time during which we are fasting is spent in constructive activities etc. There are various rulings given here too, pertaining to the fast of the travellers, the sick and the elderly. There is also a detailed list of things which can break the fast. All in all, it’s a very helpful and informative e-book available for immediate reference.
Where fasting is concerned, there are many questions related to fiqh that spring to mind. If someone moves to a different country during Ramazan and there is a difference of dates, then what? What is the right age to start fasting regularly? Can one brush teeth while fasting? All these questions and loads more are answered on http://www.islam-qa.com/cgi-local/view-sub?/5|Jurisprudence_and_Islamic_Rulings(Fiqh)/Sawm_(_Fasting_). If you don’t find the answer to your question, you can check out the timings at which the web site accepts questions from the readers and then submit your own.
Health factor is extremely important where Ramazan is concerned. To ensure that you’re fit enough to fast and pray extensively during Ramazan, keep checking out http://www.muhajabah.com/ramadan-health.htm. This web site is a pretty informative health guide detailing which kinds of foods to avoid and the causes and remedies of common ailments which may strike during Ramazan. The address also explains the medical benefits of fasting as well as taraweeh prayers.
Speaking of taraweeh, listening to the taraweeh prayers broadcast from Makkah and Madina are a treat for many. And if you’re one of those people, then you can listen to the prayers at the site http://www.saudiembassy.net/Media/SaudiTV.asp. The people here claim the site will “provide a live feed of Saudi Television wherever possible.” All you need is Real Player and a sound card. If you don’t have the former, the web site has a link which you can follow to download it.
Finally, any web sites’ collection of Ramazan would be incomplete without a reference to http://www.soundvision.com/info/ramadan/. One of the most comprehensive web sites on the subject, this one not only talks about the usual aspects of fasting but also encourages you to do something for the community as a whole. If you’re a teacher, then there many Ramazan-related school projects which you can check out. If you’re a parent, there are some tips to familiarize your children with Ramazan. There are guidelines on sharing Ramazan with your neighbours and colleagues. There is also a collection of duas which you choose from to recite on the Night of Power. To follow some of the instructions on this web site, you can download, print and distribute a very good brochure from http://www.youngmuslims.ca/publications/ramadan.pdf
I hope this collection of web sites will be of help to all of you.
Thursday, July 1, 2004
Hijacked
Homepage hijackers are basically those codes or pieces of software that cause your default homepage setting in Internet Explorer to change from your settings to the hijackers’ settings. Even if you manually change IE’s default homepage setting, it will simply revert once you restart your PC. And trust me, the websites set by the hijackers to be your default homepage can be pretty sick.
So what causes your homepage to be hijacked?
The single most important factor is spyware. (Read more in Spider’s October 2003 issue). Spyware which sends information about your surfing habits can just as easily send information about your PC, hence ensuring that a third party has access to your browser’s settings.
Cookies also play an important role. You have no clue as to how many cookies are installed on your PC when you are visiting any website. Any of these cookies can be the culprit.
A program installed on your PC ensures that the hijacker’s homepage remains the default one. This program can come from any source (spyware mostly).
Some programs use the Windows startup registry. They put a reference to their hijacking program in the registry, hence every time you start Windows, this program will run and your default settings will be changed.
Hijacks can also happen if you’ve downloaded an executable file that promised to enhance the abilities of your browsers or update it. Such executable files are nothing but a means of hijacking your browser.
Some hijackers exploit a security loophole in Internet Explorer. This loophole allows the hijacking program to be installed on your PC while you are viewing a website, or by changing your system’s settings, cause the hijacker’s commands to run. Through this program, they will install one or more files which have an .hta extension. These files will be run on Startup by Windows Scripting Host and hijack your browser’s settings.
Detection and Removal
1) Install a good anti-hijack software and keep on updating and running it.
2) Perform a “*.hta” search on all your drives and see if you can locate the files with “.hta” extensions. If you find such files on any your hard drives, then change their extension to either “.hta1” or “hta_1” so that they cannot be accessed by any malicious code.
3) Edit your Windows registry so that the hijack program does not load every time you start your PC. For more technical details on how to edit your registry, check out the sites listed in this article. A word of caution here: if you don’t know what you’re doing, then you’d better not mess with the Windows registry. When my PC got hijacked, I used a combination of the following software before I got rid of the annoying homepages:
Cool Web Search Shredder
HijackThis 1.97.7
Lavasoft Ad-Aware 6.0
Spyware Blaster
Spyware Guard
SpyBot Search and Destroy
Zone Alarm Firewall
Long-term measures
1) Be very vigilant about installing any new software, especially if it makes tall claims.
2) Make sure you have good spyware detection and removal software installed and running.
3) Set your Internet Explorer’s Privacy Level to High (Tools => Internet Options => Privacy). And then click on the “Edit” button below. You can use the Edit option to enable cookies for websites you normally have to visit for example. Hotmail or Yahoo and disable the option for the rest of the websites.
4) Update your copy of Windows. I know it is a hassle but there are many security patches to correct the loopholes within your present operating system which may fall prey to a hijack attempt.
5) Beware of installing these notorious spyware programs on your system: BonziBuddy, Comet Cursors, Direct Dialer, Gator, Kazaa Media Desktop, and ZapSpot Games.
The sites
Ad-Aware http://www.lavasoftusa.com/
Cool Web Search Shredder www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html
HijackThis 1.97.7 www.soft32.com/download_19015.html
Merjin www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/index.html
SpywareBlaster www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
SpywareGuard www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareguard.html
Spybot Search & Destroy http://www.safer-networking.org/
Spy Sweeper www.webroot.com/wb/products/spysweeper/index.php
Windows Update windowsupdate.microsoft.com
Zone Alarm Firewall http://spider.tm/jul2004/popwindow.html?pgsrc=www.zonelabs.com&submenu=none
So what causes your homepage to be hijacked?
The single most important factor is spyware. (Read more in Spider’s October 2003 issue). Spyware which sends information about your surfing habits can just as easily send information about your PC, hence ensuring that a third party has access to your browser’s settings.
Cookies also play an important role. You have no clue as to how many cookies are installed on your PC when you are visiting any website. Any of these cookies can be the culprit.
A program installed on your PC ensures that the hijacker’s homepage remains the default one. This program can come from any source (spyware mostly).
Some programs use the Windows startup registry. They put a reference to their hijacking program in the registry, hence every time you start Windows, this program will run and your default settings will be changed.
Hijacks can also happen if you’ve downloaded an executable file that promised to enhance the abilities of your browsers or update it. Such executable files are nothing but a means of hijacking your browser.
Some hijackers exploit a security loophole in Internet Explorer. This loophole allows the hijacking program to be installed on your PC while you are viewing a website, or by changing your system’s settings, cause the hijacker’s commands to run. Through this program, they will install one or more files which have an .hta extension. These files will be run on Startup by Windows Scripting Host and hijack your browser’s settings.
Detection and Removal
1) Install a good anti-hijack software and keep on updating and running it.
2) Perform a “*.hta” search on all your drives and see if you can locate the files with “.hta” extensions. If you find such files on any your hard drives, then change their extension to either “.hta1” or “hta_1” so that they cannot be accessed by any malicious code.
3) Edit your Windows registry so that the hijack program does not load every time you start your PC. For more technical details on how to edit your registry, check out the sites listed in this article. A word of caution here: if you don’t know what you’re doing, then you’d better not mess with the Windows registry. When my PC got hijacked, I used a combination of the following software before I got rid of the annoying homepages:
Cool Web Search Shredder
HijackThis 1.97.7
Lavasoft Ad-Aware 6.0
Spyware Blaster
Spyware Guard
SpyBot Search and Destroy
Zone Alarm Firewall
Long-term measures
1) Be very vigilant about installing any new software, especially if it makes tall claims.
2) Make sure you have good spyware detection and removal software installed and running.
3) Set your Internet Explorer’s Privacy Level to High (Tools => Internet Options => Privacy). And then click on the “Edit” button below. You can use the Edit option to enable cookies for websites you normally have to visit for example. Hotmail or Yahoo and disable the option for the rest of the websites.
4) Update your copy of Windows. I know it is a hassle but there are many security patches to correct the loopholes within your present operating system which may fall prey to a hijack attempt.
5) Beware of installing these notorious spyware programs on your system: BonziBuddy, Comet Cursors, Direct Dialer, Gator, Kazaa Media Desktop, and ZapSpot Games.
The sites
Ad-Aware http://www.lavasoftusa.com/
Cool Web Search Shredder www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html
HijackThis 1.97.7 www.soft32.com/download_19015.html
Merjin www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/index.html
SpywareBlaster www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
SpywareGuard www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareguard.html
Spybot Search & Destroy http://www.safer-networking.org/
Spy Sweeper www.webroot.com/wb/products/spysweeper/index.php
Windows Update windowsupdate.microsoft.com
Zone Alarm Firewall http://spider.tm/jul2004/popwindow.html?pgsrc=www.zonelabs.com&submenu=none
Thursday, June 10, 2004
Eight Days a Week - Website
Just how careful does one need to be in one’s day-to-day life? The website www.safewithin.com should give you some idea. The website is entirely dedicated to disseminating information on the how-to of keeping yourself secure from various threats. The “Auto Safety” section will brief you on safe driving. The “Child Safety” section is for all those parents who want to make sure their child is safe when they’re not around. The “Home Safety” section is all about securing your house from various overt and covert threats. If you have a pet, then check out the “Pet Safety” section as well. But don’t miss the “Personal Safety” section which will help en route to physical safety and healthy eating habits. Is there something you should be watching out for, especially in this season? The “Seasonal Safety” section has the answer. The “Senior Safety” section addresses health concerns of elderly parents and grandparents. And finally, if you are planning to go abroad this summer, check out the “Travel Safety” section. It is definitely a very comprehensive website, but make sure you don’t become a safety freak by the time you’re done browsing this website.
Sunday, June 6, 2004
Killing the online bug
Time spent on the PC or the Internet is never fool-proof. An innocent looking e-mail attachment, a loophole in the operating system and a simple encased floppy disk. And the next thing you know, the repair man is telling you that your system will have to be formatted. And that previous data of yours, well you can just forget all about it.
I am sure most of you know that a virus is harmful for your PC. But if you aren’t sure what a computer virus is, then check out http://www.actlab.utexas.edu/~aviva/compsec/virus/whatis.html. The virus is defined here as a ‘parasitic program’ that infiltrates your PC without your knowledge or permission and affects your precious files and data. Another site http://www.ucs.ed.ac.uk/usd/iss/ol/issues/viruses/whatis.html goes further by explaining the different types of viruses that exist, from boot sector virus, macro virus, worm Trojan horse and e-mail virus. For each virus explanations are available as how they enter your computer and what damage they can cause.
Probably the most common misconception is to use the terms virus, worm and Trojan interchangeably. No doubt all three are bad news for your PC, but nonetheless there is a difference that is explained at http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nav.nsf/docid/1999041209131106. This link explains all the three terms and goes on to differentiate between the different types of viruses. You can also test whether or not your own notions of what a virus is are correct or not, as this web site also deals with what is not a virus (but can be considered as such).
The PC Virus Workshop Handout at http://web.gc.cuny.edu/dept/ccent/info/virus.htm also disseminates some useful information about viruses in general. The handout is presented in the form of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) which deals with common, but important questions like why should you care if there is a virus on your PC, means to discover whether or not your PC has been infected with a virus, how to use antivirus programmes and most importantly, how to carry out do-it-yourself measures to protect your PC, such as write-protecting your floppy disks.
McAfee Security has its own Virus Information Centre at http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/default.asp where you can access a wealth of information. The home page will let you know of the recent virus threats and how to combat them. The virus removal tools will provide you with the appropriate fixes. There is a virus calendar which will inform you of the different times of the months and years when certain viruses become active and wreak havoc with your system. The section on virus hoaxes should give you something to refer to when someone forwards the supposed virus threats. There are also a whole lot of newsletters which you can subscribe to receive this information in your e-mail as soon as it becomes available. In the end, I advise you to go through the Anti-Virus Tips section for information on how to detect and protect yourself from viruses.
One place where you can purchase a range of anti virus software is http://www.antivirus.com. Apart from reviews on the best picks of antivirus software, this site also offers loads of information on the recent virus threats. You can browse through the Virus Encyclopaedia to find out which virus is capable of what. Probably the best part of this web site is that it offers to do a free scan of your PC. So if you’re thinking that your PC is not infected, you might just be in for a good shock. The more technical users can browse through the white papers on information on malware, malicious code and architectural impact on performance if your PC is infected. If you maintain your own web site you can also add some virus updates to it as well.
For more information on how to protect your PC from viruses check out http://aolcom.com.com/4520-6600_7-5021309-1.html. It has a six-step protection plan which includes updating your windows to download the latest security patches, refraining from opening unsolicited e-mail attachments, keeping yourself informed of the latest virus threats, installing an antivirus software, scanning your system with it regularly and updating your software frequently to ensure it offers protections against the latest virus definitions.
More steps to protect your PC from viruses, worms and Trojan horses are given at http://www.securityguide.us/article.php?story=20030910184604708&mode=print. These steps include installing a good firewall (check out http://www.zonelabs.com) and making a backup of your system just in case.
And where will you get free antivirus downloads? Anti Virus Security and Free Downloads at http://download.com.com/3150-2239-0.html?tag=dir is one web site worth checking out. It contains a whole bunch of tools to combat the threats of viruses, worms and Trojan horse, all on one web site. You can also check out more anti virus utilities at http://pcxtreme.co.uk/antivirus/antivirusAtoM.html.
Where it is all too well to be informed, there is such a thing as ‘too informed’. You must keep in mind that some virus threats are a hoax and it doesn’t do to create hype about them in cyberspace. And you can learn more about them at http://www.vmyths.com/. Related to all these virus hoaxes it lists all the virus threats circulated through e-mail that are nothing but a hoax or urban legend. It also teaches you how to spot a virus hoax. Answer a few questions here whenever you receive a virus threat e-mail and you will most certainly know whether it is genuine or not. In the end, it also urges you to stop these hoaxes and outlines the necessary how-to.
The threat of viruses is a very real one. In the end, it all falls down to us, innocent PC users to keep on scanning our systems and updating our security software. But if it does prove to be a guarantee of safeguarding our data, then I guess all the hard work is worth it.
I am sure most of you know that a virus is harmful for your PC. But if you aren’t sure what a computer virus is, then check out http://www.actlab.utexas.edu/~aviva/compsec/virus/whatis.html. The virus is defined here as a ‘parasitic program’ that infiltrates your PC without your knowledge or permission and affects your precious files and data. Another site http://www.ucs.ed.ac.uk/usd/iss/ol/issues/viruses/whatis.html goes further by explaining the different types of viruses that exist, from boot sector virus, macro virus, worm Trojan horse and e-mail virus. For each virus explanations are available as how they enter your computer and what damage they can cause.
Probably the most common misconception is to use the terms virus, worm and Trojan interchangeably. No doubt all three are bad news for your PC, but nonetheless there is a difference that is explained at http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nav.nsf/docid/1999041209131106. This link explains all the three terms and goes on to differentiate between the different types of viruses. You can also test whether or not your own notions of what a virus is are correct or not, as this web site also deals with what is not a virus (but can be considered as such).
The PC Virus Workshop Handout at http://web.gc.cuny.edu/dept/ccent/info/virus.htm also disseminates some useful information about viruses in general. The handout is presented in the form of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) which deals with common, but important questions like why should you care if there is a virus on your PC, means to discover whether or not your PC has been infected with a virus, how to use antivirus programmes and most importantly, how to carry out do-it-yourself measures to protect your PC, such as write-protecting your floppy disks.
McAfee Security has its own Virus Information Centre at http://us.mcafee.com/virusInfo/default.asp where you can access a wealth of information. The home page will let you know of the recent virus threats and how to combat them. The virus removal tools will provide you with the appropriate fixes. There is a virus calendar which will inform you of the different times of the months and years when certain viruses become active and wreak havoc with your system. The section on virus hoaxes should give you something to refer to when someone forwards the supposed virus threats. There are also a whole lot of newsletters which you can subscribe to receive this information in your e-mail as soon as it becomes available. In the end, I advise you to go through the Anti-Virus Tips section for information on how to detect and protect yourself from viruses.
One place where you can purchase a range of anti virus software is http://www.antivirus.com. Apart from reviews on the best picks of antivirus software, this site also offers loads of information on the recent virus threats. You can browse through the Virus Encyclopaedia to find out which virus is capable of what. Probably the best part of this web site is that it offers to do a free scan of your PC. So if you’re thinking that your PC is not infected, you might just be in for a good shock. The more technical users can browse through the white papers on information on malware, malicious code and architectural impact on performance if your PC is infected. If you maintain your own web site you can also add some virus updates to it as well.
For more information on how to protect your PC from viruses check out http://aolcom.com.com/4520-6600_7-5021309-1.html. It has a six-step protection plan which includes updating your windows to download the latest security patches, refraining from opening unsolicited e-mail attachments, keeping yourself informed of the latest virus threats, installing an antivirus software, scanning your system with it regularly and updating your software frequently to ensure it offers protections against the latest virus definitions.
More steps to protect your PC from viruses, worms and Trojan horses are given at http://www.securityguide.us/article.php?story=20030910184604708&mode=print. These steps include installing a good firewall (check out http://www.zonelabs.com) and making a backup of your system just in case.
And where will you get free antivirus downloads? Anti Virus Security and Free Downloads at http://download.com.com/3150-2239-0.html?tag=dir is one web site worth checking out. It contains a whole bunch of tools to combat the threats of viruses, worms and Trojan horse, all on one web site. You can also check out more anti virus utilities at http://pcxtreme.co.uk/antivirus/antivirusAtoM.html.
Where it is all too well to be informed, there is such a thing as ‘too informed’. You must keep in mind that some virus threats are a hoax and it doesn’t do to create hype about them in cyberspace. And you can learn more about them at http://www.vmyths.com/. Related to all these virus hoaxes it lists all the virus threats circulated through e-mail that are nothing but a hoax or urban legend. It also teaches you how to spot a virus hoax. Answer a few questions here whenever you receive a virus threat e-mail and you will most certainly know whether it is genuine or not. In the end, it also urges you to stop these hoaxes and outlines the necessary how-to.
The threat of viruses is a very real one. In the end, it all falls down to us, innocent PC users to keep on scanning our systems and updating our security software. But if it does prove to be a guarantee of safeguarding our data, then I guess all the hard work is worth it.
Saturday, June 5, 2004
Problems with Co-Education
Much has been written both in favor of, and against co-educational institutes in Pakistan. Both the proponents and opponents cite apparently valid arguments to support their view. But if we look from a Western sociological perspective, co-education has been declared as extremely disadvantageous to the female students. Many feminist movements have started an active campaign to get single-sex schools established in large numbers.
So why should co-education be disadvantageous? After all, we have all heard that the school being a miniature form of the society at large, co-education encourages young adults to learn how to interact, much as they would do in the wider society. Co-education also helps, according to its proponents, to inculcate confidence and self-esteem in students as they engage in healthy interaction in classes and extra-curricular activities. Ask these proponents about any moral problems whatsoever. Their answer is that it all depends on you, as an individual, as to how you choose to interact with the opposite sex.
But now, if you examine the Western sociologists and what they have discovered through their research, their studies more or less negate the positive aspects of co-education. In fact, the increasing achievement level of female students has been attributed to the increase in single-sex classes. Single-sex classes along with a female teacher, provides a positive role model for the students, not only in traditionally female-dominated subjects like humanities, but also in subjects like science and engineering. The latter subjects, which were traditionally considered as ‘male domains,’ are now being characterized by increasing female achievement levels. Single-sex classes increase the confidence of female student, according to this interpretation, and results in a more positive attitude to science and technology subjects.
Moving on to the study of individual sociologists, the most notable one is that of Michelle Stanworth, who carried out her study “Gender and Schooling” of A’Level classes. She discovered that interaction in the classroom affected the female students in a very negative way: they got less attention of the teachers, were discouraged from class participation and lacked self-esteem considerably. Her conclusion of girls getting less attention was determined by interviews with teachers. When asked about whom they give the most attention to, the teachers named a male student two and a half times as often as a female student. Most of the teachers felt that it was much more difficult to remember the names of the female students of the class. Discouragement in class participation was determined through the response of the pupils who reported that the male students were four times more likely to join a class discussion, twice as likely to seek help from the teacher and twice as likely to be asked questions. And finally, girls’ underestimation of their ability was discovered when the pupils were asked to rank themselves in terms of their ability, and teachers were asked to rank their students accordingly. In 19 out of 24 cases in which there was a discrepancy between the two rankings, girls had placed themselves lower than their teacher’s estimate and all but one boy placed themselves higher than the teacher’s rank.
Another sociologist, Dale Spender has argued in her book “Invisible Women” that the female students get less attention than male students in the classroom. Spender taped some of the classes she took, in which she tried to divide her time equally between the male and female students. She discovered, however, she only spent 38% of her whole time in interacting with the female students. After a further study, she observed that the female students have to wait for a longer time before they receive any attention from the teacher. Also, the attitude of the male students towards the female student is extremely degrading. She found that the male students tended to insult and abuse the female students. They also had a very dismissive attitude towards them if they took any part in class discussions. Spender concludes that the female students, who come out of such educational systems, tend to be submissive and docile in their later lives, who accept male domination without question.
Allison Kelly’s study “Science for Girls” was mainly focused on why science subjects were considered as male domains and she discovered that the female students are disadvantaged in the science classes, which leads them to study arts and humanities instead. In the science classes, she observed, teachers tended to use examples which were more familiar to the male students. The latter also had the tendency to hog the scientific apparatus and shout answers to the questions asked to the class in general. Similarly, Culley’s study of computing classes concluded that the male students monopolized the computers and created an uncomfortable environment for the female students.
An article by Grenville Phillips entitled “Co-education in the Balance” looks at an alternative point of view in opposing co-education. It argues that the brains of the males and females develop differently. Certain psychological experiments indicate that the left side of the brain is characterized by rationality, and the right side of the brain is characterized by emotions. In females, there is an intact connection between the left and ride sides of the brain, while in males, the connection is broken. Hence, female students are more productive in the sense that they can pay attention to many aspects of their education simultaneously, while the male students can only concentrate on one aspect at a time. This difference in ability of learning can have an impact in mixed-sex classes. One subject can only be taught in one way, so which way is it going to be? One which works for the female students or one which works for the male students?
The above mentioned studies do point towards the fact that mixed-sex classrooms are disadvantaging female students in many ways. Of course the above studies have been heavily criticized as well. But one cannot ignore the fact that if the wider society is characterized by patriarchal relations, such relations tend to reflect themselves in the classroom as well which, as I said in the beginning, is considered as a miniature form of the society as a whole. Can we expect our new generation of female students to be independent and self-assured, if they are a product of such co-educational classrooms/schools? Food for thought.
So why should co-education be disadvantageous? After all, we have all heard that the school being a miniature form of the society at large, co-education encourages young adults to learn how to interact, much as they would do in the wider society. Co-education also helps, according to its proponents, to inculcate confidence and self-esteem in students as they engage in healthy interaction in classes and extra-curricular activities. Ask these proponents about any moral problems whatsoever. Their answer is that it all depends on you, as an individual, as to how you choose to interact with the opposite sex.
But now, if you examine the Western sociologists and what they have discovered through their research, their studies more or less negate the positive aspects of co-education. In fact, the increasing achievement level of female students has been attributed to the increase in single-sex classes. Single-sex classes along with a female teacher, provides a positive role model for the students, not only in traditionally female-dominated subjects like humanities, but also in subjects like science and engineering. The latter subjects, which were traditionally considered as ‘male domains,’ are now being characterized by increasing female achievement levels. Single-sex classes increase the confidence of female student, according to this interpretation, and results in a more positive attitude to science and technology subjects.
Moving on to the study of individual sociologists, the most notable one is that of Michelle Stanworth, who carried out her study “Gender and Schooling” of A’Level classes. She discovered that interaction in the classroom affected the female students in a very negative way: they got less attention of the teachers, were discouraged from class participation and lacked self-esteem considerably. Her conclusion of girls getting less attention was determined by interviews with teachers. When asked about whom they give the most attention to, the teachers named a male student two and a half times as often as a female student. Most of the teachers felt that it was much more difficult to remember the names of the female students of the class. Discouragement in class participation was determined through the response of the pupils who reported that the male students were four times more likely to join a class discussion, twice as likely to seek help from the teacher and twice as likely to be asked questions. And finally, girls’ underestimation of their ability was discovered when the pupils were asked to rank themselves in terms of their ability, and teachers were asked to rank their students accordingly. In 19 out of 24 cases in which there was a discrepancy between the two rankings, girls had placed themselves lower than their teacher’s estimate and all but one boy placed themselves higher than the teacher’s rank.
Another sociologist, Dale Spender has argued in her book “Invisible Women” that the female students get less attention than male students in the classroom. Spender taped some of the classes she took, in which she tried to divide her time equally between the male and female students. She discovered, however, she only spent 38% of her whole time in interacting with the female students. After a further study, she observed that the female students have to wait for a longer time before they receive any attention from the teacher. Also, the attitude of the male students towards the female student is extremely degrading. She found that the male students tended to insult and abuse the female students. They also had a very dismissive attitude towards them if they took any part in class discussions. Spender concludes that the female students, who come out of such educational systems, tend to be submissive and docile in their later lives, who accept male domination without question.
Allison Kelly’s study “Science for Girls” was mainly focused on why science subjects were considered as male domains and she discovered that the female students are disadvantaged in the science classes, which leads them to study arts and humanities instead. In the science classes, she observed, teachers tended to use examples which were more familiar to the male students. The latter also had the tendency to hog the scientific apparatus and shout answers to the questions asked to the class in general. Similarly, Culley’s study of computing classes concluded that the male students monopolized the computers and created an uncomfortable environment for the female students.
An article by Grenville Phillips entitled “Co-education in the Balance” looks at an alternative point of view in opposing co-education. It argues that the brains of the males and females develop differently. Certain psychological experiments indicate that the left side of the brain is characterized by rationality, and the right side of the brain is characterized by emotions. In females, there is an intact connection between the left and ride sides of the brain, while in males, the connection is broken. Hence, female students are more productive in the sense that they can pay attention to many aspects of their education simultaneously, while the male students can only concentrate on one aspect at a time. This difference in ability of learning can have an impact in mixed-sex classes. One subject can only be taught in one way, so which way is it going to be? One which works for the female students or one which works for the male students?
The above mentioned studies do point towards the fact that mixed-sex classrooms are disadvantaging female students in many ways. Of course the above studies have been heavily criticized as well. But one cannot ignore the fact that if the wider society is characterized by patriarchal relations, such relations tend to reflect themselves in the classroom as well which, as I said in the beginning, is considered as a miniature form of the society as a whole. Can we expect our new generation of female students to be independent and self-assured, if they are a product of such co-educational classrooms/schools? Food for thought.
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