High speed internet is not available to everyone – forget the commercials that cover the airwaves. Living in a rural community can make it impossible to enter into the world that exists on the internet today. Dialup may be the only way to surf the web and that means missing out on many of the downloads and websites around the Web.
When AT&T bought out Bellsouth, they agreed to have high speed internet service available to everyone in their service range by the end of the year. That was 2007. By December of 2007, we realized that getting AT&T high speed was a dream (or delusion).
Satellite was not a top choice. Or location keeps us from always getting a good signal for our television and that’s not something to be easily dealt with over the internet, particularly when you are in the middle of working online. Besides, the two satellite companies that serviced the area wanted a small fortune to install and then another small fortune each month.
Cable was the ideal solution. It offered the fastest speeds around and there was no limit to access or connections. Only the cable company claimed our location was unserviceable. For just a few thousand dollars they would be glad to MAKE us serviceable.
After being disappointed by the unfulfilled promises of AT&T and after too many hours waiting for dialup to download, we bit the bullet. We paid the ransom to get the high speed – let’s just see if it’s really worth all the hype and trouble.
The internet is becoming a more acceptable form of communication for many in the baby boom generation. These less than tech savvy surfers are trying to negotiate their way through forums, chat room, websites, and blogs. With the expansion of Web 2.0, the field is becoming even more dangerous. Many of the new users end up abusing their own sites, often without ever coming to realize it.
Recently, my SIL set up a website so that friends and family from around the world would be able to get updated information about her small children and about my brother (who has recently started back to med school). The interesting thing was listening to my parents discuss how her site worked. My dad insisted it was a blog. My mother insisted it wasn’t. Neither of them would really know a blog if it bit them in the rear end.
It’s easy to get lost in all the technical jargon that comes with the internet territory. Instead of avoiding the technology or finding out too late that you are using it all wrong, just take your time. There are classes at almost all community colleges or universities that will walk you through the basics of the internet. Once you get the basics down, you’ll find that there are online classes available to help you expand your world.
It amazes me how many people that use the internet aren’t worried about someone stealing their information. Part of the lax attitudes comes because they don’t realize that someone would concern themselves with average ordinary people. Part of it comes because they don’t understand how vulnerable they are. The first line of defense is the passwords they use, and most passwords used today are as easy to crack as 1, 2, 3.
The key to a good password is to mix it up. You need some capital letters, some numbers, and some symbols - if the site will allow symbols. It is NOT a good idea to use your social security number or your birthday. These can be easy numbers to find and they can lead to identity theft in the future.
The second idea to consider about a strong password is that it NOT be an actual word. It is best to have a misspelling or even a made up word that others wouldn’t be able to figure out with ease. If you aren’t a movie star or some other individual in the spot light, then odds are a difficult password will be enough to keep you safe from the hackers.
Some last ideas about passwords. Keep a list of your passwords in a spot away from your computer. If someone does steal your computer, they will still have the challenge of cracking your passwords. It would also be a good idea to set new passwords every few months.
The password is your first line of defense against the bad guys. Having a simple password is like living your home or car unlocked. It is an invitation for trouble.
The social community of web 2.0 has its fingers in every aspect of life. Blogs, Myspace, Facebook, and other applications are making the world a community of neighbors. It’s affecting everything from how you do your taxes or cook your dinners to how you vote in elections.
The democrats pushed the revolution to a new level (good or bad is still up for debate) when they choose to do a live debate on YouTube. The republicans declined to offer to follow suit. But all the candidates have seemed to embrace the internet with blogs, websites, and other uses of the medium.
MySpace has pages for all the candidates and it is set to have the candidates do live interviews in the next few weeks. This is a push to get the youth involved in the election, but will have other repercussions as well.
The internet could be the catalyst for grassroots efforts to take over the nominations. Online communications make the process seem more intimate and tend to encourage people to have a more personal stake in the outcome.
It is a fine line between trying to pull new voters into the process through the use of new and unusual means and crossing over to situations that demean the very position that it is trying to promote. Candidates need to use the internet with discretion and dignity.
Living in a small, rural community with no easy access to an electronics store can make finding good software hard. Searching the internet doesn’t always help. Much of the shareware or freeware is either worthless or harmful. What’s worse is that there doesn’t seem to be an easy way for the non-techie to know the best from the worst.
Awards were once a way for you to know that what you were getting was worth it. One of the oldest awards I know about is the “Good Housekeeping Seal” but I’ve seen, used, and bought products with that seal that I wouldn’t recommend to my worst enemy.
Software is the same. I’ve tried asking people that are in the know what I need and every one of them has a different thought or opinion. It seems that software can be as much about personal taste as it is about how it runs on your computer.
The best way to find the software that is right for you is to experiment - with caution. Don’t download something because you think the site you are visiting is safe. Take some time to do a little research about the company first. And make sure you anti-virus and anti-spyware programs are up to date before you start to download.
Finding your way through the mounds of software available today is not easy. The good AND bad news is that it will only become more complicated in the future.
Every computer I have ever bought was full of junk that I never used. For the most part, I downloaded much of the software that I needed. It seems that the free stuff is often as good, if not better, than anything you might find to buy.
There are exceptions to every rule, but so far my choices haven’t let me down. I would probably have lots more freeware, shareware, or other free products found online, but I have dialup. I am limited in what I can download onto my computer. But never fear, even dialup can get into the free market.
I was introduced to Foxfire a few months back and haven’t even thought of using another browser. I love the way it is set up, and the options that can be added. It was one of those finds that everyone needs to experience. The price is unbeatable (free) and the performance is the best I have found.
The great thing is that there are hundreds of free software programs available over the internet. Just because your computer comes preset, doesn’t mean you are stuck with that software. Look around and test out some of the other options that are available to you. This is a particularly good project BEFORE purchasing lots of software. It may be that what you need is free and just a download away.
Web 2.0 is much more than just the catch phrase of the day. You only have to peruse the internet for a short time to see that the social networks (the very heart of Web 2.0) are taking over. YouTube is already one of the hottest Web 2.0 sites. It is now making it easier to connect with other Web 2.0 networks.
YouTube has announced that it will be adding a button to allow users to Digg, StumbleUpon, Reddit, and basically mark the entries so that it is easy to post them at other social content sites. The “Digg this” button is probably one of the most exciting features. Digg.com has a strong hold on Web 2.0 in its own right.
While it’s good that the different sites are making it easier to connect to other social networks, I’m not so sure it’s all good. My last major tour through Digg provided me with hours of pointless, worthless, and mindless information. I actually WANT more than entertainment out of my computer.
Like anything that is good, people have a way of making it bad. It would be nice if you had to get a license (or in some way proof your value) before being allowed to surf the Web.
