Facebook is one of the most popular websites in the world, with more than 150 million active users. The site quickly introduced a new “Bill of Rights”, and is allowing the site’s users to comment and vote on the new wording of the Terms of Service.

As CNN noted, Facebook, and we quote, “granted itself permanent rights to users’ photos, wall posts and other information, even after a user closed an account.”

Thousands of angry users either cancelled their accounts in protest.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was quick to point out that users reminded the company that they feel a real sense of ownership over Facebook itself, and just the information that they share over the site.

Facebook was quick to clarify their position, which eased a lot of minds. Here is an excerpt from that statement:

“We are not claiming and have never claimed ownership of material that users upload. The new Terms were clarified to be more consistent with the behavior of the site. That is, if you send a message to another user (or post to their wall, etc…), that content might not be removed by Facebook if you delete your account (but can be deleted by your friend).

The note goes on to say that any limitations that a user puts on display of the uploaded content are respected by Facebook.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has also posted a more philosophical response on the Facebook blog saying that while the new Terms of Service were “overly formal”, and that the company is encouraging user input for a new Terms of Service. In essence, they admit as new features are introduced, mistakes will be made, because companies like Facebook are new.

“Rather than simply reissue a new Terms of Use, the changes we’re announcing today are designed to open up Facebook so that users can participate meaningfully in our policies and our future,” said Zuckerberg, referring to how the company is now accepting input into a new Terms of Use.

In 2006, Facebook launched the News Feed, which is a key part of the Facebook site now, but it caused a great deal of uproar when it was introduced, since users can see what a friend’s friends are up to. Users came to accept the feature, though.

Many websites use user information for marketing purposes, including Facebook. For example, if you make it known to the site that you’re single, you will see a lot of singles ads. Websites across the internet use such methods.

A golden rule of thumb seems to be that people shouldn’t post anything to the internet that they want kept private or that could embarrass them, including pictures, video, and personal information. Sites like Facebook make it a lot harder for just anybody to find your information, but for sites like MySpace, YouTube, and Twitter, anyone can access it.

It’s important for users of sites and companies like Facebook to continue to make it known what they feel is acceptable for a Terms of Service. This will remind companies not to get power hungry, and that, overall, the success of such sites solely depends on how they treat their users and customers, and their content.

Originally posted 2009-03-02 01:33:17. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

From the day it hit the shelves, Windows Vista has had a bad reputation, and for good reason. For the longest time, it didn’t work with a lot of hardware and software. I switched back to XP when some of my hardware wouldn’t work with Vista. Its release proved what consumers are willing to put up with in terms of software.

Microsoft tried to force people to upgrade their software and hardware to newer products if they wanted Vista to work well, and no one likes being forced to do anything.

One test, done by CNET.com last year, said “Vista, both with and without SP1, performed notably slower than XP with SP3 in the test, taking over 80 seconds to complete the test, compared to the beta SP3-enhanced XP’s 35 seconds.”

The test was run on a system with only 1GB of RAM. I use 4GB, and the speed is noticeable on everyday tasks.

Consumers rebelled, and it took nearly a year for Microsoft and manufacturers to get their act together. People didn’t want to wait, and no one could blame them, and all we could do was shake our heads in disbelief.

Most of us have been using Windows XP since it came out in 2001. We’re used to it, and we understand it. We don’t like change, or to be exact, we don’t like change that makes our lives more difficult.

One change in Vista that really irks people, and certainly irked me at first, is the User Account Control (UAC) prompts that pop up far too often. People are more annoyed then comforted by the security of UAC and the security of Vista in general.

The truth is, Microsoft built Vista with security in mind, not usability. This fact was made crystal clear to technology experts that Windows was created with big business in mind, and not the consumer.

People stuck with XP, since it was still widely available, and worked well. There was really no compelling reason to switch to Vista.

Since June of this year, Microsoft has stopped selling Windows XP, trying to force people to buy Windows Vista. Those who have purchased it discovered that manufacturers have caught up and are making products that now work well, for the most part.

That said, many problems have been reported all over the internet, and consumers have been convinced by word-of-mouth that Vista sucks, even though it has gotten better. Some have become so frustrated with it, they switched back to XP (I did for a year), or even to a “Mac”. Others seem to have very little trouble with Vista.

One good thing to come out of the Vista problems is that consumers have become more aware of their options, and have upped the market share of the Apple “Mac OS X” operating system, and although “Macs” are more expensive, they’re very easy to use.

So, hate it or love it, Windows Vista isn’t going anywhere, in fact, the next version of Windows will be based on it. Macs are here to stay as well. We are now more aware of our choices, which is a fantastic thing.
For more information, please visit http://thedigitaldistraction.com.

Originally posted 2008-10-09 17:18:16. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

It’s important to note that just buying a Blu-Ray player doesn’t give you the high-quality picture and sound, you need a TV that supports it, and audio equipment if you want the best sound.

“You need a TV with 1080p. [If you don’t have one], you won’t notice the difference. If you’re a stickler for sound, you can buy the speakers,” says Rob Horlacher, a supervisor at the southside Blockbuster video store in Lethbridge.

Those who want the full experience can talk to an expert at Future Shop or other electronics store to ensure they purchase the proper speaker setup.

Many argue that DVDs work just fine, and have a hard time justifying the purchase of a Blu-Ray player or the discs.

“I just get the regular DVDs, [they] work just fine, [and] I don’t have the player,” said Charlotte Etches, a student at Lethbridge College.

Blu-Ray players are not cheap, as those who choose to pay for them can look to hand over $200 or more. The good news is they do play regular DVDs as well. The bad news is consumers can’t enjoy the full experience without having a decent home theatre setup to enjoy the advanced technology.

It seems age might have something to do with whether people choose to invest in Blu-Ray movies or not.

“It depends on the age bracket. [Those between] 30 and 50 are more inclined to rent Blu-Ray movies. After 50, people don’t really care,” says Rob Horlacher, a supervisor at the southside Blockbuster video store in Lethbridge.

Horlacher also points out the obvious in saying poor college students aren’t likely to spend the money on Blu-Ray, and will likely stick with DVDs, since it’s ‘good enough’, which we confirmed after asking a few students on the Lethbridge College campus.

“I walk right by the Blu-Ray [discs] to the DVDs, because I don’t have the desire, nor the money,” said Chris Smith, a student at the college.

One argument that can be made is that just because the industry is moving forward with new formats and technology, that doesn’t mean all consumers are ready, or willing, to abandon what they have for the latest and greatest thing.

“I’m used to DVDs. I’m not really into the new technology. [I have] no desire to get [a Blu-Ray player],” says Hanna Graves, a college student in the Child and Youth Care program.

Another valid point is that consumers are often weary of how long a new technology will be around, since things in the industry move so quickly.

“[Some people] wait until [new technology] is around for a while; make sure it’s not just some trend,” says Stephanie Rush, a nursing student at the college. “If I had the money, I still don’t care about [high definition]. Eventually, everyone will have [it]; it’s not a necessity, you get it because everyone has it.”

Originally posted 2009-01-26 18:11:20. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

No one should rely on any one storage device for their data. Always keep your files in multiple locations, including usb thumbdrives, CD or DVD, external hard drives, and other mediums.

Lethbridge College students have access to their internal college “Z” drives, which offer 750MB of space, but students should save their data on portable drives as well, to minimize the risk of data loss, says Dean Johnson, manager of network services at Lethbridge College.

“Don’t rely on any one thing,” says Johnson. “Use online storage services such as Google or Windows Skydrive.”

Online storage services, including Box.net, allow students to access their files from anywhere with an internet connection. The storage services double as a back-up location for those irreplaceable files.

There are online services dedicated to automatically backing up your files via a small program you install on your computer. Two examples are Carbonite.com, $40 per year, and Mozy.com, $4.95 per month. Either provides incredible peace of mind, and are automatic, so you don’t have to think about it.

With Carbonite and Mozy, they backup all the files you have selected the first time, which takes a while, but only backup the files that have been changed or updated after that.

Another benefit of storing your data online is you can access it from anywhere, as opposed to “Z” drives, which are only accessible on college campus.

Keep data in multiple places in case something happens to one of the sources, so in the case of a hard drive failure, loss of a usb thumbdrive, or a fire, you’re not at a loss, or forced to recreate a report or essay you spent hours or days on.

The college does not keep back-ups of the student “Z” drive, so it’s important not to rely on it as the only storage source, Johnson says.

Information Technology Services doesn’t monitor the data either, though it does monitor quotas automatically.

Student receive an automated email if they go over the allotted 750MB to alert them they need to reduce the number of files they have stored.

However, for Communication Arts and Multimedia in particular, that space fills up very fast, which is why students are encouraged to use external hard drives for their recorded video and graphics work.

“Keep your data on your person,” says Johnson, referring to portable storage.

To read all of my stories and columns, visit the Endeavour website or www.thedigitaldistraction.com.

Originally posted 2008-10-09 17:22:53. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The most common reason people stick with Microsoft Office is because we’re familiar with it. Let’s face it, we don’t like change, even if that change may be better and more efficient. Another reason is that people are comfortable with it, and of course because everyone else seems to use it.

The best competitor right now is ‘Open Office’. It’s called that because it is developed by a very large community of people who donate their time to the worthwhile cause. It’s completely compatible with Microsoft Office, and it’s free. You can get it from http://www.openoffice.org. Their goal right now is simply to get people to use it.

Consumer perspective seems to be encouraging, albeit sceptical. People don’t want to take the time to learn something new, but considering the lack of a price tag and compatibility with Microsoft Office, consumers seem more than willing to take a look.

“I’d definitely check it out, I would,” says Steph Norris, a first-year nursing student at the college, but says

sticking with a new product would “depend on how much I like it. Free stuff would be nice.”

With students, learning new programs in addition to their course load isn’t appealing, so alternative programs need to be easy to use and not require much of a learning curve. They don’t need every feature known to man built-in, they just want something that works.

“You have to go with something that you know, you don’t have time during the school year to learn something new [in addition to everything else],” says Norris.

With the internet gaining strength over the past decade, many companies, such as Google, are taking their applications online instead of selling their boxed software in stores. Google has ‘Docs’ and ‘Google Spreadsheets’. Another company is Zoho Office, which is also free.

Even with the convenience, some are not yet comfortable with storing their documents online, and consumers don’t fully trust the internet, so companies need to do more to gain customer trust.

“I don’t know if I’d trust the online programs,” says Mike Campon, an Environment Sciences student at the college, “I don’t believe they are as secure as they say they are.”

As for whether online applications are beginning to makes a dent in boxed software sales, the answer seems to be no.

“[There isn’t] an awareness and people are set in their ways, and it’s brand loyalty,” says Julian Clement, an Entertainment Associate at the Future Shop in Medicine Hat, “[there is a]lack of information out there about online software.”

Unless you’re “in-the-know”, customers only seem to be aware of the software on the shelves and don’t seem to trust anything else. With the vast amount of features, Microsoft Office seems more targeted toward business, while the alternatives are aimed at home users.

“If people were more aware [of the alternatives], they might definitely second guess that decision [to buy Microsoft Office],” says Candace Knelsen, the department manager for Electronics at the Lethbridge south Wal-Mart location, though she says that “sales seem to be as strong as ever.”

One solution to bloated software that includes features most people never use is called ‘modular software’. Microsoft is a perfect example, with many experts predicting Windows 7 will be sold as a basic operating system, and customers can buy or subscribe to add-ons and other features.

“I want the computer to come with the basics with the option to expand, but I want them to make it easy to find and download the add-ons,” says Paul Sywanyk, a third-year Conservation Enforcement student.

Sywanyk brings up a valid point. Companies will need to make it easy to obtain the additional features, and the lack of doing so will only bring confusion and hassle to the already complex software industry.

Customers are tired of bloated software that is difficult to use and that slows down our computers. We are becoming more aware of other choices in the software market, and we’re making it clear through the internet and our spending habits that we just want something that works and that isn’t a hassle to use.

Originally posted 2008-11-21 17:20:40. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Trust your gut. If you get an email attachment or receive a file on your computer, or through email that looks suspicious or that you’re not expecting, don’t open it, no matter how tempting.

Keep Windows up-to-date. Every second Tuesday of the month, Microsoft releases patches and updates for Windows. You need to run Windows Update and install them as soon as possible to protect against internet threats.

Don’t visit websites that aren’t well-known or trusted. There are millions of websites that look perfectly legitimate, but contain code that takes advantage of exploits in Windows that may or may not be patched.

There are a lot of products that claim to protect your computer from the threats of the internet. The trouble is, there are a lot of options, and some products work much better then others.

Norton and McAfee are the most well known. The most notorious problem with both products is as much as they protect, they slow the system down, and impact performance.

Products like Norton SystemWorks try to be an all-in-one solution. The trouble is, since it’s trying to do too many things at once, it doesn’t do any one of them very well.

There are free choices that are very effective. Tens of millions use them because they cost nothing. Once people use a product, they’re more likely to pay for the paid versions down the road if they like it. AVG and BitDefender are some free choices that also have paid versions available.

The best security software on the market today is NOD32. It was designed to be highly effective while having a limited impact on system performance. and it’s easy to use. NOD32 isn’t free, $30 for the antivirus, and $60 for the Smart Security suite.

The other highly effective choice is Kaspersky. They also have a security suite that is highly regarded. While it does have a slightly larger system footprint in terms of performance then NOD32, it’s equally as effective. Kaspersky starts at $60.

Never run more then one anti-virus or firewall program on your computer. They don’t get along, and can sometimes detect each other as threats, and crash your computer.

You may have heard of “spyware”. As you surf the net, files are downloaded to your computer that monitor your computing habits and report them to a third party.

These days you don’t really need more then one anti-spyware program, in fact the one that comes with your security software is usually good enough.

Some spyware are almost as bad as a virus. They’re constantly communicating with the internet, and some contain scripts that change system settings. Ad-Aware was one of the first products to detect and eliminate such threats.

Modern anti-virus solutions now monitor and eliminate spyware and viruses, replacing the need for a separate solution. The most effective standalone product is Spyware Terminator, which is free.

Pay attention when the computer prompts you to accept or deny a program from doing something. If your security software isn’t sure, it will ask you, and if you ok something you shouldn’t, you might as well not be secured at all.

Originally posted 2008-10-31 04:16:46. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The same technology has been in use in Europe, specifically France, for nearly two decades, further encouraging Canada to follow suit.

For the last several years, credit cards have only required you to swipe, show identification, and sign in order to purchase something, and most places don’t even check for ID.

“I work in retail, and when I ask to see ID with the card, [people] thank me,” said Jenna Turner, a nursing student at Lethbridge College.

The new cards eliminate the need to swipe, and for a signature, replacing it with a computer chip that communicates securely with credit card company servers. The process verifies the card belongs to you, all you have to do is enter a PIN.

“You swipe it first, then you place the card in the [slot] under the keypad, it reads the [computer] chip at that point,” said Tyson Wiebe, a general studies student who has noticed people using them for the past six months or so.

The cards are not in wide circulation yet, as none of the 20 or so random students asked had one, but nearly everyone has heard of them, and are happy about the improved security.

“It’s a little harder to find out someone’s PIN then to sign [for them],” said Katelyn Perry, a General Studies student at the college.

Some of the newer cards still have the magnetic strip, though they will be phased out. According to an article on the on the website for the Vancouver Times-Colonist, the new cards act in much the same way debit cards do, at least for the PIN.

Not everyone sees the benefit, and some are quite happy with the way things work right now.

“Anyone can see that PIN. I’d prefer to keep the signature,” said Catherine Dessert, a student at Lethbridge College.

The entire reason for the change in how the cards work is to help reduce the $300 million incurred annually in fraud across Canada.

All merchant terminals must be upgraded by 2015, making it a multi-year rollout, which should give customers ample time to get the new cards.

Originally posted 2008-11-07 01:16:24. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The internet has grown in use, and so have the tricks hackers and malicious websites use to steal personal information and put viruses and spyware computers. They might try and get you to download a file in order to see special content, or put hidden code in a website that can put itself on to the computer and use it for malicious purposes.

The latest example has been an issue on the website called “Twitter”, where users connect and exchange short messages with useful information and handy links with friends worldwide. Users receive a message from a friend, not knowing their friend’s account has been compromised, they click a link that brings them to a hacker’s website, which steals their twitter login and password, hoping they use the same combination on important websites, like banks.

It’s best to have a different login and password for each website you register for, but if that’s not realistic, have a different set for types of websites, one for banks, one for social networks, one for email, etc.

You’re a smart person, and in no way would I imply otherwise, but hackers and spammers out to make a buck off of your information, and can be very enticing and tricky in getting you to click that link or download that seemingly innocent browser plug-in, so be aware of what you’re doing online.

You may argue that you are running security or antivirus software and that you’re protected. True, but nothing is guaranteed. If you click “yes” or “ok” on something unwittingly, hopefully your software catches it if it’s bad, but it might not. User behaviour is the best defence, so please, pay attention.

A few extra seconds of paying attention to exactly what you are downloading and the websites you are visiting can mean the difference between a healthy computer and having to reinstall Windows and potentially lose your data.

Originally posted 2009-01-17 20:40:25. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

First, let me explain what BitDefender Free Edition does. Simply put, it’s a free anti-virus solution that I’ve heard great things about. I know of a couple of computer geek friends of mine that swear by it. It’s a straight-forward, easy to navigate program that detects and removes viruses and other malware.

I decided to install BitDefender Free Edition on my laptop, which is running Windows 7 RC1. The version of Windows is irrelevant, since it runs fine on it. My issue is with the program itself and the unforgivable headaches involved in downloading and installing it.

Downloading BitDefender Free Edition

When you first go to the BitDefender website. Go to Downloads –> Home/Home Office –> and click the small ‘Free Edition’ link.

Click the big ‘Download’ button, and on the next page, enter the email address you want the link to the program sent to.

Sounds easy so far, doesn’t it? The headaches are next. They make it very easy to find it on their website, but not easy at all to download or install.

In your e-mail account, you’ll find the link to download BitDefender Free Edition. What you’ll find out is that it’s simply a mini-version of the program that will proceed to attempt to download the full program once you try and install it. However, when it tried to download the full program, it couldn’t.

I found myself having to do a Google search for ‘BitDefender Free Edition’, and downloading the full program from Softpedia.com.

Installing BitDefender Free Edition

After downloading it from Softpedia, it installed just fine, no hiccups or anything. However, the program proceeds to force the user to register an account with BitDefender, at which point they will send an activation e-mail to the e-mail account you registered with.

Ok, at this point the program is installed, registered, and activated. Finally. The next annoyance is that from now on, whenever I reboot the computer, I get nagged with a screen compelling me to buy the paid version of the software.

I guarantee that an average user will not go through all of these steps to use the product, free or not. It’s too much hassle and too time consuming. I doubt even a power user would go through all of this. The only reason I did was because I wanted the experience.

Get your act together, BitDefender. If you’re going to offer a product, free or not, at least make it so your users actually want to use it. Make the process simple.

I will say it’s a fantastic product, and I mean that, but it’s not worth all that trouble.

Originally posted 2009-07-07 00:39:01. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The simple answers for upgrading seem to be competition and the college’s contract with Adobe. When prospective students are considering whether to apply for a course, seeing that the college offers the most up-to-date software may be enticing enough for them to apply at Lethbridge College instead of somewhere else.

“You have the latest and the greatest industry standard software–which looks good from a college marketing perspective (for students and employers). It could be seen as a reason for the student to choose our program–don’t ever doubt that we are in a competition for student dollars in the education world,” said Gavin Brinsmead, who manages the computers for the third floor in the TE Wing.

Since the college buys their computer and software in bulk, they get a big discount. Within their contract with Adobe, if a new version of software is released, the college can upgrade almost immediately at small cost.

“We have a maintenance contract with Adobe–that is, once a product is purchased, we pay a sum of money to keep it current for the duration of the contract and renew whenever it expires. This way, when a new version comes out we don’t have to purchase a “new” license each time,” said Brinsmead.

This begs the question, what’s the real difference between Adobe Creative Suite 3 and Creative Suite 4? They both have the same programs (Photoshop, InDesign, etc), but CS4 builds on the features from feedback received from CS3.

According to CNET.com, “Adobe aimed to improve the options for making round trips among the applications without rebuilding content, [and] there’s greater integration from one application to the next, with support for the latest formats for web sites and mobile phones.”

CNET also mentions that Adobe has streamlined the interfaces (the way they look) across all the CS4 programs.

In regards to the individual programs. Online reviews say some programs are worth the upgrade while others are not. CNET says there isn’t enough compelling about Photoshop to warrant an upgrade, aside from its ability to now work with 3D content. However, Illustrator finally manages multipage documents, and so does InDesign by using tabs (much like a web browser).

According to Photoshopcafe.com’s review, “InDesign CS4 offers a few cool features for those of us who place a lot of images. First, the Links panel has been given a ground-up redesign, and it’s just so much better, [with its] arrangeable columns like a spreadsheet or database.”

Another awesome feature of InDesign CS4 is it now has Smart Guides that show up whenever you drag or resize an item. As Photoshopcafe.com explains, “you can drag one frame below another and quickly align it to the left, center, or right side of the frame above it based on the smart guides that appear. Or, you can drag one frame between two others until the smart distribution guides indicate that there is equal space among all three objects. Very smooth, very powerful.”

CS4 is for the serious professional, and requires some hefty hardware to run, including at least 2GB of RAM, a processor of at least 2Ghz, and if you’re running the Master Collection, at least 26GB of free space. Yes, you read that right. As for software, Mac OS X 10.4.11 or Windows XP SP2 or Vista is needed.

Originally posted 2009-01-17 20:46:52. Republished by Blog Post Promoter