What Is "The Cloud"?

One of the hottest topics in the computer world today is "The Cloud".  This mysterious meteorological phenomenon is really actually a really simple concept.  In old fashioned (i.e. 2004 era) network diagrams large portions of the internet that weren't relevant to the diagram were often shown as a fuzzy, cloud enclosed, area.

Why it's called the cloud.

The Internet Loves Acronyms

The techies that shape the internet have a love of acronyms.  It often makes for confusion and intimidation among new users.  CSS, HTML, WWW, SMTP, IMAP, POP, DNS, DDNS and so on.  I could tell you what all those acronyms mean but then I'd have to kill you  you really don't need to know what they stand for.  

What's In (and On) A Computer (Part 2)

When last I wrote on this topic I covered the processor, the motherboard, the RAM, the hard drive, and the power supply.  For the most part I'll probably never really talk about the power supply or motherboard again because there's just not that much the average user needs to know.  However, the topics I'm going to cover in this post will likely be discussed in greater detail in a later article, so I'm going to keep these descriptions a little shorter.

The items I discussed in Part 1 were the parts of the computer that you really don't interact with directly.  Today I'll be discussing the items that involve getting data into, or out of, the computer.  I like to think of these as the "higher level" functions.  Just like in a human, the brain does the processing of visual stimuli, but it's the eyes that do the actual collection of that stimuli.

The Internet. The Basics

Though I plan on doing a series of more in-depth looks at parts of the  internet, if you don't understand what the internet is at all, this is a good starting point.

The internet is a concept as much as a thing.  There is no one person or entity that controls the internet.  There is no one big bank of computers hold the content of the internet.  There is no one company responsible for the network infrastructure that carries the data through the internet.

What's In (and On) A Computer (Part 1)

OK, this may seem simple, but in the day of tablets, laptops, convertibles, and all-in-ones, some people have difficulty understanding what makes up an actual computer.  And when they go shopping for one the options and specifications are overwhelming.  I'll cover what to look for in the specifications in a separate post, but the first step is to understand the parts...

About Me....About This Blog....History

A NOTE: This blog was originally posted using Wordpress. I'm now moving all of those posts over from WordPress manually, so these were all published over several months originally but will show up here as having been posted over the course of a few days....

 This blog, in a nutshell, is designed to help people with little computer knowledge understand the basics of computers, the internet, and other current technology. Unlike so many other sites, I will strive to do it using analogies and simple language so that it can be understood by anyone. Too often the tech press spends too much time focused on the latest advancements in technology without explaining what the old technology was or why the new is better. As a result if you're already lost, you get "loster".