Category: ‘Thoughts From a Clicker’

Using Linux (2024-11)

November 3, 2024 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

At the risk of incurring the wrath of Cal, the Cajun Clickers Linux guru, this month I thought I’d share my thoughts on this mysterious operating system.  For those that don’t know, Linux is an operating system.  In fact, it is one of the most used platforms in use today.  An operating system is software that manages all of the hardware resources associated with your desktop or laptop.  To put it simply, the operating system manages the communication between your software and your hardware.  Without the operating system (OS), software wouldn’t function.

The Linux Operating System is used in a wide variety of systems and environments.  It powers large cloud infrastructure environments, on-premises converged infrastructure appliances, application servers, desktop computing environments and embedded systems.  Linux also powers many mobile devices such as Android phones, tablets and many wearables such as watches and fitness trackers.  It is also found on many netbooks.

Linux is an open sourced OS and has no cost. It is completely free to download and install.  This means that anyone can modify the code for their use.  This has led to many versions (distros) of Linux.  As of this writing, there are more than 600.

So why isn’t Linux used by more people?
1.  It seems intimidating.  There are a lot of versions.  Luckily, it isn’t too hard to chose.  There are only four or five distributions that are user friendly for beginners.
2.  There is a lack of useful software.  This used to have some truth.  In recent years, there are excellent programs that are comparable to both Windows and MAC.  Even gaming has become better with releases of Valve and Steam engines.
3 . Its not installed.  Most computers are sold with either Windows or MAC installed.  Although this is starting to change a little, users usually have to download and install Linux on their computer.

As a member of Cajun Clickers, we all have an opportunity to easily change to Linux.  Every month there is a “Linux SIG” and an “Extra Help for Linux” workshop.  These offer a chance to see Linux in operation and get a feel for how it works.  Many first time users start by converting an older computer to Linux.  Why not sign up and check it out?

Thanks for reading.

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Cyber Security Awareness Month (2024 10)

September 29, 2024 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.  It was created in 2004 as a collaboration between government and industry to provide resources that users need to stay safer and more secure online.  Administered by the Department of Homeland Security, this is a perfect time for all of us review our online practices to avoid falling victim to the many attacks that can compromise our lives.

The theme for Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2024 is “Secure Our World”.  Here are a few web links that you might find useful:

The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency home page has links to information on everything the US Government publishes.  You can read the blog, sign up for the newsletter, view many “how-to” articles and much more.

Identity Theft is a Federal Trade Commission Consumer Advice page on how to prevent your personal information from being stolen.

Scam Alerts is a Federal Trade Commission Consumer Advice page with three sections:
1) How To Avoid a Scam;
2) What To Do if You Were Scammed; and
3) Report Fraud, Scams, and Bad Business Practices.

The Internet Crime Complaint Center is a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) site with detailed instructions how how to report on-line crime.

Unfortunately, a web search for Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Louisiana doesn’t reveal much happening in our state.  I did a search on la.gov for cyber security.  The most recent article was in October, 2022.  I also found out that there is a State Cyber Assurance Program.  Now that I know it, I’m sure I’ll soon forget it exists.

The city of Baton Rouge hasn’t changed their Red Stick Ready-Cybersecurity Preparedness page for at least two years.  They do have several links to other helpful information.  As an added bonus, at the bottom of the page there are links to prepare for many other disasters and hazards.

I hope you can use the links in this article to find more information.
Thanks for reading.

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Using Google Services (2024-09)

September 1, 2024 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

I’ve had my Google e‑mail account since February 11, 2011.  Other than receipts from the Play Store, I estimate that I’ve received about twenty important communications.  The only other mail I get is e-mail from a club member who for some reason doesn’t use my club e-mail address.  I also get test mailings that I send to myself when I set up new e‑mail accounts.

Although I have side loaded a few applications, I almost solely use the Play Store to install apps on my phone.  I occasionally use Google Search when Bing or Duck Duck Go doesn’t give me satisfactory results.  I have the Chrome browser installed on all of my devices, but I usually only use it for checking Gmail, accessing the Play Store, watching You Tube videos or testing code on my web site(s).

Is this because I’m wary of the company tracking me so they can advertise?  Not really.  All companies do this.  Many are much more nefarious.  Is it because I don’t like Google?  Not at all.  They have some fine services and most of them work very well.

So why don’t I rely on Google for many of my day to day needs?  The answer is simple.  The service might not be available in the future.  Am I concerned about nothing?  Probably not, but lets take a look at some Google services that are no longer available:

• Inbox by Gmail was an email service developed by Google.  It was officially released to the public on May 28, 2015.  Inbox was shut down by Google on April 2, 2019.
• Google+ was an Internet‑based social network that was launched on June 28, 2011.  This was Google’s fourth foray into social networking and it experienced strong growth in its initial years.  The service was discontinued on April 2, 2019.
• Picasa was an image organizer and viewer for organizing and editing digital photos.  There was an integrated photo sharing website.  It was originally created by a company named Lifescape.  In July 2004, Google acquired Picasa and began offering it as freeware.  It was discontinued on arch 15, 2016.  Picasa Web Albums, a companion service, was closed on May 1, 2016.
• Google Goggles was an image recognition mobile app developed by Google.  It was used for searches based on pictures taken by handheld devices.  It was discontinued on August 20, 2018.
• iGoogle was a customizable Ajax based start page or personal web portal launched by Google in May 2005.  It was discontinued on November 1, 2013.
• Google Reader was a RSS feed aggregator operated by Google.  It was created in early 2005 and launched on October 7, 2005.  Google Reader grew in popularity to support a number of programs which used it as a platform for serving news and information to people.  Google closed Google Reader on July 1, 2013.
• Google Health was a personal health information centralization service (sometimes known as personal health record services) by Google.  It was introduced in 2008 and discontinued in 2011.
• Google Cloud Print allowed users to print from web, desktop, or mobile to any Google Cloud Print-connected printer.  It was more than ten years old.
• Google Podcasts was a podcast hosting platform and a podcast listening app.  After less than six years, it was discontinued just six months ago.

This short list is only a few of the more popular Google services and programs that have been discontinued in the past.  There are hundreds of others, including web authoring, news readers, social networks, messaging applications, web analytic programs, etc.  I wasn’t able to find any sites with an exact total of how many were discontinued.  A web search will find links to several sites that list the Google services and applications that are no longer available.

Almost without fail, every time Google kills something you will find a lot of articles on how important it was.  There are always many suggestions on what to replace the Google product with.  They seem to forget that Google is a business and offered the services in exchange for user information which can be sold.  When the service is no longer profitable, it gets shut down, no matter how popular it is.  That is the main reason why I don’t use Google for things that are important to me.  What if someday Google G‑mail is no longer profitable?

That’s all for this month. Thanks for reading.

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Reflecting on Club Participation (2024-08)

July 28, 2024 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

The article about Zoom that Richard submitted for the newsletter this month got me to thinking?  With Zoom and the many other available options, why don’t more members of the club take advantage of the services offered?  Is it apathy or maybe a lack of knowledge on what is available?

As I write this, we have about 190 members.  I don’t know how we compare in size to the 106 other groups of the APCUG, but I suspect we might be one of the larger organizations.  Either way, 190 is a respectable number in these modern times.  Long gone are the days when computer clubs had thousands of members.

Our monthly meetings are usually attended by less than twenty percent of the members.  Is this because we don’t have them at a convenient time?  Is it because the content isn’t interesting?  Is it because the membership doesn’t know about them?

It is the same way with the APCUG Wednesday Workshops.  I’ve attended many of them.  There are usually abound 200 people (many of whom don’t remember they are on camera).  This averages to less than two members from each club.

Have you noticed that the club seems to have fewer workshops every month.  I’m not sure that lack of volunteer instructors is the reason.  It can be frustrating to schedule a seminar and not get many attendees.  Doesn’t that encourage volunteers to volunteer less?

Should I mention the Cajun Clickers two Google Groups?  The last question posed in “Ask the Experts” was June 22.  The previous question was asked in October 2022.  No one has posted in the “General Discussion” group since January 2023.  I’m beginning to see a trend.

I don’t have any data on how many members read the monthly club newsletter.  I do know that since we started posting membership numbers to receive a gift card, there hasn’t been any claimants.  I’ll let the readers of this article draw their own conclusions.

Down deep inside, I know that nothing is going to change.  The active members and volunteers will continue what they are doing and the others will do the same.  That is enough ranting for this month.  I won’t be so glum in September.

Thanks for reading.

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Club Website Revisions (2024-07)

July 7, 2024 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

So far, I haven’t broken anything yet.  As you may or may not have heard, Paul Catrou has ended his duties as the Club Webmaster.  If you see him, please be sure to give him a big thank you for his service to the club.  Our club president twisted my arm and all of a sudden, I’m the guy.

My coding skills are a little rusty, but I hope to make some changes.  If you’ve been to the web site lately, you can see the new interface.  Hopefully, both members and the public will find it easier to navigate and find needed information.  I’ve tried to design it to look good on all devices.  I’ve been cursing phone screens a lot.  The idea is that all content will resize to fit all screens without the user having to zoom in or out.  The hamburger menu should make it easier to navigate.  I am also planning to add site map links to the bottom of each page.

If you haven’t checked it out, I would appreciate it if everyone did and let me know what they think.  I’ve already made some changes based on member input.  There are also some others on the way when I get the time.

So far, all of the changes are on the “front” end.  Registering for workshops, downloading newsletters, etc. haven’t changed.  In the future, I hope to make it easier with a “one click” process.  There are other potential uses for our club website.

Please check the site and let me or any of the club board members know what you think.  Opinions and ideas are welcome.  We want to make things useful for members.

Thanks for reading.

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A Cajun Clickers Poem (2024-06)

June 2, 2024 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

At last month’s presentation of “Having Fun With AI”, I was asked to print this poem in the club newsletter.  Note: all bold, italics and links are duplicated as written by the AI.

Microsoft Copilot was asked to “write a poem about cajun clickers computer club using zoom”.  Copilot responded: Certainly!  Here’s a poetic tribute to the Cajun Clickers Computer Club, a community of tech enthusiasts who gather virtually via Zoom:

Cajun Clickers: A Virtual Ode

In the heart of Baton Rouge, where bayous flow,
A club of tech-savvy souls, their passion aglow.
They gather not in person, but through the digital haze,
On Zoom’s pixelated canvas, where knowledge plays.

Cajun Clickers, they proudly call themselves,
An all-volunteer crew, like digital elves.
From novices to experts, they form a diverse band,
Their common thread? A love for circuits and command.

Workshops unfold, like blooming magnolias,
Windows 11 secrets whispered, Android’s euphorias.
Genealogy SIGs trace roots through binary veins,
And Q&A sessions dance like code in the rain.

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays they convene,
From morning’s first light till the screen turns serene.
Zoom squares fill with faces, each pixel a friend,
As they troubleshoot, explore, and their tech skills extend.

Cajun Clickers, a bridge across bytes,
Their mission: to demystify, to ignite.
From hardware to software, they weave a fine thread,
Connecting generations, where curiosity is fed.

Their virtual home, a cozy digital den,
Where ones and zeros blend, and friendships begin.
They laugh, they learn, they share bytes and memes,
And when the sun sets, they dream in binary streams.

So here’s to the Cajun Clickers, their screens all aglow,
In the bayou’s embrace, where knowledge rivers flow.
May their Zoom calls be merry, their circuits aligned,
As they navigate the bytescape, their passion enshrined.

Note: The Cajun Clickers Computer Club is a real organization in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, dedicated to promoting computer literacy. You can find more about them on their website.

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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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