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TECH TOPICS: Notes from the Mac Help Desk

Glen Kohler

Friday December 13, 2019 - 11:42:00 AM

On the Desktop

PC/Windows tech Juan Castillo recently made the first valid criticism of the macOS I have heard from a Windows user: whereas Windows makes users put documents in the documents folder and pictures in the pictures folder, the Mac OS allows us to put any kind of file almost anywhere.

And do we ever.

Maybe this doesn’t sound like a big deal, but I see Macs with so many image files and random documents in the top-level directory of the hard drive that it is hard to find the system folders. Installed applications at the root level of the hard drive, right next to the Applications folder, are another sign of system disarray. You don’t want Office and Photoshop at the same level as the System Library. Best Practice is to take the time to move image files and documents to the appropriate folders in your user account.

Better Still practice is to organize the Documents and Pictures folders by making sub-folders inside them—with clearly understandable names. ‘Untitled’ doesn’t stand the test of time. Nor will docs_3. Names should reflect real-world uses, such as Home Repairs, Travel, Botan;ical Garden Photos, and Warren 2020.

For extra credit move a hundred e-mail attachments out of ‘Downloads’ into the appropriate User folders. Then put will-never-use files in the trash … and Empty the Trash.

If you are still thinking this is too elementary for words, it is not. Many Mac users I meet can benefit from some digital housekeeping.

Web Browsers and Privacy

The Chrome browser, which did not exist when browser statistics were first compiled, is used for over 80% of web visits. FireFox, once a leader, is runner up at 10% of trips to web sites. Microsoft’s Edge/Internet Explorer and Apple’s Safari are nearly tied around 4%. Opera brings up the rear with a little over 1% of the action on the Net.*

The TOR browser cited below isn’t in the stats because it can’t be measured!

Most web visitors seem unaware that their privacy on the Internet is inversely proportional to browser popularity: most-used Chrome collects the most data from users, some of which Google discloses to third parties. While FireFox is behind Google in the user stats, it takes the concept of privacy on the Internet much more seriously.

Firefox

The Mozilla Foundation develops and maintains FireFox. They say that they don’t sell or otherwise disclose information about Firefox users to third parties. Mozilla offers users accounts that enable them to share bookmarks and browsing history among devices, and they are developing a fuller range of web-based services, so far not as extensive as Google’s. Firefox preserves users’ privacy with built-in ad blocking, social media protection, and even a free Virtual Private Network (VPN).

In addition to Firefox’s built-in privacy protection, an array of plug-ins and extensions makes Firefox the #1 choice for those who want to minimize their footprints on the Internet while enjoying most of the available features on web sites. Some add-ons let you see how many trackers they keep at bay; the number of info-hungry ‘bots waiting to grab on to your every click may surprise you.

Some savvy ‘Net users feel Google’s wide range of on-line services are worth allowing the giant corporation to share their information. I prefer to use Firefox and load it with anti-tracking extensions. A lot of places I went on the ‘Net in days past is known and can be discovered. But that doesn’t seem a reason to broadcast every where I go today and tomorrow.

But that’s just me. To each his or her dag-nab, blue-eyed own….

Web Searching

After reading about Chrome and Google, you might suppose Google’s search engine has something to do with those targeted ads on various sites. It does. Google’s Chrome browser and Google Search are tracking powerhouses. So what is an Internet user to do?

Simple: Go into the browser’s preferences and make DuckDuckGo the default search engine. DuckDuckGo has extensive search algorithms that do the job without telling uncle Google or anyone else where you have been on the ‘Net today.

Privacy Caveats

With optional privacy-guarding measures in place, Firfox takes several seconds longer to display web pages than, well, Chrome.

Those who opt for more privacy may be disconcerted by Firefox’s reluctance to allow links to take them to domains other than the one they intentionally navigated to. Clicking on an external link triggers a warning at the top of the viewing window, with a button to click if the user trusts the link.

For example, when I access web mail from my commercial web host account, Firefox makes me manually okay the jump from the hosting server to the mail server.

Because this warning doesn’t scream at you from the page, new Firefox security users may wonder why they aren’t seeing the expected next page—until they notice the narrow warning box atop the blank page presented while they decide whether to proceed.

When you run an ad blocker on any browser, corporate media web sites show an obscuring message box that complains about your software and refuses access until you turn off the blocker. Classier indie media sites just say that they like their ad revenues, so please consider disabling your ad blocker, then give you admission anyway.

Most Private

The TOR browser (The Onion Ring) provides anonymous web browsing. Each communication with a web site (http call) is delivered like a baton in a relay race: it is handed off to an ever-changing series of web servers. Trackers cannot see where calls originate or where site server responses end up. It’s a hoot to visit a site that claims to know your IP address and have it tell you that your computer is in London.

Banks and commerce web sites won’t let customers look at account information or make purchases when the web is accessed the TOR way, because they really can’t tell who has possession of the account’s user name and password.

Next Up

I want to mention self-inflicted privacy breaches that can cost a lot of money, but it is time to step out for coffee. Stay tuned for more dope about bad guys on the Internet next week.