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LET'S MEET ONLINE! Call (512)560-2609 or email helpimnotageek@gmail.com and set up a time for a session. It works really well. We talk on the phone while I see your screen.

Friday, October 31, 2014

How do I know that email sent to me is safe?

Have you ever gotten an email message that looked exactly like it came from your bank or eBay asking you to click on something? Often it is written in a way that makes you think it is an urgent problem. DON'T click. These messages are called "phishing". They are sent out fraudulently to learn information from you. They are NOT sent from your bank or eBay. If you click on the link you may be allowing a virus to have access to your computer. These messages also sometimes ask for private information (like bank account numbers).  

One common problem is that some virus steals all of the email addresses in your friend's contacts. The virus then sends a message to ALL of those people (including you) with a link to click on. It may say that it is from your best friend. It might say something generic in the subject line like "this is funny" or "you will like this". Even the URL may look innocent. Any mail that comes from your friend with only a link do not click on it is probably a scam. 

How can you be sure that it is not really your bank? 
Here are some steps to take that will protect you from accidentally giving away information or access to your computer.

1.  Read ALL email skeptically. Even if it says it is from your friend do not assume it is valid if it seems suspicious. Do NOT automatically, without thinking, click on anything.

2. Before you click call your friend, the airline, your bank or whoever it says it is from to be sure it is authentic. 


3.  Know that companies and banks are aware of these problems and will never ask for personnel information through email. Most of them have links on their websites where you can report any phishing attacks you have received.





4.  You can usually run your mouse over a link or an email address and in the bottom left hand corner of the screen a box will appear that shows what code is underneath the words you are seeing. The code should match the words you see if it is legitimate.




5. Look at the email address it was sent from. Often the email address is very close to the one that the company uses, but not quite the same. For example it might say that it is from help@aaglobalcommunications.com which would lead you to think it is from American Airlines, but their address is aa.com. 

Most email is legitimate. It is a good way to communicate, but it is wise to be skeptical. Don't let someone who is phishing catch you!

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)

If you are like me you do not use short cuts like LOL when you are texting or writing email. I am old enough that I still spell everything out. Now and then though someone sends me a message with one of these in it and I am not sure what it means. I found the list below online and thought I would share it with my readers.


1. LOL: Laugh out loud
2. OMG: Oh my god
3. ILY: I love you

4. LMAO: Laughing my a** off 

5. 
WTF: What the f***?
6. PPL: People

PPL people







7. IDK: I don't know?
8. TBH: To be honest

9. BTW: By the way

10. THX: Thanks

11. SMH: Shaking my head

12. FFS: For f***'s  sake

13. AMA: Ask me anything

14. FML: F*** my life

15. TBT: Throwback Thursday (this is usually used with a photo that someone posts from the past.)







16. JK: Just kidding

17. IMO: In my opinion

18. YOLO: You only live once

19. ROFL: Rolling on the floor laughing

20. 
MCM: Mancrush Monday
21. IKR: I know right?

22. FYI: For your information

23. BRB: Be right back

24. GG: Good game

25.
 IDC: I don't care
26. TGIF: Thank God it's Friday

27. NSFW: Not safe for work

28. ICYMI: In case you missed it

29. STFU: Shut the f***  up

30. WCW: Womancrush Wednesday

31. IRL: In real life

32. BFF: Best friends forever
33. OOTD: Outfit of the day
34. FTW: For the win

35. Txt: Text

36. HMU: Hit me up

37. HBD: Happy birthday

38. TMI: Too much information

39. NM: Not much

40. GTFO: Get the f***  out

41. NVM: Nevermind

42. DGAF: Don't give a f*** 

43. FBF: Flashback Friday

44. DTF: Down to f*** 

45. FOMO: Fear of missing out

46. SMFH: Shaking my f***ing head

47. OMW: On my way

48. POTD: Photo of the day

49. LMS: Like my status

50. GTG: Got to go

51. ROFLMAO: Rolling on floor laughing my a*** off

52. TTYL: Talk to you later

53. AFAIK: As far as I know

54. LMK: Let me know

55. PTFO: Passed the f*** out

56. SFW: Safe for work

57. HMB: Hit me back

58. TTYS: Talk to you soon

59. FBO: Facebook Official

60. TTYN: Talk to you never
*Provided by http://wearesocial.com.au


Sixty seems like it would be enough, but there are actually a lot more. The following website has the largest list of chat acronyms:


http://www.netlingo.com/acronyms.php

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Putting a Facebook or Twitter Icon on your Website

We have all seen the row of icons that lead to Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Foursquare, etc... They are found on sites where the company or owner of the site has accounts with social media platforms and they want you to go to them.

If you have a website and communicate on social media you may want to add these icons to your site.

There are two types. One will lead you to the Facebook page of the company on the website and the other is a share button that takes you to your own Facebook profile and creates a link back to their site so that you can share it with your friends.

These buttons can be added manually to your site and then linked where you want them to go. There are lots of sites that have free graphics of the buttons where you can go and download the ones that you want to use.

http://www.iconarchive.com/category/social-network-icons.html

http://line25.com/articles/20-free-social-media-icon-sets-to-use-on-your-website



These are two examples, but there are many more. In most website programs the steps for adding linked graphics are similar.
  1. You upload the image to the page and then insert it where you want it to appear.
  2. The program allows you choose the size and location (Right, Left or centered) of the image.
  3. When the icon is where you want it to be select it by clicking on it and look for the words add link or click on the picture of a chain at the top of the program. In a second tab on your browser open the website that you want to link and copy the URL. Go back to the tab where you are working on your web page and paste in the link. 
If you are using Blogger, Weebly, Wix, SquareSpace or one of many other websites where you can make your website the directions for doing this are part of the page. Here in Blogger it is one of the Widgets that I can add to the page. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page you will see it. 

USING A PLUG IN

The other way to make it easy for someone to share your page is to use a widget or gadget that creates code which can be put into your site. One of these sites is http://www.addthis.com/

After you sign up on this website for free you are able to choose between various looks for your buttons. When you are done a code is created and you can paste that code into your webpage.

You can go to Google and search for 'plugin', 'social media', and the name of the software that you would like to put it into (wordpress, blogger, etc...) You will be given many choices and hopefully find one you like!