This morning as I was sorting out my emails I ran across this message.

Supposedly, this is an email from Ebay claiming that someone had filed a complaint against me saying that I won an item and had not paid for it. In order to dispute this claim, I need to click on the link in the email and find out how to dispute the claim. As fearsome as this email sounds, I’m not a bit worried because I’ve already gotten this email at least 3 or four times this week and they’ve all come through different email address…none of which I use for Ebay. What we have here is a phising scam.

If you’ve been on the Internet for any amount of time, you probably would have heard of this type of scam. “Phising” is when scammers try to trick you into providing information that will allow them to steal bank account numbers, credit card number, or other sensitive information. The way phising scams work is to send out email that looks like it’s from a source that everyone has heard of or one that everyone trusts, like Ebay, Amazon, or Bank of America. The message in the email tells you that something’s wrong with your account, or that someone has attempted to hack into your account, and that you need to click on a link in the email in order to fix the problem or provide information. In most cases, these links will take you to a web page that looks like it’s from the web site that claims to have a problem with your account. When I click on the link in the email above, I was sent to this page.

It looks an awful lot like a page from Ebay, until you check the address bar in the browser:

If you type in your username and account to sign into this fake page, you’re providing the scammers access to your Ebay account. Sometimes the scammers will ask you to provide bank account information, credit card information, or your social security number. Once they get this information, they make charges on your credit card, steal money from your bank account or even steal your identity.

Phising scams aren’t new, but the scammers seem to be getting better and better at fooling people into giving out sensitive information about themselves. Even those experienced in using the Internet needs to continue to be on the look out. Here are some ways to avoid being caught by these scams:

1. Treat any email that claims that there is a problem with an account or requests sensitive information with suspicion.
2. Check the links in the email, if the links don’t match the website or the link includes the @ symbol in the address, the email is a phising attempt.
3. Don’t click on any links in the email. If you want to see if there really is a problem, go directly to the web site yourself and contact customer service or support. If the email claims to be from a bank, find the phone number and call the bank yourself. Don’t trust any links or phone numbers provided in the email
4. Never give out your social security number, any kind of passwords, bank account numbers, or credit card numbers over email. Banks and other reputable web sites will never ask for this type of information over email.
5. If you’ve come across something that looks like a phising attempt, contact the web site or the company that’s being spoofed and let them know about it.
6. Keep up to date on the latest scams. The web site Scambusters.org has a good article about phising with actual examples of real phising emails now being circulated on the Internet. Scambusters also has information on other types of Internet scams.

So I’ve been meaning to do this forever, but I finally got around to playing around with Skype last night. In case you didn’t know, Skype is a service that allows you to make telephone calls over the Internet, otherwise known as Voice Over IP (VoIP). In order to use Skype, you’ll need to have a computer that has a sound card, speakers, and an internal microphone, though you may eventually want to purchase a headset with a microphone. You’ll also need an high speed internet connection like cable internet or DSL. To test out Skype, go to the web site and download a piece of software (compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux) and install it on your computer, then you register on the Skype web site (free) in order to activate your service and then you’re in business.

Once you’re on Skype, you’ll be able to talk to other people who are on Skype for free. If you and the person you’re talking to has a video camera installed on your computer, you can even make video calls. Skype will also allow you to call any landline or cellphone in the world through a feature called SkypeOut. That means that you can use your computer to call up someone in Germany, dial your friend’s cell phone in California, or call your Mom’s house phone down the street. Now while talking to others on Skype is free, you’ll need to buy minutes from Skype in order to use SkypeOut. They do have a great unlimited calling plan for SkypeOut calls within the US and Canada. Currently they are running a special where if you sign up by January 31st, you can make unlimited calls to US and Canadian phones for $14.95 per year. After January 31st, the price goes up to $29.95. SkypeOut also has international calling rates that start at 2.1 cents per minute for countries like China, Germany, Mexico City, Taipei and London.

Last night I tested out Skype by calling my husband’s cell phone, calling up my sister-in-law and by checking my business voice mail over my laptop. Everything appeared to work quite nicely, I was able to carry on a conversation just by using the internal speakers and microphone on my iBook and my husband and sister-in-law had no trouble hearing me. I even recorded a call using Skype and Audio Hijack Pro, which is a program I use to help record my Crafting Voices podcast. Using Skype and Audio Hijack I was able to record one side of a phone call and if I hooked up my microphone, I could also record my end of the conversation separately, which will help improve the way I do phone interviews by 100%. If you’re planning on doing podcasts where you’re doing interviews over the phone, the $14.95 per year that you’ll pay for Skype is more than worth it.

There’s also some other nifty features like SkypeIn, where you get your own Skype telephone number so people who aren’t on Skype can call you through your Skype account. There’s Skype Voicemail, where other Skype members can leave you voicemail messages even when you’re offline. You can also make conference calls with up to four people for free. There’s a charge for both SkypeIn and Skype Voicemail, so I hadn’t tested those out yet. Apparently you’re allowed to choose which country and which area code your SkypeIn number is to have and like looks the the subscription to SkypeIn is about $30 per year. Skype Voicemail is about $15 per year, although if you purchase SkypeIn, you’ll get the voice mail for free.

So how useful would something like Skype be in your life and business? Do you already have Skype? If so, how’s working out for you? Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

I was checking out the Switchboards forum a couple days ago and one of the members who was in the market for a new computer posted the age old question.

“Should I get a PC or a Mac?”

This of course opened up a small can of worms and you got comments that ranged from:

“Don’t buy a PC. It stands for ‘Piece of Crap.’ “

to

“Why i wont EVER buy a Mac . They don’t have any cool Pc Games …”.

The upshot of the…well, I really can’t call it a discussion since about 90% of the replies were from very passionate Mac users who enthusiastically endorsed Macs.

So if you’re in the market for a computer get a Mac…right?

Well, not necessarily.

I get this question quite often from artists who want to get a computer and are curious as whether a PC or a Mac would be best for working their web sites. As someone who uses a PC and a Mac on a daily basis, I have to say that in most cases, it’s really a matter of budget and personal preference. Most anything that most artists would need to do on a computer including building and maintaining a web site can be done well on either a Mac or a PC. Most of the industry standard software used in building and maintaining web sites are available in both platforms and most brands of computer peripherals like scanners, mice, digital cameras, and printers are compatible with both platforms. And while you’ll have techno-diehards on both sides running calibrated performance tests to prove which one is the greatest and the fastest…let’s face it…if there’s any difference in speed, it’s really not enough to effect what us regular folks do.

Both platforms have their own set of pros and cons of course. A big advantage that Macs have over PCs is that they are essentially virus free. Yes, I have heard of the existence of virus for Macs, I just never personally have seen one in the last seven or eight years I’ve used a Mac. Many Mac users also claim that the design of the Mac make it easier to work with. Also, if you are planning to do any heavy duty graphic design for print, then Macs still have a slight edge over PCs, although the gap has narrowed in the last few years.

The biggest disadvantage that Macs may have versus a PC is that they tend to be more expensive than a comparatively outfitted PC. Also, finding local computer support and repair for a Mac is a bit more difficult in comparison to the number of computer repair services that you would find for a PC, especially if you live in a small town or in a rural area. And if you’re doing web design, you’ll need to find some way to check your site on a PC in order to make sure that your design looks the same as it does on a Mac.

On the other hand while most of the software that an artist would need for web design is available on both a Mac and a PC, there are a lot of smaller, lesser known programs that may be useful that are only available on a PC. The gap with that issue is also closing since Apple has come out with Intel-based Macs, so you can run PC software on a Mac, though I haven’t played had a chance to play with the Intel-Macs myself. You can also get software like Virtual PC that will allow you to run most types of PC software on older non-Intel Macs. If you also plan to use your computer for playing games, you’ll find that not all of them are available for the Mac. So if you’re a heavy duty gamer you may be better off with a PC. If you like to tinker with your computer, do your own upgrades, or like to build your own system from scratch, you’ll find that PCs will fit the bill nicely. Some lines of Macs like the Mini are not exactly upgrade friendly, and while you are perfectly able to upgrade memory and hard drives in the MacPro towers some parts, especially memory, are rather finicky and need to be “Apple certified” in order to work properly.

So how do I answer the PC vs Mac question? I basically tell people that while the capabilities of both platforms are more than adequate for what the average artist needs, the ultimate decision depends on their needs, their personal preferences, and their budget, and that they should research each platform before they make a decision. In a way, a computer is no different than any other tool. The right tool is the one that makes it easier for you to do your work. For some, it’s a PC for others it’s a Mac. The choice is really up to you.

So what do you prefer? Leave a comment about what you think about the PC vs Mac debate and then answer the PC vs Mac poll.

Full Disclosure: As the happy owner of a PowerMac G4, an iBook, a Mac Mini, and 2 iPods, I have to say that on a personal level, I’m firmly in the Mac camp. But I always try to be objective.

Deanna Wood, who writes the Artist, Emerging blog has posted her notes from a session called “Harnessing the Power of the Pen: Professional Writing Strategies for Future Artists, Art Historians, and Museum Professionals” at the annual College Art Association conference. The notes includes some wonderful tips on writing artist’s statements as well at tips on writing grants and freelance writing. In the notes, the artist is asked to consider:

1. What kind of materials are you using and why?
2. Where did the initial inspiration for the work come from?
3. What is the central or guiding image in the work?
4. Are there elements such as sound or installation?
5. Any notable collaborators?
6. Where does the piece fit into your overall work or career?
7. Is the work a limited edition?
8. Is there a specific venue that the work is geared for?

If you have a web site, you will definitely need an artist statement, so check out Deanna’s notes here.

In case you hadn’t heard, Crafts Business Magazine was bought out by The Rosen Group last year and they are planning to resurrect the magazine under the name studioArts. This new magazine is slated to be published four times a year and to contain articles on marketing, finances, retail and wholesale shows, and stories about artists who are successfully running their crafts businesses.

According to the folks at the magazine, the premiere issue is scheduled to come out on April 27th. The magazine has a web site, so you can check it out at http://www.studioartsmagazine.com/index.html