LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour

LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour

Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour

Join us each Monday on twitter from 12.00pm for the LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour.

LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour images

Paint On Canvas…

Have you heard about the LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour (#LincsArtCraftHour) yet? It’s twitter based and includes artists and crafters from Lincolnshire, Newark, Retford and Hull. A great place for the experts to meet to show what they do.  As a result, it’s a fantastic place to shop too!

What image does ‘art’ bring to mind?  If you’ve ever been to The National Gallery you’ll have seen paintings from small to extremely large. However, if you’ve been to Tate Modern you’ll have seen something completely different.  Art is about paint on canvas but it’s also much more than that.  We can debate good and bad art but what it all boils down to is ‘do I like it’?  You can introduce someone new to the LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft hour today.

Who’s The Artist?

It isn’t me! We all have our own talents though (art isn’t mine) so we must be grateful for that.  I know what I like as soon as I see it, as a result I set up this hour to showcase the many and varied art forms from our area. We all like different things of course and that’s what makes the hour so appealing.  Who is the ‘artist’ then?  Well, I believe that it’s the photographer, the jewellery maker, the crafter, the potter…  Art isn’t just paint on canvas but without the paint on canvas the art world would’t be complete!

How Do You Find Your Art?

There are many places to find art and in Lincolnshire we are blessed with some fantastic galleries and shops.  Social media provides a good platform for art shopping too of course so it’s time to make the most of it.  I’ve found some stunning pieces of art on social media so I’ve been able to chat to the artists in real time while shopping.  Not every conversation ends in a sale but that doesn’t matter.  The conversations help to build a following, the followers have friends, the friends have friends and family… If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, someone somewhere is going to like what the artist is doing. That leads to sales and commissions.

Get Involved with the LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour

If you’re a Twitter user you’ll be familiar with ‘hashtag hours’ which involves every interested person on the planet (or so it seems) interacting about one subject.  It usually feels like a frenzy of tweets and conversations.  Choose a subject and there will probably be a dedicated hour to it!  They are fantastic platforms for networking and getting messages seen but they can be difficult to follow.  By the time you’ve seen a post, reacted to it and asked a question you’ll have missed 30 or 40 other posts.

Frenzy Free Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour

I want to remove that ‘frenzy’.  A dedicated hour using the #LincsConnect hashtag on Twitter with Lincolnshire artists of all genres posting art, messages, links and special offers.  The beauty of the hashtag is that anyone can search it at any time.  The #LincsConnect  #LincsArtCraftHour is on Monday from 12.00pm – 1.00pm but you can still search through it at any time of the week. In fact, you can search back weeks, months or years!  Once the tweet is there, it stays there until the author deletes it.  By duplicating the idea onto Facebook I want to include others who don’t use Twitter.

Get Involved

If you’re interested please do get in touch by email so that I can get everything coordinated.  You can email me at martin@lincsconnect.co.uk

When?

Every Monday:

From Monday 7 September 2020 between 12.00pm – 1.00pm.

How Will the LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour Work?

Here’s the deal:

It’s FREE!

It will rely on the artists and crafters to post their messages, links, pictures and special offers which MUST include the hashtags #LincsArtCraftHour and  #LincsConnect

The hashtag #LincsConnect will automatically post your message to the database for everyone to see.  Assume no one is looking for you on the hashtag until YOU tell them to have a look!

Post your messages with the hashtags and tag in your friends.  Ask them to help spread the message by telling their friends.  This cascade of conversation can quickly get the hashtag seen and used  locally.  As a result your posts will be seen by more and more people.

Here’s the crucial bit:  You ‘must’ search the hashtag during the week to look at the posts and do your free networking.  Get into conversations, say something positive, share other peoples posts. The more you share for others, the more likely they are to share for you.

Scheduled Posts

Don’t worry that you aren’t available during the #LincsArtCraftHour because you can schedule your messages in advance to make sure that they hit the hashtag at the right time.

LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour logo

   Click the logo above to see how the #LincsConnect hashtag works

 

LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour – What’s In It For You?

The posts will be on twitter but I will also do follow up arts blogs.  I’ll search the hashtag to see who has been interacting with others and as a ‘thank you’ I’ll highlight  the posts in future blogs.  I’ll also include links to your websites and social media pages.

What’s In It For Me?

I’ll create paid advertising slots, paid blog links and paid features.  The whole process will be time consuming for me so I will need to have some form of recompense for my work.  Will it make me a fortune? No! Will it pay my bills? Probably not!  I always enjoy helping others though and if I can manage to produce a small income from my efforts, all the better.

LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour Dave Spherical Kingfisher image

Click on the picture to go straight to Daves Facebook page or click on this link @DaveSpherical to find him on Twitter

Dave recently joined me on Twitter and ‘Oh Boy’ he has some stunning pictures for sale. In this day and age where photos are easy to take with our digital mobile phones and editing platforms it’s such a joy to see some truly stunning pictures of nature at its best.  This is just one picture of many that Dave has taken and is offering for sale so if you like what you see you should definitely get in touch.

LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour Mel Langton Art

Mel is widely known around the County and beyond and when you see her artwork you’ll understand why. Click on the picture to go straight to her website or click on this link @MelLangtonArt to follow her on Twitter

Mel creates some truly remarkable artwork including bespoke commissions like the one you can see above.  I’ve been quietly following Mel on Twitter and can honestly say that her artwork really needs to be seen (and purchased of course).

LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour Ellies treasures needlework

Click on the picture to go to Ellies Etsy shop or click on this link @ElliesTreasures to follow her on Twitter

Arts and crafts go hand in hand and I’m sure you’ll agree that this hand made key ring really is delightful.  You’ll find much more on Ellies Etsy shop page so why not pop over (click on the picture above) to discover more.  I certainly don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour Twibell Arts painting and craft work

Click on this picture to go straight to the Etsy Shop page of Twibell Arts or click on this link @TwibellArts to follow Serena on Twitter. I’ve been following Serena for several years and am always amazed at her talent and versatility. Not only did she paint the picture of this gorgeous cat (commissions welcome) but she also made the decorations in the picture too.

 

LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour Lincoln time shift picture

Manipulating an image (in this case ‘two’ images) to make an interesting piece of art is really special. This image of Lincoln High Street was taken by John and blended with an old image to create a piece of art that goes beyond the normal photograph. Click on this picture to go to Johns website or click on this link @jpbphoography to follow him on twitter.

Advertising

If you would like to place an advert on the Lincs Connect blogs please do get in touch.  Bloggers can also have links to their blogs here too.  Get in touch today if you would like to feature here by contacting me at martin@lincsconnect.co.uk

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LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour Mandarin Therapies mobile massage

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Social

PCC Marc Jones is looking for young people to join the Lincolnshire Commission.  It’s an opportunity for young people to help the police better understand their concerns and thoughts.

Click on the picture above to go to the website

See You Soon – At the LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour

That’s it for now but there will be lots more blogs here so please keep the link handy and log in for a quick catchup when you get the chance.

In Case You Missed It

Stay Safe

The rules have’t changed – keep washing our hands as it’s the best way to help control Covid-19

 

 

How Secure Is Secure?

How Secure Is Secure?

How Secure Is Secure?

How secure is secure? Information on your computer, smartphone or TV could be at risk. There is some fantastic support around to help and guide so read on to discover what I’ve found:

How Secure Is Secure? Cyber Security

How secure Is Secure? – Suspicious emails

Having had a few comments on my blogs my suspicions were raised as I noted the addresses of the emails.  It’s nice to think my posts have reached a large global audience .de (Germany) and .xyz (who knows where?) but beware!  Don’t approve comments without first checking their credibility.  How? I put the question out to social media and as a result I received an interesting tweet from Liam @ZaddleMarketing

Liam advised me not to click any links or email addresses in those suspicious comments, confirming my fears that these posts were SPAM. A good security plugin for my WordPress site will solve the problem. Thank you Liam for your sound advice.

There are lots of good people on social media who can be trusted of which Liam is one. It’s always best to ask the question of your contacts if ever you’re in doubt.

Lincs Connect How Secure Is Secure?

Thank You Kerrin

Thank you Kerrin @Kerrinwilson999 for your hospitality (and the lovely cake of course).  It was lovely to meet you and I’m looking forward to extending the reach of  LincsConnect to include regular posts by you and your team.  Thankfully I have already had some security tips from some of your colleagues and that information has proved invaluable.  Hopefully you’ll enjoy my short post here today and will have time to add a comment too.

Lincs Connect How Secure Is Secure?

Meetings always seem more productive with cake!

Getting It Right By Chance

I’ve heard that smart speakers listen to our conversations. It’s not uncommon for adverts to pop up on our social media platforms directly relating to a conversation the previous day. It’s extremely uncommon (I’m led to believe) that an iMac can be infected but if it’s going to happen to anyone, it’ll happen to me!

Technology and I don’t always gel I’m afraid.  Having feared the worst following a rash of phishing emails (ransom emails sent to my inbox supposedly from my own address) it was time for action.  The safest solution was to contact Lincolnshire Police Cyber Crime Unit who responded very quickly with a visit to my office.

A full inspection of my computer confirmed that the emails were really just phishing emails and should be deleted.  A nagging feeling that something wasn’t right remained after several other incidents with my computer. As a result I contacted Apple who decided a full restore and section by section re-build was required.  I’m happy now that my computer and details are safe once again. If you’re worried about your online safety and security don’t hesitate to contact a professional for help.

What If…?

What if it’s true that the smart devices can leak our information?  A recent BBC Panorama programme about Amazon revealed that they knowingly and openly harvest and use our information. I don’t think the machines (or people) are listening to every conversation but when key words are detected the link is made with you and your devices.

Recent news reports highlighted that smart devices can be hacked and accessed remotely.  The video doorbells, video baby monitors and even smart TVs and smart fridges are all susceptible to hackers.  Accessing our personal data can be very upsetting and worrying of course so we need to protect ourselves.

Smart Speakers - How Secure Is Secure?

Basic Protection

How secure is secure? If we can access any devices from our smartphone it’s a fair bet that the unscrupulous criminals can do the same.  The smart fridge, smart monitor and smart TV come with factory settings and passwords. These settings can be found easily online so to prevent hacking make sure you change the passwords immediately.

Hacking your fridge isn’t too much of a problem of course but accessing your router from your fridge or your smart TV etc may be more sinister.

How Secure Is Secure? Passwords

The obvious and most basic form of self protection is strong passwords.  Do change the passwords from factory settings to something that you can remember.  Family, friends or pets names do not make good passwords. These names are likely to crop up on your social media pages at some point so can easily be guessed.

Random passwords are by far the best option. For the best security have different passwords for different logins.  There are some very clever Apps around that can store your passwords for you but I’m sure you’ll have a system that works for you.

Privacy

You can secure your devices by making sure they are protected by a security password, facial recognition, finger print and VPN (I’ll cover VPN later).

It’s better to be safe than sorry!  Keeping your personal information safe should be a high priority and simple precautions may be all you need.

If you have data stored on you mobile device make sure it’s protected with a security code and backed up regularly.  Some devices can be deleted remotely; Check so see if you can do that with your own device and make sure you learn how to do it.

How Secure Is Secure? Two Factor Authenticaton

LincsConnect Two factor authentication

Added security comes with two factor authentication – that’s when you get an alert on your chosen device to tell you that someone is accessing your other devices.  My iPhone will prompt me to confirm that I am who I say I am when I log onto my computer. As a result I have to type in a ‘one time’ code before the computer will let me in.  It takes seconds and provides an extra level of security.

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How Secure Is Secure?

Change your passwords from factory settings to secure ones that aren’t easily guessed.  Use a different password for every device.  So you’re good to go….?  Well, not quite!  Your router may not be secure so if you’re not sure ask your provider to guide you through changing the factory set password.

You’re ‘almost’ there…  You’re now safe in your own home but not when you’re out and about if you’re using public WiFi.  How secure is that system?  Your final piece of security is VPN.

VPN

What is VPN?  This is the explanation from Wikipedia: “A virtual private network extends a private network across a public network, and enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network.”  You might want to look this one up for yourself.

A ‘belt and braces’ approach to security but if you have any private or confidential information on your devices do read a bit more about it.  It is a ‘paid for’ service so you’ll need to be aware of that and you’ll also need to be aware that not all internet routers are capable of installing it. Once installed on your home router ‘all’ devices using that WiFi connection will be protected under the higher level of security.  I have it installed and the one I chose covers six devices. I have it on my iPhone and iPad so that I know I’m secure whenever I log into a public WiFi system.

It’s Good To Share

All of this information comes from trusted people I’ve spoken to who have been kind enough to guide me.  I’m not an expert but some of the things I’ve learned along the way and printed here will no doubt be useful to you.  If you are able to share other tips that may be useful for other users feel free to add a comment and send a message on twitter or Facebook using the hashtag #LincsConnect

Helping each other is always good of course. If you need additional help contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or local IT specialist. If you’re worried about cyber security contact @lincspolice and ask about their Cyber Security courses.  I’ve been on one and can highly recommend it.  After all, these are the experts who really want to help you to prevent crime.

Back Soon

Thank you all for taking the time to read my ramblings.  I’ll be back soon with more blogs of course but keep watching as they are about to evolve into something quite unique.

Stay safe

 

M. Martin Thomas, LincsConnect in Lincolnshire

LincsConnect in Lincolnshire