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Content about Microsoft Windows

May 26, 2006
Why Standards Matter for Email - and other amusements

 
Just as with the Web, standards (as well as widely-accepted conventions) are vital to the continued success of email as a medium. Many of the threats to email as a medium are rooted in a laxity and tolerance for failures to observe standards, or failures of, or weaknesses in, the protocol-defining standards themselves. By enforcing and enhancing existing standards, fixing the existing holes in those standards, and introducing various new standards, we can fix email.

February 4, 2005
From Zombies to Smarthosts - the Spam War Escalates

Where does spam come from? We've all asked ourselves this question. A cadre of systems administrators, who are actively trying to preserve this incredibly important communications channel, have invested a great deal of time into understanding the problem. Learning how to read email "headers" in order to trace spam to its senders, blocking abusive mail servers and other sources, and so on - has given us some interesting insights over the years. Lately, however, the spammers have begun to escalate their attempts to ensure delivery of their unsolicited ads for illegal (and dubious) pharmaceuticals, porn, and virtually everything else. The United Nations estimates over 70% of all mail sent on the Internet is spam, and it's getting worse.

April 12, 2004
Bandits in the Browsers

Just when you think that Web surfing is safe, think again. According to a report from the Computer Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), browser-based security attacks are on the rise and are anticipated to be “the next significant security threat to IT operations.” A browser-based security attack is defined as malicious code contained within a Web page (or HTML email) that appears harmless. The attacker uses the browser and user systems to sabotage or disrupt computer functionality.

March 21, 2003
Progressive Enhancement and the Future of Web Design

Back in March of 2003, Nick Finck and I stunned the Web design world at the South by Southwest Interactive conference in Austin. How? Well, despite a late night spent chowing down fish tacos and swilling Shiner bock, we actually managed to show up early Sunday morning to deliver our presentation.