Things you must have to use the Internet

Ok, you obviously need all the hardware such as a computer and modem. I’m not going to go there since you already have gone that far – how else are you reading this? But there are some additions which you may not have – and don’t know you need. Trust me, these are the things that make using the Internet easier and more pleasant. All of it is either freeware (meaning you do not have to pay for it), shareware (free to try, they hope you’ll send some money if you use it), or available in multiple versions – the “lite” ones being free. They are all also easy to use. The reason I’m listing them here is that I use them and support them – I have no personal ties to any of them.

Anti-spyware. Never heard of spyware? This insipid form of advertising and marketing uses hidden programs that Internet advertisers use to track your surfing and use information about you to try and sell you things. It’s a terrible invasion of privacy, worse yet it can change setting on your browser and make your system do things you may not be aware of – or want it to do. There is a simple way to rid your computer of spyware, it’s called AdAware. The basic program is free and if you have never heard of spyware then you need this program now. I guarantee you’ll find dozens of spyware programs infecting your computer.

Cookie control. Cookies are little files that web sites leave on your computer. Most of them are harmless, but they all contain pieces of information about you that sites can see. Your email address, some passwords to sites, things you have typed – these all may be found in cookies. WinPatrol is your best defence, the basic version is free. It’s also a great program to make sure no malicious programs install themselves without your permission.

Pop-up ad blocker. Everyone knows and hates these. You open a webpage and ads start popping up everywhere. You waste time closing them, sometimes it just sets a new ad popping up, even under, your screen. Waste of time, energy and bandwidth. The good folks at PanicWare have made Pop-Up Stopper, which is a ridiculously easy to use program which eliminates almost all pop-up advertising. There is a place in heaven reserved for programmers who make applications that make our lives better and the guys at Panic Ware, Inc. all have tickets.

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