The Windows Mystery

Mac users are often criticized for their smug, superior attitudes, and for their zealotry. I’m no fan of zealotry myself, but am nonetheless guilty of these attitudes from time to time. I’d like to explain why, in as humble and balanced a manner as I can.
Suppose you own a car. Any car will do…let’s say a Honda Civic. Like any car, it’s not perfect. From time to time, it needs maintenance or repair. The vast majority of the time, it works: You can get into it and drive places at reasonable speed. You expect as much from your car.
Now, you look around and realize other people’s cars are different. Continue reading

Why Massachusetts Residents Drive Poorly

Having contentedly lived the first 23 years of my life in States adjacent to Massachusetts, I grew up hearing about Massachusetts drivers. During my childhood in Connecticut, every vacation seemed to feature a daring and dangerous trip up I-91, I-95 or I-93 that provided me with a first-hand look at these infamous creatures and the opportunity to hear my father complain about their careless and aggressive driving habits. I learned that Boston was a place that one should avoid at all costs, an automotive jungle where barbarians and savages reign.

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DSecure: Firewalls, Spyware, and Viruses – Oh My

A joint study of home computer users, conducted by AOL and the NCSA, found that "1 in 5 [computers] are infected with [a] virus", and "80% of home computers [are] infected with spyware/adware". It also found most people aren’t aware of the problem and many don’t know what spyware, adware, viruses, firewalls, and antivirus software are to begin with (Weinstein).

So in today’s DSecure, I’ll provide some definitions and easy fixes. Continue reading