Job Hunting? Don't Get Scammed!

It may be tempting to go for amazing job offers, but beware for you may find more than you bargained for.

While applying to jobs on the all-powerful multipurpose site, CraigsList, I stumbled upon a job that was far too good to be true.

Nothing too out of the ordinary here, more or less what many legit listings provide on the site (trust me, I've seen tons), save for that amazing pay. I mean, who wouldn't pass up $22.89 an hour?! And with bare minimum requirements, it was sure to draw a lot of applicants.

I sent in my resume and got a reply the next day with a fairly strange message. Nothing that would throw up flags, especially for someone growing up in the internet age, but a little strange nonetheless...

Re-Reading on GoodReads

As most of you should know by now, I'm participating in the 2012 Reading Challenge on GoodReads.

Now, GoodReads (GR) has been a great site for cataloging what books I've read, am reading, or want to read. I've created shelves for genres, lists for my challenges, and even gathered books I was forced to read in school. It has a huge listing of editions, summaries, and reviews. And if you hadn't noticed, I link to it all the time in my reviews, sidebars, and even have the app linked to my Facebook page!

But there is one thing that I wish they had...

A Re-Read Option

Has anyone else noticed that missing feature?

I tend to re-read books a lot. When the latest sequel comes out I like to re-read the entire series. Or perhaps it's for a reading challenge or book club. And heaven forbid reminiscing over an old favorite.

As it stands now, I can see a few different options to handle my re-reading.

Option 1: Don't count re-reads at all. Makes things a lot simpler, right? Unfortunately, this counts against my GR-sponsored reading challenge, as the "Date Finished" must contain the current year. I suppose I could say, 'computer be damned,' and make my own counter but...where's the validation in that?

Option 2: Change reading dates to current/last time read. I then add a personal note that tells me the last time I read it. Unfortunately, changing the dates read not only removes the book from my GR timeline, but also my Facebook one. It also gets complicated when I try to remember when I first read a book after I've re-read it a few times.

Option 3: Read/Review multiple editions of a single book. Unfortunately, that option hinders more than it helps. Firstly, it adds a copy to my overall books list, which is silly if anyone else looks through and finds 15 copies of the same book. Secondly, it clutters shelves if I label them with genre/theme/etc.. And lastly, it's confusing when I actually have read multiple editions (print & audiobook versions) of one book.

Obviously, I'm not a coding expert, so I can't say it'd be an easy thing to change. But here's the review form as it stands now. As you can see, under the main review space, there's "Date Finished" and "Date Started" followed by "Number of Times Read".

Now, here's the second part of the review form. As soon as you click the "I Own A Copy" box, a new section opens up, letting you fill in more information.

Why couldn't they add a "I've Read This More Than Once" bump-out?

I know I'm not completely alone in this, as there is a Suggestion Topic on GR specifically addressing the re-reading issue. Feel free to add your own two cents on the topic there, too.

But before you go off and do that, what do you think? How do you handle re-reading books? Is GoodReads the premiere book cataloging site, or do you use something different? Let me hear you howl!

E-Reader Suggestions?

Got a question for y'all...

As you may or may not have noticed, here at The Wolf's Den, I don't usually read many e-books. It's not that I have anything against them, I just don't own an e-reader. Now, I have accepted some e-books for review now and again, but I read them at my computer.

I use free programs such as Kindle for PC and Adobe Digital Editions. I tend to prefer the Kindle program, but it doesn't accept all formats (PDF), so I'm stuck with either a converted mess or using Adobe for some books. Unfortunately, sitting and reading at the computer has two major disadvantages:

First, I find that oftentimes sitting at the computer gives me too many distractions to allow me to focus on the material I should be reading. YouTube, GoodReads, DeviantArt... I swear I don't have ADD, but——Ooh shiny! Ahem, second, the eye-strain and required seating arrangements (needing to be able to see the screen) don't allow me much in the way of comfort or variety. Frankly, I love reading in bed or sprawled out on the couch—just so many ways to toss and turn and cozy-up while I read!

An e-reader seems like it would answer both of those problems. Plus the fact that I could take my e-books out of the house! The library might be a nice change of scenery now and again. Or maybe when I'm chilling at Powell's?

And that's where you guys come in! I've stayed out of the e-reader scene mostly due to expenses. Now, I'm still not rolling in dough at the moment, so I'm really trying to balance out spiffy gadgets with my budget. Here are a few brands I've heard of, ranging from $79 to $199:
Kindle (Basic $79, Touch $99, Keyboard $139, Fire $199),
NOOK (Touch $99, Color $169, Tablet $199),
Sony (Reader $130),
Kobo (Basic $100, Touch $130, Vox $200),
and BeBook (One $99, S Club $129, Neo $159).

Honestly, I'm kinda leaning towards a Kindle at the moment. I've used the PC software for about a year now, and other than the PDF issues (which I don't know if there's a better option right now) I don't have any huge problems. Plus I already have a lot of free books downloaded, and I'm sure I'll run across other freebees regularly. Plus my library already offers a large selection of e-books in the Kindle format!

So here's my checklist:
Price - Not able to spend tons right now.
Weight/Size - Not a huge issue for me, actually.
Ease-of-Use - I'm pretty tech-savvy, so unless it's a nightmare to use, I should be fine.
Loyalty/Format - I'm not really loyal to one company over another. Powell's and Jan's are indie, and Borders kinda died. But when it comes to formats, how much of a pain is it going to be getting the right book format?
Memory - I'm not planning on replacing my library, this will be primarily for review requests that aren't available in print.
Touch or Not? - Is touch worth it for ease? Or is it a stress headache waiting to happen if it gets scratched?
Durability - Along the same lines as above, I'm pretty careful with my things and I'm not typically clutzy, but will I need a force-field around this thing?
Gadgets - I don't need tons of bells and whistles, but I won't turn them down either. Not really looking at 3G, video, or net-browsing, though music might be a plus...
Extras - Do I need to budget in for extras to get full use out of this? I don't foresee a need for an adapter, but will I need/want a case, light, etc.?

A tall order? Probably. So, what's your vote?



If you could cast your vote above then leave a comment below, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks a bunch, guys. I can't wait to hear from you!

Long Time No See

So, I turned on the TV today while I fixed and ate my breakfast. 

Not too exciting, I know. But wait for it...

Wait for it...

Wait for it......

BLAM!

A commercial comes on for James Patterson's newest Maximum Ride novel, Angel.

Now, though I have seen this series at bookstores, I haven't read any of it. I've never had any interest in reading it.

But now...

Perhaps I'm intrigued by the people running around with wings (which I had no clue of before). Perhaps I'm just easily swayed. But now I kinda want to read it...

Is this the power of TV? And if so, why aren't they using it more often!? I mean, the last commercial I saw for a book was...Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows back in 2007. Not that it really needed it, but I'm sure the commercial didn't hurt things.

So what do you think? Is TV a powerful weapon in book-selling? Would you be more interested in a book you saw on TV? Or is the whole thing a waste of time since bookish people don't watch TV anyway?

Design Updates

I'm thinking of changing some things.

You see, I've noticed a wee bit of scroll-lag,
and I'm none too happy about it.

You may have already noticed some small tweaks here and there:
Changing some headers,
Condensing some links,
Removing a badge,
Etcetera.

But the lag is still here.

About the only thing left is the template design.

So, since I'm going to be changing things anyway,
I'd like a little input from You, the reader.

How's the color-scheme?
Is there enough space?
Is the title-image too large?
Do you want boxes in the sidebar?
Corners or round-offs?

Now's your chance to leave your two cents.
Just leave me a comment below
and a week from today I'll officially start the renovations (big or small).

P.S. For more feedback fun, check out my polls at the bottom of the page!

E is for Electronic-

E-mail, e-statements, e-books... What next? E-carwash? Okay, okay, so that's a bit ridiculous, but it does make you think...where will technology take us next? And is it really better?

E-MAIL
Electronic (e-) mail has all but completely replaced hand-written (or typed, printed, and sent) mail. Even junk mail (now referred to as spam) has infiltrated its ranks. I remember growing up before e-mail was standard—when you had to ask, "Do you have an e-mail?" instead of, "What's your e-mail?".

Personally, I love e-mail. It's fast, it's efficient, and it rarely gets lost. I have 6 different e-mails which I can direct different sorts of mail to (professional to one, personal to another, subscriptions to a third, etc.), and all I have to do is type in a quick password. And spellcheck is a major plus, even if it never likes my last name.

However, I can still find some ticks against it. Some people take the speediness of e-mail to heart and don't edit it as much as one might a letter. While it might be alright for short notes back and forth, with longer conversations it makes it all but impossible to read (everything in one huge paragraph). Also, though it (thankfully) hasn't happened to me yet, if your e-mail is somehow hacked not only is your personal privacy compromised, but your friends and associates (contacts) may also be susceptible to similar invasions or scams, with your reputation being the conduit.

To sum things up, e-mails can be fast, but speed doesn't guarantee quality, nor personality—sometimes it's nice to get a letter you know it took some time to write. Moral of story: with everything connected, it may take less effort to use, but it also takes less effort to abuse.

E-STATEMENTS
Electronic (also called paperless) statements are the latest trend with credit companies and banks. They're hopping on the Green Bandwagon by not printing and mailing out your statements anymore, and instead e-mail you with links to their websites where you can access your account. Right now, this is only if you sign up for it, but I can definitely see these becoming the norm in the future.

Once again, these are susceptible to hacking, though I believe they have stricter security than e-mail (so it's best not to keep a copy of your passwords in your e-mail...at least not labeled PASSWORDS). But even with hacking taken out of the equation, I haven't found them to be 100% reliable. Some company mailings are automatically labeled as spam, and don't ever make it into your inbox unless you add them to your contacts.

Or (and I have had this happen) you simply don't receive that month's statement! Now, this might not be a problem if you're used to the payment dates (1st of the month, or something like that), but if, say, it's your first payment coming out of deferment...then you're stuck explaining to the collections caller (on your birthday) that you swear you never received anything, and yes, you've been checking the spam folder, thank you very much for waiving the fees, it shouldn't happen again.

So, to sum things up, e-statements aren't 100% flawless, but they can make things a little more convenient than paper-statements. Moral of story: set your payments due-date on your own calendar.

E-BOOKS
Electronic (e-) books are the wave of the future. Or at least, that's what Kindle/Nook/iPads would have you believe. Why carry around a bulky, heavy, paper-cut-threatening book around when instead you can hold thousands of e-books on your sleek and lightweight e-reader?

Well, a lot of people are vehemently resisting this change for a few (in my opinion) good reasons. Some authors are reluctant to authorize digital copies because of the obvious piracy issues (Pirate Bay, anyone?). Others seem content to tell digital reader companies to "go to hell" without expounding.

As far as buyers/readers go, the general consensus against e-books is the nostalgic quality of physical books. The art, the feel, the smell...the experience of reading a book has been one we've grown up with, and we're not about to give that up. Of course, you also have the technical side of things, and having glitchy e-readers, whereas books never have glitches (apart from lack of light).

Personally, I've yet to read an entire book on a screen—be it computer or e-reader. I've received 2 e-ARCs which I've yet to crack (a phrase only fitting physical books) more than the first pages, as well as a full PDF book as a prize. Perhaps when I fully commit to them (probably next week) I'll be able to give a better commentary on the experience.

E-QUESTIONS
Well, what do you think? Are electronics better for us, or are we merely aiding to the impending machine revolution? Any electronic horror stories? And what about e-books?

Some E Books I've Read:

An Electrifying E Group:

The E Font:

For Every Step Forward, Remember To Backup (at least) Twice

Okay, that title probably doesn't make much sense...unless you have a slightly geeky mind. That's right, once again I come to you with computer advice. And, of course, the best entertainment advice comes at the expense of others...mainly myself.

The Setup

• a laptop with Windows XP -- 5 years old
• 35 GB hard drive -- 4 years old
• a USB splitter (2 ports become 5) -- 5 years old
• a SimpleTech 160GB external hard drive -- 4 years old
• which holds:
• the majority of my Word Documents (including 116pg Senior Thesis)
• all my Excel, Powerpoint, and Adobe Documents
• all my Pictures
• all my Music

The Problem

Now, flash back to last Wednesday, the 19th.

There I was, listening to my music, surfing the net, goofing off, when I decide it's time to update my profile picture. I take the pic then unplug my printer to hook up my phone. I get the pic off alright, then start cropping it and resizing it. Once I finally get it how I want, I go to save...and I get an error message.

E:/ is not accessible.

The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable.

E:/ is my external hard drive, where I keep all my larger files--pictures included.

Now, as I have music playing, I'm thinking there must be a mistake. Maybe one of the USB ports has finally broken down. I close iTunes, unplug my hard drive from the splitter, as well as my phone cord, and try switching ports.

I think I should also take this time to interject that you should always select the "Safely Remove Hardware" icon in the bottom bar when disconnecting important hardware. I usually ignore it in regards to my printer, but it's always a good idea to use the tools available to you.

Once plugged in, the computer acknowledges that something is there, but when I go to access the drive, I once again get that pesky message:

E:/ is not accessible.

The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable.

Now I'm getting worried.

I rush back to my browser and start Googling my error message. I get some advice about reestablishing drivers, checking for driver updates, etc. I try it out...

E:/ is not accessible.

The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable.

Okay... Let's try "free file recovery"? I get a lot of links. Phew.

I download one and, lo and behold, it can read my E:/ drive! I tell it to start recovering my files...and it starts copying them onto my C:/ drive. Well...that's all well and good, I suppose, except for a couple things...

1. I have right around 100GB of files on E:/ and only 11GB open on C:/...
2. The free/demo version only copies files under 64KB in size... which doesn't include my aforementioned 116 page Senior Thesis

The full version costs $40. Well, that was a bust. To the recycle bin with you.

I think I downloaded 10 other programs that day:

• 4 were "Recover DELETED Files" only (mine aren't deleted, just inaccessible)
• 3 were "Demo" versions which let you see the files you wanted to save, but required you to purchase the product in order to save/copy them
• 2 were "Free Download" then "Purchase the Product Code" before you even got to use the product (usually around $40 or $50)
• 1 actually did what I wanted AND was free.

Luckily, that's all it takes! Well, for me, at least.

The Solution

TestDisk, Data Recovery is an Opensource software - which means that it gets all its coding from volunteer programmers, and all the coding is viewable. If you're a DIY-tech person, always look for Opensource programs.

Anyway, I'm not a tech-person, I just play one on TV my blog. If you're really interested in the specifics of the program, click that link up there and it'll take you through all the partition tables and Master Boot Records and that gobbledegook. If you're wanting my (possibly incorrect) spin on things, read on!

What TestDisk allowed me to do was go in through DOS mode and access the E:/ drive. There I was able to try repairing the Master File Table...but I don't think it worked. See, how I understand things is...

The hard drive works sorta like a tree.* There's a single point of origin, and then all the folders and files and such flow out from there. When the computer tries to access a specific file, it has to first check with the point of origin, in order to figure out what is there and how to get to it. Like a city map, or a library filing system.

Now, this One Point is known as the Master File Table. If something goes wrong with this MFT, if it somehow gets corrupted or deleted...well, then the computer can't access that drive anymore. All the information is still there, all the files and folders, the tree just isn't there to tell you where the roots are. Or the map got ink spilled all over it. Or the library system is down for extended maintenance.

*This may or may not only apply to NTFS file system. That's what I have, and that's what I know.

Now, if we're done with all these analogies, I'll get back to what I was able to do.

Though the 'repairing' of the MFT hasn't seemed to work, I was able to recover all my Adobe, Excel, Powerpoint, and Word Documents (including my Senior Thesis!!!) and save them on my C:/ drive. I also managed to fit all My Pictures in there (though, I really should start deleting some that are no longer relevant).

The Plan

Now, as for my 99GB of music sitting on there... There's nothing I can do at the moment. I don't have enough space to transfer everything onto my C:/ drive (I only have 10 GB still open). Even my sister's desktop only has 65GB open (Yeah...I definitely need to delete some of my music).

So, next step is to purchase another hard drive.

Okay, I know what you're thinking - WHAT? Pay out $65+ for ANOTHER hard drive that'll fail on you too?!

I'll answer that in the next section. In the meantime, can I please continue with my plan?


Next I'll purchase another hard drive, giving me the 35GB in my laptop, the 160GB that is having some issues, and a new one (probably 500GB, though I could go for 1000GB (1TB) for $10 more...but really, that's getting a bit ridiculous--I mean, why would I ever need that much space?! My video card isn't good enough for video games. Maybe some movies...nah.).


I'll use TestDisk to copy everything (music and all) to the new hard drive. Then, sure that everything is safe in two places, I'll reformat my current one, then copy everything back over to it, giving me 3 copies of all my important documents and 2 copies of my less important ones...

The Moral

BACKUP YOUR FILES!!!

Yes, the title finally makes sense! For every great document you create, be sure to make at least one, possibly two (or three or four) backups!

Whether this means having 2 or 3 hard drives handy, saving your documents in e-mail attachments, or paying for an online backup service, don't take technology for granted. I've been told multiple times that it's a miracle my computer is still running. Okay, not a miracle, per say, but it's certainly impressive. That my external hard drive ran into some problems is not a surprise. When you're dealing with tiny computer chips and information that relies on 011010101 being in the right place...well, a lot can go wrong.

I thought my little portable guy was my backup, but really I just used him as my main pack mule. And when that pack mule decided to get lost (lose his map), I thought I was bum outta luck. Thankfully, my problem isn't as serious. The mule got a sprained ankle, but after I unload him and give him some time to reboot (reformat), he'll be up and going again.

But, backing out of the metaphors again, what if I had dropped it down the toilet? Or dropped a bowling ball on it? Or had it stolen out of my bag at the airport? Those documents would be lost forever.

With two hard drives (well, 3 really), I'm reducing the chances of things being lost forever. I mean, unless you're dealing with Apollo 13, having a quadruple failure is less likely than, say, having a single failure (on that note, maybe it's best to stick with 12 instead of 13 backups? Or chip in that extra effort and go to 14).

So, again, if you have important documents, pictures, music, anything that is irreplaceable, send it to yourself in an e-mail. Save it to a few dozen zip drives. Copy it to a CD or two. Look in to getting a couple external hard drives. Cause you just don't know what could happen.

Security Breach!

ALERT! ALERT! ALL CREW MEMBERS TO BATTLE STATIONS! WE HAVE A UNIFORM PAPA CHARLIE! I REPEAT, AN UN-AUTHORIZED PASSWORD CHANGE HAS OCCURRED! REPORT TO BATTLE STATIONS FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS!

...Or, at least, that's what was happening in my head two days ago.

Honestly, I don't know what happened. I don't know if I was hacked. I don't know if two sites decided to simultaneously glitch. I don't know the logic or specifics of what went down. All I know is what I saw, and what I did to fix it.

I guess you could say this all started 3 (or-so) months ago, when Facebook first decided to be glitchy. Okay, I guess they were just being diligent, but it still ticked me off. I was trying to share a link to a page on my profile, and apparently Facebook had had reports from some(body/people) that the site was annoying and/or malicious, so it kicked me out and sent me an e-mail to reset my password:

Hey Vicki,

We have detected suspicious activity on your Facebook account and have reset your password as a security precaution. It is possible that malicious software was downloaded to your computer or that your password was stolen by a phishing website designed to look like Facebook. Please carefully follow the steps provided:

1. Run Anti-Virus Software: If your computer has been infected with a virus or with malware, you will need to run anti-virus software to remove these harmful programs and keep your information secure. [insert support links for Microsoft & Apple]

2. Reset Password: Be sure that you use a complex string of numbers, letters, and punctuation marks that is at least six characters in length.
To reset your password, follow the link below:
[insert link here]

3. Never Click Suspicious Links: It is possible that your friends could unwillingly send spam, viruses, or malware through Facebook if their accounts are infected. Do not click this material and do not run any .exe files on your computer without knowing what they are. Also, be sure to use the most current version of your browser as they contain important security warnings and protection features.

4. Log in at Facebook.com: Make sure that when you access the site, you always log in from a legitimate Facebook page with the facebook.com domain. If something looks or feels suspicious, go directly to www.facebook.com to log in.

5. Report Suspicious Activity: Please visit the following pages for further information about Facebook security and information on reporting material:
[more links]

Once you have performed all these steps, your account should once again be secure. Please be sure to visit the Facebook Help Center for further information regarding these security issues and let us know if you need assistance.

Thanks,
Facebook Security Team

Now, all those steps are good advice (which is why I copied the e-mail), but I was peeved nonetheless since it was ME trying to use my account and NOT someone else. Still, I went ahead, made a new password and gave up on sharing the link (it couldn't have been that important, since I don't remember what it was anyway).

Flash forward to April 21st (or 22nd - the panicking kinda warped my memory of precise time passage) 2010.

I'm on Firefox, with multiple tabs open, flitting back and forth between them. I click on Facebook's tab and find one of their in-screen pop-ups saying, "You must be logged in to see this page" (it was my profile page). I cock my head to the side quizzically, but do as I'm prompted and go to sign in again. I know that they've been doing some more updates recently, so don't think too much about some hiccup causing me to log out.

On the log-in screen I type in my password, no problem, and click submit. The page goes blank a moment, the loading symbol is in on the tab, but then the same page returns with a message in a pink box. Why pink? Was red too scary for them? Too gloom and doom for Facebook? Anyway, the message reads:

Please re-enter your password
The password you entered is incorrect. Please try again (make sure your caps lock is off).
Forgot your password? Request a new one. [<-link]

I try again, slower this time, making sure I hold the shift key for the correct letters and release it for the others.

And I try again.

And again.

And again.

By now I've started to grit my teeth because I know I JUST reset my password (a little while ago) and I don't feel like doing it again. But, with no other choice, finally I give in and click the Request A New One link.

It's fairly simple to request a new password, actually. Facebook simply sends you an e-mail (to the address[es] registered with your account) with an activation code, which you then copy and paste into the space provided. Then you type in your new password twice and are on your way. I click the confirmation button and then go to my e-mail tab.

Normally, I have it up and running, but my mom had just checked hers earlier, so I had yet to log in again.

So I go to the AOL/Netscape log-in screen and type in my username, at which point my Saved Password fills in, and then I click the Sign In button.

A small bit of red text appears above the sign-in: Invalid Username or Password. Please try again.

Now, I KNOW my password is correct, but I go ahead and type my username again, then manually enter my password.

The red message doesn't go away.

I try it again and again and again...again, but nothing changes.

I'm really starting to freak out now. Why would BOTH accounts suddenly seize up at the same time? That can't be coincidence, can it? I mean, this account is the only one registered with my Facebook (my school account closed 6 months after I graduated), so what better way to reset my password than to also hack this e-mail?

Wait...hack? Have I been hacked?!

I quickly follow the "Forgot your Password?" link for my e-mail, which takes me through AOL's steps for password resetting. Trickier than Facebook's (since they obviously don't want you to need to have multiple e-mails) their questions are actually personal. They ask for your birthday, your zip code, and then the answer to a security question which you picked (and answered) upon signing up. I went through everything quickly and easily and changed my password.

Then I went in and finished the process for changing my Facebook password. As an extra precaution, I also went through all my other e-mails (I have 4) and changed their passwords. All was well.

Or so I thought...

I come back the next day and find an e-mail in my inbox... "Facebook Password Reset Confirmation Code". And I'm kinda...O_o I didn't request another reset.

Lo and behold, I was logged out of Facebook again and my password didn't work. I went through the steps again and reset it (getting another confirmation code in my e-mail).

A few minutes...or an hour (again, my idea of time was not constant during this period) later, I was logged out of both Facebook AND E-mail.

Now, this is partly my own fault. I had assumed that the second time my password on Facebook had simply glitched out, and that I needed to reset it to what it used to be. DO NOT USED AN OLD PASSWORD OR A PREVIOUSLY HACKED/BROKEN PASSWORD ON ANY ACCOUNT. Seriously, even if you think it's a glitch, it's better safe than sorry.

It was around this time that I really started panicking. I filed a report to Facebook:

Security: Hacked account

My account has been compromised, but it has not been phished nor affected by the money scam.

My account has been hacked.

If you believe your account has been hacked and you can still access your login email address, you can secure your own account by resetting the password from this page: [link] , or by selecting the "Forgot your password?" link that appears above the on the login page. An email will be sent to you with steps for completing the process.

If your account has been hacked and the login email on your account has also been compromised or has been changed by the hacker, please send us information about the account so we can look into it further and hopefully restore access. Please click here [link] to submit your report.

OR

Login and Password: I can't log in to Facebook or access my account

I reset my password but it will not work the next time I log in.
If you are prompted to reset your password every time you log in, your problem may be related to your internet browser. Please follow these steps to troubleshoot the issue:

1. Follow these instructions [link] to clear your browser’s cache and cookies.
2. If you continue to experience problems, reset your password [link] and log in.
3. If you logout and confirm that you cannot log back in, please contact us [link].

Because my account hadn't been sending out spam, or participating in other malicious activity, I decided to follow the instructions for the second problem. I cleared my cache and cookies (even though I was 99% certain Firefox wasn't the problem) and tried again. Still no dice. So I contacted them and they replied quickly.

Well, I should say I contacted them, then went to reclaim my e-mail again. First I spent a little time Googling things like "what to do if e-mail is hacked" (fyi, apparently I'm the only one who still calls it e-mail instead of email) and "how to tell if account is hacked", only to get dreary news. Most sites gave condolences for having lost my account, 'but here's how to gain access for enough time to save your crucial e-mails.' Others (like Yahoo Answers) actually had people commenting about how they were experienced hackers (and then had replies asking for their services). *shudder*

With the help of a couple more cheery sites (My Email Account Was Hacked! How I Regained Control of It & Password Recovery Speeds [Chart]) I made a new password (1337-speak) AND changed my security question & answer.

Anyway, the Facebook e-mail was there, nice and succinct:

Hi,

Please reply to this email to verify that you are the owner of the account that you referenced in your Facebook support inquiry. This security step must be completed before Facebook can respond to your inquiry. We apologize for any inconvenience.

If this email address is not associated with your account, please reply to this email from an email address that is associated with your Facebook account, ensuring that this email is in your response (this may require you to copy and paste this text if your email client removes this email from your reply).

Please also note that if you have created an account, and you're having trouble logging in, please do not create another account using a different email address. Doing so may also increase the time needed to resolve the issue.

Thanks,
The Facebook Team

I replied with two short sentences:

I am the owner, though I'm also having issues with my e-mail at the moment. If you could please CC my other e-mail [link] I'd appreciate it. Thank you.

Oh, pardon me, three short sentences.

I decided to give Facebook one last try, and sent for the confirmation code once more, changing my password to something not even remotely similar to anything I've used before...

And haven't had a problem since.

I must say, after reading the horror story the first site described, my e-mail and Facebook intrusions were pretty tame. No sent messages, no deleting information, no adding contacts (or e-mails)... The only problem (or clue) I had was my passwords not working. And, even luckier for me, I don't keep other crucial information in my account, so other than links to websites I receive mail from, (that I know of) they didn't get anything from me.

I'm still on edge. Every time I mistype my new passwords, I bite my lip that my next attempt will work (and it does). I ran a (37 hour-long) virus-scan on my computer, which turned up nothing - always a good sign. I just hope this good fortune will last.

If anyone has any advice of things to look for, or how better to secure accounts, please leave a comment below.


...In lighter news, (if you hadn't noticed up at the top) I FINALLY finished Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy! Most likely, I will give a review of the first 5 books together, then have a separate review of the most recent 6th installment by Eoin Colfer. Be on the lookout for that ;)

Hope you all stay safe until we next meet,

~Vicki