Easysurf.com
http://www.easysurf.com/
This is an internet-shopping directory that offers you a new service.
Shopping via the Internet is becoming more popular, but what if you have
questions about the product you want to purchase on-line? Easysurf
provides a service called "Net2Phone", which allows you to
communicate with a sales/customer service representative before you place
an order so that you can ask questions regarding the product. You can
browse and compare the prices, too. By using the "Net2Phone",
you can communicate with the representatives by using their free software
to talk directly to them on the Internet using your multimedia PC; or by
having the retailers call you at your convenience (you don't need to have
access to a computer at this point), or send an email to each store's
customer service without having to go to each website. By using such
methods, Easysurf claims that they can add a human touch to the digitized
world of e-commerce.
The site provides a list of all the retailers whose wares they can help
you with. You can find just about any major store in categories that are
online. It also provides corporate information such as whether they
provide worldwide service or support other languages, so even if you aren't
in the US and are interested in these retailers, you can access this
service.
Computing Books
Of course you're not a dummy but, if you get confused when you're in front
of the computer, you aren't alone. Check out these books by going
to http://www.educyber.com/homeuser/
and clicking on the Bookstore link:
iMac for Dummies
OS 8.5 for Dummies
Researching Online for Dummies
And these titles are also available:
1001 Windows 98 Tips
Windows 98 Secrets Gold: Unwrapped
Byte Guide to Optimizing Windows 95
Using Microsoft Word 97
Beginners Guide Microsoft Office 97
These general interest books are available from http://www.educyber.com/books.html:
The Greatest Generation
The Man Who Ate Everything
Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and the Last Great
Lesson
Swimming in the Volcano
Virus Alert!
You get an email alert telling you about a dangerous virus circulating
around the Internet. Perhaps there are key words in the subject line
that will help you identify this nefarious virus before it destroys your
computer and all of your data.
Then again, it's probably just another virus hoax unwittingly
perpetuated by well meaning but not very cyber-sophisticated
individuals who, upon receiving such messages, immediately sent them to
everyone in their address book. Perhaps after this they stop to
check the validity of the message.
The warnings are often very real sounding and speak of dire
consequences. "I opened an email that said Aol4free.com in the
subject and a virus deleted ALL the files on my computer." Or the
warning that says not to open any message with the subject "Returned or
Unable to Deliver" as it contains a virus that will "attach itself to
your computer components and render them useless." But they also suggest
or demand the user forward this message to all of their friends. A
word of warning, this is not a good way to keep good relations with
friends.
Should you receive such a message from a friend or colleague, don't
reply with a vituperative message denouncing their ignorance and calling
down the wrath of the gods on their heads.
Instead, reply with a gentle message explaining that the message is a hoax
and directing them to one of the following virus hoax websites. The
following are also good to check if you're not sure if it's a hoax or
not.
Semantec's AntiVirus Research Center
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html
McAfee's Hoax Virus Page
http://vil.mcafee.com/villib/hoax.asp
Internet Viruses, Virus Hoaxes & Urban Legends
http://spcug.org/hoax.htm
Top Five Hottest Hoaxes
http://www.stiller.com/top5.htm
Computer Virus Hoaxes
http://sassman.net/virus/
How to Spot a Virus Hoax
http://www.av.ibm.com/InsideTheLab/Bookshelf/
WhitePapers/Wells/HOWTOSPOT/howtospot.html
Network Associates Virus Hoax Information
http://www.nai.com/services/support/hoax/hoax.asp
AOL users can also use the keyword Virus and double click on
Internet Virus Hoaxes to learn more. |
CRASH . . .
Is the sound of all your computer data vanishing into the nether.
But that's no problem, because you've got your backup ready to restore
the lost data, right?
Unfortunately too many people don't backup their data regularly and lose
big time when their system does crash. A tape backup of your entire
system may be the best way to go but there are many newer inexpensive
technologies that are making it easier for the backupphobics among us to
backup. If you work on a stand-alone computer or have a small network in
your office you can back up data relatively easily.
Since you've already got all your system disks that have the operating
system and applications you use, the only non-replaceable files on your
computer are your data.
As data files take up considerably less space than programs, a simple way
to go is with the zip drives or super disks. These are small drives
that can be installed in an internal bay if you have one available on your
computer but they can also be plugged into the parallel port on your
computer. Each disk can hold 100 to 120 MB of information.
(Try Iomega's Zip plus drive or Imation's SuperDisk.)
Once you've got that properly installed (a process that only takes a few
minutes), you're almost ready to backup your data. The next step
is to make sure your data is stored in one (two at the most) central
location for easy back up.
There are lots of backup programs available. Windows 95/98 users can
use the backup utility that comes with the OS if they want, but there is
an even simpler (though slightly more time consuming) method. Simply
drag the folders or files you want to back up to the newly installed drive
and drop them. They'll be copied on to the new drive and you're
finished. PC users can perform this task most easily using Windows
Explorer while Mac users would navigate through the hard disk icon and
drag the data folders to the new disk icon.
How often should you back up? That depends on how important your
data is and how often it changes. We back up at Educyber once a
week.
Whatever process you use to backup, make sure you backup two copies and,
if possible keep another copy offsite for additional protection in the
event of catastrophe. Why two copies? What if you're backing
up and your system crashes? That's not paranoia (o.k. maybe just a
touch) it's just good business.
Spend 10 - 15 minutes a week backing up your data and save hours and $$$
trying to retrieve lost information.
Make Your Own Newsletter
You don't need a desktop publishing software package to make your own
newsletter. MS Word provides more than enough tools to create your
own. If you're not sure how it's done but want to give it a try,
use one of these methods:
Use the Newsletter Wizard:
- Click on the File Menu and then click on New.
- Click on the Publications tab and double click on Newsletter Wizard.
- Follow the steps in the Wizard. First you just click on the
Next button.
- Select which style you want and whether you want it in color or just
black and white and then click Next.
- Type the title in the box and indicate whether you want the date
and/or volume and issue information. Then click Next.
- Indicate whether you want room for the mailing label or not and
click Next.
- Click Finish and your newsletter is created.
The resulting document provides details about how to change or add your
own content and images to the newsletter.
If you don't see the Newsletter Wizard under the Publications tab, run
Office setup from the CD again and choose Add/Remove. Click on Word
and then click on Change Option. Click on Wizards and Templates and
then Change Option. Click to check the More Wizards box and then
click OK twice. Click on the Continue button. When
installation is finished, the Newsletter Wizard will appear in the
Publication box.
Create Your Own Newsletter
- Start a new document.
- Click the View Menu and then click on Headers/Footers.
- Click the Page Setup Button and, under the Layout Tab, make sure
that Different First Page is checked.
- Click OK and then type the title of your newsletter on the first
page, using a large font. Insert page numbers at the bottom of
page two and if there are more than two pages, at the bottom of page
three as well.
- Choose Text Box from the Insert menu and use the mouse to create a
box for the text.
- Repeat step five for as many text boxes as you want.
- To save this file as a template, choose Save As from the File menu,
give the file a name and, in the Save as type box, choose Document
Template (.dot).
To use your new newsletter template, choose New from the File menu and
double click on the file you created. |
