Poetry and Storytelling by Kai
WORDS BY KAI. This site is the home of creative expression fueled by passion and inspired by the sparks of a my starlight muse. On these pages you will find my creative voice in lines of poetry, thoughtful essays and commentary, creative storytelling, and in an array of beautiful words to inspire the logophile in us all.
STARLIGHT NAVIGATION
HOMEPAGE ~ SITE DIRECTORY ~ ABOUT
Learn new words with the Word of the Day and the topic Word Lists. Build your new vocabulary with new words, old words, obscure words and untranslatable words from faraway lands.
HOMEPAGE ~ SITE DIRECTORY ~ ABOUT
- ORIGINAL POETRY [A -F] [G-M] [N-Z]
- THOUGHTS AND COMMENTARY - [Personal Narratives] [Informative Articles] [Social Commentary] [Book Excerpts]
- CREATIVE STORYTELLING
Learn new words with the Word of the Day and the topic Word Lists. Build your new vocabulary with new words, old words, obscure words and untranslatable words from faraway lands.
THOUGHTS AND COMMENTARY
Directory Informational Articles
Commentaries and essays on a variety of topics including parenting, the capacity for love, emotions, mindfulness and social issues.
STAYING SAFE ONLINE
Stay safe online! Want help with that? I care about all of you. A friend of mine was hijacked on FB recently and while helping her I thought I would post some tips. In no particular order here are my top ones.
Facebook is a sneaky beast. The platform is open to third party linking from apps available on 3rd party websites. You may never even know you opened your FB to a third party because it is not transparent. My advice is to never allow that to happen. Then delete the ones that you have. Go to account settings, click on apps, and then delete what you can.
FB tracks where you have logged in. No matter what device. Check Settings, Security and Login, where you have logged in. If you see any unfamiliar locations then change your password immediately.
Passwords can be cracked. Hackers crack passwords with algorithms that generate millions of possibilities based on what is freely available online. They also break through wi fi and mobile connections. Change your password often, make sure it is long and it contains both upper and lower case, numbers and special characters. Do this especially if you are a laptop user in coffee shops and such.
Never share your passwords across sites. It’s easy I get it but it is never a good idea. If a hacker cracks one they crack them all. Your email is compromised, all your money is gone, and your identity is stolen. In minutes. Read that again. Minutes.
Links look the same no matter where you see them but they aren’t. A link can say anything. For example it could say click me I’m safe. The code behind it (not visible) takes you to who knows where. To be safe never click on links in email. If you want to go to the site type the address in your browser.
Don’t ignore virus programs. Have one installed and always keep it updated. Use one that detects malware. Malware is a security risk but it is also bloatware. Your computer will drag like a dying dog. There are plenty of paid services but AVG free is awesome.
Get a VPN. It is a virtual private network. It creates a secure environment for you online. Your connection is encrypted. What you transmit becomes gobbledygook and can’t be detected. Your activity is private- none of the online snoops and advertisers will see you. I use Proton or Cyberghost but there are many available for free.
Don’t save your passwords in your browser . I know it is so easy to do but don’t do it. You see asterisks when it pops up in a web form but it is not saved that way. It is stored like text and can be seen by hackers, from viruses and from malware. Never save your bank password. It takes seconds for it to be stolen and then poof all your money is gone. If you connect to anything that stores your social security number then you are done. Identity stolen.
Tread lightly with this piece of advice. I include it because it is technically relevant but maybe not morally. If you are up to no good online or you have been trespassing in the dark web then you better get your butt the Tor browser. No more IE or Firefox for your nefarious self. Go Tor under a VPN or you are walking naked through the ghetto with fistfuls of cash. If you really want to be anonymous then do your secret stuff with a VPN. All your internet traffic is tracked by your ISP. All of that is available to the feds without a court order. With a VPN you are not tracked.
Delete your cookies. Cookies seem to make things easier for you by auto filling forms but they aren’t there to benefit you. Not one bit. Websites use them to track your every move. Have you ever noticed when you search for something on Amazon the product shows up on Facebook? Advertisers track all your moves and then code their systems to inject them everywhere you go. They push what they think you want to see.
Just remember that ever second you spend online exposes you to a potential world of hurt. Be careful, be responsible and be aware.
Facebook is a sneaky beast. The platform is open to third party linking from apps available on 3rd party websites. You may never even know you opened your FB to a third party because it is not transparent. My advice is to never allow that to happen. Then delete the ones that you have. Go to account settings, click on apps, and then delete what you can.
FB tracks where you have logged in. No matter what device. Check Settings, Security and Login, where you have logged in. If you see any unfamiliar locations then change your password immediately.
Passwords can be cracked. Hackers crack passwords with algorithms that generate millions of possibilities based on what is freely available online. They also break through wi fi and mobile connections. Change your password often, make sure it is long and it contains both upper and lower case, numbers and special characters. Do this especially if you are a laptop user in coffee shops and such.
Never share your passwords across sites. It’s easy I get it but it is never a good idea. If a hacker cracks one they crack them all. Your email is compromised, all your money is gone, and your identity is stolen. In minutes. Read that again. Minutes.
Links look the same no matter where you see them but they aren’t. A link can say anything. For example it could say click me I’m safe. The code behind it (not visible) takes you to who knows where. To be safe never click on links in email. If you want to go to the site type the address in your browser.
Don’t ignore virus programs. Have one installed and always keep it updated. Use one that detects malware. Malware is a security risk but it is also bloatware. Your computer will drag like a dying dog. There are plenty of paid services but AVG free is awesome.
Get a VPN. It is a virtual private network. It creates a secure environment for you online. Your connection is encrypted. What you transmit becomes gobbledygook and can’t be detected. Your activity is private- none of the online snoops and advertisers will see you. I use Proton or Cyberghost but there are many available for free.
Don’t save your passwords in your browser . I know it is so easy to do but don’t do it. You see asterisks when it pops up in a web form but it is not saved that way. It is stored like text and can be seen by hackers, from viruses and from malware. Never save your bank password. It takes seconds for it to be stolen and then poof all your money is gone. If you connect to anything that stores your social security number then you are done. Identity stolen.
Tread lightly with this piece of advice. I include it because it is technically relevant but maybe not morally. If you are up to no good online or you have been trespassing in the dark web then you better get your butt the Tor browser. No more IE or Firefox for your nefarious self. Go Tor under a VPN or you are walking naked through the ghetto with fistfuls of cash. If you really want to be anonymous then do your secret stuff with a VPN. All your internet traffic is tracked by your ISP. All of that is available to the feds without a court order. With a VPN you are not tracked.
Delete your cookies. Cookies seem to make things easier for you by auto filling forms but they aren’t there to benefit you. Not one bit. Websites use them to track your every move. Have you ever noticed when you search for something on Amazon the product shows up on Facebook? Advertisers track all your moves and then code their systems to inject them everywhere you go. They push what they think you want to see.
Just remember that ever second you spend online exposes you to a potential world of hurt. Be careful, be responsible and be aware.
STARLIGHT POETRY BY KAI
View Me on Twitter @kairosoflife
See Creativity Chaos - a Creativity Blog by Kai
About | Reprints & Copyrights | Home
© 2019-2020 Copyright Starlight Poetry
VIEW FULL SITE DIRECTORY
View Me on Twitter @kairosoflife
See Creativity Chaos - a Creativity Blog by Kai
About | Reprints & Copyrights | Home
© 2019-2020 Copyright Starlight Poetry
VIEW FULL SITE DIRECTORY