KEEP YOUR DATA ALL YOURS

     The NY Times often has interesting and worthwhile articles related to electronic devices and the world they live in. Yesterday was no exception, and their article, entitled "Keep Your Data All Yours" was quite informative - and instructive - to this Village, as well as to the world in general.
     We have just gone through the Target hack and now we have to live through the Home Depot hack. Luckily, we have been clear on both accounts, perhaps because we are proactive with protection sites and apps, but there is no way of knowing for sure. In the meanwhile, unless we all win the lottery and start carrying around bank bags of cash, we must be careful.
     I suggest that you all find the article on line and read it. We have already acted on some of its advice and set up our own VPN - virtual private network. This will protect us when we are in an airport, say, or at Starbucks, or at any, ANY, general open network, a public network. Hmmm, sounds familiar. What about the proposed Village Wi Fi system? Well, folks, unless you protect yourself, your streaming data, your confidential information, whatever is on your computer is open to anyone else on the network. Wouldn't that be fun as you sat in the middle of the road on your laptop, watching out for sexual predators and all the while you really had to watch out for virtual predators!
     The site WiTopia, a VPN that protects data in transit and encrypts costs about $50 per year and is a great thing to have, across the globe. Yes, you can get a password from DSL or whatever company, but the whole setup is leaky and not thought out properly. It will be VERY slow in peak times of use. Because many of the residents here are not up on all the issues that arise every day in the world of hackers and the solutions that arise as well, David Israel and company do not necessarily fill the residents in on the disadvantages of a Village wide program. At least the association building network is smaller and with your password you should be safe,  or safer. But just remember, nothing is for free, nothing is permanent, and nothing is static in the world of the Internet and computers.
     Before you make a costly decision, think about the OPT OUT choice, think about keeping your private Wi Fi, as we have, and let those who wish to have it, have it, and those who have no desire to hookup, well, let them have their rights and decisions. Things and facts are changing swiftly in the Ethernet world so take a breath and let things play out for a while before we plunge headlong into whatever program is out there. We are not disconnected, no matter what garbage someone tries to say.
     And for those of you who keep trumpeting that all your devices and programs will now be free - well, think again. FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THE PROGRAM HERE IN THE VILLAGE AND THAT WILL MEAN  HEFTY RISES IN OUR FEES.All those programs and connections cost money. Netflix costs. Roku costs. If you cut your cable your Roku will not really work well, and the Roku smart TV will be a tad dumb as it will barely pick up just about only the network channels like NBC and CBS. Privacy costs. Routers cost. Your VOIPE phone system will not work without a phone and only in your home or on your computer. So you will still need a phone when you are out and about. I know phones are getting bigger again, but surely you do not want to lug your laptop or even your Ipad around as your portable phone. Gets a bit clumsy and heavy.Infrastructure costs. Do not let someone try to pull the wool over your eyes. Ask and ask again. Demand real answers, not politician type answers that say nothing and hedge, like, "The information I have, or as far as I know, or what I have been told, and on and on". Leave that to Washington and Tallahassee but let us demand full transparency here, in our home, our Village. It is our right - and our responsibility.
     People, a million to two million dollar project is not what we need right now. Why not clean up our other financial issues, plan carefully for the future re the huge road repaving job - again - that we must do - and the walkways, and the project of providing a walkway on both sides of the perimeter so one does not have to cross and recross and while we are at it, what happened to the rumble strips. They were there and then not there! We certainly do not need a commitment to another huge monetary undertaking now. Process, procedure, management principles. Again and again - and yet, we do not have this in the present UCO.
 
     RESIGNATION OR RECALL.