Your REVAMPED weekly reminder to back up your data, update software and otherwise pay attention to your digital environment. (Oh, and to head to the CRASH Space meeting…)

So this is the first Tuesday Sweep with the revised zone system. The next month will be little light on putting new and fabulous stuff in the “Learn” section because reorganizing will be eating the allocated Tuesday Sweep time.

On the blog

Jump in Here

  • Welcome. If you haven’t been following along, it’s okay. You’re not behind, you’re just where you are.
  • Need a instant pick me up? Jump straight to our Easy Wins.
  • There are more recommendations under Start Here.
  • Feeling more ambitious? Review the list of OneThing articles and pick one to catch up on.

Sweep

Weekly Basics

  • Update main computer(s), phone(s) and tablet.
  • Confirm that backup system(s) for your main computer(s), phone(s) and tablet(s) have run.
  • Check snail mail.
  • Clean out wallet/purse/laptop bag.
  • Check junk mail folder for anything suspicious.
  • Check the news for what’s up for a vote, or went to vote. Call both to express your opinion and to say Thank You.

This Week’s Focus: Zone 1 – Connectivity

This first weekly focus emphasizes good hygiene for getting on the internet itself. Some tasks require some set up before they can be “maintained” so they’ll be mentioned in the Start Up section. They don’t need to be done all at once. This zone will roll around the first week of every month, so just spend the time you have and get as far as you can.

Start Up
  • Write a list of all the places you connect to the internet and how you get on the internet from that location.
    • Who are the ISPs you interact with? If you use data on your phone, include the phone company. If you use a VPN, they can (even if they have a policy against) collect the same type information.
    • Locate all as many of the privacy policies as you can. If they screw up, how will you know? Who can you complain to?
  • Set up for safety on public WiFi networks
    • Do you have a firewall up and running?
    • Do you have HTTPs everywhere installed and FULLY activated? It can be really annoying but using a public WiFi requires extra care to not allow any unencrypted connections. No exceptions.
    • VPN’s: if one really has to take care of business on a public network, this is the use case. Ars Technica pronounces the commercial providers as one big “meh.” Consider rolling your own?
  • When was the last time you logged into your home’s router? Have you changed the password? Do you know the password?
  • You may not ever use Tor, but one of these Zone 1 weeks will be a good time to learn about Tor and Onion Routers in general.
Maintain
  • What new hardware do you have?
    • Is it on your check list?
    • Is it set up correctly?
    • How does it stay up to date and backed up?
  • Any new internet providers?
    • Did you find their privacy policy?
    • If there’s a new frequently used network in your life, do you know who the administrator is?
  • Did you roll your own VPN? Is it up to date?
  • Check the activity logs on your router.
  • Update the software on your router(s).
  • Check firewall settings.
  • Stored WiFi networks can be used to profile your devices and find out places you’ve been. Weed them out.
  • Any new choices for ISP in your neighborhood?
    • Might be a good week to call the city and see if municipal broadband might be coming to you…
    • Any community driven broadband?

Learn

Where do you scan for news?

  • Defend Right To Repair in California! More Info
  • Check out the links on the News and Updates page.
  • Feeling like you need more? Try finding out
    • about how the internet networks work and their history
    • about VPNs
    • about Tor
    • about a protocol, any protocol! What problem did the designers need to solve?

Reflect

Feeling dumb or stupid about how not-l33t you are? Angsting over some silly thing you “know better than to do.” Stop. That isn’t useful. Regret is only of use if it prompts an actual change in behavior. Maybe it’s NOT you that sucks. Could be it’s the technology, and you could come up with a fix that would help lots of people. Look forward and make a plan.

Engage

We are a community. You are a welcome part of it.

Relax

Get rid of assholes for long term relaxation improvement, but in the mean time polish a tinfoil ball until it shines!!! (via My Modern MET) Seems very related to the mud-ball/dorodango phenomena (Short Japanese Link, 1 of 4 Japanese Tutorial Video, NatGeo Link, MythBusters Turd Polishing), if you thought that was fun.