Entries Tagged 'tech tips' ↓

Click this link to get it.

This animated news ticker from Gates of Vienna looks attractive and works well. Clicking on any of the headlines will get you directly to the blog, so that you can participate in the comments. It’s already in the sidebar of 1389 Blog; scroll down to check it out!

Gates of Vienna is the voice of the European counterjihad. They also offer an excellent daily news feed that covers worldwide news with an emphasis on the counterjihad cause, along with other economic and political issues. It’s worth visiting the blog every day.

There are a variety of tools and techniques for linking content from other blogs. If you’re a blogger, you can choose whatever best suits your work habits, the style of your blog, and the bandwidth available to those who typically read your blog. For example, you can use the built-in RSS feed widgets in WordPress or Blogger to set up clickable headline feeds from the other blogs that you wish to support.

An unpleasant surprise

Earlier today, I accessed Blogrolling to add some entries to “1389′s Links.” This list appears in the 1389 Blog sidebar, and it offers a whole variety of links to sites that I find interesting, informative, or entertaining, and that readers might like to see also.

This is what came up:

Needless to say, I made no effort to contact ejder2121@windowslive.com.

What is Blogrolling anyway?

How you can use it

Many bloggers and blog readers have seen lists of links to other blogs that are hosted and maintained through a service called Blogrolling. This service offers a home page that lets you open an account, set up and populate your own blogrolls and link lists, and generate Javascript code to display the link lists on your blog or website. You can distribute this Javascript code so that others can display shared blogrolls on their sites. For example, 1389 Blog maintains a shared blogroll for the Stop Blog Censorship campaign, which you can see in the sidebar.

Advantages and disadvantages

Blogrolling has its advantages and disadvantages, but overall, I’m a big fan of it, because of its convenience, stability, and ease of use. It has features for sorting blogrolls by most recent blog update, for searching blogrolls, for finding out who has blogrolled you, and for backing up blogroll links. On the other hand, because Blogrolling uses Javascript to build the link lists for display on your page, Google will not index the the links, and will not use the links to raise the page rank of the blogs on the list. And if you put too many blogrolls on the same page, it will introduce delays in loading the page, especially for readers without broadband service. That is why most of our blogrolls have been moved to the Links resource page.

Why would anybody hack Blogrolling?

That’s a good question.

Blogrolling is simply a hosting service for link lists, open to both commercial and noncommercial sites. To the best of my knowledge, Blogrolling takes no political, religious, or ideological stance.

Yes, it’s true that some conservative, antijihadist, pro-Christian, and pro-Jewish blogs and blog groups use Blogrolling – to name a few: Center for Vigilant Freedom, Bear Flag League, The Hillbilly Ecosystem, Screw the UN, International Zionist Web, The Tennessee ConserVOLiance, Christian Blogosphere, Right Truth, and the Crescent of Betrayal Blogburst.

So is that why the Blogrolling site was hacked? Most unlikely! Not only are there plenty of sites on Blogrolling that hold views that oppose ours, but also, it is clear that the vast majority of sites that use Blogrolling are commercial blogs that express no particular point of view either for or against the Islamist agenda.

So what would be the point of hacking Blogrolling?

Maybe there was no real point, or at least no point that would make any sense. Maybe the miscreant(s) were motivated simply by a desire to prove that they have the ability to make nuisances of themselves by interfering with a site that many people use. To be sure, that’s not much of an accomplishment. It takes a lot less talent and ability to break in and mess up a web page than it takes to create and run a good site. Blogrolling will most likely notify the authorities and then get their site up and running again with enhanced security. And what will people think who happen to see the hacked site? They’ll most likely be inclined to feel more negatively toward jihadism, Islam, and Muslims in general than they already do.

Shortly after FHK launched we began searching for ways to increase our rankings on the search engines. The prevailing wisdom was that one good way to do this is to maintain a blogroll (that’s the ridiculously long list of blogs in the sidebar of many blogs), as it is a good way for bloggers to exchange much needed “links,” increase their link count, and move up in the ratings.

There were a few “monster” blogrolls that everyone was trying to get on, and I had one particular one in mind. I e-mailed, and begged and pleaded, and finally, the administrator of the blogroll heard my cries and added Ft. Hard Knox to his blogroll. I was so excited, because I was sure my ratings would double over night. Afterall, Ft. Hard Knox had just been added to every major blogroll in the conservative blogosphere! So I watched Technorati…and watched…lost some sleep watching that night…and guess what?! I didn’t get one single link on Technorati as a result of being added to that HUGE blogroll.

To make matters worse, my link count on Technorati actually started dropping over the next few weeks.

Something had to be wrong…I checked around, and sure enough, the blogroll administrator had done everything correctly. We were there – on all of these blogrolls, but the links weren’t being counted on Technorati. The blogroll administrator was using the popular blogroll service, Blogrolling, which is also the one we were using.

So I began researching. To my disappointment, I learned that blogroll links contained within javascript are no longer counted on Technorati, and neither are any links over six months old. So, no only were we not getting additional links from being added to the blogroll, but links from the bloggers I’d convinced to trade links with us six months ago were dropping off.

What to do?

Fortunately, we use WordPress for our blog, and I’ve checked, and the links from the WordPress blogrolls ARE still counting on Technorati (the other search engines like Google are harder to gauge, because they are not up-front about how their calculations are performed).

If you have a bunch of blogrolls on Blogrolling, you can simply use the OPML code from those blogrolls to import your links to WordPress.

That’s easier than it sounds.

1. Log in to Blogrolling
2. Click “Get Code” under the blogroll you want to import to WordPress
3. Scroll down to “OPML” and click “Click to select the code”
4. Log in to your WordPress blog, and go to the Dashboard
5. Mouseover “Blogroll,” then click “Import Links” on the drop-down menu
6. Under “Specify an OPML URL:” paste the OPML code you just copied from Blogrolling
7. Click on the “Import OPML File” button

That’s it…the links will appear on your blogroll. If you’re consolidating more than one Blogrolling blogroll, you may now need to weed through you WordPress blogroll and delete the duplicates. Within a day or two, your links will be showing on your blog friends’ link counts on Technorati.

Now, all you have to do is convince your friends to reciprocate the favor. Again. Good luck.

Also see:

• How to Prevent your Blog from Leaking Pagerank
• Technorati FAQ
• Technorati Wacks Blogrolling

New U.S. TSA rules take effect New Year’s Day 2008

In a nutshell: You will no longer be able to pack spare batteries in checked baggage, but, within limits, you will be allowed to pack spare batteries in carry-on baggage. Most lithium batteries for consumer electronic devices such as laptops and video cameras will meet the restrictions. But large, professional-grade batteries may exceed the limits; if you have any doubts, call the manufacturer before you pack your devices for travel.

Don’t Lose Your Batteries to Airport Security!

By Gary Krakow, TheStreet.com – 12/29/2007 10:34 AM EST

If you’re one of the millions of airline travelers who carry spare lithium laptop, cell phone and camera batteries with you, listen up: The government has some new rules which go into effect on New Year’s Day.

Fortunately, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is not worried about the batteries installed in your devices, be it an iPhone or laptop. Those are safe to bring along with you on the plane in your carry-on bag.

But the TSA is worried about loose, spare batteries. These are batteries with uncovered electrical contacts, which, if touched by other metal objects could cause an explosion and fire during a flight. So, the agency wants to make sure that any spare lithium batteries you take with you on your flight meet its new standards.

From the DOT Safe Travel site:

Effective January 1, 2008, the following rules apply to the spare lithium batteries you carry with you in case the battery in a device runs low:

• Spare batteries are the batteries you carry separately from the devices they power. When batteries are installed in a device, they are not considered spare batteries.
• You may not pack a spare lithium battery in your checked baggage
• You may bring spare lithium batteries with you in carry-on baggage – see our spare battery tips and how-to sections to find out how to pack spare batteries safely!
• Even though we recommend carrying your devices with you in carry-on baggage as well, if you must bring one in checked baggage, you may check it with the batteries installed.

The following quantity limits apply to both your spare and installed batteries. The limits are expressed in grams of “equivalent lithium content.” 8 grams of equivalent lithium content is approximately 100 watt-hours. 25 grams is approximately 300 watt-hours:

• Under the new rules, you can bring batteries with up to 8-gram equivalent lithium content. All lithium ion batteries in cell phones are below 8 gram equivalent lithium content. Nearly all laptop computers also are below this quantity threshold.
• You can also bring up to two spare batteries with an aggregate equivalent lithium content of up to 25 grams, in addition to any batteries that fall below the 8-gram threshold. Examples of two types of lithium ion batteries with equivalent lithium content over 8 grams but below 25 are shown below.
• For a lithium metal battery, whether installed in a device or carried as a spare, the limit on lithium content is 2 grams of lithium metal per battery.
• Almost all consumer-type lithium metal batteries are below 2 grams of lithium metal. But if you are unsure, contact the manufacturer!

Click here for more information and useful photos.

(Updated 11/3/07, 11/12/07, 11/15/07, 11/24/07)
We win, they lose!

From the redoubtable Jawa Report:

• Cyber Report of Loser’s Super Cyber Dud
• Al Qaeda’s Coming Cyber Attack Cancelled
• The Jawa Report: Al Qaeda Declares Internet Jihad
• Al Qaeda’s “Jihadi Battalions to Attack the Internet” Declaration (translation is here)

AQ is making threats. So what else is new?

Suffice it to say that 1389 won’t be staying up nights worrying about this.

Jihadis of every stripe have been trying to shut down opposition blogs and websites all along! Ever since there have been counterterrorist/anti-jihadist websites and blogs, there have been problems with pro-jihadist activity. It goes with the territory. We’ve dealt with hackers, trolls, cyberstalkers, DDOS attacks, abuse of “censorware” to block access to our sites, slander and defamation, frivolous (albeit expensive) lawsuits, death threats, actual physical attacks – you name it!

Guess what? We have been aware of the risks all along, and we know how to fight back. (See Dancho Danchev: Electronic Jihad v3.0 – What Cyber Jihad Isn’t if you’re curious about the techie details.) We’re still here, and we’re here to stay!

That said, let me remind everyone to continue to take appropriate precautions:

• Make sure that the latest versions of your anti-virus/anti-malware products are installed and configured correctly.
• Make sure that your operating system is up to date with all security-related patches.
• If you have a blog or website, take backups of everything and keep the backups in several places.
• If your site is unexpectedly down or cannot be accessed, contact your hosting provider immediately.
• If you are being attacked, please refer to our Stop Blog Censorship and Reference Material resource pages for more information about how to report it and what to do next. Also, please let us know by using this form to send us email.

Why did AQ announce this now?

Here’s one possibility: AQ is upset about the way things are going in Iraq. They’re forced to acknowledge that their posteriors are being kicked not only by US and coalition troops, but by the Iraqis themselves. (See “The darkness has become pitch black” – Osama bin Laden on Iraq situation.) The Jawa Report says that sources indicate that AQ may be turning more of its attention to Afghanistan, because it has no future in Iraq.

Numerous AQ attacks have been thwarted in various other places around the world. Yes, AQ is dangerous, but certainly not invincible. Not if we put our minds and hearts and strength into stopping them!

Also see:

• McAfee Avert Labs Blog: Cyber Jihad Isn’t Here Yet
• The Jawa Report: Open Source Assessment of al Qaeda and Taliban
• The Jawa Report: Al Qaeda Taking Over Taliban?
• Michael Yon Online Magazine: Iraqi Islamic Party Says al Qaeda Is Defeated
• Audio: Michael Yon on the Defeat of al Qaeda in Iraq
• Terrorism: Latest bin Laden message ‘the most important in al-Qaeda’s history’
• Cyber Jihad, Litigation Jihad Cyber Litigation Foiled
• WashTimes: Web sites ready for al Qaeda ‘morons’
• AP: Experts convene to discuss terrorists’ use of Internet

Technorati : Foehammer s Anvil, Internet, Iraq, Islam, Jawa Report, Jihad Watch, al Qaeda, cyberjihadism, e-jihadis, malware, tech tips
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Has this been happening to you?

Blog admin 1389 has been getting lots of Shout notices from Digg lately…

What happens every time 1389 clicks on the link in the email?

Click the link and try it yourself!

http://digg.com/users/1389#send-shout

Why?

This can happen to anyone whose user ID was banned from Digg.

User ID 1389 was banned from Digg a long time ago…

The reason why 1389 was banned is not especially relevant here, but if you’re curious…read 1389′s comments accompanying this article: Has Digg really unbanned those banned sites? In retrospect, we also found some evidence that an unscrupulous cyberstalker/troll may have been involved in getting 1389 banned, along with some other Digg users. Suffice it to say that 1389 considers it no dishonor to be banned from Digg.

Incidentally, there has been no action to ban this blog (thus far)!

Note that, even though Digg user ID 1389 was banned, neither 1389 Blog – Antijihadist Tech, nor the blog’s domain or IP address, has been banned from Digg (yet). Articles from 1389 Blog can still be submitted to, and found on, Digg. Whether the stories have any chance to to reach the front page is another matter entirely.

What actually happens when a Digg user ID is banned?

In a nutshell, the user’s profile is blocked from access, but not deleted. Other users can no longer view the blocked user’s profile page. The banned user cannot log on to submit stories, make comments, or update the profile to change the email address or anything else. On the other hand, all existing stories and comments submitted by the blocked user remain available, unless the story or comment was specifically deleted by a Digg administrator. If another Digg user had befriended this user before he or she was blocked, the blocked Digg user will continue to appear in the other user’s list of friends, like this:

So here’s why 1389 keeps getting useless messages:

• Digg requires a valid email address from all new users, so, when signing up, 1389 provided an active email address that was, and still is, being used for correspondence.
• 1389 was very active on Digg for a time, submitted many stories, entered comments, got several stories to the front page, and was befriended by a considerable number of Digg users. Thus, 1389′s avatar still appears in many places – on each story that 1389 submitted or commented on, and on the profile pages of each user who befriended 1389 during that time.
• Digg made extensive changes at the beginning of October, 2007 to add new features, including the ability to send “Shouts” to other Digg users.
• Even though 1389′s account has been blocked, other users can still send a “Shout” to 1389. For instance, whenever a Digg user sends a group “Shout” to all of his or her friends, and 1389 happens to be on that user’s list of friends, a message will be generated for 1389 along with all of the others.
• Whenever anyone does this – and it happens every day – 1389′s email inbox receives another message containing a link to retrieve the “Shout” contents from Digg.
• Unfortunately, the shout retrieval link is associated with 1389′s blocked profile, so it will not work! What’s more, 1389 cannot even update the blocked profile to shut off this useless email!

More about Digg:

• These articles discuss censorship and other problems on Digg, as well as alternatives to Digg.
• Here’s what Foehammer has to say about Digg.
• The Fort Hard Knox team weighs in on Digg.
• Tex and Jenn’s research shows why Digg’s management is not on our side.

Posted to 1389 Blog – Antijihadist Tech and Fort Hard Knox.

Updated 12/25/2007

Brent Csutoras: Diggers Not Shouting So Loud?

Digg has finally taken action to curtail the “shout spam” that was being spewed indiscriminately via Digg’s “Shout All” feature. Digg now limits the number of “Shout” messages to twenty at a time; more than that, and the user is told to slow down. This gives senders an incentive to pay attention to whom they are sending their messages, so as not to waste their “Shouts” on inactive Digg users.

Brent Csutoras: To Shout or Not To Shout: The Digg Dilemma

How the Shout feature can backfire – and how to use it properly.

Technorati : 1389, Digg, Web 2.0, censorship, social news, spam, tech tips
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That radio-controlled toy may not be what it seems!

1389 Blog recently ran an article, They’re talking about a how-to video that you will NOT find on this blog! about the infamous Goose Creek Pipe Bomb Boys. One of them, Ahmed Mohamed, had made a terrorist-training video showing how to use a radio-controlled toy boat to make a remote-controlled bomb. This article connected some dots to let you know what you need to look for to keep yourself, your family, and your community safe.

Recently, the folks at Global Incident Map posted a notice, USA Airport Security Alert for Toys with Remotes. In a nutshell, although radio-controlled toys are not prohibited on aircraft at this time, passengers carrying such toys will be subject to additional screening:

Citing ‘credible specific information’ about terror tactics, Transportation Security Administration officers nationwide on Monday stepped up their scrutiny of passengers carrying remote-control toys aboard airplanes…

• TuscaloosaNews.com – Airport Security Alert for Toys With Remotes
• The Coloradoan – Airport security steps up searches; this time aimed at children’s toys

Do you enjoy RC toys? Here’s what you need to know to stay safe!

Radio-controlled toys should be good, safe fun for both children and adults. While it is disgusting enough that anybody would set off bombs as an act of terrorism, it is truly sick to put a bomb into a toy.

According to the article in The Coloradoan, an innocent person’s remote controller could accidentally trigger a remote bomb planted by a terrorist.

Remote controls on toys and items such as garage-door openers transmit radio waves and can be converted to crude detonators, though sophisticated terrorists shun them, said aviation security consultant Rich Roth, a former Secret Service agent. Such a bomb could be detonated prematurely, thus defeating a terrorist’s plans, he said.

“The problem has always been that there are so many kids with toys out there that if some kid fires up a toy and sets off a (terrorist) bomb, that’s not good,” Roth said.

So here are the take-home lessons for EVERYONE:

• Do not turn on the remote controller for any of your own radio-controlled toys in a public place. This is especially important in and around airports, train stations, buses, and other transportation facilities. You don’t want to affect anything else that might be using the same frequency.
• If you notice anything that looks like a radio-controlled toy left unattended outdoors or in a public place – use caution. Radio-controlled toys are fairly expensive and people normally don’t abandon them. Ask around to see if anybody knows whose it is and how it got there. If there isn’t a good reason for it being there, consider it a suspicious object and call the local authorities to check it out. Don’t just absent-mindedly touch it or push it aside. Take care not to step on it or run over it with your vehicle!
• If you see something, say something! Keep your eyes open for any type of terrorist-training or jihadist-recruitment videos when you’re exploring YouTube or other Internet video hosting services. Notify the video hosting service and the appropriate authorities. See the Reference Material resource page on 1389 Blog for specific information about where to report suspicious activities.

More news about the Goose Creek pipe bomb boys:

• Tampa Tribune: Megahed Essays Praise US (taqiyya…)
• Gateway Pundit: Goose Creek Terror-Brother Filmed Sending Hand Signals! (Video)
• 4 Comments

  Want to apprehend the producers of al Qaeda’s videos?

  October 6th, 2007 — al Qaeda, counterjihad, e-jihadis, media issues, tech tips, video

  Hot Air tells it like it is!

  

  Here’s what our military and intelligence agencies – and you – should be on the lookout for:

  Hot Air: UPI “experts” analyze al Qaeda’s media arm

  UPI gets it all wrong about the number of people and the amount of equipment that would actually be needed to produce the videos coming out of al Qaeda’s as-Sahab Institute, as the terror network’s media arm calls itself. Obviously, they are thinking in terms of the resources that UPI would have used to make such videos!

  The truth? You’d be surprised how little money and how few staff it actually takes.

  An Internet video expert at Hot Air explains what it actually takes to make these “viral” Internet videos. He describes the type of al Qaeda operation that our military and intelligence agencies – and anyone else in a position to notice something suspicious – should be looking for.

  
  Technorati : al Qaeda, cyberjihadism, e-jihadis, jihadis, media, tech tips, video
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