KC News 2002

KC News by Kahl Consultants.
Technology. Use it appropriately. Put it in our hands.
Visit http://www.kahl.net

TABLE OF CONTENTS
-----------------------------
NETSCAPE SHORTCUTS
MOZILLA SHORTCUTS
INTERNET FAXING
NETSCAPE RETURNS
LOOK UP TECHIE WORDS
TOP TEN MOST MISUNDERSTOOD TERMS IN IT
SHORTCUTS TO FAVORITE FOLDERS
POP and SMTP
MAKE YOUR WEB SHOP CLICK
ONE LINER SIGNATURE FILES

====================
Keyboard Shortcut Du Jour
====================
NETSCAPE SHORTCUTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Netscape allows you to use the keyboard instead of the mouse to perform many commands. Using the keyboard to perform a command can often save time, and those with physical, vision, and hearing challenges can also take advantage of shortcuts to help them use Netscap
http://help.netscape.com/netscape7/shortcuts.html

MOZILLA SHORTCUTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mozilla has shortcuts similar to Netscape. Bookmark their keyboard shortcuts here:

TALK IS CHEAP
-------------------
KAHL CONSULTANTS recommends products that we personally use.
We found an incredible prepaid long distance service!
* Works worldwide (via web enabled CALLBACK)!
* No Monthly Fees! No Hidden Fees!
We know you'll love Click4Prepaid from GLOBALCOM.
Get it here:
http://www.kahl.net/global/

Here are some advantages:
- You can have your own dedicated number that any fax machine can send to (without paying the phone company for it)
- No additional equipment
- No additional phone line
- No maintenance
- From free to very low rates to anywhere
- No paper!
- No need to print out files to fax them
- Get a combination fax and voice mail number for the same price

* MONEY-SAVING RANKINGS
Best sites for comparison shopping and reviews.
* "SWEET SPOT" SHOPPING LISTS
DESKTOPs and LAPTOPs. Best price-to-quality!
* GREEN PC Section
Helps you save energy.

===================
WORD OF THE MONTH
===================
NETSCAPE RETURNS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Netscape 7 is out!

We like it because it is a fast browser, email, web page creator, and instant messaging "all-in-one" package.

Another great advantage? Internet Explorer is riddled with security holes. If there's one reason to get Netscape 7.0, it is that it protects your privacy like no other browser.

Consider these two Netscape 7 capabilities:
a) you can encrypt passwords you store
b) you can review cookies stored on your computer (and block cookies from sites you choose)

==================
SITES FOR SORE EYES
==================
LOOK UP TECHIE WORDS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is not just for techies, but also for those of you who need to know what the techies are rambling on about:

======
KC TIPS
======
TOP TEN MOST MISUNDERSTOOD TERMS IN IT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ten terms reported as "most misunderstood" by those who work in Information Technology.

1. acronym
An acronym is not any abbreviation, just one that forms a "sayable" word. Apart from that confusion, acronyms and other abbreviations cause confusion any time a reader is likely not to know what the spelled-out version is. One whatis reader said he was especially confused by "acronyms within acronyms" and cited the example of SAX (Simple API for XML).

2. ASP
Active Server Page or application service provider (ASP) - which is it? These are both frequently-used abbreviations in many development shops.

3. ATM
Automatic teller machine - or asynchronous transfer mode? IT people who work at banks sometimes use both kinds of ATM.

4. bandwidth
Does bandwidth mean "capacity or speed in general"? Or does it have a more technical meaning of how wide a broadcast band or other data channel is? Is it OK if it means both? (No one mentioned channel as confusing but it has at least six meanings.)

5. JavaScript
JavaScript is not the same as Java and some people tend to think it is.

6. kilobit
Is a kilobit 1,000 bits or 1,024 bits? whatis.com says it's 1,000 bits but no one is very comfortable with their position. Since "kilo" has a power-of-ten origin, a standards group has invented a new prefix kibi to represent something that is a unit of (decimal) 1,024 or (binary) two to the 10th power.

7. .NET
.NET is Microsoft's term for using XML to define and share data across the Internet so that many application services can now be performed remotely. But the set of tools related to this idea keeps evolving and Microsoft somewhat understandably keeps redefining the details. (After we create this page, in fact, we plan to revisit our own definition in light of new pages we've discovered at Microsoft.)

8. platform
Is a platform hardware (a particular processor and its instruction set) or software that will run on it (the operating system) - or is it both? Or is it just "whatever products are needed to run something on"? Although many readers understand the term in context (or may not care to make the distinction), this term represents many other such fuzzy terms that seem to come in handy for writers if not for readers.

9. server
Is a server a program - or a computer that is dedicated to a certain purpose? Often it means both at the same time, but sometimes it can be important to know, especially if you've just been asked to install it.

10. Windows
The term "Windows" all by itself is a frequent source of misunderstanding since different versions of Windows (95, 98, 2000, XP, etc.) offer different behaviors and problems.

=======
WinTips
=======
SHORTCUTS TO FAVORITE FOLDERS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here's a nifty idea that I find very useful...

Make SHORTCUTS (or aliases for Mac users) to each of your commonly used folders and put copies of them into all those folders.

Huh? Yep, you read right. This way, no matter what you are exploring in your file system, you can instantly go to other favorite locations.

OK, I'll give you an example. What are your most commonly used folders? Mine are "My Documents" "My Photos," and "My Music."

So make shortcuts to each of those folders. One way to do this: open Windows Explorer, right click on the appropriate folder, and choose the SHORTCUT option.

Made all your shortcuts? Now copy these shortcuts to EACH of the folders represented by the shortcuts.

>From then on, simply double click on a shortcut to open one of the other folders.

WinTips, WebTips, ImageTips, Shopping Tips and more:
http://www.kahl.net/tools/tips.html

=======================
AOTM (Acronym of the Month)
=======================
POP and SMTP
~~~~~~~~~~~~
These are the two acronym that you need to know when you set up your EMAIL!

A way that e-mail client software such as Eudora or Outlook gets mail from a mail server.

When you obtain an account from an Internet Service Provider (ISP) you almost always get a POP account with it, and it is this POP account that you tell your e-mail software to use to get your mail. Also referred to as POP3 or Incoming Mail Server

The main protocol used to send email from server to server on the Internet. Also referred to as Outgoing Mail Server

Handy Acronym Links (or HAL):
BABEL : A Glossary of Computer Oriented Abbreviations and Acronyms
http://online.dossnet.com/babel.htm

Acronym Finder: Look up 119,400+ acronyms/abbreviations & their meanings
http://www.AcronymFinder.com

================
!!Hoax & Virus Alert!!
================
DELETE THAT FILE...OR NOT?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ever got a message warning you about the jdbgmgr.exe virus?

It's identical to last year's sulfnbk.exe mass hysteria. It says you have to delete a certain file on you computer. Yeah right!

Amazing how many people will self-damage their PCs on the advice of a hysterical non-expert...

Remember kids, play it safe on the net. Don't trust internet fairy tales. Scan for virii and verify your emails here:
http://www.kahl.net/hoax

=======
NetTips
=======
MAKE YOUR WEB SHOP CLICK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So it finally occurs to you - those adorable chartreuse trolls your Aunt Minnie crochets could make you rich! All you need is a shop in cyberspace, and with the way she turns them out the money will be streaming in. Or, maybe you don't have an Aunt Minnie, but you do want to shift your wares from bricks to clicks. While the nature and size of your business will dictate the complexity of your Web store, here are a few tips to make your venture successful:

1. Show me the goods. While you understand the finer points of Aunt Millie's trolls, don't expect this of your visitors. Selling requires photos and accurate descriptions, including measurements, as scale is difficult to convey virtually.

2. Attach price tags. Think of the web as a mega mall for comparison shopping. Display prices next to your products or they won't even be considered. And, don't hide prices within your shopping cart - it will raise suspicion.

3. Include shipping options and costs. According to Web Commerce Guru, Dr. Ralph F. Wilson, lack of shipping information is a top reason shopping carts are abandoned.

4. Set terms. Clearly explaining return policies, warranties and pledges toward customer satisfaction builds trust. Let them know that Aunt Millie stands (or sits) behind her trolls.

5. Provide contact information. The easier it is for people to contact you, the more likely a sale will consummate. This information can include an email address, fill-in form, a toll-free number, a live chat with customer representatives and/or a physical address.

7. Assure your visitors' privacy. Customers will be providing personal details, including addresses and credit card numbers. They should have an explanation of what you will and won't do with this information.

8. Legitimize your company. Introduce your staff, even if that's just you, and include the history of your business.

Alex
Kahl Consultants
http://www.kahl.net
Technology. Use it appropriately. Put it in our hands.

THE PLUG
========
Is your small business or organization performing?
Want to enhance your net presence?

Our latest clients include:
MC Xtend International Business Development Italy
http://www.mcxtend.com/

If you got this far you obviously enjoyed KC News. Pass it on!
Please forward it to a handful of your friends. Remember, the best things in life are free.

ONE LINER SIGNATURE FILES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Signature files found on the net:

-> Daddy, why doesn't this magnet pick up this floppy disk?
-> I.R.S.: We've got what it takes to take what you've got!
-> "Very funny, Scotty. Now beam down my clothes."
-> Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies.
-> I'm as confused as a baby in a topless bar.
-> The gene pool could use a little chlorine.
-> C program run. C program crash. C programmer quit.
-> We are born naked, wet and hungry. Then things get worse.
-> Pentiums melt in your PC, not in your hand.
-> Suicidal twin kills sister by mistake!
-> The secret of the universe is @*&^^^ NO CARRIER
-> Did anyone see my lost carrier?
-> Make it idiot proof and someone will make a better idiot.
-> I'm not a complete idiot, some parts are missing!
-> He who laughs last thinks slowest!
-> Always remember you're unique, just like everyone else.
-> Give me ambiguity or give me something else.
-> "More hay, Trigger?" "No thanks, Roy, I'm stuffed!"
-> A flashlight is a case for holding dead batteries.
-> Lottery: A tax on people who are bad at math.
-> Error, no keyboard - press F1 to continue.
-> There's too much blood in my caffeine system.
-> Artificial Intelligence usually beats real stupidity.
-> I wouldn't be caught dead with a necrophiliac.
-> Learn from your parents' mistakes - use birth control!
-> Hard work has a future payoff. Laziness pays off now.
-> I won't rise to the occaasion, but I'll slide over to it.
-> Ever notice how fast Windows runs? Neither did I.
-> Double your drive space - delete Windows!
-> What is a "free" gift ? Aren't all gifts free?
-> Consciousness: that annoying time between naps.
-> Oops. My brain just hit a bad sector.
-> I used to have a handle on life, then it broke.
-> Don't take life too seriously, you won't get out alive.
-> I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it.
-> Better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot.
-> When there's a will, I want to be in it.
-> Okay, who put a "stop payment" on my reality check?
-> We have enough youth, how about a fountain of SMART?
-> All generalizations are false, including this one.
-> Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
-> "Criminal Lawyer" is a redundancy.

Kahl Consultants
P.O.Box 4284
San Rafael, CA 94903-4284
USA
Tel: +1-415-499 0838
Fax: +1-415-499 0833
www.kahl.net
Contact us

The award-winning Kahl Consultants. Helping small business in San Francisco Bay, Marin, Sonoma and globally.
Your comments?

Technology
Use it appropriately
Put it in our hands

KC News

KC News OCT-NOV 2002 | Vol.4, No.10-11