Milenia

Ten Common Safety Mistakes on Facebook

admin — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

It is known that over 600 million people are currently members on Facebook as of January 2011. That alone would make Facebook the fourth or fifth largest country, if they were a country. That is pretty darn big. There are over 135 million users in the United States alone.

Knowing this, it is very important that you exercise some cautionary steps for your own safety when you have an account with Facebook. Here are the top ten. Just be careful, as there are many who would love to get your account information. And it is not that hard to obtain either…

1.If someone is not a friend that you personally know, don’t their request.
2.Only put on Facebook what you want made public. Once on there, you lose control.
3.Read and manage your privacy settings. Many people never even look at what they can do to protect themselves.
4.Do not let Google have your information. Google sells that info to anyone who wants it.
5.Do not respond on Facebook to friends’ in need requests. If they need something, call them personally!
6.Please use your common sense. Don’t post stupid stuff if you wouldn’t want your boss to see.
7.Do not post personal information for everyone to see.
8.Never for a second think that Facebook is private and only family and friends will see it.
9.Never leave your computer up with your account open, NEVER!
10.Make sure that your anti-virus and software protection is up to date.

What Online Child Safety Monitors Work?

admin — Sun, 22 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

With children becoming more active on the internet at a younger age, one of the biggest concerns for parents is keeping them safe. While nothing can replace being present and aware of what they are doing on the internet, there are also some tools you can use to help.

One thing you can do is use a service that will search all kinds of websites for your child’s information. This includes social networking sites, website that display pictures, and community forums. You can often get a summary of what your child is doing and who their friends are.

Find out who their online friends are. There are services that can search who their friends are and check them against databases to make sure they are who they say they are. If your child receives a friend request from someone suspicious you will be notified.

You can also use a program that sends you a notice when your child changes their profile information in a way that may be dangerous. If they give out their personal information or post pictures that are not appropriate you will know about it. You can usually decide what kind of information you want to be notified about.

How to Monitor Your Child’s Online Activity

www.milenia.net — Fri, 06 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

As our children grow, age and become more proficient with internet usage, many parents become increasingly concerned about their child’s physical safety in addition to the possibility of exposure to inappropriate or dangerous communications on the worldwide web. As parents, one of the only ways to protect our children from potential internet hazards is to attempt to monitor their online activities. Below are some suggestions for keeping tabs on your children as they navigate the sometimes sinister online world of social interaction and information overload.Centrally locating the computer that your children use the most in the living room or other not-so-private location is the most basic step towards securing your children from internet threats. Working with your children to select secure passwords and maintaining access to those passwords will allow you to monitor them no matter where they use the internet. Educating your children about potential internet dangers will help them to understand that your intention is not to invade their privacy, but to keep them safe.Parental tools are widely available from trusted websites and are probably already included on the preinstalled software that comes with your computer at the time of purchase. Windows 7 and Windows Vista are examples of software containing parental control settings for online viewing. This software can also generate reports to let you know the details of your children’s online adventures.

Basic rules of internet etiquette

www.milenia.net — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

A big part of the glory of internet cafes is the sense of community they provide. Once, internet cafes were some of the only places that you could get online while enjoying the company of real-life friends. Today, a variety of wireless internet options have made it easy to join online communities from almost anywhere (see http://www.wirelessinternet.net for more information).Even though the technology has changed, there are still some basic rules that facilitate polite and productive communication online. These rules are different from the safety suggestions posted elsewhere on this site. Instead, such rules are known as “netiquette”social conventions that govern interactions over networks. The term first appeared in 1983 in the “Dear Emily” Postnews column, but such rules are more important than ever with our massive everyday reliance on the World Wide Web.Some rules govern the method of conveying information, such as spelling and grammar. For instance, netiquette always recommends that posters use spelling and grammar checks to make sure their posts come across as educated and polite. Posters should also avoid using all caps or enlarging text, since this comes across as “shouting” to the receiver. In general, writers should consider how their messages will be perceived without the aid of personal interactionsometimes, sarcasm or joking can come across as insulting or mean-spirited. One related aspect that you may not consider is when you send your messages. In professional settings, messages sent late at night may come across as suspicious.Another netiquette rule states that users should always tell the truth. Obviously, this does not mean revealing everything about yourselfin fact, using privacy controls and revealing only as much information as is necessary is also a part of netiquette. This netiquette rule simply means that you should not be deceptive online. However, don’t assume that everybody else is following this rule.Netiquette also involves responses to other users. Flamewars and spam attacks are considered, in general, to be in bad taste (a flamewar is a hostile exchange between users on the Internet). Others involve technical issues, such as how to use the CC function on e-mail servers.The rules of netiquette are developed by a variety of sources, including users, organizations, and companies. Be aware of what the rules are for any community you may be joining, but follow these basic ones no matter where your internet travels take you.

Stay safe on public computers

www.milenia.net — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 06:34:06 +0000

New operating system and website features try to make it easier for users to save time on their private computers. However, those same features can backfire for people using public computerssuch as those at internet cafes. Stay in control of your cyber-security by keeping your online identity private.

Erase log-in information

Whenever logging in to a website, make sure that you remember to log out. Info can still be saved if you just close the window. Some sites and programs will also try to save your log-in infodon’t let them.

Never leave your computer unattended

Just like your drink, you should never let a computer with your personal info on it out of your eyesight. If you have to get up, log out of all sites/programs and close down the web browser.

Erase your tracks

You can clear your history, temporary internet files, and any passwords that might have accidentally been saved. Internet Explorer and Firefox both give you this option in their “Tools” menus. It should be fairly easy to find in other browsers as well.

Use common sense

Don’t give out any personal information that can be directly tied to your financial accountslike credit card numbers or PayPal accounts. Keystroke loggers can still save any information you enter, even if you delete everything. It’s better just to save online transactions for the home.

Be aware of your surroundings

Be on the lookout for anyone suspicious who seems to be unusually interested in your computer screen. Hide the keyboard while entering passwords.

Always reboot

Rebooting will clear the RAM and pagefile, completing your cybersecurity measures. With these tips in mind, you can enjoy your internet caf experience doubt-free.

Internet Cafs: What’s On the Menu?

www.milenia.net — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 11:35:13 +0000

As far as blending ideas go, internet cafs rank somewhere up there with peanut butter & jelly and waterbeds. After all, who doesn’t enjoy spending a relaxing hour or two browsing the internet while enjoying delicious food?The first instance of internet cafs was the SFnet Coffeehouse Network, started in July 1991 by Wayne Gregori of San Francisco. Computers were installed in 25 coffeehouses around San Francisco, and access was available for only a few quarters. Users on the public computers could converse with those with home computers, which often led to face-to-face meetings known as Net-Gets.Ivan Pope created the first caf with full internet access during a 1994 Institute of Contemporary Arts weekend in London. He arranged several Mac computers around caf tables and developed the term cybercaf. The installation was part of a presentation coined as “Toward the Aesthetics of Future.” Also in 1994, the Binary Caf had the honor of being the first internet caf in Canada.As technology continues to improve, so do internet cafs. Internet access at the cafs is now faster than ever, and users can choose from a variety of menu items that make the trip equally worthwhile. Today, some internet cafes experiment with alternative energy, including solar energy, while others are geared toward a specific audience (such as “PC bangs,” online gaming centers that sprouted up in South Korea after the release of 1997′s Starcraft). While most internet cafs offer internet access for a fee, Starbucks has recently made headlines by offering free wireless internet in all of its locationshowever, users still have to bring their own computers.

Best internet cafs

www.milenia.net — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 16:14:43 +0000

There are cafs with computers, and then there are internet cafs, which provide a full-on cyber-delicious experience. Call us crazy, but we prefer the latter. That’s why we tracked down some of the best internet cafs in the world and compiled them in this list for your browsing pleasure.

Forest Caf (Bristo Place, Edinburgh, Scotland): This self-sustaining non-profit is housed in a historical building over one hundred years old. In 2000, it began its career as a social arts center, offering not just a cybercaf serving vegetarian and organic cuisine, but also an arts gallery, rehearsal studio, performance space, and darkroom. The Forest Caf was one of only four to be honored in the 2004 Yahoo! Mail Internet Caf Awards.
easyInternetcaf (75 locations, largest in Times Square, New York City, New York): easyInternetcaf is not only the largest chain of cybercafs in Europe, but also operates the largest cybercaf in the world in Times Square. That location has 800 terminals and was opened by Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina in 2000.
Backspace Caf (Portland, Oregon): Backspace combines all of Portland’s unique charms into the ultimate internet location. After using the terminal locations to catch up on work, head over the LAN gaming center, featuring 10 networked computers with LCD monitors and headsets. In addition there’s an art gallery, a consistent schedule of music, and some of the finest coffee, tea, and sandwich wraps you’ll ever taste.
Rafiki Coffee House (Wimberely, Texas): This little out-of-the-way place was a real find. It’s not technically an internet caf since they don’t offer public terminals, but they do have free wi-fi, organic fair trade coffee, delicious smoothies, chess and other board games. They also have a sign on their website that says “Drink Coffee: Do Stupid Things Faster with More Energy.” How could you not love them?