As a senior citizen just being introduced to the computer world, you will have to learn a whole new language of funny words connected with this new phase of your life…words that have a far different meaning than what you normal think they mean. Additionally, you will find strange new words such as “bits, bytes, megabytes, megahertz” and so on, but you may not have to worry about all of them.

When you are working a computer program, you may use a “mouse” which is not the four-legged type but a device with a hard rubber ball on the bottom (or even just a light) that helps move a “cursor (a pointer, that is, not one that uses foul language) on the “monitor” (not a teacher who watches you when taking a test, but a TV picture tube or flat screen nowadays) of the computer that shows you what you are typing or drawing or moving. You move the mouse with your hand (or finger if you are using a laptop (a portable computer) and “click” (attach) the pointer to a specific object to tell the CPU (computer processing unit) to do something.

Other terms peculiar to computers are “CD Rom, discs, hard and optical drives, desktops, laptops, notebooks, spread sheets, mother boards, Pentium families, dot matrix-ink, jet-bubble jet laser printers.” There is also DOS and Windows 95 or XP to add to the new vocabulary…and new ones practically every time you look around.

Right now the “in” thing is to “Surf the Net” (that’s the worldwide Internet, and you don’t use a surfboard to do that)…it’s a compendium of interesting facts, business and social relationships, news sources (such as this web site and not connected with a spider if you please) which you can reach through a “modem” (computer connections via a phone and online service that you have to pay for) at “baud rates (rates of speed including “broadband” which is the fastest one right now and will probably change in the future!).

Repairing a computer when it breaks down (freezes or crashes) may require calling in or seeing a “hardware” (equipment) or “programmer” person.

“Hard copy” is exactly what it means: however, with computers it means “print out” on a piece of paper from a “printer” (laser, ink jet or otherwise) of what is shown on the “monitor.”

One word after a particularly bad session when things go wrong in “cyberspace” we understand quite easily…”Exit” or “Quit” or “Escape”, while another is “Save” (And we also understand the mental anguish when we don’t do that and what you have done is wiped out and you have to do it all over again unless you can “revert” back to what you just did which is possible.) The temptation to punch the computer’s monitor is an experience we all go through while enjoying the attributes of a computer system and the help it gives us.

And “help” is the one attribute the computer has done for us. When I first started out in the printing business all type was set with metal individual pieces of type to form articles that were printed on a press. Today, if there was a mistake in this column, for example, it probably would take an hour to make the correction–something that takes a few seconds with the current computers.

The latest social words in cyberspace are “YouTube”, “Facebook” and the newest, “Twitter” (and we do it too) which makes it a whole new “another” world in social communication.

This writer’s last comment: Just enjoy the wonderful world of cyberspace…and surf to your heart’s content on the Internet, even without a surfboard!

Bernard Block, editor and publisher of [http://TheSeniorConnextion.com] a web magazine for senior lifestyles to inform, educate and help-to-improve

In a perfect world no one would be able to infiltrate our home computers and mess with our lives, but this isn’t a perfect world. Every home computer needs to have home computer security measures installed to protect it. So don’t put it off any longer. Start doing some research so that you can choose the right home computer security for you.

What you need to Know about Home Computer Security

Statistics would surely prove that with the millions of people online every day, at least a handful of them are going to be hackers. Hackers are fiendish individuals who have computer abilities to access the computers of others and spread viruses which are a menace to the computer world. Viruses have done their job in eliminating crucial data and damaging computer hard drives all over the world. People can now fight back, however, by purchasing security systems for the computers they have in their homes.

There are two good ways to get home computer security. One is to buy it on CD-ROM which can be installed on your computer. The other way is to purchase it online and then download it into your PC.

Don’t be fooled by websites which offer you “free” security software. There’s bound to be an ulterior motive behind that offer. Besides, if you download their software you’ll also get a “free” load of spyware which will track your use of the internet without your knowledge.

When you install your computer security software, be sure to carefully set your preferences. Otherwise you may be installing firewalls which will block you from internet content you want to see.

For people who are still using dial-up internet connections, it will take a substantial amount of time to download home computer security software off of the internet. An option you have is to buy the CD-ROM, because it will download much faster. If you do decide to go with the internet download, you may want to wait and run it while you’re at work or sleeping so that it won’t interfere with your use of your computer.

Do some research into the features and prices of various home computer security packages which are available. You can also ask family and friends what they recommend. It won’t do to be too chap when buying software, because you need to have software you trust to protect your important computer files. No matter what you choose, you’ll always be glad you took steps to protect your home computer.

Home security is something we all want. Visit SaferHomeSecurity.com for more tips on home security tips and home security DIY tips and make your home safer.