By John Carter

Hi Net Neighbors! Welcome to another installment of Tech Tuesday, where we do deep dives into the issues that concern you. This week we are going to look at an issue that can often mess people up, the difference between Email and Texting.

What is Email?

We spent a long time in a previous episode discussing the finer points of Email, so we shall not rehash them all there. Suffice it to say, Email is a similar form of communication to physically writing out a letter, on paper, with a pen. Because of this deep similarity it is common, and expected, to use similar rules when writing an Email. Emails tend to be long form, with proper punctuation and grammar.

What is Texting then?

If Email is the digital equivalent of hand-writing a letter then Texting, at least among the younger generations, is more akin to a verbal conversation. Also different is how Texting is accessed. Normally, meaning without any workarounds, Texts are tied to a phone number not a set email domain. What this means is that, if you want to Text someone you are not going to use USERNAME@DOMAIN.COM but instead, 9045555555. Though if someone gives you that phone number, they probably do not want to talk to you.

Why do people write Texts so poorly?

That is a good question. A lot of parents look at their children’s Texts and wonder what the heck happened. These are kids and adults whose prose is spectacular, yet their Texts read like a third grader’s failed report. The grammar is wrong. There is no punctuation. Heck, they don’t even use whole words! If you had a hand in shaping this young mind your frustration makes complete sense. But instead of despairing, try rethinking the kind of communication the person is engaging in. Remember, Texting is writing, it’s a stand-in for verbal communication. Think of how the person talks then read the Texts from that perspective.

Now, do me a favor, look at your Texts and read them as if you were speaking. Do they sound like a conversation between two people in a coffee shop or do they sound like a speech?

This Texting = Speaking dynamic also explains something else that many people find irritating, shorthand. If you have ever seen something like 4u and found your teeth grinding, try reading it out loud. If Texting is just Speaking then it does not matter what the information looks like, it is how the communication is being processed that is important.

At the same time, while you may be pulling your hair out at their poor grammar or syntax, they may be worried about you. Some conventions that the written world takes for granted, such as the ellipses aka …, sound very different to those speakreading the Text. Instead of a pause like you probably mean it, the person speakreading it ‘hears’ something far more sarcastic or angry than was intended. Formalized writing in a Texting environment also comes across as angry. Ever hear someone get so angry they start talking slowly and enunciating every word? That is what it can sound like when you bring Email style writing into the texting field.

So I should starting Texting like younger people?

No…just, no. Nothing says I am completely out of touch like someone older than you trying to use the same slang and verbiage as you. But what you CAN do is shake your shoulders a little, break out of the writing mode and move into a more speakerly style. Leave a comma off. Instead of long paragraphs sent as one block, send shorter messages that are easier to digest. And always be aware of how what you are ‘saying’ is going to ‘sound’ to the person speakreading it. Other than that, you be you.

Oh, and this is really important, just because someone is sending you a text doesn’t mean they are expecting an immediate response.

Wait, what?

Yes. When someone you know texts you at 3am they are not expecting you to send a response right then. They know you are asleep. Heck, they may have been asleep too and suddenly was woken up by something and they needed to tell you. What they don’t want though is for you to wake up and text back. Leave that stuff for the morning when you can deal with it appropriately. Usually the only time someone wants you to respond right that second is when they say, “Txt me now! Something’s up.” Unless it is something like that, it can probably wait. Most people who Text are doing so between other things in their life. They can’t get into a sustained conversation right now and they are not expecting you to drop everything either.

If you have someone in your life who is Texting you during times when you are asleep or unable to answer, you can always turn on your phone’s Do Not Disturb function. When this is on you should not receive notifications of the Texts you are getting.

Well that makes me feel better. Now what?

At this point? Just go out and start Texting your loved ones. And if you have something you want to say a tad longer than a quick sentence or two then send it via an email.

And while you’re doing that remember, have fun, find adventure, and stay safe.

By John Carter

Hi Net Neighbors! Welcome to another Tech Tuesday, where we do deep dives into the technology issues plaguing you. Today we are going to look at something many of you probably live in fear of, Viruses and Malware. Depending on who you are talking to, they have the potential to ruin your life and steal your cat. Now they aren’t out to do the latter and the former…well that is less about your life and more about knowing information about you allows the ‘bad guys’ more access to the world.

What is a Virus?

Okay, now hold onto your hats because I am about to blow your mind. A Virus is a form of Malware. Boom! More specifically, a Virus is a computer program designed to spread from program to program in your computer. Once it has infected a host machine, the Virus will then seek ways of jumping to other systems to infect them as well. Viruses are made by people with varying goals in mind. Some do it for benign reasons such as creating tools to break into computers to better figure out ways to protect those same computers. Others use Viruses as a way of making a political statement, such as programming a computer so that, every time you press CTRL and ALT at the same time a screen opens and types whatever statement they had in mind.

Those are good to somewhat annoying actors on the stage though. What about the really bad guys? Well Viruses made by these people are out to steal information or deny you access to services until an amount of money is paid.

Then what is Malware?

Malware, or malicious software, is a catch all term for all sorts of nasty computer bugs. Bugs such as Trojan Horses, Ransomware, Adware, Keyloggers, Browser Hijackers, and yes, Viruses. We’ll go through all these but know that they all are problematic and can really be a pain to remove. They are usually created to cause pain in others and extract information and funds from people/institutions.

Trojan Horses

Like the historical horse from which they draw their name, Trojan Horses, aka Trojans, are Malware designed to appear legitimate. They use this seemingly legitimate face to convince you to interact with it and when you do the real Malware hidden inside is free to attack. Some common places for Trojans to pop up are pictures people send you. While the image appears normal, inside Malware may be lurking. It is because of this that many email services include a scanner to check incoming mail for these sorts of attacks.

Ransomware

This kind of Malware either locks you out of your computer or threatens to distribute the contents of your computer. Either way, the chief goal of Ransomware is for you to pay the bad guys. They block access to your files by encoding them with a key that only they have. So long as you are not given the key there is no real way of accessing your information. Trojans are a common vector for getting Ransomware onto your computer

Adware

This might be the one you are most familiar with because of how it presents, pop-ups. Adware is designed to create windows filled with ads for you to click on. The most important thing to remember when it comes to Adware is to not click on any of the buttons. For one, you cannot be sure you are going to legitimate sites through these links. Also, you cannot be sure the button isn’t a trigger to release a far more dangerous Malware into your system.

Keyloggers

Again, usually, hidden within Trojans, Keyloggers are pieces of Malware designed to make a record of every key you press on your keyboard. The purpose of this is to capture important information such as usernames, passwords, and bank account numbers and then transmit that information to the one behind the Malware. Once they have this information it is much easier to break into your accounts.

Browser Hijackers

These are very sophisticated pieces of Malware designed to take over some, if not all, the functions of your browser. Common features are a changing of your browser’s search engine to a bad actor’s site. These sites are either Malware-laden traps, filled with ads designed to take you to worse sites, or both. Browser Hijackers can be some of the hardest Malware to remove though some aspects of them, such as changing default search engines and browsers, requires user permission making them less powerful on Windows 10 machines.

Okay, I’m scared now. How do I protect myself?

Well the good news is that is fairly easy to protect yourself against the kinds of threats. If you have Windows 10 then your computer comes with Windows Security which is more than up to the task of keeping your computer free of viruses. Just make sure to run regular updates and occasionally pop into the Windows Security, accessible through the Update and Security area of the Settings app.  

Malware, on the other hand, will probably require a bit more power than a simple virus scanner has at its disposal. To combat them you are going to want to download an anti-Malware program. As of 2020 one the most respected anti-Malware programs is Malwarebytes which you can download for free from Malwarebytes.com. It will give you a free 14-day trial of their Premium services but you can use the basic package with no problem.

Now what?

Between your free anti-virus and your free anti-Malware, you can use the internet in relative safety. This does not mean there are no threats out there, that’s not how life works. But for the most part you are safe, just like in life. Just remember a few things: don’t download from sites not familiar to you, if a friend sends a picture from the wrong email address don’t open it, run your anti-virus and anti-Malware at least once a month depending on your usage.

Next time we are going to talk about Texting and how it compares to Email and how to get the most out of both.

Until then, have fun, find adventure, and stay safe.