Certifications for Web Services

Web service technology moves significantly faster than traditional installed software packaging.  It seems like web services change at the speed of sound.

Amazon has a certification program for their Amazon Web Services (AWS).  For someone transitioning to web services, a certification program may be a great way to provide structured learning toward the exam objectives.  Amazon's test charges are currently $150 and $300 depending on the certification level.


Any certification program which requires attendance of paid course preparation, either in-person or on-line, will generally be expensive.  The training industry is thriving.  Online training company Udemy has a couple free AWS courses for beginners.


For someone who wants to be exposed to a broad view of a technology, and for validating current skills, these types of certifications can be useful.  Potential applicants should be aware of the quick progression of web service technology which may cause a credential to rapidly become outdated.

Opt Out of Web Tracking

The advertising trackers are sophisticated, and can target ads across devices.  To opt out of tracking, on each device, open every web browser and go to the following opt-out URLs:

www.aboutads.info/choices
www.networkadvertising.org/choices
www.google.com/settings/ads Two types of opt out, ads in google websites and google ads across the web.
www.youronlinechoices.com/uk/your-ad-choices

Most, or all, of the opt outs require a cookie to be placed, so cookies must be enabled.

Microsoft Windows 10 Nagware

A couple months ago, Microsoft began showing advertisements (nagware) for Windows 10 on the Windows 8 desktops.






The nagware recently arrived on Windows 7.
 




This "important" patch KB3035583 is driving the Windows 10 on-desktop promotions.  Removing KB3035583 should remove the Windows 10 promotions.  From the Microsoft website:

Update for Microsoft Windows (KB3035583)

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3035583

This update enables additional capabilities for Windows Update notifications when new updates are available to the user. It applies to a computer that is running Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1). Before you install this update, check out the Prerequisites section.