In cooperation with McCoy Public Library in Shullsburg, I will be teaching 3 adult computer classes in October. The three classes are: Computer Fundamentals and Security, Digital Photography and Social Networking. The class schedule is as follows:

Computer Fundamentals and Security - Two 90 minute sessions held October 12th and 14th, 4-5:30pm
Digital Photography - Two 90 minute sessions held October 19th and 21st, 4-5:30pm
Social Networking - Two 90 minute sessions held October 26th and 28th, 4-5:30pm

We all know that our computers contain important and sometimes precious files that would be difficult or impossible to replace. These can range from personal pictures to financial documents. There are many possible threats to this data. Hardware failure and user error are probably the most common threats, but there are many others including viruses, fire, theft and goblins.

It's true of course, the best things in life are free and this applies to computer software as well. I can honestly say that I cannot remember the last piece of software that I paid for. Now before you gasp out loud and castigate me for stealing software, let me be clear that I am not talking about downloading software illegally. Software piracy is immoral and dangerous, but that's another topic. Today I am speaking about the plethora of free and open source software available to anyone.

No matter what browser you use (excepting Chrome), there are a multitude of add-on toolbars available to you. Some provide nifty functions and handy links, while others can be quite malicious. Regardless of their intent or use, all toolbars take some additional resources to run and can adversely affect performance.

I'm sure most people don't give much thought to their internet browser. All major current browsers are reasonably equal in performance today. But that's not the way it's always been. Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) once dominated the browser market. And this domination made it the prime target for malicious websites. Microsoft seemed complacent with it's domination and this allowed other browsers to swoop in with new features and increased security. This brought about a time when IE was the worst choice as a browser.

In my last blog post I covered some basic information concerning viruses. In this post I'm going to explore the software related to protecting your computer from infection.

1. Internet Browsers

So, I've decided to start a blog-type thing. I'm not really certain what exactly will go on here, so any suggestions or comments are welcome. Let me know what you'd like to see!