|
Welcome to this week's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, October 24, 2004
In this Issue:
Special Feature: Online User Name and Password Security
Special Feature: Protect Your Privacy on the Internet
Tips & Tricks: Print in Black
Keyboard Shortcut: Turn Off the Computer
This Week's Topic: Address Labels for Holiday Cards
Question: Remove Email Addresses From Blocked Senders List
Websites of Interest: Election Issues; Phone Books and Online Directories; History of Computers; Just for Fun - Railroad Tycoon
**************************************************************
ATTENTION OPTIMUM ONLINE USERS
Optimum Online has a spam blocking feature on your account that stops you from getting all of your email. While the intention is to block junk emails from making their way into your mailbox, this feature can also block emails from your family, friends and others from whom you want to receive email.
With the spam blocking feature active, the Optimum Online computer is scanning all of your incoming email and deciding which is junk and which is email that you want to read. If you would rather make this decision for yourself, turn this feature off. If you find that you receive more junk emails, use the spam-blocking tools in your email program to block them yourself.
To turn the spam blocking feature off, follow these steps:
Open Internet Explorer and go to the optonline.net website.
Click the Support button found at the top of the page.
Click Account Management found towards the top right of the page.
Input your User Name – that is your email address - and your Password; click the Login button.
If you have multiple email addresses, click to select the account you want to change.
Click the Modify Spamaway button on the left.
Click the Disable Anti-Spam button.
Note: The editors of this newsletter feel that Optimum Online offers the best Internet access available at this time. However, spammers (people who send junk email) tend to target email addresses at large ISPs such as Optimum Online. Using Optimum Online to access the Internet and a free email address such as Yahoo will minimize the amount of junk email received.
To create a free email address at Yahoo, visit yahoo.com and click the Mail button found at the top. Click the Sign Up Now button to start up your account.
Remember, if you change your email address, let us know so we can continue sending this newsletter to you. Send an email to:
computerkindergarten-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
There are many things that you can do on the Internet that can cause an increase in junk mail. Visit our website to learn how to avoid Spam magnets and minimize the amount of junk email you receive:
http://www.stsico.com/html/spam.html
**************************************************************
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: Online User Name and Password Security
Question: I shop online and also do my banking. When I first set up my accounts, a window popped up on the screen and asked if I wanted the computer to save my username and pass for future use. I clicked Yes. But now that I think about it, I wonder if I should have clicked No. It is very convenient to not have to type it in every time and no one else uses my computer. Do you think I should leave it like this or go back to entering it myself every time?. If I want to remove it, how to I do that? Thank you for your wonderful email. I learn something new every week.
Answer:
If you have a firewall setup on your computer, you generally are pretty safe from someone hacking into your computer and finding your usernames and passwords. However, you can never be too careful, especially when it comes to protecting your personal and financial information.
You can clear out all the saved user names and passwords with these steps:
Internet Explorer
Click Tools on the menu and then Options.
In the Internet Options window, click the Content tab found at the top. In the Personal Information section, Auto Complete button.
The AutoComplete Settings window will open. In the Clear AutoComplete History section, click the button that says Clear Passwords. Click the OK button.
America Online
Click Settings on the toolbar. This will open the Settings Essentials window. In the Essentials section, click Internet [Web] Options.
This will open the AOL Internet Properties window. Click the Content tab found at the top. In the Personal Information section, Auto Complete button.
The AutoComplete Settings window will open. In the Clear AutoComplete History section, click the button that says Clear Passwords. Click the OK button.
Learn more about firewalls:
To learn how to set up a firewall on Windows XP, visit our website
http://stsico.com/html/firewalls.html
From Microsoft - Understanding Windows Firewall
http://tinyurl.com/6to2n
From Microsoft - choosing a software firewall
http://tinyurl.com/6rcw5
**************************************************************
Special Feature: Protect Your Privacy on the Internet
Never give out personal or confidential information on the Internet such as a credit card or bank account numbers. Use common sense when on the Internet. This seems like good advice. Here are a few other precautions you can take to protect yourself on the Internet.
You can block unwanted cookies by configuring the privacy level of Internet Explorer. To set the privacy level, click Tools on the menu, then Internet Options. In the Internet Options window that you now see, click the Privacy tab found at the top. Move the slider to select the privacy level you want. Generally the privacy level should be set to at least medium-high. You can increase this to a higher level, but some Web sites may not function correctly if you do so.
If you encounter a website that requires you to enable cookies, you can temporarily decrease the setting. After completing your transaction at the website, go back into Internet Options and increase the setting again.
America Online
Click Settings on the toolbar. This will open the Settings Essentials window. In the Essentials section, click Internet [Web] Options.
This will open the AOL Internet Properties window. Click the Privacy tab found at the top. Move the slider to select the privacy level you want. Generally the privacy level should be set to at least medium-high. You can increase this to a higher level, but some Web sites may not function correctly if you do so.
Learn more about cookies at our website:
http://www.stsico.com/html/cookies.html
**************************************************************
Tips & Tricks: Print in Black
How can I change the color of the text when printing a web page? The text on some web pages are different colors and I would like to print in black because black ink cartridges are less expensive to buy.
Answer:
You can usually choose the print color when you are ready to print a document. While this option is available on most printers, every printer is different so you will have to look through your Print dialog box to find out how you can change the setting.
Open the Print dialog box by clicking File on the menu, then Print. Look for the option to Print Only in Black. In many cases, you will have to go to an advanced page within the Print dialog box; look for a button that says Options, Properties or Advanced. If available, the Print Only in Black option would be found there.
**************************************************************
Keyboard Shortcut: Turn Off the Computer
A quick way to shut down. After all programs and windows are closed, hold down the Alt key and press the F4 key. This will open the Turn Off Computer window. Press the u key on the keyboard and you’re done - the computer shuts down.
**************************************************************
Today's Topic: Address Labels for Holiday Cards
Question: I would like to print labels for my cards this year. Could you tell me how to do this? Thank you.
Answer:
You can use your word processing program to create mailing labels for your holiday cards and newsletters. Following are the steps for Microsoft Word and Microsoft Works.
Microsoft Word
To set up the labels, click on Tools on the menu bar, then Envelopes and Labels. (Depending on your version of Word, you may have to click Tools, Letters and Mailings, Envelopes and Labels). Click the Label tab at the top of the dialog box. Click the Options button where you will choose the product type.
You'll find the Avery Standard number on the box of labels. Scroll down (or up) in the Product number area and click on the number for your labels. Click OK.
Click the New Document button, which will create a new page. In it you'll see gray lines representing labels. Type the first label. Press the tab key to move to the next label. Continue typing all labels.
To print, insert the label paper into the printer. Since all printers are different, you may want to print a test copy to determine direction the paper goes in.
Click File on the menu, then Print. Click the OK button.
Microsoft Works
Click Tools on the menu, then Labels. Choose Multi-entry labels; click the OK button.
Choose the Avery Standard number for your labels. Click the New Document button.
This will create a new page. In it you'll see gray lines representing labels. Type the first label. Press the tab key to move to the next label. Continue typing all labels.
To print, insert the label paper into the printer. Since all printers are different, you may want to print a test copy to determine direction the paper goes in.
Click File on the menu, then Print. Click the OK button.
Note: to print labels from an existing database, use Microsoft Word's mail merge function. For specific directions on this, visit the following Website:
http://stsico.com/html/merge.html
**************************************************************
Question: Remove Email Addresses From Blocked Senders List
Whenever I get junk email, I add the sender to my blocked senders list. By mistake I added a friend’s address, so now every email from her goes right into my deleted items. How do I fix this?
Answer:
If you are using Outlook Express, click Tools on the menu, point to Message Rules and then click Blocked Senders List.
This will open the Message Rules window. In it, you will see a list of the e-mail addresses that are on your blocked senders list. Find your friends e-mail address; you may have to scroll down if you have many addresses on the list.
Click on the address, then click the Remove button found on the right. This will remove your friends email address from your Blocked Senders list. From now on, her emails should appear in your Inbox instead of the Deleted Items.
If you are using America Online and would like to remove someone from your blocked senders list, follow these steps:
Click Mail on the menu and then click Block Unwanted Mail. In the Mail and Spam Controls Window, click Custom Sender List. That will open the Custom Sender List window. In it, you will see a list of the e-mail addresses that are on your blocked senders list. Find the e-mail address that you would like to remove; you may have to scroll down if you have many addresses on the list.
Click on the address, then click the Remove button. This will remove the email address from your Blocked Senders. Emails from that address will appear in your Mailbox.
**************************************************************
Websites of Interest:
Election Issues
When you vote in this year’s election, make an informed decision. It’ easy to vote for the same party as you always do or the candidate who is more charismatic, but that’s wasting your vote. Vote on the issues that are important – learn what these issues are and get complete and unbiased information on them. One such website is religioustolerance.org where important and controversial issues are presented and all viewpoints are addressed. Take a look and don’t forget to vote!
http://www.religioustolerance.org
Phone Books and Online Directories
Use these websites to find a business by type or by name, to find a person by name, or a person or business by phone number and street maps and directions to locations.
http://www.att.com/directory/index.html
http://www.bigbook.com/
http://www.infospaceinc.com/
Canadian Phone Book: http://www.canada411.ca/
European Business Directory: http://www.europages.com/
History of Computers
A timeline covering the evolution of computers from 1947-present.
http://tinyurl.com/55ld6
Just for Fun: Railroad Tycoon
Complete the track before the train comes down the line and crashes.
http://tinyurl.com/wi54 |
