I love lists, so reading 20 Things I Learned About Browsers + the Web, an online picture book of 20 different lessons published by the Google Chrome Team, was very helpful for me.
The 20 things ranged from privacy settings to the future of the web with 3D graphics and faster speeds. It also touched on HTML, URLs, CSS and other abbreviations used in the web world and what they mean.
The article encouraged me to evaluate my own way of using web browsers and surfing the Internet. In response to the 20 things, I created another list: a to-do list to keep in the back of my mind while visiting websites, blogging and interacting with stores, banks and other organizations online.
A Web Browsing To-Do List
1. Make sure my browser is up-to-date. | I checked this after reading “20 Things,” and noted that Google Chrome was “nearly up-to-date.” It was a good example of how modern browsers should stay updated to protect against security risks.
2. Install some browser extensions to make my browser experience more efficient. |Among the ones that I found were: bitly, RSS Subscription extension and more.
3. Consider buying a hostname for my own websites and/or blogs to simplify URLs.
4. Make sure my online banking is a secure connection whenever I use the site.
5. Look into cloud storage options.
6. Get creative! | It’s easy to get into an online routine of checking email, social media sites, banking sites, news articles and more to keep up with our everyday lives. Sometimes we forget that we are using awesome technology, so why not take a few minutes to enjoy what the Internet has out there?
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The Internet and technology today are such a powerful tools that sometimes they can be intimidating. But I think knowledge and awareness of basic web standards, safe browser practices and privacy settings should be promoted and increased.
It all comes down to knowing the basics, being safe and using these tools as expressions of ourselves to form communities and share important knowledge with each other.
And as I finish writing this, I am off to meet a fellow blogger friend. Without the Internet and safe practices we used, we probably wouldn’t have ever met.
-Gina Apperson