Used to be, when I chose a setting for a story, I'd visit the place to get a clear picture. When I decided on a protagonist's profession, I'd locate a member of that profession and arrange for a face-to-face interview. For anything more, the local library was nearby. Used to be I did a lot of walking.
Then the Internet arrived. Wondrous invention.
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| Image courtesy of digitalart at freedigitalphotos.net |
A quick touch of my fingers on the computer keyboard was all that was needed to visualise my settings, or learn about my characters' jobs, about the conflicts that could tear them apart. Indeed, via the Internet and the World Wide Web, I could access any information I needed. The world, long a mystery to many, was now revealed to all.
But with good comes bad. Many times I've clicked on a website in pursuit of information, only to be inundated with advertisements that lure me to purchase the 'really-you-must-have' products for sale, and banners that vie for my attention. Occasionally a pop-up will appear advising me that either I will win $10,000 or my computer will be cleaned of the 1000+ dirty files that are slowing it down. All I am requested to do is click on the link.
I ignore the ads and banners. Without a prompt from me, they continue to appear, as if nagging at me to take notice. Frustration rises. Annoyance strikes. I'm sure I'm not alone in wishing I could wipe the ads from the computer screen with a single swipe of my hand.
Curses let loose when I see a pop-up. Fury overwhelms. The $10,000 win is bogus. Warnings abound everywhere telling me this. Daily scans indicate my computer is clean, dirty files non-existent.
More often than not, pop-ups are malware, viruses, or scams and phishing disguised as innocent-appearing ads to lure potential victims into revealing personal details such as identity or bank account numbers.
Paranoia, some might say. Possibly. I was once a victim of credit card fraud so now I'm extra-cautious. And, really, everyone should be. The Internet is rife with hackers and scammers infiltrating websites, blogs, emails and social media, and growing more daring daily.
My worries ease knowing tools for blocking advertisements, banners and pop-ups exist. AdBlock (download cost - donation) is one I recommend. It allows me to surf the Web, read emails, watch a video on YouTube or check a Facebook page without being bombarded by advertising.
| Image: www.geek.com |
To protect against online threat, I downloaded WOT (Web of Trust), a free-download tool amassing the ratings of a multitude of websites. These ratings (votes by a global community of service users) indicate whether a website is safe to use, if it can be trusted with personal information, or if anti-virus companies have blacklisted it.
| Image: www.youtek.it |
Now I can focus on my emails or a website or social media worry-free.
Are there others out there like me? I'd love to hear your stories.
Love to Love - My favourite time of day is night when I gaze up at the moon and wonder if anyone is out there.
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| Photo courtesy of zcool.com.cn at all-free-download.com |
Love to Laugh - My 'to-be-read pile', or should I say, my 'to-be-read, 3-book-deep, bulging bookcase'. I love to read, but every spare moment, I write. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
Love to Learn - I've learned a lot about getting ahead in life via inspirational quotes. One of my favourites is Napoleon Hill's "A goal is a dream with a deadline."
Thanks for this informative post, Enisa. Call me naïve, but I had no idea such preventative measures existed. Ads, especially those popups, drive me crazy! I will definitely investigate Adblock (just how much is a 'donation'?)
ReplyDeleteHi Marilyn. Thanks for dropping by. Glad I'm not alone in ads driving me crazy. Adblock is available for however much you wish to donate. There is also a paid version. AdBlock Plus which has more features, if you're interested.
ReplyDeleteSounds good. Also, I've been told that if the web address has https (ie. 's' added), and a lock icon, it's safe to give personal details, but the WOT you mentioned would be worth downloading for peace of mind.
ReplyDeleteWOT is terrific, Marilyn. Indicates if there is anything suspicious about the site or on the site.
DeleteWhat a great post Enisa. I had not heard of Web of Trust. Does it come up with a warning if a site has been blacklisted? How does it alert you?
ReplyDeleteHi, Cassandra. Thanks for visiting. Yes, WOT tells of blacklisting. It's great for many reasons.
DeleteThanks Enisa for the great post. I didn't know about the Web of Trust. Love the picture of the moon btw. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Nicole. Thanks for coming by. Glad to be of help in informing people about WOT. It's a great tool.
DeleteAnd I like the moon picture. I'm very fond of the moon. They do say it's connected to your emotions.
Thank you Enisa! I'll be looking into AdBlock and WOT.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I get extremely frustrated with those darned pop-up ads...and often they make it so you can't find the 'close' button, so you can't see the screen behind it until you click into the ad!!! Grrrrr!!!
They certainly are sneaky Dee. It makes it hard to know when to click and when not to click on anything when it comes to the internet. Always wondering if there is something nasty attached to something that looks innocent.
DeleteHaving lost all my files in a computer blow-out (with no understandable reason as to why it blew!), I am probably more paranoid than most when those pop-up ads come up, so yes, I am terrified when I see a pop up even the ones declaring that I've WON something amazing!
DeleteHi Dee. Thanks for visiting. Never click on anything you're not absolutely sure of, is my advice. And it works for me every time.
DeleteHope your computer woes are over.
Really interested in that Web of Trust. Will look into that, thanks Enisa!
ReplyDeleteMalvina
My pleasure, Malvina. Glad I could be of help.
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ReplyDeleteGreat post, Enisa. I think I'll follow your path and download those links.
ReplyDeleteWelcome, Robyn to our blog. Happy to know I've been of assistance. Both downloads are great.
DeleteFor everyone interested, WOT uses the traffic-light system. Green dot beside a site's name means the site is safe. Yellow dot means 'be careful. Something is not quite right'. Red dot means 'danger. Do not click onto site'. In-depth reasons are given for the colours given.
ReplyDeleteThank you for explaining how it works Enisa. It is good to know that we can be warned before we go into a site whether or not it is safe. Does it work with all browsers like Crome and Mozilla Fox?
DeleteHi Cassie. Yes it works for all browsers. I have Chrome. Also works on Safari for Apple Macs.
DeleteJust to let you know, Enisa, I've downloaded both your suggestions and am very much looking forward to ad-free internet surfing. Thanks for the info.
ReplyDeleteHappy to have been of help, Marilyn. Surfing the Net now will be a joy now, I'm sure.
DeleteAwesome post Enisa I know how big a leap its been for you embrace the vastness of the internet! So proud of you :) What is the biggest gain that has come from the internet for you as a writer?
ReplyDeleteHi Nikki. Thanks for coming by. Interesting question you've asked. Wonder how my answer will compare with others. I've had a lot of gains. The ease of researching for information abiut characters, settings, and so on. The vast amount of information available at a single click. That's 2 for starters. But for me the biggest gain is the accessibility to people. So easy to find and network with other writers and exchange experience and knowledge of the craft of writing.
ReplyDeleteAwesome I love the internet but it can be too much of a distraction at times. But I also love the access to people, fandoms and information. Oh and social media but that's another blog for another time......
DeleteThere is much to love about the Internet but everyone should be aware of the perils that also exist and how to protect against them.
DeleteGood to see this is a Part 1, because when it comes to both Positives and Perils, there's plenty of fodder to make this an long and ongoing series. The more we can upskill internet users, the more efficient everyone can be and the less scams will be successful.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to our blog, Stu. Thank you for your insightful comment. I'm in full agreement that Internet users need to be fully aware of the perils that are everywhere and the safeguards available against those perils. I'm aiming with my posts to increase awareness.
DeleteA great post, Enisa. You're right, there are some great free resources out there! Well done, Enisa. I'm looking forward to Part II in your series.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, Georgia. It's great we have the resources available to make our journeys through the Internet pleasurable and stress free.
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