By BRITTNEY NESET bneset@faribault.com | Posted: Friday, May 22, 2015 2:06 pm

“You knew you grew up in Faribault when…” is a Facebook group with approximately 3,200 members. (Screenshot of “You knew you grew up in Faribault when…” Facebook group)

When most think of Facebook, images of teenagers taking selfies and not­so casually checking in on a former love all come to mind. But one group throws out those stereotypes and welcomes people of all ages to talk about a time gone by in a city they all love, Faribault.

A feeling of nostalgia and looking for connections and memories from the past has brought many current and former Faribault locals together in the Facebook group “You knew you grew up in Faribault when…”

With a group that has approximately 3,200 members, nearly 1,100 of those joining within the last year, it’s really no surprise why the group is such a popular one among locals and those who once lived in Faribault.

The group is also home to users of all ages. There are members who are still in high school while there are also those who graduated from high school 50 or more years ago. Brian Klier, the current owner of the group and Faribault local, says he wants to keep the group
fun and positive while sharing the great history of the city.

“Part of what excites people about Faribault is its history.” said Klier. “I think just about everybody that lives here wonders how we evolved from a town with horse stables near Central Park, to a city with more than 23,000 people.”

The local Facebook group that brings people from town and out of town is run by a handful of people. No one is really sure who started the popular group on Facebook. When asked, members responded with a few guesses with who the original owner of the group was, but all of the guesses came up short.

Klier said that the group was originally started in early 2010 but for now, whoever started “You knew you grew up in Faribault when…” will remain a mystery.

“Whoever created the group knew what they were doing and saw the need for sharing history with past and future generations,” said Brian Schmidt, a board member of the Rice County Historical Society. “It’s an awesome thing for Facebook and the city of Faribault.”

Other than simply running the group, Klier has other ties to Faribault history.

“I guess you could say I’ve been in Faribault and surrounded myself with Faribault all my life,” he said.

Klier’s father owned an electronics, radio and computer repair shop on Seventh Street Northwest in Faribault in the 1980s and early ‘90s. He also attended Faribault High School and South Central College and now works full time as one of the district’s IT technicians.

Klier’s ties to the Faribault School District is one of the reasons why he can supply such great, vintage photos to the group. A majority of the photos he posts came from the Faribault Middle School or Faribault High School media centers.

“The Faribault Junior High School (now Middle School) used to have a Camera, Video, and
Computer club. When I was a member of this club, I recall those interested in photography could learn photography techniques and then check out a camera so they could take pictures and have them developed,” said Klier. “The photos seen on the group have many unknown authors, but thankfully the original slides and prints were kept in good condition.”

When Schmidt was young, he used to run around the brewery that had been in the Fleckenstein building and collecting old items from the building started his love for history.

It has also inspired him to try and help preserve it for Faribault and other cities in Rice County.

“I think this group is awesome,” said Schmidt. “We needed something for the history of Faribault that past and future generations can find out what happened all those years ago.”

When asked about their favorite moments or memories on the site, neither Brian Klier nor Brian Schmidt had one concrete answer.

Klier loves stories that run parallel to his own life and experiences in Faribault. He also enjoys when people recall their memories of playing video games at Magicland as well as their “May Bottke” stories.

Schmidt, on the other hand, couldn’t pin down one particular moment or memory from the group that he likes more than the others.

“I like when people post other stories and I get to go ‘oh, that’s how that really worked or operated!’” said Schmidt. “Every story is intriguing to me.”

The Facebook group offers a place to gather and discuss topics of years gone by. The group’s news feed is updated multiple times a day, with members and former members of the community recalling their childhoods or other fond memories of the past.

The community also offers insight on topics that a person may be unsure of. If you post in the group with a question, it’s almost certain that the members will have some sort of answer for you or at least a suggestion on where to start looking.

“Snow, Snow, and More Snow!”  Chad, Doug, and myself went quad riding at Tri-County on March 10th.  It was fun while it lasted, but now we’ve got over a foot of snow on the ground again.  I’ll be bringing you more fun riding updates as we get into Spring, but for now, here’s an article on home wireless security that I wrote for our Technology newsletter at work.  Hope you’ll enjoy!

Home Wireless Security

By Brian Klier

Every time I go to Best Buy, it seems like I need to make that one “impulse buy” before I can leave the place.  There are so many new and fun gadgets around to play with that are supposed to make your life easier or more entertaining.

For many, the wireless access point is the ultimate “impulse buy”.  Just the thought of being able to do your schoolwork from out on the patio, all the while having Internet access, is simply too great to pass up.  You grab the wireless access kit, pay for it at the checkout, and bring it home, smiling the whole while.  Once home, you plug in your new wireless access point, and turn on the wireless on your laptop.  “This is every bit as good as I envisioned!”  However, what most people don’t realize is that now your neighbors are also having a great time, on your bandwidth, on your local network … even that creepy guy with the long skinny beard that lives two doors down.  Not only are you sharing your Internet connection, but depending on how your home computer(s) are set up (do you have a password?), you may be sharing your personal documents and financial information too.

Manufacturers set wireless kits up to make it easy for you to connect.  Most of these kits have excellent security features to prevent this from happening, but around 75% of wireless households in Faribault never read far enough in the manual, or do their own research, to find out how to enable them.  While every access point is different in configuration, there are a set of recommendations I have for you to make you aware of the security options you have.

First, change the default Administrator passwords (and usernames) on your access point.  Many access points/routers provide a nice Web interface for you to configure the device.  Be sure the first thing you do is to change your password on it.  Default passwords are simple and very well-known to hackers on the Internet.

Next, turn on WPA or WEP Encryption.  Every access point has the feature to enable some sort of encryption.  It is important to note that the data itself IS STILL NOT ENCRYPTED with WEP, but activating encryption forces other people to know your code before gaining access to your network.  Pick the strongest form of encryption that works with all devices on your wireless network.  You will need to type the same code on your access point and on any computer using the wireless access in able for it to work.

Also, very importantly, change the default SSID.  Access points and routers all use a network name called the SSID.  From the factory, the SSIDs are all set the same.  For example, the SSID for Linksys devices is normally “linksys”.  If you have a default SSID set on your wireless access point, you are telling the world that “I have not configured my device and I’m most likely insecure”.  Be sure to change it, but don’t provide any personally identifiable information in it.

Next, do your own Wi-Fi “site survey”.  Walk around your house with your laptop, and find out exactly how far your network reaches.  If it reaches too far outside your property line, readjust the access point inside your home to change the coverage area.

Last, and perhaps the easiest way to protect your network (and also perhaps most obvious) is to shut off your access point when not in use.  While you may laugh, this is truly the ultimate in security measures.  Turn on your access point when you will be using wireless devices in your house, and turn off your access point when you are finished.  Hackers and neighbors can’t use what’s not plugged in.

Please take some time tonight, if you have wireless at home, to check these few things on your access point.  Break open your access point’s manual, and learn how to protect yourself!

Caption text of picture below: See all the dots?  Every dot represents where there is wireless access in Faribault.  75% of these sites are completely insecure. (map and research by Brian Klier)