Virtual Enrollment Party

I got this information and link from a colleague in Pennsylvania last night, and thought it would be something good to share with all of you. I don't know about you, but Google is my favorite (read pretty much ONLY) way of searching for information on the internet. This "malware" (stuff that's bad for your computer and your privacy) attack has specifically targeted Google through infecting the computers of people who come to the compromised sites through a Google search.

Although the article has some techie stuff, there are some very useful tips on the second page for staying safe when you're visiting sites as a result of a Google search.

“Beginning on November 24 and continuing for less than a week, bad guys loaded up more than 40,000 Web pages with malicious software and thousands of common search terms. They then employed an automated network of malware-infected botnet computers to link to those sites in blog-comment spam and other places…”

link: How to use Google and stay safe

From: www.techworld.com

Posted by Becky at 07:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Reading other people's blogs can sometimes be productive. I just found the following site by going to Anne Adrian's blog (she's from Auburn and writes some interesting posts about social networking), then following a link to a Twitter account called "ittotd" which stands for IT Tip of the Day... and that led me to this Microsoft site. Never underestimate the power of social networks on the web!

Anyway, I know that some of you have new computers, and that they may have been pre-loaded with Office 2007, which has a very different look and feel than the previous version. It'll do the same things (maybe more), but it does them in a completely different way, which can lead to frustration, and in my case, lower productivity. It took me longer to get things done. So I solved the problem by uninstalling Office 2007 and reinstalling Office 2003, and I'm happy.

In case you'd like to EMBRACE new technology, rather than IGNORING it, go to the training site on the Microsoft website that has some comprehensive lessons on various tasks you might be doing in Office 2007.

Posted by Becky at 01:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Although I'm not anywhere NEAR an expert, I do find it interesting to keep current on what research is telling us about how people interact with webpages--how can we write and design content to fit their browsing behavior. One thing that constantly pops out is the need to be more concise than you would be in other (print) media. Web users typically do not take the time to read volumes of information. Personally, I find it harder to read text on a computer screen than on paper, but maybe that's a function of age and bifocals!!

Think about how YOU use the web--when you're looking for information, browsing sites about topics you're interested in, shopping, or whatever. What components of a web page are important? Which ones are annoying? What makes a web site easy to navigate?

Anne Adrian from Auburn University has a couple of excellent posts (with GREAT additional information links) in her blog at http://blog.aafromaa.com/2007/08/writing-for-web.html

Check it out and let me know your thoughts--how is this important as you maintain and expand your county website?

Posted by Becky at 02:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I received some information today about young people and how they use the web, and thought it would be good to pass along to you, especially the ones of you who maintain your county websites.

From today's Washington Post, we have the following information about what teens post on their web profiles (MySpace, FaceBook, whatever):
82% include their first name.
79% post photos of themselves.
66% include photos of their friends.
61% include the name of their city.
49% include the name of their school.
40% have included an instant-message screen name.
40% stream audio to the profile.
39% link to a blog.
29% include an e-mail address.
29% included their last name.
29% post videos.
2% include a cellphone number.
66% of teens who have profiles say their profile is not visible to all Internet users.
46% of teens whose profiles can be accessed by anyone say they give false information on their profiles, sometimes to protect themselves.
49% of social network users say they use the sites to make friends.
23% of teens who have been contacted by a stranger online say they felt scared or uncomfortable because of the encounter. (That translates to 7 percent of all online teens.)
SOURCE: Pew Internet & American Life Project

Here's a good site for you to check out as you think about youth information on the web (like your county website!!). The author is a consultant on web safety, and her link to guidelines for safer school websites is particularly pertinent to us as well. Check it out, then comment back with your thoughts as this applies to us!

http://look-both-ways.com

Posted by Becky at 03:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)