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Welcome to today's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, March 24, 2002
GREAT NEWS! We're very proud to announce that this newsletter has been chosen as a Golden Web Award winner. We'd like to thank all of our subscribers for sending in the comments, suggestions and questions that have made the Computer Kindergarten newsletter worthy of recognition by this prestigious Internet organization.
In this Issue:
Special Feature: Changing Font Size in Your Browser
Featured Computer Term: Icon
This Week's Topic: Decreasing Junk Email
Question: Removing the Password Sign on Box
Learning Series: Headers And Footers
Featured Website: In today's newsletter, we take a look at some websites about Palm Sunday, Passover and American Chocolate Week
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Special Feature: Changing Font Size in Your Browser
The following question is from a newsletter subscriber:
For some inexplicable reason, some Web sites that I visit are designed using tiny, tiny type. In class, you taught us how to zoom to make our documents appear larger and easier to read. I don't see the zoom tool when I'm on the Internet. Is there a way to do this?
Answer:
Yes, there is. And it's a good idea to do this, because repeated viewing of sites with very small type can lead to eyestrain.
In Internet Explorer, click on View on the menu at the top of your screen. Point to Text Size in the menu; you'll see several choices ranging from largest to smallest. The current choice will have a mark next to it. Click on one of the larger settings and see how it looks. If it's still not big enough, do this again, and choose an even larger setting.
It's just as easy if you're using Netscape Navigator. Just click on View then Increase Font. If you want the text even bigger, do it again!
Because you can increase or decrease font sizes so easily, it's very simple to click back and forth between sizes, depending on the Web page you are viewing.
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Today's Computer Term: Icon
An icon is a small picture that represents an object or program. When you first start up your computer, for example, and get to your desktop, you'll see a screen full of icons that you can click on to take you directly to your programs or files.
Icons are very useful in applications that use windows, because with the click of a mouse button you can shrink an entire window into a small icon. (This is sometimes called minimizing.) To redisplay the window, you merely move the pointer to the icon and click (or double click) a mouse button. (This is sometimes called restoring or maximizing.)
Icons are a principal feature of graphical user interfaces.
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Today's Topic: Decreasing Junk Email
The following is a question from a newsletter subscriber:
I get so much junk email. Is there anything I can do about it?
Answer:
Junk e-mail or SPAM has been around since the beginning and unfortunately is only going to get worse as more people use e-mail as a primary form of communication.
If you belong to one of the many large services such as AOL, MSN, CompuServe, Prodigy, Hotmail or Juno you are much more likely to receive large quantities of SPAM because these services are targeted by SPAMMERS (people and businesses who send junk email). If you belong to a small regional ISP, your chance of getting large volumes of SPAM is more closely tied to your behavior while on-line.
Typically, a sure way to get junk mail is to give out your e-mail address to websites that request it. Do things a little differently and you can minimize the amount of junk e-mail that you receive.
Here are some tips that may help reduce the amount of spam you receive:
Don't Give Your Primary E-Mail Address To Anyone Who Is Selling Anything
Sign up for one of the many free e-mail services such as Hotmail (www.hotmail.com) or Lycos (www.lycos.com) and use that address for any of your on-line purchases. By doing this, you keep junk mail out of your primary account and if the junk mail becomes too much, simply stop using that free account and start another.
If you want to be able to track who is selling your e-mail address, use a different e-mail address for each of your merchants. For example, create a Hotmail account using a unique identifiable name like myamazon@hotmail.com and only use that account when doing business with Amazon.com.
When signing up for these free email accounts, don't use real information about yourself, unless you explicitly trust the source.
Never Reply To A Junk E-Mail Message
Even though the message claims to be able to remove you if you reply with unsubscribe or the like, in many cases it is simply a trick to get you to verify your address.
For America Online Users
If you're an AOL member, and get spam from another AOL member, forward the email to the address TOSSPAM. Since it is against AOL's Terms of Service to send junk email to AOL members, America Online will take action against the offending member.
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Question: Removing the Password Sign on Box
The following question is from a newsletter subscriber:
Every time I turn my computer on, the Password dialog box appears. It's very annoying. Can I get rid of that?
Answer:
Yes, you can. If your Windows machine is on its own (no corporate network involved), you can replace the existing password with a blank one, by following these steps:
1. Log on using your existing username and password. Don't press Escape or click the Cancel button.
2. Open Control Panel and double-click the Passwords option.
3. Click the Change Windows password option.
4. Enter your old password, and then leave both fields for the new password blank.
5. Click OK.
6. Close all windows and restart your computer. At the password prompt, press Enter (do not press Escape).
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Progressive Learning Series: Microsoft Word and Microsoft Works - Headers And Footers
Headers and footers are repeating text that appears at the top (header) or bottom (footer) of every page of your printed document. The beauty of headers and footers is that they only have to be typed once, and then the word processing program places them on all of your printed pages automatically.
To define a page header, do the following:
1. Choose Header and Footer from the View menu. You will see the Header and Footer toolbar, and a header box should appear at the top of the current page.
2. If you want, enter the information for the header, formatting it as you would format normal text in your document.
3. Click on the Switch Between Header and Footer tool on the toolbar. (Point and rest the mouse arrow on the button to see the button's name)
4. If desired, enter the information for the footer, formatting it as you would format normal text in your document.
5. Click on Close when your headers and footers are defined the way you want them.
Editing Headers and Footers
Once you've created a header or footer, the easiest and quickest way to edit it is to switch to Page Layout view and double-click in the header or footer area. (You can also click anywhere above or below the document area.) To return to document editing mode, double-click anywhere in the normal document area.
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Today's Featured Websites:
Palm Sunday
For a definition, explanation, and more on the beginning of Holy Week, visit the BBC Religion website.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/holydays/christ_holydayshw1.shtml
The Catholic Encyclopedia gives the definition of the sixth and last Sunday of Lent and beginning of Holy Week.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11432b.htm
For some examples of pious traditions in the week from Palm Sunday through Pascha, the feast of the Resurrection, take a look at the holy-trinity.org website.
http://www.holy-trinity.org/general/customs.html
Passover
Holidays on the 'Net explains the story of Passover and the Seder; has music, recipes, message boards, and virtual cards. http://www.holidays.net/passover/
Visit Passover.net for information on how to celebrate, say, pray, learn, and eat on Passover. Includes haggadah text, recipes, games, songs and more.
http://www.passover.net/
For Passover recipes, take a look at the kosher cooking website.
http://www.koshercooking.com/recipes/passover/index.html
Send a Passover card online
http://www.123greetings.com/events/passover/
American Chocolate Week
This website celebrates the sweetest week of year (March 17 - 23, 2002) with fun facts, quiz questions and health related information.
http://www.candyusa.org/ |
