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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Scam Warning
Beware Of Fake BBB Emails

Changes In Washington Could Impact Your Telecom Services

Two To View
A Couple Of Amazing Videos You Don't Want To Miss

This Month's FAQ
What Should I Do When I've Been Hacked On Facebook?

Sites Of The Month
Great Sites To Check Out In April

Short Tutorial
Setting Up A Pinterest Account And Starting To Pin


Hello West Central Internet Subscribers

Really Cool PicApril showers may bring May flowers but they can also rain on your parade. Likewise, this April issue contains a mixture of "clouds" to watch out for and colorful opportunities to enjoy. It begins with a warning about fake BBB emails and tells you how to spot them in order to avoid phishing scams. We also include advice on what to do if you've been hacked on Facebook. The forecast is all sunny for the rest of the issue, where you'll find adorable videos, cool websites, and a beginner's guide to Pinterest.

The goal of each of our eNewsletters is to keep our subscribers informed regarding their Internet connection and to improve their Internet experience. We think you'll find this information interesting.

To see what's inside this issue, simply scroll down the eNewsletter or click on the links within the index to the left. Thanks for reading!

- West Central Internet Services Team
 

 

Scam Warning – Beware Of Fake BBB Emails

Better Business BureauBusinesses and consumers across the country are being hit by an ongoing email scam that appears to be from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The fake emails started late last year and have gone through a number of variations since then.

In one, people report receiving phone calls—in addition to emails—from scammers claiming to be from the BBB. These callers offer help to remove a virus from the recipient's computer. They claim the computer was infected when the owner downloaded a virus from an email scam using the BBB name. The BBB is cautioning not to give out any personal information to callers or to install or download any software they recommend.

Should you receive a suspicious email identified as being from the BBB, don't click on any links or open any attachments; doing so could unleash a virus. You can test the links by using your mouse to hover over them. The destination of the links will appear in a small pop-up box next to the link or at the bottom of the screen. If the email is a scam, the website shown will not be a BBB.org URL. After you've confirmed the email you received is a scam, the BBB has asked that you forward it to phishing@council.bbb.org and delete it from your inbox. Also, make sure your virus software is up to date and run a virus scan.

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Changes In Washington Could Impact Your Telecom Services

FCC Image The Universal Service Fund (USF) – a program overseen by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and funded by telecommunications providers across the country – has for years been essential in ensuring that rural consumers living in difficult-to-serve areas have access to high-quality networks and affordable services. However, new Federal regulations and others under consideration are putting rural networks and services at risk.

High-speed broadband is becoming an essential part of daily life for businesses and consumers. Access is critical to commerce, civic participation, health care, and education across the far reaches of rural America. Although the FCC has stated its intent to ensure that all of America has comparable access to the Internet, new FCC regulations will reduce support for many smaller, locally based cooperatives and commercial telecom providers such as ours. Among other things, West Central Telephone will face:
  • New limitations on our ability to recover investments already made;
  • New rules that will be subject to changes every year, making it difficult to for us to plan ahead in accordance with unknown regulatory requirements;
  • Federal requirements to increase consumer rates in order to qualify for full USF support; and
  • Reduced payments from other (often larger) carriers who use rural networks.
Even where carriers and rural consumers can adapt to these changes, however, the FCC is considering further rule changes that threaten to reduce the ability of rural carriers to recover their costs. Changes now being considered include:
  • Reducing the opportunity for returns on rural telecom investment and operations;
  • Applying additional limitations on the ability to recover costs; and
  • Reducing USF support if a competitor serves even just a small part of our serving area.
The USF cuts arising out of the new rules will put existing investment in rural broadband at risk, and they will discourage future investment in new broadband-capable networks by small companies such as ours. The FCC's cuts could also lead to increased rates for many customers for telephone, broadband, and other services.

You can help West Central Telephone continue to provide you with the services you need at affordable rates. Contact your congressional representatives and urge them to support regulatory action that ensures equal and affordable access to broadband for all Americans. Also ask them to help make sure that the new rules are implemented in a manner that is fair for all rural consumers and consistent with true universal service, and to tell the FCC to stop pressing for new rules that will only make matters worse.

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Two To View – A Couple Of Amazing Videos You Don't Want To Miss

Cool Video Number 1   Cool Video Number 2
     
Fascinated by Flushing
Gizmo the cat just can't get enough, flushing the toilet again and again and again. Who knew swirling water was so fascinating? Perhaps Gizmo's owners should get this cat interested in cleaning the toilet as well.
  "I Feel Happy of Myself!"
After learning to ride his bike, this young boy gives an impromptu speech of celebration and inspiration. His sweet words contain lessons for all of us about continuing to practice in order to "get better and better at it."

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This Month's FAQ – What Should I Do When I've Been Hacked On Facebook?

facecrooks.comQuestion: What should I do when I've been hacked on Facebook?

Answer: First of all, we're sorry to hear you've been the victim of a "Facecrook." You probably discovered the problem when you were denied access to your Facebook page after the hacker changed your password. But have no fear; you can reclaim your account and get your Facebook life back in order.

You'll need to reset your password and make sure it's secure. If you're not logged in, you can reset your password by clicking the "Forgot your password?" link on the Facebook login page.

If you're already logged in, you can reset your password by going to your Account Settings page located in the Account drop-down menu at the top of every Facebook page.

When choosing a new password:
  • Use a combination of at least six numbers, letters, and punctuation marks.
  • Don't pick a word from the dictionary.
  • Don't pick something you've used as a password on another site.
To reduce your chances of getting hacked again, be careful before signing up for a new Facebook application; they are often the gateway to these kinds of problems. In particular, watch out for applications with "too good to be true" promises as well as those that request you invite half of your friends before you get full functionality.

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Sites Of The Month – Great Sites To Check Out In April

Go Easy On Your Eyes
protectyourvision.org – With heavy computer use can come Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), which commonly results in symptoms such as eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision, and dry eyes. To help prevent these problems, take a look at this site. You can set up your choice of automatic signals to remind you to periodically take a break from the computer screen and rest your eyes.
What's Up With Upcoming Movies?
moviepilot.com – What movies are coming to theaters? And what will they be like? Here's a very convenient resource for movie fans that lets you search by theme channels—all the way from Action to Zombies. Read plot summaries, find out where the movie is in the production process, and discover whether it's expected to be "Hot" or "Not".
Tips to Improve Gas Mileage
fueleconomy.gov – In light of rising gas prices, now's a good time to learn how to drive down your costs through better gas mileage. This U.S. Department of Energy site offers tips on how to drive more efficiently, keep your car in shape, plan and combine trips, and choose a more efficient vehicle. There's also a Fuel-Saving Tip of the Week.
Titanic's 100th Anniversary
photos.denverpost.com – This April marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. Here you can browse through a poignant photo gallery of artifacts retrieved from the Titanic, some of which will be auctioned by Guernsey's Auction House this month. The images include a section of the hull, china, jewelry, spectacles, and a chef's hat.
Lighten Up Spring Meals
www.simpleanddelicious.com – Going from winter to spring isn't just about changing your wardrobe. It's also an opportunity to make seasonal revisions to your meals. Now that it's spring, check out the refreshing ideas on this site for lighter menus that take advantage of the grill and encourage you to pile on the produce. How about a Primavera Stuffed Tomato or a Honey-Raspberry Parfait?

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Short Tutorial – Setting Up A Pinterest Account And Starting To Pin

Download Graphics to View

Pinterest is an online pinboard that lets you organize and share images of your favorite things—from baked goods to craft projects to inspiring quotes. It's an invitation-only website, so to get started using it you need to ask a friend who's already on the site to invite you. Once you receive your email invitation, click the link to set up your account. The Pinterest wizard will take you through the following steps:
  1. Choose a sign-in method. Use your Facebook or Twitter login to automatically connect to those accounts. Your Pinterest activity will show up there. For an account without connections, use a unique Pinterest user name and password.

  2. Choose topics of interest. Your choices dictate what shows up in your home page Pinterest feed.

  3. Choose a few people to follow. Pinterest makes suggestions from your other social networking accounts.

  4. Set up your first pinboards. Use the default names or change them to ones of your own creation. You can edit pinboards and names anytime in the future.
Once you've set up your Pinterest account, here's what to do to begin pinning:
  1. Browse other people's pinboards to get ideas before you start pinning yourself. Use Follow buttons to find and follow people and pinboards. Hover over a pin to Repin, Like, or Comment on other people's pins. For more options, click on the image. You can send the image to your Facebook or Twitter feeds, or easily embed the image in your own website.

  2. Add the Pin It button to your browser so you can start pinning. You'll find a tutorial in the About menu. Using the Pin It button automatically embeds the address of the website into the pin so followers can find the original image and information about it.

  3. Press the Pin It button while browsing. Pinterest will show you the images you can pin from that page. Choose the one you want and click on it. It will give you a chance to choose a pinboard and add a comment. Use the @ symbol before a name to mention Pinterest friends; they'll receive a notice.

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We hope you found this newsletter to be informative. It's our way of keeping you posted on the happenings here. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins, click here.

Thanks for your business!

Best regards

The WCTA Communications Team
Internet Specialists



WCTA Sebeka
308 Frontage Road Box 304
Sebeka, MN 56477

1-218-837-5151 or toll free at 1-800-945-2163


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