Repetitious Rants Rule

Techno-Rant by Brian D. Hughes
Volume 12 Issue 4

Welcome to my occasional techno-rant, foisted on my unwitting and at times unwilling captive audience. 

So what’s my rant today? Well it could be about ‘Privacy’ on the web, or it could be about ‘Google Glasses’, maybe ‘The Cloud’ or ‘Apple vs. Everyone and Everything that is NOT Apple’.

But no, this isn’t meant to be a divisive or judgmental rant, it’s meant to be an informative and humorous blurb about technology and how it affects each of us. It is so powerful, this emerging techno-juggernaut, embedded, unavoidable, liberating and frighteningly ubiquitous.

Part of the rant today is repetition. Ya, I know. Heard it all before, been there done that, yada-yada-yada, preaching to the choir repetitious. But isn’t that like computing a bit? Repetitious behavior , repetitious processes, repetitious repetition.

So when I tell you about this weeks ‘Major Security Patches’ or how to ‘Restart Your Computer Before Calling’, or to ‘Update Your AV Software’, etc., you are going to let out a big fat yawn. YAWN!

I could fill this awesome rant with super-cool and useful websites and links and then warn you about clicking links in an email, but I won’t. Too bad, too, because I know some really great sites with really great info and articles. But the whole ‘linkage may be evil’ is kind of true.

The amount of conflicting information you receive from competing sources overwhelms and underwhelms simultaneously. 600K Mac’s were infected by a flash virus this week. Oh, gee. I thought they were invulnerable to everything. (Except Apple policies, over-pricing and mind-control)

There really were several important security updates distributed by Microsoft this week that would have been automagically installed to your system IF you had followed my previous (repetitive) posts about how to make sure these updates are done.

BTW, Google recently changed its Privacy Policy and it now protects you less. Did you know that Google will hand over your data if they receive a subpoena for it? ALL OF IT? Sure, so while your law office thought moving to the cloud was such a great idea, all it takes is for opposing counsel to figure out where your data is stored, request the data, receive all of it and leave you breathless.

I am just trying to point out that like life, you can only do your best with the information you have at hand. The information changes daily. That is why I previously pointed out (Repetition) that users can’t remain deaf, dumb and blind when it comes to computing anymore. You can’t really survive as a Luddite in this day and age.

Why would anyone want to? There is such a rich and vibrant culture of instant gratification waiting for you at the end of your mouse-click. Just be smart about it, please. Google it if you have to, but know that they collect and sell your information every time you do a search, unless you opt out and turn that feature off.

This isn’t paranoia or bravado. It’s being as smart as you can be, while getting the most out of it and getting it for free whenever possible.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

End of rant. Aloha, Brian
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