Double Check Your Internet Sources

We were so happy that our daughter, Vera, got a teaching position at a junior college.  She is currently teaching Business English.  Vera often shares the interesting information that she is teaching.  Jim and I learned how careful one must be on one’s own website.  The popular My Space  web pages are now viewed by possible employers.  When one makes an application for a job–employers now are standardly checking to see if the applicant has a web page.  If the web page is full of pictures of obsene things–then the applicant most likely will not obtain the job.  Even if a young teenager matures and no longer is into immature postings on a  My Space page–the postings will follow one through their college and job searching days.  So beware and be alert!  Be responsible with your blogs and other kinds of web pages.  Don’t write anything that you would be ashamed for the entire world to know.  Don’t post any pictures that you will later regret posting.  Leave a little mystery in your blogs.  People don’t have to know everything about you or even your real name to enjoy your blog. 

This morning before Vera left for work–she showed me how to tell whether a website was really authentic.  When she was in graduate school, one of her professors used a well known website to prove that even the most authentic looking website can be a hoax.  Vera typed in www.dhmo.org  to prove her point.  There were all kinds of articles and warnings about the substance dhmo.  This website even had an online shopping place where one could purchase t-shirts and other items warning against dhmo.  In reality, dhmo is simply water.  The whole thing is a hoax.  One can go to www.wikipedia.org. and obtain the history of this false webpage. 

Vera is teaching from the text: Essentials Of Business Communication by Mary Ellen Gruffey.

Ms. Gruffey says this about webpages:

“ Many users think that documents found by a World Wide Web search tool have somehow been previously validated by a trustworthy authority.  Others think that, because the Web is the most current and most accessible source of information, its documents must be the most reliable available.  Wrong on both counts!  Almost anyone with a computer and an internet connection can publish almost anything on the Web.  In every Web domain, reliable sites and unreliable ones compete for your attention……To use the Web meaningly, you must learn to scrutinize carefully what you find in the documents it offers.”

I’m not going to try to give her list but will give her categories.  One must check for authority, currency, content, accuracy.  One can find help by continuing to use search engines for suspicious findings.  One can use www.wikipedia.org but that is only as good as the people who make contributions to this online encylopedia. 

The bottom line is that one must always be savy and smart about using internet sources.  Common sense and further searching are often necessary.  So have fun with the internet but do be responsible.

Happy searching!

 

 

An Anniversary and Mother’s Day Get Away

Jim was elated that he was not on the weekend list for work.  He had worked twelve straight days.  This information was posted on Thursday.  When he got home from work, we decided to check if there were any rooms available at Lake Barkley Lodge.  There were a few left.  So we reserved a room via the internet for Friday evening.

Since November of 2007,  Jim has had varied work schedules.  Rarely does he get more than one weekend a month free.  Sometimes we just don’t have enough time to talk about serious matters or just have a little fun.  So we decided we better take advantage of the weekend since our 34th anniversay and Mother’s day were coming up.

We had such a great time at Lake Barkley Lodge.  All of the rooms have a lake front view.  We spent hours just walking along the lake front and talking.  We occasionaly sat for awhile on a bench to rest.  It was fun seeing all of the boats out.  Folks really had fishing fever. 

We reviewed all of the changes that have taken place in technology since our marriage.  There were no home computers in l974.  So neither of us grew up with the internet.  There were no cell phones.  My first awareness of VCR’s was about 1980.  They cost anywhere from about $800.00 to $1000.00.  Microwave ovens also became popular in the early l980’s.  They were as costly as VCR’s.  Thus, we had no opportunity to purchase either of these technological wonders. 

Home computers started being available about l982.  Again, one had to have a very nice financial lifestyle to afford a computer.  We purchased our first computer  and printer in 1995.  The computer cost $2000.00 and the printer cost $500.00.  In l997 we decided to pay for internet service.  We had the old fashioned dial up internet.  It was such a pain to have the phone line tied up that we paid for a second phone line.  That eventually got too expensive and we dropped the second line.  About four years ago we upgraded to high speed internet.  And most recently we upgraded another notch.

The word digital was virtually unknown in the l970’s.  Now everything is becoming digital–even television.  The new thin screened tv’s are the style now.  We don’t have one and won’t get one until the prices go down.  However, soon we will have to purchase an adaptor to watch television.

In my cancer group, I learned from a visiting cancer doctor that by the end of 2008 — our hospital will be all digital.  The days of doctors reading xrays from the actual film are soon to be over.  When radiology is done –one will have a disk to take to one’s doctor.  The doctor will then read the disk via computer technology. 

Jim and I could never have imagined debit cards as a way of paying for our purchases.  We could never have invisioned online banking.  We’ve become used to using these services.  And there are pitfalls to them occasionally.  Last week, I checked my bankline and discovered that someone had stolen my debit card number and had tried to make a purchase.  I caught it the very day this person tried to steal from our account.  In fact, the purchase was still listed under “pending”.  I called and canceled my bank card and ordered a new one– with a new pin number.  That purchase  never showed up the next day on my account.  Perhaps my quick action prevented their purchase from going through. 

Jim and I like living in 2008 .  We are thankful for all of the improvements in the world of technology.  Most of all we are thankful to have an enduring marriage.  We are blessed with four children who have grown up to be contributing adults to society.  And we adore our two grandsons.  Life has been good to us in spite of many hard times through our years.  I hope that each individual reading this post will take stock of the changes and blessings in his or her life. 

May God bless each of you!