Articles 

Creating Stronger Passwords

10/23/2007 -

The internet has provided a stream conveniences. We can access a vast amount of information, do our banking, pay bills, and even shop online. However, with these many benefits arises the need for consumers to take extra precautions to protect themselves from hackers and phishing schemes. 

With Identity theft on the rise, it is important that you become security savvy when creating and maintaining passwords while utilizing the internet. Protect yourself by using good password management techniques.

Four steps to creating stronger passwords:

1) Make sure your password is longer than 6 characters long.  I recommend 8 or more characters. Shorter passwords are much easier for a hacker to break. Plus, there are smart tools that a hacker can use to speed up the process of cracking your password just as if it were a combination lock.

2) The characters used in your password can make a big difference.  Make sure that your password has a mix of upper and lower case letters.  Your password will be even stronger if you add numbers and symbols. For example, using the word "sample" for your password would be considered weak. The password would become stronger if it were "Sample." It would be even stronger if it were "$ampLe."

3) Avoid using any of your personal information when creating a password.  Steer away from using your name, birthdates, any part of your Social Security Number, etc.

4) Change your passwords every three months. It is not a good practice to use the same password for any account too long. 

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Backup your data files!

10/07/2007 -

Make plans to backup your personal data files regularly to a storage device of your choice. In the event that your hard drive fails, you do not want to be vulnerable and lose important data. It can be very costly (i.e. hundreds to thousands of dollars) to have data recovered from a failed hard drive. So, it's always better to be safe than sorry. A good backup plan does not have to be expensive.  You can backup your data to another partion on your internal hardrive, CDs or DVDs,  or save to a variety of external storage devices. 

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Identity Theft Protection

09/22/2007 -

Identity theft occurs when someone manages to obtain personal information (i.e. social security number, account numbers, name, address, etc) for use in fraudulent acts. The victims are usually unaware that someone has and is using their personal information against their will.

Identity theft is a very serious problem.  But don't let this keep you from enjoying the benefits of the internet and the conveniences that it provides.  Even though statistics say that millions of Americans have their identity stolen each year, this number does not have to include you. Take steps to educate yourself to be more informed on ways to protect your personal information.

Many credit card companies (i.e. Visa, Mastercard, etc.) have good policies in place to protect you from fraud IF you shop with your credit card.  If you dispute any charges on your credit card statement, the credit card company will investigate the sale for you. Please contact your credit card company to find out more about their internet protection policies. This should give you more peace of mind when shopping online.  

Here's a few steps that you can take to protect your personal information when using the internet:

• Do your own research to make sure that the company or source is legitmate BEFORE you give your personal information online 
• Do not write down or give away any of your login usernames or passwords
• Make sure when buying online, that you are using a "secure site"
• Never give your social security number online when solicited
• Do not write your credit card information or social security number on any piece of paper
• Monitor your credit report(s) regularly
• Don't be afraid to ask questions as to how your information is being kept private
• Use your credit card when shopping online instead of your debit card. This will prevent you from giving the wrong person(s) access to your personal checking account

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Computer Troubleshooting 101

10/07/2007 -

Don't panic. You can do your own basic computer diagnostic troubleshooting.

Take detailed notes and try to reproduce the problem. Then write down any errors. Include information about anything out of the ordinary that you hear or see that may be related to the problem.

The old saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" is true, especially when it comes to troubleshooting issues with your computer. So, if you are able to do a screen capture of the error(s) that you are receiving, your support tech will kiss you (just kidding). Your jesture will be greatly appreciated and will give more accurate clues regarding your issue. 

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Keep Track of Service & Support Records

10/07/2007 -

Maintain good records regarding any service and/or support. It is in your best interest to keep excellent records of issues, service, and support performed on all of your computers. I also recommend that all of the information related to your computer(s) be kept together in a safe dry place.

It is also a good practice to keep track of all software CDs that you have purchased (along with the installation codes). This will be very helpful in the event that you need to restore your software due to a system crash or hard drive replacement.

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Cold Boot Versus Warm Boot

10/23/2007 -

What's the difference between a cold boot and a warm boot for PC/Mac systems?

The cold and warm boot perform slightly different functions.

A warm boot is "restarting" the computer while it is already in the "powered on" state. The power to the system is never turned off.  This type of reboot is also called a "soft reboot."  Most times when a system is not responding or in a hung state, a warm boot will suffice to reset the system. Warm booting gives your system a chance to reload the operating system and reset your software.

A cold boot is performed when you turn the power off on the computer. It is also called a "hard reboot."  This type of boot takes longer than a warm reboot. I usually recommend that you leave the system "powered off" for a few minutes (about 2-3 minutes) before powering the system on again.  A cold boot is especially helpful if you have tried a warm boot and your system is still having the same trouble. 

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No More Spam, PLEASE!

01/08/2008 -

Although email is now one of the most inexpensive means for communicating.  Spam has taken some of the fun out of email. Who wants to spend hours sorting through annoying unwanted email. Spam is defined as any email that you receive that you did not welcome or want. 

One way to reduce the amount of spam is to have more than one email account. You can open a FREE email account with gmail, yahoo, excite, etc. to use just for registration purposes when you're on the internet. Use this address to divert spam when you are asked to give your email address or when required to provide an email address for registration while you're surfing the net. Reserve your "primary" email account for those really need to contact you.

You can also curb the amount of spam your receive by utilizing the spam filters in your mailbox. It is wise to avoid replying to be removed from email list (unless) you know the source is legitimate. Otherwise you confirm that your email address is valid and then the spam will really start pouring in. 

So, save yourself time and energy by protecting your primary email account. Remember that your email address is golden to email marketing pirates.   

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Recycling Your Used Computer Equipment

01/08/2008 -

Is it time to get rid of that stack or room full of old computer equipment? The mammoth CRT monitors take up several times the space of the new sleek LCD flat panel monitors.  What about your old PS2 mouse and keyboard? Has it not yet been replaced with a handy USB or wireless model? Well, if you are like most of us computer gadget junkies, the pile just keeps getting higher and higher. Is there any use for this computer stuff that we no longer want or need?

The answer is YES...IF it is still in working condition. So, the next question is what do you do with these space-taking goodies. Well, there are several options that range from recycling to reselling or proper disposal. Like batteries, dead monitors and desktop or laptop computers should NEVER be thrown away in the normal trash. Contact your city hall to find the proper drop off location.

If the equipment is in used (but working condition), you can donate it to a non-profit organization and receive a tax credit. However, be forewarned that the normal donation places like the Salvation Army and Goodwill usually will not accept these items. It appears that in times past, people have dumped their "dead" or almost dead computers off (like a garbage dump) to these agencies and they have to spend the money to dispose of them properly. 

So, if the equipment is usable, feel free to pass it on (while it still can be of use to someone). Remember that a lot of computer equipment becomes obsolete reasonably fast. So, make sure that someone can really use what you're trying to donate.

Resale is another option. There are places that will take your old equipment and refurbish it for future sale. So, you could walk away with a few dollars and support efforts to recycle.

Here's some helpful links that can provide your with more information on recycling, selling, or disposing of your old computer equipment:

http://www.usedcomputer.com/nonprof.html

http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/hardware/page4788.cfm#q14

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The Dawn Of A New Age

12/01/2009 -

There is a generation that has felt left behind by the technology rush. These are they which have managed to acquire the success that included the benefits of a secretary. This benefit (although a privilege for most executives) would later prove to be a crutch. It hindered the gradual exposure into computer technology software development.

Software and the personal computer became a benefit for those secretaries who eventually evolved into the newly created role of administrative assistants also known as "admins". These admins had to grasp the latest technology trends available to increase productivity beginning with the manual typewriter (that later became upgraded by electric versions), then the word processor, and finally the personal computer and it's software. 

The release of the first personal computers offered even more ways for the admin to create and manage documents, perform calculations., and develop stylish presentations with ease.  It only took a little over a decade to raise a generation of people who had access and confidence to become effective and efficient computer users. With the personal computer and several attractive software available, this computer user group began to extend beyond the typical admin as well as college students.

Now the next generation of executives who were exposed to computers in college joined the forefront of admin computer users. These executives gained their independence as they brought their aquired personal computer knowledgebase into the workplace.  This growing user base of "techies" were skilled enough to create and manage their own word processing, calendars, etc. Thus the need for one to one admin assistants diminished. Today, it is rare to find an executive who has one dedicated admin assistant. Many admin assistants today still maintain the highest skillset when using office software suites. However, today this role is usually responsible for a much larger pool of executives and their scope of responsibility is less dependent on word processing (which used to be more than 60% of the job description 20 years ago).

Today, those who were exposed to the personal computer during the past 15 years have amassed a aquired comfort level with learning and using software that many of the professionals who utilized secretaries in times past have skipped. This is the birth of the power user group that will probably be forever greatful for the opportunity to be slowly inducted over the past 15-20 years into the fast evolving streams of computer technology and its software.  This time represents the dawn of a new age. The secretaries of yesterday have become the power users of today.

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