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TRY WHAT’S TRENDING IN TRAVEL WINTER 24 The World’s #1 Internet Magazine 11 BEST BUDGETING APPS DEEPFAKES CAN SEEM REAL EMAIL VS. INSTANT MESSAGING WebsiteCompass

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WebsiteCompass 1 8 Contents WebsiteCompass 18 Website Compass™ is a publication of Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc. 4815 Caravelle Drive Fort Collins, CO 80526 970-818-5012 ISSN 1525-951X No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, electronic, photocopying, recording, mechanical, or otherwise without prior written permission of the publisher. Website Compass™ is a trademark of Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc. Copyright© 2023 by Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. TRADEMARKS – All brand names and product names used in this publication are trade names, service marks, trademarks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Website Compass magazine is an independent magazine and is not affiliated with, nor has it been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation, Google, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook. All screen shots are the property of their respective owners. ADVERTISERS – To obtain advertising information, contact: Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc. 4815 Caravelle Drive Fort Collins, CO 80526 970-818-5012 INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS – To obtain additional information about distribution of Website Compass magazine to your internet subscribers and a free customized online version of Website Compass, contact: Shane Petersen Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc. 4815 Caravelle Drive Fort Collins, CO 80526 970-818-5012 shanep@cornerstonenow.com Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc. (the Author and Publisher) as well as any participating Internet Service Provider Partners hereby disclaim all warranties relating to Website Compass magazine or its website, whether expressed or implied, including without limitation any implied warrantied of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Although the Author and its ISP Partners believe the information provided is accurate, neither party claims responsibility for any damage or loss of data to a user’s computer caused by utilizing this information. The Author and its ISP Partners will not be liable for any special, incidental, consequential, indirect, or similar damages due to loss of data or any other reason when utilizing information/tutorials from Website Compass magazine or its websites. In no event shall the Author or ISP Partner be liable for any damages, regardless of the form of the claim. The person using the information contained in Website Compass magazine bears all risk as to the use of the information provided. Cornerstone Group is not responsible for the quality, performance, or reliability of third-party tools or software. 2 10 16 13 FEATURE STORY 2 TryWhat’s Trending In Travel Explore new ways to get away in 2024 INTERNET CONNECTIONS 8 Email vs. Instant Messaging Each has its strengths, so using both makes sense SOCIAL MEDIA BASICS 10 Connect Over Common Interests with Facebook Groups These communities offer information, entertainment, and friendship BACK TO BASICS 13 11 Best Budgeting Apps Use tools to help you achieve your financial New Year’s resolutions BEYOND THE BASICS 16 Deepfakes Can Seem Real Improved voice cloning technology produces believable audio impersonations FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 18 Ask Dr. Webbie Answers to your internet questions A TO Z 19 Internet Glossary Words and definitions Tutorials in This Issue 12 How to Find Facebook Groups to Join 12 How to Join a Facebook Group 12 How to Create a Facebook Group

2 WebsiteCompass For some, it’s getting away to an exotic location. For others, great food is the priority. Still others want to escape the uncomfortable weather at home for more enjoyable temperatures elsewhere. No matter the intention or the destination, organizing a trip can be complicated. In the following pages, we offer dozens of ideas to help you choose a great place to go, have a smooth journey, and make the most of your time once you arrive. We offer great starting places for planning, such as our list of the most popular destinations for 2024. Looking for a luxury experience? We let you in on a secret for how to get it without the high price tag. Next, we offer interesting vacation strategies to consider. For example, trips with strangers are becoming more popular, and we provide tips for success if you choose this option. We also include a selection of handy websites to pull all the details together and a list of the best gadgets to increase safety and convenience. So, fasten your seatbelt, put your tray table up, and get ready to take off for your next big adventure. Pent-up demand has fueled a surge in travel. Americans took overseas vacations in record numbers in 2023, and travel activity in general is expected to remain high in 2024. Many people are planning their dream “bucket list” vacations, and each has their own version of what that means. TRY WHAT’S TRENDING IN TRAVEL Explore new ways to get away in 2024 QUICK TIP: For international trips, check with your credit card company about foreign transaction fees.

WebsiteCompass 3 You hope that when you go on vacation, you’ll return refreshed and excited about the people you met and the things you saw. But what if a vacation could do even more than that? Make Your Next Vacation a Transformational Trip That’s the intention behind transformational trips, which include experiences that boost health, enhance well-being, and expand knowledge. The Transformational Travel Council (TTC) defines transformational travel as “intentionally traveling to stretch, learn, and grow into new ways of being and engaging with the world.” Such trips include meditation or yoga retreats, cultural tours, and wildlife adventures. You can also add transformational elements into any trip you take. Here’s how: Slow down. Notice the world around you. For example, sit in a park and just people watch. Take in the different languages, clothing choices, and actions. What do they tell you about the culture as a whole? Stay local. Reserve one day of your trip to just explore the neighborhood where you’re staying. Go into shops, interact with locals, and use your foreign language skills. Do something regular. Perform an ordinary activity, such as buying food at a grocery store. Noticing the little differences in how each culture does universal things will add to your understanding of the place. Get a local’s perspective. Take a cooking class or an architecture tour or engage in volunteer work. These activities will immerse you in the culture even more. Take notes. Record thoughts when you do any of the above activities. Focus on the big things, such as the famous sights you saw, but also the smaller things such as the conversations you had with locals. Check Out 2024’s Top Five Destinations Travel site Skyscanner has published its Travel Trends report for 2024. The following are the five destinations with the highest increase in searches over the past year. 1. Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands have a little bit of everything, including breathtaking beaches, friendly locals, and plenty of nighttime hotspots. 2. French Polynesia For a tropical experience further afield than the U.S. Virgin Islands, try French Polynesia, which includes the famous island of Bora Bora. 3. Osaka, Japan Even more popular than Tokyo this year is another Japanese city, Osaka, which is famous for street food, diverse cultural options, and a buzzing nightlife. 4. Tokyo, Japan Tokyo has much to offer, including Japanese arts and culture, traditional restaurants, and some of the most advanced technology in the world. 5. U.S. Virgin Islands This tropical paradise is easy for U.S. citizens to get to and includes more than 200 miles of beautiful beaches. QUICK TIP: On trips from the U.S. to Europe, Icelandair offers a stopover in Iceland with no additional airfare.

4 WebsiteCompass What You Need to Know About Traveling With Strangers Traveling alone has many benefits. They include easier decision making, increasing your confidence in your own problem-solving abilities, and getting better acquainted with yourself. Exploring new places with others has its advantages as well, and the increasing trend of traveling with strangers gives you the best of both worlds. But you should know what to expect before using this approach. Take the following steps to make your trips safe and fulfilling. Try a tour. Not sure a full trip with people you don’t know is for you? Consider starting with a group tour on your solo trip. Spending a few hours with a new group will give you a taste of traveling this way. Meet others along the way. You don’t have to begin your trip with others, but you can end it that way. To do so, consider staying at a hostel or doing other things where you can meet other solo adventurers who might want to keep you company. Use a service to find a group trip. Several services are available to help you find opportunities for traveling with strangers. They include JoinMyTrip (joinmytrip.com), TripGiraffe (tripgiraffe. com), and Unite Strangers (unitestrangers.com). Get to know your fellow travelers. For a planned trip, use social media or other tools to ask fellow travelers about their interests and intentions for the trip, and share yours with them. Be safe. Follow standard travel safety procedures. Share information about your plans only with trusted others, stay in well-traveled areas, wait until you return home to post on social media, and remove yourself from situations that make you uncomfortable. Should You Try a Bleisure Trip? The word “bleisure” is a portmanteau of “business” and “leisure.” A bleisure trip is one in which you engage in both work and vacation activities. You can either tack on a few days of vacation to a planned business trip or work for a few hours each morning and follow with fun activities in the afternoon. But is this kind of trip for you? It might be if you answer “yes” to the following questions: • Does your business travel take you to places you might like to explore more? • Are you a freelancer or a remote worker who can perform business tasks from anywhere? • Are you good at leaving work at work, and focusing on fun during your off hours? • Can you stay focused on work even with distractions in your environment? • Do you have limited time for vacations? Still not sure? Try adding just one vacation day to your next business trip and see how it goes. QUICK TIP: If you’ll be working on your trip, look for a hotel that specializes in business travelers. Feature Story

WebsiteCompass 5 Living with extreme temperatures can be tough to take—whether your city is frigid cold in the winter or beastly hot in the summer (or possibly both). When it’s time to escape, here’s a list of U.S. destinations that offer more comfortable conditions. Where to Go If You Don’t Like the Weather at Home WarmUp in theWinter Kailua-Kona, Island of Hawaii. Located on the west coast of Hawaii Island, KailuaKona tops the list of warmest places in the U.S. in February. It’s a fabulous jumping-off point for outdoor activities such as deep-sea fishing, hiking, kayaking, snorkeling, and diving. Miami, Florida. Check out the whitesand beaches, take an airboat tour of the Everglades, and discover the best LatinAmerican-infused cuisine. KeyWest, Florida. KeyWest is the sunniest and warmest place in the U.S. year-round. The island has beautiful architecture, serene gardens, delicious food, and breathtaking sunsets. Yuma, Arizona. Not only does Yuma offer an unparalleled amount of sunny days– Guinness World Records claimed it as the World’s Sunniest City– it also has historic sites and outdoor recreation. Death Valley National Park, California. Straddling the Nevada-California border, Death Valley National Park features vast beauty across 3.4 million acres. Cool Off in the Summer Door County, Wisconsin. Known as the “Cape Cod of the Midwest,” Door County offers a wide variety of activities, including hiking, kayaking, biking, and shopping. Anchorage, Alaska. As the largest city in the state, Anchorage offers a smalltown feel. Explore the town or visit the city’s many parks and trails. Bandon, Oregon. This quaint town sits along the Coquille River and provides fresh seafood, ocean views, and excellent golf courses. Niagara Falls, NewYork. Being near water is cooling and this area has lots to offer besides. It features hundreds of acres of woodland and the Cave of the Winds. Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Known for skiing in the winter, this mountain town is a great place to visit in the summer, too. Go for a scenic hike or tubing down the Yampa River. QUICK TIP: Consider buying travel insurance to help defray the costs of unexpected events. Enjoy the Benefits of Luxury HotelsWithout the High Price Luxury hotels offer a wide range of appealing special services, such as beautiful pools, spas, modern fitness rooms, beach cabanas, and more. But staying in places where these amenities are available can be hard on the wallet. Fortunately for luxury lovers, there’s a way to get the niceties you’re looking for without the steep price—day passes. A hotel day pass gives you access to some or all the amenities there even if you’re not a guest. Many large hotel chains offer this option, including Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, IHG, and Fairmont. To get the most out of the “daycation” model, make sure you know exactly which services are available to you before purchasing a day pass. You can use apps like ResortPass (resortpass.com), Daycation (daycationapp.com), and DayPasses (daypasses.com) to look for day passes at various locations or call the resort you have in mind directly. For even greater affordability, take a daycation at a hotel near your home.

6 WebsiteCompass Feature Story 5 Best Gadgets to Bring on Your Next Trip One of the most challenging things about travel is knowing what to bring, and that includes technology. So, what are the best gadgets to have along on your next trip? Below are some of our favorites. 1. Portable Charger You know how essential your phone is for travel. That means you don’t want to run out of “juice” just when you need your travel apps most. Bring a portable charger to avoid that possibility. 2. Noise-cancelling Headphones You can use noise-cancelling headphones in a variety of ways, including cutting down on airplane noise, listening to soothing music while trying to sleep in an unfamiliar place, or just catching up on your favorite podcasts. 3. Luggage Tracker Devices like the Apple AirTag and the Tile Pro can help you avoid the hassle of lost luggage by allowing you to always see its location. You can also use them to keep tabs on your keys or other valuable items while traveling. 4. Travel Power Strip The last thing you want when you arrive at your hotel after hours of travel is to have to scrounge for enough outlets to meet your electronic needs. Bring a travel power strip to avoid that problem. 5. Luggage Scale Many airlines these days are charging for every little thing, including heavy luggage. Make sure yours is below the threshold by using a luggage scale in advance to weigh your bags. Of course, you need a way to organize all these gadgets! Consider a cable organizer to hold all your accessories. The FYY Travel Cable Organizer is one option to consider. It’s inexpensive and small enough to fit into your carry-on bag. How the Metaverse Will Change Travel The metaverse is the virtual world, where a wide variety of activities— including gaming, shopping, socializing, and working—can take place. You may have spent some time in the metaverse already and will likely do so more often in the future as this farreaching technology advances. Here are some of the ways in which it will impact how you travel: • To determine where to go, you can immerse yourself in environments you might want to visit, including specific hotels and resorts. • If you can’t afford a trip, you can take a virtual one instead. • You can book travel using virtual methods that are more user-friendly than websites. • You can take advantage of virtual entertainment during transportation on planes and trains. • At your destination, tours (such as at museums) may include augmented reality, which are virtual elements superimposed on real objects. All these additions are sure to make travel more interesting and fun. QUICK TIP: Consider leaving your ear buds at home—they’re easy to lose and expensive to replace.

WebsiteCompass 7 Travel planning can be challenging, but many resources are available to help. Visit the following sites when getting ready to go on your next trip. Travel to These Sites for Research Pinterest (pinterest.com) Pinterest is a great place to get ideas for your trip. For example, search for “best travel destinations” to identify your next spot or “things to do in [place]” once you know where you’re going. TripSavvy (tripsavvy.com) This site has everything you need to plan your next trip, including destination ideas and trip planning guides like “What to Pack in Your Carry-on When Flying With Kids.” Lonely Planet (lonelyplanet.com) Here you’ll find detailed ideas for what to do in locations across the globe. You can also see helpful articles like “The 12 Best Hikes to Tackle in Australia.” Tripadvisor (tripadvisor.com) Tripadvisor offers useful reviews from fellow travelers, so you know what’s worth doing. It also includes an AI-powered “build a trip” feature. YouTube (youtube.com) Many YouTubers post helpful “walkthrough” videos. For example, get a detailed view of the hotel or resort you’ll be staying at, so it feels familiar when you arrive. Trivago (trivago.com) This site helps you compare hotel prices so you can always get the best deal. It checks multiple services, including Booking.com, Expedia, and Priceline. Momondo (momondo.com) Use this site to find and compare cheap flights. If you’re flexible on dates, use the Price Alerts feature to know the best time to fly. Once you’ve booked, use the Flight Tracker to know if your flight is on time. Get Your Guide (getyourguide.com) Once you’ve picked your destination and dates, get on Get Your Guide to find fun activities to fill your time. Let Technology Pick Your Next Destination Having a hard time deciding where to go for your next vacation? You don’t have to! These sites will do the picking for you. Earth Roulette (earthroulette.com) This site lets you “spin” to find a random destination along with plenty of background information about it, including highlights, cheap flight options, images, and FAQs. Random City Generator (randomcitygenerator.com) This site is another random destination generator that focuses on cities. The Vacation Hunt (thevacationhunt.com) This travel agency provides surprise vacations based on a survey you fill out about your preferences. Pack Up + Go (packupgo.com) This service is similar to The Vacation Hunt, but the destinations are all in the U.S. Atlas Obscura’s Unusual Trips (atlasobscura.com/adventures) A great choice if you have already checked off a lot of the destinations on your bucket list, this site specializes in finding offbeat locations to visit. QUICK TIP: Ask ChatGPT (chat.openai.com) to provide destination or activity ideas based on criteria you give it.

8 WebsiteCompass Internet Connections These days, the notification of a new email in your inbox might generate more of a groan than a smile, since you probably receive dozens or even hundreds of new emails each day. Inbox overload not only takes precious time to manage, but it can lead to increased stress and decreased productivity. Other often-cited issues with email include: • Lack of real-time communication – Messages are not delivered or responded to instantly, which can be a hindrance in situations requiring immediate feedback or collaboration. • Difficult to maintain context – When an email thread progresses through multiple replies and forwards, it can be challenging to follow the flow of discussions and pinpoint key details or decisions, potentially leading to misunderstandings. • Security concerns – Phishing emails can trick recipients into revealing sensitive information, and attachments can harbor malware or viruses. Given these issues—as well as the popularity of instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Messenger, and WeChat—email is considered by some as becoming outdated. But is that true? Is email headed toward its demise, or are both email and instant messaging here to stay? We think the latter is more likely. Email remains ideal for certain types of communication situations, as does instant messaging. We’ve gathered some of the main differences between the platforms so you can use them most effectively. Email vs. Instant Messaging Each has its strengths, so using both makes sense In the 1988 movie You’ve Got Mail, Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) and Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) gleefully look forward to AOL letting them know about a new email. When was the last time you felt that way?

WebsiteCompass 9 Email is interoperable, while instant messaging apps are proprietary. Two people using two different email providers can still exchange emails, which is why email is classified as interoperable. This is not always possible with instant messaging since most chat tools are proprietary. For example, you can’t chat via Messenger with a Facebook user if you don’t have a Facebook account yourself. Email has a slow pace, while instant messaging offers real-time conversation. With email, hours or even days may go by between someone receiving an email and sending their reply—the expectation for a quick response is often not there. By contrast, instant messaging can replicate the real-time pace of a face-to-face conversation, making it well suited to spontaneous chats that require immediate responses and a free-flowing exchange of information. People are more willing to reply immediately to an instant message. Email is suitable for mass communication, while instant messaging is not. When you need to send a message to 50 or 100 people, email is the way to go. You can create groups of recipients and conveniently send an email to many people. With instant messaging, all participants must hold an account with the application provider, which can make mass communication more challenging. Email allows for archiving, while instantmessaging ismore limited in this capacity. It’s easy to organize and archive emails so you’ll have a searchable record of previous messages, threads, and attachments. This is particularly important for business communications. With instant messaging, you’ll likely have fewer archiving abilities, and it’s more difficult to search for old chats. Email is more like“letter writing,”while instant messaging encourages multi-tasking and team collaboration. Email is the familiar way to send information and attach files. However, the communication options offered by instant messaging are much broader. They include chat, audio/video calls, file exchange, screen sharing, remote access, conferences, and other features that enhance team communication. Here’s the Long and the Short of It Email is generally more appropriate for long messages, and instant messaging for short messages. However, you’ll have to decide which platform makes the most sense for you, depending on the nature of any given communication. Most people end up using a combination of email and instant messaging. In addition to the length of the message, keep these other factors in mind when deciding which platform to use. If you can’t decide between email and instant messaging, you can always make a phone call. Isn’t it great to have options? Email works best when: • The message contains a lot of detailed information. • Critical documents, such as contracts, need to be sent. • The message is solemn or part of a professional exchange. • Archival features are needed for storage and management. • There’s a large group of recipients. Instant messaging works best when: • It’s an urgent or time-sensitive message. • You want the recipient(s) to respond immediately. • Several people need to talk and/or collaborate in real time. • You want to have a casual chat using informal language.

10 WebsiteCompass Social Media Basics What are Facebook Groups? Facebook Groups are virtual places where people with similar interests can gather to share information and opinions. An example of a Facebook Group might be Hometown Knitters, a group of people within a certain geographic area who love to knit. They might share tips and techniques, get together in real life to knit together, and form friendships that go beyond knitting. Note that Facebook Groups are not the same as Facebook Pages. Pages are like profiles but, instead of being for an individual, they’re for a personality, a business, or an organization. Owners of Pages can post information such as promotions, hours, and details about their products or services. Facebook Groups fall into three main categories: • Public – Groups open to everyone • Closed – Groups visible to everyone but that only allow approved members to see posts and discussions • Secret – Groups requiring an invitation from an existing member to join and visible only to Group members Benefits of Facebook Groups There are so many Facebook Groups that it’s likely you can find at least one or two matching your interests. If not, you can start one of your own! Here are some additional benefits of Facebook Groups: • Connect with specific groups of people. From gaming to cooking to professional topics, you can find others who share your interests and learn from their expertise. • Make friends. If you want to use Facebook to build friendships, a Group in which you share common interests is a great place to start. • Network with your ideal audience. If you’re an influencer or business owner, a Group can be a powerful promotional tool. Connect Over Common Interests with Facebook Groups These communities offer information, entertainment, and friendship Facebook Groups have been around since early in the platform’s existence, but many people aren’t taking full advantage of them. Keep reading to decide if this valuable resource is for you.

WebsiteCompass 11 These advantages are useful whether you want to enhance a hobby, boost your career, or just chat with likeminded people. Downsides of Facebook Groups While Facebook Groups are primarily positive, they do come with some disadvantages, including those listed here: • Lack of control. Facebook can control aspects of Groups, such as changing Group policies, features, and functionalities. It can also remove Groups, Group posts, and Group members without notice. Its algorithm may show different content to each member, so all members might not receive all Group information. These issues can lead to lack of trust on the part of Group members. • Privacy issues. Facebook’s privacy settings are notoriously convoluted, so it’s hard for users to know exactly who sees what. That challenge spills over into Groups, where Group member information can be exposed in ways they don’t want. Given that some Groups discuss very personal matters, this problem can further alienate Group members. • Distractions. Facebook may display advertising, notifications, and other distracting elements within Groups. Advertisements may be in the form of sponsored posts, which resemble organic content that isn’t relevant to the Group and may even be counter to its interests. An example is an advertisement from a fast-food chain in a Group dedicated to healthy eating. Fortunately, there are other tools available for building an online community. If these downsides seem too problematic for a community you may wish to start or join, seek alternatives outside of Facebook. Most Popular Facebook Groups So, what kinds of Groups get the most traction on Facebook? To answer that question, here’s a list of some of the more popular Groups from 2023: • Cheap Meal Ideas – Members share strategies for homemade meals on a budget. • Makeup Artists – Makeup artists of all skill levels share techniques and knowledge. • Netflix Recommendations – Members share information about their favorite Netflix shows. • View FromMyWindow – Members literally share the view from their windows. • Math Formulas – Members post math problems to help others learn. • Dad Jokes Everywhere – Members share their favorite dad jokes. • Home Buddies – Home décor enthusiasts share decorating ideas, photos, and tips. • Weird (andWonderful) Secondhand Finds That Just Need to be Shared – Thrifters post images of secondhand items from thrift stores and yard sales, sometimes to ask what they are. New Features Added to Facebook Groups Facebook is continually developing features to help users connect. Here are a few it has recently added to Groups. • Reels. These brief videos can help Group members express themselves more creatively. For example, in a Group dedicated to makeup application, members can show their techniques. • Ability to share a Facebook event to Instagram. The ability to create public events is helpful, and even more so when you can expand the number of people involved by sharing a Facebook event to other platforms. • Updates to Group profile. The recent updates enable Group leaders to customize the About section to highlight the most important information and indicate if you’re open to messaging. • Admin tools. Group leaders (admins) can perform a variety of new actions, such as highlighting top contributing members, identifying false information, and viewing a daily summary of actions taken within the Group. Be sure to check out these features when creating or joining a new Group.

12 WebsiteCompass How to Get theMost Out of Facebook Groups If you’ve been using Facebook for a while, many of the features of Groups will feel familiar. Social Media Basics TUTORIAL How to Find Facebook Groups to Join You’re just a few clicks away from some great Group discoveries. 1. From your Feed, click Groups in the menu on the left side of the page. 2. To see Suggested for you and other suggestions, click Discover. 3. To look for a specific area of interest, type your search term into the Search groups box. TUTORIAL How to Join a Facebook Group Joining a Group is simple and takes just seconds to do. 1. After finding a Group (see left), click the name of it to access the Group. 2. Under the cover photo, click Join group. 3. You will see a message that says you’ve joined. 4. Closed and secret Groups may have a different joining process. 5. Facebook allows you to join up to 6,000 Groups. If you want to join more (not sure who would), you’ll need to leave some Groups before you join new ones. TUTORIAL How to Create a Facebook Group If you haven’t been able to find Groups you’re interested in, consider starting one of your own. 1. From your Feed, click Groups in the menu on the left side of the page. 2. Click Create new group. 3. Enter a Group name. 4. Select the privacy option you want. If you select Private, choose whether to make your Group Visible or Hidden. 5. Click Create. 6. Personalize your Group with additional information and photos. 7. At the top of the Group page, click Invite to ask others to join. FAST FACT: Nearly 2 billion people use Facebook Groups each month. Source: influencermarketinghub.com/ facebook-statistics

WebsiteCompass 13 Is this the year you’ve resolved to finally get your finances in order? If so, you’ll want to start using a budgeting app to create spending categories, track your payments, work toward savings goals, and more. 11 Best Budgeting Apps Use tools to help you achieve your financial NewYear’s resolutions When choosing an app among those listed here—or others you might be considering —take these factors into account: • Cost. Some budgeting apps are free, but others require a subscription. Many allow you to use the app for free but offer a paid version if you’d like access to additional features. • Syncing. Some budgeting apps allow you to sync to your financial accounts, so you don’t have to enter your information manually. This can be a big timesaver. • Device. Which device do you use the most, your laptop or your phone? Some apps work better on one versus the other. • Personalization. Everyone has their own methods for managing finances and creating budgets. Choose an app that fits your personal style and approach. The budgeting apps listed here offer you a wide variety of options. You Need a Budget (YNAB) This app uses the zero-based budgeting method in which you give every dollar you make a “job,” such as paying off debt or going toward savings or household expenses. Using this method, YNAB helps you be forward-thinking about your money rather than looking back. Goodbudget Another smart method is envelope budgeting, in which you portion income toward specific spending categories (or envelopes). Goodbudget uses this approach to make sure you don’t come up short at the end of the month. NerdWallet NerdWallet lets you track your cash flow, including how your spending fits into the 50/30/20 budget guidelines (50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings). You can also see your net worth and debt, as well as monitor your credit score. Back to Basics

Back to Basics 14 WebsiteCompass EveryDollar Another all-around budgeting app, EveryDollar allows you to create customizable budget and savings goals. You can upgrade to get additional benefits like bank connectivity, paycheck planning, group financial coaching, and custom budget reports. Empower Personal Dashboard If you’ve been careful with your money and have some extra to invest, use this app to track your investments and your spending. It can help you monitor your checking, savings, credit, loan, and retirement accounts. Oportun Oportun is an app focused on saving. It uses a “set it and forget it” approach to help you achieve your goals, such as taking a vacation, paying for education, or the less glamorous but always necessary objective of building an emergency fund. Rocket Money The purpose of this app is to help you cut down on your monthly expenses. It does so by monitoring spending and sending helpful notifications about upcoming charges and low balances. It also includes a service to cancel memberships you no longer use. Simplifi by Quicken This app has some of the same features as the others but is unique in its use of real-time updates to let you know how much money you have left to spend in the current month. It tracks your monthly bills and subscriptions, including those you don’t use. PocketGuard Looking for a simple budgeting app without a lot of extra features? PocketGuard could be it. Use it to connect financial accounts, track bills, and determine where your money is going and what you have left for additional spending. Honeydue Sharing finances with someone else makes everything more complicated and this app is designed to help. You and your partner can both view joint financial information in one app. You can sync accounts but choose how much you want to share with the other person. Stash This app does it all, including budgeting, saving, and investing. When you start one of the affordable subscription plans, you get access to budgeting tools, a brokerage account, and a debit card that earns you stocks when you use it for expenses.

WebsiteCompass 15 Troubling Statistics About the Finances of U.S. Households According to a recent survey conducted by Capital One and The Decision Lab, 77% of Americans feel anxious about their financial situation. They worry about not having enough money to retire (68%), keeping up with the cost of living (56%), and managing debt levels (45%). Statistics shared on ramseysolutions.com are also cause for concern. Only 49% of Americans say they have at least $1,000 in savings for emergencies and 33% have no savings at all. Capital One offers these tips for reducing moneyrelated worries: • Create big picture goals. They could include buying a house or saving for retirement. When you know what you want to achieve, figuring out a plan for doing it will seem less cumbersome. • Share financial goals. Discuss financial goals with family, close friends, and financial professionals to get their advice and support. • Limit regret. Rather than looking back at past mistakes, look forward and think about what you can do today to make your situation better. It’s important to take some sort of action, even if it’s just a baby step like saving a little more per month. Sources: cnbc.com/select/how-to-take-control-of-your-finances, ramseysolutions.com/ budgeting/state-of-personal-finance Keeping good records is part of overall financial fitness. But, with so much paperwork involved, it can be difficult to know which documents you need to keep and for how long. Here are some tips. Documents to Keep Forever Some documents are so important that you should hang onto them for your entire life. You can keep them in electronic or paper format, but the best approach is to do both. Tax returns. Tax returns are an important part of your financial history, so hold onto them indefinitely. Records of major financial events. Any number of situations can fall into the category of a major financial event, including legal filings or inheritances. Birth and death certificates. These documents may be requested in a wide range of legal or financial situations. Social Security cards. You may have the number memorized but hold onto the card for proof in case you ever need it. Marriage licenses and divorce papers. These papers are important for proving your marital status. Military discharge documents. Your military status can have an impact on interest rates and other financial considerations, so hold onto these papers. Life insurance policies. Life insurance is one of those things you hope to never need. But, if you do, you’ll have the necessary documents to collect the payout. Wills and living wills. By definition, these documents are necessary at the end of your life. Be sure to also give copies to those who will need them. Documents to Keep for a LimitedTime Other financial documents are also important but can be disposed of after a certain length of time. Supporting tax documentation. While you may need your tax returns at any time, the paperwork that goes into preparing them is less important. Keep it for three to seven years. Bank and credit card statements. Banking documents could be important for verifying certain purchases. Keep them for one year. Pay stubs. You may need pay stubs to verify the accuracy of your W-2 during tax season. So, it’s a good idea to keep them for one year. Utility bills. Hold onto your utility bills until you know your payment has been processed. Keep them for one month. Deposit and withdrawal records. Retain your deposit and withdrawal slips until you ensure they coincide with your monthly statement. Keep them for one month. Be sure to keep documents secure. Put paper documents in a safe, little-accessed area. When you’re ready to dispose of them, use a shredder. For electronic documents, store them in organized folders and back them up to a cloud-based account. Which Financial Documents Should You Keep and for How Long?

16 WebsiteCompass Easy to Make, Hard to Spot Deepfakes have been around for years, but voice cloning software previously produced robotic, unrealistic voices. With today’s stronger computing power and more refined software, deepfake audio is more convincing. As is the case with many technological advances, criminals are early adopters and taking advantage of the nefarious opportunities provided. By using voice cloning technology, such as ElevenLabs’ AI speech software VoiceLab, all it may take to create a convincing impersonation is a short audio clip of the targeted person’s voice, pulled from a video posted to social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. The technology uses AI tools that analyze millions of voices from various sources and spot patterns in elemental units of speech (called phonemes). A person simply types in what they want the targeted voice to say, and a deepfake audio can be created. In addition to improvements in the power of voice-cloning technology, two other factors are leading to more deepfakes. First, the technology is increasingly affordable—some software offers basic features for free and charges less than $50 a month for the paid version with advanced features. And second, the tools are easy to use, thanks to the growing number of training videos posted online. Unfortunately, this means almost anyone can create a deepfake audio meant to deceive listeners, opening the floodgate to fraudulent activities. Many Fraudulent Uses The kidnapping example mentioned earlier is just one of many ways deepfake audio is being used. Criminals are also impersonating people including: Deepfakes Can Seem Real Improved voice cloning technology produces believable audio impersonations Early in 2023, a criminal attempted to extort $1 million from an Arizona-based woman whose daughter he claimed to have kidnapped. Over the phone, the distraught mother heard what sounded like her daughter yelling, crying, and frantically pleading for help. It wasn’t her daughter. It was a deepfake audio enabled by artificial intelligence (AI). Beyond the Basics

WebsiteCompass 17 • Legitimate bank customers to hijack their accounts and create new ones to run up debt or launder money • Recently deceased individuals to collect welfare checks and other funds • Company executives to fool the listener into providing a password or other sensitive information • Young family members supposedly in trouble—such as in jail and needing bail—to get grandparents to send money • Famous music artists to sell fake audio clips online • Famous actors to use their “voice” to hawk products in commercials • Political candidates to sway public opinion and influence elections Clearly, this flood of fake content can have real-world consequences for consumers, communities, and countries. Deepfake audio could enable criminals to steal identities and money, foster discord and distrust, generate confusion and violence, and more. In a disinformation landscape, people can’t tell what’s real and what’s fake, which is cause for concern. Steps to Mitigate Risk What’s being done to address these threats? Some voice-cloning vendors appear to be taking measures to mitigate the risk. ElevenLabs announced it had seen an increasing number of voice-cloning misuse cases among users and is considering adding additional account checks, such as full ID verification, verifying copyright to the voice, or manually verifying each request for cloning a voice sample. Facebook parent Meta, which has developed a generative AI tool for speech called VoiceBox, has decided to go slow in how it makes the tool generally available, citing concerns over potential misuse. On October 12, 2023, four U.S. senators announced a discussion draft bill aimed at protecting actors, singers, and others from having their voice and likeness generated by artificial intelligence. The bipartisan NO FAKES Act (Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe Act) would hold people, companies, and platforms liable for producing or hosting such digital replicas. FTCWants to Help Prevent the Harms of Voice Cloning The Federal Trade Commission recently announced the Voice Cloning Challenge to help promote the development of breakthrough ideas to protect consumers from the misuse of AI-enabled voice cloning. Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said, “We want to address harms before they hit the marketplace, and enforce the law when they do.” Voice cloning technology holds promise for consumers, such as medical assistance for those who lost their voices due to accident or illness. At the same time, the FTC is concerned about how voice cloning technology could be used to harm consumers—such as making it easier for scammers to impersonate family and friends or deceive consumers by appropriating the voices of creative professionals. Challenge submissions must address at least one of these intervention points: • Prevention or authentication to limit the use or application of voice cloning software by unauthorized users • Real-time detection or monitoring to detect cloned voices or the use of voice cloning technology • Post-use evaluation to check if an audio clip contains cloned voices This is good news for consumers and bad news for scammers!

18 WebsiteCompass FAQs Dr. Webbie Answers your frequently asked questions QUESTION: How could photos of me end up on the internet without my knowledge? ANSWER: This can happen in a variety of scenarios. Here are a few of the most common ones: A stranger took your photo in public and uploaded it to their social media. You might not have realized you were being photographed if the person did it discreetly. It’s also possible you just happened to be in the shot as part of the background, or the person intentionally took the photo because they were struck by your appearance or behavior and wanted to post about it. An event venue or similar location posted group photos with you in them. Often event venues—including arenas, restaurants, and bars—take photos of attendees or customers to use in their social media. A friend or family member took photos of you without mentioning they planned to post them. While you may have been aware you were being photographed, you may not have considered what your friend or family member was going to do with the photos, such as post them on Facebook and Instagram. Someone used your online photos for their own benefit. For example, criminals may post photos of a well-known, reputable person on their scam website to lend it credibility. If you’re bothered by photos of you posted without your permission, contact the individual or organization and ask for the photos to be taken down. Should the photo usage venture into criminal territory, such as identity theft, you may want to contact law enforcement. QUESTION: Is the USB-C charging cable becoming universal? ANSWER: Yes. The European Union passed a law requiring common plugs by 2024 to reduce e-waste and make life easier for consumers. So, starting with the iPhone 15, Apple is finally switching from its Lightning connector to USB-C—the cable already used by most Android phones, laptops, and tablets. (The rest of the smartphone world switched to the USB-C plug around 2016.) USB-C is the small but mighty champion of connectors that’s simpler to use. It doesn’t matter which way you stick it in, since there’s no “up” or “down” on either end. USB-C charging cables are also inexpensive to buy. The biggest USB-C benefit, however, is that you’ll have fewer cables to worry about. You’ll be able to charge your iPhone from the same cable as billions of other phones, laptops, and tablets out there. Which means if you forget to pack your charging cable, you can borrow one from an Android friend. It’s significant that USB-C is now the universally accepted standard, since landing on a single standard has been elusive in the realm of personal technology. Often, tech companies end up in a format war, and one faction emerges victorious for a few years until an entirely new technology takes it out. A case in point: VHS ate Betamax, then was ousted by DVD, which faded in the face of Blu-ray, which is now virtually extinct due to streaming services.

WebsiteCompass 19 Glossary ADDRESS BOOK - A feature of an email program, or a stand-alone application, that stores and organizes a list of email addresses and other contact information a computer user frequently uses. ALERTS - Automatic notifications, often by email, that news on topics you’ve specified is now online. APP - Shorthand for application, app is popularly used to describe software that enhances the usefulness of mobile phones, media players, and social networking sites. AUTO-COMPLETE - Feature that predicts a word or phrase before the user types it in completely. BLOG - (short for Weblog) Writings similar to a journal or diary by individuals that are posted to the internet. Someone who writes a blog is a “blogger.” BOOKMARK - A reference to a file or webpage you plan to frequently visit. Most internet browsers let you maintain and organize a list of bookmarks (also called “favorites” when using Microsoft Internet Explorer) to make it easy to return to them again. BOOLEAN PHRASES - Linking words or symbols in all caps that indicate the relationships of words to each other and refine online searches. BOTNET - A collection of compromised zombie computers running programs automatically under remote direction. BROADBAND - (Broad Bandwidth) A high-speed network connection capable of supporting a wide range of frequencies. BROWSER - A software program that is used to look at various kinds of internet resources. The most popular browsers are Microsoft Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari. BYTE - A group of eight bits that represent a character. Computer memory and disk capacity are measured in bytes. (A bit is the smallest unit of measurement for computer data.) CACHE - The hard drive space your browser uses to temporarily store webpages. When returning to a recently visited page, the browser can get a copy of it from the cache rather than the original server, saving time and network traffic. The larger amount of space you allocate for the cache, the more webpages can be stored. CELLULAR DATA - A way for your phone to access the internet that ’s offered by your mobile carrier. CHATBOT - A computer program that mimics conversations with humans. CHAT ROOM - A system where people can “chat” on a website through their browser. CLIENT - A computer or piece of software that requests information or services from a server. Your computer becomes a “client” when you connect to your ISP for a service such as surfing the internet or using email. COMPRESSION - A method by which data, images, and text can be stored using less disk space. After a file is compressed into a smaller file size, it will require less time to transmit over a network. CONTACT GROUP - A group of email addresses specified by a user. A contact group allows one to easily send a message to multiple recipients by entering the group name in the “To:” field. COOKIE - A piece of information sent by a Web server to be stored by your Web browser. Whenever the browser makes additional requests to that server, the server is able to use the information stored in the “cookie” to customize a response based on data from a previous connection. CROWDSOURCING – Meeting a challenge by asking many people—via the internet—if they can help. CROWDTURFING – Organized, for-pay efforts that hire people to create accounts under false names and post certain reviews or push a brand or website. CSS - (short for Cascading Style Sheet) A specification for the presentation of html documents that allow Web developers to easily control the style and layout of single or multiple webpages. DNS - (Domain Name Server) A computer which translates a domain name into a set of numbers called an IP address. DOMAIN NAME - A “domain name” is a unique name that is used to represent and help locate a specific Web server on the internet. For example, “www.websitecompass.com” is a domain name. Each domain name corresponds to a set of numbers called an IP address. DSL - (Digital Subscriber Line) Allows users to download and upload data over standard telephone lines. It provides a constant internet connection over which users can receive voice and data simultaneously. It isn’t available in many areas because it requires a short distance to the DSL provider’s origin. E-LEARNING - Any kind of learning that is provided through the digital technology used by computers. E-PATIENT - An internet user who looks online for health information. EBOOK - (short for Electronic Book) A book in digital format that can be read on a computer or other digital device. EDU - When these letters appear as the last part of a Web address, it indicates that the host computer is run by an educational institution, usually in the United States. EMOTICON - (or Smileys) Short for emotion icon. Symbols composed of punctuation that help convey how an email message should be interpreted by the reader. Ex. :-) = Happy, :-( = Sad EMOJIS - Icons or small digital images that are used online to express emotions or an idea. E-ZINE - A periodic publication distributed by email or posted on a website. FAQ - Short for Frequently Asked Question. FAVORITE - See Bookmark. FILTER BUBBLES - Process by which websites show you search results and feed items based on your past choices and other factors. FIREWALL - A specially programmed computer that connects networks (usually a local network to the internet) and for security reasons lets only certain kinds of data in and out. FIREWIRE - (Also known as IEEE 1394) A fast type of computer connection–similar to USB 2–that allows for high rates of data transfer. FLASH - A multimedia program for viewing and creating interactive and animated content on the Web. FORUM - A section of a website where users post and read topics of common interest. FREEWARE - Software provided at no charge by its originator. FTP - (File Transfer Protocol) A common method of transferring files between two computers connected over a network. FTP is a way to login to an internet server for the purposes of retrieving and/or sending files. Many publicly accessible internet sites allow their materials to be obtained using FTP. Most FTP sites require a user name and password. GIF - (Graphics Interchange Format) A file format that uses compression for saving and viewing images. GIGABYTE - A measure of computer storage capacity equal to 1,000 megabytes, or 1 billion bytes. GOV - When these letters appear as the last part of a Web address, it indicates that the host computer is run by a government body, probably in the U.S. HACKER - A person who tries to defeat computer security measures and break into websites and computers. HASHTAG - A word or phrase preceded by (#) and used to categorize social media messages. HISTORY - A browser feature which keeps track of Web resources that have been recently visited. HOME PAGE - (or Homepage) Originally, a Home Page was defined as the webpage your browser was set to use when it was started up. The more common meaning now refers to the main webpage for an organization, business, person or simply the main page out of a collection of webpages. HTML - (HyperText Markup Language) A coding language used to create hypertext documents for use on the Web. HTML files contain instructions on how your browser displays text, images, links and etc. HTML files usually end in “.htm” or “.html.” HTTP - (HyperText Transfer Protocol) The standard protocol for moving hypertext files across the internet. HYPERTEXT - Text that contains links to other documents. Words or phrases in the document that can be chosen by an internet user which causes another document to be retrieved and then displayed. INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT) - A collection of unique objects represented and connected virtually. IP ADDRESS - A numeric address which identifies a particular computer or server over a network. ISP - (Internet Service Provider) An institution that provides access to the internet. JAVA - A network-oriented programming language specifically designed for writing programs that can be downloaded to your computer and run. By using small Java programs called “applets,” webpages can include functions such as animations, calculators, chatrooms, games, etc. JAVASCRIPT - A programming language used to add interactive and dynamic features to webpages. It shares some characteristics with Java but is independent. JPEG - (or JPG) Named after the committee that created it, the Joint Photographic Experts Group, this is a file format that uses compression for saving and viewing images. LAN - (Local Area Network) A computer network limited to an immediate area, usually the same building or just one floor of a building. LINK - (short for Hyperlink) A hypertext connection that can take you to another document or another part of the same document. On the World Wide Web, links appear either as underlined text or as pictures/icons. To follow a link, double click on the underlined text or on the corresponding icon.

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