Two Dads: One Computer-Maniac, The Other Computer-Phobic

I have two Dads. That sounds strange doesn t it? One is my genetic father, and the other is my geneticist father. The genetic Dad I ve only ever lived with for one year when I was an infant, while the geneticist Dad is what you would call a step-father, but I ve lived in close proximity with him for more than 20 years. I feel close to them both. I connect differently with each of them but on a pretty much equal level. The reason I m sharing my personal information with you is because I ve just had a realisation about my fathers in relation to the area that I work in: computers and the Internet. It s really quite interesting.
One father is a computer maniac. Whenever a new technology, software, gadget, or website emerges he is one of the first to grab it up and evaluate it. My other father has an old piece-of-crap box that looks something like a computer, with a tediously slow dial-up connection to the World Wide Web. Compared to the wireless, broadband Mac personal computer and mobile-connected Mac laptop of the enthusiast, they couldn t be from further parts of the galaxy.
Then there s me. I could be construed as being a walking paradox, an enigma, or just plainly twisted when it comes to my relationship with the computer and Internet sphere of life. Nature/nurture, genetic/environmental For whatever strange reason, I have turned out to be a combination of the two papas. I work as a creative writer for an Internet web-hosting company. I love the ideas and valuable functions and tools that the Internet has brought to humanity (or was it humanity that brought it to the Internet?). However, I have issues and challenges when it comes to using these awe-inspiring machines.
Currently I am away from home in a different city visiting my girlfriend. At home (I am currently living with my parents-Mother and geneticist, as I m going to live overseas soon) all I have to do to get on the Internet is open up my laptop and I m on-line. If I m at work, I go to my PC and all of my settings are stored and ready for me to use. While in a new place, things haven t been running as smoothly as I would ve liked. The answers are probably simple and easy to do, but this is one of the kinds of challenges that cause me to stumble. Although I am deeply interested and have a true faith in this new technology, I am a real novice when it comes to getting things done on someone else s computer.
I brought my laptop with me. My girlfriend only has a dial-up connection which she uses with her laptop. I could use hers but she s Chinese so a lot of what comes up on the screen is illegible to me. I don t know how to change her language configuration. I m used to doing it quite easily on my Mac, but her computer is a PC and I m not as practiced in this other format. That s one of my problems. I only have so much patience when it comes to working these technological issues out; it could be a trait passed on by my ice-age father (No judgement is being laid here. He just doesn t feel that he can work new technologies out. He s had a digital telephone answering machine for two years which he still hasn t set up. He feels bad about it but his manual one does the job, so he sticks with it.). I m also a little afraid to hook my laptop up to her dial-up line as I know from experience that I ll have to change some settings of which I am not confident about doing.
So the next answer was to go to her university where she said people use their laptops wirelessly in the library. That sounded cool so I went in and tried it out. I even tried changing the settings to get it to work (It took courage.) but I couldn t get it to work. I was weary about asking for help because I wasn t really a student at that particular learning establishment. Instead, I ve been using the library s computers. This is OK, but since I can t walk away with the files I create (I borrowed my girlfriend s thumb-drive but an experience from the past of not being able to transfer information from PC to Mac deters me from using it-again, an irrational fear. I know it, and I will give it a try this week. I ve resorted to saving my files in my email account as attachments. It s not conventional, but it works.
Another issue I ve had is getting onto my messenger service. The university computers don t have it on their desktop, and when I tried to download an on-line version I was told that I didn t have the authority to do so. I went to an Internet caf , and I could do work there (I m working on the road) but I feel kind of silly paying to get paid. It was cool there though as they had messenger with voice and video and I was able to have a conversation with my brother who is travelling around India. He could see my sister and me, but we couldn t see him as he said the Indian computer devices (webcams, headsets) in that town were looking a little bit crappy in design and also looked worse for wear. It was heaps of fun making funny faces knowing that he would be seeing us. I think he s getting lonely as he s only 19 years old and has been away from home for over 7 months.
As you can see I ve inherited beliefs about computer from both of my Dads. I find things more difficult than most, I believe, but I m not going to give up doing my best to get the things done that I feel are necessary. Over time I hope to get over these little obstacles and hurdles and become proficient in all of the cool aspects of this new realm of human endeavour. I also have faith that the technicians and engineers are probably working hard to make things simple for the rest of us.
Whatever happens, I m going to stick with it, and when I go to see my genetic father next I m going to do my best to inspire him to buy a new computer with a Broadband connection. Then all I have to do is show him a few of the amazing things that this human created Internet tool can do. One of the aspects of the Web that affects me most profoundly is the simple fact that if you think of anything at all in the known Universe, you can then look it up on your search engine like Google and in the time it takes to blink your eye, immediately start to learn. It sure beats catching the train to the library, looking up a book in the card catalogue, searching for it, then finding out that someone else has borrowed it and is late bringing it back.



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How To Compare Residential VOIP Offerings

Many people are turning to VOIP phone for several different reasons, the biggest reason being cost. The landline telephone has been in existence for one hundred years; however, many people are finding that VOIP offers a great deal more, for a great deal less. There is one requirement though, you must have a broadband connection, otherwise known as a highspeed Internet connection. While there are some minor differences between the traditional telephone and a VOIP phone, many people simply enjoy the money saving features.

What cost savings you say? With a VOIP phone (using your highspeed Internet connection to make and receive phone calls), you can make unlimited local and usually also unlimited long distance calls in the continental US for one price, where that one price is frequently less than the cost of just getting a DIAL TONE from your local phone company. Is it starting to make more sense now?

With VOIP, you receive comparable reliability and quality of traditional telephone service without all the added fees we tend to experience from our phone company. Have you ever opened your bill and noticed the big jump in cost? Here is a personal example, this writer has experienced with a local telephone company. I simply have a phone, yes some of the perks as well, such as call waiting, call waiting plus, caller ID, and caller ID plus. When I ordered the service, of course it was all conveniently placed in a package that was to cost me $35 a month. Imagine my surprise when I open my phone bill and it was $89 for the month, that is just the phone, does not include the cost of internet, which put the bill over $100.

Now you are probably thinking well long distance calls will do that. Yes, it would, except I purposely do not have long distance on my telephone, so that was not the case in this scenario. I had a ton of hidden charges for this, that, and everything else. Now with a VOIP phone, it hooks up directly to your internet connection, and most VOIP providers offer several different packages that are designed to fit both your needs and your budget. For example, one company offers unlimited long distance calling, local calling, plus all the perks such as E-911 service, voicemail, caller ID, call waiting, Call forwarding, 3-way calling, and such others, for only $24.99. That is your bill, one flat rate each month. Tell me, which you would rather pay, $89 a month or $24.99 for just about the same service. The choice is clear.

When considering a VOIP phone it is important that you do some comparison shopping. The internet is full of fabulous deals from VOIP providers and it is important that you take a look at the various companies and find the one that fits your needs, as well as your budget. Another thing about VOIP is that you can choose from several different packages with each provider. Some may include a VOIP phone line with long distance, without long distance, or for multiple phone lines, perfect for kid s phone or a home office.

There are some disadvantages to VOIP service. For example, your fax machine may not work reliably over the VOIP. Furthermore, if you have satellite internet within your home, you may find that the VOIP fails to work in a reliable manner as well. It is very important that you do your homework, finding out exactly what options you have, and what works best for your specific needs.



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Detect Key Logger, Identity Theft Spyware

Key loggers to detect spyware, it is what it should be and how it works. Key loggers are software programs that identity thieves are invisible to your online activities that will be used to track suit. Computer and the computer is almost impossible
it detection is the key logger Caution If you have a bank account, you never know if it is to record information such as passwords and credit card numbers. See anything unusual, or even slow
you not see a machine. Just as the clock automatically entered on the keyboard every case, the identity thief was standing over your shoulder.
at third of all online fraud suit. Tracking to be more than keylogging. If any Internet search engine, type in several key loggers to find a legal way to purchase and install the 2007 suit. Key loggers software can be used to monitor the business activities
several keylogging staff and parents to use to determine the suit. Their children visit the Web site. But in the hands of hackers wanting to steal your financial information, key loggers are very dangerous. Key loggers use the information to a third party, selling
attackers spyware is often funnel money to a bank account or a credit card, people can charge for. One is used by computer hackers to enter into the hands keylogging stealing ability, the entire company is critical to the organization& 39;s information. The best rule is carefully
the what to download to a computer monitor which sites to visit. Major banks and retailers are typically the site relatively safe. However, the site is free to download unfamiliar recognition software can leave you vulnerable to a potential hacker. In contrast to protect you
here keylogging some tips:

spam mail - mail-never opened. E - mail attachments from people you do not know, do not open
. Click OK, do not read without
pop - for the first time at their desk. Use a firewall on your computer to prevent unauthorized
activities.
weeks to run, anti entire system - a computer virus scanning. Crime experts say the number of keylogging

computer rise, but this is a way to protect themselves. Key loggers, spyware detection and destruction by installing anti-spyware software to perform this action suit. Others know how to avoid problems
becoming this is the first suit you. Steps to protect themselves.
copyright 2005 spyware - information.com. All rights reserved. marianne



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