Computer Info – August 2, 2000

This Week’s Program

        John Watkins will be hosting the meeting again this week. His topics will be
                            1. Remote control ( a free program) – a quick look at it.
                            2 How his visitors can use his Internet connection to get their email
                            3 Questions and answers

Hyperlink

        What is a hyperlink? A hyperlink is the ability to click on an item on a web page that automatically takes you to another web page (or another part of the same page) without typing in the address. Whenever you see your cursor change to the shape of a hand, this indicates a hyperlink – also a hyperlink is normally underlined.

This page cannot be displayed

        Have you received this message while browsing on the internet? I’m sure you have – but what is causing this message. There are a number of reasons
                            1. You are not connected to your provider (your ISP)
                            2. You have typed in a web address that is not valid (not correct)
                            3. You click on a hyperlink – and that web address is not valid
                            4. The server for the web page that you are trying to reach is having problems –
                                                maybe offline for repair.

Color Ink Test

        If your pictures don’t seem to be printing the correct color, here is an easy test to see if one of the colors in your color ink cartridge is empty. From the START button – choose PROGRAMS – then ACCESSORIES – then WORDPAD. To the right of the B – I – U buttons (Bold, Italic, Underline) is a button that has a color palette with a small A on it. This is where you change the color of your font. Choose Red – then type the word RED. Choose Green – then type the word GREEN. Choose Blue – then type the word BLUE. Choose Yellow – then type the word YELLOW. Then print your document. If one of the colors does not show up on the print – or if the colors do not print correctly, then your color cartridge probably needs replacing. It seems like the first indication is that your photos take on a red hue to them.

PDF

        PDF stands for Portable Document File.

Email Photos are too Large

        Why is it that images I attach to e-mails come out so much larger than their actual size? My image-editing software might show a 4x6 inch image, but it fills the whole screen as an e-mail attachment."

        Resolution, resolution, resolution. Your image software shows a 4x6 inch image and figures that you want to see your entire image on your monitor, regardless of output size, so it shows it at a size that fits well on your screen. Somewhere on your screen while you are viewing a picture in one of your photo-editing programs, will be a percentage. If you make this read 100 percent, then you will be able to see how the picture will look to the people you e-mail it to.
 
 

Let's Watch TV – Virus or Hoax ???

        "Let’s Watch TV" is a Hoax. The following message is being sent out by email. This "virus" does not exist.
        The hoax message includes the following "warning":

OFFICIAL IBM VIRUS WARNING.
PASS THIS ON TO ANYONE YOU HAVE AN
E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR.
***** THIS IS NO JOKE - PAY ATTENTION: ********

        If you receive an email titled "Lets watch TV" DO NOT OPEN IT. It will erase everything on your hard drive. This information was announced yesterday morning from IBM; AOL states that "KALI" is a very dangerous virus, much worse than "Melissa," and that there is NO remedy for it at this time. Some very sick individual has succeeded in using the reformat function from Norton Utilities causing it to completely erase all documents on the hard drive. It has been designed to work with Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer. It destroys Macintosh and IBM compatible computers.
        This is a new, very malicious virus and not many people know about it. Pass this warning along to EVERYONE in your address book and please share it with all your online friends ASAP so that this threat may be stopped. Please practice cautionary measures and tell anyone that may have access to your computer. Forward this warning to everyone that might access the Internet.

        This information comes from Symantec. Their advice – just like our advice – is to check with Symantec or McAfee to verify if this warning is true or is just a hoax. If it is a hoax – Please do not pass it on. Passing on of messages about this hoax or other hoaxes serves only to further propagate it.