This month's feature article will be on creating and publishing a "web page", and some of the things you should think about as you plan and implement your special site.  I am also reviewing  a great software application that allows you to view, print, copy and paste many different file formats. 

In addition, I offer tips on how to keep your computer running at maximum speed.

Important News!!  Several days ago a really terrible virus (well actually a Worm) called Bubbleboy  was unleashed. I have included information on this worm, who it affects and how you can defend your computer.

I hope you enjoy this first issue of Computer Helper On-Line. If you would like to be taken off this mailing list, please send me an email and I will remove your name.  On the other hand, let me know if you have friends or family that would like to receive it. And please feel free to forward this newsletter to any of your family or friends.

• Your Presence on the World Wide Web
• Quick View Plus  - Version 5
• Save those Resources
• BubbleBoy

Your Presence on the World Wide Web              To Top of Page

The way things are going, you may all have a "home page" on the Internet some day. The motive for creating a home page goes beyond the desire to launch a financially successful business. Rather, it goes to the very core of the human desire to make a mark of some kind on the universe. Whether its launching a space capsule into outer space or painting buffaloes on cave walls, people have always attempted to establish their special identity. Even a personalized license plate is a simple way of saying, "Hey folks, look at me, I'm here."

Before the advent of the World Wide Web, you had to have money, power or fame to speak to global audiences. Now that has all changed.. The Internet has created a level playing field; it offers each of you a chance to make your voice heard on important issues, express your opinions and sell your products and services.

Perhaps you may wonder why you should have a web presence if you don't have a business or service to offer. Personal web pages are perhaps the most wonderful because they truly express the personality and interests of the author.  Take a look at some of the personal pages on the Cruzio Server to get a feel for what is possible.

The spirit of sharing is at the heart of the Internet, and with a personal web page, you can share your hobbies, art, poetry, stories, home and family anecdotes and special interests and projects. Many sites are a labor of love, created because of a deep desire to share favorite places with the world. Two of my favorites are Cyberhikes and Virtual Park. (Need Quicktime Plugin to view this site) Most ISP's (Internet Service Providers) offer space on their servers for your personal web page.

If you have a business or service, you may already have a web presence or have thought about what the advantages may be of selling online. E-Commerce is the current buzz word and it is booming. Wired News recently reported that spending by online consumers rose 97% in the 2nd quarter of 1998.  Many companies have already seized their share of online sales. Jeff Bezos started the legendary retailer Amazon.com  in a Seattle garage in 1994.

If your prospective clients go on the Web to research and buy products and services, your business should be there too. But what are you going to offer? Just the facts about your company, similar to what you put in your brochure? Quizzes, contests, mailers and other ways for customers to interact with your site, or a full blown online ordering facility. The following self test, given in the June 1997 issue of Home Office Computing will help you decide which of these three types of sites (informational, interactive or commercial) is right for your business. Simply print out this test and complete the answers or complete the test on-line.

There are many other questions to consider. If you own a local retail or service business, can you expand it by offering products or information that would appeal to a global audience?  Do you have your own Domain Name? (Very important for setting up a business site) Who will host your web site and do they offer secure servers?  Will you accept credit cards and how will they be processed?  How will potential customers find you amid the maze of web pages?  Will you create and maintain your own site or have a dedicated Web Master? What type of customer support will you provide?

How you answer these questions will determine to a great extent how successful your business presence will be on the World Wide Web..

There are four important steps in the creation cycle of a web site.

• Plan - write down your site's purpose and create an outline of what you want to include
• Design - Focus on design elements, pictures, text and headings that are nice but practical
• Build -Find a good HTML editor and spend time learning it or hire someone.
• Grow - Think of a web site as a garden - you don't just plant it and leave. you tend it - it grows.

If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact me. I can assist with all phases of web site creation and maintenance mentioned above.  If you just want to talk about your options and the benefits of having a web presence, that's okay too. Call 464-1207 for a free 1/2 consultation. Together we can decide exactly what type of Web site will be best for you!

Quick View Plus  - Version 5                                             To Top of Page

Have you ever tried to open a file, only to find that you don't have the correct program installed on your computer. Or someone sends you a great graphic via the Internet, but alas, you either can't open and view it or else it comes up with a bunch of little squares or smiley faces.

Of course, you can go to a vendor's site - like Microsoft, and download a viewer for a particular application such as Word, Power Point or Excel. Or you can use the Quickview Feature that comes with Windows 95/98 (sometimes its works) or the Windows Imaging or Paint programs that will open certain graphical formats. But this can be time consuming and frustrating, to say the least.

However, if you use Quick View Plus, the award winning software from Jasc Software , the folks who make the wonderful Paint Shop Pro, you can view an almost infinite number of file formats, including those created with a Mac.

You simply click on the file you want to open while in Windows Explorer, or drag it to the Quick View shortcut on your desktop, and the viewer promptly opens and displays the file with all its formatting intact.

When you install Quick View Plus, a program that costs about $49.00 and takes up only 13.5 MB of hard disk space, you will be asked if you want to integrate it into Netscape or Internet Explorer, either as a helper app or as a plug-in.  If you choose plug-in, files you want to view on the Internet will be displayed directly in the browser's window, similar to other plug-ins that you have installed.

Quick View Plus can also be integrated with America Online as a helper application. It is used as the viewer for files that AOL is unable to view.

Quick View Plus allows you to view, print, copy and paste information. It has a find feature that makes it easy to search for text in a document. If you have downloaded a compressed file (zipped) you can easily view the individual files and even extract one or all of the files with QVP.

If you have a word processing or other file that contains an embedded picture or graph, just click on it and it will be displayed in the Quick View window.  From there you can choose to save it, or copy and paste it to another program. After displaying any graphics file in the view window, you can even instruct Windows to use it as your desktop wallpaper.

The only file format I have found so far that can't be opened with Quick View Plus are files created with Microsoft Publisher.

If you want to easily view and manipulate almost any kind of file, then Quick View Plus is for you. If you want more detailed information please email me. For a really great offer from Jasc  click here.

Save those Resources                                      To Top of Page

At times does your computer seems to run slower than usual? Many factors affect computer system performance (how fast your computer processes commands). System Resources can fluctuate depending on how many software applications are open, and if you are currently using a printer, scanner or other peripheral. Resources are consumed as programs are opened and closed. Theoretically theses resources would be restored when the program is closed. However, sometimes this is not the case. Many programs have memory leaks that cause these resources to be lost as the program runs.  It is a good idea to check your system  resources from time to time and if they get very low - under about 50% then try  restarting your computer.  This is the main reason I do not leave my computer on all the time. Shutting down or restarting can restore your system resources to a higher level.

There are several ways to check your system resources. Under Programs, Accessories, System Tools you will find the Resource Meter. Activating this meter will put it in your System Tray where you can easily check on your System, User and GDI (Graphics Device Interface) Resources. However using Resource Meter uses some additional resources!

You can also check system resources by clicking on My Computer on your desktop, the Help Menu and About Windows.

A third way is to Right click on My Computer, select Properties and switch to the Performance Tab.  If you choose this route, DO NOT change the Virtual Memory settings unless you absolutely know what you are doing.  It is best to let Windows monitor this aspect of your memory. 

If you notice a decline in your computer's performance, check your resources. This may be the culprit and is easily fixed by restarting your computer.

BubbleBoy                                                    To top of page

BubbleBoy is a frightening new type of worm (similar to a virus) that can be activated simply by opening an email and appears to be the first of its kind. Normally a file or attachment has to be opened before a virus can infect your computer. BubbleBoy usually only affects Windows 98 and Windows 2000 and Microsoft Outlook (or Express) and Internet Explorer 5.0 must be used in order for the Worm to propagate. It does not affect Netscape Messenger.  For details on how Bubbleboy can infect your system and what actions you can take to prevent it, please go to Norton's Web Site 

As I read about this newest menace, I couldn't help wondering "The Internet is such a wonderful, new technology, which has the potential to bring so much good into the world, will it be brought to its knees by malicious and sick people?"

Happy Computing!!! 

Next Month - DSL - the latest Internet phenomena 
 Laptops - Should you buy one?
 The greatest little Personal Information Manager in the World

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