Trick-or-Treating in the Digital Age: Online Safety & Tech Never Have I Ever

This Halloween, we’re connecting the dots between spooky sidewalks and the digital world. Just like trick-or-treating, exploring online spaces requires trust, awareness, and a plan for staying safe. In this episode, we talk about checking the “candy” your kids bring home and the apps they use, trusting your gut when something feels off, and setting healthy boundaries for technology.

And because no Halloween is complete without a little fun, we’re playing our new game: Tech Never Have I Ever—sharing the quirks, fails, and relatable moments every computer user has faced. Grab your coffee, pull up a chair, and laugh (and learn) along with us.

Enjoy our 13th (ooooo) Episode!

🎧 Wired Together is produced by WinternetWeb Technologies, a family-run web design and tech studio based in Bracey, Virginia.
💻 Visit us at winternetweb.com 

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:06

All right, welcome to Wired Together. And this is our big episode 13.

SPEAKER_01 0:12

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 0:13

Um Lucky 13?

SPEAKER_01 0:15

Yep. Is it is it trixode phobia, something like that, the fear of thirteen.

SPEAKER_02 0:20

Right. Right.

SPEAKER_01 0:21

I mean, I'm that afraid of that word, but yeah.

SPEAKER_02 0:24

I tend to like the the number 13.

SPEAKER_01 0:27

I always have, and it was funny because we I remember us talking about that when we met. A lot of people have a fear or they don't, and you know, it's just I I always felt like on like Friday the 13th or whatever, it always tends to be a positive day for me, not negative.

SPEAKER_02 0:40

Seems kind of light.

SPEAKER_01 0:41

But maybe it's because I think it's going to be, then the mindset, you know, makes it happen. But anyway.

SPEAKER_02 0:46

So speaking of light and fun, we're gonna do a trick-or-treat tech tips. So trick-or-treating, what does that have to do with tech? Absolutely nothing. But we are we're making a parallel here.

SPEAKER_01 0:58

I hope you enjoyed it.

SPEAKER_02 1:02

And it is going to be um so talking about something scary, but in a light way. So that's um kind of where we're gonna go with that one. Uh so it this again is our 13th episode. Yep, yep. So thank you so much for listening for 13 times. Or or if you have, or if you haven't, binge watch, binge listen.

SPEAKER_01 1:23

Yeah, you got 12 others, so go in.

SPEAKER_02 1:26

Um so with uh it's gonna be October tomorrow, so with the holiday uh Halloween season kind of starting, we're gonna have a bit of a a spooky series. So there's a lot of tech things that are spooky.

SPEAKER_01 1:42

Yeah, spooky, spooky feeling. Unpredictable, you know, maybe maybe bothers you, not sure what to do with it. So I think this series omnis. Yeah. I think the series will address a lot of things that we have seen and also people have asked about, so that's uh that's the name of the game, but we're gearing it up now with uh something Melanie put together, which I think is incredible. The correlation using the trick-or-treat Halloween, if you will, scene and how we prepare kids for a holiday that you dress them up in clothing, you send them out in the dark with cars and go to strangers' houses. We prepare them for that, but are we equally preparing them for the world of technology? Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_02 2:28

Well, let's start off with some fun music.

SPEAKER_01 2:31

Alright. I guess it kind of sets the mood.

SPEAKER_02 2:42

Setting the mood for our spooky side of technology.

SPEAKER_01 2:45

I like that.

SPEAKER_02 2:46

Um so what we're talking about is, you know, getting the kids prepared for um the spooky of technology, and more or less, as we know, and not just getting kids ready, getting ourselves ready.

SPEAKER_01 2:59

So yeah, that too.

SPEAKER_02 3:02

Um so starting off with uh kind of a waiting till they're mature enough maybe might mean they're never mature enough. So we've got to kind of get them going, um, you know, as far as understanding something. Um I I had a a faux uncle. Those are what they are is a fake uncle, it's who who said one time that um, you know, children should never go to a restaurant until they're 12 years old. Um my mother's quick retort was if if you have a 12-year-old at a restaurant that had never been there before, they will have no idea what to do.

SPEAKER_01 3:44

Yeah, I mean that's a good point.

SPEAKER_02 3:45

So this is kind of what we're like how we think of this um whole jumping into technology instead of jumping more of a work our way into technology.

SPEAKER_01 3:55

Right. And kind of showing the ropes, you know. I mean, as adults, you know, helping them along in understanding, you know, not just being afraid of it.

SPEAKER_02 4:03

Right, right. So it's not an are you afraid of the dark, it's are you prepared for the dark.

SPEAKER_01 4:09

Right. Here's a flashlight, here's how to change your batteries, here's what I taught you. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:13

Right.

SPEAKER_01 4:14

Yeah, so alright, so what we're going to go into, man.

SPEAKER_02 4:18

Uh so uh like your check your candy. That was big in the 90s back when we were Oh Lord, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:26

The razor blades and candy. Oh, I know.

SPEAKER_02 4:28

Everything's gonna be awful in your candy.

SPEAKER_01 4:30

Oh yeah, they're gonna poison you.

SPEAKER_02 4:32

So, in that whole concept of check your candy, check your kids, you know, as far as if they are actually online and they have accounts for anything, uh make sure you have access. Yeah. So it's not just their access, it's your access. It's your phone. So or it's your device.

SPEAKER_01 4:52

There are a lot of apps, and not one app is gonna cover every everything. And actually, I wouldn't suggest one that kind of takes over their entire phone for technically. We did have one that was. Yeah, for technological reasons I'm not gonna get into, but um it it it involves like an underlying VPN. I guess I am talking about it, but no, I'm not gonna go into the detail I was thinking about. Um it can actually create more of a glitchy environment than it's actually helping. And um, and of course, there are other platforms that might be performing better, but uh really it's not the app isn't going to fix it. It's more of the I guess the education and the understanding that hey look, you know, you have this device, but it does come with responsibility, you know, um having that dialogue.

SPEAKER_02 5:45

Uh because more than swooping in, sometimes you just need to blame look.

SPEAKER_01 5:49

You do. You yeah, you definitely do.

SPEAKER_02 5:52

Make sure there's nothing poisonous. Right. Sometimes you have to check um specific things within the the any device and make sure there there is no poison.

SPEAKER_03 6:03

So that's true.

SPEAKER_02 6:04

Um and you know, that's that uh relationship there where you okay, it you can have it, but I'm gonna look at it.

SPEAKER_01 6:13

Right, exactly. And um so they're able to use a device, but you know, but of course you're monitoring it just like the candy. And I know when my kids come back from Halloween, and you know, I glance, you know, scoop around in a bowl when I look around.

SPEAKER_02 6:29

Oh yeah, you're definitely looking for some Reese's.

SPEAKER_01 6:32

I mean, I don't know, but I always end up with everything with almonds and coconut.

SPEAKER_02 6:37

I don't get anything cold.

SPEAKER_01 6:40

I think that might be a pinhole, baby. Or definitely a rip. See right here. Hold on. See right here. That's definitely a rip in that Reese's peanut butter cup. You can't have that, baby. I want you to be safe. Yeah, I I rack up good.

SPEAKER_02 6:56

But and you know, we go into, you know, you're you're teaching them certain things like uh talking to strangers. And and no, in small areas like where we live, they're not always strangers, but they're strangers to the kid. Sometimes you know people that they don't know.

SPEAKER_01 7:16

Right, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 7:18

And so, you know, we we do want to make sure that they don't um, you know, that they know that we, you know, don't want to go into or go buy a house that's that's a stranger's house or something like that. So we're able to do that a little differently here in the small community um where trick-or-treating is some the something you drive to.

SPEAKER_01 7:39

Right. Yeah, we drive there and we usually hit up people we know.

SPEAKER_02 7:43

Hey, what you doing or whatever, and you talk on their porch for a little bit, then you to trick or treat in in in our particular neighborhood is two houses and one of them is pretty much ours now.

SPEAKER_01 7:54

Right, it was. No, I know. But it and I guess w in the same vein, um w with the kids, you know, now at the age of having phones and things like that, and um we've kind of kind of made it clear that okay, this is an extension of resocialization, and with that, if you don't know that person in real life, you know then you don't know that person. Then you don't know that. Then you they shouldn't be texting you, they shouldn't be calling you, and vice versa.

SPEAKER_02 8:27

And any kind of game where it's the in a larger you know, feed they're very strict about no talking to anybody that you don't know in real life. Right. And I mean it's because you know, and and letting them know, look.

SPEAKER_01 8:42

There are people that are might try to do that.

SPEAKER_02 8:44

That's an actual, you know, nine-year-old girl or if that's a 40-year-old man. Yeah. You know, that's exactly you need to to receive a caution.

SPEAKER_01 8:52

But exactly like that because they go.

SPEAKER_02 8:54

Just have that strict rule for yourself. If you don't know them, you don't talk to them.

SPEAKER_01 8:58

Exactly. Yep, that is certainly an important concept. And uh kind of went with our theme.

SPEAKER_02 9:08

And yeah, it's that kind of trust your gut.

SPEAKER_01 9:11

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 9:11

Sometimes you have to, you know, trust that that if something seems scary, it is scary.

SPEAKER_01 9:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:19

Come to me.

SPEAKER_01 9:19

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 9:20

Um, that's what online is about. It's, you know, not being not making them terrified, but making you can do this, but you know, there are things to watch for. Right. There are things that are scary out there.

SPEAKER_01 9:33

Keep your intuition high, and if you experience the spooky feelings, if you will, going with the Halloween theme, then it's uh something worth having a conversation about. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 9:47

And letting them know I'm your Huckleberry. If you want, if you need somebody, come to me. I will, I will definitely jump in there.

SPEAKER_01 9:56

Oh yeah, I'm your Huckleberry. I like that. Yeah. Good reference.

SPEAKER_02 10:02

And going into intuition, you know, we do teach our children um when it comes to technology, again, if it doesn't feel right, it's not. Your intuition, your your your gut feeling, if you will, is kind of your smoke alarm. You do need to kind of go ahead and pay attention to that.

SPEAKER_03 10:18

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 10:18

And and listen to that visceral response because that is something that we all have, and we need to be um, you know, intuitive about it. We need to pay attention to it and and walk away.

SPEAKER_01 10:32

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 10:33

And so, you know, when we we uh intro introduce them into say neighborhood walking and things like that. And then, you know, if you think about it, Halloween's a bit of a uh it is a scary holiday, and that's the whole point. Right, yeah, but it's also a scary holiday, you know. There's a lot of things that could be, you know, negative about uh definitely a bunch of children in the dark. So that's the whole concept of if you don't think it's okay, it's not.

SPEAKER_01 11:01

Right, you know, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 11:04

And the same thing with online.

SPEAKER_01 11:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:06

If you don't feel okay, then that there's something with that. Go for it.

SPEAKER_01 11:11

And I mean every technology can have its, you know, uses that are not, you know, um, I guess a good way of using that technology for good.

SPEAKER_02 11:24

Um if you can use it for good, you can use it for bad.

SPEAKER_01 11:27

Exactly. And I was just thinking back here, like I remember when the web came about, and of course when it first came about, and you know, the connectivity between college campuses that evolved from there. When the World Wide Web came about, we all were you had chat rooms, you had um information that was put out there, but then it was kind of like the oh you don't know if this is actually accurate or not. And then um we were thinking the web was just a fad. And then there was a lot of narrative saying that it was just a lot of negativity out there there, you know, with the postings and um so it it was taking a negative turn, but again, it evolves from that. You're always gonna have the good with the bad. And I you know, I I don't care what it is. So being proactive and understanding that yes, you will face things. You need to use your gut, like you said, and um just keep an open conversation. Don't just say, Oh, because that exists, don't use it at all. Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 12:26

If you fear it, you may not be as cognizant to learn it.

SPEAKER_01 12:31

Right.

SPEAKER_02 12:32

Because then you're gonna just put it aside and and not learn.

SPEAKER_01 12:36

I mean, a a knife will cut you, but do I not let my child cut up a green pepper to help me cook? I think it's a very important experience.

SPEAKER_02 12:43

Right, right. Actually, they're very good at knife usage.

SPEAKER_01 12:46

But it's because we didn't say no, you can't use a knife because it'll cut you. You gotta, you know, you have to let me train you. Let me show you how to do it.

SPEAKER_02 12:53

Because it will cut you.

SPEAKER_01 12:54

And and and and it and it will and it has. And it's like, okay, well, you see, you cut towards you, do try this. Okay, good. And that's how you grow.

SPEAKER_02 13:05

And so that kind of goes into probably the next section of this is hilarious. It used the term of um the somehow we put in modeling behavior. Yeah. Um, that is so teacher-y. Yeah, that was so teachery.

SPEAKER_01 13:21

That was probably a joke.

SPEAKER_02 13:23

But so true, actually. Um, that's how we teach. Yeah. That's how we teach children, you know, when we okay, here is how you talk to people. Here is how you go up and knock on a door and say tricketry. You know, you treat, you know, you got your little three-year-old and holding your hand.

SPEAKER_03 13:42

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 13:42

And and, you know, encourage them to say, say tricketry. Right. Tricketry, you know, and and so they're they start to model you. So exactly. Same is true online, they model. So if you are, you know, um nervous about what's online or you are not appropriately using that, they're gonna pay attention to that too. So um a lot of times when we are um, you know, we try our best. Uh we have a rule of of no phones at the supper table.

SPEAKER_03 14:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:17

Um, unfortunately, we also own a business.

SPEAKER_01 14:20

So it does um wh why is Deity stepping away? Right. So it's like a call and the client's uh gotta be able to do that.

SPEAKER_02 14:28

Yes, there's no phones at the supper table, but there is there's no way we're gonna let a client just suffer. So um there are reasons to not do that. So um a lot of times I will be questioned, you know, well, what are you doing? You're on the phone.

SPEAKER_01 14:43

Right.

SPEAKER_02 14:43

And it's like, okay, do you want me to show you? You know, this is what I've been working on right now. This is whatever the email I'm answering. Right. It it shows them, yes, I'm on it, but I'm using it. Yes. And I want to show you that I'm using this tool.

SPEAKER_01 14:56

It's not just escape escapism or whatever, or you know, it's not like I'm not paying attention to you because I'm doing this instead, it's um this is important, or I'm I'm actually emailing a teacher right now because yeah, it's you know, so modeling your behavior, you know, if it again, if you're if you're nervous, they'll be nervous.

SPEAKER_02 15:19

If you're you know confident with okay, this I need these tools to use for this, then they start using those tools too, you know. Sure, definitely. There are actually many tools that have been adopted by our children because we use them, like um our list making tools and things like that, that they started making lists for themselves. And so it's that they very naturally fall into kind of how you do things. Sure.

SPEAKER_01 15:49

Yeah. Um I guess we're getting into the modeling of behavior, but also equally important with that is setting boundaries. And um which is you know, to to keep obviously them safe, and you know, when it comes to bedtime, we make sure their phones are off on silent, you know, no one's gonna try to text them or a what do you call it, a group call or whatever. I don't know. But we didn't have that in my time. I'm like, that's a party line.

SPEAKER_02 16:20

What you know, three-way calling was but that was only landline.

SPEAKER_01 16:24

Yeah, but you know, no no one would sit there with the landline and do a three-way call, you know, passive. I mean, that takes a lot of work. You know, it's easy on the phone when you have a group of numbers and you call that group apparently, which I didn't know was a thing until you know I had kids. You learn a lot from your kids. Oh, oh, don't you? So, with that said, don't think you know everything of what they're doing. So, you know, if they're sitting there doing something, hey, what you doing? Have the conversation on like what are you doing, you know, and let them show you, you know. But um, so yeah, it's uh good to have those boundaries and um go ahead.

SPEAKER_02 17:01

Set the guidelines as far as you you set up boundaries when it comes to again sending if you are in the a area to which you send your kids out, um and or for us, you know, um once they get a certain age, you know, and they're in a place where you know where they are and they're in a group, um, you know, that they also know their boundaries. So you you certainly would not just let them, you know, out there without having some sort of conversation first. So because you know these things when it comes to Halloween, uh, you know, again, the big razor scare in the 90s, we we had set some kind of um tools aside for how do we deal with this as a society. We didn't we didn't cancel Halloween, did we? We did not cancel Halloween. Instead, we you know created cards and everybody knew their, you know, um, you know, wear uh flashy clothing or something like that. So you're seen by cards. Yep, exactly. They they they put a bulleted list item of uh and sent it home with school. And so they were kind of like, okay, let's do this. Let's do this with safety. Sure. Well, and that's kind of what we're trying to uh just kind of glaze over is the whole, well, you would do that for something like a slightly scary situation like your Halloween. So wouldn't you do that with a very scary situation like the World Wide Web, you know, something that is much larger.

SPEAKER_01 18:32

Yeah, much larger, yeah, metaverse in a way.

SPEAKER_02 18:35

And so it's really just kind of staying diligent, being a part of it. Um and again, if it if it's scary, good.

SPEAKER_03 18:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:45

Because it being a little scary is kind of important. That means that you really have to make sure that you're you're setting up those boundaries and doing the right thing.

SPEAKER_01 18:53

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 18:54

And let's talk about it. Let's keep that information going and flowing. Um, you know, if if there's questions, um, if we have parents out there that have, you know, questions, you know, feel free to call Winternet Web. We do uh have monitoring tools that we use um and the way that we uh kind of set our kids up on accounts and things like that so that there is they can't actually do something without us actually getting a text about it.

SPEAKER_01 19:21

It was like my daughter the other day. She uh like logged into something and well my gosh, I can't think of it. It was a school-related um was it Gimkit or something? It was a school-related study. Oh yeah, I got that one too. Yeah, and and it was like, you know, she just logged into Gimkit. So I'm like, what you studying? Uh social studies or what? She's like, What do you mean? I'm like, what you doing on a GimKit? It's like, oh, well, I'm doing this, you know, but but it's kind of our also that reminder and it lets them know, and I I cue that in from time to time, it lets them know, wait, they're getting notifications. Now, they don't realize the extent of it, or but let them assume I'm getting notifications of everything, but you don't let you know you you don't share all your secrets, but it but also it's kind of like that, hey, look, um, and it's not to be overbearing, it's I'm here with you. Uh keep it a conversation. Everything can be a teachable moment. Right.

SPEAKER_02 20:15

You know, and and if you need, I'm your watchdog.

SPEAKER_01 20:18

Exactly. Yeah, I I got your back. Yeah. I got your back. No uncleberry, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:22

I'm your uncleberry.

SPEAKER_01 20:24

Right. Oh, goodness.

SPEAKER_02 20:26

And that's what keeps things fun. Uh it does, yeah. And that's a whole book. It's actually very fun. Uh, there's a couple of things that they do online that um I really like. Uh there's the language things that they learn.

SPEAKER_03 20:37

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:38

Uh they have a lot of um those uh learning apps that are uh very cool. There's some um, you know, like organizational um there we have a chore choresy, it's a really cool app. Um all of their chores are online and then they can keep track. Yeah um so that that's kind of neat because you you you're not having to sit there and say it all the time. They actually collect points if they go ahead and do their choice. That's kind of a really cool way to go ahead and reward once those points have gotten to a point.

SPEAKER_01 21:11

Yeah, the whole badge system and all that has become ubiquitous in the games they play. You get more score, uh, coins, whatever it might be, and then you spend them on things so um you know it they can get points for you know making their bed and get points for helping get gather their laundry together and clean the colour. Clean the sink. Clean the sink, right? And my favorite one. And then we're like, hey, I have this many points. And I tell them, well, the points don't matter. No, I'm kidding. Yes, they do. All right, that's a uh joke.

SPEAKER_02 21:41

Um, so that's what it actually can keep it fun. So if if they feel safe and you feel that they're safe, yeah, then they can actually explore and learn.

SPEAKER_01 21:51

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 21:52

And that's that's really where we're kind of pushing is that if they're safe and you feel like they're safe, then that's where they can find all of the really cool things that are a part of pretty much having the Library of Congress in your pocket.

SPEAKER_01 22:06

Yes, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 22:07

So experience it, but with that's a lot of learning that we're losing or we're walking away from if we're too afraid.

SPEAKER_01 22:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:16

So how do we stay away from fear? And it's we learn it.

SPEAKER_01 22:19

It's kind of the same battle we're seeing with AI now, with a lot of you know, there are people cracking down on it and saying we don't use it at all. Well, it is a good tool. Um maybe not say don't use it all at all, but maybe incorporate it in the educational process. But we're not there yet. Yeah, right. Um, um sometimes we need to be ahead of what's coming, but sometimes it grows so fast it's hard to be there. But don't just say no, never. Okay, how can we actually use this properly? How can we teach the tools? How can we actually use this as a writing lesson and teach prompt writing? How can we, you know, I really think a lot of this is important, but you know, some people are traditionalists, and I understand that. And I've I've worked in an industry of teaching how to use technology, and fear is always the first uh reaction. And I have it myself with new things I want to learn, but then I go to the experts and say, Hey, look, I'm feeling this way about this, and how can I have a mastery? And I go, Okay, here's the roadblock, here's why you feel this, here's how you get better at it. And then after that, I go, okay, I'm cool now. I'd actually that was an erroneous reaction in my part.

SPEAKER_02 23:38

The dialogue among parents is a good idea.

SPEAKER_01 23:40

It is.

SPEAKER_02 23:41

Um, I think we don't always uh discuss this with uh parent groups and things like that. Um it's you know, again, back in the 90s when everything was became very scary about Halloween, you know, it became discussed.

SPEAKER_03 23:55

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 23:55

And so why not? Sure. We should have this as an open dialogue all the time. Well, how do you keep your kids more safe? Yeah, how can I, you know, what can I do next? Yeah, you know, that kind of thing. We if we keep going um back and forth with that parallel, we can, you know, we can learn more from each other.

SPEAKER_01 24:13

Yeah, definitely. Yeah, so are we ready to kind of wrap this up and move on to something else?

SPEAKER_02 24:20

Yeah, we do also. Um that's just a little piece that we wanted to go over again. Spooky.

SPEAKER_01 24:26

And I do love I do love your idea of Halloween and all that. And you're like, should we do this yet? And I said, Well, yeah, I know it's in Jesus' October's tomorrow. I'm like, no, let's get this out here. We have a whole nother series you were talking about in October, but people are already starting to think about Halloween. It's starting to put it out there going to Walmart in August. Yeah, Walmart has Christmas trees now, never mind. Right?

SPEAKER_02 24:46

Now they've moved on to Christmas. You can't even do anything Halloween.

SPEAKER_01 24:50

Oh, geez. But um, so I I guess kind of like, you know, think about it. When you're checking your kids' candy, you know, also think, are your kids' accounts safe? I'm gonna keep both bags safe, if you will.

SPEAKER_02 25:04

Um, that's cute.

SPEAKER_01 25:06

You know, consider the uh account settings. Are there things on there that maybe can be tweaked? Um and again, like Melanie said, there are apps and different things that can. Um I know Family Link is one which is involved with the the Google platform. Um so if they have an email account, which is used with a lot of apps, um you can set different account settings and notifications and approval settings.

SPEAKER_02 25:31

Ages.

SPEAKER_01 25:32

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 25:33

That one's extremely important.

SPEAKER_01 25:34

And and some of the browsing of the web is based on age.

SPEAKER_02 25:37

Um so And it will stop you if you were too early. Right.

SPEAKER_01 25:43

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 25:44

And so having those accounts set up is extremely important to keep that age sure at that age. Right, which is very important.

SPEAKER_01 25:52

And you know, and of course, with anything, there are always ways around it. That is why, you know, and I've heard people say, Well, I have this, but then they did this. You know, as kids get older, they hear from people, they find ways. That's why your involvement, not in a um I guess accusatory way, but in in building a relationship is very important. Let's keep talking. Yeah, exactly. Let's always keep talking about it. That's the biggest thing. No app is gonna save that. It's uh keeping that dialogue going.

SPEAKER_02 26:27

So You're the first line of defense.

SPEAKER_01 26:29

You are, exactly. Do you want to play a game?

SPEAKER_02 26:32

Let's play a game.

SPEAKER_01 26:34

Alright, so uh so we're gonna.

SPEAKER_02 26:38

Sorry, I do love my little voice or sound effects. I'm gonna transition us into a sound effect.

SPEAKER_01 26:44

Oh no, that's gonna be fun.

SPEAKER_02 26:54

I just love the old school nature of that one.

SPEAKER_01 26:56

Well, I gotta say, that reminded me of the Donkey Kong. Um, like when back on the NES version, when you went to start playing, it was it was the whole do anyway. Um I'm gonna sucker, whatever. I'm a sucker for that retro stuff, and I I ain't I ain't gonna apologize. Alright, so we're gonna go back.

SPEAKER_02 27:19

Okay, and AI and us have come up, uh mostly us, uh, but AI has followed suit um because we put it in there and we told him what to do.

SPEAKER_03 27:28

Right.

SPEAKER_02 27:29

Um, so it is we're gonna play, and I know what you're thinking, but let's let's go ahead and explain this. Uh yes, go go with us on it.

SPEAKER_01 27:38

I'm already wired.

SPEAKER_02 27:40

We're playing never have ever. Obviously, we do this during the work day, so we're doing this with coffee. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 27:47

Isn't it ironic? You just brought up never have our ever, and we've been to talking to parents about how to help kids with stuff and all that, and I'm sure they have the right and the wrong meaning right now.

SPEAKER_02 27:57

Oh, I did that on purpose. I think this is a very this is a kid.

SPEAKER_01 28:00

This is a oh right, it's kid friendly, right?

SPEAKER_02 28:03

It's it's a kid. It is not an older kid.

SPEAKER_01 28:07

You need more coffee? Yes. There you go.

SPEAKER_02 28:10

Um, and so it is um something they tend to play, and so it's um much older. Yeah, you know, in the hopefully 21. It's technically a drinking game.

SPEAKER_01 28:22

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 28:23

Uh, we're not drinking, we're gonna do our concept our coffee because we're wired together, and one of the things we named ourselves as wired together is we're very big coffee advocates.

SPEAKER_01 28:35

Yeah, we drink coffee in the morning and sometimes in the colder times of the year, early afternoon.

SPEAKER_02 28:41

So we we we operate off of caffeine quite a bit sometimes.

SPEAKER_01 28:45

Coffee, Java, technology, you kind of get this here. It all goes to the country. It all it works out, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:50

So that's our part of our wired.

SPEAKER_01 28:52

That's right. Yeah, it's part of the reason being wired. So I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_02 28:56

So AI is going to set us up with some scenarios. And if we have dealt with it, we will take a sip. We'll take a sip in if uh of our coffee. Yeah, and if we have not dealt with it, we will either watch the other one take a sip or move forward.

SPEAKER_01 29:13

Yep, exactly. So alright, well, and if it's my understanding, we told our friendly AI droid man, whatever, to give us 13 of these. So just staying in the same. We're staying with the 13 thing, so the theme. Alright, everyone pray that this works correctly. Alright, AI. Let's start with let's play tech. Never have I ever.

SPEAKER_00 29:44

Absolutely. Let's dive right in and I'll keep it historically by the boat this time. Never have I ever clicked Remind Me Later on a pop-up window. Just let me know. When you're ready for the next one.

SPEAKER_02 29:55

Remind me later on a pop-up window. Like the whole Need to update your iOS to remind me later. Yes. Oh, yeah, definitely. Constant.

SPEAKER_01 30:05

Yep, all the time. Alright, I'm gonna drink that one too. There we go.

SPEAKER_02 30:08

Click. Do not want to go ahead and just yet.

SPEAKER_01 30:12

I got things to do. I'm not worried about that. Yep. Alright. Okay, next one.

SPEAKER_00 30:19

Never have I ever restarted my computer and hope it wouldn't magically fix everything. Just let me know when you want the next one.

SPEAKER_01 30:27

Never have I ever restarted well all the time.

SPEAKER_02 30:30

I mean That is that is the key thing you do.

SPEAKER_01 30:34

I mean I do it right away. I'm gonna try the complicated route first, and then eventually go, alright, fine. Alright, I'll restart it.

SPEAKER_02 30:44

My biggest problem is that actually that should not work. And yet it doesn't. So I usually just fight that one as no, no, restarting should not work. And it's like, it trust me. And then it does.

SPEAKER_01 30:57

And it does. And you're like, well, dag on it. What there should be an error message if it weren't working. So drink to that one. Alright. Next one. Next one, what you got?

SPEAKER_00 31:10

Never have I ever joined the wrong Zoom meeting and stayed quiet hoping no one noticed. Just let me know when you're ready for the next evening.

SPEAKER_02 31:17

Join the wrong Zoom meeting and stay quiet hoping no one noticed.

SPEAKER_01 31:22

Well, it it's hard enough to get into the correct Zoom meeting that you're trying to. It's like, where's that email? Where's that link? So I never joined the wrong one, but when I joined the one I'm supposed to be in, sometimes, yep, I stay quiet.

SPEAKER_02 31:38

I don't want to, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:39

Hoping no one notice. Kind of.

SPEAKER_02 31:41

Yeah, okay. I'm with you on that one.

SPEAKER_01 31:42

You see what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02 31:43

Sometimes you join the right one, but you still don't want to be noticed.

SPEAKER_01 31:46

But it's still wrong because I don't want to be in it anyway. Right? So it's a half drink. We're gonna half sip. A half sip. There we go. Alright, next one, buddy.

SPEAKER_00 31:58

Never have I ever had 87 browser tabs open because, well, I might need them later. And just let me know when you're ready for the next one.

SPEAKER_02 32:06

This is both of us.

SPEAKER_01 32:07

87. Come on, guys.

SPEAKER_02 32:09

80. Yeah, that's that's chump change right there.

SPEAKER_01 32:12

That's alright. Come on now. I got 87 windows, each with 20 tabs in them. No. Yeah, we'll both drink to that one, I think. There we go. Let's click. Click. Absolutely. Way too many browsers. Yep. Don't follow our lead. Next one.

SPEAKER_00 32:33

Never have I ever been betrayed by autocorrect in a professional email. Just let me know when you're ready for the next one.

SPEAKER_02 32:42

Professional email. I've been betrayed by autocorrect many, many times.

SPEAKER_01 32:47

But usually, see, autocorrect and email kind of came.

SPEAKER_02 32:51

I'm usually obsessively reread emails. So maybe in text? Text, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 32:57

Or if we say text, do we both drink? I'll drink the text. Autocorrect portrays me constantly. Oh yeah, definitely. It's like, no, I didn't say I love you. No, you're my boss. No, how do I take that back? Alright, next one.

SPEAKER_00 33:13

Never have I ever spilled coffee on my keyboard.

SPEAKER_02 33:17

Ready for the next one? Coffee? No.

SPEAKER_01 33:21

I well, almost a minute ago.

SPEAKER_02 33:23

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:24

It clicked a little too hard.

SPEAKER_02 33:25

Clicked a little too hard. Um, but uh, I think it was maybe the milk from my cereal.

SPEAKER_01 33:33

Oh, pretty sure I was pregnant at this point. That was sticky.

SPEAKER_02 33:36

We had to redo the whole thing. Oh, I had took the whole thing apart.

SPEAKER_01 33:40

That is not a fun thing to clean.

SPEAKER_02 33:42

So, yes, I have done that. But it wasn't a coffee. Um it was like that sticky cereal milk, which is worse.

SPEAKER_01 33:49

It had to be like cinnamon toast crunch or honey.

SPEAKER_02 33:53

I was pregnant. I ate all cereals at the time.

SPEAKER_01 33:56

Right. There was no judgment.

SPEAKER_02 33:58

Right. Well, thank you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 34:01

Oh, it was just like, no, eat.

SPEAKER_02 34:03

I might be drinking by myself, but I'm cool with that.

SPEAKER_01 34:07

I don't know. I haven't done I've fixed others, and I don't know why. I I don't know. But I haven't. Okay. We don't need a story. We're just gonna move on to the next one.

SPEAKER_00 34:20

Never have I ever forgotten my password right after resetting it. Just let me know when you win the next one.

unknown 34:26

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 34:27

This sounds more like me. Because I will ask you your name and forget your name as soon as I asked you. Like forget that I was supposed to listen to the name once I've asked.

SPEAKER_01 34:37

Goldfish mode.

SPEAKER_02 34:38

I have a goldfish mode.

SPEAKER_01 34:39

Goldfish mode.

SPEAKER_02 34:41

You tend to remember things a lot, especially passwords.

SPEAKER_01 34:44

I mean, obviously.

SPEAKER_02 34:45

You could probably remember your password from like, you know, college. I I do not. Yeah, don't even. Yeah, I know you can. That drives me crazy.

SPEAKER_01 34:54

So, I mean, there are so many passwords in my mind here that I obviously have forgotten many as well.

SPEAKER_02 35:01

So, um, as soon as you made it, probably not.

SPEAKER_01 35:06

As soon as I made it, well, no, I mean, it's one of those things where you know you have certain routines in how you make passwords. So then you assume, did I do that? No, I that didn't. And then you try something else. And then you reset the password. And then it ends up being you can't reset the password to the same password you used before, and you went, I knew that was the one. So then, you know. Anyway, passwords are funny, and I hope the technology gets better. I don't care if we, you know, what we use, but the physical password will change probably in five years. Alright. I'm gonna dr I'm gonna drink to it. I know I have all the time. You got to. They're they're two part of our lives and next one.

SPEAKER_00 35:49

Never have I ever tried turning it off and on again like a professional IT wizard. Just let me know when you're ready for the next one.

SPEAKER_02 35:57

I feel like that goes with the other one.

SPEAKER_01 35:58

That kind of goes with the other one.

SPEAKER_02 36:00

Um turning off, turning back on.

SPEAKER_01 36:02

Yeah. Alright, we're just gonna move on to the next one. Yeah. No both. Alright, next one.

SPEAKER_00 36:12

Never have I ever sent a message to the wrong group chat. And just let me know when you want the next one.

SPEAKER_02 36:20

A message to the wrong group chat. I hate group chat messaging.

SPEAKER_01 36:27

So I don't I don't like it it's just not my thing.

SPEAKER_02 36:31

I will intentionally send a message to the wrong group chat because I will uh individually send a message as opposed to the channel.

SPEAKER_01 36:37

Yeah, and people expect to hear the whole thing where I send it to them individually. I I'm just very particular about that communique, if you will. So, alright. Um, I don't even know how to answer that one. Alright, we're gonna move on. I think that's number eight. We'll we'll try to get we'll try to get 13, and you know if it's wrong when you listen to it, then hey, at least I know you listened. Next one!

SPEAKER_00 37:06

Never have I ever Googled an error message word for word. Just let me know when you're ready for the next one.

SPEAKER_01 37:12

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:13

I mean you you you never have I ever installed an update, only to realize I was now late to a meeting. Just let me know when you want the next one.

SPEAKER_01 37:21

I didn't ask you for another one.

SPEAKER_02 37:23

Installed an update. What?

SPEAKER_01 37:27

We're having technical difficulties.

SPEAKER_02 37:30

He's he's doubling up on us. We can't do that. No, it's uh Googled an error message, absolutely. Yeah, I mean I mean, how else do you learn any information from your go your error message?

SPEAKER_01 37:43

You have to, and the the thing that gets me is when you Google it, and it ends up taking you to there's always like the customer portal because they want you know the people that use the products to actually be their own IT support. So they will, you know, this is what I dealt with. So then you Google it and you realize the date was 2006, and you're like, what else 19 years ago? This probably isn't even gonna help me. You know?

SPEAKER_02 38:10

So um I'm sure there's been some updates.

SPEAKER_01 38:13

I know, it's it's like, no, this is not worth the search. I I please, has someone ever had this issue that I've dealt with? Was there an what was the other one he said? We're just gonna ignore that. I know we talked about the Google thing, and then you mentioned something else.

SPEAKER_02 38:26

I'm the goldfish, so that's not that's fine.

SPEAKER_01 38:29

Alright. I think we're at 10 if we ignore the yellow one, so we'll get three more and we're we're gonna we're gonna let y'all go, huh?

SPEAKER_02 38:35

Let y'all go.

SPEAKER_01 38:36

Okay. Alright, um, next one please.

SPEAKER_00 38:42

Never have I ever panicked when the Wi-Fi went out and suddenly felt completely cut off from the world. And just let me know when you want the final one.

SPEAKER_01 38:50

I mean, when it cuts out, you're like, oh shoot. And then sometimes it's like, hey, this is nice.

SPEAKER_02 38:56

There's a pleasantness.

SPEAKER_01 38:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:58

Well, and it it actually depends on the day.

SPEAKER_01 39:02

Yeah, it does. If you gotta get the homework done or if you gotta do the floor. There's just a lot to do when you first get home. Oh, yeah, that's true.

SPEAKER_02 39:07

And for some reason the rain and the Wi-Fi have some sort of connection that I have no concept of.

SPEAKER_01 39:15

I I don't either, but that is the reason why I think the droid is messing up because anytime it rains a little bit, it's like all of a sudden your Wi-Fi connection's gone.

SPEAKER_02 39:25

And then my phone goes off the top. It's always when you really just gotta go ahead and get something done.

SPEAKER_01 39:31

Always which is Murphy's love.

SPEAKER_02 39:34

Set yourself up and now we're not working. That's right. Um, as far as you know, yes, there are times where I'd, you know, at night or something like that. Sure, you can go off.

SPEAKER_01 39:46

Whatever, I'm done.

SPEAKER_02 39:47

Then it bothered me anyway.

SPEAKER_01 39:49

So I guess we can.

SPEAKER_02 39:50

The Wi-Fi doesn't bother me anyway.

SPEAKER_01 39:53

So I guess I'm not really drunk in the net. We're not gonna panic. It's actually a welcome surprise. Alright, another one.

SPEAKER_00 40:01

Never have I ever printed something and had absolutely no idea where the printer put it. And that should be the last one. Let me know if there's anything else you need.

SPEAKER_01 40:10

Oh, so now he knows how to keep count.

SPEAKER_02 40:12

Well, we do have multiple printers that are wireless, they're different.

SPEAKER_01 40:16

You're exactly right.

SPEAKER_02 40:17

And then all of a sudden it ends up in this, like I got a good story on that, but you go ahead. This library that is apparently never gonna get printed because you've gotten rid of that printer and now it's just it's just there and it's hanging.

SPEAKER_01 40:30

Can you imagine like that printer that you sent it to? And I realize this can't happen, but just hang with me. So you're printing to this printer you got rid of, but you sold it in the church yard sale, and then a year later the people that bought it hook it up, plug it into the wall, hook it to the Wi-Fi, and 247 pages come out, and they're like, oh, it's possessed.

SPEAKER_02 40:54

Why is this dissertation coming? It makes no sense.

SPEAKER_01 40:57

And I realize it can't happen, but in my world, if my life were a cartoon, that would be or a sitcom. Or a sitcom. No, but I have experienced where, like from my laptop, printed it to my printer at home and didn't, you know, and went, oh crap, I'm sorry. I need to print it to the one here, and I print it. Don't think about removing it from the queue of the other one. I walk in the door and then it starts printing because now it's connected. And I'm like, I didn't need two copies, but so yeah, anyway, so alright, we'll drink to that one, I'm sure. Right, we'll drink to that one.

SPEAKER_02 41:34

Uh unfortunately, uh in the rehearsal, setting everything up and the rehearsal and everything when one of his questions was never have I ever rage quit from a printer jam.

SPEAKER_01 41:49

Yes, exactly. That was kind of funny.

SPEAKER_02 41:50

That one was a little funnier than this particular printer one.

SPEAKER_01 41:53

So I think some people don't realize we sometimes have a conversation with it.

SPEAKER_02 41:56

You rehearse it.

SPEAKER_01 41:57

And then we kind of say, look, here's some ideas we have, what do you think? And then I say, okay, can we repeat this? But then he forgets. He ad libs and does whatever, or has this changes and rage quit on the printer, or that's right.

SPEAKER_02 42:10

Really at least if nothing else, visualizing the printer flying through the window.

SPEAKER_01 42:16

Um that helps me. I'm getting office space fives on Facebook.

SPEAKER_02 42:19

Yes, very often. Oh, office space makes so much sense when they're starting to you know beat the popular with baseball bats. I love it. It's like my favorite scene.

SPEAKER_01 42:28

Everyone should understand that. So well, um, I think we just went ahead and uh played the game, or it played us. I haven't, you know, it's that's that's for you to judge, but you just keep moving. Um yeah, I I think uh, you know, and we might we're gonna have some other games in future episodes. And in a prior episode, we mentioned how some of the games we played, this one not being one, because it was supposed to be specific things, not a random generated thing. But they they were pretty fun. And if you go to our website and you click on the whole podcast link, there at the bottom we kind of have a section where you can copy the source code, if you will, the prompt. And if you plug that into your AI, you should be able to play some of the games that we have done in previous episodes. So just kind of letting you know that. Uh, we ready to wrap up, you think?

SPEAKER_02 43:27

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 43:27

Alright, so hey, what we appreciate the comments from everybody. Please please follow us on your favorite platform. I know that means nothing to you. Um, it's not like um, and I know the pop-up saying remind me now. We're we that this actually will help us because by following, by commenting on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, whatever you use, with that hitting our wire together account, that lets them know, hey, people are you know um interested in this and we'll actually expand its reach. We we've gotten people in states, we have no idea who you are. We hope you're still listening, but getting this out there and by doing that will help us do that. Um, visit our website, winnernetweb.com. Check out, of course, the previous podcast, but we got some unique merchandise that is on there that we really haven't been pushing because we know it's in a uh a particular market. So you're having had time to push it anyway.

SPEAKER_02 44:25

We haven't either yet almost Christmas. This is yeah, these are some interesting um kind of your your tech geek fanatic gifts. Um so anybody that you really have no idea what to buy for, they may enjoy it.

SPEAKER_01 44:40

So it's October, Walmart has Christmas trees up, Christmas is on the way. Go ahead and take a peek and uh unplugging for now, but always stay connected.