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Antivirus Software…Educate Yourself
Todays computer users are for the most part unaware that their computers come prepackaged with Antivirus Software that they can use to keep their computers safe from things like malware, spyware and even those nasty little viruses that seem to find their way onto a computer no matter what you do. Even those that are aware such software exists on their machines rarely know how to utilize them. I have often wondered, especially since most computers come with a limited trial version of a paid program, whether or not the companies that publish these programs want their users to have any success when using their applications.
All to often Antivirus Software is, for the average user, difficult to operate and is often left un-updated due to a general lack of education and knowledge about the product. In order to keep these programs functional they need to be updated on a regular basis so that they can detect and remove threats as well as keep your computers safe from things like zero day attacks and whatnot. Sadly a user aware that they do have such applications at hand find that updating the program is far to complex and will therefore allow the program to remain out of date, rendering the program useless.
This causes users to encounter and have multiple problems with viruses and the ever annoying spyware thats always waiting to infect an unsuspecting, and unprotected computer. In extreme cases some of these people will become victims of data file theft or in a worst case scenario, identity theft. It is for these reasons that one can only hope that antivirus programs become easier to use at some point in time.
As a person who fancies himself tech savvy Id like to see antivirus software become much more user friendly if for no other reason that to give me a break from the monotony of ridding family members computers of infections. This has consumed more than just a few weekends of my time and Id like to see something get published that has an easy to navigate user interface and updates just as easily. Id also like to see publishers begin polling average people to determine what their true level of computer knowledge is. It is my opinion that this would allow them to see very clearly just how difficult it is to use some of these antivirus programs.
There is another side of me that believes partial blame must lie with those who buy computers. You dont buy a car before you know how to drive or even before you have plans to learn to drive. Id like to see this same rule applied to the world of computers, especially since they have now become common place in the home. It is very rare that I see anyone, even my own family members ask for help in learning how to operate a program, or with desire to learn more about their machines and how to keep them safe.
In actuality Im surprised by the languid approach both sides have taken as threats to computers and private information is so high these days that there is rarely a day when you dont read about some type of new threat or about someone who had their files and/or their identity stolen. Lets face it if youre operating a computer without being at least semi-proficient with an antivirus application youre going to be in trouble. Even if your identity is never stolen you will likely still encounter all the problems caused by spyware and malware. In most cases your computers processing power and memory will be eaten up by these nuisances and causes you many a headache.
If youre a computer novice or find that youre just not to comfortable around things like antivirus programs then take the time to educate yourself so that you can protect not just your machine but your data and files as well. If youre on the other side of the fence and are a publisher of antivirus software find ways to keep the high level of functionality you currently have all the while keeping in mind that not everyone who uses your products are going to know what theyre doing. Easy to use and comprehensive security measures are the way to go.
Should You Take Notice of Web Hosting Comments?
There is a temptation to look at web hosting comments, see a few negative items relating to a particular host and dismiss them but this can be a mistake. When reading web hosting comments it is useful to bear in mind the following:
* The services provided by hosting companies do differ. There is no point in complaining about lack of support for a particular technology if this was never promised in the first place.
* Users will generally complain more readily than they will praise so it would be surprising if there were no negative web hosting comments about a host.
* The bigger the hosting company the more negative comments you would expect to see.
* Many negative web hosting comments would not have been necessary if users had read the Terms of Service (although some hosts could make the key terms clearer on their web sites).
When looking at web hosting comments about the major hosting companies I was struck by how many are about financial, contractual and support issues rather than technical issues. These can be:
Cancellations: Sometimes there is a procedure to follow which is set-out in the TOS. Not following this results in delays.
Domain Names (and cancellations): When a domain name is included in the package it has to be paid for if you cancel, even under a money back guarantee. This is spelt out in the TOS but the website may only say that the money back guarantee relates to hosting costs and the implication of this is lost on some users. Failure to get a full refund generates some of the more angry web hosting comments.
Renewals: Most hosts issue coupons/offer discounts but these apply to new customers only. Renewals are charged at the host’s standard rates, some websites do not make this clear.
Definition of “Unlimited”: Most hosts offer unlimited bandwidth, storage, databases etc. but whilst it clearly cannot be taken literally, definitions of “Unlimited” are vague. The use of unlimited does keep things simple and hosting companies know that most users will only use a small amount of resources. However we are talking about shared hosting so if a site does get busy it cannot be allowed to take resources to the detriment of other users. At this point you have to rely on the hosting company to deal with this reasonably. Of course users in this position will see the host as unreasonable and will probably post negative web hosting comments.
Backups: Hosting companies usually state that backups are the responsibility of the user. Whilst they do generally backup their shared servers periodically they do not accept any liability for lost data (not unreasonable given the low costs of hosting). Clearly anyone can suffer a hardware failure so you could be unlucky with any host.
To make sure you do not end up writing negative web hosting comments I suggest reading the TOS of your host thoroughly and taking your own regular backups.
Should You Take Notice of Web Hosting Comments?
There is a temptation to look at web hosting comments, see a few negative items relating to a particular host and dismiss them but this can be a mistake. When reading web hosting comments it is useful to bear in mind the following:
* The services provided by hosting companies do differ. There is no point in complaining about lack of support for a particular technology if this was never promised in the first place.
* Users will generally complain more readily than they will praise so it would be surprising if there were no negative web hosting comments about a host.
* The bigger the hosting company the more negative comments you would expect to see.
* Many negative web hosting comments would not have been necessary if users had read the Terms of Service (although some hosts could make the key terms clearer on their web sites).
When looking at web hosting comments about the major hosting companies I was struck by how many are about financial, contractual and support issues rather than technical issues. These can be:
Cancellations: Sometimes there is a procedure to follow which is set-out in the TOS. Not following this results in delays.
Domain Names (and cancellations): When a domain name is included in the package it has to be paid for if you cancel, even under a money back guarantee. This is spelt out in the TOS but the website may only say that the money back guarantee relates to hosting costs and the implication of this is lost on some users. Failure to get a full refund generates some of the more angry web hosting comments.
Renewals: Most hosts issue coupons/offer discounts but these apply to new customers only. Renewals are charged at the host’s standard rates, some websites do not make this clear.
Definition of “Unlimited”: Most hosts offer unlimited bandwidth, storage, databases etc. but whilst it clearly cannot be taken literally, definitions of “Unlimited” are vague. The use of unlimited does keep things simple and hosting companies know that most users will only use a small amount of resources. However we are talking about shared hosting so if a site does get busy it cannot be allowed to take resources to the detriment of other users. At this point you have to rely on the hosting company to deal with this reasonably. Of course users in this position will see the host as unreasonable and will probably post negative web hosting comments.
Backups: Hosting companies usually state that backups are the responsibility of the user. Whilst they do generally backup their shared servers periodically they do not accept any liability for lost data (not unreasonable given the low costs of hosting). Clearly anyone can suffer a hardware failure so you could be unlucky with any host.
To make sure you do not end up writing negative web hosting comments I suggest reading the TOS of your host thoroughly and taking your own regular backups.