Sometimes I Feel Stupid Too! 
One of the biggest challenges for me in my work is that so many of my clients say they feel so stupid. No one is stupid! One of my goals in my work is to help my clients feel better about themselves.
No one is born with all the information they need in order to navigate life. We either educate ourselves or we “wing it” based on what we are told by others (who may or may not have the best information).
Even those of us who take the time to do research, study and practice, will make mistakes. It’s part of the learning process.
My goal is for you to benefit from my mistakes and those of my clients.
Here are some really useful tips based on my work in the field this past week.
Great Money Saving Tip
There is a great free office suite called Open Office that looks very much like the apps in Microsoft Office and has many of the same tools. You don’t need to pay for Microsoft Office suite.
The Pitfalls
The address for Open Office is www.openoffice.org not “.com” There is another site, http://www.openoffice.us.com that looks reputable but will download a bunch of malware programs on your computer.
The Solution 
You should be using Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.
If you use Microsoft Internet Explorer as your web browser, you are at risk of getting add pop ups installed on it and having your home page changed to something you don’t want. This is called “hijacking your web browser”.
If you have installed the W.O.T (Web of Trust) extension on your web browser or if you are using Norton with Internet Security, you will see a notification that http://www.openoffice.us.com is not safe.
(Buy Norton from Dom at Desert Cow Computers and save $20.) www.mydesertcow.com
Do a Google search for reviews of any app you are considering downloading before you proceed.
The Rules In Review
- Use the right web browser and search engine
- Have safety extensions on your browser
- Do your research
- Be sure you are going to the reputable site
If none of his makes sense to you, just call for an appointment.
Everything will be OK. We’ll do it together.
Hope this helps you “make peace with the ups and downs of modern technology.”
From Andy…
I totally agree with your opinion on Office 365. This “Cloud” based product is very slow, confusing, and nowhere near as usable as the older Office Professional 2013, 2010, or even 2007.
I really don’t like it at all.
Is MS coming out with an updqated “resident” version? I am a regular user of Publisher, and really like it, but the version in 365 spoils all the fun!
Regards,
Andy Lorenz
My Reply…
Thanks Andy. Good to hear from you.
Have a great week,
Mardi