Tax season can be frustrating enough; don't make it worse by falling victim to a tax-related email scam. Each year cybercriminals use a variety of ploys to try to convince nervous taxpayers to reveal personal information. One currently circulating scam uses the name of a legitimate tax preparation software company--Turbo Tax.

The phony email tells recipients they need to upgrade their software in order to be in compliance with new tax laws. It also provides a link which leads to a fake (but legitimate-looking) website. At this point, recipients may be asked to enter personal information to confirm they're the software holder; the cybercriminals then use this information to file tax returns and have refunds sent to them.

To protect yourself:

• Always check on the legitimacy of the tax preparation service you are going to use.
• If you receive an email from any tax preparation software company, do not open it or click on any link. If you actually need a software upgrade, go directly to the company's secure site.
• On a related note, keep in mind that the IRS does NOT send unsolicited email about tax account matters to taxpayers. If you should receive an email claiming to be from the IRS, DO NOT REPLY, CLICK ON ANY LINKS, OR PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION. http://www.irs.gov/privacy/article/0,,id=179820,00.html?portlet=5 Visit the IRS website for more about reporting and identifying IRS email scams.

Baby's First Technology Lesson
A baby shows how, for her generation, technology is the rule rather than the exception. After using an iPad, she expects a magazine to work the same way. This "sign of the times" was picked by Mashable, a leading digital news website, as one of the top videos of 2011.



Cobra Weave Stick Bomb
Looking for something to do at home on the next snowy day? This fun video shows plain old popsicle sticks transformed into a cool, multicolored, exploding "cobra weave stick bomb." The stick bomb shown uses 1,000 sticks; the world record, as of 2011, is over 5,000!

Question: I've heard the term "meme" used to describe photos and videos but I'm not sure what it means. What is a meme, exactly?

Answer: In general terms, a meme (pronounced meem) is a cultural idea that is passed from person to person. Just about any piece of information that gets passed throughout the population or down through the generations (such as the ability to start a fire, the invention of the phone, a welding process, a fashion trend, a joke, or a catch phrase) is considered a meme. The collection of all memes is the basis of culture.

An Internet meme is a particular kind--a meme that's transmitted online in the form of videos, songs, photos, or Photoshop-enhanced images. Often times, these memes are humorous in tone and created in response to something happening in the news. Examples include the "http://peppersprayingcop.tumblr.com/" and "http://tebowing.com/"

Timeline is Facebook's new way of presenting you to the world and is the most radical change in the history of the site. Whether you're ready or not, Facebook has begun the mandatory Timeline rollout. Here's what to do to learn more about it and manage the content of your new timeline:

1. Log in to your Facebook account.

2. Go to http://www.facebook.com/about/timeline. You'll learn the basics of Timeline and see examples of what this feature can look like. At the bottom of this page, there may be a box showing which of your Facebook friends has signed up for Timeline.

3. Click "Get Timeline." You'll have seven days to preview your timeline before other people can see it. You can use this time to add a cover, fill in life events, and star important stories. Until your timeline goes live, people will see your old profile.

4. To add a cover image to your timeline, go to your timeline and click "Add a Cover." Choose whether you want to upload a new photo or pick a photo from one of your existing photo albums. (Note: Your cover image has to be at least 720 pixels wide.) Once you choose a photo, you can reposition it by clicking on the image and dragging it up or down. When you're satisfied with your cover image, click "Save."

5. Scroll down on your timeline and edit or remove any items you don't want shown. Do that by holding your cursor over the upper right of the item you want to edit and then make your choice on the drop-down list.

6. From that list, you can change the date of the item, add a location, hide it from the timeline, delete the post altogether, or report it/mark it as spam.

7. If you'd like to "feature" any of the posts, click on the star icon to the left of the pencil icon and that item will be expanded all the way across the page, made larger for all your friends to see.

8. Once you're satisfied with all the edits you've made, go back to the top of the Timeline and click "Publish Now." After seven days, your timeline will be published automatically.

Be aware that once you start the Timeline process, there's no going back. Since some users don't like the change, scammers are preying on people desperate to get rid of Timeline and revert back to the old Facebook Profile layout. Scammers are creating Facebook Pages filled with deceptive instructions that promise users the ability to go through such a rollback if they complete a series of actions such as inviting friends to "Like" a page or watching YouTube videos. Don't fall for these scams! They will not magically make you more powerful than Facebook.

We hope you enjoyed this monthly eNewsletter and feel free to view it on our website as well as past issues at http://www.molalla.com/eNewsletters.html. Tell a friend!  

Best regards,

- Your MCC Team

Molalla Communications Company

211 Robbins Street, Molalla, Oregon 97038
503-829-1100