Alexandra Bogdanovic's Blog: That's life... - Posts Tagged "computers"

A wise man once defined progress as "man's ability to complicate simplicity.” I recently learned that the hard way.
It all happened while I was working on my laptop in the middle of the night a few weeks back. Much to my dismay, the screen began flickering. Then it turned pink. And purple. Panic quickly set in.
Oh, no. No, no, no! Oh (expletive deleted), no!
I turned the machine off -- and prayed the screen wouldn't be blank when I turned it back on. Taking a deep, calming breath, I hit the round button in the top right corner of the keyboard. The computer took forever to reboot, or so it seemed. Finally, the machine came to life and everything on my desktop appeared as if nothing ever happened.
Phew. Maybe it was just a fluke. Maybe it was the proximity to the fan. Perhaps it has to do with the heatwave. It can't be broken. I haven't even had it for a year.
Deciding not to push my luck, I turned off the machine, put it away, went to sleep still hoping it was just a glitch and praying I wouldn't have to deal with any more technological drama.
I awoke to find that wasn't the case.
After breakfast and my daily power walk, I returned to my home office, sat down, opened my laptop, punched the "on" button, waited for the machine to start up and gasped when I saw flashes of pink. And blue. And wavy lines.
Oh, expletive deleted, expletive deleted, expletive deleted!
I left a frantic voice mail for my computer guru, turned my laptop off -- and prayed. By the time the computer specialist returned my call, it seemed my prayers had been answered. The computer screen appeared normal once again.
The joy was short lived and my frustration resurfaced when the computer tech told me there was no point in sending the laptop to the repair shop unless there was evidence that there was really a problem. I assured him the pink and blue flickering screen with the wavy lines was not a figment of my imagination.
What you're telling me is that I have to wait until it breaks completely before it can be fixed -- even though it's still under warranty, I said.
He told me that wasn't really the case, and advised me to take pictures if and when the screen went kablooey. With no other choice, I heeded his advice and once again hoped for a miracle.
I almost got one. The machine behaved -- for two whole weeks. Then one morning, when I least expected it, the dreaded pink and blue flickering screen with the wavy lines returned with a vengeance. As instructed, I grabbed my digital camera and took at least twenty pictures of the screen and e-mailed them to my computer guy.
Being a man of his word, he called me immediately and arranged to bring the laptop to the repair shop. He said he couldn't guarantee anything, but figured the repairs would take about a week. I figured I could live with that.
One thing led to another. A week became ten days. I used the tablet I'd jut gotten to surf the 'net and send e-mails, but it wasn't the same. So I made daily trips to the public library, where I was forced to use unfamiliar machines with finicky keyboards and other quirks in order to get any work done.
By the time I finally got my own laptop back, I wanted to hug my computer guy -- and bitch slap the hell out of the people responsible for creating all of these modern "inconveniences."
Until next time, "That's life..."

To paraphrase an old saying; you can take the girl out of journalism but you can't take a police reporter's instincts out of the girl.
Or something like that.
For the past couple of years, I've been the target of a known scam that makes my blood boil. While it's garnered regional and national publicity, I decided to investigate and write about it myself. After all, knowledge is power and if what I am sharing prevents even one unsuspecting computer user from falling prey to bogus telephone solicitation schemes, I've done my job.
The type of con I'm referring to typically occurs when someone with an Indian or nondescript North American accent claiming to be from Microsoft or Windows Systems calls you out of the blue. The next thing you know, they're telling you there's a "problem" with your computer.
I can't tell you much more than that based on personal experience because that's where I usually use some extremely colorful language to end the call.
According to Microsoft (my link text), however, the perpetrators "offer to help solve your computer problems." Once they've convinced you to let them do so, the cybercrooks "attempt to steal from you and damage your computer with malicious software including viruses and spyware."
The callers identify themselves as representatives of the following groups or organizations:
- Windows Help Desk
- Windows Service Center
- Microsoft Tech Support
- Microsoft Support
- Windows Technical Department Support Group
- Microsoft Research and Development Team (Microsoft R&D Team)
As a result, Microsoft advises the public to "treat all unsolicited phone calls with skepticism." Recipients of such calls -- including those from anyone claiming to be from Microsoft Tech Support -- should end them without granting the caller access to your computer or divulging personal information.
"Although law enforcement can trace phone numbers, perpetrators often use pay phones, disposable cellular phones or stolen cellular phone numbers," Microsoft notes the portion of its website devoted to online security and privacy. "It's better to avoid being conned rather than try to repair the damage afterwards."
In spite of repeated warnings and calls for public awareness, so-called tech support scams have been pervasive for several years.
In a 2012 blog (my link text), Consumer Education Specialist Nicole Vincent of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said the agency "cracked down on a massive international scam" that "played upon people's fear of computer infections and hackers."
The perpetrators of that particular scam allegedly called the victims claiming to be associated with legitimate companies including Microsoft, Dell, MacAfee and Norton.
Collectively, they were accused of fooling "tens of thousands of computer users" into believing something was wrong with their machines and then charging each victim $130 to $300 for bogus repairs.
U.S. residents should report these and other phone scams to the FTC. For information about resources available in other countries, visit the section of microsoft.com dedicated to online security and privacy.
Until next time, "That's life..."

A long, long, time ago, when I was just a little girl,people in polite society played by certain rules. Children used courtesy titles to address their friends' parents -- or any adults for that matter. The use of the words "please" and "thank you" in every day conversation was commonplace. Most importantly, no one discussed "sensitive subjects" such as religion or politics outside of intimate circles. Ever.
Of course, that was long before the advent of the Internet and the instant-information age. Back then, no one could imagine a time when people would be able to use a gadget called a computer to say whatever they wish without any consequences.
Yet all these years later, some things remain the same -- at least as far as I'm concerned. I seldom discuss religion or politics publicly. When I do, I choose my words very carefully. My opinion remains my own.
So imagine my trepidation when the conversation turned to politics during the opening reception for my photo exhibit "Unique New York: 50 Photos of New York City" at our local library. The person who initiated the discussion had no qualms about sharing her opinion. I had no qualms about ending the discussion before it turned ugly.
I refused to engage in the conversation (if it could be called that) because it wasn't the time or the place. I refused to engage in the conversation because I didn't know the woman who initiated it. I refused to engage in the conversation because a constructive dialogue with that particular person would have been impossible under any circumstances.
You see, she was so consumed with her own beliefs, so utterly convinced that she is right and the rest of the world is wrong, that she resorted to name-calling when confronted with a different opinion.
Sadly, her behavior is hardly unusual. If any thing it is far too common.
Until next time, "That's life..."