Reflective Blogging Question #3

Consider the following statement: "Nothing is really secure - Get over it!!" If this is true, then what might be the consequences, given your own use of networking technologies?

I agree with this statement now more than ever. Today, identity theft has been an increasing problem. This also explains why sites regarding online shopping (usually the "legit" ones) have been switching over to using PayPal. It's not just for their security, but they want you to feel safe about purchasing online goods and services with your own credit card information, without having to worry about someone on the other end getting the insanely stupid idea of stealing your identity. 

I knew that my computer was not secured, instantly, when I needed some necessary network updates of which I did not know how to install. When I called the help and services line, I barely had to give much of my information regarding my network and all of the sudden the representative on the line had complete remote access of my computer. I could see everything that he was doing so I would have known if anything "fishy" were to occur but still, that scares me! 

Additionally, just the other day my mother called me saying that there was suspicious activity on one of my email accounts that I no longer used. I thank myself for giving the site another email address for them to contact, which was my mom's, if any suspicious activity had occurred. I found out that someone had hacked that email somehow and, in turn, could have had access to important information about myself. There were hundreds of emails in that account so I have no idea the information they had learned before I deleted the account. Bottom-line, be careful about the websites you give out your personal information because you never know who is trustworthy and who is watching. You could randomly open an email one day and you could have downloaded a program unknowingly that remembers your keystrokes and sends them to another computer where someone could be trying to hack you. 

I have learned that nothing is ever completely secured and NO, I am NOT going to deal with it and it is NOT OK. The fact that anti-virus scanners will not pick-up key logging software is very scary so it's best to take the necessary steps to keeping your computer as secure as possible (or till you feel somewhat comfortable) even though it will never be.

I found this link that may give some good insight:

http://www.reliablegeeks.com/articles/keep_your_wireless_network_secure.htm

Reflective Blogging Question #2

While the price of a acquiring a cell phone and associated service is going down, the cost of using a cell phone and associated service  is going up.  What do you think is meant by this statement?

This statement is quite clear to me. I can't think of one single service provider that does not include additional fees on a customer's bill. In most cases when you go to get a new phone, whether it is a regular cell-phone or smartphone, the price of the hardware itself will be cheaper as long as you sign a new contract with your service provider (normally 2 year contract). That is where the price of acquiring a cell phone has gone down.

In the past, all you had to worry about was how much you sent text messages and how many minutes you had for use per month. Now, recent trends in technology has presented us with faster, all-around more efficient technology, which is where we have seen a change in fees from mobile service providers. Laptops paved the road to the future by putting all the features of a desktop into a smaller device, leading to smartphones.

Now, you pay for the original price of a phone (with or without a new contract), monthly minutes, monthly text messages, and data servicing fees. Every time you access the internet, FaceBook app, Twitter app, etc. you will be charged, especially if you are with a mobile service provider such as AT&T because ever since they acquired a contract with Apple to provide service for iPhones, they changed their fees for data service fees.

Additionally, as more and more people make use of mobile phones, mobile service providers are likely to follow the "supply and demand" theory to maximize profits for their companies. Below is a link to a website comparing all of the top mobile service providers.

http://cell-phone-providers-review.toptenreviews.com

This website lists US Cellular as not one the best options but, if you are like me, you might be already grandfathered in (I have been with US Cellular since I was 14 so, 8 years) and end up paying significantly less (unlimited text messages and data services). The same may also go for any others grandfathered in to their mobile service provider.

Reflective Blogging Question #1

What Technology do you use to stay in touch and WHY?

Like most people between the ages of 16 and 25, I use my smartphone which is an android operated Galaxy S3. The reason why I use this technology the most frequent is because it fits in my front pocket. My smartphone allows me to access the internet (nowadays there is a mobile website version of most up-to-date sites), check FaceBook and other social networking websites, use an application-based email for my personal emails as well as my school emails, make phone calls, send texts, and I can even use video telecommunication software like Skype. For a lot of people on the go, using a smartphone seems to be the best way for communication and staying in touch with the world.

More about my interests...

The most important interest I have right now, other than school, is staying healthy and having overall good personal fitness. I go to anytime-fitness in Verona just about every single day, and have for the last year-and-a-half. 

Here are some links to sites/blogs:

1. http://www.dieselsc.com

2. http://www.jcdfitness.com

3. http://www.anytimefitness.com

I also enjoy stimulation of the mind. Before I joined Edgewood College, an example of this would be me playing video games like call of duty. Now, I do a lot more reading with help from my Kindle-Fire HD. Being enrolled full-time at a 4 year university lead to me cutting out the least important things that I used to pay attention too. On a side-note, I used to do more reading than sleeping when I was younger. I'm currently reading a series by George R.R. Martin called "A Song Of Fire And Ice". You may have heard of the HBO television show "Game of Thrones", which is based on Martin's book series.

Here are some links to sites/blogs:

1. http://georgerrmartin.com

2. http://grrm.livejournal.com

3. http://mashable.com/2012/12/31/92-year-old-blogger/

The third link is more of an inspiration :)

New subscribers? You could be one.

For those of you new to my blog, the feel good gorilla, here are a few things about me...

Hi, my name is Michael Hershberger and my close friends call me "Hersh". I am currently attending college courses at Edgewood College in Madison, WI. I graduated from Verona Area High in 2009 and immediately enrolled for courses at Madison college (MATC) where I attended until fall 2012, of which I began my next stage of college life at Edgewood College. I am currently studying computer information sciences (CIS) and I enjoy the skills I have learned, thus far.

Currently I live in Verona, WI at my mother's house with my step-dad. This allows me to save money as well as focus on school related work. I am the youngest of 4 children, all being male siblings. My two oldest brothers, Jason and Joey, are only half brothers while Adam is my only full brother.

One thing that is very important in life, to me, is staying healthy. Because of this, I joined a gym 2 years ago and it has been the best decision of my life. I joined anytime-fitness in verona and it is a great place to blow off steam and improve yourself physically, as well as mentally. Feel free to contact me for any good tips in working out whether it be your exercise routine or your current eating and meal habits.

until next time....

UP, UP, and AWAAAAYYYY!!!!