Making the Most of Web Surfing
It’s a known fact that we spend a great deal of our lives sitting in front of our computers these days. Plenty of Americans use the Internet not only for work but for play, visiting favorite social media sites and reading up on interests. If you find yourself experiencing a “time suck” at your computer screen regularly, ask yourself how you can manage the hours so they benefit you more easily, whether those hours are for work or play. Speeding up your Internet connection and improving your surfing technique are great ways to maximize online hours.
Speed Up Your Internet
Did you know there are certain tricks to speed up your Internet connection so that you can surf faster? Try these and see if they help.
Turn off other computers in the house.
Are you running several computers at once, even when those computers don’t need to be on? If so, it could be slowing down your connection. Numerous computers operating on a single network can certainly slow everything down. Cut out the competition and see if it helps.
Get rid of the background tasks.
You may not be aware of how many applications your computer is actually running. Pull up the list of engaged applications and programs, and shut down anything that you don’t need at that moment. Although this seems to be more about the function of your computer, you’d be surprised how shutting down superfluous items can also benefit your Internet connection.
Use a “text-only” option.
Obviously, if you are watching a YouTube video or another feature where graphics are absolutely necessary, selecting a “text-only” option on your settings won’t be the best idea. However, plenty of sites operate just as well without fancy graphics (such as email or news sites) so loading just the text can help boost your Internet speed if you experience a slow connection.
Get rid of virus protection software.
Here’s a secret: your virus protection software is slowing your computer down, and if you back up your computer regularly you probably don’t need it. Yes, viruses happen to computers, but the software that prevents viral mishaps can be just as frustrating and can slow your computer down. Thus, it’s better to back-up your files and nix the protective program.
Be sure you’re connected to the right network.
Sometimes your Internet connection slows down because your computer has attached itself to your neighbor’s wireless signal and not your own. It’s wise to check, particularly after software updates, restarts, or any incident that could have caused your Internet connection to reboot itself.
Speed Up Your Experience
Use an RSS feed.
If you are the kind of person who gets up, makes a cup of coffee and checks a million different sites for news, opinions and literature, then get yourself a handy RSS feed. More sites than ever before are offering content this way, and it can mean the difference between checking dozens of different pages, which slows down your surf time, and focusing on one stream.
Cut down on bookmarks.
A lot of people bookmark everything, from recipes they tried one time and hated, to something appealing on EBay that was never purchased. That said, learn to go through your bookmarks every so often and eliminate those that you no longer need. Your browser will thank you for it.
Put Yourself on Notice.
If you check everything obsessively — social media sites, email — only to sheepishly discover there’s nothing going on, try a notifying application that will alert you automatically without making you open the actual web pages.
Remember, time is money, so make your time at the computer worth it! And if all else fails, you can always turn the machine off, take a notepad and writing utensil, and sit in the great outdoors where the distractions are a distant memory.
Christopher Wallace is Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Amsterdam Printing (www.amsterdamprinting.com), one of the nation’s largest providers of promotional products for businesses large and small. Amsterdam specializes in personalized imprinted pens and other promotional items such as calendars, laptop bags and T-shirts. Christopher regularly contributes to Promo & Marketing Wall blog.
