Browser Toolbars...Leave them off

What are toolbars and why are they needed?
Good question.

A toolbar is considered a browser extension. It is designed to make your Internet browsing experience better. Browsers are the program that gets your web page for you. The most popular  browsers are Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Safari. Each one of these browsers come with their own toolbar. They all have an address bar (for the web page address), buttons to go back or forward pages and bookmarking ability.

So a tool bar is an extension on your browser. Ah...extensions. Extensions do make your browsing experience better. An extension does things that the browser normally does not. An example is streaming that YouTube video from Facebook. Streaming is not something that browsers ordinarily are programmed for. Browsers read the code in web pages and present it to you.

(Want to see what I mean? Simply right click on a blank part of this page and select View Page Source. That is what your web page looks like to the browser. The browser reads that and makes it look like this! :)  )

Back to what your browser can do. Remember when every time you went to open a PDF file that you had to have Adobe Reader installed? What happened it that you clicked on the PDF file or link and your browser realized that it couldn't open it and looked on your computer for Adobe Reader and called it to open the file for you. Now, some browsers just open those PDF files in a new tab. Why? Because the browser added that functionality to their programming, or rather, they extended the programming to include PDF files.

Extensions are a good thing when they work to make things better and more interactive. Another extension is Flashplayer that produces graphics on your web site. If you don't have that extension installed, you do not get the graphics.

Most extensions are there, behind the scenes, ready to act when needed.

What makes a toolbar different? First, it takes up space on your browser window. That means that you get to see less of the web page you are viewing. I have seen computers with 9-10 toolbars and the web page got about three inches of space on the computer screen! Not a fun way to view your webpages.

Your computer screen with toolbars.

1. The browser toolbar
2. Seven other toolbars. Note that they all have a search box.
3. The web page to view.
4. Another toolbar



So if toolbars are so readily available, and they are extensions, then they must be doing something for us, right?

Yes, they do something for us. The problem with toolbars, is, for the most part, they do what we can already do. Most toolbars offer search abilities. Remember that list of browser I mentioned? They all allow you to search for pages in the address bar. Do you another place to search? I would say no.

Some toolbars do add functionality for a very few people. There are toolbars that are specific to a person's field of interest. These toolbars have commands on them that these individuals use regularly. One is the Microsoft Developer Toolbar. It allows the use to view and modify HTML elements on the fly and inspect CSS properties. Very helpful for developers. The QuickStores Toolbar searches shopping sites for you.  The CasinoMan Toolbar helps you gamble while browsing. I believe there is a toolbar to watch stocks as well.

The majority of toolbars just help you search and get to your email, or a weather station, or a game. All of which can be bookmarked using the bookmark capability included in your browser.

Not only do these toolbars do what we can already do, and take up space, there was a time period where some toolbars also included malware like Trojans to steal information or corrupt your computer. This is not as common as it once was. (Malware producers have a tendency to move on once they are spotted.) Toolbars can also add functionality to web sites like producing all those ad popups that show up when your move crosses a certain word or phrase. We all want that, right? Do note that some of those pop ups are in the page and the toolbars take them and run with them.

My recommendation. If it is not something that would ruin your day to not have, then get rid of it, Do not download them. (Mind you, they sometimes come with the downloads that you do want. Read about that here.)

Enjoy your time on the Internet!
                                             .....and keep the BugOff !


You can also find me on Facebook, ask to be my friend, I will not turn anyone away.
Follow on Twitter, @BugOffComp

Places that helped me write this article: Free Browser Toolbars; 14 Popular Browser Toolbars; Text Popups; Wikipedia.

Is it credible?

We see all kinds of information on the Internet and our Social websites. Some are funny, some are cute, and some make our blood boil. We like to share them. We read them and think how wonderful that we learned something new and want all our friends and acquaintances to know all about it too. So we share that link.

The question you need to ask yourself before you click share, is this: Is it credible?

The next question you should ask is, do I know for sure it is credible?

Before you share, check to see if the story is true. If you don't want to check, then please, do not share the story.

Pictures of little girls burned in a fire, cell phones cause brain tumors,  little boy shot protecting his sister, American flag hanging upside down at a McDonald's, artificial sweetener turning into formaldehyde, tropical spiders under airport toilet seats, and dialing 112 when pulled over by the police.

I have found that if you get past the first inflammatory paragraph of most of these articles, you will see how the picture/story is not quite what it seems. For instance, the McDonald's flying the flag upside down the day after election. Turns out one of the cables broke holding the flag.

Some have elements of truth. The little girl burned? She was in fact burned. The post said that someone would be sending her money for every time her photo is shared. There really was a little girl burned. In Poland. In 2005. That would be 7 years ago. The parents never saw a cent. Then again, who was sending the money?

Some allude to the truth. Electromagnetic waves can cause cancer. But the radio waves in your cell phone have not been linked to any kind of cancer.

Another story. This one really gives me pause. Lauren was being pulled over by a police officer, but her parents said don't do it because the office might really be a serial rapist. Instead call 112. Did you know that 112 is an emergency number? ...in Europe? If you are concerned, do call, but call 911, our very own emergency number.

Some of the stories are obviously patchwork. There was a story about how aspartame, the sweetener in Diet Coke, turned into formaldehyde in the desert heat of the war zone in Saudi Arabia (no mention of it doing so in the desert heat of the U.S.) circa 2002. Just last week, that same article is posted below picture of Splenda. Splenda contains sucralose, not aspartame.

My point is not the specifics of the story. My point is why are you clicking Share? If you cannot verify the story, do not share it. If you do not want to verify the story, do not share it. Note: a good place to start is Snopes.com, they have taken the time to research many of these stories.

If you can verify it, pass it on and include the link with the verification.

Meanwhile,
Keep the BugOff !


You can also find me on Facebook, ask to be my friend, I will not turn anyone away.
Follow on Twitter, @BugOffComp

My resources: Snopes on Alexandra, Snopes on fake cop, Upside down flag, Splenda, Truth or Fiction.

Don't download that!!!!

With the new Java and Adobe exploits and the new patches that are available, most of us have been downloading programs. Understandable and necessary. I would not suggest that anyone not keep their computers up-to-date with security updates.

The problem is that most of you now have the Ask Toolbar or the McAfee Security Scan Plus.

Why?

Because when you downloaded those new versions of Java and Adobe, you also received the Ask Toolbar and McAfee Security Scan Plus. But wait? You didn't order them, right? Yes, yes you did. And you did so by just clicking through the download.

There is a lot of information on those download windows that don't make much sense to you, and sometimes even me. But we know we need them and if in doubt, let the program install it the way it wants. For the most part, that program knows the best way to be installed and I agree.

The part we need to address is the extras. On one of those windows for the Java update (about 3 or 4 clicks in), you are asked if you also want to install the Ask Toolbar.

The Ask Toolbar is not malicious (and yes some of these extras can be very close to malicious), but do you really need an extra toolbar to help you search? All of the big browsers allow you to search straight from the address bar. The Ask Toolbar is just an extra program that sits there and takes up space and resources. If you are not going to use it, do not add it.

Likewise, Adobe Reader has been asking you to add extra programs:

The problem with this extra is that is a program that can interfere with your installed anti-virus and slow your computer down.

The only way to determine if there are extras is to read those download screens. ALL OF THEM. On all downloads. Every time. Without Fail. Uncheck those check boxes by clicking on the checkmark to make it go away.

So, what do you do if you missed these? Uninstall them. Its not hard, you just have to go do it. Need instructions? No problem.....keep reading.

• Click on Start.
• Click on Control Panel
• Look for Uninstall a program. (If you have the icon list, look for Programs and Feature (or Add or remove programs for XP users.))
• Wait for the list to finish populating. 
• Find Ask Toolbar. 
• Right-click on the name and then click on Uninstall. (or click to select and choose Uninstall near the top of the window.)
• Remember that sometimes the program acts like it is installing. That is because an installer is used to both install and uninstall the program. 
• Follow all directions, reading carefully, as sometimes they word things to convince you to keep the program.
• Repeat for the McAfee Security Scan Plus if needed.

Questions? Comments? Please use that comment section down below. (Yes you will need to sign in to Google. It is not a bad thing.)

Until next time......
                                    Keep the BugOff !!!


You can also find me on Facebook, ask to be my friend, I will not turn anyone away.
Follow on Twitter, @BugOffComp