A Holiday unplugged

No, I haven’t made the austere move of totally disconnecting, but there are times I reflect on moments that no technology can faithfully duplicate. 

One day I laid down my iPad and reached for an old Foxfire book laying on the coffee table in my sunroom. Exploring the yellowing black-and-white pages took me to simpler times. 

Living on the fringes of Appalachia as I have for a while now, I am captivated by the people whose stories fill the pages of these time-honored books. The history and folklore comes alive. I’m careful not to overly romanticize these folks because they had a tough life, working hard, making do, and often doing without. Some never traveled far from home. 

We’re accustomed to a 24/7 news cycle and the ability to create alternate online realities at our fingertips. We can snap photos and videos on our smartphone and share them with the world instantaneously. 

Foxfire books have enjoyed something of a revival, the bump in popularity due in part to modern day preppers seeking self-sufficiency should the world come crashing down around us. 

My takeaway from reading these, however, is an admiration for the resourcefulness of simple folks minding their business and working the land. But it’s also for the importance they held for their families and, for many of them, their faith in God. 

I have several Foxfire books and am about an hour’s drive away from their headquarters and museum, and have become acquainted with a few folks found within the pages. And they do have a website like everybody else. 

No, I’m not going to head for the woods to fell trees with my axe and build myself a log cabin.  But whenever I read the books I’ll be reminded perhaps more about what’s important. 

I’m convicted that sacrificing screen time for something that’s more real is worth every moment. 

As Christmas nears, I want to sign off and logout more and cherish my family. Those relationships matter. 

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Click on the squares

I’ll admit this topic gives me heartburn. For us digital immigrants, we probably went through a big chunk of our life not worrying about creating a password. The combination for our locker at school was about as bad as it got. When we opened our own bank account, we would set a PIN (personal identification number) for use with our ATM card - just four numbers. 

You don’t need to be told that things have gotten more complicated. In order to write this blog, first I have to login to my computer or enter my PIN on my iPad (okay, I touch the home button or it recognizes my face). Then I login to my blogging application. To share on social media, I login again. Then there’s two-factor authentication and the list goes on. 

I figure I have a few hundred passwords, usernames, pins, etc. To make matters worse, for some things like email I am supposed to periodically change my login credentials or risk being locked out of my account. And as we age, it’s harder to remember this information. 

Studies show that the most popular passwords for logging in somewhere online are:

• password

• 1234567890

• abcdefg

• qwerty

Now that I’ve disclosed those, before you go scrambling to change your passwords, read on.

 

Things to do when creating passwords 

• Think of an obscure phrase or maybe a Bible verse, solvable to you with a clue. 

• Use upper and lowercase letters combined with numbers and special characters. 

• Substitute characters for letters, but don’t make it too obvious 

• Make them long — the longer the better

Protecting passwords 

Like house keys left under rocks, the bad guys usually know where to look. Slips of paper hidden can be found. Office computers turned on and left unattended. These are easy targets. It might be a hassle, but logout of your computer at work or home (especially when visitors, repair people, etc. are present). If you have a list on paper, is it locked away in a safe or written in a cryptic way you understand?

If you ask your device to remember your passwords, that convenience comes at a cost. You should still manually login periodically. If your device breaks and you get a new one, or you replace an old one, chances are you’ll need them to set up your apps. 

Avoid logging in if you’re on public WiFi, especially don’t do online banking there. Never click a link in an email or text that appears to be from a site you use, no matter how legit it looks and no matter how urgent the message. When on a secured Internet connection, login to your account as you normally would and check that you’re okay. 

Password management software

An IT guy I know recommends LastPass. It’s among a list PCMag compiled. These applications act as a virtual safe for your passwords, PIN’s, etc. and a single login gets you in. (And nobody paid me to plug their products, by the way)

This topic is pretty exhaustive and I’ve only scratched the surface, but it’s worth your time and peace of mind to consider how you secure such sensitive information.  

As you research safe solutions, I found a good article on the subject from the security company Avast: https://blog.avast.com/strong-password-ideas

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Staying safe for the holidays

 — Christmas 2020 is already looking different. Indeed the holidays as a whole have a different feel to them. 

We continue to make sacrifices for safety sake. Thanksgiving was marked by fewer bear hugs and kisses as families cautiously reunited. Some were virtual Zoom sessions. Zoom’s holiday gift was to lift time restrictions so that extended virtual visits could be enjoyed (will this also happen at Christmas, I wonder?).

As much as I hate we have to isolate (virtual is never a substitute for real interaction) I know that the current technology can also bring people together over hundreds or thousands of miles without the expense and hassle of travel — something not all of us can afford. 

Let’s pray for safety and a return to the days of holiday hugs and kisses in 2021.

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Meme misquotes

 

— Social media has given the average Joe or Jane an unprecedented platform for posting profound platitudes. 

Alliteration aside, many of us are enamored and inspired when we see something on Facebook or other social media platforms. Somehow we just have to share those words of wisdom because they resonate so strongly that we can’t wait to share them on our timeline. 

Or maybe we just find something that tickles our funny bone and we presume our friends will appreciate our brand of humor (personally I prefer puns).

Creators of memes (A meme, according to Merriam Webster, is “an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture.”) can easily take a photo of someone and literally put words in their mouth. Some meme abuses are more obvious than others. Some are funny, but others are downright misleading. 

Jelani Greenidge, wrote in Urban Faith about a variety of ways memes can be misleading or at worst incendiary, urging against posting them and reiterating the ideal of social media being a way to enjoy connecting with others, sharing things about their lives. Reasons for meme posting given include inciting passions for or against an ideology, political, spiritual or otherwise, such as a meme showing a crowd at a Chick-fil-A snarkily stating “You’d never see that many Christians lined up to help at a food bank or homeless shelter,” followed by the kicker “and that’s something Jesus actually said to do.”  For me, a Christian who volunteers with my wife to serve meals to my community’s needy and homeless, I would take offense. Such a post is insensitive to the fact that many such organizations that help those less fortunate were founded on biblical principles and are staffed by armies of volunteers from within the faith community. 

While I agree with Greenridge on some points, I part ways with her dismissiveness towards inspirational memes. Sure, some of the memes may seem trite, but this is 2020 — a tough year on so many fronts — and I am all for anything uplifting that can help lift someone’s spirits. 

While I’ve sworn on a stack of Bibles not to be political in my blog posts, I’ll say some of the worst offenders have been political memes. 

A meme a few years ago portrayed President Obama at a school interacting with a girl who was apparently showing him something she built, but the words superimposed on the image have the president saying “You didn’t build that,” a takeoff on controversial comments he made publicly at a 2012 campaign event in Virginia. Obama’s words, spoken to business leaders, suggested that the government had a role in facilitating their success. A website funded by the Annenberg Foundation, FactCheck.org, claims itself to be a resource to do — er — what the name suggests you do. While it’s not the only one, it’s a resource nonetheless. 

Personally I love sharing memes I find to be funny, as long as they’re not making fun at someone else’s expense. Sometimes it’s a good-natured ribbing of my own shortcomings. I try to be careful of selling myself short and posting something potentially damaging to me or someone I love. 

I won’t go so far as to suggest that you should never share memes you like. I think you’re capable of making informed decisions for yourself. There is value to an individual giving thought to the surface information presented and quietly evaluating the pro’s or con’s of sharing it. 

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Will the real Facebook Friend please stand up!

— Some of you may be familiar with “To Tell the Truth,” a TV game show where a panel of celebrities are introduced to three individuals claiming to be the same person. They question the three to figure out who is the “real deal” and who the impostors are. Then the moment of truth comes when the host calls for the real person to stand up. 

When going online, we’re faced with the same dilemma as the panelists, but there’s no wise, knowing host there to ask the real so-and-so to stand up and a wrong choice could be harmful. 

Checking notifications on Facebook, I noticed a familiar friend request. But didn’t I already “friend” this person? Did I forget? Maybe this individual deactivated his or her account, but should I make that assumption? 

Before accepting a friend request, do you check to see if this person is on your friends list? You should. You’ve probably figured out how easy it is for someone else to copy your photos and personal information. The best of us have felt violated when we saw a bogus account set up with our photo on it. It’s happened to me before. Some of us might readily figure out the faker because his or her posts are out of character with whom you know them to be. 

We might also be getting messages from our faux friend on Messenger urging us to click on a link, which is more dangerous still, considering the risk of launching malware on your computer or device. 

Facebook doesn’t have some foolproof algorithm for spotting phonies — at least not yet. 

If you haven’t done so in a while or never have, go into your privacy settings on the top right hand corner of your personal page to check on what info you’re giving out to others and think twice before posting. That clever post or share might be best shared with a few trusted friends rather than The whole of Facebook Land. 

What if I already accepted the request? 

If you accept a bogus friend request, there are a few things you should do. First of all, contact your friend via some means other than Facebook if possible, like an email, text or, if you follow them on other social media, try messaging through that platform. Report the erroneous profile to Facebook. It’s often helpful and more effective when Facebook receives multiple reports of a phony account. Also, whether or not my account was compromised, I like to change my login information every now and then. Also pay attention to notifications sent via your email. Never click on an emailed link though; go directly onto Facebook instead. 

Doing your diligence in following up on a fraud is just good sense, because the stakes are much higher for you than for someone who loses on a game show.

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'Read all about it" - online!

—  If you love reading, you don’t need to put up with shelves overflowing with books or overwhelm your coffee table with mountains of magazines. Here are just a few of many websites offering for free or nearly free more than enough reading material to indulge your inner bookworm.

Books –  Google has a searchable site for free books. There’s also Overdrive, an app for tablets and eReaders where you can check out best-selling eBooks and audiobooks from your local public library. Overdrive is free with a library card and can be accessed through participating library websites.

Catalogs – As the holidays draw near, it’s fun to look through vintage catalogs and reminisce about items from your childhood or those from your parents or grandparents’ day. Among the best websites for exploring is wishbookweb.com. There you’ll find wishbooks from famed toy seller FAO Schwarz, Spiegel, Lord and Taylor, and, of course, Sears. Musetechnical also has catalogs, including Sears and Montgomery Wards. You can’t order the merchandise, but you’ll flip over the low prices and enjoy the nostalgia of items maybe you remember asking Santa for.

Magazines  –  There’s no shortage of sites for finding vintage magazines of all kinds. Here’s a website that offers a comprehensive categorized collection of magazines for every conceivable interest. It’s part of Envision the Past, a habit-forming repository of stuff to read.

Newspapers  –  While there are many sites for viewing old newspapers, probably the most comprehensive collection can be found at the Library of Congress. Many resources are free, overall, while others come with a modest fee, including newspaperarchive.com.

Comics –  Comics Kingdom and Gocomics has about every comic strip you can think of — and then some. You can catch up on the latest popular comics, discover new comics, and also enjoy some classics like Little Orphan Annie or the Katzenjammer Kids.

Etc. – If you’re fascinated by communications technology, the mass media and entertainment world, worldradiohistory.com has an unbelievably exhaustive collection of publications that include magazines devoted to radio, television and electronics from the U.S. and all over the world. This website includes Billboard, Advertising Age and unique publications from around the world. If you’re fascinated by old Hollywood or other media history, then go to the media history project website for issues of Photoplay, Variety and more.

No mention of old publications online would be complete without mentioning archive.org and the vast, often eclectic offerings found within.

In closing, you might have discovered some websites of your own. Feel free to share them with me!

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Not done yet

Some Boomers have spent decades working with computers and other digital devices, many with coding skills to go behind the graphical user interfaces (GUI) we’re accustomed to.

—  Who are the darlings of the tech world?

Granted, the pace of change is increasing exponentially, and young minds are hatching the next big thing – at this very minute.

Baby Boomers (those born between 1945 and 1965) can’t take credit for inventing the computer, but they’ve certainly brought it to the masses. Of this generation we can name Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and others who as ambitious young guys in the 1970s made indelible marks on the world. As a result, Apple and Microsoft are household names globally.

While more Boomers retire, there are some thought leaders and young social media moguls today who would gladly put them out to pasture. But there are several facts worth noting.

—  There are Boomers and GenXers who possess decades of tech experience. This can prove valuable in figuring out legacy systems going back as far as the fifties in case data has to be retrieved.

—  Millennials/GenZ are more tech-savvy; they never knew a time without the Internet and smart devices. Yet at the same time many of them seem to be ruled by their devices. Of course, Boomers and GenXers may have inherent workaholic ways compared to their more casual young counterparts, but they've also spent many years in face-to-face human interaction, which is different from emailing and the brevity of texting. Some of the younger generation have an outright paranoia about speaking to someone on the phone.

—  For Boomers, a greater richness of life experiences can also be a plus, which is a positive in mentoring younger colleagues.

—  Legendary General Electric Chief Jack Welch (no relation to yours truly) saw with the advent of the Internet the need for intergenerational relationships among his employees. They paired up as mentors to their older colleagues with the goal of bridging a knowledge gap to ensure success for all.

—  So, I want to be careful not to be misconstrued as someone trying to paint younger generations with a broad brush of negativity; after all, I’m the father of two talented Millennials! We have a lot to share with each other.

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