Category: ‘Thoughts From a Clicker’

April Fool’s Goodbye (2024-04)

March 31, 2024 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

I’ve heard it said that all good things must come to an end.  Unfortunately, sometimes it is true.  It is with great sadness that I must announce that I will soon be leaving Louisiana.  In 2005, when I relocated to Lake Charles, I planned to never move again.  After more than twenty years in the Navy, I lived in a lot of places.

Fast forward to 2018.  The grandsons had relocated to Livingston.  The wife wanted to be closer to them, so we moved.  I planned never to move again.

Another fast forward to 2023.  Those darn kids have up and resettled again.  They’ve moved to Rexburg, Idaho.  Other than being somewhere in Yankee land, I’m not sure where that is.  Circumstances are forcing me to relocate once more.  The Mrs. wants to move again.

Over the years, I’ve been in a lot of computer clubs.  The Cajun Clickers has definitely been one of my favorites.  The people are friendly, knowledgeable and put up with my idiosyncrasies.  What else could an old man ask for?

I guess I could make a really long commute every month, but that just doesn’t seem feasible.  Maybe I could be a “remote” member.  I could Zoom into the meetings and keep up with everyone by their articles that they write for the club newsletter.

I will be more than happy to continue writing articles for the newsletter should someone continue to edit the thing.  I won’t be leaving for a few months so there will be plenty of time to turn over my club Newsletter, Website and other duties to someone new.

This announcement will probably be the shortest Clicker article I’ve ever submitted to the Newsletter.  I hope that it will still be going strong next year in April.

Thanks for reading my April Fools article.

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Help Yourself (2024-03)

March 10, 2024 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

The only real help is self-help. Anything else is just designed to get you to the point where you can help yourself. —– Seth

It happened again!  At the last Computer Club Board Meeting, Richard mentioned that all videos are uploaded to the club YouTube channel.  Someone asked him to send the link and for me to post it in the monthly club newsletter.  Here is the e-mail that he sent.

At out last BOD meeting, Pat asked me to send out information about our YouTube Channel.  So here it is: Just go to your monthly newsletter and on page 2: “Support Staff and Sponsors”, rightmost column is a link to our YouTube Channel.  Click on it and you are there.

This is not anything new.  The link has been in every newsletter starting in April 2023, it was reiterated in Tiny’s October monthly column, and was written in each of our BOD meeting minutes starting in February 2023 and last mention in May 2023.  I also had one member email me asking where are the replays for the monthly meeting?  In all of these instances, I said: “just read the newsletter.”  It’s clear to me why Pat asked BOD members to read the newsletter and the meeting minutes.

This actually happens quite often and not just with the newsletter.  I’ve heard club members ask about doing workshops on topics that have been scheduled and no one attended.  A few months ago, someone asked an off topic question of the speaker at the monthly meeting.  It was on something that had been explained in detail in a newsletter article.  All they had to do was help themselves.

I recommend wish that on the first of every month, club members would go to the club’s website and check if there are any interesting workshops they would like to attend.  You don’t even have to log in to do so.  On the home page, click the Workshop Calendar link.  It takes less than a minute.  If you see one you’d like to attend, Login and register.  If you’ve forgotten how, a call to the office staff will get you help.  All you have to do is help yourself.

Sorry for the ranting and raving this month, but I couldn’t resist.  I thought it was a good time to tell everyone to help yourself.  By the way, here is a link for everyone:

Cajun Clickers YouTube Channel

Thanks for reading.

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Seeing AI (2024-02)

January 28, 2024 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t been sold on the artificial intelligence (AI) trend that seems to be taking over the world.  So far, it seems to be mostly smoke and mirrors hype.  Will jobs be lost, or just different?  That was said about every technological advancement.  Will it take over the world?  I’ve heard that story before.  Will AI create misinformation on the internet?  I’ll just wait to find out what George Washington and Abe Lincoln have to say about it.

Like many people, I’ve played around with AI.  A couple of months ago, I used it to write this column.  I’ve made some pictures and had several conversations with ChatGPT.  Mostly, I’ve been bored with AI.

Then I found Seeing AI, an app for both Android and IOS.  It is a Microsoft app that aims to help blind and low-vision folks understand more of the world around them with the assistance of their smartphone’s cameras and AI-powered narration.  My vision is pretty good when I wear my eyeglasses, but I’ve still found Seeing AI to be useful.

Seeing AI opens and immediately activates a live camera with voice narration built into the app.  Voice types and tempo can be changed in settings.  There are several functions that you can utilize with a simple tap.

Short Text – reads text that you point your camera at.
Document – is similar to Short Text, but more sophisticated. It can read and scan complete documents.
Product – is a bar code reader.
Scene – takes a picture and describes it in detail.
Person – identifies people.
Currency – identifies money.
Color – tells whatever color your camera is pointed at.
Handwriting – still experimental. Recognizes handwriting.
Light – plays a tone that changes pitch depending on how much ambient light there is.

In the Google Play Store, Microsoft says it doesn’t collect or share any user data. Would they lie to us?
Thanks for reading.

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WordHippo Website Review (2024-01)

January 24, 2024 Posted by Tiny

This month I’d like to tell you about a website that I use nearly every day.  I do a lot of writing.  LibreOffice and Scribus are the two main programs I use to edit most of the written material.  The WordHippo is the site I use for tools to (hopefully) help me do a better job with my content.

WordHippo was originally launched in 2008 as a site to find rhyming words.  It has evolved to include a thesaurus, dictionary, antonyms, word finder and many other word tools.  There are many sites on the internet that do these things.  This is the only one I have found where everything is on one easy to navigate page.

A complete list of word actions include:
• Synonyms – the thesaurus is the default home page.
• Antonyms – gives an extensive list of opposite words.
• Definitions – a pretty much standard dictionary.
• Rhymes – it even almost found a rhyme for purple.
• Sentences – gives several examples of word usage.
• Translations – only translates to and from 99 languages (some that I’ve never heard of).
• Word Unscramble – there are a lot of filters in this section.
• Find Words – you can select the number of letters and find words for Words With Friends, Scrabble and Crosswords. You can specify starting or ending letters. There are many more finding functions.
• Word Forms – finds plurals, past tense, present tense and more.
• Pronunciations – reads words and sentences aloud.

For the most part, the website is easy to use.  It utilizes a tabbed layout.  Entering a word in one section usually carries over to the other functions.  I turned off my ad blocker for the site.  There was only one advertisement on the right side of my monitor.  There are apps for both iOS and Android.  I haven’t tested them.

Give Word Hippo a try.  Everything is free and there are no up‑sells for a paid version.

Thanks for reading.

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Twelve Days of Clubmas (2023-12)

November 26, 2023 Posted by Tiny

Twelve Days of Clubmas
by Tiny Ruisch
Without any apologies to Anonymous

On the first day of Clubmas,
My computer sent to me
A newsletter on the club web site.

On the second day of Clubmas,
My computer sent to me
Two computer backups, and
A newsletter on the club web site.

On the third day of Clubmas,
My computer sent to me
Three computer club meetings,
Two computer backups, and
A newsletter on the club web site.

On the fourth day of Clubmas,
My computer sent to me
Four new club members,
Three computer club meetings,
Two computer backups, and
A newsletter on the club web site.

On the fifth day of Clubmas,
My computer sent to me
Five Zoom meetings,
Four new club members,
Three computer club meetings,
Two computer backups, and
A newsletter on the club web site.

On the sixth day of Clubmas,
My computer sent to me
Six computer workshops,
Five Zoom meetings,
Four new club members,
Three computer club meetings,
Two computer backups, and
A newsletter on the club web site.

On the seventh day of Clubmas,
My computer sent to me
Seven freeware programs,
Six computer workshops,
Five Zoom meetings,
Four new club members,
Three computer club meetings,
Two computer backups, and
A newsletter on the club web site.

On the eighth day of Clubmas,
My computer sent to me
Eight one on one helps,
Seven freeware programs,
Six computer workshops,
Five Zoom meetings,
Four new club members,
Three computer club meetings,
Two computer backups, and
A newsletter on the club web site.

On the ninth day of Clubmas,
My computer sent to me
Nine APCUG speakers,
Eight one on one helps,
Seven freeware programs,
Six computer workshops,
Five Zoom meetings,
Four new club members,
Three computer club meetings,
Two computer backups, and
A newsletter on the club web site.

On the tenth day of Clubmas,
My computer sent to me
Ten virus free downloads,
Nine APCUG speakers,
Eight one on one helps,
Seven freeware programs,
Six computer workshops,
Five Zoom meetings,
Four new club members,
Three computer club meetings,
Two computer backups, and
A newsletter on the club web site.

On the eleventh day of Clubmas,
My computer sent to me
Eleven software updates,
Ten virus free downloads,
Nine APCUG speakers,
Eight one on one helps,
Seven freeware programs,
Six computer workshops,
Five Zoom meetings,
Four new club members,
Three computer club meetings,
Two computer backups, and
A newsletter on the club web site.

On the twelfth day of Clubmas,
My computer sent to me
Twelve stupid poem parodies,
Eleven software updates,
Ten virus free downloads,
Nine APCUG speakers,
Eight one on one helps,
Seven freeware programs,
Six computer workshops,
Five Zoom meetings,
Four new club members,
Three computer club meetings,
Two computer backups, and
A newsletter on the club web site.

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Scribus Review (2023-11)

October 29, 2023 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

Do you send out an annual Christmas letter to all of your relatives?  Do you like to make personalized greeting cards and party invitations?  Do you make a lot of posters?  Are you writing the next great novel?  Would you like to make your own personal calendar?  Would you like to edit the Cajun Clickers Computer Club Newsletter?

If the answer to any of those questions is yes, you probably need some good desktop publishing software.  There are many programs you could buy: Microsoft Publisher, PrintMaster, The Print Shop and PagePlus, to name a few of the more well known ones.  These programs will set you back anywhere from forty to two hundred dollars or more.  Like much other software, some of them are purchased via subscription.

If you’re thrifty like me, you could download and use an open source program that does everything the paid programs do and more.  I’ve been using Scribus Open Source Desktop Publishing to edit and publish the club newsletter since I replaced Pat as the editor.  I’ve been a Scribus user for more than ten years now.  I’ve come to think of the program as a word processor on steroids.

With Scribus you can create single or multi-page documents which can be single or double sided.  You can also create three or four fold documents for making brochures.  After your document is created, you simply have to insert text or image frames.  All the frames can be re‑sized, dragged and dropped or copy and pasted, etc.  You can also enter your data directly on the page, but it is much easier to create a frame.

Although I haven’t used all of the features, you can also insert render tables, frames, tables, shapes and much more.  There is also an insert barcode option.  I might research that feature in the future.  Wouldn’t it be cool to be reading a newsletter article and scan a barcode to get more information?

A search of the internet will yield several sites where you can find free templates for everything from creating a comic book or magazine to printing your own newspaper.  You can also create and save your own templates.

I’ve done that for the newsletter.  Every month, several of the pages are nearly the same.  I just load the template, change the dates, meeting information, speaker’s biography, etc.  Then it is just a matter of inserting articles, pictures, web site charts, etc.  My template is twelve pages, but it is a simple mouse click on the menu to add, delete or rearrange pages as needed.

There are a few other things about Scribus you should know.  If you want to use the print preview, you have to install the interpreter Ghostscript.  Ghostscript is a non-harmful open source program, but it is more software on your computer.  Scribus will work without Ghostscript, but is more useful when it is installed.

Scribus has a medium difficulty learning curve.  Most items are intuitive and work much like any word processor.  Others are not.  For instance, to insert a hyperlink, you have to highlight the text and then select “Insert PDF Text Field”.  Then the inserted field has to be edited and the hyperlink inserted.  It was a pain in the you know what at first, but after about the tenth time, it became second nature.  For everything I have had difficulty with, it has been easy to find help and solutions in either the Scribus Wiki or an internet search.

Scribus is open source with versions for Windows, Mac, Linux and some other Operating Systems.  There is also a portable version.  You can download the software at Get Scribus.  If you have a need for desktop publishing software, give it a try.  The cost is zero dollars, plus tax.

Thanks for reading.

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Your Computer Club (2023-10)

October 1, 2023 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

Are you getting the most out of the Cajun Clickers (or any computer club)?  Over the years I’ve been a member of several computer clubs.  The biggest change is that these days, it isn’t just about computers.  We also learn about cell phones, cameras, smart homes and much more.  Just a few months ago I learned about how we use electronics to predict and track our weather.  There are many reasons that I keep joining them.

The most important thing about computer user groups (clubs) is that they are full of people who meet to share information and to learn from each other.  All of them are informal groups with a common purpose of learning more about how electronics operate and can be used to better our lives.

A computer club offers a lot of knowledge and experience.  It’s almost like having tech support with a native English speaking support staff.  No matter what problem you may have, someone usually knows how to solve it.  If they don’t know the answer, they almost always know where to go to find out.

I’ve noticed that a lot of benefits of our club are not used by many of the members.  There hasn’t been a question asked on our Ask The Experts Google Group since October of 2022.  The General Discussion Group hasn’t fared much better.  There has been one posting in the last year.  The club also has a YouTube Channel and a Facebook Group.

Most of the monthly meetings have an attendance of around thirty members.  This is less than one quarter of the total membership.  There are usually empty seats at the club workshops.

Our computer group has a monthly newsletter.  I’ll admit that I like to run my mouth and the newsletter gives me a chance to write articles like this.  It also gives me a chance to learn about many other things by reading the the monthly columns.

Another under utilized club benefit are the many workshops offered on Zoom by the APCUG.  These cover a wide array of topics on most Operating Systems.  Some sample topics are Your Health and Technology, Cross-Platform Software, Backing Up with pCloud, Smart TVs, the Frugal Genealogist, and many more.

Computer user groups are a fun place to meet new people.  Since I’ve joined the Clickers, I’ve learned from a professional photographer, a tax accountant, a Better Business Bureau professional, a local television meteorologist, several writers, programmers, web authors, and more.

Where else can you get all of this and more for only $4.58 or less a month?  The annual membership fee is less than you would pay for one computer class almost anywhere else.

Thanks for reading.

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Cookie Management (2023-09)

September 3, 2023 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

Here is a question and answer from the FAQ section of one of my favorite websites that I often visit:
Q: Do you put cookies on my computer?
A: Not very often.  Sometimes a section of my site will not operate without a cookie.  When I do that, I usually use chocolate chip cookies.

Since the passing of the ePrivacy Directive (commonly known as the EU Cookie Law), many websites greet you with a big pop-up window telling us how important our privacy is to them.  To continue viewing, we have to accept cookies.  Actually, we don’t have to accept cookies.  Of course, if we don’t, we might not have an optimal experience on the site.

Cookies are just small information files that are stored on your computer.  When you return to the site, the files are read and you theoretically have the same experience as your previous visit.  The problem is with cookies that are placed by third parties.  These are almost always from advertisers.  They can be read by other parties and are often used to track you across different web sites.

What can we do about cookies?  In your web browser settings, you can block all cookies.  Unfortunately, doing so might cause websites not to work as designed.  Almost all web browsers block third party cookies by default.  If not you should enable the setting.

You could also do what I do.  Add a cookie manager browser extension.  If you search in the browser add-ons store, you will find many cookie managers.  It should not be too hard to find one that works for you.

The one I use and can recommend is “Cookie Remover” uploaded by Adam.  It is a simple extension that does one thing.  When you click on the icon in your browser tool bar, all of the site cookies are instantly removed.  It is available for all browsers.  Over the years, I’ve developed the habit of clicking the icon before I close the tab.  It works for me.

That’s all for this month.  I think I’ll go have a cup of coffee and some cookies.
Thanks for reading.

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Will Artificial Intelligence End the World? (2023-08)

July 30, 2023 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

Oh No!  The world as we know it is coming to an end!  At least that is what many people have been telling me.  Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here.  People are going to lose their jobs.  Deep fakes will be found everywhere.  We will not have any privacy.  We’re all going to be manipulated by algorithms.  I just hope that all this bad stuff doesn’t happen before I finish writing this column.

How many people will lose their jobs?  My guess is zero.  As with past technological advances, many jobs were created to replace those that were no longer needed.  The automobile caused the lost of much “horse work” employment.  We didn’t need blacksmiths, hostlers, saddle makers and many more.  There are hundreds of examples of this.  How many companies still make typewriters?  Try going to a store and buying a record album.  The list goes on and on.

Are fake objects going to be everywhere?  Probably.  If there is something of value, there will be a counterfeit of it.  Sometimes the fakes are even better than the originals.

We’re all going to lose our privacy.  I remember when I was a young boy growing up in a small town.  If I did something naughty, my parents would usually know about it fairly soon.  That darn telephone just took away all of my privacy.  The biggest difference now is that private information can be retrieved much faster than when Hoover’s FBI kept files on us.

Are we going to be manipulated by algorithms?  Aren’t we already?  Google maps tells what routes to take.  My writing program fills in many of my words after I type two or three letters.  Almost all of the things we watch, read or search for are recorded so that we can be advertised to.  The richest person in the world has so much privacy that no one knows who it is.

There have been so many other “end of the world” scares.  Remember Y2K?  That didn’t happen either.  I can tell you now that it was me that saved the world.  I changed the clock on my network time so that all of my electronics never did change to the year 2000.  After two years, when the scare was over, I finally allowed my clocks to update.

The decade of the 1980’s was going to be the end of the world several times.  It seems like everyone from Pat Robertson to the Jehovah’s Witnesses had proof positive that the “rapture” would be here soon.  Is it a coincidence that is the same era that personal computers started to become popular?  I can’t remember what George Orwell thought about it.

Wikipedia has a big list of dates that the world was or is going to end.  I’m not going to worry about the end of the world for a while yet.  Nostradamus made a detailed list of future predictions.  His prophecies end abruptly in the year 3797.  That’s when I’m going to worry.

Thanks for reading.

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Deciding on a Topic (2023-07)

July 2, 2023 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

I’ve spent the past two hours trying to decide what I should write about this month.  At first, I thought I’d remind everyone that schools have been dismissed for the summer and remind them to drive safely.  Then I remembered that when school started last year, everyone was reminded to drive safely.  I decided that wouldn’t be a good subject because some idiot would surely think that meant we didn’t have to drive safely the rest of the time.

Then I thought that maybe I could give some hints on how to use your computer more efficiently or how to use one of my favorite programs.  I immediately realized that I already try to do that in the various workshops I do both at the club and on Zoom.

I almost started to write things about computing that make me mad or don’t seem to be quite as they should be.  Then I wrote a paragraph about companies that make changes that make their product worse.  A second paragraph addressed the question of why we need so many file formats.  After starting to write about lousy tech name choices, I realized I was probably going to end up with an article about six pages long.

I finally decided on what to write about this month.  I’m going to take a few minutes and ask everyone to help make our computer club a little better.  How can you assist?

Why not contribute an article to this newsletter?  Do you have a favorite program that you think would be useful to other computer users?  Take a few minutes and tell everyone about it.  Did you get some new hardware?  An article reviewing the equipment would be beneficial to everyone.

Have you found a great website that everyone should know about?  Heard a funny story that you can’t wait to tell everyone?  Why not share it with the entire club.  All you have to do is click the link on page two and send it to the editor.  I know him and that he will gladly use your submission.

Why not bring a friend to one of our monthly meetings?  You can impress them with how smart you are by being a member of our club.  They just might decide to join the club.  Then we could all benefit.

When he wasn’t busy helping me invent the internet, Vice President Al Gore said, “Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate things.”  I think that means this would be a good time for me to shut up.

Thanks for reading.

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