March 2006 Archives

Web Sites Provide Access To Mental-Health Counselors; Missing the Visual Cues

Instant messaging, favored by chatting teens and office gossips, is now a growing tool for therapists counseling people on everything from quitting smoking to sexual-abuse trauma.

Proponents say the text-based conversations are appealing because they're fast and anonymous -- users can log onto a number of online services and connect with therapists who know them only by screen names. But many in the mental-health community say the format is too impersonal for effective treatment and should only be an adjunct to face-to-face counseling.

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(This article also appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, Arizona Republic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, St. Paul Pioneer Press and [Rochester, Minn.] Post-Bulletin.)

The "I told you so" sentiment bounced from page to unsurprised page as technology bloggers responded bright, early and prolifically to Microsoft Corp.'s announcement that the consumer version of Windows Vista will be delayed until 2007.

"Here we go again," said the gadgets blog Gizmodo. "Although business users will still get Vista in November, Microsoft said it needed a few more weeks to work on security issues before it was ready for public release. Not a big surprise from the company that originally told us we would be seeing this new version in, when was it, 2005?"

Scott Rosenberg, a blogger at Salon, echoed the shrug. "Every new edition of Windows has been late, so, you know, this is predictable news -- on the order of 'President Bush Declares He Will Stay the Course in Iraq.'"

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Software Users Seek Help 'Downgrading' Their PCs

Software makers have long convinced consumers they need to regularly upgrade their products, from multimedia players to games, to keep them running well and to take advantage of the best features. The prevalence of high-speed Internet connections has made upgrading much simpler, and many software makers use automatic notifications to encourage users to download new files. But the newer versions aren't always improvements in the eyes of users: The updates may fix problems or plug security holes, but some may add more advertising or other unwanted features.

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