Traditional spamming consists of sending out an extremely high frequency of emails from a spam-hosted account. In the early days of the Internet, the was an extremely profitable, though illegal, business structure. However, the Internet has developed to a point where this practice is no longer viable. This doesn’t mean the Internet will soon be saved from spammers, but rather that spamming will soon take on a different form. The initial question is, why has traditional spamming declined? The second is, how will spam change to adapt to the new Internet.

Profitability

    In 1997, spamming was an extremely profitable business. However, in the past 14 years, the Internet has become an increasingly difficult place for spammers to navigate. The amount of hardware and time needed to run an active spamming business outweighs the profit. This means that spamming is more expensive than it’s worth and, with all things considered, a business model that loses money. Currently, traditional spamming would pay less money per hour than a minimum wage job.

    While traditional spamming is no longer worth the money, spammers are a crafty bunch, known for adapting to new environments. In what ways will spammers change in order to once again make money?

Smart Spam

    Traditional spamming was known for mass emails. This is a kind of blunt force approach. Now, these messages are routed subversively. Spammers are beginning to utilize classic hacking techniques. Legitimate email accounts are being hacked, and lower frequencies of spam messages are being sent from them. This technique was recently used on actor Simon Pegg, causing over 1 million readers to receive a spam link from one of his accounts.

    While there will always be a security answer to new spamming techniques, the best way to protect yourself is through personal diligence. Always be wary of a suspicious link, even if it is sent from a trusted account. Be mindful of any suspicious Internet activity that you encounter and do your best to stay ahead of spammers’ tricks. For more information on how spamming is evolving, make sure to read this article.

Sometimes the most basic questions are the hardest to answer.

For example: What is the Internet?

Um … it’s that thing we can’t imagine living without. It’s how we work, buy stuff, watch videos, communicate, share memories, conduct research, tell jokes, catch up with friends, etc.

In 1995, 15 percent of adults were online. Now, it’s above 75 %, and for certain demographics (younger people, educated adults, rich folk), the percentage is over 95 percent, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project.  

We’re all on Internet. But what IS it exactly?

Lucky for us, learning about the Internet is just a quick Internet search away. But before you go down the Wikipedia wormhole, we suggest starting with Business Insider’s handy guide: ‘What The Heck Is The Internet?’

Or, since remixing information is a hallmark of the Internet age, you can just stay here and read our synopsis of Business Insider’s (BI) primer on the Internet. Ready? Okay!

The Internet to put it briefly, according to Business Insider (BI):

• The Internet is an interconnected network, or network of networks.
• The Internet is the aggregate of the computers (servers, desktops, laptops, etc.) that share information via telephone wires and satellite links; these computers are all connected by a common software standard called Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP).
• Most us connect to the Internet via an Internet Service Provider’s (ISP) network. The three largest ISPs in the U.S. are AT&T, Comcast, and Road Runner. BI: “When you connect to an ISP, your computer becomes a part of its network. That network is already connected to another larger network, and that network is connected to yet another network, and so on and so forth across the globe.”
• The two basic aspects of the Internet are servers and clients. Servers are machines that provide services (get it?) to other machines. Clients (desktops, laptops, smartphones, etc.) use these services. BI: “So when you sign online at work, your computer becomes a client that’s accessing a Web server.”
• Every device that connects to the Internet has a unique numerical IP address
• The World Wide Web, or web, is just one ‘layer’ of the Internet. There are other layers. For example, POP and IMAP are distinct layers that govern the transmission of email across the Internet. The web layer (officially known as HTTP) of the Internet was invented in the late 1980s by American Tim Berners-Lee. BI: “The world wide web is all the pages that can be accessed using Web browsers [e.g. Explorer, Firefox].” Often used interchangeably, the Internet and the Web aren’t the same thing. The web is a small slice of the larger Internet pie.
• All domain names have a corresponding numerical IP address. Example (courtesy of Wikipedia): the domain name www.example.com translates to the IP address 192.0.32.10. The Domain Name System was created to make the Internet more user-friendly (domain names are easier to remember than long strings of numbers).

Technological growth is now motivated by consumer trends. Companies like Apple, Google and Microsoft are all growing because of the innovations being made in line with consumer demands. These consumer-based technologies are providing fantastic advancements and creating deeper levels of practical implication. A perfect example of this is the Google search engine. At the core of Google’s success is its ability to develop technology in response to consumer trends. It is obvious that most modern technology is consumer-based, but how has this trend affected technology as a whole? Here are some good examples:

User-Generated Content

Consumer trends have shown a high profit in enabling more integrated content to be developed by a greater number of third party institutions. Fundamentally, this means that more independent developers can make programs that run well on advanced devices, like the iPhone. Apple has designed the iPhone with this level of customization in mind and in doing so, expanded the use and practicality of their devices. User-generated content is a direct byproduct of consumer-based technology.

User-Friendly Applications

Any market reliant on consumers will inevitably adapt to the ability of those consumers. Basically, this means that a company must provide an easy to use product in order to survive. Consumer-based technology is no different. As technology has progressed, it has become more user friendly. Compare Linux to Windows 7, the developments made between the two operating systems is a direct result of consumer trends favoring products that are easy to use. Technology has become a part of our every day lives because of the innovation behind it is consumer-based.

User Involvement

Consumer-based technology is now a normal part of growing up. Believe it or not, video games have been a large motivator for technological advancement. Game creators are always looking for new ways to involve and include users with their technology; a perfect example of this is the Xbobx Kinect. The Kinect is the latest in motion-capture technology that allows the player to interact with a game by moving without being connected to any device. This technology has found other applications; with your actions you can now search for a movie on Netflix, visit your favorite website, and send a voice-dictated email.

Many of these consumer-based technological advancements may seem to only consider the pleasure of the user and have little functional implications.  It’s important to consider how these new technologies will affect the future.  User-generated and friendly content could one day allow hospitals the ability to develop personalized monitoring programs for each patient; code writing and development could be accessible to everyone. User involvement has endless implications for the development of new devices. Though consumer-based technology is motivated by profit, the possibilities for future technologies are still valuable to society as a whole.

To see some specific ways consumer technology is being implemented practically, take a look at this article.

The classic resume is a standard of professionalism that has been agreed upon between prospective employees and prospective employers since the dawn of the barter system. The traditional resume typically consists of a white piece of paper, size 12 font, and an easy to read list of skills and accomplishments designed to convince any reader that the author is a talented and skilled worker. However, recent years and economic stress have driven applicants to become more creative when formatting their resumes, resulting in some truly ingenious creations. The new technological market has developed a need for creative thinkers. Whether you are creating a resume or reviewing one, here are a few things to consider.

When Creating a Resume

Make your resume as professional as it is creative. Don’t forget that this is a representation of your ability to perform well in the job you are applying for. If you err on the side of being too creative, you might run the risk of leaving out important information about your relevant skills. However, don’t shy away from presenting that information creatively. Here are a few tips to start you off.

1. Be visual. An infographic is a great format to present a well-rounded resume. This style can show off your ability and your creativity. Here is an example. Infographic
2. Match the design with your style. If you work best in an open schedule, let your resume reflect that artistically. If you work best in a regimented schedule, reflect that in the same way. Take a look at this resume as a great example: Design and style
3. Add subtle flair. Many companies now accept PDF resumes as opposed to hard copies. Take a look at this example of adding creativity while expressing aptitude: Flair

When Reading a Creative Resume

If you’re in the position of reading resumes, especially at a small business, be open to accepting those that are creative and not just a simple list of talent and accomplishment.  A creatively designed resume may seem silly and unprofessional, but it tells you a lot about the applicant. It shows that they have the ability to think outside the box, aren’t afraid of taking risks and are clever. These qualities are ones that might be left unrepresented in a traditional resume but are also paramount to the success of any business, large or small. Keep in mind that if someone submits a creatively designed resume, they could be an invaluable asset.

As social evolution and technological advancement progress, applicants will find more and more creative ways to present their talents. Being open to exploring these avenues as both creator and audience will allow you to improve your business or career. As in most things in life, keeping an open mind can never hurt.

Smartphones have been one of recent history’s fastest growing technological advancements. Like most technology, the inception of smartphones has led to the necessity for other supportive technologies to be developed. For example, mobile devices being able to get connected to a full version of the Internet requires developers to create and design new ways of communicating with the Internet. As a result, technology has turned to a mature program, voice recognition, to develop a new and thrilling user tool: voice search. Voice search was created with a simple mission: provide easy Internet searching without worrying about undersized keyboards or long scrolling text. While voice search fulfills this mission, it also opens the door for current technologies to find exciting and new applications.

What is voice search?

The Internet is an almost endless source of information, though if the Internet is unsearchable it becomes useless; imagine an encyclopedia with no index. As smartphones develop to the point of accessing a full version of the Internet, it has become necessary to also develop new and more efficient methods of searching for information online. Voice search takes your speech and transfers it digitally via the Internet to a remote database that computes this information through a voice-recognition algorithm and then returns that information to your device. Effectively, voice search uses the Internet to translate your voice into searchable text.

All of this is made possible by utilizing cloud technology. Because Voice search takes voice recognition to the cloud instead of a mobile device, it allows for very high performance in both response and accuracy.

While voice-recognition technology has been around for quite some time, the way most consumers have interacted with it has been through robotic customer care. Voice search has taken recent cloud technology, as well as a few well-written algorithms, and turned it into a highly functioning voice recognition tool.

What is the future of voice search?

    The future will most likely see an increase in the adoption of voice search technology, not only in interactions with the Internet but also in controlling the devices themselves.

However, the most exciting and logical next step in voice recognition evolution would be language understanding technology. Classic search is based on matching query terms with an index of words found in documented text. Language understanding would differ from that in its ability to function abstractly. For example, a classic search for “change volume” would find documents or files containing those words. The same search with language understanding would result in bringing the user to the settings that control volume. Imagine changing the volume on your computer by simply asking it to change.

Voice search is a perfect example of how technology evolves in line with cultural trends and practical designs.  We can look forward to highly effective voice command and recognition functionality on future devices.  If you’d like to read more information on voice search, including its history and development, please check out this article.

Having the right attitude for business is an essential part of getting ahead. Succeeding in business is often just as much about hard work as it is personality, because almost all business includes dealing with people. You could even say it is a sign of hard work when a worker has an excellent work attitude. What does this mean? Simple: having the right kind of business attitude takes training. We aren’t all born with the ability to effectively communicate with those around us, cultivating an effective personality takes time. Here are easy tips to consider when working on your business attitude.

1.    Be positive

This advice is foundational to cultivating a good business attitude. A recent business study has shown that those who have realistic goals, often compliment their coworkers and show gratitude for even the smallest windfalls are the ones most likely to advance in their career. Having a pessimistic outlook can decrease motivation for personal and professional advancement. Staying positive will allow you to keep pushing forward towards your career goals. For more tips, check out this article.

2.    Think assertively without being aggressive

Assertiveness is one of the top traits of those successful in business, however it is often coupled with aggressiveness. The most important thing when attempting to be assertive without being aggressive is communication. When asserting yourself in the office, allow other people as much time to describe their needs as you’ve allowed yourself. When they are expressing their needs, try not to devalue their perspectives; doing so will allow you to stay open to meeting them halfway.

Practicing these tips will make you a member of the team and make an environment that allows for your career advancement. If you’d like additional tips, please consider this article.

3.    Approach conflict with compassion

When dealing with an unruly coworker, approach them with compassion. This doesn’t mean you should apologize when it isn’t your fault, instead it means approaching the situation with an open mind. You might be surprised at the positive results of entering into conflict resolution with understanding instead of caution. Having a compassionate attitude can help you succeed in business by effectively dealing with conflict.  For more advice, read this article.

Every successful businessperson has a well-cultivated and implemented business attitude. Professional advancement is dependent on your ability to deal with other people, because all businesses readily involve personal interaction to some degree. These tips and bits of advice will be helpful when evaluating and improving your business attitude, making success even more obtainable. Keep in mind: having a good business attitude takes work. Don’t forget that a good personality is an essential business skill.

Many of us have heard rumblings about the Internet shifting to IPv6. What exactly it will mean, however, is still lost on many. Read on for an explanation of IPv6 and how it might affect you.

What it is

IPv6 is the most recent version of IP, or Internet Protocol, which is the method by which data is sent over the Internet. IPv4 is the version of IP that has been used up until this point, but it is running out of addresses. This is where IPv6 comes into play.

IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses instead of the 32-bit addresses used by IPv4. The longer number strings allow for more addresses because there are a greater number of possible combinations. 

How the transition may affect you

Most likely, you will experience most of your problems with IPv6, if any, during the initial migration from IPv4. The potential problems will likely depend on the browser you use and the Web server that is hosting the domain you wish to access. Some potential issues include:

• If you’re using IPv6 and you try to access an IPv4 site, you may receive a “404” error.
• If you are using a network that only supports IPv4, you may not be able to access IPv6 sites – you can reconfigure your network in order to fix this.

Despite the potential for problems, many people agree that you will likely still be able to view any site if you are using IPv6.

How to avoid IPv6-related problems

There are a couple of resources that can warn you about any issues you may run into during the transition to IPv6. Websites like http://omgipv6day.com/ and http://test-ipv6.com/ will tell you if you will be able to access most sites. They will also tell you where your problems will stem from, if you experience any.

Although there is potential for some bumps in the road due to the move to IPv6, chances are, you won’t be affected much. For more information on IPv6, check out this article.

Though still a young technology, computer tablets have become one of the most popular items in the tech world since the introduction of the iPad. As the industry has grown, so have the options, with tablets being offered by Microsoft, Android and Motorola.  However, popularity doesn’t always equal practicality. The iPad may one day be viewed as an antiquated technology, much in the same way we now see the Atari 2600. When making the decision to buy a tablet, make sure to consider first the pros and cons. 

Pros: 

• Tablets will go anywhere. The cabability to access important documents at any location is valuable. As businesses begin to utilize cloud computing more often, it becomes even more imperative that you increase personal accessibility.
• Tablets can be practical tools. Every day, developers release new and innovative business-related apps. If used correctly, a tablet can help you get more done. 
• Tablets are a symbol of professionalism. Having a tablet computer in a meeting with a customer or partner instead of a legal pad will let them know that you mean business. In turn, this could increase their confidence in your ability to perform. 

Cons: 

• Tablets are a luxury. Whether you have a laptop or a desktop, a tablet isn’t something you absolutely need. Business might advance to a market that requires the use of tablets, but as of now there is generally a less complicated alternative to any function a tablet can complete. 
• Tablets can be very distracting. Because tablets are crossover devices between business and consumer, they have the potential to become overpriced toys. Presently, there are far more leisure-related apps than there are work-related apps.  
• Tablets are still a young technology and are therefore costly. If you aren’t yet confident a tablet is right for you, given their price, wait a few months to watch how the industry grows. Eventually, cheaper alternatives will be introduced as more well-known hardware, like the iPad, drop in price. 

Tablets are powerful tools that strike a balance between practicality and luxury. Considering the pros and cons will help you decide the value a tablet can offer. If you’d like to learn any more information, please take a look at this article.

The way we pay for things appears to keep getting easier and easier. The trend is continuing with NFC, or Near Field Communication, mobile chips. NFC technology allows you to wirelessly transmit data from one device to another at close ranges.

How will we use it?

NFC mobile chips will soon be integrated into all smartphones, making it easier than ever to pay for your coffee. Instead of digging around in your purse or pocket to find your wallet, you simply use your phone – something most of us have at hand at all times.

Incorporating NFC chips into smartphone designs allows users to store their credit card information in their phones. That way, when they’re at a business that is outfitted with the technology, they can simply scan their phones at the register.

Google Wallet

Google just announced its foray into the mobile payments world. Google Wallet, which hopes to take the place of the traditional wallet, is available on certain Android devices, but Google plans to release a sticker that will allow other devices to work with the Google Wallet. A number of retailers have already signed on to work with Google Wallet.

Since the mobile payments industry is going to be such a game-changer, it is unlikely that Apple, RIM, and other smartphone makers will be eager to open their platforms up to Google Wallet. These companies, instead, will likely be coming out with their own mobile payment systems in the near future.

Other potential uses

NFC mobile chips will likely soon be doing much more than just helping you pay for your coffee. Some of those potential uses include:

• Replace passports and boarding passes
• Products may contain RFID (radio-frequency identification) tags on them that you can scan as a way to gather information.
• Pet tags may soon have RFID tags attached that you can scan if you find a lost puppy.
• Replace keys – no more clunky key chains!

NFC technology is one of the biggest advancements in payments we have seen in a long time.

For more information on NFC mobile chips and how they work, take a look at this article.

Your everyday workflow can be tough to get in check. Sometimes we don’t know what the next logical step is off the top of our heads. Fortunately, workflow charts are easy to create and can make certain processes much easier to understand.

What are they?

A flowchart is fundamentally a diagram that outlines processes with differently shaped boxes (steps in the process are usually square while decisions are usually indicated with a diamond) and arrows that link those boxes. They are great tools when it comes to managing or outlining processes. For an example of a flowchart, click here.

Pros

• Very straightforward way of conveying a process as the symbols are generally universally understood
• Once it has been made, the process will often take less time than before
• Helps users understand how each step impacts an entire process

Cons

• Can be difficult to create, especially when the processes are more complicated
• If you don’t have the proper software, this can be a very long process

How to create one

Creating a workflow chart is not as complex as it looks. Thanks to computer software that guides you through the process, it can really be much less painful that you may think.

Workflow software lets you choose the type of box you’d like to use (to indicate a step or a decision) and then you fill in the information and connect the boxes as you see fit. If a certain step has multiple courses of action, you should indicate those with multiple arrows leading to those options. To see what different flowchart icons mean, take a look at this eHow article.

Workflow charts are an excellent way to help break down a process and better understand all of the steps that go into it.

For more information on creating a workflow chart, take a look at this article.