|
Welcome to today's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, June 30, 2002
This week we celebrate Independence Day. Have a fun and safe 4th !!
In this Issue:
Special Feature: Closing Programs
Special Feature: Speeding Up Cursor Movement
Special Feature: Don't Work Off Floppies
Featured Computer Term: Accessibility Options
This Week's Topic: Internet Connection Tips: Getting Connected and Staying
Connected
Question: Email: Cc and Bcc: Carbon Copy and Blind Carbon Copy
Learning Series: Microsoft Word - The Office Assistant
Featured Websites: 4th of July; Fireworks Safety Month; National Hotdog
Month; World News Network
******************************************************************** ***
Using Links
A Link is a reference to a website. In this newsletter you will see links to many worthwhile, informative and fun websites. Here are the instructions on how to use links:
A link will be used one of two ways, depending on your email program.
If you see the link in blue, underlined text, all you have to do is click on it and a window with the Website in it will automatically appear on your screen.
If you see the link in plain text, you can copy and paste it into the address bar on your browser. Highlight the link with your mouse, click Edit up on the menu bar, and then click Copy from the menu that you just opened up. Open your browser (click the Start Button, point to Programs, click on Internet Explorer); click on the address bar. Click Edit up on the menu bar, and then click Paste from the menu that you just opened up. Press the Enter key on the keyboard and this will take you to the Website.
******************************************************************** ***
Special Feature: Closing Programs
There are several ways to close programs.
You can:
Choose File then Exit.
or
Make sure the window is active and press Alt + F4.
or
Click the Close box (the X in the upper right corner).
or
Press Alt + Space and then choose Close from the menu.
If you have many programs open, you can quickly close all of your open windows and save any files that haven't been saved by using the CTRL key.
Hold down the CTRL key and click on each button on your Taskbar. This selects all of the open windows at once. Then right click on any one of the buttons in the Taskbar and in the popup menu that appears, select Close
or
Close Group (depending on your version of Windows). All of the open windows will close and for any applications with open files that haven't been saved, the program will prompt you to save the file.
******************************************************************** ***
Special Feature: Speeding Up Cursor Movement
Do you ever become impatient when using the cursor control keys (the arrows) to scroll through text in your document? Depending on your system settings, it can be a painfully slow process to move through a document a single character at a time.
To speed things up considerably, just hold down the CTRL key and press either the left or right arrow keys. This causes the insertion point to jump from word to word, rather than character to character. The increase in speed is dramatic.
******************************************************************** ***
Special Feature: Don't Work Off Floppies
People who are new to computers have a tendency to store their data files on floppy disks. They think this is safer, in case the hard disk has a problem. This may have been true in the early days of hard drives, but there are a number of reasons not to use floppy disks to store your documents:
It is much slower opening and saving documents.
Floppy disks are more prone to disk errors than hard disks.
It is too easy to misplace a floppy disk.
If the size of your document becomes larger than the available space on your floppy, you may lose the entire file.
In addition, it is not unusual for new users to remove the floppy disk from the disk drive before they are done editing the file, or before the computer has completed saving the file to disk. If you do this, you run the risk of corrupting the file and loosing it.
Use the hard disk to save files. There's a folder called My Documents already set up there for you to use. Save to that and when you're all done with the file, save a second copy to the floppy disk.
******************************************************************** ***
Today's Computer Term: Accessibility Options
The Windows Accessibility Options offer a number of ways to customize Windows for easier use by those with who may have difficulty using their computers. Certain limitations such as poor eyesight or arthritis in the hands can make computers challenging to use.
Accessibility Options are found in Control Panel. The Control Panel is the central command site for adjusting the properties of many Windows features. It appears as a window containing a number of different icons, each representing a different set of controls and settings. Double-clicking on any of these will open its associated Properties Sheet, offering a number of customizable options.
The Control Panel can be accessed in several different ways:
* Double-clicking the Control Panel icon in the Settings submenu of the Start Menu
or
* Double-clicking its folder icon in Windows Explorer or My Computer
or
* Double-clicking the icon for the file Control.exe in your Windows directory
Double Click on the Accessibility Options icon. The Accessibility Properties sheet is divided into five tabs. The first tab, Keyboard, provides two options, StickyKeys and FilterKeys, which could be very useful for those who suffer from conditions making some typical keyboard functions difficult to perform. After enabling then, you can use the Settings button located in each frame to refine the option.
ToggleKeys can be of great benefit to the sight-impaired. A high tone is played when the Caps Lock, Scroll Lock or Num Lock key is toggled on, and a low tone when it is toggled off. Some programs offer special keyboard help relating to their accessibility options when the check box at the bottom of this tab is enabled.
The Sounds tab provides two features of benefit to hearing-impaired users: SoundSentry and ShowSounds. SoundSentry will cause a pre-defined portion of the screen to flash when warning sounds are played. ShowSounds instructs programs to display information usually supplied by sound cues with visual cues such as captions and icons.
The Display tab provides an option for users with impaired eyesight. The High Contrast option overrides a program’s default color schemes with a high-contrast scheme. Select by clicking the Settings button in this frame. Additional features such as large fonts are also used whenever available.
On the Mouse tab, the Mouse Keys option allows users to perform functions such as moving the cursor and double-clicking with the numbers keypad on the keyboard.
The General tab offers a number of options for toggling Accessibility Options on and off. It also offers support for SerialKey devices. For those users unable to use either the standard keyboard or mouse, this enables the use of an alternative input device that can be connected via a serial port. The Settings button in this frame is used to configure port settings.
Is there a computer term or phrase that you'd like to see an explanation of? Email it to sharpertraining@a... and we'll put the term and its definition in an upcoming newsletter.
******************************************************************** ***
Today's Topic: Internet Connection Tips: Getting Connected and Staying Connected
When you use a phone line to connect to the Internet, every now and you’ll get bumped off - the phone line connection will end. There are some things you can do to reestablish the connection and stay connected.
Restart Your Computer - Occasionally, your computer or your modem can get stuck and must be restarted before you can establish a connection. Follow your computer manufacturer's instructions for shutting off your machine, then wait at least 10 seconds before turning the machine back on.
Try a Different Access Number - Sometimes a specific access number may be experiencing problems. Using a different number can improve your connection.
Let Others in the House Know You Will Be Online - If a person picks up another extension in the house while you are signed on it can cause your modem to disconnect from service. Let others know you will be online.
Turn Off Call-Waiting - If you have call-waiting, an incoming call may disrupt your connection. With most ISPs you can disable call-waiting temporarily so your session will not be disconnected. This is usually numbers put in before the access number in the setup screen - check with your Internet Service Provider for the code.
******************************************************************** ***
Question: Cc and Bcc - Carbon Copy and Blind Carbon Copy
The following is a question from a newsletter subscriber:
Will you please explain "CC" and "BCC" as used in my email program.
Answer: When you are composing an e-mail that you want to send to more than one person, you have several options.
You can list all the e-mail addresses in the To: field of your e-mail. A copy of the e-mail will go to each person listed, and all the recipients will see all the addresses in the To: field of the e-mail they received.
If you list addresses in the CC: field (which stands for Carbon Copy) it will work the same way as the To: field, except that, in each recipient’s email, the addresses will show up in the CC: line.
If you don't want people to see all the other addresses you sent the e-mail to, put them in the BCC: field. BCC stands for Blind Carbon Copy. Each recipient will get a copy of the e-mail, but will only see the address in the "To:" field.
There may be times when you want to send the same e-mail to a lot of different people, but you don't necessarily want everyone to know the email addresses of everyone else you sent the email to (it’s considered good Netiquette to use Bcc if the recipients of your email do not know each other or each other’s email addresses). If your email program does not have a Bcc field in it, you can put parentheses around e-ail addresses inside the Copy To: box, which will then hide the addresses from everyone else.
******************************************************************** ***
Progressive Learning Series: Microsoft Word - The Office Assistant
In Microsoft Office 97, turning off the Office Assistant was quite a problem. But, in Microsoft Office 2000, it's entirely up to you--you can use the Office Assistant, or you can turn it off.
To change the status of the Office Assistant, choose Help and then select Show the Office Assistant to turn it on, or Hide the Office Assistant to turn it off. This works in the other Office programs as well.
******************************************************************** ***
Today's Featured Websites:
Independence Day
For history behind the observance of the 4th of July, symbols associated with it, government resources and events listings for fireworks shows across the States, take a look at the Happy Birthday America website.
http://www.usacitylink.com/usa/
Independence Day on the Net - complete with some history to read, some patriotic music to enjoy, a fireworks display, and apple pies to bake.
http://www.holidays.net/independence/
Fourth of July Celebrations Database - with a history of the holiday and notes on how the Fourth has been celebrated over the years.
http://gurukul.american.edu/heintze/fourth.htm
July is Fireworks Safety Month. For more information, visit the Prevent Blindness America website.
http://www.preventblindness.org/
July is National Hotdog Month. Read more about this celebration at
http://www.theholidayspot.com/hotdog/
World News Network
On the World News Network site, not only can you find news photos from locations around the world, but you can also read news from a large variety of categories, including financial news, economic news and radio news. The site has major world news along with niche news designed for your particular interest.
http://www.wnnetwork.com/
|
