Questions from Class #1

These questions were asked in notes after Feb. 7, 2011 introductory class:

What happens to your username and password when you deactivate an account?

Each website has its own policy regarding user names and passwords. Some delete your information immediately. Others may retain the account information for a specified time. (For example, Facebook retains your account information, including files, until you have not used the account has been for two weeks.) Still others may retain the account information and associated files indefinitely. Check the terms of services for the site or service for specific details.

Is it better to have different names and passwords for, say, PayPal, than what you set up for Facebook?

Absolutely. While it may be ok to use the same user name on multiple sites, you should never use the same username/password on multiple sites. In class, I'll discuss a way that you can develop a process for creating unique and yet memorable passwords

A question regarding vocabulary: "Fired up my 1st web browser" would be translated as "I turned on my ?"

The proper usage is, most likely, "I started my web browser." In class, I used the colloquial "fired up" because it was, at that time, something of an adventure to set up a browser. Programs such as Internet Explorer weren't included automatically; you had to find the software and perform several configuration steps before you could browse the web.

Why don't you do a course strictly on Facebook

1. A course just on Facebook would, I think, require a computer lab where all participants could work on their pages and ask specific questions about their setup. The WISE program doesn't have the facilities for such a course.
   We might explore options for a Facebook-only in another setting.
2. The broader issues of social networking are intriguing. The impact on the way we live have implications for our personal lives and for public policy.

What are the etiquette rules for Facebook and other social networking sites.

Just as society in general is trying its way with matters of etiquette, so, too, are guidelines about online behavior a work in progress. Here are a few tips:

• It's ok to ask "How do I know you?" 
• It's ok not to participate in something that makes you uncomfortable. 
• It's ok to try something that you've not done before. 
• Be very judicious about using Reply/All and forwarding items that have been forwarding to you. 
• Be careful about humor unless you know your audience. (Tone is very different in print, voice, and person.) 
• Gmail offers an Undo Send function that let's you stop an email within 30 seconds of clicking Send. See New in Labs: Undo Send - Official Gmail Blog