"Virus? What's that?" - Mac Users

There could be an endless amount of reasons why PCs get so many more viruses than Macs. I think it's a scam, personally. I owned my very first MacBook from 2007 until 2013. I had no issues with it and the MacBook Pro I got to replace it works like a dream. I will never, ever own another PC.

I know that people have issues with Macs because there is a learning curve if you grew up with or work with PCs constantly. You get used to something and you don't like change. Macs are expensive, but they last forever. PCs are cheap, but they don't last as long -- mainly because they get unfixable viruses.

No matter how much anti-virus you put on your PC or how many times you run a cookie clean up, a PC will inevitably get a crippling virus.

I'd like to think Macs don't get viruses because of how expensive they are. Maybe they have some serious anti-virus installed that can't be cracked...

As for Android and it's issues, I also went from Android to iPhone because my phone got a virus. I will also never own an Android phone again. Smart phones are just mini computers, how would they not get viruses as well?

Social Networking in the Spotlight

If there's one thing to be said about this issue is that if you're going to say something even remotely offensive in public, you'd better have a pretty (excuse my language) badass public relations team.

Think about when a celebrity gets in trouble for driving under the influence or got into a fight at a club. What do you see at the bottom of the article? "So-and-so's publicist did not return any requests for comment". PR teams are around for just this very reason.

Just recently, a member of the Baltimore Orioles' PR team, Monica Pence-Barlow, passed away. One of the players, Adam Jones, was quoted in a Baltimore Sun article saying, "'She just helped me a lot with making the right decisions and doing things that not just helped me but helped the team, instead of just doing things just for the sake of doing them,'" Even just having that thought in the back of your mind, "Don't say that, you may make some people mad", could be a career-saving move.

Despite that, some people don't listen to the angel on their shoulder. I think people in the spotlight need to remember that ALWAYS. I wouldn't want to be like Levar Burton and lose all those Twitter followers...

Not to mention, why would you insinuate something bad about Phillip Seymour Hoffman? If you'll excuse me, I'll be in the west wing...

Monica Pence-Barlow article

WhatsApp? No, really... What is this app?

It seems to me that Facebook is consistently trying to buy up the next big thing, but if WhatsApp isn't very popular in the United States as of yet, what's the big deal?

Initially, I wondered what Zuckerberg was thinking, seeing as Facebook already has it's own messaging service connected to it. In the CNN video in the referenced article, he was quoted as saying, "WhatsApp is on the path to connect 1 billion people. The services that reach that milestone are all incredibly valuable." Let's recap; how many Facebook users are there? A LOT. And the messaging service is free as well and can be used over 3G networks and WiFi connection. I guess the point I'm getting at is that these types of messaging programs are already around. What makes WhatsApp so much more popular?

It seems like the WhatsApp creators made enough money to last them a lifetime, but time will only tell what Facebook will do with it. It looks like a seriously risky investment, somewhat because we all know how easily apps burn out and we just delete them after a week. Yes, Instagram is still going strong, adding many more users every day, but it is also a somewhat different kind of social networking than texting so it has staying power.

Another note - at least for iPhone users, WhatsApp is only free for the first year. After that, its $.99/year. So it isn't truly free, but hey, if Facebook has $19 billion to buy the whole app's parent company, you should have $.99 to buy the app.

Verizon vs. Netflix/Amazon: The Truth Comes Out

I could see how Verizon slowing down connection speeds could be a major issue for people who actually have work to do, but people are always going to complain about their internet services. Internet connectivity is a necessary evil in the current times and probably will be forever. Maybe this is a sign from a higher power (not like God, but like a CEO) that people need to stop binge-watching Dexter and do something productive. I'm also not exactly sure what AWS is -- I'm assuming it is something like Google Drive where you can store documents and such. I'll brush up on this technology.

That being said, I do not believe this is fair whatsoever. If we are paying you, as a customer, we have the right to what you claim, fast internet/download speeds.

The common man cannot do anything about it, unfortunately. All I can really say is that I'm glad I don't have Verizon FiOS, although Frontier is not much better.

I think that it's almost scary that these providers think they can pull the wool over customers' eyes. This is a major ethics no-no.

But, as people have posted in the comments section under the article, this is NOT illegal. It just is not what the public wants to hear.

People are still using AOL?

I can imagine there may be a few underlying factors as to why people still use AOL as their email provider.

Reason number one: People get stuck in their ways. Old habits die hard. However you want to put it, people will use what they always have. It is much easier than creating a new email address, moving contact information, etc.

Reason number two: Someone keep an email address like hotxbuns123@aol.com for their junk mail only, and then create a more professional account through another service. They still use the email but just for stuff they don't need to check every day.

Reason number three: Let's take a geographical look at this. The states that were featured in the article were West Virginia, Florida, New Jersey, Delaware, and Mississippi. West Virginia: most areas in W. Va. are still in the dark ages, let's admit it. Even only an hour away from Shepherd's campus, they do not receive 3G network service at all. Florida: Full of old people. Old people do not like change, at least from what I have observed. I'm not sure what New Jersey's excuse for still using AOL is. Delaware; also full of retirees who live at the beach. And Mississippi might be in the same boat as W. Va. where technology is lacking.

As for the trade-in deal for IE7, I think that idea is brilliant. It is a bit alarming that people are still stuck in the past in terms of technology. I believe that this is a great incentive to get people propelled into the present.

Introduction

My name is Sarah Brown and this is my third year at Shepherd. I was a transfer student in spring of 2012 and I am now a senior. I will graduate in May 2015. I am looking forward to creating my webpage and learning some things in this class that I can use in the future.

I'm a fan of classic country and any kind of rock (you know, igneous... sedimentary... Just kidding)

I love The Walking Dead, The Newsroom, Veronica Mars, Archer, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and American Horror Story.

The Big Lebowski is my absolute favorite movie of all time, though I have many other favorites (I just saw The Wolf of Wall Street this weekend and it has definitely made my list now)

Hunter S. Thompson is kind of my hero. I love anything he's written. My favorite book is Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I guess my favorite thing about that book is that its so vastly opposite from my life. I'm pretty boring. At least, I am - compared to a drug binge in the desert.

My goals after I graduate from Shepherd include getting myself a job in the world of public relations and having the most excellent relationship with my awesome boyfriend, Alex (who also happens to be in this class)