Even more publicity for John X Berlin

A community service notice

For the benefit of its readers, especially those who missed last week's papers, The Daily Examiner's free weekly paper Coastal Views gives Maclean identity John X Berlin another prominent mention in an opinion piece on page 2.

Source: Coastal Views, 2/9/11

'Nigerian' email scam with a twist

There's no doubt about those scamsters. You have to take your hat off and acknowledge the lengths they are prepared to go to in order to assist good folk being fleeced.
The latest one to cross my desk didn't ask me to provide my details
(you know, all the important stuff like my bank account and drivers licence) via email.
Oh, no, this one provided me with their phone number so I could call them and hand the details over directly. That's what I call courtesy with a capital 'C'.

See scam email here.

The Australian Press Council has released preliminary data about the numbers and

outcomes of complaints considered by it during the year 2010-11.

Highlights include:

• The number of complaints considered by the Council rose by 7% to a total of 437 (excluding 129 which were outside its jurisdiction or were referred elsewhere).

• Mediation or adjudication by the Council achieved remedies for complainants in 194 cases.

• Mediated remedies included 98 apologies, retractions, corrections or similar action. In another 36 cases the newspaper agreed to publish a response by the complainant.

• Where mediation failed and the matter went for adjudication by the Council, 71% of complaints were upheld.

• This proportion of upheld complaints compares with 43% in the previous year and an average of 46% over the preceding decade.

• All adjudications by the Council were published in the newspaper or magazine to which they related, although not always with due prominence.

Further details are available on the Council’s website.

Information about types of complaint and other aspects will be provided in the Council’s Annual Report later this year.

For further information or comment by the Council's Chair, Prof Julian Disney, contact:

Derek Wilding (Director, Standards)

02-9261-1930; 0425-242-401; derek.wilding@presscouncil.org.au

A chat room lesson for the inner 3 year-old

The Power Index on 31^st August 2011:

“chat room user has managed to force mining company Voyager into a trading halt. User Ronny2011 reported a fake drilling result for one of the company's projects in Mongolia on internet forum HotCopper, forcing the company into a trading halt last Friday. On Monday this week, the company released a statement confirming the announcement was false and unauthorised……What could have been a little joke for Ronny2011 could now result in him or her being charged with fraud – their IP address has been forwarded by HotCopper to ASIC for further investigation.”