More Confusion about Events and Projects

I wrote a post a while ago about my confusion with the Events and Projects in iMovie. This week I realized that I was still confused, so I have tried again to gain a better understanding and I think this time I have succeeded!

One of the most confusing things about iMovie is the use of the words Events and Projects. I think I understand right away what a project is. When I start a project I open iMovie and choose the + that says CREATE NEW. OR I could choose one of the other projects that I had started before and work on it some more.

When I choose CREATE NEW a project is opened up and I can Import Media that I want to use (still photos, video, audio). At this point the project is created, but the movie is not made.  If I quit iMovie and start again it is called My Movie 1 and is waiting for me to work on it. I can drag pieces of the movie onto the editing screen and add transitions, and sound and keep working on it and if I click on the projects back arrow I will be prompted to give it a name and it will be added to my projects on the front page of iMovie. 

If I open it again and do some work again it automatically saves the changes!  So, I understand what a project is and what is in my project library.  How come I can ignore Events and still make and save a project?

What is an Event??

Now that I have taken time to look at the program I understand. iMovie calls all of the video and photos that you upload to the program Events. I think that the best way to look at the events is to look at one of the folders under “iMovie Library”. To get there you choose MEDIA from the three things at the top of the screen. Now you can see all of the media available for your projects. Each event (or what I like to think of as folder) has the clips for a specific project. If you did not change the name it is named by the date created. They are now available to be dragged down into ANY project that you create.

SURPRISE

If you do not use iMovie a great deal and do not make lots of complicated movies you can IGNORE the Events!!  It is a way of organizing the files that you upload so that they can be available for ANY movie that you create. If you don’t create many movies at all this may not be helpful to you.

Once something is uploaded to the Events it is available for any project. Just click on one of the events listed in the iMovie Library and you can drag and drop that video into any project. If you make lots of movies and like to have clips available to be used in various projects you can organize them into events. You have to be in the “Media” section rather than a “Project” and then you will see the sidebar for the Photos Library and the iMovie Library. You can create a New Event by going to FILE-NEW EVENT. Think of this as a file folder. You should name it something that will help you remember what it has in it. Once you have named it you can click the down arrow to import video or stills  that you have on your computer. You can also click on the Photos Library and drag and drop any of the photos into event folders. 

I feel like I understand this better at least for now!  Here are some websites that might help you.

Mac Most - a video with a helpful explanation

http://macmost.com/understanding-imovie-projects-and-events.html

YouTube tutorial video

https://youtu.be/gqNXhDEFgEk - videos are a great way for me to learn.

A long, but thorough tutorial

http://erictimmer.com/2015/10/30/imovie-for-beginners-tutorial-2016-10-1/

If you still have questions and want to talk feel free to email or call and I can even work with you long distance using special connection software.

Should I delete my Facebook Account?

SHOULD I DELETE MY FACEBOOK ACCOUNT?

Over the weekend I will be seeing my sister, who was a computer programmer and may know more about the lack of security while using technology. She will not start a Facebook page or sign up for online stuff. She has and uses an email address, but is very cautious about lots of things.

I, on the other hand, started signing up for stuff almost as soon as the Internet became a thing. I know nothing about programming or the secrets behind computers (except that there are some). I was always a teacher encouraging other teachers to use technology on their own and with their kids. I had to try things out before I told them to use them.

So, now that we are ALL becoming more aware of how intrusive technology can be into our lives and how much our data (all of the information about us) is being leaked in ways we can't control, what do we do?

I think that we will all deal with it in different ways. I respect those who decide to delete their Facebook pages ('how to' below). I think it is too late for me. What is out there does not go away and I think that if anyone wants to find my data they can do it. I am not claiming that I am so gullible as to think that my squeaky-clean life will not be misused to cause me trouble. I am just hoping it won't.

At the same time, I am tightening my privacy settings on Facebook and being more aware of what I am signing up for and in general how online stuff can be used. Even if your data was not stolen by Cambridge Analytica, they still put ads on Facebook that might have swayed an election. That is huge. So, I am very supportive of government actions that will tighten up regulations.

I actually like Facebook. I enjoy perusing what my family and friends are doing. I enjoy looking at pictures of new grandchildren, etc....  In fact, I don't use it regularly because it steals my time. I start and a few hours later I realize that I have just spent a pleasant two hours on what was supposed to be 5 minutes. Honestly, I also like what they are doing with ads. I am not sure I would pay for it, so I am glad it is free and it is OK with me that they put ads on the page. I am glad that they have changed their model to aim ads at me instead of just putting up whatever ad paid the most, or whatever. I used to see ads for 'male-part' enlargement regularly. Now I just see stuff aimed at older women (how to lose weight, clothes to hide rolls, comfortable shoes, etc...) It is OK.

What I don't like and didn't realize that they were doing is following my search and browsing habits on the Internet. I think Facebook should stick to Facebook and not be gathering data from other locations.

So, here are things that I recommend you do whether you are Deleting your account or just being more careful about privacy:

DELETING YOUR ACCOUNT

1. Go into your Facebook Account and click on the shadow of a triangle pointing down at the top right of the screen
2. Choose SETTINGS (near the bottom of the list)
3. Choose GENERAL ( it may just open to general)
4. Click on the word EDIT next to Manage Account.
5. From here slide down and you can choose to DEACTIVATE YOUR ACCOUNT. Deactivating allows you to go off of Facebook. However, if you change your mind in the future you can get back on again.
6. If you want to DELETE your account completely you need to email Facebook and request that your account be deleted. Once this is done you cannot restore your account. Here is a link with more instruction for DELETING your account.

https://www.facebook.com/help/224562897555674

CHECKING AND ADJUSTING PRIVACY SETTINGS

1. Following the same instructions go to settings. There are several places to look for Privacy settings because it is complicated. You may want to check out all of your settings, but I will mention a few important ones.
2. Security and Login - Check all of these settings. Make sure that you have them set in ways you are comfortable. Two-factor authentication means that every time you log in you will have to have your phone nearby to get a code to enter into the account. It is very secure because no one else can get into your account (knows your password) and has your phone.
3. Privacy - Again, check all of these settings. They control WHO can see your posts and who can contact you. To change anything click EDIT and pull down the choices. I think that Facebook is meant for sharing, so it is hard for me to understand why someone would put "just me", but that is a choice. I guess you could use it as a journal.
4. Blocking - You can block other users of Facebook from all sorts of things. Check here to see if there is anything you want to block.
5. Face Recognition - maybe this is creepy, maybe not, but you can control it. It means that it will show you when someone posts a picture of you even if you are not mentioned in their post.
6. Public Posts - This is more control for who can see your stuff. Even if you have locked up searching for you on Facebook people can go to Google and search for you.  
7. Apps and Websites - Finally, this is one that was new to me, but I think is important. Often when you sign up for something it asks you whether you want to log in with Facebook. This is much easier than trying to remember yet another password. However, what it does is create a link between Facebook and that other website. It means that you are sharing information more widely than you thought. I went through and removed ALL of the ones that were there. Then I went about my regular business. I found that the one place that said it needed a Facebook login was this Newsletter. I post my newsletter on my business and personal sites. I decided I still needed to do that and that I trusted Mailchimp not to misuse my info. So I added it back on.

There are a few other settings that I did not mention. It does not hurt anything to click on them to see what they are about. I skipped ones that did not have a connection to privacy.

So, whatever you decide my wish is that you will feel good about it and enjoy life online as much as offline.

Let me know what you think about this!  I am curious.

My Favorite Program This Week

I really appreciate Google Drive this week. I am on the board of a Child Development Center and we have gradually been using it more and more to share documents and spreadsheets. We have a fundraiser every year where board members seek donations from various places for a silent auction. Google Spreadsheets has been a fantastic way to share what we have gotten donated so that we don't go asking the same place over and over again. Each year we have a record of what was donated to help us start the next year. Unlike using a spreadsheet and sharing it through email we don't end up with lots of different copies at different stages and have to compile them.

In another organization we use Google Docs to save Agendas and Minutes of meetings. Recently we are editing the Bylaws and it is a great way to allow a small group of people access to the document to work on it without having to be meeting all of the time. You can designate who has access to a document and what rights they have. You can set it so that many people can READ the document, but only certain people can edit it. You can highlight a sentence and then put comments that appear on the side of the document without actually changing the document. I highly recommend Google Drive as a workspace for any organization.

What is a .pdf?

PORTABLE DOCUMENT FORMAT - PDF
Every file name has a three or four letter designation with a [.] in front. Most of us are aware that .doc is a Word Document. Word is a program created by Microsoft for Word Processing.

In the beginning if you had a Mac or a different Word Processing program anything made in Word would not open. This sometimes still happens, but not often. Different programs have adjusted and now open documents that end in .doc. I have a Mac and use Pages for word processing. If I just save a document it has .pages at the end of the name. If I send it to someone who does not have Pages they will not be able to open it. That is what .pdf is for!  Any type of word processor and any computer can open something that has .pdf. Not only that, but pdfs are compressed and easy to email.

One other benefit of a .pdf is that it cannot be edited easily by someone else. If you have an important document that you want to share with someone else and you want to make sure that it is locked so that they cannot edit it a .pdf is a good solution.

The company that first created the .pdf format is Adobe and there is a free program that is probably on your computer called Adobe Reader. It will allow you to open ANY .pdf document. It gets updated occasionally and sometimes you will see a red A bouncing at the bottom of your screen. That is Adobe and if you click on it you can update the program for free, which is a good thing to do.

If you have a Word Document and you want to make it into a .pdf it is similar to saving it.

1. After you have opened the document click on FILE at the top of the screen.
2. Click SAVE AS and a window will appear
3. As usual check three things:
   1. The Name of the Document - change it if you want. It is OK to leave it the same. It will not erase the other one because it will have .pdf at the end.
   2. The Location - Indicate where you want it to be saved.
   3. The File Type - When you just click save it is a .doc or .docx. You need to pull down that menu and choose .pdf. The program will actually EXPORT the .doc and make it a .pdf.

If you receive a .pdf from someone else and need to edit it you can convert it into a .doc that will open in Word with a website converter. Just go to Google and search for ".pdf to word". Here is a link to one of the many.
https://www.pdftoword.com/en/
The original will not be changed, but you will have a separate copy that you can edit.

There is also a program to create .pdfs that can do many more things. Adobe reader is free, but the editing program costs. I did not do research on this, but I am sure that there are many options available for software to purchase that will create editable .pdfs. Offices often use it to create forms that can actually be filled in, but cannot be edited otherwise. 

A Few Things that Might Make Technology Work Better for You

YOUR MOUSE (Input device in Geek Speak!)
Do you like to use the trackpad on your computer? What about your mouse? I have a few clients with arthritis who have trouble using a regular mouse. Another option is a trackball. There are several different kinds, but like a mouse they just plug into your computer with a USB connection. The MX Ergo from Logitech is a trackball that allows you to set the angle that you use it from. It is on the expensive side for a mouse, about $100. You can get a trackball mouse for much less than that and there are plenty of other choices. 


YOUR DESK
much research lately is showing what a difference moving makes. Sitting is not the best posture for having a healthy body. Some of us spend way too much time sitting. A standing desk is one possible solution. There are a number of desks that convert from a sitting desk to a standing desk. You can work either sitting down or standing up. The WorkFit – T is one that will allow you to work from from a standing position.

Another one I have recently seen can be used standing or sitting. It can be placed on top of an existing desk or table and is designed to easily adjust up or down.







YOUR OWN SERVER
You have heard of "the cloud" and wondered how safe all of your data is out there somewhere. Why not have your own server and save all of your own stuff? Western Digital MyCloud will allow you to store photos, videos, and files from all of your devices including your smartphone then access them from anywhere using the MyCloud mobile app. The MyCloud comes in a variety of models with up to 16TB of storage. The MyCloud Home Duo system saves everything on two different disks for true redundancy. Prices on the MyCloud products begin at just about $160 for 2TB for all the way up to 16TB for $700.





YOUR OWN INTERNET BASED PHONE SYSTEM
VOIP, for Voice Over IP (Internet Protocol) is a system using the internet for voice communication (like phone calls). If you have phone service from your cable company that’s what you’re getting. But you’re probably paying about $40 a month for the service. Ooma is a VOIP service that you can use (like Skype) on your computer to connect with family and friends. What was new to me is that you can buy the gear from Ooma. With the Ooma home system, you buy the Telo base (about $100) and as many HD2 handsets as you need (about $60 apiece), then pay only taxes and fees every month, just under $4.00. 

Making Sense of Emoji's and Twitter

EMOJIPEDIA 

Emoji's are those cute little icons that show up especially in text messages. There are more and more of them and so sometimes it is hard to know what they really mean. They are supposed to make electronic communication more human, but sometimes they can be confusing. 

For those of us not born in the age of emojis there is the Emojipedia! There is an agency the "Unicode Consortium" that decides which images can be made into emojis. Each company (Apple, Google, Microsoft, Messanger (Facebook), HTC, etc... designs emoji's that correspond to a certain code. So when you send a message with an emoji the person at the other end sees the emoji that relates to that code. Here are a few pictures for "person taking a bath" 
https://emojipedia.org/ 

TWITTER ABBREVIATION GUIDE 

Maybe you have decided to come into the modern age and try out Twitter. It has become more famous since our president has been communicating with it. There are probably a few things that you should know in order to feel more comfortable. 

1. You CAN send a message directly to someone else. Let's say that you read something that makes you want to respond, but you do NOT want to respond to the whole world. You can type DM and then the twitter handle of the person you want to send directly to and it will go as a direct message. 
2. Hashtags are important ways to organize messages so that you can find and share what is being said on a certain topic. For example right now on twitter #Auburn is trending, which means that it is the most popular hashtag at the moment. If I put #Auburn into the search box on the top right of my screen I can see what is happening RIGHT NOW at the football game (or at least what people are saying about it). Anyone can make up a hashtag and put it at the end of their post. If other people decide to use the same hashtag your posts will all come up when someone searches. 
3. The @ sign with a word is right next to each post. If you roll your mouse over it you will see the Twitter account of a person. If you put @ and a handle on your post it can lead other readers to their account and they will be notified in email that you have tweeted about them. 4. People use all kinds of shortened words in order to fit what they want to say into the 140 (and now some people have 280 characters) characters of a post. I often do not know what the short codes mean, so it is great to have this resource! 

https://www.teachthought.com/technology/twitter-abbreviation-guide-make-sense-crazy-talk/

Using LinkedIn

USING LINKEDIN The main benefits from LinkedIn come when you are looking for a job or to hire an employee. There are also benefits related to connecting with other professionals in your area of interest. The following are some of them. Of course, the benefits increase a great deal when you have a paid subscription rather than using it for free. Open Profile - People who have paid for Linked In have an option of setting their profile to open so that anyone can contact them. If you have a free account you can only contact people you have connected to. This is for a paid subscription only. Request an Introduction to someone who is on a 2nd degree connection.  When you have a LinkedIn account you are networked to people directly and they are linked to others directly. You can communicate with the person you are connected to who is directly connected to their contacts. One example of this is being aware of who your contacts are connected to so that you can find someone inside a company you want to apply to. Check in on your network updates - Like Facebook, the more that you use it  and show that you Like, Comment and Share your network will become more familiar with you. Be identifiable - Make sure that you have filled in all of the options in the Settings To do this click on your picture (or thumbnail) in the top right. Choose Privacy & Settings and click Select what others see when you’ve viewed their profile. Make sure you check off the “Your name and headline (Recommended)” option. This allows you to take advantage of the next feature on our list.   Check out who has viewed your profile - There is more information on this available if you have a paid account. You can increase the number of people who view your profile by doing a few things.  normalize your title - look to see what others are titled in positions like yours and make yours match add keywords to your professional tag line - That way if someone searches for a term they will be more likely to find you. improve your summary - Make sure it includes lots of keywords that people can search for. If it is long break it down to shorter paragraphs for readability. expand your skills entry - Things change as you get more experience. It is good to take a look at the skills that are listed for you and make it more accurate. syndicate blog posts - If you are writing a blog post for somewhere else copy and paste it into LinkedIn also so that it will reach a larger audience. add your LinkedIn account to your email signature - This is usually in settings in your email program. Find new connections - This is one of the things that LinkedIn promotes . You can automatically add connections from your email account with Add Connections, Connect with other Alumni with Find Alumni. Keep in touch shows you when your connections have changed jobs, have birthdays, or just haven’t been in contact for a while. You can ask for connections to people you are interested in or who are in the same (or similar) industries even if you don't actually know them.  Use LinkedIn groups - There are over 13,000 groups listed. Become host of a group to show off your leadership qualities or just join a group to meet likeminded professionals. Share resources with this group and host industry-centric communications. Get a sense of what people are thinking about. Groups also allow you to connect with others in the group that are not your primary connections.  Advanced Search options - You  can search to find out if you are connected to anyone from a certain company or from a certain location Leverage mentions in your status updates - Use the @ symbol in front of someone’s name or company name in order to tag them when you post or share their post. They will get alerted when you mention them. They will be appreciative and maybe return the favor. Endorse people - Endorse people you have worked with that have done a good job. This makes them look good and also cements your relationship to them. As I write this I realize how skeptical I am about LinkedIn. I would love to hear stories of people who have used LinkedIn successfully. I often get requests for connections from people who are not in my industry and not even in my city or area. I do not accept them as connections, but I guess a person could collect people to add to their network so that it looks like they really connect to lots of people when they don't. Also, I have been endorsed for qualities by people who never experienced my skill in that area. I assume that they just wanted to be nice and so clicked Endorse when LinkedIn suggested it. If that is happening lots (and I assume it is) I don't think that Endorsing can be very accurate. I guess that if a person takes these things into account the connections that one makes with LinkedIn can be very valuable. The information here is from HubSpot. I believe that it is a PR firm that promotes LinkedIn as well as other companies. https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/23454/The-Ultimate-Cheat-Sheet-for-Mastering-LinkedIn.aspx