December, '09 Newsletter

A Christmas Message from Tim

This is the time of year when all of us reflect upon our blessings. I founded Computer Homecare on March 1, 2005, which means we will celebrate our five year anniversary in a few months. The five year mark is a milestone that many experts consider to be an indicator of a business' viability and survival. So I am feeling especially fortunate during this Christmas season.

It amazes me to recall that my original plan for Computer Homecare was to use it as a part-time business to assist local residential customers and supplement the other work I was doing at the time. Little did I know that, just 18 months later, I would abandon my other pursuits to devote my full attention to Computer Homecare. In 2007 the demand for small business support became so great, it became necessary to add the "Small Business Solutions" tag to our name. We continue to add many new residential and business customers, even in a down economy.

As I look back, I realize this growth and success would not have been possible without you, our incredibly loyal and supportive customers. Although we do pay for advertising, word-of-mouth continues to be our most effective form of marketing. I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your continued patronage and support – especially during these difficult economic times we face in Michigan.

I wish you a blessed Christmas and a prosperous, healthy new year. Thanks again for your business. Dave, "the two Joni's" and I look forward to serving you in 2010 and beyond.

Microsoft’s New “Security Essentials” Application

Microsoft has discontinued its “Live OneCare” product and replaced it with a new, free anti-malware application called “Security Essentials.” The new offering is a free package that dramatically reduces its memory consumption (freeing up valuable system resources for other programs) and provides effective protection from common viruses and spyware.

Security Essentials takes just a few minutes to download and install. The product offers a streamlined interface which includes four tabs:

• Home: Includes three scanning options: Quick, Full and Custom. The Quick option scans commonly-infected areas of Windows; a Full Scan checks the entire hard drive; and the Custom option allows you to pick and choose the folders you wish to scan.
  
  
• Update: Allows you to manage the program update process, in order to keep the program current with the latest threats.
  
  
• History: Provides a tabular list of detected threats. It also shows quarantined items and items you have allowed to run. Some users may feel this layout is too basic. However, others may find it a refreshing change to complicated, non-intuitive reports generated by competing products.
  
  
• Settings: Allows you to tweak various program options. For example, here you can change the frequency and time of day for automatic scans. You can also exclude folders and/or files from the scanning process.

After testing Microsoft Security Essentials for several weeks, we think this product is a great, memory-friendly application that compares favorably to other free anti-malware options such as AVG Free Edition. If you are looking for an intuitive anti-malware solution that you can install and ignore, this product will definitely serve your needs.

Facebook's New Privacy Controls Receive Mixed Reviews

Earlier this month, social networking service provider Facebook rolled out a host of new privacy features. These features are intended to give subscribers more control over who can view content and what they can view. Facebook recommends that all subscribers review their privacy settings and familiarize themselves with the changes. According to Ian Paul, a columnist for PCWorld.com, “the new privacy controls include some great changes, and some not-so-great changes.”

One of the "not-so-greats" is that the new settings enable the long-standing option that allows public search engines (such as Google, Yahoo and Bing) to “index” user profile pages – even if you had disabled the option in the past. Essentially, this option allows people surfing the Internet to find Facebook subscribers (and their posted content) by typing key words into a search engine page. To prevent search engine indexing, you will need to visit your Facebook privacy settings page. From Facebook, click SETTINGS | PRIVACY SETTINGS | SEARCH, then make sure the “Allow Indexing” box is unchecked.

Another key change is the addition of a “password protection layer,” requiring a subscriber to enter his or her Facebook password to change privacy settings. While this is a good idea, there are some “holes” in the protection layer. Once the password is entered, you can leave the privacy page and return to it without having to re-enter the password. The password requirement eventually returns (after a half hour or so) but this “grace period” is too long and potentially allows unauthorized people to reconfigure the settings without your knowledge.

Facebook has also made changes to how it classifies subscriber content and, more specifically, which content it makes available to the public. Unfortunately, the subscriber has very little control over how this is determined, prompting a concerned response from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). Among other things, the EFF says “these new ‘privacy’ changes are clearly intended to push Facebook users to publicly share even more information than before. Even worse, the changes will actually reduce the amount of control that users have over some of their personal data.”

On a positive note, the latest changes to privacy allow you more control over who can see your “Friends” list. However, you access these controls from the Friends List on the Profile page, rather than the Privacy Settings page. Simply click the PENCIL icon next to Friends widget, below your profile picture. Facebook subscribers also gain a great deal more control over other portions of the profile page. Again, according to Ian Paul, “while Facebook is taking away some control over publicly available information, you are getting extreme control over other parts of your Facebook profile. Now you can restrict who sees your shared content on a per-post basis. Don't want certain friends to see your latest update? No problem. Need to keep those photos of you at the bar away from your co-workers? You can do that, too.”

So, Facebook has tightened some restrictions while loosening others. The bottom line is that subscribers still need to remain sensitive to what they post and who is allowed to view it.

Frequently Asked Question: "Facebook – Should I Do It?"

Facebook.com, like MySpace.com and LinkedIn.com, is a website that facilitates social networking activity, perhaps the hottest trend of the Internet age. Facebook allows subscribers to create personal web pages that include photos, videos and text-based blog (journal) entries, then share this content with other subscribers. We are frequently asked by our customers, family members and friends: “should I do it?” Unfortunately, there is no easy way to answer this question. Each person has to make up his or her mind about the risks and benefits associated with the social networking phenomenon. Whatever you decide, it’s important to remember that these sites inherently allow others to access the information you post. That means it is up to each individual subscriber to configure privacy settings and post content responsibly.

While this may seem obvious, we see countless of examples in the news that demonstrate how careless use of social networking technology can lead to embarrassment, and sometimes, severe consequences. Consider, for example, the recent story involving a Canadian woman who had been on disability leave from work for over a year due a medical diagnosis of depression. She posted a bunch of photos on her Facebook page that showed her drinking and carrying on with a large group of friends. She also included a photo of the same group of friends at a local Chippendales show. Apparently, an inquisitive insurance agent found her Facebook page and the posted photos. Within days, she learned that her disability benefits had been rescinded. No doubt, the matter will be resolved by a bunch of attorneys.

Of course, it is easy to get bogged down in a discussion of who is right or wrong in this dispute. However, the real lesson to be learned here is that the situation was entirely preventable. Users of social networking websites must understand that posted content is potentially available to the public's prying eyes. Furthermore, employers now utilize sophisticated technology to search the social networking websites when they conduct routine background checks for applicants.

Even more troublesome is the fact that using personal discretion on your own social networking page may not be enough to protect yourself. While you can control what you post, you cannot control what others post on their pages. For example, if a friend snaps a digital photo of you in a compromising situation, then posts the photograph on his Facebook page without your knowledge, you might not even be aware of your vulnerability. This is an important fact for kids to know – especially those who are in high school and college, preparing to enter the job market in the years to come. Digital cameras and the Internet make it easy for "uh oh" moments to be captured and broadcast to the world.

The dark side of the Internet and social networking is that much of what was private is now public. All of us, adults and kids alike, must recognize this reality and become responsible users of technology. Computer Homecare recommends that all users of social networking technology be ultra-sensitive to potential privacy issues when posting content. Educate your friends, family members and co-workers about the importance of being good stewards of digital content and always obtain permission before posting photographs, videos, and related content.

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House Call, Copyright © 2009 • All rights reserved
Published by Computer Homecare and Small Business Solutions
phone: 269.327.1574 • e-mail: appointments@computerhomecare.net • website: www.computerhomecare.net