Not only would McGruff and Scruff be proud of this e-mail address -- so many of the problems in their crime-infested world are solved by telling a parent or grown-up -- but so should Microsoft. In fact, there's a Microsoft blog post that describes the occasional e-mail from some unsuspecting mark who thinks that by writing to TCTips@microsoft.com, they'll get brain dumps in return.

From McGruff.org

I wrote to the address myself and asked a few questions of my own. Here are the answers:

Approximately how many tips do you receive in a given timeframe (weekly, monthly or annually)?
Microsoft Learning receives a number of leads through TCTIPS, and while we cannot [elaborate] on how many or what we are doing with the leads for legal reasons, each and every lead is investigated and acted upon as appropriate.

What percentage of tips are legitimate versus ones that are about issues outside of your control ("I failed the exam so there must be something wrong," etc.)?
Unfortunately we cannot provide this information. Cheating takes on several major forms including brain dump sites, proxy testing, collusion, falsifying score reports and fraudulent test centers, to name a few. While some of these may seem less severe than others, all forms of cheating are unethical, fraudulent behavior. We will take action against any candidate or test center that we believe is engaging in these behaviors.

Of the tips that are thought to be legitimate, what percentage do you follow up on or investigate further?
All tips are investigated, and all violations of the rules for the certification program are reviewed and addressed.

Of the tips that are investigated, are there any numbers you can share as to how many testing centers have been reprimanded, candidates voided, or other actions taken?
While we cannot share specific numbers, Microsoft takes seriously the importance of protecting the investment that Microsoft Certified Professionals make in achieving professional certification. For that reason, we have a team of people focused on preventing and addressing exam fraud, piracy and any other illegal exam and certification activities.

Not exactly the most concrete responses regarding an e-mail address that, as near as I can tell, has been in existence for many years. Nevertheless, I applaud Microsoft's efforts to bypass the testing centers which are supposed to actually be watching out for this. As McGruff so eloquently puts it, "Take A Bite Out of Crime!"

Pre-Pre-Exam Study
It's often the case that what you do before the moment you need to act can be of equal, or greater, importance than what you do in the moment.

Taking and passing certification exams is no exception. The importance of studying the subject matter, understanding the intricacies of syntax and having a firm grasp on the plethora of marketing-related topics you may be asked about cannot be overstated.

There is, however, one important step that's often overlooked, and it's one you should take before you begin to study for any exam: Sharpen your test-taking skills.

To this day, the majority of certification exams continue to rely on multiple-choice questions. With only minimal effort and a search engine, you can find numerous reputable sites offering tips on how to prepare for and tackle multiple-choice questions. Lest you think they're all jut babbling about the importance of a good night's sleep, how crucial a good breakfast is to doing your best and so on, look again. Many of the sites go beyond this, offering solid strategies and tips on how to find the correct answer.

Usually, you don't fail exams because you missed every question; you fail them because you missed one or two that would've made all the difference. When those questions appear -- the ones that leave you with absolutely no idea of what the answer is despite all your studying -- knowing how to approach the question from a strategy perspective can be enough. There are some sites that offer advice on other types of exam questions, but most are irrelevant for certification study; there just don't seem to be many reputable ones discussing practicums.

Before even considering signing up for your next certification exam, I strongly encourage you to:

A) Spend 10 minutes at your browser revisiting the basics.
B) Rent a movie and order a pizza.
C) Think green.
D) All of the above.

CompTIA Network+ Update on the Way
The updated version of the Network+ exam is scheduled to go live in January. This update has been a long time coming -- almost four years -- and the objectives for it can be found by signing up here.

The next CompTIA exam slated for updates is Linux+. You can get a look at the objectives drafted in the latest workshop for this certification by taking this survey.

Book of the Week: 'Planet Google'
If you're looking for a book that will open your eyes to the possibilities in the future of IT, look no further than Randall Stross's Planet Google.

You could fill a shelf with the all books on Google that have been written recently, but this one stands among the best. In its favor, the author is a columnist for The New York Times and was given access to information that most authors only fantasize about.

While the history lessons on how Google originated and came to serve the lion's share of Web searches are interesting, the true eye-openers are in the initiatives and plans for the company's future. The tagline for the book says it all: "One company's audacious plan to organize everything we know."