This article is from the March 2004 issue of Update.
One of our users has come up with a tale about a cursed mummy being on board the Titanic. Can you supply an authoritative source to confirm or debunk the story?
Whenever I hear about any legend of this type my first resource is the Snopes website which concerns itself with urban myths, and tries either to find some truth in them, or to put them to rest.
The mummy story is an urban myth, and you can get the full gist at www.snopes.com/horrors/ghosts/mummy.htm
While you’re there, it’s worthwhile going to the homepage just to check to see what new legends have been added. It’s a marvellous source for quickly sorting out all these stories.
We’ve recently seen a spate of emails telling us that our banking details are incorrect and that we need to go to their website and correct them. I know that this is a fake email, just trying to get hold of personal details. Can you provide any advice on making sure people don’t fall for this type of con?
I can, but in this instance it’s quicker to point you to a Microsoft webpage, surprising though that may sound!
Visit http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;%5Bln%5D;833786 (or the shorter version that I’ve created for you http://tinyurl.com/2ehrc ), where you’ll find lots of excellent advice on how not to be fooled by these emails.
How did you just make that short URL?
Of course, this isn’t a real question, but I’m fairly sure that some people will wonder how I was easily able to turn that long complex URL into something much easier so just this once I’ve slipped it in. It’s by using a very useful little utility called TinyURL (http://tinyurl.com/). You can either cut and paste a long URL into a box there and ask it to create a smaller version for you, or you can add a link from their site on to your browser toolbar, which will do it automatically for you, based on the page that you happen to be on. It’s a free service and one of several that do the same job, but I like this one since it’s so easy to use and the link doesn’t expire.
Follow-up
A very kind reader has followed up the answer to the question that I gave last month regarding the various National Something or Other Weeks that various groups run. If you’re interested in these things try visiting www.countmeincalendar.info/countme/CMIHome.nsf/
frmMainHomepage? ReadForm (or if you prefer, http://tinyurl.com/ytopl ) which lists categories such as Arts and Media, Children and Youth, Education and Learning, Society and Culture and several more. It can be searched by category and date, and looks like an excellent resource to add to your list of bookmarks. Many thanks Claire!
Site of the month
My site of the month is an extraordinarily clever one if you’re interested in web design and content, because it allows you to take the layout of one site and import the content of another site on the fly. I was astonished at how quickly it did this — I tried adding my content to the BBC layout — and it was very well done. Once you start, it’s very difficult to stop, so be warned. It’s Website MixMaster (www.topfx.com/cgi-bin/mixmaster.cgi).
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Phil Bradley is an internet consultant, trainer, web designer and author. Visit www.philb.com for free information on internet introductions, search engine articles, web design tips and a host of other free information. Recently published: Getting and Staying Noticed on the Web. New: visit Phil's Weblog (www.philb.com/blog/blogger.html)! If you have any questions about the internet send an email to philb@philb.com with the subject header 'column query'.