Leaving

I'm thinking about it, leaving Facebook.

I am not a dumb f**k as Mark Zuckerberg is rumored to have called folks who put their personal details in their Facebook profiles.

While I haven't put any details except what was required (and some of those may not be accurate), I resent the fact that many of my family members and friends naively did and are probably being targeted by ads or even scammers.

Every now and the Facebook changes their privacy policies and they only get worse. In fact, those policies seem to be almost non-existent and are certainly a big joke.  Consumer groups are trying to make Facebook back off from the latest changes, but I doubt they will, as Facebook is trying to up the amount of $$ they can suck out of the members and their information.

By now most folks should know that in truth, anything posted to the Internet is in fact available to the world.  There is no such thing as privacy.  There are some places that do give a lot more privacy for folks such as a sites like MyFamily or maybe even a private Yahoo Group, but nothing is really safe from hackers.

But Facebook?  Unless you have locked down your settings (and that's no guarantee because one of your friends can copy and re-post anything and maybe their settings are wide open) you have to assume anything you post can be available to the entire Internet.

Martha

Windows 8, Not Your Father's Windows

It isn't mine, either!

This new operating system for Microsoft is different.  If someone is used to navigating into the depths of Windows, it won't take too long to find where stuff is located. But an average everyday user of a computer is going to be totally lost the first time they boot into Windows 8.

Even the 'should be simple' shut down is not so easily found. I used Vista when it first came out and I didn't like it, but within two days I had managed to find everything and after two weeks, I liked Vista. However a great many folks didn't.

I can use Windows 8. .Some things about this OS are pretty cool. But I have to admit, I just don't like it and I seriously doubt I ever will. I am still trying to use this disaster, but it is so not easy to like. More here.

I like the fact that it is more secure, or at least it's supposed to be. I don't like the fact there is no Start button on the Desktop.  I really can't understand why Microsoft thought it wasn't necessary 'because people don't use it.' That is their rationale, not mine. People do use it, if for no other reason that to turn off, switch users or reboot! I use it for a lot more.

Search is so much easier, but unless a user knows that all they have to do is start typing what they want, they will get frustrated trying to find Search.

That is part of the reason Windows 8 is not so great.  Things are not obvious to the average user. When a long time average user can't find the way to turn a computer off without help,  'Microsoft, there is a problem!'

Don't get me started on the Windows App Store.  I am addicted to the game of Spider Solitaire. Oh it's in the App Store alright, but it has, gasp, ads! But I can remove those ads for only 99 cents. Even thought it's really pretty, I won't be playing Spider on Windows 8. Seems to be a matter of principle with me, because 99 cents certainly won't break the bank.

I am not the only one that thinks Microsoft made a big mistake putting two systems together, a tablet OS and a desktop OS. It seems that every other version of Windows that Microsoft releases is really great and the between versions are well, not so hot. Windows 7 is really great and now folks are going to label Windows 8 as Windows Hate.

Martha

 

A footnote:  When my Windows 7 computers will no longer work, I will finally learn how to build a computer.  I have a fresh new disk with Windows 7 waiting for that computer!