Can’t do without

July 18, 2017 ~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

I am always saying that I use the internet way too much. But on thinking on it, I don’t just search stuff, I use specific sites and services. And the sad thing is, that I rarely travel out with those services. So, I thought I would share the stuff I use most, and why.

YouTube I watch more content on here, than I do on any other service. I watch videos in areas that I am interested in, which are usually related to retro gaming, book reviews, Japan, news or just general geekery. I look for a topic I like, and watch any videos that come up. If I like people I subscribe. Every so often, I will go through every video a channel has made, just for fun, and it absorbs hours of my
life.

Twitter I use Twitter all the time, which is not as much as I used to. Twitter has become a place for breaking news, but it’s a swing and a miss, as there is ALWAYS fake information circulating. Twitter is where I rant if I am stuck in traffic or had a bad day, I let of some steam. It can be a great place for customer services, a lot of companies these days have someone manning a company twitter profile, and will try to help. If I am feeling anxious, twitter can be an easy way for me to get help or advice, just use the right hashtags, and the internet is great. Just remember and don’t feed the trolls.

Facebook 🙄This is probably one of the most problematic sites on the internet. Mostly because some people go on it without having any kind of brain engagement. It’s good for articles, sometimes, the non-fake, click bait ones. The main reason I use Facebook is because of Messenger. Most of the people I know are within reach on Messenger, so that gets used, a lot. So it’s good for connecting with friends, which I think is what Mr Zuckerberg wanted when he started the site.

Instagram I like pictures. I like taking them and I like looking at them. And Instagram is one of the most popular photo sharing sites in the world. It’s a great way to find artistic inspiration, which is something I am ALWAYS in need of. Never been into the trendy make-up and stuff, which are hugely popular on the site. But, there are things for everyone on there, and there are communities which are great for help, like anxiety and weightloss help.

Goodreads I like books, always have done. And this site is great for keeping track on what you read, and giving yourself personal goals. Something I am not very good at. It is another service with a great community. If there is a particular book genre you like, join a group and get loads of new recommendations and even make new friends. A lot of authors also reach out to readers over Goodreads, which is great.

I decided to shorten my list to 5, as I really could go on for a bit. Other services include WordPress, Amazon, Xbox Live, Netflix, Crunchyroll, Spotify and livejournal. I could waste my whole life on these sites, but it wouldn’t feel like a waste. The internet allows me to view content I want, and that is a great thing.

Technological Clearout

February 9, 2016 ~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

I have been feeling a bit bogged down when I have been trying to use my computer and iPad. They are both filled up with gimmicky games and apps that I don’t really use anymore. Some of them have only been used once or twice. And they just, make it a pain to use the device they are installed on.

Now, when it comes to apps and games, whether on my iPhone or through my Steam account, I always end up going to the free games and apps. The stuff that advertises other games every time you lose a life. Or that runs so slowly, it completely ruins the user experience. What is the point of a note-taking app, that asks you to sign up for the premium version, every time you make a note. It frustrates me A LOT. So, I end up downloading other apps, to replace the app which is getting on my nerves. And this pattern could go on, and on. And it means that, much like my bookshelves, my devices start to run out of space thanks to all these unnecessary things installed.

So, today, I deleted a ton of old applications of both my laptop and my iPad. Something that I have been needing to do, particularly on my ipad, which had apps going on for 10 pages. Yes. I actually downloaded that much crap, and I would be lucky to use even half of them. So, the games that annoyed me with adverts, or crashing, I deleted. I put the games I like into folders, and made my front page full of the apps that I actually use the most. Which, is mostly social media apps. I do like my social media.

The result is, that I feel like I have new devices. They run smoother, and everything is so much easier to find. Part of me knows, that within a few weeks, things will start to pile up again, but maybe I can keep on top of it. App hoarding isn’t healthy, for you or your device. As a person, it is always good to let go of the stuff that you no longer use, out of your life. Help yourself be more organised.

Irritated

July 3, 2015 ~ Sue ~ Leave a comment

Nothing worse when you pour your heart into a blog post, only for it not to post. For the last day I was trying to post on WordPress, only to get an error message. Which was irritating. I saved the post to my drafts and took to trying to fix the app.

The general advice for when mobile applications get iffy, is to delete and then re-install the app. The app started up again fine, but when I tried to find my previous post, it had vanished. Which was a pain, particularly seeing as it was a rather personal post that I really couldn’t bring myself to type up today.

I am hearing that there is a few problems with WordPress apps right now, particularly with the most recent update. The advice is to try and sign out, and sign back in using your username instead of email address. If that fails, re-install the app, like I did. If you do have problems, WordPress Help are available on @wordpressdotcom and are very quick to answer.