The simplest way to put it: A hashtag is just a way to categorize online posts. If you are interested in golf, and want to know what is going on in the golf world, you might go on Instagram or Twitter and look up #golf to see what the latest news is. If you’re posting a photo yourself, and you decide you want people to be able to see it with other golf-related things on Instagram or Twitter, you may type in #golf into the description before you post the photo online. Alternatively, a friend might post something with a hashtag like, #LMPYL. If you’re curious as to what LMPYL could mean, you could click on the link and see a bunch of posts with that hashtag. From there, it’d be safe to conclude that #LMPYL is a specific webseries where guests have the next 30 years of their lives planned out for them. Also, that host is great! If someone exclaims, "This hashtag is trending!" it means that a lot of people are currently including that particular hashtag in their posts. This usually happens after big news, like in politics or during a natural disaster, but also happens after a major celebrity's faux pas. How To Create A HashtagIf you want to include a hashtag on your post, all you have to do is type the pound sign (#), followed by the word or phrase of your choice. That's really all there is to it. Still, there are some rules in regards to formatting. Formatting RulesIf you’re going to use a phrase, the format typically omits spaces, apostrophes, and punctuation marks. Even though the search engine doesn't recognize capital letters in most hashtags, many people choose to capitalize the first letter of every individual word so that it's easier to read what the hashtag is. It's the difference between #becomeaninstagrandma and #BecomeAnInstaGrandma. Now, there are two ways of including your hashtag into your post. The first is to embed the hashtag directly into your sentence as you post. For example, "We're having a discount at #TiffanysLamps this week! Make sure to stop by!" The second way to include your hashtag is to type it in after the text. "We're having a discount on at Tiffany's Lamps this week! Make sure to stop by! #TiffanysLamps" Notice that I didn't include any ending punctuation after the hashtag. Building An AudienceI'm going to be upfront and say this portion of the article does not apply to most of you. Most people don't need to build an audience. However, artists and entrepreneurs might want to build an audience as they build their brands, and some people just like being internet famous. Let's use our lamp example from before. If you want to create or use a hashtag specifically for building up your audience, do a search to see if anyone is using the phrase you want to use. If no one has used it yet, or it has been used only a handful of times, it’s perfect! Post your statuses and pictures and use your new hashtag. If your chosen one has already been used, you can try making your phrase more specific. For example, #lamp has over four million results on Instagram, but #TiffanysLamps has less than 20 at the time of writing this article. If someone named Tiffany owned a Lamp Store, guess which hashtag she should use. Because you may have come up with a hashtag that is original, how do you get people who have never heard of the hashtag to find you? One way is to use related hashtags so people know to associate you with a certain brand, product, etc. For example, you might want to associate #TiffanysLamps with #lamps, #floorlamps, #lightingdesign, #designonabudget, etc. Even if these other hashtags have been used literally 30,000,000 times, a person can now say, "I don't know what #TiffanysLamps is, but I know what all of those other things are. I can safely deduce that Tiffany's Lamps is a lamp store." Related hashtags with 10,000 to 100,000 search results are usually the best ones to use for this sort of thing. I usually employ a mix of hashtags. I might say, “Hey #Lamplighters, we here @TiffanysLamps are having a #LetThereBeLight sale! 20% off all in store #lamps, and free installation of #ceilingfans! Buy yours today! #TiffanysLamps #lightingdesign #lampstore”. The generic ones are there so people know what I’m talking about, and the more specific ones try to target a specific customer base (in this case, people who want ceiling fans and are into lighting design). I only used seven hashtags in all. Can you use too many hashtags? Yes. An Instagram post has a limit of 30 hashtags, and nothing will register after that point. In addition, the closer you get to 30 hashtags, the more likely you are to be flagged as spam. Pick a handful of favorites that accurately showcase what you’re trying to do. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you on the internet!
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There are many reasons why your battery might be dying on you. The good news is that half the time, it's easily fixable! Depending on circumstances, though, you may decide it's worth it to upgrade to a new phone. What Is Killing My Battery?Too Many Apps Are Open Many people forget to close their apps. Just like how your electronic devices use electricity when they are plugged into an outlet, your apps take up power from your phone, even if they are turned off. To quit an app on an iPhone, press the home key until you see several home pages for open apps on your screen. Then, swipe every single app upward. How hot or cold is it? Your phone works best in a certain temperature range. Luckily, it happens to be the same range that you work well in (32º-95º Fahrenheit, 0º-35º Celsius), but it can be a surprise if you're out in the desert or the Tundra for the first time. I was actually working in Wisconsin the first time I saw it, and thought, "Well...good thing we aren't stranded..." My coworker just kept the phone warm in her jacket, and then she would take it out to make super quick calls before it registered how cold it was again. Your Battery Is Just Worn Out Most batteries do have a shelf life. If your battery is 5 years old, it may just be time to replace it. Certain factors also cause the battery to wear out faster, such as constant plugging and unplugging, letting the battery drain regularly, or constant extremes in temperatures. In this scenario, you could either get a new phone or a new battery. When I bought a new battery in 2019, it cost around $50 to have it installed in the store. If my phone had been closer to the end of its lifecycle, I might have opted for a new phone entirely. For a more in depth overview of what is happening in your phone, check out this video on the subject. What Else Can I Do?If you're sure it's not the settings on your phone, and you're sure it's not that you have to many apps open, and the weather is fine, and your battery hasn't had time to wear out yet, it's possible that you're just spending a lot of time on it or not charging it regularly. Let's talk about Airplane Mode, which you can also use outside of an airplane. Airplane Mode causes your phone not to try to communicate with WiFi signals or Cell Towers. As a result, your phone's power lasts longer, and the battery will charge faster. This is great on long flights (hence the name), but only recommended if you're not planning on talking to anyone for a while, and if you remember to take your phone off Airplane Mode. You could also buy a Power Bank. They usually cost $25, with the higher end models going for about $50 and some models only costing $5. Think of it as an extension on your battery. I've already written about this in the past. Even though I'm usually never away from an outlet for more than an hour or two a day, I like to keep a power bank just in case. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you on the internet!
This is the companion article to How To Teach Your InstaGrandma. Make sure you read them both! First off, I still think you should hire me. Second, here's what happens when you decide to do it yourself. When I was about 19-years-old, I had a client who didn't have the vocabulary to explain what was wrong, didn't have the skills to fix it himself, didn't want me looking at the screen, and didn't want me touching the keyboard. Needless to say, I did not solve any problems that day. I did, however, get a crash course in a lot of the challenges you'll face if you choose to teach your relatives yourself, instead of hiring me to do it. 1. The dynamic changes. Your parents are used to being the ones guiding you, but now you're the one guiding them. If your relative has a good attitude, then it's really just one person helping out another, both of whom happen to share blood ties. Sometimes, though, your relative may make things weird. The main reason for this weirdness is my next point. 2. Loss of independence. Your parents or grandparents may not be used to being old, feeble, and reliant on you, and while they may not personally resent you, it may feel like they do. At the least, they may resent the situation they are currently in. As a second point, you may not think about their independence, but it should be on your radar. It may be faster for you in the short term to just do something for your mom or dad, but in the long run, it's better if they can at least do the basics on their own. If you do EVERYTHING, they don't learn, and then you have to keep doing everything, and that's time taken away from other things in your life. 3. You learn a foreign language. Really, you just learn to communicate with someone who doesn't have the same vocabulary as you. If they use the wrong words, but the idea they want to communicate is completely correct, just go along with it. It's easier than stopping to correct them at every avenue. You can (and should) still use the correct verbiage while you respond, though. 4. They try to be cool. You can't blame them, because you've also tried to be cool (regardless of whether or not that has worked out for you). Why would your 80+ year-old grandparent need to be cool at this point of their life? Because they are currently out of their element. The dynamic is changing, they are dependent on you at the moment, and they don't have the vocabulary at the moment, and feel stupid enough. In some cases, you're really there more for bonding time than help with Instagram. Just be nice and let them feel cool. On a similar note, when they try to be cool, some things just don't translate well. Some jokes that were hilarious 20 years ago, or even just 5 years ago, are in a gray area today. The same can be said about certain compliments. Whether or not you acknowledge these comments, let alone correct them, is a judgement call. 5. Unbelievable Scams. Occasionally, you'll hear a story that someone's paranoid neighbor heard from his weird friend. Snopes and Google usually disprove several rumors, and some rumors are just too outlandish for Snopes to even bother with. Common sense, combined with safety practices and alertness, can prevent a lot of bad things from happening. 6. Dark Purposes. I have been asked to hack into computers belonging to other people, certain companies, and the government. First: That's above my personal pay grade. Second: Why? What purpose does hacking into someone's computer serve, long term or short term? I have also been asked to set up a Yelp account, YouTube Account, etc. so these people can leave nasty reviews. Once again: Why? What do you even get out of that? 7. Personal Drama. If you're not actually related to the person you're helping, you may end up hearing about their personal family drama. This isn't a bad thing: you're building rapport and you're learning how to help these people more directly. Plus: drama can be awesome when you don't have to deal with it directly. Most of the time, it's just that people inevitably talk about their lives at some point, and you may spend a lot of time with this person. Occasionally, you may become a surrogate child if you aren't related to these people. Sometimes, these people don't want to change their dynamic with their children at all, so you end up hearing the things that might change the dynamic between them and their kids. 8. Some minor inconvenience will lead to a meltdown. Most commonly, there's some sort of server error, and the obvious solution is to wait it out, but that won't be acceptable to your grandparents. If you stay calm, the meltdowns are shorter. 9. Some problem will be too much. It can be embarrassing when your parent expects you to be able to fix something, and there's nothing you can do. If that happens, I still suggest you give me a shot. Self promotion aside, the good thing about this is that you're confirming to your parents or grandparents that they aren't stupid or crazy, and they actually appreciate it. Plus, now when you call the big guns, you can all smugly say, "We already tried 5 things, including turning it on and off again," when you call customer service. 10. Watching people deteriorate in front of you if you're there long enough. It's depressing, but it happens enough: the person you're teaching is actually dying in front of you. All you can do is be comforting. 11. Senior women are just more receptive than senior men. That's why this is Become An InstaGrandma. Senior men tend to argue that they don't need social media or technology, and I'm not going to fight them. This is especially common in senior men who want to be seen as independent, competent, cool, etc. In this case, I'm usually most successful when I'm letting them fail in front of me, and letting them ask for my help at their own pace. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you on the internet!
Step One: Hire Me. Obviously, I would prefer you take this route, but I understand that some of you want to at least try to do it yourself first. If that's the case, I still think you should tell your folks about my articles where I address some of the questions I have received most often. Step Two: Reserve Some Time. Most likely, it'll be an hour. Most beginners get the most out of a 30 minute session, regardless of the discipline they are studying, because these new skills take a lot of focus. As they develop their skills and confidence, expanding to 45 minutes or an hour makes a lot of sense. An hour is a great because it's long enough for most tasks to be explained, demonstrated, and practiced with good focus. Two hours can be useful if it's a more advanced user, and if that person has a lot of energy or a lot of specifics they need to work on. After that point, though, you tend to see diminishing returns. One reason workshops tend to be longer is that there is less individual focus, and there is usually an opportunity for a break. Now, WHEN should you reserve time? The best time is when the student has the energy to focus. The second best is whatever is convenient for both of your schedules. Most people are most awake from 9:00am-11:00am, but do what you can when you can. Step Three: Decide What They Need To Learn. True story: computers became much easier for my mom when she discovered Amazon.com. That gave her some transferable skills for Facebook. These are both important her life, because she likes shopping for specific things, and she enjoys her friends and wants to stay connected with them. She does not, however, need to create an audience on Instagram by utilizing the algorithm and choosing the most effective hashtags. Your parents, grandparents, and even your children are pretty much the same: pick one or two things they look forward to doing, and use those one or two things to cultivate their interest. Step Four: Reminders. First, remind them that they are only going to get better if they practice. Remind them that there are opportunities online that may not exist in the real world, like buying tickets to shows. Remind them that you don't know where every little thing is–you just know where to look. Remind them that it's a muscle that develops over time. Remind them that they don't even really need a Twitter account, but if they at least know what Twitter is, they can make a conscious decision to enjoy it or avoid it, instead of being forced to stay off due to their lack of ability. Remind them that like many other skills, it comes down to making time and doing a lot of repetition. Step Five: Empathy. Remember that if this is a new skill, there's no reason for them to be good yet. You didn't come out of the womb knowing how to read; you went to school for 12+ years. It's the same thing, so be patient. If they are tired, just finish up whatever you can, and give them a break, even if you still have 20 minutes of the hour you reserved for them. When they are frustrated that a site changed their layout yet again, validate that opinion. Basically, just show them you're on their side. Step Six: Encouragement. A lot of your folks are already beating themselves up for not getting it, for not starting 10 years ago, etc. You don't have to add on to that. Second: if they only see using the computer as an opportunity for failure, and if there is no reward, they are just going to avoid it. Be encouraging, even if you're saying things like, "It's not much, but you didn't know how to do that an hour ago!" The more you do to make it pleasant, the more they'll want to do it. Step Seven: Hire Me. Just thought I'd give that another shot. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you on the internet!
Thank you for this topic, Sandy! If you would like to request a topic for the next article, please email me your idea! Now, no one wants to have their personal information compromised in any way. Even if you don't have anything worth stealing, it's still good to be aware of potential scams out there. So, how do you protect yourself while also enjoying all the internet has to offer? In GeneralBefore doing anything, the most important thing to ask yourself before responding to any email, phone, or even social media solicitation is the following question: Is there a reason for this person to be contacting you? If you don't actually know this person, and you never signed up for this service, and there's no reason for these people to have your information, it's pretty safe to ignore it (unless you have a lot of time to burn, like this guy). If it's really important, they'll try to talk to you again later. Now, let's pretend your memory isn't what it used to be, or that you have so much going on it's just hard to keep track of what's real and what's not. It is possible that whoever is emailing or calling you is a real person with a genuine matter that needs to be addressed, so you should ask the following questions: If you don't know them, do they know you? If they refer to you as "Valued customer," or something else that's generic, it's safe to assume they have no connection to you. If you go by several names, and they call you the wrong name, that is also a clear red flag. My parents had a friend, named Jay, who always knew to be suspicious of anyone who called him on the phone and asked for "Wilbur." Wilbur was his legal name on all of his records, but since he never introduced himself as Wilbur, it was pretty easy for him to keep track. I realize that's not an option for most of us who don't have pseudonyms. Would this specific person be calling you for this specific reason? If Amazon calls you to say you've over-drafted $700 on your last purchase, it can sound scary, but ask yourself: Would Amazon call you about your overdraft? They aren't your bank, they aren't a credit bureau, they aren't debt collectors, and they have no reason to know anything about your finances beyond whether or not the card you used for a transaction can actually be used for that transaction. If someone from a company contacts you about a matter they don't normally deal with, it's a red flag. If this is your second, third, or final warning, where and when was your first warning? If these people really do have a reason to communicate with you, they would have at least given you a first warning. Do you even know what you're being warned about? If you do a quick check and can't find a first warning in either your email or snail mail, this probably isn't a real threat. Have they chosen a new method of communication? If this company always calls, but they chose to email you this time, it could be suspicious if you weren't expecting that email. If they normally email you and they choose to call you, however, there's less of a chance of something unsavory happening. Have you done a search via Google or Snopes? If you type in a company's name into Google and the autocomplete feature offers words like, "scam," it's a safe bet to assume it's a scam. If the word doesn't pop up, but you type in "[Company Name] scam," and you do get some results, they are worth reading. Snopes, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Better Business Bureau are also worth looking at. This is pretty comprehensive, but just to make sure I have my basis covered, let's look at specific modes of communication. Does their language seem off to you? If they are using incorrect grammar, it can be a giveaway. I personally enjoy when the grammar is correct, but they use words a native English speaker wouldn't string together, like, "Buy our chicken! It is generous and isolated." Do the graphics seem off to you? If they are supposed to have a logo, but they don't, it's a red flag. If they have a logo, but it's really pixelated, or the proportions are just off, it's a red flag. If the entire message is a picture of some text, it's a red flag. Can you unsubscribe? This is a tough one. Some scams won't let you unsubscribe from their emails, and other companies will just subscribe you to a different list if you unsubscribe from that first list. Does the sender's email address seem off? Check the sender's email address. Sometimes, the email will be something obviously fake like, fhpniuh@owiecq.qorighc. There's no way that thing came from Facebook, Chase, or anything you actually use. Scammers often use either a subtle differences to try to trick you, like the difference between whatever@irs.gov and whatever@irs.org or whatever@irs.com. Since the real IRS is a government website, the real IRS would only use .gov in their email. If you know what the real url of a website ends with (.com, .net, .org, .edu, .gov, etc.), and this email ends with ANYTHING ELSE, it's a red flag. What information do they want from you? Legitimate companies don't ask for sensitive information via email, so never email your social security number, your mother's maiden name, your bank account and routing numbers, etc. Did they send you an unsolicited document? It's pretty suspicious, like leaving a bag unattended at the airport. Be safe and assume it's a virus. Does it include links? An email with links to click on is actually pretty common, but if you are suspicious of an email: don't click on any links. If they are pretending to be a legitimate company and you really want to check your account to make sure it's safe, type the correct url of the company into your web browser and log into your account. If both the suspicious email and the legitimate website say the same thing, then it was a legitimate email! If they say different things, then you know that the email was false, and you can promptly tell someone at the company that there's a scam to be aware of. Social MediaA lot of what falls under a suspicious email also falls under a suspicious Facebook account, Instagram account, etc. In addition to suspicious links, documents, and language, here are some other red flags: Is it a 20-something woman who is basically wearing no clothes? She's probably not a real person, especially if she has the other red flags on this list. How many friends/followers does this person have? Less than 50 friends can be suspicious, and having less than 50 followers while following 1000+ people is even more suspicious. Many people have a follower to following ratio between 1:1 and 1:2, and many people are trying to grow a fan base so that they have more followers than people they are actively following. For those of you want actual numbers, the average Facebook user has 338 Facebook friends, and the Dunbar Number is 150. Does this account have any history? They say that history repeats itself, which is why you should look at a profile's timeline. If there are several posts advocating for a product, a service, a specific website, etc., you can probably bet that you'll be seeing more of the same. Obviously, we all post at different rates, ranging from, "posting exactly once, just because," to posting several times per day. If this person has very few posts, and exactly zero of those posts look like a regular human living a normal life, that's a huge red flag. Any one of these things I've listed is suspicious, but several of them together are impossible to legitimately explain. Still, there's one question left. Phone Calls and Text MessagingDid they leave a message? If it wasn't important enough to leave a message, don't worry about it. Ever. Did you pick up anyway? Ask if there's a phone number you can call back later. If not, that's your hint. If there is, you can do a Google search for that phone number and see if anything pops up. Another option is to answer the phone by saying, "Hello, I don't need a contractor." Most people just opt to screen their calls, though. Can you get a word in edgewise? If it's a recording that says anything besides when your next appointment is, be alert. How Do You Protect Yourself?The good news is that a large part of protecting yourself from email phishing and other online scams is that common sense takes care of so many problems. Pretty much:
Thanks for reading, and I'll see you on the internet!
And by that, I mean let's buy a couple of things that we're going to get a TON of use out of! But if you would prefer to invest in the tech market, we'll be supporting you (literally). What Products Should An Average Person Have?
Cool! What Other Products Exist?
Thanks for reading, and I'll see you on the internet!
Having a social media presence of any size means you'll eventually see something in your newsfeed you don't want to see. These often include:
Exactly! How Do I See Less Of Those?Let's take it one topic at a time. How Do I See Fewer Ads?If the ads are coming from the social media platform itself, you can't get rid of them. Those ads are what pay for your access to the social media site to begin with. You can, however, alter what kinds of ads you see. Many ads include an X in one of the corners. Once you click on that X, you can state your reason for not wanting to see that specific ad, and it will be recorded. It's great for avoiding specific ads, but doing that for each and every single ad that comes your way can be taxing. Most platforms have a space where they tell you what they are doing to market content your way. You can find out and adjust your personal profile, which should effect a much larger share of the ads that you could potentially be exposed to. Sometimes it's not a corporation who is using sponsored ads that annoy you, but it's a friend or family member's ads instead–usually for an MLM. If they are convinced they can sell product, and nothing you say will stop them from trying, look at the next section. I Want To Stay Friends. I Really Do.I usually tell people to use the following method before deleting their friends and family members for a couple of reasons. First, it is possible to like someone and want to stay connected, while disliking their posts. Second, some of us want to keep the peace, and we know if we were to delete someone, we'd be creating drama that we'd have to deal with. If you fall in either of those categories, I suggest muting your friends. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all offer a feature where you can mute certain posts. On the upper right corner of all posts, there is a shape you can click. On Facebook and Instagram, it's three dots next to each other (...), and on Twitter, it's a V shape, pointing down. Click it, and it'll give you several options. Twitter and Instagram offer a "Mute" option, which means it still looks like you're both connected, and you can easily find that person's profile whenever you need it, but their content won't be in your newsfeed. Facebook, however, has an "Unfollow" option, which accomplishes the same task. They also have a "Snooze for 30 Days Option," in case you just need to take a short break from their posts. The good thing about this option is that it is very easy to reverse. Actually: I've Decided That We Can't Be Friends.Well, I'm sure you have your reasons. On Instagram and Twitter, you can simply unfollow the person. They won't get any sort of notification, and they may still be following your profile (or they may not be. Once again: you aren't notified when you lose followers). The only way for them to figure it out would be for them to look at their list of followers and notice that someone is missing. To unfollow on Twitter, go to their profile and click the "Unfollow" button. To unfollow on Instagram and Facebook, click the "Following" button, and then click, "Unfollow." Facebook is slightly different, because you can follow someone or be their friends (unlike the other sites, where you can only follow, and mutually following each other implies that you're both friends). To fully unfriend them, you need to go to their profile, click "friends," and then click, "unfriend." Like unfollowing, the other party will not be given a notification, and they'd only notice if they kept track of their list of friends. They could also notice if they went to your profile, but once again: they have to take the initiative to find out. I Also Never Want To See That Person Again!All three social media platforms offer you a way to block individuals from contacting you. The same menu that allowed you to unfollow or unfriend someone also allows you to block, or even report them. Blocking someone means making it so they cannot see your profile ever again. Reporting someone means they have done something to warrant the company's attention, and they may choose to ban that person from the platform altogether. Because of this, if you choose to either block or report someone, you usually have to give a reason behind your decision.
Now, for those of you who continue to follow me: I'll continue to see you on the internet! One of my pet peeves on the internet is when someone posts a public comment that really should have been a private message. Examples of this are:
What Are The Rules for Private Messages?A Private Message (also referred to as a Direct Message, a PM, or a DM) functions like a private conversation between you and that person in a public setting. You two can talk about whatever you want to talk about, because no one is actively listening to you. Notice that I said it was like having a private conversation in a PUBLIC setting. Social Media Platforms are doing their best to be secure, but it's very possible that someone could "eavesdrop" on your conversation. If you really want to keep this information private, it is perfectly acceptable to continue the conversation through a different mode of communication. Just send a message like, "I'll email you the details," or, "Call me, and I'll give you the rest of the story." What Are The Rules For Posting Publicly?A public post is like posting fliers or having a PA system. Since they are meant to reach as many people as possible, you should only post things you either want people to know, or things you don't mind people knowing. These could include marriages, career changes, politics, causes you find important, your pet's hobbies, or even what you had for breakfast. If your audience (meaning, your friends and family members) really don't like seeing your posts, they can unsubscribe. Remember: By posting something publicly, you are putting yourself in the position of having to respond to questions and comments directly, and also publicly. There are many reasons why you may want to make a public announcement, but not have a public forum. Most commonly: some of my friends have posted about career opportunities at a certain company, but they can't give out too much information for long, bureaucratic reasons. If you are in this situation, make sure to include phrases like, "Email me directly for information," or, "contact Mary if you're interested." If you don't want to post anything, and your only reason for joining a social media site is to stay connected with people, good news! You don't actually have to post anything! What Are The Rules for Commenting On Public Posts?If a person posts something publicly, then it's just like them speaking in public to a group, and welcoming questions or comments. If they post something publicly and then tell you to send your responses in a DM, an email, to contact another person, or leave any other directions, just follow their directions. It's like real life, when someone says, "That's all the time I have. I'll be hanging out in the lobby if anyone has any questions." Just like with regular society, you could make a comment that second, and you could also send a private message saying, "I didn't want to post this publicly, but I wanted to know more about..." Just like with regular society, you could "eavesdrop" on the conversation and not leave a comment at all. Finally, if you are going to leave a comment, make sure you've read the post in its entirety. Just like in real society: no one likes answering questions that have been answered, and no one wants to respond to an irrelevant comment. Basically, if you're going to say anything, be polite and stay on topic. If you see a public post and you are inspired to leave an off-topic comment, send a private message. It can easily be, "Hey Mark, I just saw your post about your children's book. Way to go! Tell your mom I said hi!" I would gladly accept that! Also, she says, "hi," back. Lastly, it is possible for a person to post something and disable comments. Some people disable comments immediately, while others allow public commenting until they feel they can't allow it anymore (usually because of internet trolls). If you REALLY want to talk to someone about their post after they have disabled comments, you will need to use another mode of communication. Differences Between PlatformsGreat! You know the general rules! Now, how do you know you’re doing it right? Every platform allows you to post publicly, but the rules for Private and Direct Messages actually do vary from site to site. For example: Facebook allows you to send private messages. Use that wisely. Anyone can post publicly, but to send a private, direct message to a specific person, you typically have to be one of their followers. Because of this, a lot of people create a post where they tag specific people they may not already be friends with. For example, “Thank you @markneedleenterprises for the fantastic gift! You're the best!” or, “Hey, @LetMePlanYourLife, when can I be on the show?” You can start a post like that, or you can find a post of theirs and leave a comment. Much like Instagram, you can message someone you follow, or someone who follows you. If you can’t DM someone, you can write a public post where you, @ someone. For example, "Hey @markneedle, you're hilarious!" Any Other Site There are way too many social media sites for anyone to be expected to know the intricate details of each and every one. Posting publicly is pretty straightforward. My Public and Private Posts Aren't The Problem!There are ways to mute or unsubscribe from your friends and family. I'll go over them in another article. If you want to stay in the loop with them, but want them to be more mindful about the content they are putting out there, I'll have an article for that too. Thanks for reading, and I'll continue seeing you on the internet!
Awesome! Good for you! Let’s start with the basics. The standard apps that come preinstalled on the iPhone include:
You might think that you don’t need to add anymore apps. I mean, look at the 43 you already start with! Let’s organize them first (note: some of them fit in multiple categories). Shopping:
Travel:
Socializing:
Photography
Entertainment
Education
Health/Wellness
I Don't Want To Download 50 Apps!I wouldn't do that either. For the social networking apps, I would only pick the one or two that my friends and family are most likely to use (in my case, Facebook and Instagram), and schedule a tutoring session with your favorite social media tutor (shameless self promotion). For the other apps, pick one or two things that matter to you, and try them out. If your account is set up, you've tried it once or twice, and you still don't like the app, you can always delete it later. Just make sure to delete your account and THEN delete the app. Thanks for reading, and I'll continue seeing you on the internet!
I had a conversation with someone who didn’t want their phone to keep dying and didn’t want to get a power bank either. Here’s why I was frustrated: What Is A Power Bank?A power bank is an external battery you can charge ahead of time. You can use it to power your phone when you’re not near an outlet. Think of it like carrying a bottle of water in your car when you have a long drive ahead of you, and your car doesn’t have a working faucet. When Would You Actually Need A Power Bank?Whenever you’re in a place where you might need your electronic device, but won’t be able to access a power outlet. Long distance traveling is a perfect time to use one of these, and they can be useful if you work off the grid. They can also be useful in emergency situations when power lines aren’t working properly, and many people opt for power banks when they can't afford to upgrade a phone just yet. What Can I Expect From A Power Bank?My first power bank was an impulse buy, right before a trip that involved a lot of bus rides. It could only charge 70% of my phone’s battery, and it took several hours to do that. It also took a few hours for it to charge itself, but when you consider that I only spent $5 on it, I got my money’s worth. Here’s a similar model. Many power banks can be bought for about $25, and there’s usually no need for a casual user to spend more than $50. If you are going to go for a higher-end power bank for your phone, here are some features to look out for:
Which Type Should I Buy?If you use your phone sparingly and are only begrudgingly getting a power bank for emergency situations because one of your kids is a total nag, go with the lower cost model. If you find yourself thinking, "Gee, I could really use an outlet," at least once a week, the $25-$50 investment will be well worth it.
Are you interested in other accessories for your phone or tablet? I've got other suggestions. Thanks for reading, and I'll continue seeing you on the internet! |
AuthorMark Needle turns grandmothers into #InstaGrandmas. Click here to learn more about him. Click here to submit a topic for a future article. Archives
November 2019
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