American credit cards are sometimes useless in Europe- when buying tickets from a ticket machine or buying gas at a self-serve gas pump, for example. There is no problem most of the time because most of the time you will be dealing a person and they know how to deal with American credit cards.

I tried to get a Canadian credit card to make things easier in Europe but I was told that I couldn't get one because they couldn't check my credit because American credit agencies and Canadian credit agencies cannot share information. I would need a Canadian address and credit history to get a Canadian card.

I also tried to get a chip & pin card from my credit card company here in the U.S. and they said they could not issue one to me.

If anyone has had a different experience please let us know.

The case represents one man's quest to rid the Internet of disparaging posts about his rental properties but touches on global issues of how much anonymity the Internet provides and whether you can really ever know the identity of the person at the keyboard.

Hester's dispute is with Jason Feingold, editor of the website "Home in Henderson."

Superior Court Judge Howard Manning ruled on June 28 that Feingold had 10 days to turn over the names of six commenters to Hester.

Submitted Link #1: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/07/14/156114...

Any feedback would be appreciated. Have I missed anything? Thanks in advance

A few years ago I was following JJ's book religiously, I did everything. All of my mail went to a ghost address and I even moved every 6 weeks having a new apartment under a friend's name. I worked for myself, no social networking, no cell phone, no bank account...etc. I sent a letter to someone I once knew with no return address just the letter (typed). The postmark gave away the general area where I was. This P.I. must have had a hard time finding me but eventually he did, calling my home. (my phone was not in my name).

What I think happened was that he called someone who knew where I was and tricked them into giving my phone number and address! I also used a debit card because I had no access to cash at the time and had to do a "cash advance" on my card to get the cash from it. My friend's company provided me with a card which had my name on it but I was not a employee. Anyways the point of my story is even if you follow all of the advice in HTBI there is still a way for people to find you. Just a word to the wise.

... As I have said before, anyone can be tracked down if a PI has unlimited funds. Whoever was after you must have been well paid, and I agree--he or she must have tricked a relative or friend into giving your location away.

The only explanation I can think of is that counties do get access to federal PO box residence addresses for the purpose of trolling for jurors. The county where I used to live apparently sent out a jury summons to everyone with a residence listed in the county, regardless of whether the PO box to which they sent the summons was in the same state.

I filled out my Census with just the number of people in the house. I heard nothing until Friday (July 9) when I came home from work to find a form in my front door. It listed the Census workers name, cell phone and a note stating he would return the following day (July 10)but would appreciate it if I just gave him a call with the rest of my information. I wasn't home the next day when he came by again and left a similiar form. Nothing from him or a supervisor since.

... They called at our place two or three times, in May. Since we were apparently not home, there have been no more visits.

That said, Census regulations also require that answers be kept SECRET for 72 years AFTER the decennial census. Census employees are not allowed to report criminal activity they see while on Census duty, nor allowed to report suspected illegal immigrants, nor allowed to report dogs chained up and mistreated, kids being abused, or people walking around naked. Census employees are instructed very clearly in training to "turn a blind eye" to all those things and more. On top of that, Census employees are not allowed to carry weapons.

The fine for failing to answer the census is miniscule compared to the penalties for a Census employee for disclosing personally identifiable information ($100 compared to $250,000 and 5 years in prison!) but the ongoing headaches associated with stalling/avoiding the Census are not worth the $100 that you will probably never pay anyway. They just keep coming back, risking life and limb, to count you and find at least one more valid piece of information about you.

end of rant.... :)

"effective Jan. 1, 2012, the whole system of giving and receiving Internal Revenue Service 1099 forms will be turned on its head and all persons (including corporations) who are in business will now have to give 1099 tax reporting forms for coins and other goods that they sell as well as buy."

"It doesn’t matter in what form payment is made, whether cash, check, credit card, or Yap stone money, the $600 threshold applies."

Submitted Link #1: http://www.numismaster.com/ta/numis/Article.jsp?ad...

Anyways, here's the content that I found at that link:

[start of quote]

Read the TOS (Terms Of Service) for Magic Jack VERY closely. You might be surprised at what you see there. Or NOT see there. I've pointed out issues with Magic Jack in earlier articles on Broadband Nation (see archives). But this revelation should make you VERY concerned.

In short ... to quote a favorite cartoon character .... "Be Afwaid, Very Afwaid".

This is just pointing out the not-so-obvious that is hidden deep within the TOS, and other 'gotcha's' that you won't realize until after you give up your $ and privacy!

First:

Here is the contact info for MagicJack:

PO BOX 6785, West Palm Beach, FL 33405

Magic Jack Phone number: 281-404-1551

Billing MagicJack number: 561-594-2140

CAUTION: it looks like they track the number that calls and places you into a repeating loop if you call back a second time. so if you need to call a second time make sure its from a different number.

Second:

In the TOS you agree that everything in your computer is fair game for them to know about, all web sites, email, and numbers called are there [sic] info.

You agree to have all of your information resold to third parties.

There is no Un-install for this program. Even if you stop using it, it gathers your information.

You are put under high pressure to sign up and pay for 5 years.

There is no published phone number, email address, or mailing address.

All customer support is done via type in the box chat.

There is no written warranty on the box. It breaks, you buy another to maintain your service.

Computer must be left on to make or receive calls.

Pop up window comes to front of screen anytime there is a call in or out call.

MajicJack Spyware slows down your computer even when you are not using MagicJack

Advertising is in the pop up box.

And yes, you do save around $150 a year not using a real Voip company.

At what little price people put on the information and security.

So ask yourself, is it really worth it?

Wait .... there's more.

Majic Jack is owned and run by YMAX. They are not a stand alone VoIP provider.

Also .....

"The software for the MagicJack does not run directly from the device. It fully installs on the Windows system, which also makes the MagicJack less attractive for situations where one might want to use it on someone else's computer (say when visiting family). Making this even worse, there was no easy way to uninstall the software from the system, with the program not even showing up in the Windows Remove Program window. UPDATE: MagicJack confirmed that there is currently no easy way to uninstall the software. The process required to uninstall the software requires multiple Windows Registry edits and the removal of several folders on the Windows system. Based on this, I wouldn't recommend using the MagicJack on the systems of friends, family or business associates." -- (see magicjack fails to cast a voip spell)

Nobody should accept having to leave unwanted software on a personal computer, or any tell-tale trace of the MJ program on a public computer, a business workstation, or a borrowed device.

The key concepts here are action and intent. IF MJ is not actively monitoring computer activity and collecting data about its customers, that's great. They would be taking no action that anyone could be concerned about.

But consider their intent. Their TOS spell out their intent -- the intent to feed context sensitive advertising, which requires manipulation of information from your brain through their software into their processors. There seems to be little restriction of what info their software can see. (Kind of like your home builder installing bugging devices and cameras into your bedroom, just not yet watching the feed.) Then there is the ability of MJ to modify their software (upgrape, anyone?) at any time, without the common user's ability to stop it, and that revision could include the spyware coding. While you, the uncommon user, have the ability to see what they are doing, the common user has no idea when the change is made. Now let's consider MJ's intent of not building in an UNINSTALL capability. I am suggesting that this exposes MJ's intent to have their software on your PC whether you're an active phone customer or not. What would be the intent of having that software on the PC of a former customer? (Consider, also, their "convenience" feature of taking the device with you so you can use it on a friend's PC -- thus installing the software on that machine, too!) What information could that software obtain that would be of value to MJ? And what could the common user do to stop it?

MJ could shut down their phone service tomorrow, and they have a window into 1 million PCs -- to feed advertising, log key strokes, and obtain surfing patterns.

By laughing at the TOS provisions, you are overlooking that they are warning you of their intent -- and protecting themselves from future legal action. "We told them what we were going to do. It was in our terms of service and the customers agreed." Case dismissed.

Several years ago there was another nice utility that was offered -- Weather Bug. Everyone liked Weather Bug. You downloaded a program and it was nice enough to give you accurate weather forecasts -- while it spied on you. That little program helped popularize the anti-spyware industry, which now extracts $50 a year out of millions of users.

Action: not guilty.

Intent: too soon to know for sure, but all the clues are right out there in the sunshine. You won't have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure this one out.

From their EULA:

“You also understand and agree that use of the magicJack device and Software will include advertisements and that these advertisements are necessary for the magicJack device to work … Our computers may analyze the phone numbers you call in order to improve the relevance of the ads”.

Any claims, legal proceeding or litigation arising in connection with the magicJack device or Software will be resolved by binding arbitration … in Palm Beach, Florida.”

In short, it not only has one agree to ads with its paid-for system, but claims that the ads are necessary for it to work. It will also snoop on your calls to target ads more accurately, and has you sign away your legal right to take it to court if it defrauds or otherwise harms you. Delightful.

Neither the EULA itself, nor any other privacy or legal information, can be easily found at its homepage. It’s not even provided at the point of sale, where one enters credit card info, email and street addresses as such, so as to gain access to the service and have your MagicJack dongle delivered. I found the EULA’s URL through Google.

When you access MajicJack’s instant web help page, a bizarre series of “compatibility tests” take place first, reporting lies like “Your MagicJack is functioning properly” even if you don’t have one installed.

Even the “look how many people came for a free trial” counter on the homepage is a fake, a javascript applet that increments itself automatically:

// the interval (ms) between new visitors var interval = Math.round(86400000/perday);

As if targeted advertising, systematic privacy invasion, and the signing away of your legal rights wasn’t evil enough!

[end of quote]

Submitted Link #1: http://broadband-nation.blogspot.com/2008/10/real-...

If you are interested in privacy (presumably you are, or you would not be on this site), then avoid Majic Jack (!!!)

Submitted Link #1: http://broadband-nation.blogspot.com/ 2008/ 10/ re...

... (The URL seems to be two years old and does not work.)

Since that time, it's been a very pleasant casual relationship. All of the info. provided on that basic application form has since changed, except for the pre-paid cell phone number I provided. Now, I just learned the owner, who's 77 with serious medical issues, has recently been hospitalized. His daughter has been running the answering service temporarily and has indicated her father may close the business, since it merely kept him busy during the day. I have all of my credit card and banking mail go to this address, and I'm fearful I may have to start from scratch again without much notice, should the owner or the family decide to close.

If I have to find another small business to receive my mail, would you recommend an independent CMRA or a Post Office Box? Have you or your readers had good luck with independent telephone answering services for mail receiving?