by Technophobes;the Kicking;Screaming Is This Thing On?: A Computer Handbook for Late Bloomers
I recently traveled to Germany and used Skype to contact my sister in Connecticut during my trip. We both sat in front of our computers (she with a microphone, speakers, and webcam plugged in; me with all those features built into my laptop) and chatted for 45 minutes absolutely free through Skype and our high-speed Internet connections. When my eight-year-old nephew joined my sister, I picked up my laptop and walked around my hotel room and showed him the view of the Opera House from my window in Berlin, and he was able to show me his Halloween costume. At that time, my mother had not yet joined Skype, so when I wanted to call her landline, I purchased credit through Skype. The 30-minute international call to her cost me only a couple of dollars—much less than using my cell phone overseas.
Skype isn’t the only service that allows you to connect via video online. I use oovoo.com when I want to present a topic to several computer clubs at once but can’t physically visit any of the locations. They connect their computers to a projector, so the entire audience can see me, and I sit in my living room with my webcam. Up to six different locations can connect through the website to see and hear each other in real time. It truly is a miracle of modern technology!
Get Skype Started
To join Skype, visit skype.com. As when you registered with your web-based e-mail, you’ll provide Skype with some contact information, plus whatever profile information (personal details such as date of birth, hometown, etc.) you would like to share. This is an opportunity for you to use your secondary e-mail address (the e-mail address you opened for shopping and newsletters), as suggested on page 223. If a password is required, the same rules we discussed earlier apply. Do not use the same password you use for any financial transactions. At this time, the Skype password needs to be at least six characters—better to use eight (more is harder to crack), and a combination of letters and numbers. To really scramble things, since passwords are case sensitive, add a couple capital letters here and there.
You will also need to choose a Skype Name. Review the guidelines on page 170 about choosing your e-mail user name.
Asterisk = Mandatory
When you see an asterisk on an online form, it is an indication that you must fill in that information. If you don’t see an asterisk, the information may be optional.
After you’ve created an account with Skype, you’ll have to download the program from the website to your computer. Once it’s downloaded, you should receive a confirmation e-mail from Skype at the e-mail address that you listed with them. Once these steps are complete, you can open the program and sign in.
• Skype’s sign-in window.
CLICK AND GO
1. Click in Skype Name text box, type your Skype name.
2. Click in Password box, type your password.
3. Click on Sign in.
• Skype PC Welcome window.
• Skype Apple Welcome window.
• Take a tour of Skype’s many features.
Skype’s Welcome Screen offers lots of guidance to help you set up your account and get familiar with how the program works. Visit each section to see what’s offered. From the welcome window, you’ll be able to test both your microphone and speakers. Without these two working, you won’t be able to take advantage of all that Skype has to offer.
Time Changes All Things
Websites and software programs are updated on a regular basis. Be prepared for what you see in this book not to match exactly what you see on your computer. The basic elements, however, will be the same.
I Accept Your Invitation
Ask anyone you know who is already a “Skyper” to invite you to join his or her contact list. (When you are new to Skype, it’s easier for you to accept an invitation than to send one.) When you next sign into Skype, you’ll have the opportunity to accept the invitations, at which point your friends’ name will be automatically added to your Contacts/Address Book on Skype.
When you sign into the program, your Skype contacts can see that you’re available. If you don’t want to be seen as available, you can change your status. You have the option of Online, Away, Do not disturb, Invisible, or Offline.
Changing your status on Skype can be done one of two ways. Your first option is to:
• Click on the status symbol beside your name.
• Click on the desired status.
Or:
• Click on Skype.
• Click on Online Status.
• Click on the desired status.
Once you’re up and running, Skype offers three choices for communication. You can Instant Message, Video Call, or Call. Choose the one you want and follow the instructions—you’ll soon be connected with your friend. Try each option at least once so you get a lay of the land.
You’re going to love being able to contact friends and family through Skype. But all good calls must come to an end. When it’s time to say good-bye, simply click on the red symbol to hang up.
Look at the Birdie
When video calling on Skype or using a webcam in general, the temptation is to watch your computer screen. If your camera is on top of your monitor, this means the person watching you will see only your eyelids. When talking, eyes up—look directly into the webcam.
Social Networking
About a month ago, a friend decided to host a dinner party. She was moved to do so by the downturn in the economy and the reality that some friends were at risk of losing their jobs. Moreover, a matchmaker at heart, she hoped to help people make new friends, and she had some potential couples in mind. Her idea was to get together a handful of smart, creative, hardworking people, most of whom didn’t know each other, and see if any love, friendship, or professional connections could be made. By the end of the night, phone numbers and e-mail addresses were exchanged many times over.
I know you think I’ve diverted from topic, but I haven’t. What happened that night was good old-fashioned socializing. Certain websites are designed after the same idea—they’re referred to as social networks. Social networking has many purposes—create a discussion around a topic, share news and ideas, find a like-minded soul, discover a long-lost classmate, build your business, make a love connection… and the list goes on. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are three popular social networking websites, each with its own design and a slightly different purpose.
Social networking can’t duplicate the benefits of connecting in person, but it does have its place. If you have a product or company to promote, social networking is a wonderful tool. If you have old friends whom you would like to find or if there are folks you’d like to keep in better touch with, social networking may prove to be the fastest and cheapest way to do so. If you have ideas that you would like to share with more people than can fit around your dining room table, social networking allows you to reach a lot of people all at once. Using social networking to hard-sell your wares or force your views on others is frowned upon, as is ranting and raving on a particular topic.
As with any interactions online, where you can’t be certain of the identity or intentions of the person you are interacting with, avoid revealing your home address or phone number. You also don’t want to somehow let slip your birthday (including the year), where you were born, or your mother’s maiden name. Those pieces of information can be used to confirm your identity with credit card companies and banks. Keep those tidbits to yourself for your own safety. Never share your social security number online. And keep in mind the fact that your conversation is being read by many.
A POST, OR TO POST A MESSAGE
When you publish your words online in a forum, newsgroup, or message board, you are posting a message, and the text is referred to as a post.
OMG! I Have 500 Friends on Facebook
What is this Facebook thing everyone is talking about? Facebook is going to require a bit of explanation, so get comfortable. As I’ve said, online social networking isn’t that different from socializing in our three-dimensional world. You discuss what you’ve been up to, exchange id
eas, share family photos or articles that have caught your interest, whatever comes to mind, but it all happens online while visiting a website, rather than over afternoon tea in your living room. Facebook (facebook.com) is the most popular social networking website in the world. As I type this, there are over 750 million Facebook users and counting (750 million. OMG! If you don’t remember what OMG means, see page 267). That is more than double the population of the United States. Facebook’s site is translated in over 70 languages, and 70 percent of its users live outside of the United States. It is a global phenomenon.
You’re going to discover that with Facebook, much as with the rest of the computer, familiar words are used in unfamiliar ways. The word friend in this case doesn’t necessarily mean someone you like, see on a regular basis, or even know. For some on Facebook (though not for me), a friend could even be someone you have never met or had any contact with at all. Facebook friends are people you have invited or who have invited you to view what you or they share on Facebook. I know this may seem strange, but some people like to share, whether it’s with people they know intimately or anyone who will listen. Hang in there with this concept—it’ll make more sense as you get to know the website better.
What people share on Facebook runs the gamut from innovative ideas to great life philosophies to fun self-expression to promotion of their endeavors to tiresome overexposure to moment-to-moment thought processes. Accordingly, you may discover that what is posted is truly worthwhile, or you may perceive it as a huge waste of time. For me, it’s a delicate balance of the two.
• Sample Facebook page.
Imagine, if you will, walking around town holding a bulletin board in front of you. Every time you want to share an idea, a website you like, or a photo, you thumbtack it on your bulletin board for everyone to see. On Facebook everyone has a wall where they can share whatever comes to mind for all to enjoy or ignore as they see fit. You can see what your friends post on their walls on your News Feed (more on that in a minute).
A wonderful feature of Facebook is the ability to search for and find people. I organized my 30th high school reunion on Facebook, a great tool for that purpose. I was able to search for and find more than half my graduating class on the site. I created a special page called LOLHS Class of 1980 Reunion, where everyone could get in on the act and give feedback on where and when the reunion should take place. By the time the reunion happened, many of us had already caught up on who had kids, what careers or marriages had come and gone, even who had gained a little extra weight. Something about getting that preliminary information out of the way before the big event allowed everyone to relax and have a great time.
Many people use Facebook to share photos with friends and family who are spread out all over the world. It’s like magic: Someone snaps a photo of Aunt Ruthie dancing with her long-lost cousin at a family reunion and moves (or uploads) the photo to Facebook. Those distant loved ones who couldn’t travel all the way to Wisconsin for the event see the photo online, and if they want, add comments or click Like to give the photo a thumbs up. Soon it all starts to feel as though everyone is in the same room at the same time.
You can also use Facebook to join groups to share information on a particular interest, hobby, or topic. For example, I visit Pine Grove Beautification (Niantic) to see when the spring bulb planting is scheduled to be sure I come up to Connecticut that weekend. My mom visits her library’s Facebook page to check out the featured book of the week. I suspect your relationship with Facebook, if you choose to join it, will evolve as you become familiar with all it has to offer.
* * *
“I pooh-poohed Facebook when I heard everyone talking about it. I must confess, now that I’m using it, I am hooked. It’s so much more interesting and useful than I expected.”
—Meredith
* * *
How Facebook Works
Facebook is free for the cruising… I mean, using. You will need, however, to register with facebook.com, by filling out a form (see example here). All the same rules apply as discussed on page 170 about choice of e-mail address, password, and divulging private information. Unlike message boards, Facebook frowns upon false identities. The whole principle behind the site is to present yourself, with your real name and any truthful information that you want to share with others.
• Facebook’s sign-up form.
After you’ve registered, you’re given the opportunity to create a profile. You decide how much information you want to reveal about yourself: birth date (with or without year), hometown, school history, photographs, phone number, interests, etc. You may share as much or as little as you want. I err on the side of caution and don’t reveal my phone number or address. (However, if someone is determined to find that information about me, it isn’t hard, as it’s all publicly available.)
Here are the steps to follow to fill in your Facebook profile:
• Click in each text area and type whatever information you would like to share.
• If a down arrow is available, click on the arrow to see what options are offered.
• Click on the desired item in the drop list.
• Click in the boxes if you would like to activate the choice given (example: Show my sex in my profile).
• When you’re happy with what you have typed in, click on Save Changes.
• Click View My Profile to review your handiwork.
In the left sidebar is a list of different profile areas where you can share information about yourself. Take your time to look through each of these areas and decide what you want everyone to know about you.
CLICK AND GO
1. Click in text areas.
2. Type information you want to share.
3. Click down arrows to choose month, day, and year.
4. Click in any boxes you want to activate.
5. Click Save Changes.
6. Click View My Profile.
You can also decide what notifications you would like to receive via the e-mail address you provided. For example: You may want to receive an e-mail if someone invites you to be a friend on Facebook or sends you a private message, but you may not want to receive an e-mail when someone posts something on your wall. I prefer not to clutter my e-mail with notifications from Facebook, so I find out what people are posting or what invitations I received only when I visit the site.
• Click on each category to decide what information you want to share on Facebook.
• Click on Account in the top right.
• Click Account Settings in the menu.
• Click Notifications on the left.
• Click on Edit to the right of each notification topic.
• If you make a change, removing or adding a check mark, be sure to click Save Changes.
Your decisions are not written in stone—you can revisit your Account Settings and Notifications at any time to make changes.
TMI = Too Much Information
Let’s take a break from setting up Facebook to discuss the very important issues of sharing information and protecting your privacy. I’ve sat in on daylong workshops detailing how to tweak Facebook in such a way as to be as private as possible. I’ve read a multitude of magazine and newspaper articles listing countless tips on how to prevent overexposure while enjoying online social networking.
My one rule of privacy for all online social networking, not just Facebook, is: Do not put anything on a website that you would not feel comfortable having taped to the outside of your front door. Simple. Easy to remember. No confusing instructions.
If you’re OK with telling anyone and everyone who passes by your front door that you’ll be on vacation for two weeks, put it on Facebook. If the details of your recent breakup are acceptable on your front door for all to see, add them to your Facebook page. If you have no hesitation venting about your boss on your front door for whomever might stroll by, then by all means share it on Facebook. Are you beginning to get the idea?
The safest thing y
ou can do is to assume that there is no privacy when you post anything to any website. You may want to share with only your friends on Facebook or your followers on Twitter, but what’s to stop any of them from printing your confidences and sharing them with a total stranger to you, or with your ex, your boss, or your local cat burglar? When you share online, you are potentially sharing with the entire world. Does what you want to say or show pass the “front door” test?
By the way, no one is obliged to join Facebook, regardless of how much press it gets or how many other people enjoy it. If you have any hesitation about using the site, follow your gut. However, if the feeling in your gut is simply butterflies because you’re nervous you won’t be able to figure out Facebook, you are underestimating yourself and me!
PRIVACY RULE OF THUMB
Share on a website only what you are comfortable sharing with the whole world.
Set Your Settings
Let’s learn how to customize your privacy and account settings on Facebook. As with many websites and software programs, you’ll find you can customize different elements by clicking on the words Account or Account Settings.
• The words Account or Account Settings will lead you to where you can customize Facebook features.
The safest thing to do when experimenting with settings is to write down the current settings before you change them. That way, if you decide you don’t like the changes you’ve made, you can revert to the previous settings.
