Author: Cork

1. Don’t believe everything you read and see.

Of the 5 rules to safely search internet, feel that rules 1 and 5 are perhaps the most important. First off, if something does not make sense and it is important to you, investigate a bit further. As far as that goes, even if it may seem plausible, you may want to check deeper into it. How many times have you heard someone say, “I saw it on Facebook.”?  So, to them it must be true. Example: Betty White died. (As of 4/10/2020 – Thank God she is still with us at the current age of 98 years-old.) I think over time, I have seen headings that she has died, almost as often as George Burns was reported dead up until his actual death on March 9^th 1996 at the age of 100 years-old. And I think that was mostly on Facebook. Nothing against Facebook, but you shouldn’t believe that everything you read is a fact.

2. There are 3 sides to every story.

Your truth. My truth. The truth. I think it is good to hear both sides to help determine the truth. Often there is some truth even in fiction. And somethings proven to be falsehoods within facts. So, keep in mind that there are pros and cons to every topic and I suggest you check out all sides with rule #1 in mind. I know it is hard to put aside your own bias and seek the truth. Actually, any view point that you may have, you are likely to find an article or message board full of people who feel the same way. There are people who believe in cults (yes, even today) but they do not view them as a cult. There are people who believe Covid19 is a hoax simply because someone they trusted said it was a hoax when it first came to the USA. Since, they do not know anyone personally that has it or has had it, they believe it to be a hoax. And because a certain news channel pushes that agenda, they do not second guess it. So, I am simply suggesting that if you really want to know, then listen to all sides and review the facts if it is important enough for you to do so.

For example,  if you are looking for information using the terms: “What is going really well right now?” Instead try to narrow it down to your specific intent. Like, “How is the US economy doing right now.” Or “What good things are happening in the world right now?” See, some thoughts just need narrowed down some to be more specific to safety get your intended search result. If the original question is just too broad try tweaking it slightly so you get better results. Now if you don’t find what you are looking for the first time, try, try again. Eventually, you can find a response to almost any question or phrase. It is just a matter of wording the request properly. A rule is that sometimes, the fewer the words, the better the results. Usually, less is more in regards to getting results you want while searching the internet.                              

4. http vs https.    

First of all, the “s” in https stands for secure site. So, if you want to go to a certain website and there is one with the “s” and a choice without the “s”, I would look at the one with the “s” first.  Since the one without the “s” in not encrypted, there is a chance that your information could be stolen. Therefore, before you enter in your credit card information or any personal information you might want to make sure that site has the “s” or at least make sure it is a site that can be trusted. Ask people you know if they have used it before and if they have had any problems. Check the reviews to see if anyone post that their information was stolen after using that site. Now, many un-encrypted sites are fairly safe. And even secured sites could have information stolen but it should be less likely. Just be cautious when you put your personal information out there. Consider, some of the sites may not display any http or https so if you click in the address bar a couple of times, the full address should be shown, then you will know. Also, if you type in the full address including the https, and if it goes to that site without asking if you meant something else, then it should be https.

5. Try not to take things too personally.

There are lots of differences of opinion out there. We are all entitled to be wrong sometimes. Often, a statement made may be a general opinion and not targeted towards you specifically or even anyone person in particular. If you feel passionate about something it is generally okay to publicly disagree but it would be nice if it is based on fact and not just your angered response to the controversial issue. Remember Rule 2? At least, that is my opinion of this matter. Things are not just that simple when it is based on emotion. Many opinions are stated as facts. Therefore, consider, people that you do not know, does not know you either. So, statements made may apply to you but not be directed at you. How you perceive them is totally up to you. Now, I know you are smart (after all, you have chosen to read this article) and you do not need to be preached at. So, I am just saying that a little common sense can go a long way.

I am really curious to hear your thoughts. Love to see what you have for tips. I promise not to take it personally, even if you intend for me to. 🙂