Beginner - Computers

If you used a web browser on a computer (a smart phone is a computer), you do not need to go through the following dated and silly website. We provided this link in case someone has helped you get here and you would rather understand what the computer and internet (and world wide web - WWW) is all about in simple terms.

• Museum of Modern Technology - http://www.actden.com/skills2k/direct.htm

You are now ready to visit the real Computer History Museum. If you are lost and there is no curator around, please visit the Exhibits Page. If you are pressed for time, see only the 'Revolution' and 'Internet History' exhibits in the initial visit. When you have more time, you may want to go through the Timeline of Computer History.

Did you like the museum? Would you rather learn faster with less graphics and text - try this page. Again this is dated (circa 1998) but well written. Ignore the price data or understand the numbers in the historical context. You might get drawn to their core expertise on this site - how to shoot and edit videos. There are some Adobe Photoshop tutorials on the main page. We have not reviewed all the content on this site. So, use your discretion while browsing. On that note, you will notice a security error on their main page using any modern web browser. The way the society works - we will not tell you that it is safe to continue browsing this site. If you are here to learn - understand what this error really means and whether it is safe to browse or not and what might happen in the worst case. Does 'private browsing' really help you with this kind of situation? We are digressing. More on this in the 'Beginner - Internet' roadmap.

Do not underestimate the wealth of resources your computer already has by default. You do not have to use the internet or world wide web (WWW) to learn about computers and internet. All computers come with built-in 'Help and Support' documentation (the title and location may vary). Look for the keywords - help and support in the start menu or just search locally on your computer using the 'search' field present in your computer's graphical user interface (GUI). The location of this changes based on which operating system you use. If web search is more convenient for you, move on - the grass is greener on the other side (what is the equivalent proverb in your mother tongue).

Here is another well organized web page on computer basics. Always be careful on the internet and realize the difference between an advertisement and useful information. Sometimes the advertisements are integrated into the useful content so well that you cannot really tell which is which and you would end up going down the rabbit hole. Enjoy your trip and get back to reality if you end up in wonderland.

Would you rather watch videos to learn? Here are few suggestions: before you jump to the links, enable safe search in YouTube and search engines (these links are provided here even though they have advertisements to see what opinions are expressed by others and what type of products they might try to sell you). Learn about family safety on internet without any advertisements.

• • Send yourself an email with all the video links for the topics you want to learn or ask someone who can use the email to send this email to themselves or you (if they created an account for you) and open the links - www.teachparentstech.org

Computer Literacy - it is still a hot topic. Decide how you want to proceed after looking at these viewpoints:

See if any of these sites are useful for you in educating yourself.

• Personal Computers 101 on about.com

• Channels on HowStuffWorks.com - hardware, software (read the operating systems topic first; spend time on other topics if you have a lot of time), peripherals (read about CD/DVD burners).

Security. If your computer is not connected to a network and only your family uses the computer, can your computer get a virus and would things go bad on your computer. Definitely YES, unless you are security conscious and take a lot of precautions. One of the precautions could be - no outside media (including USB sticks, CD/DVDs) is used on your computer. Why is this an issue? If you plug-in a USB stick / drive or insert a CD/DVD in the optical drive of your computer, what can go wrong? Auto-play / Auto-run. It is very convenient if the computer does certain things automatically and figures out what is there on the external media you connected and helps you start appropriate application to begin your activity - be it watching a movie or reading a document resident on the external media. Malicious programs can use the same mechanism when they piggyback on the useful content and wreck havoc on your system unless it is protected using some security software. The issue with any security software is that it is always out-of-date. You need to stay connected to the internet to keep receiving the updates that the security software company can send to your system. Most of these companies are on top of the severe issues that get a lot of press. Hence you have reasonable protection if you use appropriate software. Then again, are there perfect watchmen in the real world? Same thing applies in computers. To feel secure do you employ multiple security agencies or do you keep your security strategy obscure and use common sense? Nothing special about computers. Your social behavior reflects in the usage of your computer. That is a long para. More on this topic in the 'Beginner - Internet' roadmap.