Facebook edits (K2 #72)

Question of the Week
I just noticed that I made a mistake in a Facebook status that I wrote. Can I fix it or is it there forever?
— Chimi, housewife in Thimphu

Answer
Dear Chimi,

You’re in luck! Up until recently, there was no way to edit posts. While comments to a post could be edited, Facebook did not allow editing the posts themselves. So once you updated your status, there was no way to fix any errors or add information to your status. The only way out of a mistake would be to delete a post, but that would also delete all the witty comments and all those precious “likes” that your post accumulated. Users therefore often decided to keep the post and live with the embarrassment.

A couple of weeks ago, however, Facebook made the change that many users have been waiting for. You can now edit any post, from the browser or from the Facebook app on Android. The Facebook app for iOS will have this feature “soon”. Your guess about “soon” is as good as mine.

To edit a post from your browser, hover the mouse above the post. You will see a small icon of a pencil or arrow at the top-right side of the post. Click on the icon, then select ‘Edit’ or ‘Edit Post’. You will then be able to edit the post - add, delete, and change text - to your liking. Once you’re finished, click on ‘Done Editing’. The post will now show a small link with the title ‘Edited’. When you (or anyone else who can view the post) clicks that link, the complete version history of the post will be shown. This means that savvy users can still find your original mistake if they look really hard...

Similarly, from the Android app, click on the small arrow at the top-right side of the post, then select ‘Edit Post’. Make your desired change, then click on ‘Save’. That’s it.


Some users fear that editing a post can cause trouble. For example, say you leave a comment on a post that your friend wrote. Later, your friend edits the original post in a way that makes your comment look irrelevant, or even foolish. Still, the advantages are probably worth that risk. Or at least, Facebook seems to think so.

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Readers are encouraged to submit technology-related questions to boaz@thimphutech.com

Think About Your Customers

When you design a website, think about your visitors and how they going to use your website. Too often, webmasters do not put themselves in the position of the people who are going to use their websites.

Here's an example. The BBS website has two editions: English and Dzongkha. Toward the top of each page there are two links that allow you to switch editions.

Say a visitor speaks only English, but happens to land on a Dzongkha news page. Where does she click to escape into the English site? Everything's in Dzongkha, even the link to the English edition. That's not a good idea.

Here is the website as it looks today:

Uh? What do I  click now?

Here is a more usable version. Notice the difference?

Phew...

The same issue also exists in the English version. There's a link to the Dzongkha edition, but it's in English.

Windows Accounts (K2 #71)

Question of the Week 
My class VIII daughter wants to use my Windows 7 laptop to do research for a school project. How do I make sure she doesn’t mess with my own files and programs?
— DHI employee

Answer
Sharing a Windows computer with others is risky if everyone is using the same account. By sharing a single account, users can accidentally (or maliciously) delete, copy, add or change files, settings or programs. Not good, and unfortunately a popular practice! The solution is simple: create an account for each user. This will make sure each person’s work doesn’t interfere with another’s. To create a new account for your daughter, first click on the Start button, then open the Control Panel. Make sure items are viewed by Category. Now select Add or remove user accounts under User Accounts and Family Safety. You will see a list of all the existing accounts, as well as an option to Create a new account. Click that option, enter an account name (it can be your daughter’s name), select “Standard user” to make sure she cannot mess around too much with your computer, and finally click Create Account. A new account for her will be created. It’s also a good idea to protect her account with a password. Simply click on the account name, select Create a password, and then follow the instructions. In case you haven’t done so already, make sure to password-protect your own account as well. Don’t forget your password! From now on, when you start Windows, you will be asked to choose an account. Remember to log off before your daughter starts working on the computer.

A small tip: there’s a built in Guest account in Windows. This is convenient if a friend wants to temporarily use your computer. The Guest account is turned off by default. To turn it on, simply find the Guest account in the list of accounts, then select Turn On. From now on when someone wants to use your computer, let them log in using the Guest account.

Resist the Temptation

If you’ve been on Facebook recently, there’s a good chance you ran into the “Just 14 years Old drunk girl did this infront of all Public” [sic] post. Naturally, some users are tempted to click on the link, and if they keep following the instructions, malicious software will eventually be installed on their computer. Among other things, the malicious software might steal your private information, and it will also post identical messages using your Facebook account. That’s how this virus is spread. To avoid this trouble, don’t click on dubious links, and if you click by mistake, don’t follow instructions that ask you to install suspicious software or browser extensions.

Don't click me!

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Readers are encouraged to submit technology-related questions to boaz@thimphutech.com

Geography quiz

Fodor's is one of the world's largest travel guide publishers, and they also run a very popular travel website. On their Bhutan page, the Kingdom's geographical location is given as "nestled between Nepal, Bangladesh, and Burma". I am not sure why, but two other rather significant countries are omitted from this description.

Below a Bridge, a Hole in the Wall

Feeding your smartphone (K2 #70)

Question of the Week 
My Samsung Galaxy phone runs out of battery pretty quickly. What can I do?
— Letho at Ambient Cafe, Thimphu

Answer
Dear Letho,

FEED ME!

The most popular grievance about smartphones is their abysmal battery life, and justly so. Most need to be plugged into a power socket at least daily. So what to do? First, note that it’s the bright and shiny display that sips up most of the juice, so turning down the brightness will get you major energy savings. Also, make sure the display turns off as quickly as possible after using the phone (there’s a setting for that). You can also turn off hardware that you don’t use, such as Bluetooth, GPS or mobile data, as well as many of the apps that run in the background. If all this sounds like too much of maintenance, you’re right. Luckily, there are apps that can help maximize the battery life automatically. For android, try “Easy Battery Saver” (search in the Google Play Store, or visit goo.gl/QypmuQ).

One common misconception is that it’s better to wait until the battery is depleted before recharging the phone. This is not true for the type of batteries used in today’s phones. So connect your phone to the charger whenever you have the opportunity.

So is this what technology is all about? This hassle and others remind us that instead of smartphones serving us and making our lives simpler, we now have to serve them! We should therefore think carefully how, when, and whether smartphones are improving our lives and when they become a major burden or an unwanted distraction.

A new disease
Can’t bear the thought of your smartphone running out of battery? You probably suffer from nomophobia - the fear of not having access to a working mobile phone. Other symptoms of this modern phobia (which got its name from NO MObile) are the fear of losing your phone, running out of balance, or being in an area with no network coverage. If any of the above rings a bell (or your connected phone) - you’re in good company. While there are no statistics about Bhutan, a survey done in the UK shows that more than half of the British mobile users are nomophobics.

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Readers are encouraged to submit technology-related questions to boaz@thimphutech.com

Online Marketing (K2 #69)

Question of the Week 
How can I use online marketing to promote my services?
– A new entrepreneur in Thimphu

Answer
Dear entrepreneur,

Online marketing is indeed a powerful tool. Let’s start with the obvious: Facebook. The world’s largest social network is very popular in Bhutan – there are around 118,000 accounts in the Kingdom – and so a free Facebook page for your new venture is a natural place to start your experiments with online marketing. Go to www.facebook.com/pages/create and follow the instructions. Add your business information, then invite your friends to “Like” the page. Make sure that you regularly update the page with relevant photos and new posts – a stale page is as attractive as a dusty display window.

You can also experiment with Twitter (twitter.com). Although the number of tweeple (Twitter people) in Bhutan is still relatively small, many of them are social influencers and can help spread the word. Linking your two accounts (Facebook and Twitter) will make sure that Facebook posts also appear on Twitter, saving you work (facebook.com/twitter).

If you have earmarked some real money for marketing – and have access to an international credit or debit card – you can increase your visibility using online ads. Facebook advertising (facebook.com/advertising) is one popular option. People see these ads when they use Facebook. You can target a specific audience, for example Bhutanese users (in case your business is for the local market) or any other country or countries (for example, if you are a tour operator). Another popular option is Google Ads, which appear when people search for information on Google, but they are more complicated to set up (google.com/adwords). Barring international payment cards, your best bet is advertising on popular local websites, such as KuenselOnline.com or thebhutanese.bt.

Lastly, here are a few more tools to consider. Mass email and online forums can be helpful, but use with care, as spamming will create a negative effect. Online surveys (surveymonkey.com) are a low-cost way of conducting market research before launching your business. And while not exactly “online” marketing, taking advantage of B-Mobile’s Cell Broadcast Service can help your message reach the 80% who are not online.

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Readers are encouraged to submit technology-related questions to boaz@thimphutech.com