Internet

Is internet risky? Have you ever been duped? I am sure you know somebody who has been duped. Internet is risky, only if you are careless. Use your brain before investing anywhere.

The basic principle is that you cannot become rich overnight. Internet has made the communication easier. Now companies can directly communicate with thousands of potential investors just with a click of a mouse. This is where the scams-ters come into play. They will contact you over email or will post lucrative offers in several bulletin boards. It becomes really difficult to distinguish between a real offer and a fake one. Often you will get newsletters from several companies asking you to invest. Before clicking on any of their links, make sure that the email has been generated from an authentic emailaddress of the company. Even in bulletin boards, there are plenty of fake users who claim to have profited from certain company. So be careful that you do not fall in any trap. Often these scamsters target investors by sending junk mails. You should never respond to such mails. Clicking on any suspicious link
can make you vulnerable to more threats.

Managing online issues and protection yourself from scams is not really a big deal. You just have to keep your eyes open.

During 2007-08, Microsoft had a real tough time dealing with the European Commission’s Competition Directorate. Steve Ballmer, the CEO of Microsoft had handled the situation very efficiently and never lost an inch of confidence in the company.

Microsoft received a Statement of Objection from the EC. It was alleged against Microsoft that since 1996 they had illegally tied the Internet Explorer with Windows based Operating Systems. Microsoft was only able to get out of this issue only after paying huge amounts in fine. Another fine amounting to $1.35 billion is still pending against them. Microsoft has failed to impress the commissioner of EC and thus unable to stop them from slapping huge fines on them regularly.

It was ultimately held by the Commission that Microsoft was trying to create monopoly in the market by linking the Internet Explorer with their own Operating Systems. The EC further clarified that such a situation created by Microsoft would only reduce the choice and freedom of a consumer. Microsoft has stated that they have followed and complied with the European laws and they will be able to give further comments only after going through the Statement of Objection.

One of the most sensitive businesses is banking and with the advent of online banking, it has become more delicate. Online transaction bears more risk as the financial transactions are done online. Though there have been several measures taken to curb online frauds and scams, still it has not been possible to wipe out all the fraudsters. But if you are a bit careful, you will be able to save yourself easily from any fraud.

When you are dealing online on a particular website, make sure that the website is secured with SSL security certification. Once you open an online account in the bank, you will receive all the necessary information like account number, PIN number, customer number, username, password etc. through email. You can also get this information via post. As this information is crucial, keep them in a safe place. Never disclose your log in details to anyone. Using of public computer for online transaction can make your more vulnerable to attack. Do not save your log in details in the computer.

Always remain alert and check your account details once or twice a week. In case you notice any discrepancies, immediately report it to the authority. Follow these steps and make your online transaction safe.

As promised, let’s visit oDesk.com first.

oDesk shines apart from other online job marketplaces, due to its outstanding oDesk Team software. This was designed to closely monitor the activities and works done by remote employees through screenshots, mouse clicks and keyboard use.

Registration is free. You can download the team pack software without cost. oDesk earns 10% fee added on the wages earned by service providers from buyers. oDesk supports both fixed-rate and hourly payments on projects, but guarantees payment for hourly fees only.

oDesk is a leader in homeshoring, according to Business Week Magazine. The company is a finalist in Small Business Awards for 2006 by PC Magazine, and one of the 13 Launch Pad companies featured at 2006 Web 2.0 Summit.

oDesk is a global marketplace for oursourcing jobs, where state-of-the art tools are used on management of remote workers. Founders Odysseas Tsatalos and Stratis Karamanlakis got the company’s name ‘oDesk’ from the phrase ‘no desk.’ The original vision of people able to work anywhere and anytime was put to reality in 2003, when remote workers were hired and got paid for every hour of work by companies, even when both (employers and employees) came from different countries.

Here are some points that will help you build a fruitful career in oDesk.

On your Profile Page:

1.    Pay attention to every detail of your profile page—because it will be your ‘face’. Upload a nice picture or image related to your skills.
2.    Put taglines of skills as your ‘title’.
3.    Take the oDesk Readiness Test and other oDesk Skill Tests. Add any certification like a Brainbench certificate. These will help complete your profile and also give you more chances to bid on job posts.
4.    Provide educational background, an employment record, and a comprehensive portfolio of past projects with urls/links. Add your skills, hobbies, and interests.
5.    Think of a good statement to put on your objective because this will appear beside your portrait on ‘Find Providers’ pages, where prospective buyers do an advanced search of service providers to interview.
6.    Put the lowest hourly pay rate that you can afford and your weekly time availability. Don’t forget to rate your English and put the years of working experience you have.

After completing your resume and primping your Profile Page, you are ready to go to ‘Find Jobs’ to, well, yes, find jobs.

First thing to do, you must subscribe to get daily notifications for jobs matching your categories and sub-categories through email. For example: Category – Administrative Support and Sub-Category – Data Entry.

Next blog: How to create a perfect cover letter for oDesk