[December 21st] 📰 Steve Dougherty's This Weeks News You Can Use

Published: Tue, 12/21/21

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Here are this weeks Tips, Guides &
News You Can Use.

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Explaining Log4Shell in

Simple Terms

Vulnerabilities are discovered everyday.

While some can be serious, most are not so scary that they get everyone in a (justifiable) panic.

On Thursday 9th December 2021, a new vulnerability was publicly released after almost a month of remediation work by the affected vendor.

This new vulnerability is in the Log4J library, and the vulnerability is now dubbed 'Log4J' and 'Log4Shell'.

We'll be calling it Log4Shell here to avoid confusion.

So what is it?

Who does it affect and why is it being called the most significant vulnerability in the last decade?

Why exactly is the entire Internet panicking?

This guide will break it all down for you.

Microsoft Defender vs. Bitdefender: What's Best for You?

Microsoft Defender and Bitdefender are two of the best antivirus software currently available, but is it worth paying a premium for enhanced security?

Microsoft Defender is the default security solution by Microsoft for Windows 10 and 11.

It should be good enough for most users, considering it has significantly improved its threat detection capabilities and features over the years.

On the other hand, Bitdefender is a top-notch security program available for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.

What should you choose?

Should you stick to the free option?

Or, should you proceed to purchase Bitdefender to protect your devices?

This guide will present the differences between the two to help you make an informed decision.

SVG vs PNG: What Are the Differences and When to Use Them

There are dozens of image file types, each varying based on compression type, formatting, and browser support.

But two of the most commonly used are SVG and PNG formats.

These two file types couldn’t be more different.

Each is better suited for specific situations.

They’re certainly not interchangeable in every aspect, but you may find that SVGs can perform specific tasks better than the standard PNG image.

This guide details the difference between SVG and PNG and where best they’re applied on your website.

What’s A Green Internet?

Climate change is arguably one of the biggest problem we face today.

While many of us are aware that reducing our carbon footprint is an important step in prolonging our existence on this big blue ball, many are blissfully unaware that the Internet we consume also causes major climate-damaging CO2e (Carbon Dioxide Equivalent).

Thirty minutes of streaming videos emit between 28 and 57g of CO2e while binge-watching a 10-hour series on Netflix uses the same energy as charging a smartphone 145 times.

So what does this mean?

Should we stop using the Internet for the sake of a greener planet? Obviously that is not going to happen.

This article not only explains what a green Internet is but also shows us the current available options we need to be aware of.

While this article is by a particular web hosting service, the goal is to inform you of the available options - not try and sell you on this companies service.

11 Tips for Talking to Someone You Disagree With

Talking with someone we disagree with is an unpredictable nightmare for a lot of us.

Tensions escalate quickly, especially in times of uncertainty.

In our present political climate, many of us are experiencing a breakdown in our ability to engage the "other side."

When these channels of communication fail, it can represent a significant loss to our relationships, our families, our communities, and even our democracy.

How can we overcome such deep polarization?

This article discusses ways to improve conversations with people with whom we disagree on any given subject.

NOTE: Here is a collection of additional articles on this super-important topic...
https://getpocket.com/collections/how-to-talk-to-people-you-disagree-with