Beware The Dangers Of Internet Electrocution

The following is the article published by Canadian satirical web site The Toque. The original article can be found here. Beware The Dangers Of Internet Electrocution

Don't Get Zapped By Your Internet Connection!

Are you teaching your children about the dangers of the Internet? What steps are you taking to ensure your family is safe? It is important to be aware of the risks because the threat of Internet electrocution is more probable than you realize.

What most people don't realize is that the Internet runs on electricity. Every time a web page is sent to your computer, it uses several kilobytes of power. Just as we all know not to stick a fork into an electrical outlet, the same precautions should be applied when using the Internet.

Every year, thousands of computer users are shocked when they visit unprotected websites, and that shock isn't always from the content. To reduce the risk of Internet electrocution, it's critical that you learn some basic safety measures to guarantee that your web-surfing experience is a safe one.

1. Be Properly Grounded

Nothing can protect you from the Internet better than proper grounding. Most offices have protective rubber chair mats on the floor that will insulate you from the conductive nature of the Internet. Rubber mousepads, plastic keyboard membranes, and gel-filled wrist-rests also act as insulators, protecting you from nasty electrical Internet surges. To help reduce the threat of Internet electrocution, wear rubber boots and gloves, or remove yourself from the threat by using a cordless mouse & keyboard. Another good idea is to attach a grounding wire to your wrist, just like the professionals use. Try to avoid wearing tin-foil hats if possible, although that's just what the government wants you to do.

2. Upgrade Your Equipment

You shouldn't be using a computer built before 1997, as Internet electrical standards weren't regulated in the "early days." Older machines don't have the same capacity to handle Internet data, increasing the risk of electrical shock and death. This explains why most obsolete hardware is destined for landfills instead of electrically-unstable third-world countries. Most monitors built after 1996 are "energy safe", which means that they will not amplify the deadly voltage that flows through your Internet connection. And avoid using the dangerous computer known as a "SPARC" because that's exactly what it will do.

3. Choose Proper Hardware

With the prevalence of cheap foreign computer equipment, your imported computer hardware may have been built using different electrical safety standards. Those who build their own computer systems should be careful to make that all of their components are safety-approved, and should be wary not to install cheaper uncertified hardware. A $20 Korean hard-drive may be a steal, but it probably isn't worth losing your life over. If possible, purchase hardware components that are made from non-conductive metals, or even better, composite materials. And always make sure that your power supply is capable of absorbing the dangerous high-powered electrical bandwidth that will flow through your machine. Better yet, have a power user install your hardware for you.

4. Surge Protection

Surge protection is an important precaution when using your computer. But remember, a normal surge protector only protects you against the electricity from the outlets! To properly protect against nasty Internet power spikes, you should be using an ethernet surge protector, a component which buffers you from your machine using common RJ-45 connectors. You should be able to purchase an ethernet switch or router with built-in Internet surge protection, or you may choose to build a separate server that buffers the computer surfer against data packet power surges. Whatever you choose, ensure that the Internet surge-protecting hardware is capable of withstanding online electrical currents strong enough to cause brownouts and blackouts.

5. Proper Wiring

The best away to prevent Internet electrocution is to make sure you are using the right cables. Most ethernet cables nowadays are shielded, reducing the threat of deadly electrical discharges. While CAT-5 is the national standard, try to use a higher CAT, such as 6, 7, or 8. In fact, the higher the CAT, the better. While real cats have nine lives, you only have one, and it would be sad to see you lose it by using poor quality unshielded cabling.

6. Use A Certified Internet Service Provider

Most ISP's provide their own built-in surge protection, and have the capacity to absorb most excess electrical energy. But be careful, not all providers are certified, and many run the risk of electrocuting the end user. Ask if your provider has web filtering and load balancing, because those are key safety features employed by certified ISP's. Also, avoid the so-called "free providers" as they are usually deliver the Internet as is, and are a "use at your own risk" provider.

7. Don't Host An FTP Site

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a dangerous and unreliable part of the Internet. Everyday we hear about FTP hosts that run illegal MP3 filesharing servers getting "zapped", so you're better off just avoiding this risky area of the Net. Peer firesharing is no safer, as the electricity will come in bursts when you try to download the latest Christina Aguilera song. Kazaa, a popular sharing program, is also the sound you'll scream when you feel 80,000 volts of Internet energy going through your fingers. "Kazaahhh!!!"

8. Avoid European Websites

In Europe most of the Internet is 220V, which is enough electricity to kill a charging yak. Because of conflicting Internet protocols, information exchange across the continents is incompatible, unreliable, and potentially dangerous. Most of the websites in Europe are written in foreign languages, so your need to visit them is probably limited. But if you must click on a European link, web sites such as Babelfish utilize servers that invert power streams to the more manageable 110V, safe for North American web surfers. However, caution is still urged whenever you choose to visit unstable French, Norwegian, or German websites, as their content is quite capable of frying you and your motherboard.

9. Use Linux

Linux is an operating system proven to be more stable than Windows or Mac OS. Linux is what you call an "open source" system, which means it acts like a lightning rod, absorbing hazardous electrical currents that flow through the Internet. While most computer users will not understand the intricacies of this operating system, they will feel much safer using it.

10. Install Monitoring Software

The key to safe surfing is to know when you're using too much power. Install programs such as ACDSee or WinAmp, utility software which will let you know when the flow of electricity to your web browser is getting to be too high. Windows also has a built-in utility that monitors your flow of electricity called Current Download.

These are just a few electrical precautions that every computer user should be aware of before they decide to surf the Internet. With a little bit of preparation and a lot of common sense, your Internet experience will be a safer one

Blog - the definition of the term

The following article explains the term "blog". Main source is the article from MSN Encarta Online Encyclopaedia.

Blogging represents the frequent, chronological publication on the Web of personal thoughts and opinions for other Internet users to read. The name, coined in the late 1990s, derives from “Web logging.” The product of blogging is known as a “blog.” There are millions of blogs on the Internet. In addition to thoughts and opinions, many bloggers also use their blogs to recommend books, music, and links to other sites on the World Wide Web.

Blogging predates the late 1990s. People kept blogs long before the term was coined, but the trend has gained momentum with the introduction of automated publishing services. Tens of thousands of people use these services to publish their blogs. Among the notable publishing services are Radio and Blogger, which was bought by the Internet search company Google in February 2003. The Microsoft Network (MSN) offers a blogging service known as MSN Spaces.

The form of a blog is very much dependent on the individual who keeps it. Most blogs are a mix of what is happening in a person's life and what they feel about things they see on the Web. In this respect, they are a kind of hybrid diary and guide, although there are as many unique types of blogs as there are people who keep them. The popularity of blogging has given rise to a number of tools that can remind you about blogs you read or that generate more views of your blog.

For instance, Blogarithm is a service that lets users subscribe to blogs and be notified by e-mail when they have new content. Despite being open to public scrutiny, blogs are not really intended for mass consumption. The role of the blog is probably best expressed by Stefan Glanzer, one of the founders of blogging system 20six: 'If you want to reach millions you book an ad on TV and if you want to reach one person you use e-mail or the telephone. But if you want to reach between 5 and 500 people a blog is the ideal tool to communicate.' However, some specialized search engines look principally at blogs, and as a result blogs are available to anyone on the Internet with access to a good search engine.

In the United States, blogs have become a kind of alternative to mainstream media. Many critics of the mainstream media use blogs to present information reported by international news outlets and seldom presented in the U.S. media or to critique what they see as the shortcomings or biases of the major media outlets. Many journalists also maintain blogs as a form of reporting or commentary. Academic experts have also adopted blogs to comment on developments in their fields or to offer their analysis of domestic and international news. Middle East expert Juan Cole, for example, a professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, became well known for comments on political developments in Iraq in his blog.

Although primarily for personal expression, there is a trend to use blogs in business as an informal discussion medium. Some companies have used blogs to provide a forum for discussion of new ideas and products. Famous bloggers include the musician Moby and Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop.