Resistant to change?

It is amazing how people get set in their ways. They find something they like and won’t try something similar that may be better than what they are using currently. Nobody wants to get a virus on their computer, but it is shocking how many of you are still using Internet Explorer as thier main web browser. To add to the risk, these same people often don’t protect themselves from from free roaming worms on the net with a simple “Router” between there internet device (modem, cable modem, DSL, etc…) and their computers. Get a Router and try out Firefox people! Those two things alone will reduce you risks on the web by 1000% – Listen to these to see just how vulnerable you are without a router… listen to this. http://media.grc.com/sn/SN-003.mp3  And why Internet Explorer is so unsafe, get more info on Firefox and other web browsers and their issues… listen to this. http://media.grc.com/sn/SN-038.mp3 These audio files are from a very respected security expert, Steve Gibson. Here is a list of many security subjects he talks about http://www.grc.com/securitynow.htm I have listen to most of the episodes until they started getting into Vista then I lost interest. Also check out episodes #7, 52, 61 and 85 for more basic security awareness. The small amount of time spent could save you much more time spent fixing your computer or getting your stolen identity back.

Another risk and resistance is MySpace. But I like MySpace, Virb, or Bebo or what ever they are using, they tell you. All my friends are there. So is ALL the malicious spyware and Trojan codes, scripts and adware. Myspace is very dangerous for malware. Try Facebook! MySpace is so yesterday. Facebook is safer, does more, and so much classier than MySpace. I still have a Myspace account. I don’t use it much anymore, but I tried it, used it, and moved on. It is still there if I need it. But, keeping in mind I only visit myspace on a non-Internet Explorer browser with scripting, and third party advertising off, at least until I have more trust in the site I am visiting.
Another example is MSN, Yahoo Messenger, Skype etc.. Us geeks, use, try, and give feedback to each other on all kinds of new software and web sites. The real computer geek knows Skype is one of the best chat, video, group audio & chat, computer to computer voice, and computer to land line voice clients out there. But our friends are stuck on MSN or Yahoo. So us geeks use all of the different chat clients, we conform to our friends, but when we suggest to a friend to try another free option, like Skype, there is no way they are going to change! I say, “But it has feature that allows better communication and convenience, it’s better,”  Then this wall comes up, “I am not going to change just for you, all my friends us x-chat, I’m sticking with that.” They say, “I don’t have time to learn new stuff” But once you know one type, the others are similar, just give it a chance. All I am trying to say is try something new, who now you might like it and be that little bit wiser for it. You may even be able to use it with other friends that may have also been waiting for you to upgrade to something new. Or sometimes you just need a different or better tool at your disposal, because what you are using doesn’t do everything you want or need for a particular job. Don’t just write it off, give it a try.

Then again thinking back, complacency is much easier if you have no clue about how dangerous the web is and the number of options you actually have on the WWW.

Leave me a comment on your thoughts on this. If I made one more person and computer little more secure, then this post was worth it.