| Updated 26 December 2005 Australian Time
New Year Resolutions for 2006
I recently had occasion to think about things that I might try to change, to put into effect for the coming New Year. I know many make New Year's Resolutions, but they normally only last for a few hours. In this case however, I hope to have incentive enough to follow them through and I would like to not only share them with you, but also request that you participate in the same ones with me. Let's start a movement on the Internet and we can, if you wish, call it "Mac's resolutions for a better, safer, more enjoyable year online". If you feel more comfortable making these "your resolutions for a better, safer more enjoyable year online" then please do. The list is not long, nor is it difficult to accomplish, but if you do it with me you'll find that we all have a much better year, and certainly a better future before us all. Further explanation, where necessary, will be provided at the end of the list. The list of resolutions I propose, and will adhere to myself, are:
- I will do my backups (of my files only, i.e. those I create - not programs) on the 10th of each and every month.
- I will not take, or download and install software that is not freeware or shareware to use on my computer other than software I have paid for in a legitimate computer outlet.
- I will run scandisk (or DiskCleanup) and defrag (or DiskDeframenter) on the 10th of every second month (i.e. Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Sep, Nov) to keep my computer running at its optimum.
- I will ensure that my firewall is operational at all times, and is kept up do date with any new version that is released.
- I will ensure that my anti-virus program is regularly updated to protect my computer against viruses which can destroy my data and hardware.
- I will run all three programs, Adaware, Spybot-Search and Destroy, and the Microsoft Anti-Spyware program on the 1st of each and every month to protect me from spyware, adware, and hacking scams.
- I will NOT forward on emails that I receive that have been forwarded 5000 times to others, which are chain letters of ANY description (including those asking for donations and insisting that it is necessary to pass it on to others), "warm-fuzzy" emails that, in reality, are chain letters that hide under the guise of making me a better person, or any other kind of email that has >>>> marks before each line.
- I will share my knowledge about computing and the Internet with others who seek assistance to understand their computer or the Internet.
- I will make it a practice to ensure that my children, grandchildren, or visiting children are helped and monitored while online to prevent them entering into areas that are of danger to them.
- I will NOT believe ANY email that purports to give me riches and fame in any manner, as in reality these are scams that will only not increase the little I have but will take my money in the long run instead. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.
- I will NOT give personal, banking, or investment details to ANYONE requesting them in an email. If I do, I deserve to be wiped out of any and all funds I have worked for throughout my life.
- I also request that you pass on Mac's Picks of the Week to any and all friends and acquaintances you feel might benefit from seeing the things I come up with each week. And please, return yourself each week to see what interesting, useful, and family friendly things I've found for your Internet use and enjoyment.
Explanations: The following are further explanations or places to obtain free software to accomplish the above tasks, and/or the necessity of doing these resolutions.
- If your system crashes (and they ALL will at some point) you will not lose any of your data or files if you have done your backups. If done, you will have duplicates shrunken in size and saved in another place. That is what backup software does. It shrinks the size of your files and stores those in another place (another drive or a CD or DVD) so they can be restored if need be. Thus, ensure that you back up ANY file that you create (you already have the CD or disks to reinstall your programs if necessary so there is no need to back those up).
- If you install software that is commercially made and sold, but that you have not paid for, you are not only in breach of the law, you are stealing from your brothers and sisters across the planet and ultimately taking something that is another person's livelihood - in effect stealing bread from their family table. Please, ONLY use legitimate commercial software, or shareware, or freeware. If something is freeware it will say that it is, and that means no one will ever charge for its use. If something is shareware you are allowed to use the product for a limited time, to assess its reliability and its ability to solve the problem you face. But please, resolve, with me, not to steal software and thus become a software pirate. There really are no legitimate or valid reasons to steal.
- By running Scandisk (or DiskCleanup) you are checking your hard drive or other storage devices for physical problems that may be able to be rectified. By running Defrag (or DiskDefragmenter) you are putting all of your program files in logical sequential order on your hard drive, thus ensuring that your computer runs them correctly and faster, and therefore ensuring that your computer runs at its optimal speed.
- A firewall is a piece of software that protects your computer from external attack. And make no mistake - there are programs on the net that sniff out computer ports that they can invade, and yours IS and HAS more than one of those. If you run certain Routers instead of modems they will act as a firewall as well, but it never hurts to have an additional firewall installed on your computer. One I have used successfully is called ZoneAlarm and the other firewall that I always used to recommend, the Sygate Personal Firewall, is no longer available as freeware as the company was purchased by Symantec corporation. You can download the free version of ZoneAlarm, an excellent freeware firewall, and use it as you wish. Of course you can also purchase a higher end version but for the normal home computer user, the freeware version is adequate.
- You MUST HAVE an anti-virus program installed on your computer to protect you from malicious programs that will delete your files, corrupt your operating system and generally shut down your computer, or, will copy your sensitive information (logins and passwords - by copying your keystrokes) and then pass that information on to an unscrupulous person who WILL use it to gain access to your internet account, your email account, your bank, your credit card, or any other sensitive information you have. Most computers come with an antivirus program (probably either Downloads - Symantec Corp Norton AntiVirus or McAfee - Computer Anti-Virus Software and Internet Security For Your PC limited trial edition) which is fine. However after that trial runs out you are expected to purchase the program and also pay an annual subscription fee to keep it current. And yes, it is necessary to keep it current as it is estimated that there are approximately 1500 new viruses released around the globe weekly. If your program doesn't know the new one exists, it can't protect you from it. However, there is also an alternative to paying for the protection. You can download and install the Grisoft Freeweb AVG Free Edition and yes, it is free to use in your home on your home computers and yes, it does a wonderful job at protecting your computer from viruses. The updated virus signatures are also free. So if your older anti-virus program has run out, be safe. Do it now.
- The programs AdAware and Spybot - Search and Destroy and the Microsoft Anti-Spyware programs can be all downloaded from these links. They are all good but not any one of them finds ALL spyware and Trojans on your computer, nor protects you from them all. However, download and install all three (they are free for personal use) and run all three monthly and your computer will be safe from spyware, adware, malware, and other internet nasties.
- The majority of emails that you receive that have been passed on or forwarded to you by well meaning friends and colleagues are hoaxes. All they do is tie up the Internet email pathway with useless junk that has no reality in fact. So please, when you do receive one of these forwarded hoaxes or pleading emails that want you to send it on to everyone you know, or are telling you about some dire warning "only released today" that will kill your canary, run amuck with your grandmother's cat, and most likely drink all your coffee and turn your beer warm and sour, check it by going to the HOAXBUSTERS Home Page or the Urban Legends Reference Pages or even the Symantec Security Response - Hoax Page and the McAfee.com - Virus Hoaxes site and check its authenticity before clogging up the internet with even more useless nonsense. All it ultimately does is slow down the net for us all so check it out, inform whoever sent it to you where to find the correct information about that hoax, and then simply delete it yourself.
- Most likely someone shared their knowledge with you when you first started using your computer and/or the Internet. It's now time for you to help others who are in the exact same place that you were in when you started, and that includes your children and grandchildren or family friends and their children as well. Don't act like the "dog in the manger" as it makes no sense to keep knowledge for yourself. Help better the lot of those around you who could use some help, just for the sake of doing it. You might even consider passing my site, Mac's Picks of the Week on to those who are new at using the net. My site is family friendly regardless of age, race, religion, or creed, and hopefully they will find it as useful as I hope you do.
- Children are especially at risk online. One would like to believe that the net is a safe place to be but unfortunately, just like any other society that is not always the case. Thus, protect the young around you by going online with them, discussing what they should look for, where they are safe to play and gather information, and ensuring that they do not get into situations where they can be preyed upon by those who wish them ill. Yes, you can find and install parental guidance software like SafePC - Internet parental control or one of those at the Parental Guidance at Download Com (just scroll down the page) site, or Search " Windows Titles for Parental Guidance (the programs on this subject held at Tucows, one of the oldest shareware sites on the net) site, and yes, to a certain extent they are useful. However I caution you that a) when your child tries to do an assignment on "breast cancer" no sites will be found until you, the parent or guardian, turn it off for that one search. A much better way, to this Old Grandfathers way of thinking, is simply to openly and intelligently talk with your young ones and explain that yes, things like this exist but they are not for them at this stage in their growth as people. When they become adults and appreciate the dangers involved, that then is when the government and you will allow them to search for what ever they wish. Make friends with your children and grandchildren. Don't allow them to be harmed by things and people online. It's just good common sense really.
- Unfortunately the internet is rife with unscrupulous people (but so is the real world society we live in). If you are so new that you don't get much "spam or junk" email yet, you will. It is a fact of life online. Many of it will try to sell you sexual enhancements, or stock market tips, or try to enlist your aid in "moving money from one country to another for astronomical fees paid to you". The rule of thumb here is threefold. A) delete any email like that and pay no attention to it what so ever. B) do NOT reply to it telling them to remove you from further postings. All that does is verify that your email address is valid, and your spam (taken from an old Monty Python skit where "spam" was everywhere in every dish served) will increase dramatically, and C) download, install, and get used to opening Mailwasher Anti Spam Software The Reliable Free Spam Blocker before you open your email software to download your email. This free software will allow you (once you set it up like your email program) to see what email is sitting on your internet service providers computer waiting to be downloaded to your computer. When you spot SPAM, click the little Bounce box beside that particular email and it will send a message back to the sender telling them your email address is invalid, and will also delete it from being downloaded to your computer. Please please do this, for the sake of your own online safety.
- Many scams online come in the form of email and pose as your bank or credit card company who are "updating their information and thus require you to reply with your name, birthdates, address, login, and password" so that they can ensure your privacy is assured. These scams are really cleverly done and do look real, but here is the catch. Folks, NO bank and NO credit card company ON THIS PLANET (and I doubt on any others either) verifies your information this way. NOT ONE!!! So please, do not fall for this, or any other type of scam. You'll remember the old sayings: "if it looks too good to be true, it most likely is" and "if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and waddles like a duck, it's probably safe to assume it's a duck". Well, all scams look like ducks so be vigilent. Read, be aware, and don't get caught out.
- I look forward to seeing you, your friends, relatives, and colleagues here each week to share in the rich bounties that the Internet has to offer us all. Please do come back and do share my site with others you feel could use a hand.
Well, that's quite a list of New Years resolutions, but friends, if you and I do those we will reap the rewards of good intelligent fun Internet use and experience, as will your family and friends. Please do join me in this set of resolutions for the new year and stay safe, happy, and well. The best of the New Years wishes are sent from my home and family to you and yours. :-)
Of course, as always, these are ...
Just my musings...
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