Tuesday, August 28, 2007

How Do You Use the Internet?

This winter I had the pleasure of attending June Hollister's Largo Workshop class, which completely changed my understanding of the Internet. Prior to taking this class, I had been wasting time using the Internet for political purposes, researching, and emailing. When I explained this to June, she recommended several changes for me to make better use of the Internet.
First, she explained I really needed to obtain DSL service. For over a half a decade, I had a dial-up Internet service provider and was very hesitant to make changes. I didn’t want to be bothered with changing email addresses, and I wasn’t sure if DSL would work even if I could figure out how to properly install the equipment. However, I am relieved to say the installation process was well documented, easy-to-follow, and Verizon DSL works better than I thought it would. Now, I am able to download faster, to navigate quicker, and have more viewing options. In addition, I am very pleased to actually be able to use my phone because it is not tied up for hours on end anymore.
Second, the change of email address turned out to be a blessing. June had recommended Google’s extras in class, so I sent the account I closed into my Google’s Gmail account because it has a Spam folder. From here I sorted through the Spam and determined which emails to have sent to my new Internet account. I unsubscribed from dozens of emails which were wasting my time and energy, consequently freeing up hours of my time. Now, it is a relief to not have to wade through a hundred emails everyday.