| How to Limit Social Media and Internet Use Posted: 01 Aug 2021 05:00 PM PDT Social media and the internet are powerful tools that are an important part of our everyday lives. We use them to learn, communicate, work, and more. But, sometimes using social media and the internet too much can overwhelm us and negatively affect other aspects of our lives. If you're feeling like you've been spending a bit too much time online these days, try some of the tips on this list to cut down on your social media and internet use. [Edit]Track where you're spending your most time. - Find out where to start reducing your social media and internet use. Use an app like RescueTime on your computer to learn what sites and social media you're using the most. If you have an iPhone, use the built-in "Screen Time" feature to see what social media and other internet-based apps you're spending the most time on.[1]
- There are other 3rd-party apps for Android phones to track usage. Google phones have a built-in feature called Wellbeing.
- Once you have an idea of where most of your time is going on your devices, you can start to try different ways to stop visiting those sites and apps.
[Edit]Use an app to reduce your phone use. - Ironically, there are apps to help you get off your smartphone. Choose an app that lets you block certain apps like Facebook and Instagram and limit yourself to just the internet features you need, such as your work email. Or, opt for an app that lets you completely lock your phone for a set amount of time or at certain hours.[2]
- For example, Offtime (for iOS and Android) lets you block distracting social media and other apps and choose from filtered modes like "work," "family," and "me time" to allow yourself access to certain things you need.
- Moment (for iOS) is another option. It lets you track your device usage and set limits for yourself. It notifies you whenever you pass the limits you set.
- Or, there's Flipd (for iOS and Android), which lets you lock your phone for a certain amount of time. Once you lock your phone, there's no way to bypass the app. You have to wait until the time is up!
[Edit]Disable social media notifications on devices. - Notifications trigger an almost involuntary response to log on. Go into the app settings on your device for each social media app and turn off all the notifications. That way, there's no constant buzzing, dinging, and beeping calling you to check your social media networks.[3]
- If you don't need to be urgently notified of incoming work emails, go ahead and turn off your email notifications as well!
[Edit]Install browser extensions to block sites. - Browser extensions let you block certain sites on your PC. Start by blocking social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Add any other sites that you find distracting to your block list as well. That way, you can only use your computer for work or other necessary things.[4]
- For example, StrictWorkflow (free for Chrome) allows you to opt into a phase of focused work time, during which it blocks you from visiting whatever sites you choose.
- Or, there's StayFocusd, which lets you block sites permanently or for a set amount of time each day.
[Edit]Limit how often you check your devices. - Gradually wean yourself off social media and the internet. If you find yourself checking social media or browsing the internet every 15 minutes, start by limiting your checks to every 30 minutes. When that gets easier to do, increase the amount of time between uses to 45 minutes or 1 hour.[5]
- If it's really hard for you to avoid grabbing your phone or another device frequently, put the distracting device in another room to make it easier.
- Or, put your device in a bag or in a closet in between checks to keep it out of arm's reach and remove the temptation.
[Edit]Schedule your internet time. - Create a clear division between internet time and time for other things. Pick a time in the morning to check emails, news sites, and other things you like to look at on the internet. Give yourself a cutoff to close the internet and focus on other activities and responsibilities.[6]
- For example, you might decide that from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. is your time to check and reply to emails and catch up on the latest news. After that, it's time to focus on work, family, or other important things.
- Stop using technology 30-60 minutes before bed. Using technology right before bed can negatively affect sleep quality. Try doing something analog before bed to disconnect, like reading a book or journaling.[7]
[Edit]Turn your phone off during activities. - Take away the option to compulsively check social media. Turn your phone off when you're driving, in a meeting, eating a meal, hanging out with friends, or at the gym. Practice giving all your attention to whatever you're doing at the moment, instead of distracting yourself by scrolling through your social media feeds or using other apps.[8]
- Better yet, don't bring your phone with you anywhere unless you really need it! That way, you're completely removing the temptation to get online.
[Edit]Delete social media apps from devices. - It's drastic, but if the apps aren't there, you can't use them! Uninstall apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter from your phone or tablet. That way, you can only check them from your computer, so you're less likely to do it as frequently.[9]
- If you find there are just 1 or 2 apps that are sucking up all your time, you can start by deleting just those and seeing if it helps limit your social media use. For instance, if you mainly spend hours scrolling through Instagram, get rid of that.
- You could also try moving apps over to a screen other than the homescreen on your devices, so your thumb doesn't go straight to them when you pick up your phone or tablet.
[Edit]Take digital breaks periodically. - Cut out social media and internet use for a set period each week. Pick a time when you don't need to check your work email or use your devices for other essential activities. Commit to not checking social media or using the internet at all during this period and repeat it every week. Use the time to focus on other activities, like spending time with family, catching up with friends, or getting a personal project done.[10]
- For example, you might choose to go offline starting at 5 p.m. on Fridays and not allow yourself to check social media or use the internet again for 24-48 hours.
- It's okay to set some exceptions, such as allowing yourself to use a map app for directions or video calling your family.
[Edit]Do a screen-free hobby for at least 1 hour a week. - A hobby gives you something to spend time on that's not the internet. Take a yoga class, start learning to play an instrument, start gardening, sign up for the gym, or do anything else that interests you. At the beginning, make a commitment to spend just 1 hour a week on the hobby, then gradually ramp up the hours or take up more hobbies.[11]
- Make sure you turn off your phone or hide your devices while you do your chosen hobby, so you don't get interrupted or distracted by Social media and the internet.
[Edit]Spend more time with friends offline. - Make it a point to schedule in-person social activities. Go to dinner with friends once a week, get together with a group of people for a hike on the weekends, or reach out to people you haven't seen in a while and schedule a catch-up date. If you feel like you don't have anyone to spend time with, reach out to acquaintances and ask them to join you for lunch or a coffee — you can always make new friends![12]
- You can also join a club or attend meetups to spend more time on offline social activities. For example, look for a local hiking group or a board game club that meets weekly.
[Edit]References |
| How to Make a Program Using Notepad Posted: 01 Aug 2021 09:00 AM PDT Notepad is a text editor that comes pre-installed on Windows computers. Notepad isn't just for taking notes and opening readme files. You can also use Notepad to make basic computer programs. You can do this by creating batch files that run scripts in the Windows Command Prompt. You can also write lines of code inside Notepad. This wikiHow teaches you how to make programs using Notepad. [Edit]Observing Some General Tips - Open Notepad. Notepad has an icon that resembles a blue Notepad. You can use the following steps to open Notepad in the Windows Start menu:
- Click the Windows Start button.
- Type Notepad.
- Click the Notepad icon.
- Determine your programming language. You can use any programming language in Notepad. However, it needs to be consistent throughout the entire program. You can also use batch script to create batch files that are executed in the Windows Command Prompt.
- Press after you complete each line of code. When writing code, you should always place each line of code on a separate line. This makes your code easier to read and easier to organize.
- Use indentation. It is common practice in coding to indent lines of code that are part of the same block of code. Sometimes you may even have blocks of code within blocks of code. In this case, you may need to double or triple indent your lines of code. If a line of code has an open bracket, brace, or parenthesis, all lines of code after that should be indented until the there is a closing bracket, brace, or parenthesis.
- Don't be afraid to comment out. Most programming languages have a way for you to comment out. This renders a block of text inert so that it isn't compiled or interpreted. This allows you to add comments to your code. For example, you can add a comment next to a line of code that briefly explains what the line of code does.
- Make sure the syntax is correct. Notepad doesn't have the ability to check or debug your code for you. You need to make sure the code you are entering is correct on your own. Do lots of proofreading. Make sure all your commands are spelled correctly and have the proper capitalization. Make sure you are using the correct opening and closing brackets or parenthesis for your coding language (e.g.,
{ or [). Make sure all open lines of code have been closed. Make sure any special characters are being used correctly. - Be sure to save the program with the correct file extension. By default, Notepad saves files as a text (.txt) file. This will not allow you to compile or run your program. When you save your program, you need to add the correct file extension for your programming language at the end of the file name. The following are a few file extensions that are used by common programming langauges:
- Batch (BAT): -
- HTML: -
- CSS: -
- Java: -
- Python -
- Ruby: .
- C: -
- C++ -
- C#: -
- Save your file the correct way. When you are ready to save your file, use the following steps to add the correct file extension to your program and save it the correct way:
- Click File.
- Click Save as.
- Use the drop-down menu next to "Save as type:" to select All Files(*.*).
- Type a name for the program or file next to "File name."
- Add the correct file extension at the end fo the file name (including the period).
- Click Save.
[Edit]Creating a Basic BAT Program - Open Notepad. You can use batch scripts to create a basic text-based program in the Command Prompt.
- Enter your batch script commands. Batch script can be used to run basic programs and scripts for Windows in the Command Prompt. The following are a few basic batch commands:[1]
 - @echo off - This removes all unnessessary text that can interfere with your program. This should always be the first command you enter.
- echo - This command displays whatever text is written after it in the Command Prompt (i.g. "echo Hello World" would display "Hello World" as a line of text in the Command Prompt.).
- echo. - The "echo." command (with a period at the end) displays a blank line in the Command Prompt. This is useful to isolate lines of text and make them not look cluttered.
- pause - This command displays the prompt "Press any key to continue..." in the Command Prompt. This is used to create a break in your program. You can use this to allow the user time to read text in your program.
- cls - This command stands for "clear screen." It clears all text from the screen.
- title - This command displays whatever text that follows in the title bar of the Command Prompt.
- color - This command allows you to change the color of the text in the Command Prompt by entering a corresponding letter or number after the command. You can see which letters and numbers corrispond to each color by typing "color/?" in the Command Prompt.
- exit - This command exits the program.
- Make a complete script. There's a lot you can do with batch scripts alone. You can make a calculator, make a program that locks and hides folders on your computer. You can even make a game. The following is an example of a script that creates a basic guessing game:[2]
- Save the file as a batch file. Use the following steps to save the script as a batch file:
- Click File.
- Click Save as.
- Use the drop-down menu next to "Save as type:" to select All Files(*.*).
- Type a name for the program or file next to "File name."
- Type ".bat" after the file name.
- Click Save.
- Run the batch file. After you save your batch file, simply navigate to the location you saved it to and double-click it to open the Command Prompt and run your batch script.
[Edit]Creating a Basic HTML Program - Open Notepad. HTML is primarily used for web design. It's a really simple language to learn and a good place to start if you are new to programming.
- Type and press . This line indicates to your web browser that this is an HTML document.
- Type and press . This is the opening tag for your entire HTML code. There will need to be a closing tag at the end of the document. All your HTML code will go in between these two tags.
- Type and press . This is the opening tag for the body of your HTML document. The body contains all the visual details of the document. This includes text, images, links, and embeded media.
- Type and press . This is the opening and closing tag for the text header of your document. This displays text in big, bold letters. Replace "Text" with whatever you want your header text to display.
- For example: to create a page with the heading "Hello!", you would type "
<h1>Hello!</h1>" into Notepad.
- Type and press . This is the opening and closing tag for your paragraph text. This displays text in regular small print. Replace "Text" with whatever you want your paragraph text to be.
- For example, you would type
<p>How are you today?</p> into Notepad to display the phrase "How are you today?" below the heading.
- Type and press . This is the closing body tag. This ends the body section of your HTML document.
- Type into Notepad. This is the closing tag of your HTML document. This closes out the entire document. This is usually the last line of code in an HTML document.
- HTML is one of the easiest programming languages to learn. If you want to learn more about HTML, it is recommended you do some further reading onlne.
- Review your program's code. It should look something like this:
- Save the file as an HTML file. Use the following steps to save the text as an HTML file:
- Click File.
- Click Save as.
- Use the drop-down menu next to "Save as type:" to select All Files(*.*).
- Type a name for the file or file next to "File name."
- Type ".html" after the file name.
- Click Save.
- Open the HTML file in a web browser. To see what you have created, navigate to where you saved your HTML file, right-click it and select Open with... Then select any web browser of your choice. This will open the HTML file in your web browser.
[Edit]Creating a Basic Python Program - Install Python. In order to run Python files on your computer, you must first install Python. You can download Python from Python.org.
- Open Notepad. Using the "print" command in Python, you can display any text that you want to.
- Type into Notepad. Make sure that there aren't any spaces when you type the opening command.
- Type after the quotation mark. This is the text that will be displayed when the program runs.
- If you want, you can replace "Hello World!" with any other text you want.
- Type at the end of your text. This program only requires one line of code. It should look something like the following:
- Save the file as an Python file. Use the following steps to save the program as a Python file:
- Click File.
- Click Save as.
- Use the drop-down menu next to "Save as type:" to select All Files(*.*).
- Type a name for the program or file next to "File name."
- Type ".py" after the file name.
- Click Save.
- Open the Command Prompt. Use the following steps to open the Command Prompt in Windows:
- Click the Windows Start icon.
- Type CMD
- Click the Command Prompt icon.
- Change to the file location of the Python file in the Command Prompt. You will need to know the exact location you saved the Python file to. Use the following steps to navigate to the folder the Python file is saved to in the Command Prompt:
- Navigate to the Python file in File Explorer.
- Right-click the folder name in the address bar at the top.
- Click Copy Address.
- Type cd in the Command Prompt (if it is located in a different drive location, such as a D: drive, you will need to type "D:" and press Enter to change to that drive location).
- Press Ctrl + V to paste the folder address.
- Press Enter
- Type the file name of the Python file and press . This runs the file in the Command Prompt. For example, if the file name is "hello.py", you would type "hello.py" and press Enter to execute it.
[Edit]Creating a Basic C++ Program - Download and install a C++ compiler. While you can write a C++ file in Notepad, you cannot compile a C++ program. For that you will need a separate compiler. There are a variety of C++ compilers for Windows, including Cygwin, Visual Basic, and GCC. Download and install a compiler of your choice.
- Open Notepad. You'll be using Notepad to create a basic C++ program that displays "Hello World!" when run.
- Type in followed by your program's title. Typing two slash marks is how you comment out in C++. Any text typed after the two slash marks will not be compiled by the compiler. Type two slash marks followed by the name of your program at the top of the page.
- Type and press . This is the preprocessor command. This command instructs C++ to run the following lines of code as a program.
- Type and press . This declares the program's function.
- Type and press . This creates an open bracket. Your program's main code will go between this open bracket and a closed bracket.
- Type and press . This is the execution code of your program.
- Type } . This adds the closing bracket and closes the program's execution phase.
- Review your program. It should look something like this:
-
//Hello World #include <iostream> int main () { std::cout << "Hello World!"; }
- Save the file as an C++ file. Use the following steps to save the program as a C++ file:
- Click File.
- Click Save as.
- Use the drop-down menu next to "Save as type:" to select All Files(*.*).
- Type a name for the program or file next to "File name."
- Type ".cpp" after the file name.
- Click Save.
- Compile your program. The way you compile your program depends on which compiler you download. For some compilers, you will need to open the C++ file in the compiler itself. For some compilers, you may need to navigate to the ".cpp" file in the Command Prompt and type a specific command to compile the file. Once it is compiled, it will create an executable file (.exe) from the C++ file.
- Open the executable file. Once you compile the C++ file, double-click the executable file (.exe) to run the program.
- C++ and HTML are two of the most commonly used programming languages in existence.
- You can use virtually any programming language to create most programs, though some languages are better-suited to specific functions (e.g., HTML is ideal for creating webpages).
- If you are ready for some more advanced programming techniques, try making a game in Notepad
- You can also install Notepad++ which contains more programming functions and allows for plugins that can compile programs inside the Notepad++
[Edit]Warnings - Always check your code before saving it. Saving a broken program can cause issues with your default program compiler.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Clean Silver Coins Posted: 01 Aug 2021 01:00 AM PDT When you ask a coin collector for cleaning advice, the gut reaction is usually "don't do it!" Almost all collectors will pay significantly more for a rare coin if its surface is unscratched and the tarnish is left as-is. That said, there are a few ways to remove the worst of the dirt without damaging the silver. Non-collectible coins usually have value only because of the cost of the silver, and you can polish them as much as you like without affecting their price. [Edit]Gentle Cleaning Methods - Handle rare coins carefully. Handle rare or unidentified silver coins as little as possible. Hold them by the edge only, not the face, and ideally wear lint-free cotton gloves. Even if the coin looks dirty or damaged to you, a collector may pay more if you leave it in its natural state and avoid further damage.
- Store rare coins in Mylar plastic coin flips, or ask a coin dealer for alternatives. PVC coin flips can damage your coins.
- Soak the coins in warm distilled water and soap. Add a few drops of mild soap (not detergent) to a glass of warm distilled water. Put the coins in gently and leave them to soak, turning them over every few hours. This is the only guaranteed safe way to clean silver-plated coins (though pure silver is a little hardier).[1]
- Tap water contains chlorine that can lead to discoloration.
- Tarnish (a thin layer of grey, black, or iridescence also called "toning") is not the same as dirt.[2] If the coin is rare, toning may even be a desirable feature that raises the coin's value.
- Replace the water daily. The next day, if the coins are still grimy, replace the water with fresh distilled water and soap. Repeat daily until the coins are clean (but still have their toning).[3]
- Dry carefully. Pat the coins dry with a paper towel, or leave them on an absorbent cloth to air dry. Rubbing the coins is very risky, since it can scratch through the toning.[4] Careful brushing with a soft-bristled toothbrush is usually safe, but work slowly and gently with valuable coins.[5] The goal is to dislodge loose dirt, not to brush the coin's surface directly.
- Wet and freeze the coins. If the coins are still dirty, soak them in distilled water again. Transfer the wet coins to a plastic container in the freezer. The water will expand as it freezes, hopefully breaking off some of the dirt from underneath. Gently pat or brush off dirt once frozen. In most cases, you will need to repeat the soaking and freezing several times.[6]
- Remove heavy dirt buildup with long-term oil soaks. If the coins are covered in mud or dirt and do not respond to the methods above, soak them in mineral oil or olive oil. Mineral oil should never harm your coin, but must be washed off with acetone afterward. Olive oil will also work, but there is a slight chance of damage.[7] Either one can take months to clean extra-dirty coins. For best results, prop the coins up on a piece of plastic so both sides are exposed to the oil.
- Cheap, non-virgin olive oil works better than virgin or extra-virgin, since it is more acidic.[8]
- If the coins are not valuable as collector's items, you can skip to the harsh cleaning methods instead to save time. If the coins are rare or unidentified and you don't want to wait months, take them to a coin collector for advice.
- Check on the oil every couple weeks. Rinse the coins in warm, soapy water to remove the oil. If the dirt doesn't come off with it, leave the coins to soak longer. If using olive oil, replace it whenever it turns dark green.[9] Once the coins are clean, rinse them in warm, soapy water. If you used mineral oil, wipe them with a swab dipped in pure acetone.
- Use an ultrasonic cleaning machine. These machines vibrate the coin rapidly to dislodge dirt. Small machines for home use are safe for coin cleaning, but will only remove soft, minor dirt buildup. Large, professional machines are more effective, but must be used carefully. For best results, suspend a cup from a string so it sits halfway submerged in the machine's bath, without touching the base. Fill the cup with slightly soapy distilled water and hang the coin suspended in this solution. Fill the main bath with pure distilled water, run the machine for only a few minutes, brush the coin, and repeat.[10]
- You can run the machine without the cup, but dirt or objects on the base of the pan will interfere with the pan's vibration and shorten the machine's lifespan.
[Edit]Harsh Cleaning Methods - Use extreme caution with valuable coins. Cleaning a rare, collectible coin can reduce its value by over 50% due to tiny scratches or the removal of the tarnish. If the gentle cleaning methods above do not work, it's safer to have it cleaned professionally or accept an imperfect appearance. Feel free to use the methods below on common, non-collectible coins if you prefer a brighter appearance for your own collection.
- An even gold, grey, or iridescent tarnish (toning) is desirable and increases the coin's value.[11]
- A black or blotchy tarnish is not ideal, but harsh cleaning can still lower the value. Continue very carefully or take it to a professional.
- Pick dirt out of small crevices. After washing the coin in soapy water, you may still see dark areas outlining letters or detailed images. Wash again and pick away this dirt slowly and carefully using a toothpick or bamboo skewer. Take care not to scratch the coin, since the pick can scratch away the tarnish.[12]
- Pointy plastic utensils are slower, but less likely to scratch the coin.
- Rub with silver polish. Silver polishes clean metal using acid and abrasives, both of which eat away a small layer of metal. This is an easy way to brighten non-collectible coins, but will almost certainly damage the value of collectibles:
- Put a coin-sized dollop of polish on a soft cloth.
- Fold the cloth in half to transfer the polish to two sides.
- Place the coin between the fold of cloth.
- Rub together briefly.
- Wipe off the coin on a clean part of the cloth.
- Wipe with a paste of baking soda and water. This cheaper alternative to silver polish also abrades the silver coin, causing scratches that will be visible under a magnifying glass. Minimize damage by using distilled water and mixing in just a little baking soda to make a watery paste. Dip the entire coin the paste, rub between your fingers for a minute, then rinse with water. Repeat two or three times if necessary. Pat dry.
- Soak in a vinegar and salt bath. Fill a large glass jar halfway with distilled white vinegar and put the coins in. Add 1 tablespoon (17.06 grams) of table salt while stirring the mixture continuously. Stop stirring when the coins are clean and take them out. Then, rinse the coins in distilled water to stop the chemical action of the vinegar.[13]
- Don't leave the coins in the vinegar solution for longer than 2-3 minutes! Otherwise, the mixture may erode their surface features.[14]
- Make a fresh mixture for each batch of coins.
- You can also immerse the coins in an alkaline solution to neutralize the acidity of the vinegar[15]. Make a simple alkaline solution by dissolving 1.5 teaspoons (7.2 grams) of baking soda in a glass of water.
- Mixing coins of different compositions may cause them to stain each other.
- Remove hard deposits with ammonium. A thick buildup on ancient coins is likely "horn silver" (silver chloride). This may be worth removing, especially if it prevents identification. Submerge the coin in a 10% ammonia solution in a tightly sealed container. Remove it after a few minutes, rinse immediately in water, then brush with a soft toothbrush. Repeat as needed.[16]
- Warning: ammonia liquid and fumes are corrosive. Wear neoprene gloves and work in a ventilated area.[17]
- Some hard buildups are the result of a different chemical reaction, which may require other treatments. Consult a coin dealer first if the coin might be valuable.
- Use extra-harsh treatments as a last resort. The following treatments are especially risky. Without expert supervision, they may remove the tarnish or pit the coin's surface. These are more often used on ancient coins, where heavy buildup may prevent identification or severely lower the value. Relatively modern, machine-made coins should only be treated this way if they have little collector's value and an unattractive tarnish:
- Soak the coin in a 50/50 mix of distilled water and lemon juice for one hour.[18]
- Soak the coin in 1 tsp (5 mL) lemon juice mixed into 1.5 cups (360 mL) olive oil. Warm this in a heat safe container inside a water bath, but keep it below boiling.[19]
- "Dipping" treatments can return a coin to a frosty white silver appearance, which some collectors value. However, this is an extremely risky procedure that can cause blemishes to appear. Hiring a professional is strongly recommended, but you can buy a dipping solution to use at home.[20]
- If your coin is coated in lacquer or covered in a slimy green substance (a reaction to PVC in certain plastics), remove them with pure acetone. Wipe off slime with a cotton swab dipped in the acetone. Remove lacquer by soaking the coin in acetone in a non-plastic container. Work in a ventilated area to protect against fumes, and keep the acetone away from fire and heat. If the coin is valuable, take it to a professional instead.[21]
- Uncirculated and well-preserved "proof" coins should have a bright, silver surface with no tarnish. Do not clean or handle these, since the lack of scratches and damage makes them valuable. Dust them with a squeeze bulb of air, not by rubbing them.[22]
- Heavily corroded coins are usually too damaged to be worth saving, even after your remove the corrosion.
[Edit]Warnings - Do not be tempted to use metal tools on coins, as this can scratch the finish.
- Be very careful with any coins which appear to be plated with missing plated areas, as soaking can make the bronze underneath the plating discolour the silver finish. Be patient.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
No comments:
Post a Comment