Monday, August 31, 2015

Think Before You Click



It’s been very busy around here lately. My house is for sale and I’ve started packing my things – positive thinking – and I’ve had a few things I’ve had to repair. I even replaced a pond pump. Easy peasy. My air conditioner went out on a 115 degree day. I couldn’t fix that myself. I wish I had the skill to fix it. Who’s going to buy a house in the desert with no AC? Thankfully, it’s been repaired. 


However, in the midst of this I received a Google Alert. A site was offering to download some of my books for FREE in PDF format. Huh? I wanted to see who was doing this, so I clicked on the link. Dumb move, but I think I caught myself in time. There was no actual site. It just started to download my book. It didn’t feel right, so I clicked out of there as fast as I could.

This has happened a few times in the past. I clicked on a link and actually went to a site. Here’s what I learned, again clicking out because it didn’t feel right.

I made a call to a computer tech and he explained that there are two basic things going on. Some of these sites want you to “join” their site and they ask for pertinent personal information. Red flag! Don’t give out your personal information. Fortunately, I knew better, and I’m sure most of you do, too.

The second thing is that sometimes these sites will give your computer the flu (a virus), or plant something in your computer like malware.

Either way, if you get sucked in by thinking you’re getting a free book, you just might end up with more computer problems than you can handle, and that’s not generally a free situation. There are some legitimate sites where you can obtain books, but I haven’t taken them up on their offers. Actually, I’ve only heard there are legitimate sites, other than places like Amazon.com.

Forewarned is forearmed, right? Sometimes we’re in too much of a hurry to think things through. Make the time if you’re headed to a site for free books.

Speaking of sucked in, today I had to run to the store to buy a special light bulb. Uh, it cost $10.00. For one light bulb? Come one, gang. But, then, prices are going up on so many things lately.

Sorry, but I moved off topic.

Think about writing books. Can your protagonist have a day when everything seems to go wrong? Of course. Just think about one of the “off” days in your own life. Real life can certainly be used to come up with a scene readers can relate to. I’d rather not use reality to think up a scene or scenario, but sometimes a bad day can be quite inspirational. Imagine your character is out in the desert in 120 degree heat. Or maybe your character is in Alaska and it’s 60 below. Ah! Maybe your character visits a questionable Internet site and receives a virus as a Thank You. Maybe your protagonist has a neighbor or friend who does this and he/she needs to help them out of a tight situation.

As I reread this post I realized how one topic leads to another. The same thought patterns can lead your protag to solving a mystery, too.

There are so many things in real life that, with a twist and a turn, can become part of a mystery. It goes far beyond temperatures. Have you been through an earthquake or a tornado or hurricane? Let your character react the way you did, or the way you wish you’d handled things.

Have you had an experience with any of these ugly websites?  Have you lived through one of nature’s misadventures? Have you ever been mugged? Robbed? Burglarized? Attacked? Writing about it as fiction can be quite therapeutic.

Until next time, be careful where you click, and enter an Internet site at your own risk. Careful is the word of the week.

CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw’s website
CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com

I was working on a new book titled, “It’s What I Do”, but circumstances have made me put it on hold for a while. In the meantime, you might give “What Are the Odds?” a try. Sandi Webster is about to turn a corner in her life, along with those closest to her.

23 comments:

  1. Very appropriate topic this week. A couple of weeks ago, something happened to my laptop. My entire desktop disappeared--it turned black and my icons disappeared--and when I logged onto some of my sites, I had to give a Google password. I had been using Internet Explorer. My son, computer genius, took over and said I had a "corrupt profile" and that he dealt with that everyday at work. He also told me that Google Chrome had replaced IE on AOL. It turns out that works better! But he retrieved all my data and my desktop background is now blue. But I still have no idea why all that happened.

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    1. What a shame, Pat! Unfortunately, many of us aren't very "techie", so I'm glad your son could help. I'm sure your heart did a couple of flip flops when you saw what was happening. I use Mozilla Firefox and it's worked quite well for me.

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  2. Oh, my, computer seem to have minds of their own at times. My latest dilemma was trying to download an upgrade on a program and the directions were so small I couldn't read them. Got no help from the company, so cancelled the download.

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    1. I don't blame you, Marilyn. Computers can be both a blessing and a curse.

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  3. There are plenty of legitimate sights with kinks to Amazon. You just need to know which ones they are. I learn from fellow authors.

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    1. LOL Kinks made it funnier. Yes, there are. You just have to be careful. I hope the legitimate sites aren't offering the books for free.

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  4. "Careful" may be the word of the week this week, Marja, but the word of the week last week, for me, was "Paranoid." I spent six days trying to get everything up and running on my new computer and ran into some questionable sites and "help" along the way. It was six days in, what I like to call, Computer Hell and I'm praying I never have to go there again. LOL

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    1. Paranoid is a good word, too, Pat. Sometimes we have no idea what we're getting into. I'm sorry for what you went through with your new computer.

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  5. Speaking of computers, I'm pretty peeved with MS today. There was an auto update of our system to Windows 10. I can understand the change from IE to Google Chrome, but the b****** wiped out all our favorites/bookmarks, which I now have to try to recover following their *helpful* instructions. Definitely a programming error they should have taken into account. :-/

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    1. I read somewhere that there were some glitches with Windows 10, so I can't say I'm surprised. Although, I'm sorry for what happened. Even when you call for help you have to be careful you don't get a fake site. They look real. I hope you get it figured out soon, and easily.

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    2. Thanks, Marja -- After researching the subject off and on over two hours, a little window suddenly popped up that said "Searching for your favorites? Here's how to migrate them." Like they couldn't automatically do that, or tell how to do it right from the start?? Guess THAT would make too much sense. Duh!

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    3. I feel your pain. : ) It can be so frustrating!

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  6. Thanks for the warning, Marja.

    Heather,I downloaded or uploaded the free version of Windows 10 to my laptop, and it wiped out everything on the computer. I panicked and searched my desktop for answers on how on how to fix it. There were so many. I tried a few things, but nothing worked. And then, after starting the laptop 5 or 6 times, everything came back.What happened there? Anyway, I like Windows 10, but now I'm afraid to download or upload it to my desktop. I don't want to lose everything again.

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    1. Thanks for YOUR warning, Evelyn. I think I'll just stick with Windows 8 for a while longer.

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  7. I got a new Windows 7 right after they came up with Windows 8, and I'm sticking with it. My computer bug-a-boo today was wiping out half my website home page while changing a tiny bit of it. However, GoDaddy chat got it back for me. (Lucky!)
    Loved this post, Marja.

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    1. Thank you, Norma! I've had very good luck with GoDaddy. Their techs are really on top of things.

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  8. I'm holding off on Windows 10 until they get most of the kinks out of it. As for your question about using natural disasters in your mysteries, I went through a flood, really scary experience, but it found its way into one of my books. And on a related topic, ever track a thought back to its origin? It's fun.

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    1. I'm holding off, too. I've been through my share of earthquakes, and some minor flooding. As far as tracking a thought back to its origin, only when I have to. : ) Our characters are another matter.

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  9. Even safe sites get infected so in addition to good browser best protective software you can afford is needed. Hmm notice lack of appropriate punctuation in previous sentence. Adobe was infiltrated about a year ago and offered free coverage to those compromised. Have to be careful when contacted about hacking always verify source. Another excellent public service with writing tips to boot.

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  10. Please finish that book. I, for one, am anxious to hear your take on Chiweenies.

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    1. Thank you, Sharon. It will probably have to wait until I sell my house and move to Washington, but the dog makes a great character. : )

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