August 1998 IN THIS ISSUE:
Quick Editing Downloading Dropouts (IE 4.0) Launching Windows Explorer Quickly More Viewing Area (Netscape Comm. 4.0) A Reminder About Shortcuts Fast Saving to Diskettes More Send To Destinations Quick Disk Management Rename Files and Folders Fast Print and Save Links Fast FEATURE STORY: Usenet Newsgroups: There's Something for Everyone! ...also... Mac Newsgroups This Is Your Lucky Day! Bursting the BUBL 16,000 Amazing Animations...FREE! Can't Get Enough? More Shareware! Phone Fun Who's Got the Best Search Engine? Hooey! Webhoo!, That Is! FREE Windows 98 Help! Guides, Guides and More Guides The sites referred to in this newsletter are only a few of the thousands that exist on any specific topic. We suggest these few, simply to GET YOU STARTED. Future issues of this newsletter may revisit related noteworthy sites. 1. Quick Editing There's a quicker way to select text for editing than left-clicking and dragging your mouse over your selection. To select a single word, place your cursor on it and double-click. To select a whole line of text, place your cursor at the beginning of the line until you see the arrow, then single-click the line. Hold the left mouse button and drag it down to select multiple lines of text. Now, simply make your changes. Back to Table of Contents 2. Downloading Dropouts (IE4) There's only one minute left on that 2 hour download and suddenly it's interrupted. Yikes!!! No need to pull out your hair. If you're using Internet Explorer 4.x you can resume the download from where it got stopped. Simply keep the download site in your browser and re-connect to us. Your download will automatically resume and be completed in a few short minutes. Relief! Back to Table of Contents 3. Launching Windows Explorer Quickly If you prefer using Windows Explorer over My Computer, try this trick. Right-click the Start button and and select Explore. This will quickly launch Explorer for fast file management, which resembles the look and feel of Windows 3.x File Manager. If you've created a shortcut to Explorer, even better. Back to Table of Contents 4. More Viewing Area (Netscape Comm. 4.0) Take a quick look at the toolbar in Communicator 4.0. You'll see 3 little down-arrows at the top left corner of the browser. Click on any of them and the selected toolbar is removed from the window. This will increase your viewing area while surfing the web. Click on the right-arrow that replaced the toolbar and it quickly reappears. Back to Table of Contents 5. A Reminder About Shortcuts Don't forget that a shortcut is simply a pointer to a file or object. If you no longer need a shortcut that you've created, don't be afraid to delete it. You will not lose the actual file or object to which it points. Warning! Shortcut are usually identified by icons that have a little arrow pointing upwards. Some don't though. So before you delete, right-click the icon, go to Properties and look for a tab that says Shortcut. If it's there, it's a shortcut. If it's not, you probably shouldn't delete it. Back to Table of Contents 6. Fast Saving to Diskettes If you frequently save files on diskette, create a shortcut to your diskette drive on your Desktop. This will allow you to simply drag and drop files from Windows Explorer or My Computer, directly to your drive via the shortcut. Alternatively, simply right-click the desired file, click Send To and then select your diskette drive (usually diskette drive A: ). If the drive is not available in the Send To command, try the next tip. Back to Table of Contents 7. More Send To Destinations Did you know you can add more destinations to the Send To command? Destinations can include places like your fax, printer a special folder or any other place where you might send files or objects. Open Windows Explorer and look for the Send to subfolder in the Windows folder. Now simply create shortcuts to the destinations you send files to often. Just add them to the Send To folder. That's it! Back to Table of Contents 8. Quick Disk Management Open Windows Explorer and right-click any of the drive icons (try Harddrive C:). and select Properties. The General tab will show you how much drive space you've used and how much is still available. Click on the Tools tab and you'll be presented with some choices that will allow you to check your disk for errors, backup, and defragment your drive. Repeat the same procedure for your floppy (3.5"), CD-ROM or other drives. Depending on the drive you select, the disk management options will vary. Back to Table of Contents 9. Rename Files and Folders Fast To quickly rename a file or folder simply click on the item and press F2. Now type in the new name. Alternatively you can just click on the existing name, wait a second and type over the name that is now highlighted. Back to Table of Contents 10. Print and Save Links Fast Did you know that you can save linked Web pages without displaying the page? While surfing, if you see a link that might be interesting, place you mouse cursor over it. Then right-click and select Save Target As... (in IE 4.x) or Save Link As... (in Netscape 4.x). Select the location where you want to save the page/link and it's done. Now you can view the file off or on-line. Internet Explorer will even allow you to print the link/page via the right-mouse click. Try it. This is a real time saver. Back to Table of Contents FEATURE: Usenet Newsgroups: There's Something for Everyone! If you're new to the Net, you're probably busy just getting familiar with your computer and the various software used to do a myriad of new and exciting things. If you've mastered the basics, you're probably ready to delve into something we're sure you've heard of, called Newsgroups. First...What are they? Usenet Newsgroups are forums or virtual places where people meet. You can discuss common interests, exchange ideas and get help on just about anything you can imagine. There are over 30,000 different newsgroups covering just about any topic you can imagine. If you're comfortable with email, then participating in newsgroups will be a snap. Almost anyone can join and they're free! Newsgroups can be a terrific source of information for business owners, hobbyists, artists, musicians, accountants...you name it. How do I join a newsgroup? Participation is easy. All you need is a program called a newsreader. If you're using newer versions of Internet Explorer or Netscape, then you're all set. Each comes with a built-in newsreader. Netscape's is called Collabra and Microsoft offers Outlook Express. Both are integrated with their email programs so you may have already experimented a little with newsgroups. Check your user manuals and Help menus for more information. If you don't have a newsreader, there are plenty of free ones that can be downloaded from the internet (see links below for more information). After setting up your newsreader (it's really simple!) all you need to do is dial-up to us and launch your reader. If it's your first time your newsreader will want to download a list of all the available newsgroups. Depending on your modem speed, this could take a few minutes. After all, there are over 30,000 groups to retrieve! And don't worry, you'll be downloading just group names, not every message in every group. This will take up a negligible amount of space on your hard drive. The group names will be permanently stored for easy reference. Since new groups are created almost every day, it's probably a good idea to update the group list once a month (or sooner). Now What? All of the downloaded newsgroup names are organized in a very specific hierarchy. They are delineated using three or four letter abbreviations that provide hints about what each group and discussion are about. Some of the major newsgroup hierarchies are sci - science, comp - computer related issues, soc - society and culture, rec - recreation and hobbies, news - internet news and issues, talk - conversation, biz - business related subjects, misc - miscellaneous and alt - alternative issues. Use these as a guide. If you have a few weeks, feel free to browse all 30,000+ groups (just kidding!). If you're looking for a specific topic, use the Find or Search feature of your newsreader to narrow down your search for appropriate newsgroups. Just enter key words that describe your topic or interest. Once you've found an interesting group, you can quickly subscribe to it. Subscribe to as many newsgroups as you want. What you'll end up with is a list of groups not unlike a list of sites you've bookmarked while surfing on the Web. The method used to read messages posted to a newsgroup will vary slightly with each newsreader. All will allow you to download or retrieve what are called headers. These are simply subject lines, just like like the subject headers you see in regular email messages. If you see a header that looks interesting, simply select it and the actual message or post will be downloaded for viewing. Again, just like when using email, you can reply to the post. Replies to newsgroup postings are called threads, that allow you to keep track of who said what to whom. If you want to post your own original message or question, you can do this too. Before Participating.... As you've probably learned by now, using email properly requires adherence to some rules of etiquette (AKA 'netiquette'). The same rules apply when posting to newsgroups. Furthermore, many newsgroups may have very unique cultures. Keep this in mind as you lurk (browse and read messages without replying), trying to get a feel for what the group is about. If you decide to post a message try adhering to the style or format of the group. You don't want to start flames (shouting matches), on your first visit. Most newsgroups post FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions). They will provide useful information about the group and the types of discussions/questions that are welcome. For more information and lists of newsgroups and links to each group's respective FAQ, refer to the guide at the end of this article. Now here are two very important caveats about newsgroups: Remember.... as soon as you hit the send button in your newsreader, everyone who reads the group will be able to read your message. Don't say anything that you'll regret later. This is especially true if you rely on the group for help or information. If you offend someone, you'll get flamed and your posts will likely get ignored. Also, don't spam ! A spam is a blatant and unwelcomed advertisement about your goods and services. There are appropriate newsgroups for this type of promotion. Find them and use them only, unless someone specifically asks for your information. We recommend that you investigate and read a little more. Then make intelligent decisions about what groups you want to subscribe to and what you want to say. There's something for everyone. Whether your interest is stamp collecting or international trade, newsgroups can be terrific and exciting places. Below you'll find some additional links to sites that will provide you with ample information about newsgroups, how to find them, participate and even how to start your own. So get informed and have some fun. Useful and Informative Links Additional newsgroup descriptions, FAQs and archives: http://www.lib.ox.ac.uk/internet/news/faq/by_group.index.html http://www.dejanews.com (a great search engine for newsgroups) http://sunsite.unc.edu/usenet-i/home.html (newsgroup search engine) And yes...you can find information on newsgroups in the following newsgroups: (clicking on any of the following links will automatically launch your newsreader) news.newusers.questions news.announce.newusers (read only) news.newusers.questions news.groups news.answers (more FAQs) alt.newbie Also, we have these local newsgroups for our subscribers: (clicking on any of the following links will automatically launch your newsreader) mcmsys.general ask general questions mcmsys.sale post items for sale mcmsys.support ask support questions Back to Table of Contents ...also... Mac Newsgroups As long as we're talking newsgroups, below is a quick list of groups for Mac users. If you're considering buying a Mac, this might also be a good place to get some advice. As you can see, you'll find discussions on a variety of topics. Take a peak (lurk) and subscribe to those that interest you. Have fun! Back to Table of Contents This Is Your Lucky Day! Well it might be! Are fame, fortune and passionate love just around the corner? Should you buy or sell? Is love in the air this evening? If you're looking for answers to these and many other questions that might be keeping you up late at night, then check out these two fun and entertaining sites. EasyScopes (www.easyscopes.com) is easily one the best and most comprehensive sources of horoscope and astrology sites on the Net. The site sorts and indexes sites by zodiac sign, for quick navigation and access. Drop in and get your daily, weekly and monthly horoscopes. Site owner Jochen Savelberg tells us that "most people check their horoscopes in the morning to have a great start to their day.". LoveTest (www.lovetest.com) started out as a high school project back in 1991. Heart-pounding teens would pass around love and romance tests that would help identify their perfect match. Savelberg took it one step further and wrote a program that would tabulate scores and identify matches. Well, today this little project is a viable and high traffic website. Drop in and complete The Original Free LoveTest. Quickly answer revealing questions about you and your mate and see if it's a match made in heaven! The test also calculates the compatibility between you and your mate using numerology based on the names that were entered and will also provide astrological compatibility information about the selected zodiac signs. Do you believe in love at first sight? Do you know what it takes to be a great flirter? Are the stars aligned in your favor? Find out at EasyScopes and LoveTest. Thousands of netizens do. Over 300,000 each month to be exact! When we asked Jochen if he's found his perfect mate yet, he jokingly replied, "Yep, I've already found the perfect mate... but she hasn't found me yet!" Back to Table of Contents Bursting the BUBL Doing some research? Looking for some specialized information and resources on a specific topic? Well look no more! The good folks from the Andersonian Library at Scotland's Strathclyde University, have developed an amazing information server that will certainly help you find what you're looking for. BUBL 5:15 (http://bubl.ac.uk/link/five/) is a fast, simple and very selective route to Internet resources. It offers over 1200 subject terms that will return at least five relevant resources (usually 15 and up to 35 in some cases) on each subject. Each result offers an abstract and catalogue record. Links are checked every month, boasting better than 99% reliability. Simply start with one of the nine general subject categories and then make a more detailed selection from the a drop-down menu provided. Finding your information is very fast and easy and the results are truly relevant and comprehensive. Definitely add this resource to your favorite or bookmark file! Back to Table of Contents 16,000 Amazing Animations...FREE! If you're looking for some really cool animations, you've got to check out The Animation Factory (www.animfactory.com). This is a fantastic resource for web developers of all experience levels. The site is packed with a lot of terrific goodies that will jazz up your site in no time at all. The main attraction are the over 16,000 FREE animated gifs, clipart, buttons, icons and more. The site boasts to be the "largest collection of original animations and clipart on the web." And for good reason. Here you'll find every category from alphabets, characters, creatures, bullets, sports, music....you name it! It's easy to get lost looking through all the great free stuff, so don't forget to check out the links to other tools and resources that will help you build first-rate web pages and sites. We've said it before and we're saying it again...don't forget to bookmark this site too! Back to Table of Contents Can't Get Enough? More Shareware! One of the greatest things about the Internet is all the free stuff. Especially the free (sort of) software! No matter what your hobby, business or off-the-wall interest, someone, somewhere has probably created a software application that will help you do it faster, better, smarter and easier. Below are a list of sites that offer many thousands of shareware titles. You may already be a regular visitor at some of them, so try the locations you've yet to investigate. If you want more, just go to your favorite search engine and type the words shareware or freeware.
Back to Table of Contents Phone Fun Are you the type that has a hard time remembering telephone numbers? Or perhaps you're looking for a catchy and memorable word-number to add to your business cards and stationary (eg. 1-800-FLOWERS). Then head over to PhoNetic (www.phonetic.com). This one-screen site will quickly convert your phone number into an easy to remember word or word/number combination. It also does it in English, French, German, Italian, Polish and Spanish! We tried several numbers and almost instantly the program returned hundreds of combos to choose from. There's even a dictionary that you can use to see if the returned words actually mean anything. The nifty engine will also take words and convert them to numbers. This is a fun site that can quickly be put to good use for business or pleasure. Check it out. Back to Table of Contents Who's Got the Best Search Engine? And the winner is....well, it depends. With over 320 million Web sites and well over a billion pages on the Internet, it's no easy task to pick a winner. Furthermore, not all search engines are designed to work the same. According to a Science Magazine (www.sciencemag.org), no single engine can claim to be the best. However, their recent study revealed that www.hotbot.com covers 34% of the Web, www.altavista.com, covers 28%, www.northerlight.com came in at 20% and www.lycos.com at only 3 percent. The results are deceiving though, since different search engines search for different types of sites and content. In the case of the Lycos engine, it is a general interest site and as such would not return many sites with specialized content. Furthermore, many engines often return dead links or sites. Therefore, one could argue that the benchmark for picking the best engine, should be based on the quality and not the quantity of hits returned. The author or the study, Steve Lawrence, suggests that using multi-search engines or meta-engines, could return about three and a half times more hits (see below). So when you can't find what you're looking for, it might be a good idea to locate, bookmark and use several search engines. Also, if your searching for some obscure topic, use more specialized engines. Stay tuned for more on this in future issues our newsletter. SEARCH THE SEARCH ENGINES (Meta Search Engines)
Back to Table of Contents Hooey! Webhoo!, That Is! "Hooey!" That's what we said when we found this incredible resource. Webhoo!--The Hierarchically Organized Web Development Resources (nordstrand.hypermart.net/webhoo/) is the perfect place for professional and beginner Web developers. Here you'll find over 500 searchable resources in over 50 categories. What's really amazing, is that this site was originally a collection Jonas Nordstrand's personal bookmarks. Not any more! Here's a summary of what you'll find at Webhoo!. Resources for:
Back to Table of Contents FREE Windows 98 Help! If you've recently upgraded to Windows 98, this free downloadable tutorial might help. As with anything new, you'll notice slight differences in how things work. Enter, the Introduction to Windows 98 (www.cbtplus.com/d_win98.shtml) from the people at CBT Plus. For a limited time, you can download the full release (2.86 megs) for free! Learn how to work with the taskbar, manage files and folder and much more. If you haven't yet made the upgrade but are thinking about it, this neat little program might help you decide if it's worth it. If you've just bought your first PC and Windows 98 is the operating system, then you'll definitely appreciate the tutorial. Check it out. Back to Table of Contents Guides, Guides and More Guides If you're looking for up-to-date hardware comparisons, reviews, news, tips and resources, Tom's Hardware Guide (www.tomshardware.com) is the place to be. The site is neatly organized using guides for various types of hardware. You'll find guides for motherboards, CPUs, chipsets, RAM, harddisks, video, BIOS, overclocking, technology and more. The site is packed with content and analysis on product strategies, new technologies and system architectures. To a newbie, all this may sound very heady, but the information is presented in great detail and in an easy to understand manner. So if you're considering an upgrade, want to squeeze more performance out of you hardware components or simply want to get the latest information and news on technology and the companies that drive it, visit Tom's Hardware Guide often. Back to Table of Contents 'Til next month... |
