I was talking with an the Oak Island town council member the other day on the subject of the projected flood of day-beachers who will flock to our town once the new bridge is operational and those thousands of new Brunswick homes are built. I came away from the discussion feeling that not much planning is going on. I think it is difficult for them to see past the private club issue going on right now.
I think the town needs to address those issues, and there should be a moratorium on private clubs (or, to be more precise, a moratorium on zoning changes, variances, or permits to allow them) until a comprehensive plan is put into place.
But the bottom line direction should be that Oak Island is kept as it is - residential and weekly rental. I have nothing specifically against private clubs, as they will actually provide services for some of the day-beachers without incurring town expense. But even if adopted, there should be some rules. Allow small structures used to house changing rooms and sanitary facilities only; the "club" should not be viewed as a "country club" replete with pool, bar, restaurant and event hall.
And even if the private club manages to purchase all the property on a certain street, they should never be allowed to limit access to that street - we don't want private, gated communities here on Oak Island!
If you feel as I do, drop me an email, or even better send one to your councilman.
In working with a few of my clients I have come to realize that people don't understand the impact of search engines on their web use. Of course everybody understands that if you go to a search website, such as Yahoo or Google, you are requesting a search based on keyword information that you provide.
But there are other hidden searches that go on. The reason is that the people who make money from the 'net believe that it is their solemn duty to "direct" your web activity to where they feel you can do the most good for them. Rather than give you a sorted result, if they can just prioritize the list of results a bit in their favor, they can direct you to a website that you might otherwise not have gone to.
The hidden search that I am referring to is the one that occurs in your web browser whenever you don't use the "http" prefix for a webpage. If you don't specify "http" then your browser uses its default search engine to try to find matches for you. Sometimes you get the result you want, sometimes not. The problem is especially significant if your browser search engine has been hijacked by malware. At that point, you could be directed anywhere.
In this day and age you can't be too careful. Go to your web browser's settings, and verify that the search engine in use is the one you want. In IE7, go to Tools, then Internet Options and you should see a Search section on the first (General) tab.
I try to always use the "http" and I also make sure that any Favorite that I set has the "http" in it. Check this by going to Favorites, then right click on a Favorite and click Properties.
Another tidbit: people often don't even have their browser configured to show the URL field - they just use the browser's search field (often Google) without even knowing that there is an option. You are always searching any time you use this field - make sure your browser shows the URL field (often it is minimized so you can't see it).
Another search related issue is when you use a search engine service on a different webpage. For example, I use myway.com, and it has a Google search field at the top. But if you use the myway.com search field instead of going to the Google website, you will find that the same search criteria can yield different results! Again, somebody is attempting to direct your browsing. This is not specifically a problem as long as you are aware of what is going on.
And never ever click on a URL (web address) in an email. Too many of those are fake these days. Verify that the URL is correct, and then type it in the browser URL field yourself.
Err on the side of caution - it's a big, bad web out there.
(Bob Seidel is a local computer consultant in the Southport - Oak Island area. You can visit his Website at www.bobseidel.com or e-mail questions or column ideas to him at bsc@bobseidel.com. For specific inquiries, please call Bob Seidel Consulting, LLC at 278-1007.)