Scam is the new spam

T+D, June, 2003 by William Powell

Don't Panic! Lists locations for more than 3000 cyber cafes in 143 countries. Though a reliable Internet connection is assured, the book's editors aren't making any guarantees about the coffee.

A PLAY

It's the other bookstore from the other Pacific Northwest state. But for many readers, Powellscom

www.powells.com is the place to shop online for new and used books.

Powells got its start in 1971 as a humble reseller of used books in Portland, Oregon, and has been online since 1994. Though Seattle's Amazon.com gets most of the attention, Powells is quickly becoming the choice for discriminating readers. I like the company's unique approach to selling used books alongside new ones. That's useful when you're looking for a specific edition or format. Powells also stocks a large selection of text books and technical books, as well' as HR and learning titles, If you re just looking for something to read at the beach,, there's plenty of that, too.

One of my favorite features of the site is the email lists. A monthly newsletter includes reviews, an interview of a featured author, and a list of sales and recommended selections. If you find it hard to stay on top of new releases, a weekly e-newsletter provides reviews from such major publications' as Harpers, Esquire, arid the New Republic.

Quick Clicks

Most people are content to let search engines work their magic; they have no interest in what makes them tick. The spidering, algorithm crunching, and headline grabbing that go into generating results is akin to watching sausage being made. Nevertheless, knowing how they work not only makes your searches more powerful, but it can also direct traffic to the one page that really counts--yours.

Search Engine Watch provides the latest news, reviews, and tips regarding search engines. Visitors can brush up on tips for power searching. Webmasters and Website owners can learn how to improve their listings or access detailed information on listing issues. There's even an excellent intro to the technology that goes on behind the screens.

Quick Tips

In the rush to delete spam from your in-box, it's easy to throw out the keepers tucked in-between. One trick for sorting out legitimate email is by assigning messages from co-workers a specific color, such as red for managers and blue for colleagues. To do so in Microsoft Outlook, it only takes a few steps.

With Outlook open, go to Tools, then Organize, and in the Organize dialogue box, click on Using Colors. The button is to the left.

Now highlight a message in your in-box from a sender who you'd like to assign a color. Notice that his or her name or email address appears in the text box on the Ways to Organize Inbox pane. All that's left to do is to choose a color from the dropdown menu and click Apply. Current and future emails from that sender will now appear in your chosen color.

The Web covers Internet technology trends, news, and tips. Send comments, questions, and items of interest to the weh@astd.org.

William Powell is learning technologies editor of T D; wpowell@astd.com.