Photosensitive Epilepsy: Protect Yourself On The Internet
Wired reported earlier this week how internet trolls posted animations capable of triggering migraines and seizures on an epilepsy support message board last week. The attack resulted in several people being affected.
Given the limited amount of support for photosensitive epileptics who use the internet, here is a brief guide for how to protect yourself from these types of situations when you browse. Tip #1: if you see trigger images, quickly cover your right eye, then press Esc on your keyboard. More tips and instructions after the cut.
The important thing to remember on the Internet is that you cannot rely on a forum or a website to handle your experience for you. Nor will any browsing experience ever be truly safe. There will always be an opportunity and vector for attack. Don't assume that because you're on a support forum for epileptics, that a seizure inducing trigger won't come up either on purpose or accidentally.
Even when sites say they take your security and browsing experience seriously, it's still up to you to protect yourself as best as possible. This article should help empower you to do just that.
First line of defense: cover one eye
I already stated this, but I'll emphasize it: if some blinky stuff should happen to show up on your screen that can affect you, and you haven't done anything else to protect yourself, cover your eye as quickly as possible and either close your browser, press Esc on your keyboard, or look away and get someone to help you. This tip comes from various sources on photosensitive epilepsy around the web.
First and Most Important: Update to the Latest Web Browser
Whether you prefer to use IE, Firefox, Safari, Opera, or Flock, there are basic steps you can take to make sure your browsing experience is a safer one. First, make sure you are up to date on the latest version of your browser.
Not only will this help protect you from other internet-based attacks, but it will also ensure that you can use the latest plug-ins to assist you in safer browsing.
On Internet Explorer: Go to the Tools menu on your browser bar, and click "Windows Update." Follow all prompts you see to patch and update IE.
On Firefox, Opera, and Flock: Firefox should work to keep you up-to-date. Otherwise you need to do this yourself: go to the Help menu, and click "Check For Updates." Follow all on-screen prompts.
On Safari: Visit the Safari website, and click the Download link. Follow whatever install procedure is normal for OSX or Windows.
If you're not sure how to perform browser updates, get a friend. Everyone has a knowledgable friend these days, so ignorance is no excuse.
WhatRumors.com
Hey, just wanted to comment that although I know the stupid_free/sf_drama thing on LJ was a bit of a blowout, I think you have created an informative article here. Im not epileptic myself, but I will definitely take these suggestions to heart, since Im not a big fan of seeing ads and am a bit of a n00b. Thanks for writing this. Im glad youve actually had the chance to express yourself here without people jumping all over you. :P