This article is not meant to highlight the need for tighter programming practices, the constant bombardment of patches pushed into users’ faces or a need to move to a more secure alternative. These are all valid points that deserve consideration in the future. Rather, I would dive into the reasons behind “patching” and the imperative need for users to keep their systems up-to-date.

In any programming project, the bigger the undertaking, the larger the amount of resources that needs to be managed. In the case of Windows, this titan weighs in at 40 million lines of code. Over the course of the past twenty some years, the concept and design has been the work of thousands of people including Software Engineers, Quality Assurance Testers and so forth. If we focus on Software Engineers alone, we’ll see that they come from all walks of life. Having a wide variety of employees leads to age gaps, differences in programming styles and varying knowledge levels in the art of programming. By grouping them into various divisions, teams and work groups, Microsoft manages to get many different pieces of software out to the consumers. But even with a workforce this massive, the building blocks are still the individual people; people with flaws, bad days, knowledge gaps and demanding tasks deadline. Ultimately, this can lead to flaws in programs we use every day.

These flaws, also known as bugs, are greatly varied. Some bugs are very small that they are barely noticeable. Other flaws might prevent a program from operating properly or even at all. Critical bugs are those which if exploited, would give unauthorized users complete and possibly undetectable access to a computer and all the information it contains. An exploit is another name for a way a bug can be used to gain access to a system or make it do things it normally would not. (Wikipedia has a much better explanation.)

There are many ways in which bugs are discovered. Before a company officially releases a software product, it generally go through rigorous internal testing. After the official release, bug may be discovered by research companies or in the worst case, hackers. Each discovered imperfection is categorized, prioritized and cataloged. The severity of the flaw greatly affects when it will be fixed, tested and released to the masses. For instance, a bug where the background picture is off color has a lower severity than an issue with Windows permits a computer to be compromised.

There are two possible scenarios that exist when bugs are found in Microsoft Windows or one of Microsoft’s tightly nit programs such as Internet Explorer. The best case situation is that the flaw is fixed and distributed to the public before it can be exploited. The less friendly scenario occurs when hackers with nefarious intentions discover the flaw and start attacking computers before a patch can be released. Amazingly enough, the best case situation isn’t the most perfect. This is because Microsoft has empowered the user to decide how and when patches are applied to the Operating System. This makes sense in some cases, but not the general case. When patches are released, Microsoft strongly encourages everyone to download and apply them.

But why the urgency? Why should a patch be applied right away? Could it really hurt to hold off a day or so? The answer is a resounding YES! When a patch for Windows it is available to the general public and doesn’t exclude any particular group, such as hackers. Hackers immediately begin to tear into the patch to find out what is being patched and how. By doing this, they can easily understand (reverse engineer) the flaw and exploit it to gain unrestricted access to all computers in the world which have not applied the patch. For example, there were patches released the beginning of April for Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer. Exploits appeared on the Internet within three days of the patch’s release.

The same issue which plagues Microsoft Windows also affects other mainstream programs. Another example would be Microsoft Office. Various exploits have been found in all the Microsoft Office applications which can allow hackers to compromise machines by opening Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents created with the intention of exploiting certain bugs. An e-mail specifically designed to take advantage of a flaw in Outlook can easily give hackers and open door to your computer.

The key is to stay ahead of the hackers. One way to make sure your computer stays up to date is by turning on Microsoft Automatic Updates. This can be done from the Control Panel and opening System Properties. Once there, click the Automatic Updates tab and select the Automatic (recommended) setting. Most people choose the “Every day at 3:00am” option.

When it comes to Automatic Updates, “Set it and forget it” doesn’t apply here. Users should visit Microsoft Update on a regular basis to verify that there are no outstanding critical updates for Windows and Office. (If you don’t see a category for Office patches, there should be an option on the right to allow Microsoft Update to patch all Microsoft Products, including Microsoft Office.) Also, the Windows Firewall should be on by default.

Lastly, Automatic Updates, Firewalls and Anti-Virus software should be considered second line defenses. The first line of defense is the person sitting in front of the computer. Beware where you surf. Don’t say “YES” to a pop-up just because it’s too confusing to understand. Don’t open unexpected attachments in e-mails. Try to use common sense and if you have questions, ask or Google for answers.

If a majority of the computer in the world were kept up to date the amount of computer issues would reduce. There would be less botnet activity. Spam would decrease along with identity theft and other untold horrors.

Hulu.com is the combine efforts of various television networks and movie studios to compete with the YouTube and YouTube look-a-likes. One of the major struggles between major networks and video content sites is the control of copyrighted content. People want to be able to post clips and mash ups of their favorite shows whereas networks want to make money from their copyrighted material. If the networks can’t control the content, how can they monetize on the material?

Hulu.com makes its money from advertisements, similar to TV commercials. Each time you view a video, it’s preceded by a commercial, and if the video is long enough, may have commercial breaks. What makes these commercials tolerable, is the fact that there is a count down timer showing the amount of time left in the commercial. Oh, and while you can fast forward and rewind the videos, you cannot do so during commercials. New text/picture based sponsors are appearing on the site but I don’t find these intrusive either.

At the time of its public launch, Hulu.com had been populated with a wide variety of clips, complete TV episodes and a few movies. Even now it continues to amass more episodes and movies as it acquires additional distribution rights. Additionally, Hulu.com has a plan for adding new episodes to the series it hosts. Each new episode is added after it plays in Hawaii.

Access to new TV shows is an instant plus, there is another clear win here as well. Hulu.com is also populating its service with older shows. I’ve really enjoyed watching some episodes from shows I watched when I was a kid, such as Airwolf and The A-Team. If I had wanted to watch these elsewhere, I would need to buy each season or rent it. I would much rather watch the commercials rather than dishing out any money to see these shows.

Hulu.com has implemented this media content site very well. The ease of use and quality of content is very compelling. However, having controlled content does have its risks. The site is only populated with content approved by the cooperating networks and movie studios. Users are unable to add their own mash-ups and mixes to the site. Additionally, Hulu.com needs to weed through the red tape in order to add new/vintage content. This takes time.

The features available in Hulu.com seem to run along the same lines as any other media distribution site. It allows you to rate episodes and movies. Streamed videos can be seen as is, in a separate box or even full-screen. Likewise, preferred content can be distributed to social groups via e-mail or some other popular social networking sites such as Facebook, StumbleUpon and Digg. Users may also create play lists of videos they wish to watch. All these features look great, but there are no new innovations.

One of the features I wish to see developed relates to RSS. (If you’re unsure what I mean by RSS, have a look at this article I wrote.) In this instance, I found as I looked at the “Recently Added” and “Most Popular” categories for TV Episodes (not clips) and Movies, there was a friendly RSS symbol in my browser. I thought to myself: “How neat! Perhaps I can subscribe to feeds to specific TV Shows. Or, see when new Movies are posted.” Alas, I was disheartened. While the pages of these areas offer specific information I was looking for, the RSS Feeds are not as granular. Meaning, if I subscribed to the Recently Added Movies feed, I received a feed that listed all new content as it was added. Movies would be mixed in with newly added TV Shows and Clips.

Overall, Hulu.com is impressive with a vast amount of potential. This is the way TV was meant to be. The content should fit around the peoples schedule rather than the other way around. Now, just get it to stream to my XBOX360 and I will be ecstatic!

Here are some other shows available on Hulu.com that I recommend: Firefly, Eureka, The Pretender and the Original Battlestar Galactica.

UPDATE: Thank you to Ilya, a software engineer at Hulu, for an insightful comment.

In this modern age, we’ve learned how to adapt technology to provide us with comfort and ease of movement. Personal cars allow us to go from point A to point B at our own leisure. The introduction of personalized CDs, iPods and MP3 players allow us to listen to what we want, when we want.

The bottom line is that the world where we were small and insignificant is gone. We no longer revolve around our world, it revolves around us. While the moral and social implications of such a shift would make a great debate, I would prefer to touch a different subject. Podcasts. This is a great example of the shift I’m referring to. There are many people that enjoy listening to radio hosts as they talk about various subjects ranging from the local news to the darker side of Hollywood. One unfortunate draw back is that the radio show comes on at a certain time of the day. In order to listen to it, you’ll need to arrange your schedule around it. Podcasts follow the same concept, but provide the listener the ability to listen in on their own terms.

Podcasts, or podcasting, is an emerging technology. By emerging, I don’t mean new; rather, it is becoming more popular and mainstream. People have placed audio files on the Internet for years. The ability to organize and broadcast the availability of new audio files also existed. However, I would argue that it didn’t take off until Apple took the music market by storm with its iTunes software and iPod media device. iTunes provides users the ability to sync songs with their iPod. Not only that, they can purchase songs as well as subscribe to podcast feeds. The word “podcast” was first introduced by taking Apple’s iPod trademark and mingling it with the word “broadcast.” (This has actually sparked some debate as to who owns the prefix pod-, but that is yet another subject I don’t wish to touch.)

Apple’s iTunes, mixed with it’s iPod, created an easy way to subscribe to various “internet radio shows” which could be copied to the iPod for later listening. As I said before, this isn’t a new concept or technology. Other software developers have also created software (in some cases, they’re available for free), which would allow a person to do the same thing with any portable media device (MP3 Player).

There are ups and downs to any software. If you own an iPod, iTunes is the best bet. However, if you’re like me, and have invested in a less expensive device (Sandisk m240), there are a plethora of other options. Of all the many, many, many options out there, I’m a fan of Juice along with Media Monkey. I feel they provide me with the best technical experience. But my ideal experience may not line up with yours. Experiment with various options before settling on one. (Juice downloads podcasts into a directory that Media Monkey watches. Media Monkey will then add and remove files to my MP3 player as I add and remove them from my hard drive.)

If you don’t know what you’re doing, don’t want to worry about it, just want “it” to work and have the cash, get an iPod. If you’re on a limited budget and are willing to get your hands dirty, don’t get an iPod.

After you settle into your new multimedia experience environment, start looking for podcasts which fit your persona. I’ve found that many of the radio and news shows in my area provide an audio recording of the show in podcast form. To the right, you’ll find a few of my favorites which deal with a more technical genre.

Any vehicle we have in our family must be able to handle a portable media player. (Driving with headphones is illegal in most states.) There are a plethora of car stereos which provide you with an auxiliary input (looks like a headphone jack) which will allow you to pipe your iPod or MP3 player into your car’s sound system. If your car doesn’t have one, upgrading a car stereo can be very simple… especially when they can be installed for free by the store where you purchase it from. (Very important… find out what the parts will cost. Some cars with an integrated audio bus can cost an extra $400 dollars.) If your car has a cassette deck, a $20 adapter will provide you with the same functionality.

I find the commute to work is fun and mind-engaging with podcasts. The radio hosts work on my timetable. I can play, pause, rewind and fast forward at any time. The best part, I’m not a slave to the mindless dribble that comes from my car radio while I drive.

The most common misuse of e-mail is forwarding e-mails. I for one enjoy receiving the occasional joke or picture sent by a friend or colleague. In some cases we rush to forward this to share with other friends. Two more common groups of e-mail received can be categorized as a Chain Letter and the other of Impending Doom. The Chain Letter is generally a story or joke which end with a catch. In order to avoid bad luck, you must forward the e-mail to as many people as possible. The second group, Impending Doom, warns all of a coming tragedy and that you must warn all that will head these words.

In order to make your e-mail experience that much richer, please allow me to make the following suggestions.

Think Before You Forward

When forwarding an e-mail message, make sure you’re forwarding it for the right reasons. Forwarding a message should have a specific reason. Don’t just do it to prove to everyone in your address book that you’re still alive. Receiving only forwarded e-mail messages from friends generally gives the feeling that they’re too busy to bother with a personal message. So, before you forward that e-mail, think about why you’re sending it to certain people.

Add a Personal Touch

In order to avoid the feeling that your forwarding an e-mail just for the heck of it, add a personal touch. Above the forwarded e-mail explaining why you forwarded the e-mail and how it relates to its targeted recipients.

Verify Your Facts

All too often, people receive an e-mail with a plea to forward information to everyone you know. It’s been common to use viruses, kidnappings and general information as the subject. Before blindly following the instructions of the e-mail, verify the facts. Not everything on the Internet is true.

One of my personal favorite websites is Snopes. This site does its very best to keep up to date on the latest rumors that float around the Internet. They verify whether if the rumor is true or not. If you spend some time searching (more than 2 minutes) you can usually find any subject.

Strip Out Personal Information

If you’ve ever seen a long forwarded e-mail message, it’s generally not been due to the content. It’s usually filled with headers. A header is part of the e-mail that prefaces who the e-mail is from, where it’s going and what the subject was. Sometimes even more bits of information will be included. Before forwarding an e-mail message along, be sure to clean it up a bit so that the recipients will not need to scroll all the way down to the end of the e-mail.

Use BCC

BCC means Blind Carbon Copy. Any e-mail address in this area will not be seen when the e-mail arrives at its target. This is a great way to send people e-mails without divulging a mountain of personal information. There’s a good reason for this and it all comes down to viruses. Viruses come in all shapes and sizes. Some viruses exploit your e-mail address book. Some viruses will even search through your e-mail in order to find more people to attack. They can use that list to send harmful e-mail messages to unsuspecting victims. This is another reason why e-mails should be cleaned up before the send button is pressed. One good idea would be to put your own e-mail address in the TO box. Then you can put all your intended recipients in the BCC box.

Beware Attachments

E-mail has the wonderful ability of carrying files along with the message. Many comical e-mail messages I’ve received contain pictures files. Just remember that not all files are safe. Sometimes, a virus can be contained in relatively safe looking files. We all know that if a file ends in .EXE or .ZIP, then it’s very suspicious. Recently, flaws have been found in other programs. Take for instance Microsoft Word or PowerPoint. These files will look just fine when you open them. They will show you the PowerPoint presentation you were intended to see. They can also secretly execute code and install malicious software on your computer without asking. This is even very difficult for anti-virus software can catch. Be very careful in what you open. Viruses are getting more difficult to remove and the last thing you want to do is format your computer.

Conclusion

E-mail is fun. E-mail is exciting. E-mail will remain that way as long as you put personal effort into it!

Locking You In

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Your ISP isn’t there to make your life more comfortable. They exist for the sole purpose of making money. To keep you on their books, they’ll do just about anything to make their service extremely attractive. Some ISPs may require a commitment (contract) when you sign up. Others may provide you with a subscription to software which protects your computer. But the simplest and strongest string to tie around the customer is an e-mail.

How could an e-mail address contain so much power and control? Well, there’s a simple answer. Have you ever needed to switch your e-mail address? It’s one of life’s least pleasant experiences. First, you need to hunt down the e-mail addresses of everyone you know and regularly correspond with. If you’re lucky, you’ve kept your address book up to date. Next, you need to formulate a nice e-mail stating your changing your e-mail address. Last of all, (and this part is completely out of your control) the recipient of your notice needs to remember the e-mail change.

E-mail isn’t just for sending and receiving electronic letters. Many websites use e-mail addresses as part of the login. So, let’s say you have a Amazon, Paypal or Newegg account, if you’re switching your e-mail address, you need update all your affected profiles.

This is why e-mail, something so small, becomes the center of your universe. Changing your e-mail may be too much of a tedious task and makes it easier just to stick with your current ISP. (I can’t tell you how many people I know refused to leave AOL because of this.)

Just like a clothing store, you should feel like you may only obtain your internet service from one local. ISPs come and go. Other ISPs get bought by bigger companies. Higher quality services pop up, and better deals arrive. As most people stay in one home or apartment their entire lives, their current ISP may not be available in their new home.

Free is Free

There are plenty of alternatives when it comes to e-mail. (I’ll tell you my personal favorite later on.) Best of all, many e-mail services are free. As you already know, I’m a huge fan of Gmail. Other good choices include Hotmail and Yahoo. They make their money from advertising. If you don’t mind ads, then you don’t have to pay a dime. However, if ads perturb you, for a small annual fee, you can be ad free.

When you’re looking around for a free e-mail provider, be sure you find one that’s been around for a while. This will point to a bit of stability. If you like using an e-mail program on your local computer (such as Microsoft Outlook Express, Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird), make sure that the e-mail service provides POP/SMTP services. Some of them charge money for this privilege. (Gmail doesn’t charge money for this, but be sure to have a look at the information carefully on how to set this up.) Also, have a look at the message size limits. Most services let you send and receive e-mails up to 10MB in size (including attachments.)

My Solution

I’m sure you’ve all been waiting for this one. I like to control my destiny. So, I purchased the domain wortmannfamily.com. I of course have my own e-mail address, myname@wortmannfamily.com. This means no matter what ISP I use, no matter how many times it changes, my e-mail goes uninterrupted. Now, that’s not all I do. I’ve found that most web hosts don’t provide an idea e-mail interface that I can use via the web. I also like to download my e-mail to my computer at home via Microsoft Outlook. The best solution I’ve found is to have e-mails sent to myname@wortmannfamily.com forward to my gMail account. I can then use Gmail to check my mail on the web, as well as download all my messages from Gmail into Microsoft Outlook. Most importantly, I can use the Gmail to send e-mail, pretending that it’s sending from the wortmannfamily.com. Finally, since I choose where myname@wortmannfamily.com forwards e-mail to, I can switch e-mail services any time I’d like.

Well there you go. You have the facts and do with them as you will!

Spyware: The Silent Stalker

What is Spyware? Let’s break up the word. Spy-ware. The word “spy” is obvious, and “ware” refers to Software. So, if we put that together, we get Spy Software or Software used to Spy. That’s exactly what Spyware does. It monitors your use of the computer, whether it be which programs are used or your surfing habits on the Internet. This collected data is sent to a server somewhere in the vast Internet sea. You’ll find that much of this data ends up in the hands of marketing companies. This data can then be sold to another company as “marketing research”.

Adware: The Annoying Salesman

If you break Adware down, you get Ad Software. This type of infection likes to show you advertisements. It’s not uncommon to see one or two popup windows appear while surfing the Internet. However, if you see more than five appear, or on a reoccurring basis while not surfing the Internet, the Annoying Salesman, with the bright red “My Name is Adware” nametag has probably moved into your computer. As the advertisements are presented to someone, the company or individual that infected your computer gets a small kick-back (monetary compensation). They can make even more money when you click an advertisement to get more information. You wouldn’t be able to buy a slice of pizza for the amount of money garnered by infecting one computer. However, with tens to hundreds of thousands of computers infected, this clearly becomes a lucrative business.

Malware: The Thief hiding in the Darkness

Breaking up Malware is a bit more interesting. Mal Software doesn’t seem to make sense. However, in many other languages, Mal means Bad. It’s software with bad intentions. Malware silently installs programs on your computer. The first type or program might hunt around your computer for sensitive information. If it finds bank account, credit card or investment information it can then send all of this back to it’s dark master. It’s just like someone stealing your credit card and using it, without having to pick your pocket or sneak into your home. Moreover, these cyber thieves have learned that they can milk more money from someone via small withdrawals and charges rather than a noticeably large one.

Once infected, your computer can also be used to hurt others. An infected computer can also be known as a zombie. It doesn’t think for itself but follows the orders of its master. These zombie computers can be used to send an overwhelming amount of information to a specific computer or website located on the Internet. Sending a website much information at once causes it to malfunction. Imagine one hundred thousand computers trying to visit the same website. Very few websites can survive such an attack. Often it’s referred to as a Denial of Service (DOS) attack because once launched, other people cannot use the attacked website. In recent times thieves have threatened and extorted popular websites with this cruel abuse of power.

Now that you know all about Spyware, Adware and Malware, let’s make the rest of the article simpler and do as the rest world does. We’ll lump all three into one. From this point on, when you see the word “Spyware”, I’ll be referring to all three.

How it gets on your computer

Spyware has become a very lucrative business. Back in the “olden times”, programmers might create malicious viruses to taint, damage or destroy information on your computer system while gaining prestige. However, there was no money in this. Today, malicious programmers are able make money, and in many cases steal money as well, with each computer they infect.

There are two basic ways that malicious programmers plant spyware on your computer. The first way involves the Internet. While surfing the web, the web browser (Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, etc.) performs a flurry of activity. Web browsers interpret data retrieved and then format it into the nice looking web page, such as the one you’re viewing now. Many web browsers contain small holes that allow a website to perform actions without you knowing about it. These are called exploits. The website is taking advantage of a hole or feature within the browser.

Another common way to become infected can be while installing seemingly harmless programs. I’m not talking about Microsoft Office or Apple iTunes. Some of the most infectious Spyware come bundled with free programs. For instance, have you ever been offered free smilies for MSN Messenger? What about free ring tones for your cell phone? All you needed to do was install a program that would allow you to use the extra services. Programs similar to these, but no all, are offered free because of the return by installing Spyware along with the free software. It is important to note that you are warned most of the time, when the License Agreement (the one you have to accept before installing) does warn you that the program installs other software packages; ie Spyware. But, who reads those? They’re too lengthy… too long… too boring!

Continuing with the above theme, Spyware can become installed on your computer through scare tactics. Sometimes, while surfing the Internet, a popup will appear. It’ll look very similar to a Windows warning message. Usually, they’ll say your computer is infected with a dangerous virus or is at risk from some type of attack. When you click the button for the “free” removal or to plug up the detected holes, that’s when the Spyware gets installed and you’re trapped!

How it affects your computer

Spyware can affect your computer in a wide range of ways. Commonly, you’ll see in increased number of pop-up advertisements. Even while not surfing the Internet, Windows will open prompting you to install software or preview a website (usually naughty ones).

Once infected, you might notice a decrease in performance in your computer. This might be caused by one piece of malicious software tying up your computer for nafarious reasons. In some cases, if more than one piece of Spyware gets onto your system, they’ll fight for resources and severely slow your computer down.

Another side affect of Spyware might be identity theft. A computer contains lots of valuable information about yourself. Malware can steal credit card numbers, social security and banking records. In some cases, it can even detect what you’re typing and sent it back to the “mothership”.

The worst case scenario in any of these cases would be that your entire home or business network slows down because of the increased network traffic caused by spyware. It may be sending back data or even trying to affect other computers nearby.

Removing the Disease

Getting rid of Spyware is getting trickier every month. Luckily there are companies that are staying on top of this. Some free programs that you might consider may be Spybot or Microsoft Defender. (I’m a fan of Spybot myself.) Other programs, such as Ad-aware and Spysweeper do a great job as well, but at a cost to your wallet.

Tricky Removal

One last warning about Spyware. Some companies that bundle Spyware with their programs don’t want you to remove the Spyware. This is how they make money. So, if the software detects that the Spyware has been removed, the bundled program could stop functioning.

Conclusion

The best way to avoid Spyware, Adware and Malware is to just be careful. Avoid visiting websites on the seedier side of the web. For general surfing, use a different browser other than Microsoft Internet Explorer, like Mozilla Firefox. Also, install a Spyware scanner, like Spybot, and run it on regular basis. Most importantly, be aware of what you’re installing on your computer. A quick Google Search can often times save your a lot of time and headache.

Home PC Users

Home users really need Internet Explorer 7. The Internet is a jungle full of beauty and vicious animals. It’s amazing how many people surf the internet without knowing the perils involved. Let’s start with one key point. There are bad people on the internet. They want to steal personal information from you and in some cases, take over your computer for their own personal and nefarious uses. To combat this, the Microsoft worker bees have created new enhancements to prevent the infiltration of your system. They’ve also increased security to prevent phishing attacks.

Another new feature, which other browsers have already discovered, is tabbed browsing. Tabs within your browser allows for a less cluttered Taskbar (the bar next to the start button). This saves you the time of having to hunt through multiple Internet Explorer windows scattered about your Taskbar.

Internet Explorer can now handle RSS feeds. Instead of hunting about the web on each page for your headlines, you can now have Internet Explorer show you all the headlines, and you pick the ones you want to read more about. This is a huge time saver.

Business Users

Now you’re wondering, if this is a huge benefit to home users, why not roll it out to my business computers and laptops? Well, Internet Explorer 7 is new. Any websites you access on the internet, and are critical to your business operations, may not be fully compatible yet. So, for the average user, it’s not a big deal to have some issues trying to view the TV Guide or a the U2 fan page. However, if you need to access sensitive web information, like interest rates, or other critical information, you can’t afford to have any incompatibilities. You can’t afford the downtime.

Do yourself a favor if you’re in the business arena. Ask these business critical websites if they’re Internet Explorer 7 compatible. If all of them are, then by all means, upgrade. If not, you’ll be okay for the time being.

A Plug for Firefox

Now, I would be doing everyone a huge injustice if I did not plug my favorite web browser. Many people think that the ‘e’ on their is the Internet. It is their gateway to the World Wide Web. This is very untrue. That ‘e’ loads Internet Explorer, a web browser. The best part, is that there are other web browsers.

Firefox is a wonderful web browser. It has less inherent security flaws than Internet Explorer, and it has a wider set of features. Give it a try, and you won’t want to go back.

RSS TO THE RESCUE!

RSS

RSS is the next best thing since sliced bread. Imagine one place, where you could scan the headlines of all the sites you visit and then click the headlines that interested you most. Almost every site, like this one, have an RSS feed that allow you to keep an eye on articles, posts and comments found on popular websites. You can keep an eye on Sports, World News and other websites with less work! As an article is posted, the “RSS Feed” is updated. An RSS Feed Reader, checks all the feeds, and lets you know which sites have new material. In short, the feed is updated on the remote server and your computer checks the feeds of your choice.

RSS Programs

You’ll find all sorts of programs out there built to manage your RSS Feeds. My personal favorite is the Google Reader. It’s web based but requires that you have a Google Account. One of the neatest features is that you can place the Google Reader on your Google Personalized Website. (I’ll talk more about that some other time.)

Since RSS is becoming so popular, you’ll also find that Web Browsers, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 and Mozilla Firefox 2 have integrated RSS feed readers.

Finding RSS Feeds

If you’re still reading this article, you may be wondering how to locate RSS feeds on a website. Many websites will have a nice bright orange icon on them. Some look like a satellite, others may have RSS or XML on them. That’s the link to the RSS Feed. (Have a look at Wikipedia article linked below for a list of common icons.) Once you have your RSS link, throw it into your feed reader.

Feed Readers and Instructions

In order to place less work on myself, I’ve found a few pages with instructions on how to use some the feed readers I mentioned above.

• Google Reader Instructions
• Internet Explorer 7 Instructions
• Firefox 2 Instructions

Conclusion

RSS is our friend. Most of us don’t know about it. Some of us don’t need it. The rest of us, we’ll be entertained for a few hours until the next gadget grabs our attention. On a parting note, I would strongly recommend adding this site to your feed reader, in hopes that I will not be writing out into the void.

Have a fun day!

End Notes
Want more information, have a look at this Wikipedia Article on RSS.