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Welcome to today's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, December 16, 2001
From the staff of Sharper Training Solutions, may your Hanukkah be blessed with miracles, remembrance, friends and family, celebration, a warm home and good food, joy, peace and love. Happy Hanukkah!
In this Issue:
Featured Computer Term: Trojans and Macro Viruses
Topic: Removing Ad Windows on the Internet
Progressive Learning Series: Microsoft Word - Controlling Display Of The Scroll Bars
Featured Website: Hanukkah
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Holiday Virus Reminder
'Tis the Season to be Jolly! Apparently, some people don't feel quite so jolly and have been busy writing viruses and worms.
If you buy a new computer or have recently upgraded your Windows, make sure that your virus software is up to date. Also, make sure that you download all current upgrades and patches. Check your virus manufacturer's Web page for the latest virus definitions. And make sure to run a scan of your hard drive as often as possible, especially after being connected to the Internet or checking email.
Here is an updated list of newly discovered viruses:
Badtrans - email attachment
Aliz - email attachment
Twopey - Macro virus
Death - Macro Virus
Delalot - Trojan
Viled - email attachment
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Today's Featured Computer Term: Trojans and Macro Viruses
A Trojan, or Trojan Horse, is a destructive program that performs some undesired yet intended action while pretending to be a harmless application. Unlike Viruses or Worms, Trojan horses do not copy themselves but they can be just as destructive. One of the most dangerous types of Trojan horse is a program that claims to rid your computer of viruses.
The term comes from a story in Homer's Iliad, in which the Greeks give a giant wooden horse to their foes, the Trojans, presumably as a peace offering. But after the Trojans drag the horse inside their city walls, Greek soldiers sneak out of the horse's hollow belly and open the city gates, allowing their compatriots to pour in and capture Troy.
Macro Viruses
Word processing documents can serve as sources of transmission for viruses. A macro virus is a type of computer virus that is encoded as a macro embedded in a document.
Many applications, such as Microsoft Word and Excel, support powerful macro languages. These applications allow you to embed a macro in a document, and have the macro execute each time the document is opened.
A good macro (non virus macro) can be written, by the user, to enhance documents and worksheets, and to automate tasks that the user does repetitively.
Viruses can invade your computer anytime you bring a file in from outside of your computer. A disk given to you by a friend, creating files on another computer and then bringing the disk to your computer, or downloading a file from an email or website are some of the ways that you can get a virus on your computer.
It is important to stress that the email itself is NOT destructive. The destructive part is the file that is attached to the e-mail, which, if executed (downloaded and opened), can cause damage to files on the computer.
A good virus protection software is an important thing to have. Update your existing software if you download files or bring files into your computer from elsewhere. Most virus protection software manufacturers will allow you to upgrade or purchase their software from the website. An advantage to purchasing software from a store is receiving the book, with instructions, along with the disk.
Important Reminder: Don’t download anything from anyone you don’t know!
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Today's Topic: Removing Ad Windows on the Internet
Thanks to newsletter subscriber Jill for the following question: When I’m on the Internet, windows keep popping up with advertising. I can’t
find anyway to close these windows.
Answer:
Sometimes Web programmers (the people who create the websites) will set up their websites to put a window onto your PC with no controls. They will use this technique so that you can't get their junk off your screen. For some reason they think this is a good way of advertising.
You do have some control with the standard “Windows window control options.
Click anywhere in the window you want to get rid of (see Special Note below), hold down the Alt button on your keyboard (lower left or right or both, depending on your keyboard), and press and release spacebar; then release Alt.
You’ll get a small menu; one of the choices will be Close. Click on that with the mouse and that will close the window.
Special Note: when you click anywhere in the “misbehaving window, make sure you’re not clicking on a link that will take you to another website -before you click, look at the mouse pointer. If it’s in the shape of an arrow, it’s OK to click; if it’s in the shape of a small hand, you’re pointing at a link that will take you to the advertiser’s Website.
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Progressive Learning Series: Microsoft Word - Controlling Display Of The Scroll Bars
The following question is from a newsletter subscriber: I lost the scroll bars in Microsoft Word. Is there a way to get them back?
Answer:
At the bottom and right side of the document window there are scroll bars that control what part of the document you are viewing at any given time. If you need more room to view a document, or if you are using Word without a mouse, you can turn them off. If they are somehow removed from the window, you can turn them back on.
To control display of the scroll bars, follow these steps:
1. Choose Options from the Tools menu, which will open the Options dialog box.
2. Make sure the View tab is selected.
3. Click on either of the scroll bar check boxes. One controls the horizontal scroll bar, the other controls the vertical. If there is an checkmark in the box, then the corresponding scroll bar will be displayed; no checkmark means it will not.
4. Click on OK.
With the scroll bars turned off, you must use the cursor control keys to move through the document.
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Today's Featured Website: Hanukkah
History and Tradition
Take a look at the History Channel website to explores the history and
traditions of the holiday.
http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/holidays/hanukkah/index.html
Hanukkah: Festival of Lights This website provides a glossary of terms, history, and songs for celebrating the holiday.
http://www.umkc.edu/imc/hanukkah.htm
Take a look at joi.org, a nice website that provides the traditional Hanukkah blessings in Hebrew and English, arts and crafts including Maccabee cut-outs, and the history and tradition of gelt, dreidels, latkes, and more.
http://www.joi.org/celebrate/hanuk/
It's Not Your Father's Hanukkah contains links to articles about Hanukkah celebrated around the world, recipes, humorous tales, and more.
http://www.caryn.com/holiday/holiday-chan.html
Hanukkah Traditions - learn about lighting the menorah, the history of the holiday, and the tradition of gift giving and the dreidel game.
http://www2.priscilla.com/priscilla/hanukkah/home1.html
Recipes
For some great Hanukkah recipes includeing entrees, desserts, and vegetable dishes.
http://www.cyber-kitchen.com/rfcj/category.cgi?category=HANUKKAH
For a selection of vegetarian dishes.
http://www.vegsource.com/hanukkah.htm
For the Children:
Akhlah: Hanukkah presents activities, blessings, and educational information about the festival of lights for Jewish children.
http://www.akhlah.com/holidays/hanukkah/Hanukkah.asp
Play the Hanukkah Dreidel Game online
http://www.billybear4kids.com/holidays/hanukkah/hanukkah.htm
Happy Hanukkah from Kid's Kourt - games, clip art, recipes, and stories.
http://www.kidskourt.com/Holidays/HanPage.htm |
