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What we've learned since the last time we met
This blog was on hiatus while yours truly took an excursion tour back to the world of work. We're back and will be writing regularly.
Setting aside the goings-on with the national and world news (sounding ever more like rocks in a washing machine), we're continuing to see noteworthy developments in learning and technology.
The Pew Research Center on Internet & Technology conducts a regular survey on technology adoption and use among people aged 65 and older. You can read the latest study, published in May of this year.
You are a tech-savvy bunch. More than 90 percent of WISE members have and use email, well ahead of the national average. Two-thirds of WISE members provide cell phone numbers — more than is typical for folks older than 65.
We also saw this trend in the way that WISE members chose online registration. Nearly two-thirds of you paid for your membership and registered for courses online.
Many of the messages that I receive include "Sent from my iPhone" or a similar signature at the bottom, indicating that you're reading and sending messages from your phone. I can't say which is cooler: that you're sending messages from your phone in greater numbers or that sending messages from your mobile devices has become ordinary. No matter which it is, it's seriously cool and you should feel proud.
So, please, continue to send me your questions and comments. We want to remove those things that are getting in the way of your experience as lifelong learners.
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Fake news. More real than you think.
Google Trends, a feature of Google that tracks the occurrence of words and phrases throughout the web, reports that fake news was barely worth noting in May 2016 (when this blog last appeared). Throughout the election period and into the new year, it's become a real thing.
As my wife says, if there was an easy answer, we'd have found it already. Stories that appear credible, as well as audio, photos, and videos that look compelling — all of us will get caught. The only questions are, "When?" and "How often?"
Finding reliable news sources takes time and money. Subscribing to news sources, such as The Economist, Wall Street Journal, or other most trusted news sources can get pricey. The time and money that you spend, however, may be the shortcut. At least you won't be the one to react to and spread more fake news.
This fall, WISE is offering two courses that will address the challenges of fake news:
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Yup, passwords again
Over lunch with some friends, I was describing my involvement with WISE, including work that I've done to help people use their computers, tablets, and smartphones.
"What is the biggest problem that people have?" my friend asked.
"Passwords," I answered. (I might have prefaced it with a fleeting expletive.)
Upwards of 90% of the problems I encounter begin with, pass through, or end with password problems.
Someone wants to install an app on her phone, but forgot her Apple ID password. No problem. Click "Forgot password." Apple sends a password reminder to an email address for which the password is also missing. You get the idea.
You've probably heard by now that one of the guys who promoted one part of password hell is now filled with regret. Bill Burr, author of a 2003 memo outlining what were then regarded as best practices for people and system designers, now realizes that his advice doesn't work well when you have many, many passwords."I have maybe 200 passwords. I can't remember all those obviously," he said.
The short answer is that there is no short answer. I have a password scheme that helps me remember passwords for many sites. Other sites, however, require that I change passwords every six months or so, breaking the scheme. I also use a password manager (LastPass) which works well on a computer, but less well on a phone or tablet.
Some sites will send you a text message. Others, such as Google, have an authentication app. Still others, such as Microsoft, let you log in with a PIN, but then require the full password elsewhere.
The best tips that I can give are the following:
- Never use the same email/password combination on multiple sites.
- Use a strong password, such as My cat weighs 8 lbs., on your primary email address.
- If you have a smartphone, use two-factor authentication on your iPhone or Android phone.
- Do your best with the rest.
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Old words were new once
I grew up reading dictionaries. We eventually acquired an encyclopedia set from the supermarket, (World Book, I think), but there was always a dictionary. I learned words and I learned about the world.
Now, we have a 1926 dictionary, a reminder that then, as now, language was churning. It has a lengthy section on the new words that were coming into the language by way of science, medicine, and culture. It offers important insights into the life and times.
Merriam-Webster's Time Traveler offers a similar view by listing the new words of the past many centuries.
We learn that back–of–the–envelope appeared in 1968, the humble BLT in 1950, and rock and roll in 1954. 1940 brought us the wave of the future.
When you search for a definition, the site provides you with the date that it was first used. You can also browse by year to 1500 and even beyond that.
Enjoy this delightful waste of time.
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Note: Often, we provide links to external web pages. The advertisements and other content shown on those pages do not necessarily represent the views of yours truly or the WISE Communications Committee.
Further, the product reviews and commentary reflect my opinion and not necessarily those of WISE, the Communications Committee, or others. Your mileage may vary. Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary. e=mc2. Semper ubi sub ubi.
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