Internet Safety Tips (Part II)

From the Employment and Learning Computer Lab:

Internet Safety Tips, Part II:

Sometimes you may find yourself using  a public computer in the library, a computer café, or even the Employment and Learning Centre computer lab. If you are checking on your email or even a social media such as Facebook, where you have to log in, before you leave the computer you must remember to log yourself out. You do not know who is going to be sitting at that computer going forward, and leaving that information open is just asking for trouble.

When you first open one of these log-in pages, there is usually a check-box to keep yourself signed in at that computer. Make sure the box is not checked, because that means anyone sitting there after you will not need to put in the password to access your account.

On your own computer, it is advised to have an anti-virus program installed. Some of the better known ones are Sophros, Norton Antivirus Protection, and AVG. The first two are purchased, and update almost daily for the extent of your contract (usually one year). AVG, however, is free online.

One annoying virus is pop-up windows that block your screen. A way to avoid this is to turn on the pop-up blocker on your computer. If you use Internet Explorer, click on Tools, which is on the top scrollbar on the screen, and then click on “Turn On Pop-Up Blocker.” If a “Turn Off Pop-Up Blocker” notice appears, that means the blocker is already activated.

For Mozilla Firefox, click on Tools, which is on the top scrollbar on the screen, and then click on “Delete Recent History.”


 

Day of Mourning/Workers Rights In Canada

The Day of Mourning for Workers Killed on the Job, will be commemorated on April 28, 2013.

This important day allows us to pay tribute to those workers who were killed or injured on the job and renew our commitment to safety for all working people.

In Saskatchewan more than 39,000 workers are injured on the job each year. 

Tragically, 74 people died on the job or from work related injuries in 2012.

On April 28, we ask everyone to take a moment and remember those who have been injured or killed at work.

Mourn the dead, fight for the living.

For more information:

http://www.ccohs.ca/products/posters/pdfs/right-to-know.pdf

http://www.ccohs.ca/events/mourning/

Quote of the Week

National Volunteer Week

It is national Volunteer Week and Volunteers Cast a Beautiful Shadow.  But did you know volunteering can also help you find a job.  Here are some reasons why job seekers volunteer:

• Acquire skills such as interpersonal skills, communication skills, and organizational and managerial skills.
• Discover my strengths, aptitudes, and weaknesses
• Gain self confidence and build a sense of independence.
• Meet new interesting people and spend time with friends.
• Make career connections through networking.
• Gain work experience in my field of expertise.
• Increase my chances of getting a scholarship.
• Share my knowledge and skills and give back to the community.
• Build a better resume through employability skills, and/or experience.
• Obtain valuable references.
• Feel good and self-fulfilled and experience spiritual and emotional growth.
• Be apart of something I believe in or care about.

Some say:

But the economic value of volunteer's activity in Canada is $50-billion a year.  Please see this link to a Globe & Mail article: 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/economy-lab/whats-all-that-volunteer-work-worth-try-50-billion/article11505585/

Internet Safety Tips (Part I)

From the Employment and Learning Computer Lab:

Internet Safety Tips, Part I:

When you enter the Internet world, the fear is that you are exposing yourself and your machine to mischief. While that is a possibility, there are easy measures to be taken to sidestep dangers. Here are some examples of ways to more safely enter the Internet.

When looking at your list of new e-mails, if you see that you have received an attachment from someone you do not know, do not be inquisitive, rather erase the e-mail unopened. Clicking on an unrecognized email can lead to downloading a virus.

Sometimes hackers can get cleaver and send an email that looks legitimate from an organization like a bank, or even from the email provider itself. If they ask for any information, such as user names, passwords, or other personal data (Social Insurance number, banking number, phone number, and such), erase the email. These companies will already have whatever information they need, and all have a policy of not asking for it over the Internet. Rather, if they needed to reach you because of something important, they would ask you to contact them, rather than their reaching out to you for that information.

Sometimes you may receive an email from someone you know, but it may still look suspicious, perhaps stating that they are lost in Europe and need money, or suggesting you check out a product. Do not hit the Reply button, as it will be redirected to the illicit sender rather than your friend. Instead, send a separate email to the person and ask if they had sent it. If they have not, then they have been hacked and someone is remotely using their address. Suggest to the person that they change their password, which will break the link to the hacker. If you get a questioning email from someone about an email in your name and you did not send it, then change your own

password.

 

Quote of the Week

Join us at the YWCA for a Meet & Greet with Loraas

 

BRING YOUR RESUME.....

 

Loraas is a Saskatchewan owned family business that appreciates and values its employees.  We offer a clean safe work environment with above average wages, a pension plan, extensive benefits and an annual bonus.  Loraas Disposal and All Green Recycling are equal opportunity employers.



Quote of the Week

Using Search Engines

From the Employment and Learning Computer Lab:

Using search engines can be both fun and informative.  By opening ones such as google.ca, yahoo.ca or bing.ca, for example, you can type in whatever information you are seeking by keywords, and a selection will appear. This can be useful for job hunting. One way is to search for information about a particular company in which you are interested. Many job ads will state which company is seeking staff, but does not always offer much about that company. It is always best to be informed during an interview, and researching is a solid way to show that you know what the company does, and how you may help to use your skills in the ways needed.

But search engines can also be used for fun. For example, if you wanted to know how long it took to build the Tower of Pisa in Italy, you would open up the search engine and put in a few key words to help it find what you are searching. In the above example, you may put in “how long built Tower Pisa”.
Here are a few Wonders of the World practice questions you can search to answer:

India: On average, how many tourists visit the Taj Mahal yearly? __________

Peru: Name the “3 great districts” in the City of Machu Picchu? __________
Mexico: How many stairs are there on Chichen Itza? _________
Brazil: How long did it take to build the Christ the Redeemer statue? __________
Saskatoon: What does the weather network Website say is the current temperature? __________

Good luck!

Quote of the Week

What exactly is the Internet?

From the Employment and Learning Computer Lab:

What exactly is the Internet? It is a set of networks that are linked to one another to help transmit information from one place to another. Actually, the largest part of the Internet is private, used by companies, governments and learning facilities.

The public part is generally known as the World Wide Web, which is why a user usually puts “www” in front of the address.  This is actually only a small part of the Internet, but when you work for a company, you can be hooked into part of the private network via a password supplied by the organization.

The internet was started in 1969 by the Advanced Research Project Agency (ARPA) and only connected a few universities together. The public part was available by 1990, and twenty years ago, in 1993, the first graphic web browser was created, making it possible to send pictures and to see images on the desktop. This became known as “What You See Is What You Get”, or WYSIWYG for short (pronounced as “wizy-wig”).

At first, Web addresses ended with .com, or communication, but as the names filled up, it was broken down into the likes of .org (organization) and .edu (schools or universities in the States). Nearly every country has their own extension, such as .ca (Canada), .jp (Japan), .ru (Russia), and de (Germany, or Deutschland).  It can make it easier to see where Websites originate by these extensions.