How The Internet Changed My Life

Aug 13, 2011

Weekly Theme: Online & Gadgets
Daily Prompt: How has having a website and being involved in online communities and forums changed your life? What do you think you’d be doing online if you never got into making websites or online communities?

I’ll be the first to admit that my history with meeting people online hasn’t been the best. I’ve run into situations with those I thought were friends only to find that wasn’t the case and I was being used. As a result I’m a little more guarded with who I let into my life and despite all the pain I’ve had to endure, I don’t regret my presence online or the fact that I am involved in communities– with the good comes the bad.

First and foremost if I had not decided to reopen one of my now deceased message boards, I probably never would have met my best friend and because of this I am so fortunate for the internet. It allowed me to meet and get to know someone I would never have had the chance to do so if the internet didn’t exist. Jennifer has been one of the best motivating and supporting forces in my life this past year. There is so much that I have been there, so much that I have discovered that I do not know what I would have done if I didn’t have her to lean on. I love her so much and am so appreciative of the friendship we have.

I’ve also had the opportunity to connect with a few other people and while we may not be as close as Jenn and I are– I foresee that given time that could change. The internet has really afforded me the opportunity to make friends much more easily given that I work from home. I have met some amazing people and learned so much about myself as well. The girls and guys at Veracity are an amazing bunch and it still amazes me that we can just get on Skype and start talking and chatting about our lives like we’ve known each other for years. I love it and I am so fortunate to have such a great community to turn to. Truly and sincerely the internet has changed my life for the better and because of that you’ll see me around these parts for many more years to come.

Must Have Applications

Aug 12, 2011

Weekly Theme: Online & Gadgets
Daily Prompt: What are some of your must have programs on your computer? For those with smart phones or tablets, what are some must have applications on your devices? List no more than 5 for each.

There are several programs that are necessary in order for me to feel comfortable with the computer that I’m using. If it is missing even one of the items listed below, it feels incomplete and I feel absolutely and totally uncomfortable using it. Probably the main reason I’m not really able to get into my Macbook as much as my PC– because there are a lot of programs I cannot port over or work differently in the Mac environment.

• Photoshop CS 5
• Some type of FTP program (my preferred is AceFTP Pro)
• Google Chrome
• Trillian
• Some type of music program, preferrably NOT iTunes

I obviously have more– however we were limited to 5 so I just listed the first 5 that came to mind given how tired I am. As for my smart phone, to be honest I don’t really have any applications that are an absolute necessity. I would be quite content with my phone if it didn’t have some of the apps it does. Maybe that’s weird, but with my phone the standard is enough for what I need.

I Blog Because I Can

Aug 11, 2011

Weekly Theme: Online and Gadgets
Daily Prompt: What inspired you to create your personal blog? What continues to inspire you?

I first sought out blogging as a means of a release. It allowed me to get out all my feelings and emotions without having to verbalize it to those around, something that even now I still struggle with. Writing is an escape for me. It allows me to get lost without my emotions and let the thoughts I have, the feelings I feel tumble out without preparation or hesitation. When we speak, we guard the things we have to say. We subconsciously edit the words that escape our mouth because we’re taught that if you can’t say something nice, you shouldn’t say it all and thus we censor.

Writing is different. It allows us to be a little more open, share a deeper piece of ourselves without necessarily feeling completely vulnerable and raw. You do not have to see the look on the faces of those who read your blog as they read it– whereas when you talk to someone, the reaction is there for you to see and ultimately affects you even if you deny that it does.

There isn’t a whole lot that continues to inspire. I write because I can, because I need to write. I am the type that over analyzes or recounts conversations and actions over and over again and my blog serves as a brain dump for me. Eventually what I’d like to do is expand on my content. Blog about recipes I’ve tried or projects that I have picked up and even start utilizing this place as a photo dump. Will that happen? Eventually. When will it happen? When the muse strikes me.

Daily Internet Routine

Aug 10, 2011

Weekly Theme: Online & Gadgets
Daily Prompt: When you log on the computer what do you normally do? What sites do you visit?

I don’t really have a daily routine per say because it varies on the day and depending on what’s going on with work. Sometimes I need to immediately jump on and log into my work computer, other times I can surf the net on my personal computer before I have to be in work. It just depends.

If I am on my personal computer the sites I generally visit right away are:

• Yahoo Mail
• Hotmail
• Veracity

And then whatever else happens to strike my fancy during that time, lol. I do not check my Gmail because that goest directly to my phone so the first thing I do in the morning after shutting off my alarm is go through my eyes which admittedly isn’t the best idea when I’m half asleep. Either way it works, lol.

So there you have it my not so awesome daily internet routine.

Protected: Longshot

Aug 10, 2011

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Protected: Take Care of Your Body; It’s the Only Place You Have to Live

Aug 9, 2011

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