Now, I know what cookies and pop-ups are and how to manage them to achieve the level of privacy and security that's appropriate.
HOW THE INTERNET WORKS:
There was a ton of new information in this learning module about how the Web is set up and what kinds of equipment and software and cataloging are actually involved in having your browser bring up a web page that is stored on a server somewhere far away. Reading about and watching videos on the function of routers, servers and other Internet infrastructure was fascinating.
I enjoyed the textbook tutorial on how to trace the number of "hops" from the home computer to the Cengage Web server. I use a Macbook, but for this exercise, I had to hop onto our family home computer, which has a Windows OS, to do this one. This kind of made cyberspace a bit more "concrete" to me, like finally understanding calculus (although that may never happen for me.)
BASIC BROWSER FUNCTIONS:
Doing the Web Lab on browsers was very interesting. I didn't realize that browsers had security features built in, such as ad-tracking capability. I also wasn't aware that there's no support anymore for mac use of Internet Explorer. I also look forward to the course lessons on efficient and effective searching. I don't feel I have enough expertise to do really good research on the web and would like to strengthen my skills on that — it's really needed in everyday living!
The screencast web lab on basic browser functions was a challenge. Doing a tutorial that could explain these functions to others was a great way to learn it, myself. Here's the link to my screencast. Talk about security — I regretted using my own email inbox as a screen image — that didn't work out as I thought it would, but once I finished one "take," I didn't want to do the screencast again, for fear it would turn out worse!
http://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cInVV3VXOa
ONLINE SHOPPING:
I have always been reluctant to shop online, and took a shot at it with a couple of sites that I felt very comfortable with, like Avon and Land's End. But in my browsing and shopping, I never even thought to look for "https" in the Web address or the little padlock icon to indicate a secure Web site. And I never noticed a highlighted green section that ensures the site has an extended validation certificate, as seen in the screen capture below, of "Twenty things I learned about browsers and the web."
Here are a couple of links to learn more online shopping safety tips:
bbbonline.org
us-cert.gov
mcafee.com
SECURITY RISKS: The material in videos, reading, cyber lessons and Facebook posts all stressed the importance of taking strong measures to avoid malware, hacking, Internet fraud, scams and security holes and attempts at identity theft (phishing). Some methods include strong passwords, firewalls, reliable anti-virus protection and an awareness of what new risks develop and how to fight them. I learned to be much more proactive in protecting my data and identity on the Internet.
ONLINE RISKS TO KIDS:
This is a useful topic or guiding kids. Certain risks I was already aware of, but the new piece of info for me was the need to talk to teens about their "tone" or "courtesy" online. There's been a lot of talk about avoiding cyber-bullying, but I was not sensitive about the nuances of expression that could elicit unwanted Facebook responses. The information that stood out most to me was that kids "need to be told there's a broader audience than they think" for their online postings.
A useful link in this discussion is:
onlineonguard.com
DOMAIN NAMES:
Deciding on and registering a domain name for your website is one of the more interesting topics in this learning module. Naming your domain is a crucial part of branding your online business, and it's a creative and fun part of creating your online presence. Almost as exciting as naming your own rock band. (The band fun. won lots of Grammys recently, probably in part because of its name!) It should be catchy, memorable and capture the essence of what your business or service is all about. Research on this made me realize it's affordable, too. Now to just develop the know-how to do this!
Here's a link to a very basic explanation of how to get a domain name, and some other useful definitions:
http://www.domainsforbeginners.com/index.html
D4 DISCUSSION:
My classmates' comments are extremely well-written and well-researched — and I learn so much by reading them. I loved the interchanges about how your smart TV can spy on you, how to avoid falling prey to online banking scams, as well as the many cutting edge security measures my fellow students are taking. All of this was very helpful for my own online experience. Tyler's post on 2/4 advising that companies hire their own hackers to find security holes was a good one. In a more recent post, on 2/11, Seth shared information about password managers such as lastpass, which safely and securely stores your passwords and enables easy completing of forms online through personal information, also stored securely. Jason's response to this was so true, "I am often feeling a little stuck in password hell." This is a problem most everyone has, and discussions with great questions and answers is a big part of the learning experience.
I am learning from feedback to contribute more liberally to the Facebook discussion, but I still would like to follow more closely and comment throughout the discussion period. I try to take my time completing the web labs and cyber lessons, and I don't seem to have as much time leftover for the Facebook discussion, which should be a very enjoyable part of the learning.
NEW TERMINOLOGY:
Here's my "Worldle," with a couple of the terms and their definitions that I learned this time out.
ROUTER: A specialized computer with multiple ports that connects Local Area Networks or LAN segments, or multiple LANs on a wide area network (WAN). A router keeps track of all the nodes (each computer or device) on a network and can determine the best route for a packet of information to take to its destination.
TRACERT UTILITY: This is a way to trace the number of stops or "hops" of a packet as it progresses from one Internet router to the next in the path of traveling from the sending computer to the destination computer. The tracert utility can test the path to a destination internet site to see if any problems exist with making a connection at a particular point along the route.
ENCRYPTION: The process of translating readable data into unreadable data in order to prevent unauthorized access or use. The encrypted data is decoded at its destination using a special key, which can be created, for a fee, by a certification authority. Encryption on an online shopping Web site prevents unauthorized access to personal data that people enter when they are purchasing from that site.
HUB: An inexpensive hardware device used to connect multiple nodes on the same network.
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