|
The more you’re online, the more you’re aware of the problems of the present Internet.
There’s a good chance you click on search engine ‘hits’ sometimes to find odd pages filled with advertising and none of the information you were seeking.
There’s a good chance your computer is using half or more of its raw capacity just running full-time protective software--antivirus, firewall, anti-spam etc. (and if it isn’t, it definitely SHOULD be). And there’s a good chance your computer will be infected by some malware despite those precautions, so make periodic backups.
There’s a good chance you take the time to update and run basic computer diagnostic malware removal such as Ad-Aware, Spybot Search & Destroy or Malwarebytes--and if you haven’t, you should. You need to fight, unless you make a switch.
Modern high-speed connections have numbed us to the real problem:
FASTER doesn’t mean better! And it certainly doesn’t mean safer or more private.
The amount of useful text in many Web pages is a scant few percent. Most of what you download is overhead and ads. You can get an idea of the actual percentage by opening your browser cache or Temporary Internet Files folder, rename every file to add the suffix .txt, then double-clicking and examining them. You will be amazed at the amount of stuff you’re downloading that’s of no real value to you--and creates risk of infection or privacy issues.
Imagine if every page you visited were truly ‘Printer Friendly.’ Make that READER friendly. The ironic thing is, such pages are now available and load almost instantly on any high-speed or cheaper dial-up connection.
So why doesn’t everybody make their pages load faster? The real problem is trying to get something free. More people need to understand that publishers and advertisers need to make a living and if you aren’t paying them a subscription fee, they have to charge you somehow, even if it’s indirectly in ways that cost you unaccounted-for time, software hassles and risks.
Pages are commonly designed to load the ads first and make you wait a specified few moments to see the ads. Pages are designed to be broken up into short text blocks to make you click “Next” and see more ads. Pages are built to rotate ads constantly while you try to read the text.
There are even special plugins being developed and used by bloggers to make sure that casual visitors see ads, while loyal readers don’t. The ironic thing is that regular visitors are receiving the most value from the content--and if there were some simple, convenient way to pay those writers--especially one that actually didn’t cost anything more overall out-of-pocket (now there is such a thing)--loyal readers would be glad to help support bloggers!
What is your time worth?
“Free” isn’t free and faster doesn’t always mean better, it may just mean more noise and less signal.
And if your computer is always exposed to the Internet even when not in use it may become a target. Complete disconnection is best. Second best is to keep your firewall, antivirus and other software up-to-date to reduce valid concerns about identity theft, privacy and the safety of online transactions in an era when both bored loners and organized foreign crime rings are engaging in ‘phishing’ and ‘social engineering’ and cracking--besides the spam problem.
What is your privacy and peace of mind worth?
We think these are questions worth answering and we’ll tell you more about our project in several days. Check back here soon. Meanwhile, ask your family and friends whether this makes sense.
|
