This is due to a default Facebook setting that lets “Friends of Friends” (basically everyone you’re friends with and their friends) see pictures and videos of you when someone tags you in them. It automatically shares the tag on your wall (public feed) as if you knowingly endorsed it.

A quick aside: it is wrong to suggest or think that just because you’ve been a tagged in an awful picture or video your account has been hacked. It is possible your account has been hacked if you’re unknowingly tagging other users in photos or videos–but if you’re the victim here, simply changing your password and scanning for viruses won’t do the trick. Your account will be susceptible to this annoying ‘attack’ unless you make changes to a well-hidden setting.

Now I am going to show you how to put an end to this annoying default and hopefully save you from future embarrassment.

We’ll begin from the Facebook home screen. Log into Facebook and follow the instructions below to secure this feature on your account.

1.) From your user menu at the top right, Click the ‘Account’ drop down, then click ‘Privacy Settings’.

2.) On the Privacy settings page, scroll down to the ‘Things others share’ section and click the ‘Edit Settings’ button.

3.) When the edit box appears, click the drop-down box and choose ‘Customize’.

4.) In the ‘Custom Privacy’ box, click the drop-down box again, and this time click the ‘Only Me’ option. Then click the ‘Save Setting’ button.

These four easy steps are all you have to do to turn off automatic tagged media sharing. It is important to note that this won’t prevent other users from tagging you, rather it merely prevents the items they tag from showing up on your public feed (wall).

As always, if you believe your system has been compromised and would like to request service, visit my on-demand services page for pricing information or to request an appointment.

The Replacement
For several months I’ve been recommending Microsoft’s free offering called Microsoft Security Essentials. Among many other strengths, it is reliable, simple and does not impede system performance.

You can read more about this free software and find out how to download it by clicking here.

The Problem With AVG

I continue to support several users of AVG security software and don’t want to suggest that users of AVG software are somehow more vulnerable. That is not the case. My issues with AVG software aren’t connected to reliability.

In their most recent versions, AVG began to push other non-essential add-ons for their software that I believe are more problematic and confusing for their users than they are helpful. More than making a profit from reselling software, my goal has always been to provide my customers with a reliable but simple resource to help prevent threats on their system. This is why I’ve chosen to recommend free Microsoft Security Essentials.

Microsoft has a vested interest in securing their operating systems as one of the consistent criticisms they receive is poor defense against malicious software. Make no mistake, Microsoft Security Essentials is not perfect (no antivirus software is), but it is a great product and it is free.

It Is Versatile
AVG required business users to utilize only their pay-products, which became expensive for my customers. Microsoft Security Essentials licenses their free software for several systems in small businesses. This has allowed me to help my customers save big money and devote more funds to upgrades and maintenance.

The Big Seller
AVG, even the pay versions, has quite frankly become Adware. They may not serve random ads from third-parties, but the fact that they constantly market their higher-end products and add-ons, even to paying/licensed users surely classifies them as Adware. This, for me, is just a glaring indicator that they’re more interested in profit than performance.

As their software has continued to grow and do more unnecessary things, system performance for their users has (at least in my experience) suffered significantly. This is unacceptable for me and for my users, and so I can not in good faith sell or recommend the product they sell or offer freely.

I hope that as others take note of these issues (I am not alone in my displeasure with AVG), the software’s engineers will look for a more appropriate balance between marketing and user satisfaction.

In the mean time, I am happy to recommend Microsoft Security Essentials. If you’re looking for an affordable (see: free) solution to help maintain the security on your system, please feel free to consider it as an option.

Click Here to Learn More

To give an analogy, imagine that you own a car which is your only means of travel. Without your car, you’re stuck at home with no ride to or from work and all your friends hang out accross town–way beyond walking distance (especially in this Texas heat). Obviously, your car is important to you–but you don’t want to take care of the annoying things like oil changes, tire rotations and brake jobs.

This seems to be an ingenious strategy for a while, but eventually things begin to go wrong. Your engine starts making a knocking noise, your tire blows out on the freeway and your wheels grind when you brake. The diagnosis? A busted engine block, badly worn tires and a ruined braking system. Suddenly, the few hundred dollars in yearly maintenance on your precious car pale in comparison to the several thousand dollar bill the mechanic just put in your hand.

This is a bad long-term strategy with a vehicle, with your health, relationships, home maintenance, and with a computer. Minor things can be done on a routine basis to extend the life of a computer and at the very least note potential problems before they result in something tragic like data corruption or loss.

One of the things I’ve seen a lot of is debis build-up inside of the computer. It doesn’t take long for dust to clog critical components, parts that can’t be accessed or cleaned from the outside. When this occurs, the system heats up and compensates by making more noise and slowing down to prevent overheating. Before long, due to the prolongued over usage of the cooling system and warm temperatures inside the computer, your system slows to a hault and components begin to break down. Soon a fan goes out, a power supply shorts or worse–a major component such as a hard drive or motherboard begins to malfunction.

This type of damage and build up can be avoided by dropping your system off at my shop or scheduling a convenient on-site service call (usually only an hour of labor). For a very affordable price, I can clean the debris and dust from your system and even make some tweaks and optimizations to your software that will cause your system to run smoother and more efficiently. Best of all, this is a much simpler way to spot potential hardware failure and prepare with data backup or a repair that can avoid a meltdown altogether.

There, of course, is another realm of concern when it comes to computer usage–security. I won’t go into great detail about this or make a clever analogy as I did above, since most people know how dangerous virus and malware infections can be. I will warn however that virus scanners are not perfect and malicious software can go completely undetected, putting your data and personal information at risk. This, too, can be avoided in many cases with proper application of operating system and application updates.

Thankfully, many people have begun keeping up with operating system updates but I find that one of the most glaring security vulnerabilities on my customers’ machines are in third-party applications that they use every day. Programs like Adobe Flash, when unpatched, can be exploited by the bad guys to wreak havvoc on users’ systems. What a large price to pay when such a thing could be avoided with a few tweaks at the hands of the local smiling technology solutions provider.

Please hear me, don’t neglect your computers. Yes, I’m trying to convince you to spend a few bucks with me, but you’ll be thankful you did. Just like the Joe Schmoe who changes your oil and helps you get 150,000 miles on your motor, I want to help you get the most out of your computer.

If you’d like to request an appointment or drop off your computer for a check-up or repair, contact me today!

In other news, I’m proud to offer the availability to pay by debit and credit card.  I hope this new method of payment adds another level of convenience for my customers.

And last, but certainly not least, I’m very excited to share that I’m opening an office in Dayton, TX.  Don’t worry, on-site service calls will continue, but customers will now have the added convenience of visiting a storefront to receive friendly and competent computer repair services.  Check back here soon for location information and business hours.

A ball mouse is what we all (at least those of my generation) grew up with.  The cute little mouse with the ball on the bottom that, unlike it’s living counterpart which eats cheese, boasts a healthy diet of dust and dirt from your mouse-pad.  There are two things that come to mind when I think of the ball mouse: precision and cleaning.  Those two things really go hand-in-hand, since without regular cleaning of the wheels beneath the ball beneath the mouse, your pointer will stick, stall and jump all over the screen.  Forget trying to Photoshop your favorite photo or select a tiny line of text–ot with a ball mouse.

An optical and laser mouse perform the same role as the traditional ball mouse, but differ in that they don’t have the traditional ball on the bottom of the device, and movement is instead guided by LED sensors (optical) or a laser (laser).  A laser mouse is more sensitive than an optical mouse making it more ideal for precision usage, but for the majority of users it’d be impossible to tell the difference.  The one glaring difference between the two is the ability of the laser mouse to work on difficult surfaces.  Optical mice sometimes don’t work well on reflective finishes or other decorative surfaces, but the laser device pretty much works on anything (except thin air).

So to answer my friends question, which mouse is the best buy?  Well, it really comes down to your own needs and wants.  Obviously, the only practical purchase options for those living in today’s era of tech are the optical and laser mouse.  I’d certainly recommend a laser mouse if you’re doing any design work or intense gaming and need more precise movements.

All that being said, if you’re more price/value conscientious, an optical mouse may be more appealing.  There really isn’t a big price difference, but optical mice are easier to find and so you might find a cheaper option from a larger selection.  Color, shape and quality options may also be more plentiful with an optical mouse.

So there you have it.  A mouse really isn’t a mouse.  Okay, it is.. but really.. it isn’t.  All mice aren’t created equally.  As with all technology, there are a few minor things to consider when purchasing one of these devices.

I hope this brief post has been helpful to you.  If you’d like to ask me a question, feel free to comment on this post or click here to contact me.

Note:  Wikipedia has a great article about mice.  It’s full of more facts than you’ll ever want/need to know about these helpful little devices.  You can read their article here.

In the coming months I’ll begin sharing IT-related articles and information via the new blog as well as tips and helpful hints for accomplishing simple tasks on your equipment.

A very special thanks to all those who submitted testimonials and other feedback.