CYBERTECH
[The advice provided here is no guarantee, so you need to exercise your own prudence in educating yourself and making choices. Don't assume what I say is gospel. It's only intended to help you get started. You are solely responsible for your own decisions and actions. The more you learn, the better off you will be, and the less you will need to consult someone like me - a nonexpert giving friendly advice based on my own groping through challenges.]
This is a brief primer on computers, software, web pages, and the internet. It's not meant to substitute for good technical advice, but rather to point you in the right direction.
This web site is dedicated to the proposition that activist advocacy to seek justice for Federal employees and their communities is a noble calling and requires professional skills, including competencies in cybertechnology. If you want to get your message out to large numbers, you've got to go online and do it with style and speed. You also need to keep costs reasonable.
You are in luck! Prices for cybertech continue to go down. High quality computer systems can be gotten with internet deals right now for less than $500 up front and under $22 per month (given rebates, etc.). You will need additional software, but total costs are still very low compared to even a year ago, and still dropping. You should get a computer running at least at 400 MHz with not less than 64 "Megs" of RAM (random access memory), a 3.5" floppy drive, a Zip drive (don't neglect this), a CD-ROM or DVD drive, at least an 8 G (gigabyte) hard drive (it's well worth getting even more in the long run), a "USB port" (don't ask, but you will eventually need it), a printer (color ink jets are relatively inexpensive with affordable operating costs), a 17" monitor (shows much more on screen, and can be displayed large for those with sight impairments) with speakers (they don't have to be expensive, but you will want them, unless you literally can't hear - "multimedia" is exactly that), and a modem running at not less that 54 Mbs (megabytes/second) - preferably running much faster, if you're lucky enough to have cable modem access in your area or affordable high speed telephone access (ISDN or DSL). Whatever modem connection you get, just be sure its compatible with your Internet Service Provider (ISP - see below). Stick with a brand name computer, unless your techno-savvy. Compaq, IBM, HP, Dell, Gateway, and even Apple are all reliable, according to industry reports.
[For the truly cyber-savvy, start getting proficient in LINUX, because it's going to grow rapidly and has a fighting chance to displace Microsoft Windows because its both more robust and secure, and is FREE. For everyone else, ignore this paragraph until you start becoming conscious of LINUX being mentioned at work.]
For the average person, you'll need to use Windows, so get at least Windows 95, preferably 98 version 2. Sign up for an ISP (internet service provider) that uses standard internet "browsers" (either Netscape Communicator/Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer - both are FREE and can be used simultaneously). I strongly recommend that you avoid AOL because it is a proprietary system that doesn't use the standard browsers and makes you go through lots of hoops to get to the real internet. Check with your ISP before deciding what modem connection to get with your computer, so you don't waste time, money, and aggravation. Get the fastest, most reliable connection you can afford, without being foolish. Most services with a standard modem cost about $21 per month. DSL or cable modem can cost $40 to $60 per month. Choose what fits your budget, but nothing less than 54 Mbs in speed.
Be sure your ISP supplies you with an email account (typically "POP3" for "post office protocol version 3"). They will also issue instructions on how to set it up using either Netscape or Microsoft, although there are other options, such as Lotus Notes, etc. I recommend Netscape and Microsoft, but be forewarned that you will need a good anti-virus software that checks email and gets updated online regularly - viruses and other virulent code is serious business these days because we are under attack both by domestic hackers and foreign agents engaged in "cyber-war." Also, do periodically "defragment" your hard drive, either with the Windows utility or something like Norton or Mijenix Fix-It Utilities. Just don't run stuff in the background that claims to "protect" your system from crashes - its guaranteed to cause more problems. Use utilities only when you need them.
To protect your work and systems, you should take the following precautions:
1. Get CD's or backup disks for all applications you load (CD's are the quickest if you have to rebuild your system).
2. Back up your data files regularly, and keep copies of current work on removable media (zip disks are the best, but floppies suffice - larger drives and off brands like superdisks are more cumbersome or less transferrable).
3. Keep track of where files are stored, and try to keep them centralized. The "My Documents" folder can be set up with subfolders. Some applications store files in strange places (e.g., Microsoft Outlook and Netscape still haven't caught on to the need for simplicity in file storage), but the instructions can be found. Just be sure to always back up all your data files so you don't lose something you will regret.
4. Make copies of your backups, because even backups can suffer damage, and keep everything protected - from magnetic fields, extreme temperatures, humidity, dust, etc. Putting removable storage media in a fireproof drawer on an upper floor is not paranoia in this age of floods, fires, earthquakes, etc.
5. Make paper copies of important documents, or protected microform if you can afford it. Don't discount the obsolescence or decay of contemporary media. The Y2K problem is only the most obvious immediate example of poor planning. Good paperwork will actually outlast all common forms of advanced cybermedia by centuries (including microform).
This doesn't mean that cybertech is useless. It does mean that cybertech is still in its infancy compared to several millennia of experience with ink and parchment.
But, our real focus here is getting your message out to the masses, which you can't do very well with paper. It's slow and costly. Use (acid-free) paper for vital records but cybertech for high-volume and high-speed communications.
Other software you should get as you can afford it is: Corel WordPerfect Office Suite 2000 (Professional), Microsoft Office 2000 (Premium), Quick View Plus, NetZip (or another good zip/unzip utility), WS_FTP, Adobe Acrobat Reader. There are other favorites of mine, but I'll end the list here, because this equips you to handle most email, attachment opening, file conversion, text editing, spreadsheet, database, and web editing functions you're ever likely to be concerned with. Just be sure to get the latest editions of the software, because it does improve performance. Just don't expect a totally problem-free experience.
The reason for the "suites" is because they contain lots of useful "extras" and things that you may not think about until you need them. I recommend "Front Page" included with the Premium edition of MS Office 2000 for web editing. It's fairly easy to learn and use. But, I recommend using WS_FTP to upload your web pages, because it's also easy to learn and use (and it's free to noncommercial home users).
You will need a web site. You can one or more free from lots of places, but be sure to pay attention to time requirements, or your web page may be removed when you don't return to it in the specified period. That happens with Angelfire at http://www.angelfire.com but they are otherwise an easy service to use. Just make it a habit to check in and change something regularly (e.g., once a week). Other free services are Geocities at http://www.geocities.com or http://geocities.yahoo.com and Tripod at http://www.tripod.com . You will find lots of free utilities, instructions, and links to other resources at all these sites, so I recommend that you take full advantage of the web. Since you need email with some of these services, be sure to already have your email set up with your ISP. Also, I recommend getting at least one more free email, at http://my.yahoo.com , which you can set up to access from My Yahoo as a home page.
You may also want to get free email from http://hotmail.com but be forewarned that hackers love to target Microsoft security weaknesses, and Microsoft now owns Hotmail. Nonetheless, if you don't use all the Microsoft macros (turn them off) and only use Microsoft Office when other people send you stuff requiring Office to open files, you should be pretty safe (just don't open email attachments without running virus scan first if you're not certain of the sender). Hotmail can be useful because you can set up Microsoft Outlook to treat Hotmail as if it were like a POP3 email account. This may not immediately mean anything to you, but if you use a computer at work and have access to the internet behind a firewall, you very likely won't be able to access regular POP3 email accounts, but can access internet-based accounts, including Hotmail which you can set up as an easy, seamless POP3-like account. I won't take about encryption here, but I advise spending the time to learn about it after you set up POP3 email - it won't do any good with the typical internet based non-POP3-type email.
The obvious reason for email, of course, is communicating with folks. When you set up web sites, you will usually want to include an email address. However, you may not want to divulge a lot of personal information about yourself. My standard practice is to create an "online personality" - one I can easily remember, but put in "n/a" for certain address items, like "street." Don't divulge "maiden names" or "mother's maiden name" (a question frequently used by credit reporting agencies for security, but actually unnecessary, and they can't legally require it). Keep in mind, for personal security, that smart hackers can collect odd bits of your data from many places and construct a fairly complete profile, and then gather more vital data, like social security numbers, with which to then penetrate more deeply into allegedly secure databases, like bank accounts. Therefore, think smart - don't put anything out there you don't have too. Often the data "fields" which are "required" in setting up things like email or web page accounts only need an entry - not an accurate entry. Be careful also about posting "family" data, like how many children, ages, etc. Don't post home phone numbers. Use post office boxes for mail if possible. Route stuff through work, if convenient. Set up an "extra" phone line that has no directory listing with address. Basically, be cautious. Most folks are honest, but that's not who you worry about. Also, remember that the internet can actually be more secure than using your credit card in the typical retail establishment where every clerk in the store can be privy to your credit card number after a purchase.
That said, you should teach yourself to be proficient with a computer and on the web, using software and searching databases. Now matter how much you resist, more and more will be automated. You can always live in the woods, but our so-called "civilization" will continue on its exponential growth curve until we either wreck the ecosystem beyond human habitation or transmute our technological capabilities into a radically different form of culture. Our existence is already bionic. The real question is whether we choose to remain humane at the same time - a challenging question, given the characteristic rudeness of modern manners in our "road rage" world.
In future posts, I'll add links to good technical resources, and try to explain more about the simple nuts and bolts. But, you owe it to yourself to get educated, because the traffic is moving rapidly into cyberspace and accelerating to hyperspeed. Remember: it's not the complexity that you must master, but your anxiety when confronted with the complexity.