How to survive, it’s the ultimate question. I’ve been using the internet since 1994.
Post-pandemic, I encounter a lot more people now who are brand-new to the internet, haven’t been through all; the changes and updates, and don’t really know how everything works.
Let’s face it, the internet is a messy Wild West where anything can happen. So allow me to share…
Internet Security in 2024
It amazes me how much security has changed. Back in 1994, you never used your real name, address, personal info, on a public website. Ever. Back in those days, there was no such thing as secure internet privacy, and, in some ways, that hasn’t changed a lot.
The way people use the internet has changed.
A How to Guide to Social Media in 2024
I remember where there was still live chat, where you could talk to a real person. That was eliminated at some point after 2005. All social media websites are automated and run by bots. Everything, all messages, functions, etc., are run by bots It’s become impossible to report anyone for abuse. All you get is a questionnaire, and no matter your answers, it always defaults to, we recommend blocking the person.
I’m not one to be all report happy, but geez, when you find videos of someone who recorded themselves murdering kittens, it gets to be too much. And so, the report abuse button rarely goes anywhere.
No one is in charge of social media websites anymore. Unfortunately, this has opened all social media sites to online trolls who just argue for the sake of arguing, and there’s no winning that game.
A Trade-Off
So what can you do to limit the sheer amount of assholery on social media? The only option is to make your profile private and only add people that you personally know.
Which means if you want to be a publicly popular social media star, it’s a trade-off. You’re going to get online trolls, scammers, fake eMarketers, harassers, and the list goes on. If you’re okay with that, I wish you the best of luck.
If you’re more of a private person just hanging out with friends online, then making your profile private is the only way.
How to Deal with SEO Writing
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is not journalism. The only purpose is to get the writing to show up in an online search. Most SEO blog articles are written in a way to snag free web traffic in hopes the blog ads make more money.
Sometimes, if I have a bit of time to spare, I can find a nugget of useful info buried somewhere in the SEO article. But, for the most part, SEO writing is full of misinformation and fictional gossip. So, it’s up to you how you want to play that game, and yes, SEO is a game.
Google Search
It used to be the most reliable research tool online, but that’s a thing of the past.
Google is an AI. It’s probably the oldest AI on the internet. I’m not impressed by the most recent incarnation of Google AI. Keyword search was eliminated from the Google AI. I’m not sure exactly when that happened, maybe slowly, but definitely in the past ten years.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not all zmog all AI is evil. AI is a tool, like any other. It might be useful, it might not.
However, Google trained their search AI to only show paid ads and uninformative SEO blogs. I continued using Google search or a while, knowing the flaws. One day, I found myself on the fifth page of Google results and still couldn’t find a factual answer. For five pages, nothing but ads and useless blogs. It was at that point I realized that Google Search has become a waste of time.
It’s an open secret with Google. Sad, but true. On one hand, I don’t blame corporations for making money, because that’s what they do. On the other hand, Google could have been more transparent, if they bothered.
How to Use Google Search in 2024
If you don’t mind wasting your time, there is a way to handle Google Search and still get something useful.
Google Search AI will automatically strike out words or phrases and spit out popular search results, instead of accurate results. Your query also has to be phrased in the form of a question. However, the question mark is optional because apparently Google AI doesn’t give a damn about grammar.
To prevent automatic strike out of words or phrases, you have to put them in quotation marks.
So, to sum up. Phrase your query as a question, question mark optional. Any word (s) you don’t want automatically eliminated, put it in quotation marks.
If you follow all the above, don’t be surprised when you get no results. In fact, that’s better, because it will give you a good idea of how much useless crap the Google AI spits out if you don’t act like a coder.
Alternatives to Google AI
I know the name isn’t the most sophisticated, but it does work. I started using DuckDuckGo. Their search have an excellent keywords function, and it’s much faster for me than using Google AI. So long Google Search. It was nice while it lasted.
Got more survival tips? Let me know!
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