Podcast Episode 2 is available – Things That Go Bump on The Net

Check out Episode 2 of the podcast where I’ll discuss malicious software (or malware). Viruses, worms, scareware, ransomware…we’ll talk about its history and what to look out for.

I’ll also be posting some good information in coming days about what to do if you should find yourself with one of these packages installed.

Until next time…

I’m back….Did ya miss me?

I went away on vacation all psyched about my new blog and podcast, with all kinds of plans. Vacation was great, and then we    returned    to    real    life. The university I work for returned began Fall Semester, my wife and daughter’s school started anew, and sleep became scarce.

Now things have begun to level out, so I’m finally ready to get back to what I started several months ago.

There are a lot of things to talk about so stay tuned.

Thanks for waiting. I’ll try to make it worth it.

Welcome

Nearly twenty years ago, a good friend of mine worked for a major computer manufacturer. I worked for the state of Illinois, consulting with school districts in their implementation of technology. Since he worked in K-12 marketing for his company, we finally got a chance to work together on something. As part of a marketing campaign, he had coined the phrase “I am a technology apologist”, and had it printed on T-shirts that he provided to one of our tech conferences.

Even though nearly every person who saw the shirt asked what it meant, I loved the shirt, and I loved the term “technology apologist”. As a matter of fact, I had several of the shirts, and had one until just a few years ago – when my wife finally made me throw it away.

So you might be wondering what exactly is a “technology apologist” (tech apologist for short). Let me begin by saying that I have worked in the information technology industry for over 27 years with organizations public and private, large and small. That’s where the “tech” comes from. “Apologist” is a little harder to explain.

The word apologize comes to mind…and sometimes as a IT professional I have had to apologize, for something not working correctly, even if the problem was with the user and not with the device or application. This therefore is a different use of the word.

Merriam-Webster defines apologist as “one who speaks or writes in defense of someone or something” or “a person who defends or supports something (such as a religion, cause, or organization) that is being criticized or attacked by other people.” In my mind, someone who defends or supports something, sometimes has to also explain it and help others understand. Therefore a “tech apologist” is someone who would defends, supports, and explains technology and its use in modern culture, hopefully in a way that helps others to understand.

So if you are not thoroughly confused yet, in this blog and podcast, I hope to bring light to confusing, sometimes frustrating parts of technology. We’ll discuss computers (of course), the Internet, consumer electronics (smartphones, tablets, etc.), social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), and some helpful tips and tricks. I will endeavor to provide insight, assistance, and hopefully a little humor.

So please check back with me. It’ll be fun.

T