Featured Article

We like to point fingers at technology when things go wrong. Very often the finger pointing is exactly right: technology breaks, our computers or systems fail us, and so on.

And yet, very often that particular bit of blame misses the mark. There's something behind all that technology that isn't technology at all.

Particularly when it comes to your privacy, technology isn't the culprit at all.

TEH Podcast

In this weeks TEH podcast Gary shares a good experience with a cheap Wi-Fi extender, Leo muses on the future of cinema after watching the latest Star Wars movie, and our guest Kay Savetz discusses online game night. All that and the ever-present "more" on TEH #97.

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Featured

The Biggest Risk to Your Privacy

I've written several privacy-related articles discussing various aspects of technological risk. The computers we use, the systems that run them, and the applications and tools we rely on each add risk of some kind.

And yet, in my experience, the greatest risk we're exposed to has little do with technology.

It's a risk we don't think of — yet I see privacy compromised more often due to this than any other reason.

Continue Reading: The Biggest Risk to Your Privacy
https://askleo.com/27036

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This Week's Articles

Are Human Relations Skills Important in Tech?

This is for a school assignment for a class called Human Relations in Organizations. I have to ask someone with a career in technology these three questions:

1.) What skills do you use every day to deal with others at work (co-workers and clients)?

2.) How often do you use those skills (a specific number, like a percentage of a typical day, or week)?

3.) Do you think a class about human relations should be required for an Associates degree in computer programming? Why or why not?

Normally, I don't answer homework questions. You'd be surprised at how many questions I get that are obviously someone trying to get me to do their homework for them.

This one, besides appearing to be an honest question as part of an honest assignment, speaks to something I feel strongly about. It's not something I would have guessed when I started my career in computer programming.

Dealing with people is much more difficult than dealing with computers …

… and way more important.

Continue Reading: Are Human Relations Skills Important in Tech?
https://askleo.com/3068

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Why Didn't Windows Fix My Pet Peeve?

I have a question that no one has been able to answer so far. Over the years and the last few versions of Windows that I've used, Windows Explorer still shows file sizes in KB, and folders no size. I'm currently dealing with files that are between 300MB to 3GB+. I was hoping that when the latest version came out they would have fixed this problem and I could see my file sizes in KB, MB, or GB. All the other non-Windows operating systems I've played with automatically show files in their proper notation. Is this a bug in windows or is MS to lazy to fix this program and give us only this second rate software? If you could help clear this up I would greatly appreciate it.

This is a common question.

Not the file-size-display issue, but rather the more general question: “Why didn't Microsoft fix this?” where “this” is a person's pet peeve or a system bug.

Asking “Why?” is in most cases an exercise in frustration; rarely will you get a clear answer. But I can theorize many legitimate reasons for not addressing something like this.

Continue Reading: Why Didn't Windows Fix My Pet Peeve?
https://askleo.com/3345

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How Important Is It to Seek Out and Take Updates?

For the average user who doesn't frequent questionable web sites or open email attachments unless expecting them, how important is it to be a “seeker” and try to update Microsoft updates on the day they come out, rather than waiting a few days to see what kind of problems they are causing?

The news we hear is contradictory: there seems to be a never-ending stream of vulnerabilities that we need to Fix Right Now, but it seems like taking those fixes represents a risk as well. How do you choose what to do and when?

Continue Reading: How Important Is It to Seek Out and Take Updates?
https://askleo.com/122373

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👍 #808 – The Biggest Risk to Your Privacy