Posts Tagged: ‘Miscellaneous’

Tweaks to Speed Up Your Computing (2020-09)

July 20, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

This month I’d like to share a few tips that I’ve learned over the years.  They’re little items that I’ve found helped make my computing faster and easier.  These tips are on random subjects.  I’ve found that all of them make my computing experience a little easier than before.  Most tips work with all Windows versions, but I don’t guarantee it.  I do know you can try them all for free.

You’ve probably heard of some of these tips and already use them all the time.  I’m willing to bet you’ll find one or two things you can use to make your computing experience easier or faster.

If your computer has more than one processor, you can make it boot a little faster.  Open System Configuration App (msconfig).  Click the boot section and then click advanced options.  Next, check the number of processors block.  In the pulldown menu, select the largest number of processors and click OK.  Now your computer will boot a little faster because it is using more processing power.

While configuration is open, you can also stop the Windows Boot Logo from slowing your startup time.  Click the BOOT tab and check the No GUI Boot.  Doing so removes the graphical moving bar.  The downside is that if your system freezes during startup, you won’t know it.

In the same tab, you will see a “Timeout:” block set to the default of 30 seconds.  When you first start your PC, a boot menu appears, giving you the option to start your computer in special modes.  Decreasing the timeout will let you boot faster.

Do you sometimes lose sight of your mouse arrow?  Some web pages snap it to somewhere else on the screen and sometimes it gets lost in the background.  My clumsy finger often cause my cursor to move when I’m using my laptop touchpad.  Open mouse properties in your control panel.  Under pointer options, check “show location of pointer when I press the CTRL key”.  Apply the settings and you will always find your cursor with a simple press of the CTRL key.

Speaking of the CTRL key, there is another key that is usually near it on most computer keyboards.  You can save a lot of time by using the window key in combination with other keys.  One of my favorite personal favorites is using Window Key-E to open Windows Explorer.  With every upgrade to Windows, the Window Key seems to get more functions than ever before.  If you do a web search for your operating system and Windows Key (or keyboard shortcuts), you will find several websites with lists of all the key functions you can use.  Although a little harder to use, Microsoft has files of Keyboard shortcuts in Windows.  There you will find complete lists for all supported operating systems and software.  It won’t be long before you will find that the Windows Key will be a force of habit.  This will make it easier for you to use your computer.

Why not take a minute, run the Services App (services.msc on older systems) and make your computer run a little faster.  This will open a window with detailed information about the services (with detailed descriptions) that are running on your computer.  You will find many that you do not need.  To disable a service, double‑click on it and change the startup type.  Remember that you can always change it back later if you find you need the service after all.  If you need more information on a particular service, type the name into your favorite internet search engine.  You’ll find out all that you need to know.  Services are important, but every one that your computer doesn’t have to check up on will help it to run a little faster.

Why not print a little faster and save some money at the same time?  Detailed prints take longer to produce.  If you reduce the quality a little, you can print faster and save some ink.  Open print properties in any program to change the settings.  Look for draft mode or something similar.

Thanks for reading and keep on clicking.

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Unsafe Computing Practices (2020-07)

July 20, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

Forrest Gump said, “Stupid is as stupid does.”  Could this mean that an intelligent person who does stupid things is still stupid?  Everyone has heard the stories of the computer user that used their disk player as a coffee cup holder.  Did you hear about the computer user that called tech support trying to figure out why their computer wasn’t working?  Turns out there was a power outage.  When you Google “stupid computer stories” you get about 47,100,000 results.  No matter how you look at it, we’re talking about a lot of stupidity.

I’m not planning to talk about stupid computer things, just plain dumb or unsafe computing practices.  Probably one of the dumbest things some people do is neglect antivirus and anti‑spyware programs.  Antivirus programs can be a royal pain in the you know what.  They’re always blocking some application you want to use.  You often have to disable them to install new software.  They have to be updated on a regular basis to do any good.  It seems like the subscription is always expiring and prompting you to renew it.  But you can’t afford to go without virus protection.  The malicious programs that AV software detects can not only wreak havoc on your system but can spread via your computer to the rest of your network.  Don’t be dumb.  Keep your antivirus up to date.

I think it’s really dumb to just click on anything and everything.  I know how tempting it is to quickly load that solve everything program without first reading the EULA.  Be careful.  You might be agreeing to let everyone on the internet send you spam.  Even worse, you could do like one of my sisters did ‑ agree to use your address book for a sales pitch. I know how hard it is to resist clicking that e‑mail hyperlink your best friend just sent you, just be careful.  It’s so easy to download backdoor Trojans without even knowing it.  Don’t be dumb and give in to “click mania.”  Think before you click a link.  Links can also be disguised in “phishing” messages or on Web sites to appear to take you to a different site from the ones they really point to.  You can often find out the real URL by hovering over the link without clicking it.

Don’t be dumb and install/uninstall lots of programs.  I know how tempting it is to be on the cutting edge, so you often install and try out new software.  Beta programs are usually free and give you a chance to sample neat new features before most people.  There are also many freeware and shareware programs made available as Internet downloads by their authors.  I know none of our club members would never do it, but some users even install pirated software.  The more programs you install, the more likely you are to run across ones that either include harmful code or are poorly written and cause your system to crash.  Even if you install only licensed commercial software, too many installs and uninstalls can gunk up the registry.  Not all uninstall routines completely remove program remnants and at the least, this practice can cause your system to slow down over time.  Don’t be dumb.  Install only programs that you really need.

It’s really dumb to plug your computer right into a cable or DSL modem and go on the Internet.  Some people don’t realize that they’re putting themselves at risk from viruses and attackers.  Every Internet connected computer should be protected by a firewall.  Just having a firewall isn’t enough.  You must also make sure it’s turned on and configured properly to protect you.

I think it’s really dumb to plug in any electronic equipment without using a surge protector.  Doing so can physically destroy your computer equipment, as well as the data it holds.  You might might think your system is in danger only during an electrical storm, but anything that interrupts the electrical circuit and then restarts the current can fry your electronics.  Something as simple as turning on an appliance that’s plugged into the same circuit can cause a surge.  If you have a power outage, there could be a surge when the electricity comes back on.  Don’t be dumb.  Protect your electronics against damage from power surges by always using a surge protector.

Remember that everything in this column is just my opinion.  It doesn’t really matter to me if you follow my advice.  I don’t gamble very much, but there is one thing I’m willing to bet on.  It might not happen for a while, but eventually, you’re going to get caught!

Thanks for reading and keep on clicking.

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Fun Things To Do on the Internet (2020-04)

July 13, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

I love going to a carnival.  I don’t go on many of the rides anymore, but I love all the fun things there are to do.  Unfortunately, carnivals can be pretty dangerous too.  There are always pickpockets who will steal everything they can.  We often hear of rides that injure people.  About the only thing that is really safe at a carnival is the healthy food you can buy.

The internet is a lot like a carnival.  Everyone knows about the dangers and we all keep our antivirus programs updated.  I know that all the Cajun Clickers club members have their router firmware updated.  Their firewalls are active to keep the bad guys away.  Since everyone is so safe, I thought that this month I’d talk about some fun things to do on the internet.  After all, many people are spending a lot more time at home trying to avoid the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).  It is keeping a lot of people at home with lots of spare time on their hands.

There are a lot of fun sites.  I know that everyone doesn’t have the same idea of what’s fun.  Maybe if I tell you about my favorite sites, you might find something entertaining.

One of the things you can find a lot of on the internet are free games to play.  If you’re looking for games to play, good place to start is Gizmo’s list of Best Free PC Games.  This site is updated often and all the games are free to play.  My personal favorite online game is Texas Hold’em Poker.  There are a lot of places to play, but you’ll usually find me at World Series Poker at AOL Games.  There are lots of online games on the site, but I haven’t played many of the others.  If you like to play hearts, I recommend you try the Microsoft Gaming Zone.  The Gaming Zone has been around for a while and they have lots of games.

I’ve never been much of a television or movie watcher, but I love to listen to the old time radio shows.  Most evenings I’m listening to The Lone Ranger, Gunsmoke, Jack Benny, or my personal favorite, Fibber McGee & Molly.  My network drive has about 21 GB of radio program files.  You can get them and many more at the Old Time Radio Internet Archive.

In December 1995, Bill Watterson retired from cartooning.  I lost my daily dose of one of the funniest cartoons ever.  Now, thanks to the internet, I can still read Calvin & Hobbes everyday.  You can find a daily comic you’ll like at GOCOMICS, Comics Kingdom or ArcaMax Publishing.  None of the comics sites require registration.

“The Alphabet has been Updated with 15 Exciting New Letters” is only one of the funny satires you’ll find in The Onion.  This fictional, satire paper started in 1988.  They’ve been around more than twenty years, so they must be doing something right.  Their news stories seem so genuine that they have occasionally been cited as real.  I’ve got to warn you though.  There is often adult language used in the paper.  Another satire site I like is the Babylon Bee.  For a great description, check out their About Us page.

I’ll show my age a little. I don’t mind being called a “senior” because it usually includes a 10 percent discount.  If you like senior citizen humor, you also might like to check out Geezer Guff.

As you might or might not know, I’m a transplanted Northerner.  When I talk with my brother and sisters on Facebook, I usually translate into Southern for them.  Everybody gets a few laughs.  Translating into a dialect is easy when you use The Dialectizer.  As I write this you can convert into nine different dialects.  It hardly ever fails to make me laugh.

Here is a sample:
As y’all might o’ might not know, I’m a transplanted No’therner.  When ah talk wif mah brother an’ sisters on Facebook, ah usually translate into Southern fo’ them, dawgone it.  Ev’rybody gits a few laughs.  Translatin’ into a dialeck is easy when yo’ use Th’ Dialeckizer.  As ah write this hyar yo’ kin cornvaht into nine diffrunt dialecks.  It hardly evah fails t’make me laugh.

That’s just a few of the things I like to do on the internet for fun.  I hope you enjoyed them too and found a new site you’ll visit often.  Do you have a favorite place you think everyone should know about?  Let me know and it could become a topic for the new Internet SIG group I’m starting.

Thanks for reading and keep on clicking.

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Cruising 2020 (2020-02)

July 13, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

The wife and I are on one of our cruise ship holidays.  We usually go for all of January and part of February.  This year, I’ve been reflecting on how technology has changed some of ways I cruise.  The Mrs. took me on our first cruise ship in early 1990.  I don’t remember much about it except for some concerns that the airplane wouldn’t be able to take off for Miami because of all the snow on the ground and the bad weather.  We finally made a late takeoff.  Our luggage left even later and didn’t catch up to us until we were on the ship for almost two days.  There wasn’t a lot of personal technology back then.  A few people were getting desktop computers, laptops were almost unheard of and the internet was in its infancy, mostly restricted to universities, governments, military services, etc.  The World Wide Web and America On Line was still a year or so in the future.

Fast forward to March 2013.  I was on my eighth cruise with the boss (this time, she didn’t have to force me to go).  On this cruise, I didn’t take my laptop.  Instead, I used my new Archos 70IT tablet.  It was running Android 2.2 (Froyo).  When paired with a Bluetooth keyboard it made an excellent machine for shipboard cruising.  I used it to write some blogs for my website.

Two years later, I did basically the same thing on another cruise.  Same equipment, except for adding my first “smart” phone.  It was the Galaxy Note II.  I liked that phone, but it had enough quirks that I’ve never gotten another Samsung.  I also carried a laptop.

Now it’s 2020.  What’s new?  This trip, I’m carrying more equipment.  But using a smaller bag.  I’ve got a seven inch tablet, an older tablet that I use only for reading books, my smartphone and my laptop.  Besides a mouse, Bluetooth headphones and various USB cables, I’ve brought along two very important items.  Over the years, I’ve learned that electrical outlets are hard to find aboard ship.  I pack a small power strip and a voltage transformer.

The other big change is that I’ve purchased the Satellite data plan.  Surprisingly, upload speeds are faster than download.  Of course, faster is a relative term.  Speeds average between 1-1/2 to 2 mbps.  The good news is that I’ve got plenty of time to watch people and to practice my thumb twiddling.  I’ve mostly been able to download and play the podcasts that I like to listen to.  A few sites are extremely slow.  Although slow, the connection has been mostly reliable.  The only places on the ship where I haven’t been able to connect is in the bathrooms.  Another aggravation is that you can only go online with one device at a time.  I had to delay downloading a major security update for my phone until I could shut down my laptop for an hour.

The satellite data plan is a little pricey.  I justify it by telling myself it is free because I use cruise credits I get for being a frequent cruiser.  My guess is that is as good a story as any other fairy tale.

Many other things have remained the same.  I’ve had a few discussions with other passengers and showed them ways to make their electronics easier to use.  There are also a few that can’t wait to get back home to check if their local library subscribes to Overdrive, Hoopla, Zinio, etc.  I met one person that thought I was an electronics wizard when I plugged a flash drive into my phone to watch a video.  The weirdest thing I saw was a fellow that came to the table where I was writing an article.  I was there because that was where one of the few plugins were.  He plugged his phone in and asked if I would watch it for him.  Then he just walked off and was gone for a half hour or so.  Maybe, I look trustworthy?

Other things haven’t changed too much.  Most people are still doing their book reading on Kindles, iPads, Android tablets or large screen smart phones.  It does seem that fewer people are reading an actual paper book.  I won’t be taking the “Behind the Scenes” tour this time so the only shipboard technology I’ve seen is the retail sales system and the bingo playing software.  Of course, there is a lot of other technology at the casino.

The wife has already planned our cruising for the next two years.  She probably won’t have to twist my arm to get me to go.

Thanks for reading.

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Predictions (2020-01)

July 12, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

Happy New Year!  It’s that time again for everyone to make their annual predictions about what will happen in the future.  Not me.  You all should know by now how I am usually a little different.  After all, people with much more intelligence than me can probably predict the future with much more accuracy than I could ever hope to achieve.
For instance, the following prediction: “There is not the slightest indication that nuclear energy will ever be obtainable.  It would mean that the atom would have to be shattered at will.”  This prediction was made in 1932 by none other than Albert Einstein.

Is there anyone who hadn’t heard about Steve Jobs predictions on a stylus pen, smaller tablets and larger phones?  That puts him in the same league as Thomas Watson, IBM chairman in 1943, when he said there was a world market for maybe five computers.  IBM predictions improved in 1959 when they told Xerox that the world potential for copying machines was about 5000.

There are many other examples of brilliant people making the similar types of “accurate” predictions.  In 2005 Steve Chen, the co‑founder of YouTube claimed that the platform couldn’t survive.  He said, “There’s just not that many videos that people want to watch.”  A year earlier, Bill Gates predicted that the SPAM e‑mail problem would be solved within two years.  He also stated that his company, Microsoft, would never make a 32 bit operating system.

I could go on and on for pages about other people who made tech predictions that didn’t quite come true.  How about these other predictions?:
1) Subsidized cell phones will continue to decline and maybe even join floppy disks in the “I remember when” category.
2) Smart watches pass out of the what is it good for stage and replace cell phones the same way that automobiles replaced the horse and buggy.
3) Windows 7 will hang on as long as XP did.
4) Apple will invent wireless charging.
5) 3D television will make a comeback.

In case you might be interested, those are all predictions that I made in an article I wrote for my website in January 2016.  You can see that my accuracy isn’t any worse (or better).

I’ll only make a few predictions for this year: 2020 will feature some great Cajun Clicker computer club meetings, a lot of discussion classes available for sign‑up on the club’s web site.  There will be two Cajun Clickers socials.

Thanks for reading.

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National Call Registry (2019-11)

July 12, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

At last month’s monthly meeting, Lt. Brian Blache, a forensic computer examiner in the Financial Crimes Division of the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, gave an informative talk.  One of his comments was that if you don’t answer your phone, eventually you will get few scam calls.  I can attest that this is true.  For many years, if a caller isn’t in my contacts list, they are transferred immediately to voice mail.  I hardly get these calls anymore.  His talk also reminded me of a column I wrote for another computer club in April 2014.  It was my thoughts about the National Call Registry.  I hope no one will mind too much if I repeat it here this month.

Does anyone remember the Perry Mason television show that aired back in the 1950’s and 60’s?  Perry was a lawyer that had an extra phone line installed in his office.  The only people who had this second telephone number were his secretary and a private detective.  That way, when the phone rang, Perry knew it was important and would answer it immediately.

Here we are, sixty years later.  Almost everyone has a telephone they can carry in a pocket or purse wherever they go.  Isn’t technology great?  Now we can get a call almost everywhere we are.  Gone are the days of running to the telephone from the other side of the house, picking it up and hearing a dial tone.

Hardly anyone has to miss a call anymore.  You can answer it in the mall, behind the steering wheel, walking down the street or sitting on your throne.  How wonderful!

Unfortunately, behind every silver lining, there is a cloud.  It is so easy for telemarketers to program their computers to call you and everyone else that has a phone number.  Don’t you just love all of those interruptions?  Me neither.  I sure wish the government would save us.

Wait a minute!  I nearly forgot!  The government is already protecting us from unwanted calls.  On March 11, 2003, President George W. Bush signed into law the Do Not Call Implementation Act.  The law established the FTC’s National Do Not Call Registry in order to facilitate compliance with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991.  This law is working so good that compliance complaints have increased every year except one.  You would think that complaints would decrease until unwanted calls are a thing of the past.

Could it be that people are complaining because of the law’s exemptions?  A person may still receive calls from political organizations.  Luckily for me, I don’t get any of those types of calls.

A person may still receive calls from not for profit organizations.  Once again, I’ve been lucky.  I don’t get any of those types of calls.

A person may still receive calls from companies with which he or she has an existing business relationship for up to eighteen months after their last purchase, payment or delivery from it.  I can’t believe how my luck is holding.  I don’t get any of those types of calls either.

My personal favorite exemption is that a person may still receive calls from companies conducting surveys.  Turns out that some of these companies call with a survey and then ask for permission to make a follow up call.  The follow up is an attempt to sell you something.  Guess what?  I haven’t gotten any survey calls.

Even though I have never registered for the Do Not Call list, I expect that my luck will continue to be pretty good.  I don’t really care who has my phone number.  If I receive a call from a number that isn’t in my contacts list, it goes straight to my voice mail.  When my phone actually rings, I know that it is a call I might want to answer.  Like Perry Mason, I don’t get calls from unwanted people.

Keep on clicking and thanks for reading.

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Don’t Be Dumb (2019-10)

July 12, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

In the movie, Forrest Gump said, “Stupid is as stupid does.”  Could this mean that an intelligent person who does stupid things is still stupid?  Everyone has heard the stories of the computer user that used their disc player as a coffee cup holder.  Did you hear about the computer user that called tech support trying to figure out why their computer wasn’t working?  It was because there was a power outage.  When you Google “stupid computer stories” you get about 59,100,000 results.  No matter how you look at it, we’re talking about a lot of stupidity.

This month, I’m not planning write about stupid computer things, just plain dumb or unsafe computing practices.  Probably one of the dumbest things some people do is neglect antivirus and anti-spyware programs.  Antivirus programs can be a royal pain in the you know what.  They are always blocking some application you want to use.  They often have to be disabled to install new software.  To be useful, they have to be updated regularly.  It seems like the subscription is always expiring and prompting you to renew it.  You can’t afford to go without virus protection.  The malicious programs that AV software detects can not only wreak havoc on your system, but can spread via your computer to the rest of your network.  Don’t be dumb!  Keep your antivirus up to date.

I think it’s dumb to just click on anything and everything.  I know how tempting it is to quickly load that solve everything program without first reading the EULA.  Be careful!  You might be agreeing to let everyone on the internet send you spam.  Even worse, you could do like one of my sisters did – agree to use your address book for a sales pitch to all your friends.  I know how hard it is to resist clicking an e‑mail hyperlink your best friend just sent you.  Be careful.  It’s so easy to download backdoor Trojans without even knowing it.  Don’t be dumb and give in to “click mania.”  Think before you click a link.  Links can also be disguised in “phishing” messages or on Web sites to take you to a different site from the ones they genuinely point to.  You can often find out the real URL by hovering over the link without clicking it.

Don’t be dumb and install/uninstall lots of programs.  It is tempting to be on the “cutting edge”; so you often install and try out new software.  Beta programs are usually free and give you a chance to test new features before other users.  There are also many freeware and shareware programs made available as Internet downloads by their authors.  I know none of our club members would never do it, but some users even install pirated software.  The more programs you install, the more likely you are to run across ones that either include harmful code or are poorly written and cause your system to crash.  Even if you install only licensed commercial software, too many installs and uninstalls can gunk up the registry.  Not all uninstall routines completely remove program remnants and at the very least, this practice can cause your system to slow down over time.  Don’t be dumb. Install only programs that you actually need.

I think that it’s dumb to plug your computer right into a cable or DSL modem and go on the Internet.  Some people don’t realize that they’re immediately putting themselves at risk from viruses and attackers.  Every Internet connected computer should be protected by a firewall.  Just having a firewall isn’t enough.  You must also make sure it’s turned on and configured correctly to protect you.

I think it’s really dumb to plug in any electronic equipment without using a surge protector.  Doing so can physically destroy your computer equipment, as well as the data it holds.  You might think your system is in danger only during an electrical storm, but anything that interrupts the electrical circuit and then restarts the current can fry your electronics.  Something as simple as turning on an appliance that’s plugged into the same circuit can cause a surge.  If you have a power outage, there could be a surge when the electricity comes back on.  Don’t be dumb.  Protect your electronics against damage from power surges by always using a surge protector.

Remember that everything in this article is my opinion. It doesn’t really matter to me if you follow my advice.  I don’t gamble very much, but there is one thing I’m willing to bet on.  It might not happen for a while, but eventually, you’re going to get caught!

Keep on clicking and thanks for reading.

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Things I Hate About Computing (2019-08)

July 12, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

This month I’m going to rant, rave, criticize and complain just a little.  About a year ago, before I moved to the Baton Rouge area, my wife and I were in one of the home improvement stores.  I thought that it would be a good time to pick up a new water filter for our refrigerator.  I went over to appliances and told them I needed a new filter for a Whirlpool.  He immediately asked me which of the nine filters I needed.  Of course, I didn’t have the filter number memorized.  So I found our refrigerator on the sales floor and told the salesman, “One to fit that model.”  I got home and found that it was the wrong size filter.  When I went back to exchange it, I found out that a different model year almost always uses a different filter.  What does all that have to do with computers and electronics?

It got me to thinking about some things I hate about technology.  I’ve probably got 10 or 20 different USB cables in the junk box in my computer room.  Every time you buy something that is USB supported, you get another cable.  Why is this?  It’s because many manufacturers have their own proprietary plug.  They have to include a cable because none of my other 20 cables will work with the darn thing.  I recently got a new cell phone.  Same manufacturer, different model.  You guessed it.  I’ve got another USB cable in my collection.  Wouldn’t it be nice if everything had a standard plug and didn’t have the cable included?  Think of the money that could be saved. Wait a minute!  Then they couldn’t sucker people into paying $20 for 3 dollars worth of wire.

Another thing that makes me mad are End User License Agreements (EULA).  I’m one of the few people who research them before installing anything on my computer.  My complaint isn’t the fact that lawyers write them.  I can use the internet to explain the legal terms.  My objection is that I have seldom found a EULA that can be read full screen.  Instead, they write them in a little window that usually covers about a tenth of my monitor.  I think this is done to discourage people from reading the agreements.  Just get them to click “I agree” and get it over with.

I can live with SPAM (I usually don’t even see it).  I don’t mind getting bombarded with internet advertisements (I can always go to other sites).  What I hate it when websites pop up a window asking for information that they will likely never use.  For instance, there is a website that I won’t name that wants to know my age, sex and country.  They then store the data in a cookie on my computer.  When I tell them that I‘m 28‑year‑old female, I get the same advertisements as the dirty old men get.  Why do they waste my time?

I also dislike software that isn’t user‑friendly.  Some programs have windows that can’t be resized.  I’m getting older and my eyesight isn’t what it used to be.  If I can’t make the window bigger and read the font, I likely won’t use the software.  Then there is software that won’t let you choose where to install it.  I don’t install all programs into “program files”.  Many times, I don’t even install them on the C drive.

I wonder if Microsoft will ever fix one little thing that has bugged me for as long as I remember.  When you use file explorer to copy, move or delete a list of files, Windows estimates how long it will take.  If you’re doing an operation on a lot of files, the estimated time will change every time you check it.  On older systems it can be even more aggravating.  Wouldn’t it be nice if the estimate was close once in a while?

Hate might be too strong of a word, but I’ve always disliked how companies will use a proprietary document format.  The perfect example is word processing.  Why must each program have a different extension?  Is it good for a business to make consumers remember “.doc”. “.odf”, “.wps”, “.docx”, “.odt”, “.txt”, “.rtf”, “.abw”, “.abi” and hundreds of others?  Almost all word processing software has a save as feature to save files to other formats.  They can’t be that much different.  Why isn’t there a standard where all programs save in a standard format?  After all, this idea seems to work pretty well for HTML internet files.

That’s enough ranting and complaining.  Next month I promise to write something useful for the newsletter.  By the way, did I mention that the two water filters had two different prices?  Does that remind you of anything else technology related?

Keep on clicking and thanks for reading.

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Free Reading Material (2019-07)

July 12, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

Ever since I learned how, I’ve always been an avid reader.  My parents didn’t have a television until I was about ten years old.  That never bothered me.  The library always had a lot of entertainment.  In later life, when I was in the Navy, I seldom watched the ship’s movie.  I was busy finishing reading one more chapter before lights out.  These days, I still read about twenty magazines each month.  I am usually reading four or five books at a time.  I’ve got  my bedside book, bathroom book, digital book and an audio book for my morning walk.

I could not even estimate how many thousands of dollars I’ve spent buying reading material of one form or another.  In the past three or four years, my reading has all become either digital or audio.  I haven’t been in a bookstore or looked at a magazine display rack in at least two years.  For me, it’s all been for the better.  In this article, I’m going to tell you how you can do the same.

I’ve saved a lot of money with e‑books and audio books.  One of the reasons is because it is so easy to check the material out from the Parish library.  From my easy chair I can check out a vast number of books (both digital and audio), magazines, comic books, movies and much more.

There are many internet sites where electronic books can be downloaded for no charge.  All the major booksellers offer some free books, but there are many other places where you can get a better choice.  A good place to start your search is at Tech Support Alert’s Free eBooks And Audiobooks To Read Online Or Download.  This is the launch page of categories.  It links to other sites that list free e‑books with download information.  The lists are sorted by genre.  The title is somewhat confusing.  It is actually a list of sites that offer free books.  At the time of this writing there are 913 sites listed.  These pages also have links to sites for downloading comic books, textbooks and online courses.  Bonus tip: if you read the user comments, you will find many other sites.

Some other sites that I use to download free books (in no particular order) are:
• Project Gutenberg was one of the first e‑book sites.  There are more than 59,000 titles. I t has by far the largest list of free titles for downloading and the site is easy to use.
• LibriVox is like Project Gutenberg except it is all audio books.  Volunteers read and record books and upload them.  There can be a large variance in audio quality.
• Open Library is a section of the Internet Archive.  The goal is to have a web page for every book ever published.  Most pages have links to where you can get the book.  Some of the books are readable in your web browser. You can borrow others for a period of two weeks.
• Bookbub is a site that I check almost daily.  It isn’t a download site but lists the latest deals on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Google and Kobo.  Many of the books are for sale (usually $0.99 or $1.99) but it also lists many free books.  Use the link I’ve provided, you won’t have to give them an e-mail address.
• eBook Reader is a review site for all things e‑reading.  You can find information on both hardware and software.  They have an extensive section of where you can download books (both free and paid).  There are also several how‑to guides.

I hope this list of sites has piqued your interest and gets you started on e‑book reading.  This is nowhere near a complete list of download sites for e‑books.  If you’re like me and like to read, these links should get you started.

Keep on clicking and thanks for reading.

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Owning Your Own Domain (2019-06)

July 11, 2022 Posted by Tiny

Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch

I purchased my first internet domain name on May 10, 2001.  For several years before that, I had a personal website that I hosted on the AOL free server.  Fast forward to 2018 and I’m the owner of a dozen different domain names.  I’ll admit that most of them are unused.  Someday my grandsons might want them.

I think that everyone should get their own domain for a variety of reasons.  The biggest reason is so that you can easily control your e‑mail.  If your e‑mail address is YourName@yourisp.net, you would lose it if you ever changed your Internet Service Provider to another company.  If you had your own domain, you could have the e‑mail address of YourName@yourdomain.com or .net, or .org, etc.  You would keep that e‑mail for as long as you owned the domain.  Never again would you have to change your e‑mail address.

Another advantage is that you could have many e‑mail addresses.  Most providers let you create at least a hundred separate addresses.  I usually create a new address for different sites.  If I get a lot of spam, I know who sold my e‑mail address.

Owning your domain isn’t expensive. For instance, HostGator, one of several hosting services that I’ve used, charges $12.95 a year to register a domain name.  Hosting services are $7.16 a month.  If you sign up for three years, the rate drops to $3.96.  If you do a web search you will find many companies and many different pricing plans.  For that low fee, you can get unlimited e mail addresses, disk space and bandwidth.  There are several other hosting sites that offer similar pricing.

Once you’ve purchased the service, you can easily make a website to show off your hobbies, a family photo album, or share recipes.  Other uses for personal domains and websites are to give family members their own e mail address, host private chat rooms, backup files, etc.  You can even create your own private cloud storage space.  You could also do like me: plain old fashioned BS.

Although it is helpful, there is no real reason to know HTML coding.  There are several free programs that can have your personal website up and running in just a few hours.  Most hosting companies offer easy installation of these applications.  Web searches will find you many more.  A final place to get help with a website is the Cajun Clickers Club.  There are several members that I’m sure would be more than willing to help.

All of my websites are powered by open-sourced software.  I use several free programs: RV Web Site Builder, WordPress, phpBB, Blue Griffon, to name just a few.  My point is that if you can use a word processor, you can use website software.

I sure hope I’ll be checking out some new websites in the near future.  After all, if I can create a website, anyone can.

Keep on clicking and thanks for reading.

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