— by Rob Fuller. Rob is an eminent writer who frequently opines about technology, the Internet, and online security.
I’m self-employed, which means I’m online from sun-up to sundown — and quite often a lot more than that — so I’ve had a front row seat to see how the Internet has changed the way we live our lives. You can find a job, a car, a home, even a future spouse online. A natural disaster strikes halfway across the world? Learn about it immediately and transfer a donation to a relief fund with the click of a button. Need to back up your data or work on something remotely? Use a service such as Seagate’s to get those jobs done.
Yes, you can do pretty much anything on the Internet nowadays. The question is should you? To find out some of the things you should not be able to do online — as well as some things you should but can’t — read on.
3 Things You Can Do But Shouldn’t
1. Change Someone Else’s Address
This was the genesis of this very article. It’s shockingly simple to change someone else’s address over the Internet. Of course it’s illegal, but, regardless, it should not be so easy to pull off. All you need is a person’s current address and a new one. No previous addresses, no work history, no Social Security number, nothing.
2. Storing Your Personal Data
Storing and accessing personal data online, such as medical records, tax returns, or financial documents, is convenient, but you can get in trouble if you don’t choose the right service. Both Dropbox and Evernote encountered security breaches over the last few years. Instead, go with an external hard drive from Seagate — your data will be a lot safer and less prone to attack.
3. Access While Driving
How hard would it be to put a sensor in a car that would eliminate Internet access from the driver’s seat when the ignition is turned on? I’m sure it could be localized so someone in the back seat would have access, but the number of accidents that are caused by distracted drivers is shocking to say the least. It might not put a stop to texting while driving, but it would certainly be a start.
3 Things You Can’t Do But Should
1. Test Drive Small Electronics
Would it be that difficult to be able to remotely snap a few pics from a camera located at Best Buy to check out its quality while you’re at home? What about punching in some directions on a GPS to see how it performs? Better yet, why not take live chat to the next level and make it a live video chat where an in-store rep could do these test drives for you? Internet shopping is already convenient, let’s make it even better.
2. Avoid All Customer Service Calls
In this day and age there should be no reason to have to phone into a customer service center. And if you’re worried about that resulting in a loss of jobs, it wouldn’t — any positions would just be transferred to online help portals. Live chat and email support should be more than enough so no one ever has to waste another moment listening to Muzak and wondering when a real person is going to pick up the phone.
3. Renew an Existing Driver’s License
Obviously you shouldn’t be able to get your first driver’s license online, but what about a renewal? Waiting in line at the DMV is almost as bad a being on hold on the telephone, so let’s just be done with it. Type in some current information, verify your identity, slap that old picture on a new card, and send it out. Problem solved.
The Internet is a bold, new frontier. Like any frontier, its rules have yet to be fully fleshed and its limitations have yet to be fully explored. Comparing where we were just 15 years ago to where we are today is pretty astonishing. Imagine what’s to come in the next 15 years. As the online environment evolves, take steps to protect yourself and your data with a provider such as Seagate. It offers a variety of portable hard drives, software, and data transfer solutions good for PCs, mobile devices, and small businesses.
What do you think you should, and should not, be able to do on the Internet?
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