Tech Advice from Someone Who Shouldn’t Give It

This week, I had a full‑blown tech adventure — the kind that ends with me driving out of Wi‑Fi range in my pajamas, clutching my laptop like a misbehaving toddler. All because I was afraid to touch the router, which feels like cutting the wrong wire on a bomb.

If you don’t know what DNS or SPF mean, trust me, you’re better off. They sound like sunscreen ingredients, not something that decides whether my newsletter reaches your inbox. Evidently, Gmail made changes that blocked some of my emails. If you haven’t heard from me in a while, that’s why, not because I ran off to join the circus.

In my attempt to fix this, I made one tiny, innocent, absolutely catastrophic click.

Suddenly, alarming pop‑ups exploded across my screen, shouting that I had a virus. I started to feel sick myself; apparently, I’m very suggestible. But I took a deep breath and tried to stay calm.

And this is where, shockingly, I can offer actual advice. This is what to do when scary pop-ups attack:

• Turn off your Wi‑Fi Click the little icon on the bottom right of your screen. Think of it as hanging up on a telemarketer.
• Shut down the computer Don’t click the pop‑up. Don’t argue with it. Just shut down, then restart the whole machine.
• Get help from an outside source I used another device, the AI on my phone. It doesn’t judge, it doesn’t sigh, and it doesn’t say “Well, why did you click that?” Give it details:
  • what you saw
  • what you clicked
  • which browser you were in (I wander between Edge, Chrome, Safari, and Firefox like a lost tourist)

Most importantly: Do not click anything in the pop‑up. Do not call the number it gives you. That’s like asking the burglar to help you install your alarm system.

The good news is we now have AI to help us untangle these messes. Think of it as a calm, patient, tech‑savvy companion who never rolls its eyes. The bad news is it’s getting harder and harder to avoid making a careless mistake. These scams are designed to fool anyone, even if you are normally careful. They flash, they beep, they use words like “critical” and “immediate action,” and before you know it, you’ve clicked something you shouldn’t have. What really gets me about these pop‑ups is how deliberately they toy with your emotions. They shout, “CRITICAL ALERT” and it feels like an attack on your very existence. It’s disgraceful, honestly. They’re designed to scare you into clicking before you have time to think. And the worst part is, it works; not because we’re careless, but because the whole thing is engineered to push our panic buttons. Once you understand that, you realize the mistake isn’t yours. The manipulation is geared to upset you and throw you off guard.

But here’s the real takeaway: You’re not alone, you’re not foolish, and you’re definitely not the only one driving around in pajamas trying to escape your own Wi‑Fi.

And thanks to all this excitement, your newsletters should start arriving again, hopefully without any more road trips. If you ever miss a week, they are publicly available on kit.com. Just type in Joanne Henning and you'll find the website.

On a more Relaxing Note,

Zumba Queen This photo is from the cruise, at Bolero, the dance bar that offered Zumba, Cha-cha, Salsa and more.

We had a substitute Zumba instructor yesterday. Her routines were new and challenging, and I appreciated her youth and enthusiasm. At the end of class, I thanked her and let her know how much fun I had. Her response was surprising, and encouraging. She said, "Your class was able to pick up the steps right away. You're all Zumba Queens!" The comment kept me smiling for the rest of the day. Sometimes I think if I can keep on dancing, I will somehow be ok.

Until next week, Joanne