TECHNOLOGY DEMYSTIFIED

CMS stands for Content Management System and why that matters on the web...

It was not so long ago that when you wanted to create a website, you broke out your favorite web design application like Dreamweaver, and started crafting HTML pages, linking them all together to create a website.  As you could imagine, this was all very time consuming and you were inserting design elements, navigation and content into each page.  When you needed to make a content change, you had to edit that page directly and make sure you didn't screw up the navigation or the design.  I am sure we have all seen those sites with shifts in design and position from page to page? It was a real pain in the ass.

On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week I attended Venture Atlanta, the premier investor conference in Georgia. The conference is attended by investors from across the country, Georgia entrepreneurs, senior technology executives and others who are interested in emerging companies. Held each October, the conference is attended annually by over 600 individuals who make up the start-up ecosystem.

I got to listen to Bridget van Kraligen, general manager of IBM North America and former Facebook executive (and St. Pius alum) Paul Ollinger.  And yes, I did send Paul a friend request after chatting him up...Paul, I am still waiting!  There were 4 panels made of of some of the top angel investors, venture capitalists and successful entrepreneurs in the Atlanta market. But these were not the main attraction; 18 early stage and 20 late stage companies who each took the stage for six minutes to make their pitch to investors.

A visit to what appeared to be a legitimate site a while back, but what later turned out to be a phishing site, had me concerned.  If someone with as much technical and web savviness as myself could be duped, what chance would the average Joe have (no pun intended!).  In an effort to eliminate these potentially harmful sites from my browsing experience, I first looked at a variety of software packages, from Symantec, McAfee and even solutions like NetNanny.  But what they all lacked was a near bullet proof way to keep these sites from reaching your PC.  After further research, I was convinced that perimeter security was my best bet.  Think of it as the razor wire fence surrounding your home as opposed to the locked door that can be kicked open.