KC News 1/2000
Winter Special
Vol.2, No.1 |
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KC News by Kahl Consultants.
Technology. Use it appropriately. Put it in our hands.
Visit http://www.kahl.net
Welcome to 2000! This year we promise you:
EVEN MORE APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY TIPS
So you can SPEND YOUR TIME ENJOYING LIFE - not worrying about computers.
FIRST TIP: there's a lot of stuff here - try scanning the headlines!
Y2K
FIX
YOUR GLITCH
No crisis folks, the world as we know it is still here. And the MILLENIUM
is still one year away. But Y2K related glitches are everywhere. Windows
95 says the year is 19100. VCRs say the year is 1900. And so on.
BROWSER PROBLEMS
Older versions of Netscape Communicator (prior to 4.06) and Internet
Explorer on Windows and Macintosh may encounter problems with encryption.
Specifically, this is known as Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption. It's
used for e-commerce and secure transactions.
The security of the software is not compromised; it simply may not perform.
The digital certificate for SSL on these older web browsers will expire
on Dec. 31,1999.
If you have problems making purchases or payments, download patches
or updates here:
Internet Explorer:
www.microsoft.com/Y2K.
Netscape Communicator:
www.netscape.com/cms/certinfo.html?cp=hom12p3
Our Y2K ALERT site has all the latest advice.
FIX YOUR GLITCH:
http://www.kahl.net/y2k
WORD OF THE MONTH
SERVICE
PROVIDERS
ISP / Internet Service Provider = A company that provides internet
services such as web page hosting.
Dialup Service Provider = An ISP that provides telephone connection
services so that you can connect to the Internet with your modem.
Access Service Provider = An ISP that provides any kind of access to
the Internet such as Cable modem.
Web sites dedicated to explaining terms:
Internet Dictionary of Terms and Abbreviations
http://www.srl.rmit.edu.au/pd/general/diction.htm
Babel
http://www.access.digex.net/~ikind/babel.html
Glossary of Internet Terms
http://www.idea.org.uk/online_training/course/gloss.htm
Glossary of Internet Terms
http://www.matisse.net/files/glossary.html
TECHNOTIPS
JUST
THE FAQS, MAAM
FAQs are Frequently Asked Questions. No self respecting web site should
we without a list of them. They are one of the fastest ways to improve
customer service, make customers happier, and reduce your customer support
costs.
Easy FAQ Guidelines:
1) Answer the questions that the customers ask most often!
2) Construct the FAQ from the readers point of view
3) Tell customers what they want in language they can understand
4) Consider having 2 FAQs - one for customers and one for potential
customers
5) Borrow your answers from other websites if you can
Take a look at our FAQs & Tips:
http://www.kahl.net/tools/tips.html
CALIFORNIANS GO GREEN!
It's a new year - time for some new habits! Make the easy switch to
clean green energy for your home. No gimmicks here, and no hassles. Just
cheaper, cleaner, better. Just like changing your phone company! This really
is the best deal, and everybody wins! Get clean electricity online:
http://www.kahl.net/energy
Or just CALL toll-free 1-877-GO-CLEEN (462-5336) or 1-888-425-3361
Mention Alex Kahl as your agent and I get a referral
buck.
Come clean, Go green!
SITES FOR SORE EYES
Corporate
Report Cards
You've already heard about the good work by the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition?
The nonprofit SVTC consists of environmental and neighborhood groups, labor
unions, public health leaders, people affected by toxic exposure and others.
Check out the SVTC Clean Computer Campaign. These people assess hazardous
materials and take-back policies of major US and Canadian corporations.
I highly recommend you read their "End of Year Report Card". Computer companies
are given lumps of coal or candy canes if they were responsible to their
consumers in three areas: the use of hazardous materials; the ability to
upgrade one's computer; and the ability to return old computers back to
the producer for safe re-use and recycling.
Grab the report card here:
http://www.svtc.org
ONLINE SHOPPING!
Even with the holiday over, you can still order books and music online
at a great price. Go shopping without the long lines, and please support
KC News!
Use this link:
ttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/kahlconsultants
We offer you discounted books
and music in association with amazon.com.
Hardware Shopping Begins Here
Always remember - if you shop for computer hardware or software, find
the best deals here:
http://www.kahl.net/shopping
KC TIPS
CUSTOM
INVOICING IN EXCEL
Would you like to do invoices in Excel? There is an easy way to create
excellent invoices in Excel 97. You just need to set up a template for
yourself. So run Excel and choose File, New. When the New dialog box opens,
click the Spreadsheet Solutions tab. Now double-click invoices.xlt. If
Excel asks you about enabling macros, click Enable Macros.
Now click Customize and modify the template to suit your needs. When
you finish with this step, click Lock/Save Sheet. This opens the Lock/Save
Sheet dialog box. Select the radio button labeled Lock And Save Template,
then click OK. When the Save Template dialog box opens, give your file
a name and click Save.
With your new invoicing template saved, you can generate a template
by simply choosing File, New and selecting your new template.
LONGER DOMAIN NAMES
The word is out... a CHANGE in website DOMAIN NAME regulations now allows
up to 67 characters in domain names.
Since 1993, Network Solutions (formerly known as INTERNIC) has registered
more than 3.4 MILLION domain names -- all limited to 26 characters. Now
that their exclusive government contract is ending, competitors have tossed
this artificial limit and are allowing longer names.
THE RULES are simple. A host name must start with a letter, end with
a letter or digit, and have as interior characters only letters, digits,
and hyphen - and must be 63 characters or less."
Techies can see:
ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc1035.txt
Then again, who wants a domain name with 67 letters? THE SHORTER THE
BETTER!
WinTips
INSIDE
OUT
The next time you need to select most of the files in an open Explorer
window--single- or double-paned--don't waste your time holding down Ctrl
and clicking each file by hand. It's much easier to select the ones you
don't need, and then LET WINDOWS REVERSE YOUR SELECTION.
Inside an open window, hold down Ctrl as you select the file(s) you
don't want to select (sounds backward, but wait and see what happens).
Select Edit, Invert Selection, and Windows will turn your selection inside
out!
ONE CLICK GOOD BYE!
Lets create a desktop shortcut that allows you to shut down with one click:
Right-click the desktop; select New, Shortcut; in the Command Line
text box, type
rundll.exe user.exe,exitwindows
and click Next; name the shortcut Shut Down, then click Finish.
Now a similar technique to create a RESTART shortcut. Just follow the
steps above, but in the Command Line text box, type
rundll.exe user.exe,exitwindowsexec
Bookmark our FAQ Tips site! WinTips,
WebTips, ImageTips, Shopping Tips and more:
http://www.kahl.net/tools/tips.html
Keyboard Shortcut Du Jour
| RULES WERE MADE TO BE BROKEN |
|
When you DRAG AND DROP a file, folder, or shortcut from one location on
your hard drive to another, by default, Windows MOVES that item--that is,
unless it's a program file (*.exe). Then, Windows presents you with a dialog
box stating that you can't move the file, but it'll be happy to create
a shortcut to it.
But, if you try to use this drag-and-drop technique to copy an item
to another drive (for example, to a floppy), Windows will automatically
COPY it.
In many cases, you'll agree with these rules. But when you don't, there
are two easy ways to override them. You can either use the RIGHT MOUSE
BUTTON for your drag-and-drop operations or get to know the CTRL (control)
and SHIFT keys:
1) Right-mouse CLICK AND DRAG an
item to a destination, let go, and up pops a menu from which you can choose
an operation--move, copy, create shortcut, or cancel.
2) Your other option is to use the
CTRL and SHIFT keys. Hold down Ctrl during a drag-and-drop operation, and
Windows automatically copies the item. Similarly, you hold down Shift to
move an item.
Bookmark the entire list of shortcuts at:
http://www.kahl.net/tools/wintips.html
AOTM (Acronym of the Month)
HTML
HyperText Markup Language. The code that is used to define a
web page. Don't ask me who's idea this term was.
DHTML
Dynamic HTML. A NEW KIND OF HTML that incorporates the ability
to change the CASCADING STYLE SHEET (see CSS) values in a HTML document
after it has been loaded. The results are Animated and Interactive
web pages. The future of HTML.
CSS
Cascading Style Sheets. The expanded term is probably worse than
the abbreviation. It refers to the ability to assign styles to elements
on a web page (HTML document). Examples include position, size, color,
etc. Just like you do with your word processing software.
TCP/IP
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. Is a communication
protocol between computers that wish to "talk" over a physical connection.
It defines the rules on how they communicate. TCP/IP is the method
by which all computers talk over the Internet but it works equally as well
on a LAN.
IP
Internet Protocol. The protocol that sends packets of data over the
Internet.
IP Address
Internet Protocol Address. Defines were an IP packet is going.
Often to somebody's computer over the Internet. Your domain has an
IP address.
URL
Universal Resource Locator. SPOKEN AS "Earl" by some. Is the
address of any resource on the World Wide Web. It often refers to
a Web Page but it can include almost any file that can be found on a server
connected to the WWW (see above).
Next month: more internet acronmys! Whee!
Handy Acronym Links (or HAL):
BABEL : A Glossary of Computer Oriented Abbreviations and Acronyms
http://www.access.digex.net:80/~ikind/babel.html
Acronym Finder: Look up 119,400+ acronyms/abbreviations &
their meanings
http://www.AcronymFinder.com
!!Hoax & Virus Alert!!
DOS SOMEONE
A FAVOR!
STOP THE INSANITY!! So many clueless people are spreading silly hoax emails
about fake viruses and other warnings. Please help these folks! When you
get one of their hoax announcements send them this message (SIMPLY CUT
AND PASTE THIS):
*********************
Dear ____,
The message below is FAKE. Nearly ALL warnings sent over the internet
are fake.
Do not believe ANY warnings you get, even from friends!
When you get a warning message PLEASE:
(1)
VERIFY that the message is fake. Use the Virus & Hoax Alert
website at:
http://www.kahl.net/hoax
(2)
Reply to the sender and all recipients. Tell them the message is
FAKE. Ask them to check the Virus & Hoax Alert site for details.
(3)
DELETE the message. DO NOT send it to anyone.
*********************
Remember kids: don't go out playing on the
internet befire you scan the latest info on viruses and hoax
emails here:
http://www.kahl.net/hoax
The Gift of Gab
Anyone on earth is just a phone call away! Let GlobalCom find you the
best long distance rates! For your family and friends out of state and
abroad.
Examples:
-
Voicenet calling cards for 13.9 cents/min calls from/to any phone in
the USA.
-
Interstate 4.9 cents/min.
-
Intrastate 7.9 cents/min.
Support KC News and check out the GREAT NEW offers that your communications
agent Alex Kahl provides you via GlobalCom. Give the gift of gab:
http://www.kahl.net/global
NetTips
BANDWIDTH
SPEED TEST
MSN Computing Central site has a BANDWIDTH FORUM where you can do a SPEED
TEST of your internet connection. SEE HOW YOUR CONNECTION FARES:
http://www.computingcentral.com/topics/bandwidth
INTERNET CALL WAITING
Can't afford to tie up your only phone line while surfing? Don't want to
shell out for a second phone line or high-speed service. Try one of the
new internet call waiting services.
POP QUIZ!
What can you expect from these services?
a) put caller on hold and send alert telling you the caller's number
b) make and receive calls through a computer while online
c) transfer calls from your line to your computer while you're online
(users can take calls and surf simultaneously).
d) if you don't want to end your surf session and take the call then
send an incoming call to your voice mail, cell phone or other number (If
you do take the call, it also automatically redials your provider after
you hang up).
e) transfer callers to a voice-mail system, record their messages,
then relay the recording to your computer for playback through the speakers.
Answer: all of the above!
Go ahead, try one of these services:
http://pagoo.com
http://www.efusion.com
NEXT MONTH: FREE PHONE CALLS!!
That's a wrap folks. And remember: THE NEW MILLENIUM STARTS NEXT
YEAR! I for one can't wait to party like it's 1999 again!
Cheers,
Alex
Kahl Consultants
http://www.kahl.net
THE PLUG
How has your small business or organization been performing lately?
Do you have enough clients? Do you want enhance your presence on the net?
Some of our latest clients include:
PERCC Physical Education Resource Center for Children, K-6.
http://www.percc.com
Country Homes Campers - Buy and Sell VW and Ford Camping Vans &
Minivans with custom interiors
http://www.kahl.net/campers
*
Technology. Use it appropriately. Put it in our hands. Kahl Consultants
are always at your service at http://www.kahl.net
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.
THE PUNCH LINE
You Know You've Been Online Too Long When...
Someone at work tells you a joke and you say "LOL."
When someone says "What did you say?" you reply "Scroll up!"
You find yourself sneaking away to the computer in the night when
your spouse is asleep.
You type messages to people while you are on the phone with them
at the same time.
You can actually read and follow all the names of the cast that
scrolls up your TV screen at the end of a movie.
You set your kitchen on fire while cooking dinner because you wanted
to check your mail and while there you "just wanted to see who was online."
The Fine Print
* CTRL: Control Key (there are 2 of these on your pretty
little keyboard)
* ESC: Escape key (top left of your keyboard)
* Home & End Keys: found next to the Page Up and
Page Down keys, to the
right of the alphanumeric portion of your keyboard (even
on laptops)
* Keyboard combinations: hold down the first key, then
press second key shortly
MORE TIPS????
NetTools has the entire collection:
http://www.kahl.net/tools/tips.html
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