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."
