heisel.org > Blog > 2001 > 10
Connect with ‘real’ people on the Internet
Friday | October 26, 2001 | 9:11 pm
Editors note: This is one of several columns that I wrote for the Columbia Missourian. They were originally called Your Digital World
Every morning, I boot up Gina, (that’s what my fiancée has named my PC), and I surf the news sites. But before I leave my apartment in the morning I absolutely have to check for any new messages on the Bulletin Board System I read.
It’s just one of several ways people can use the Internet to communicate with each other. With all the talk about e-tailing and e-commerce it’s easy to forget that people do the point and clicking.
So what are some ways to interact with real people on the Internet? This week, let’s talk about BBSs, e-mail groups and newsgroups.
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Watch out for pesty computer viruses
Friday | October 19, 2001 | 9:02 pm
Editors note: This is one of several columns that I wrote for the Columbia Missourian. They were originally called Your Digital World
Have you taken care of your computer’s health lately? Viruses can inflict varying degrees of damage from sending out annoying e-mails to wiping data off your hard drive.
Most viruses fall into one of the following three categories:
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The cutting edge: Should you upgrade?
Friday | October 12, 2001 | 9:00 pm
Editors note: This is one of several columns that I wrote for the Columbia Missourian. They were originally called Your Digital World
In a little less than a month’s time, two new versions of operating systems will have been released. Apple shipped OS 10.1 on Sept. 29, and Microsoft is expected to launch Windows XP on Oct. 25.
Anytime there is a substantial new operating system released, or a new piece of technology put on the market, many people ask themselves, “Do I need to upgrade?”
If you ask people in the industry, they’ll tell you yes.
Of course they will, just like I’d tell you to subscribe to the Columbia Missourian. They and I have a vested interest in getting you to buy our products.
So what’s the best answer? It’s up to you.
The decision about whether to upgrade will depend on whether your system is performing the way you want it to.
Take, for example, my parents.
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Fight for your right to better tech support
Friday | October 5, 2001 | 8:58 pm
Editors note: This is one of several columns that I wrote for the Columbia Missourian. They were originally called Your Digital World
Just recently, my soon-to-be mother-in-law had to call her computer manufacturer because her taskbar, the gray bar along the bottom of most Windows screens that includes the Start menu and the clock, had disappeared.
The company told her to try a few simple techniques to get it back. When those failed, they told her to use their system restore CD to fix the problem.
The tech support person she talked to didn’t know - or didn’t care - about the fact that the program on the CD reformatted her hard drive in the process. She had her taskbar back, but she lost every bit of data on her computer.
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Disclaimer: I work at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The opinions expressed here are my own, and do not reflect those of the AJC, Cox Newspapers, Cox Enterprises nor any other party.
