Temporary Internet Files - the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Written by Nick Smith


A little bit of time invested into learning about internet security can go a long way in preventing mishaps on your computer. Temporary internet files are not something we should be afraid of, but we should certainly be careful in how much we trust them and how we deal with them.

Temporary internet files are image, text, and formatting files that are stored on your hard drive byrepparttar websites that you visit. They are placed there byrepparttar 118456 websites without your having to do anything. The files are stored on your computerrepparttar 118457 first time you visitrepparttar 118458 site so thatrepparttar 118459 next time you go to that webpage you only have to load new information or files that have changed sincerepparttar 118460 last time you visited - files that have not changed are loaded fromrepparttar 118461 temporary internet files folder at a much faster speed than overrepparttar 118462 internet.

This seems like an incredibly appealing option, especially to those of us still working at home on dial-up connections (my teenage brother-in-law insists I'm "old school" because I don't have DSL - I think he may be right). Storingrepparttar 118463 temporary internet files onrepparttar 118464 hard drive significantly cuts downrepparttar 118465 amount of time it takes to completely load and view a website.

There are a few question areas, however, that need to be considered in any discussion about temporary internet files. First, and arguablyrepparttar 118466 most trivial ofrepparttar 118467 concerns, is that you may miss out on all ofrepparttar 118468 updated informationrepparttar 118469 website has to offer. If your browser loadsrepparttar 118470 files from your temporary internet files folder rather thanrepparttar 118471 updated material fromrepparttar 118472 website, you may miss out on an updated football score, or you may get a different image thanrepparttar 118473 one others are viewing. The system is designed so that things like that don't happen, butrepparttar 118474 possibility is out there.

Second, storing huge numbers of files can bog down your computer, slowing down its ability to do evenrepparttar 118475 simplest of tasks, such as word processing (a deadly one-two combination if you're working with dial-up!). Fortunately, you can controlrepparttar 118476 number or size ofrepparttar 118477 files that are being stored on your hard drive. Typically underrepparttar 118478 Tools>Options menu of your browser you'll be able to setrepparttar 118479 amount of your hard drive you're willing to dedicate to temporary internet files. You may want to set this high or low, depending on your browsing habits and need for speed.

Third,repparttar 118480 temporary internet files folder may contain files that contain viruses, inappropriate images or text, and files that could leak personal information to websites. This is obviously a huge concern any time you allow someone virtually unregulated access to your hard drive. Images from an inappropriate website you accidentally stumbled across (it has happened to all of us) may be stored on your hard drive. Corrupted files may be placed there by an unfamiliar website you only visited once. Cookies and other files may potentially spawn popups that cover your screen in a matter of seconds.



What is Podcasting?

Written by S. Housley


What is Podcasting Podcasting is quickly becoming a buzz word amongrepparttar techie crowd. So what is podcasting, anyway? Podcasting is online audio content that is delivered via an RSS feed. Many people liken podcasting to radio on demand. However, in reality, podcasting gives far more options in terms of content and programming than radio does. In addition, with Podcasting, listeners can determinerepparttar 118455 time andrepparttar 118456 place, meaning they decide what programming they want to receive and when they want to listen to it.

Listeners can retain audio archives to listen to at their leisure. While blogs have turned many bloggers into journalists, podcasting hasrepparttar 118457 potential to turn podcasters into radio personalities.

Podcasting can be used for:

1. Self-Guided Walking Tours - Informational content.

2. Music - Band promotional clips and interviews.

3. Talk Shows - Industry or organizational news, investor news, sportscasts, news coverage and commentaries.

4. Training - Instructional informational materials.

5. Story - Story telling for children orrepparttar 118458 visually-impaired.

Podcasting isrepparttar 118459 syndication of audio files using RSS. Podcasting worksrepparttar 118460 same as a standard RSS feed reader or news aggregator,repparttar 118461 only difference is thatrepparttar 118462 feed you subscribe to contains an audio file in it. Instead of reading content in your RSS feed reader or aggregator, you can listen torepparttar 118463 contents of your feed using a reader or aggregator that supports podcasting, or you can listen to them on an iPod or similar device. While podcasting was named forrepparttar 118464 iPod, you do not have to have an iPod to listen to a podcast. Podcasts can be displayed on websites with clickable links to audio files and many ofrepparttar 118465 standard RSS readers, like FeedDemon's latest beta, have begun supporting audio enclosures.

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