Well, it's been a while since my last entry, but the world of IT in a public school system is ALWAYS busy at the beginning of a school year. This year has been no exception.
A number of topics have presented themselves since my last post, but this one seems to be a pet peeve of mine.
Toolbars. Google, MSN and Yahoo, just to name a few of the big ones.
They can be quite useful at times but at what price? While their usefulness includes searches at your fingertips, quick access to videos, news and almost everything conceivable, their price comes at the expense of system resources (aka, slow computer, sluggish Internet access, system instability) at the very least.
If you feel that you need a toolbar available for instant whatever, then by all means, install one. ONE. More than that and that slow computer I talked about could be yours. So why do I constantly see computers with 2, 3 or more toolbars installed?
The answer is browser helpers/add-ons.
Many times, the browser helpers that we install come with an added package. Included with the helper is usually some kind of toolbar. Unfortunately, the recommended action (recommended by the company you are downloading the helper from) is to install the toolbar. Some times, the extra package isn't even noticed because the recommended installation is an express configuration, which installs the toolbar without even asking.
OK. What is my point?
Toolbars can be helpful, if you actually WANT them installed. What can you or should you do? Always avoid the recommended action unless you are TOTALLY sure of what it is going to do. Do a custom installation, and watch for those little unwanted toolbars piggy-backing along.
So, the next time you want to install Flash, Shockwave, Java or some other browser helper, make sure to pay close attention to what you are actually installing. That slow computer is just lurking around the corner. Uninstall them and you'll really see my point.
Friday, September 25, 2009
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