o      Time for a Break...

     o      Trying to Get to Grips with Graphics

     o      Don't Overlook the Simple Solutions

     o      Guestbook Etiquette

     o      How's Your e-Shorthand?

     o      Why Can't I Open This File?

      o      Hot Tip - email shortcut
________________________________________

TIME FOR A BREAK...
_________________________________________

I DON'T know about you but sometimes I hate my computer.
Unfortunately I'm experiencing one of those hates right now,
and can hardly bear to look at it. The 'thing' is behaving like
something possessed - freezing constantly - and this is after
I've added more memory, for the third time.

Last month I decided a real upgrade was in order - a new
motherboard etc - but all those essential ingredients are now
sitting at the top of a cupboard, while my tame 'techie' and I
think about the best way to go about this.

It's at times like this that I wish my partner in crime on
NewbiesAndNitwits.com, Pam Allen, lived on my side of the
world rather than in Oklahoma. Then I could drive her crazy
with constant phonecalls and demands for assistance. She's
handy with a screwdriver and thinks nothing of delving into
computer 'workings'.

However, read Don't Overlook the Simple Solutions where Pam
admits to getting in a tizz unnecessarily. It's good to know even
these technical types slip up sometimes.

Richard Lowe,Jr. writes about Guestbook Etiquette - and why
you should find time to sign some. (Wish someone one sign the
one I've put on SheldeneChant.com).

I was delighted to come across the Newbie Club Tutorial - Why
Can't I Open This File? - and as soon as this ezine is on its way
I'll be heading for Google to find a list of file extensions and the
programs that open them. Perhaps that will mark the end of
another little 'dead-end' which constantly bugs me.

I've mentioned before that I'm not too bright when it comes
to graphics but this month I've been forced to take another look
at all the graphics programs currently littering my computer -
and I've actually made some progress. If you want to share in this horror
story take a look at Trying to Get to Grips with Graphics.

*The following article has been added to NewbiesAndNitwits.com:-

Defragmenting Your Hard Drive is Not just a Drag

____________________________________

FREE TUTORIALS BY AUTORESPONDER

If you need to know more about backing up 'stuff' on your
computer click Backup and you should get the first
tutorial within seconds.

If you are thinking about making your own web page, or
merely want to exercise your brain slightly, then send for
the web page tutorials by clicking Web

Want to find files fast ?- then click Files

Organising your computer - Organise
____________________________________

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_______________________________________________

TRYING TO GET TO GRIPS WITH GRAPHICS
_______________________________________________

WORDS appeal to me more than pictures, which might explain why I have been so reluctant to make any real effort to get to grips with graphics.

Which might also explain why my PC is littered with 'graphics' programs - all downloaded because they were supposed to solve every conceivable problem, and most abandoned because they did not - probably because I was in too much of a hurry.

However during the past month I've been forced to try a little harder, and may have even learnt something. At last I am fully aware that every time you edit, and save, a .jpg file you achieve a reduction in quality (so, if possible, save the 'pic' as a bitmap (.bmp) file before you start messing about. You can save it in .jpg format when you have finished.)

It also helps to work in a program that will optimize a .jpg file because without this facility reducing the picture to a 'usable' size is sometimes impossible. Trust me, because I have proved this.

My graphics nightmare began when I realized I had forgotten my five-year- old granddaughter's birthday. Panic stations. Posting a present (because she lives so far away) was out of the question, so I decided to make her a secret web page which could lurk, unlinked, on one of my web sites, and only be accessed by very special people.

Designing the 'page' was great fun and I managed to unearth a few photographs which would do until Bronwyn's mother sent me some replacement snaps - as well as vital information about dolls' names, favourite things etc. By the time I had finished this masterpiece I was feeling very pleased with myself (even if the pictures looked a bit fuzzy)...and I'm leaving this part of the tale on hold for now...

In the meantime a friend, who also lives 1700km away, asked me to find her a flat (apartment) in Amanzimtoti - like yesterday.

At first I was appalled that anyone would consider buying anything, sight unseen, on my say so...but then I remembered my bargain buy digital camera and the fact that I could put the photographs up on a temporary web page. So the run around with an estate agent began and we found two flats that seemed suitable.

Please don't think I'm kidding when I tell you I stayed up until 4am trying to sort out those blasted pictures. Downloading them from the camera to the computer was the first hurdle. I saved them as .jpg files, cropped as much as I could, resized drastically and still ended up with huge (not to mention fuzzy) pictures.

Then I tried saving them as .gif files, did the cropping and resizing, and now I had bigger and fuzzier pictures. By this time I was whirling these 'pics' between various programs while they became progressively more awful and eventually I had to scrap the lot.

So back to Ixla Photo Easy (the software that came with my camera) and this time I saved the photographs as bitmap files and redid the cropping etc. Then, as luck would have it, I had some bright idea which I couldn't achieve in that program so I opened one of the .bmp files in a PhotoShop 'demo' program, made the correction, and decided to save it as a .jpg file.

Only later did I realise that the 'pic' saved in the 'demo' was half the size of the.jpg files saved in the Ixla program. It had been optimized!

Fortunately I was able to redo all the pictures in the 'demo' before it locked me out forever - and I was able to complete a web page that downloaded fairly quickly. And now I will have to check all my graphics programs in the hopes that one of them also optimizes. If not, I believe there are freeware .jpg optimizers somewhere out there.

It would be nice to be able to say that all's well that ends well but it hasn't - quite - because there's still the matter of Bronwyn's Secret Web Page which has to be adapted to her choice of pictures...

Yesterday I received an email from my daughter which was supposed to contain the required photographs - only my ISP refused to download them as the attachment was in excess of 53 000 - or was it 530 000? - kb.

I have sent an urgent email asking that the pictures be drastically reduced but I happen to know that my daughter only has MGI Photo Suite on her computer and I'm not expecting miracles.

So where do we go from here?

Copyright 2002 Sheldene Chant.

*Have you read Maureen Fleury's article on Virtual Photo Albums?
To do so visit Albums
_________________________

Happy Snapping with Your Digital Camera

Written specifically for The Newbie Club,
Digicam Magic shows you how to take better
photographs, and a lot more. Simply visit...
Digicam and you'll soon be collecting
'pictures' to be proud of.
____________________________________

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________________________________________________

DON'T OVERLOOK THE SIMPLE SOLUTIONS
urges Pam Allen
________________________________________________

HELLO again from Computer Help Land. This month's topic
proves that even the best of us can be stumped by niggling
problems. It also proves (quite embarrassingly, I might add)
that even the best of us have 'well, duh!'moments.

About three months ago, I downloaded and installed Netscape 7
Preview Release, which I loved. Two weeks ago, my computer
started behavingly oddly, mostly in Netscape. When I clicked on
the Back button, I'd get taken back three or four pages, instead
of just one. I'd click on a link, and it would open up two or three
instances of the page. Pages wouldn't scroll correctly, as soon
as I took my finger off the mouse button the page would snap
back up to the top, leaving me unable to see anything at the
bottom of a page without constantly holding down the button.

I'd have to click repeatedly on the menus at the top of pages
and windows folders before they would stay open long enough
for me to select whichever option I wanted.

Being an expert and all that, I followed the first rule of thumb in
diagnosing problems. Mainly, chances are good that it's the last
thing you installed causing the problem, and since it started
misbehaving in Netscape, that had to be the problem.

I carefully hunted down and backed up my address book, email
folders and buddy list, then I shed a tear and uninstalled my
beloved browser. It didn't help.

Then I downloaded a registry fixing program, assuming that
perhaps there were some entries pointing to the non-existent
Netscape. I got the shareware version, which will repair 10
entries per scan. A scan takes about two minutes, not too
terribly long in the grand scheme of things, but when there are
249 entries it has to repair, it took a long time. That didn't
work either. I cleaned and discarded and scanned and fixed and
pulled my hair out. Nothing worked.

I was getting ready to reinstall Windows when I took a moment
to stop and think...'Okay, exactly what was my computer doing
that was screwy?'

The simple answer was that clicking on things didn't work
correctly. Everything else was fine. Now, what one thing is
consistent with clicking in every single program and application?
The mouse.

I plugged in another mouse and the problem cleared up
immediately. Duh.

The moral of this story is that it's entirely too common to over
analyze computer problems and expect the worst. If something
is misbehaving, see if it's acting the same way in every instance,
and if there's a common theme.

Don't assume it's a problem with Windows, or the computer,
right off the bat. Look for simple solutions first; if you noticed
that everything you typed was in capital letters, you'd probably
(in an ideal world, anyway) think to make sure the caps lock
key wasn't on before you reformatted your hard drive.

On the bright side, my computer has been purged of all
unnecessary doodads, the registry is clean and up to date, and
everything runs like it should.

(c)2002 Pam Allen
_________________________
Pam is co-webmistress at NewbiesAndNitwits.com
and has another site, QuickDecor - featuring
speedy and inexpensive decorating ideas.
_____________________________________

NN&N BACK ISSUES
To view all previous issues of Newbies, Nerds & Nitwits
visit Topica

- and don't forget to visit the Newbies, Nerds & Nitwits
website, often - for stacks of information, or to get help
from Pam Allen if you have computer problems,
and to read the most recent issues.
________________________________________

GUESTBOOK ETIQUETTE
by Richard Lowe, Jr.
_________________________________________

ONE cool activity to engage in as you surf the web is guestbook
signing. Look at it this way, you are examining a site anyway,
checking out what it has to offer. Perhaps it's a Star Trek fan
site, a WWF site or a person showing off her Barbie Doll
collection. The point is you've spent some time there and
presumably you've gained some enjoyment, knowledge or at
least idled away some time.

So why not take an extra two or five minutes and sign the site's
guestbook? Remember, there is a person or two behind every
website, and they have feelings. It's always great to get an
entry from someone who gained something, however small,
from the hard work that has been put in.

A good guestbook entry has, in my opinion, a few simple
elements.

First, when I sign a guestbook I always thank the person for his
efforts and for taking the time to put together the site. I also
try to point out something (anything) that I liked about the
site and why. Just a couple of sentences saying something like
'thanks for creating your stationary site! My wife and I will
be using some of your stationary in our emails from here on
out! The horse background was especially well done.'

I also include a graphic logo if the guestbook accepts HTML
(most do) with a link back to my site. That way the webmaster
can return the favor if desired, but it's not a blatant
advertisement.

One thing I really hate is someone who just leaves an
advertisement in my guestbook. Look, at least tell me you like
my site. At least thank me for the effort. Don't just put a big
'ole ad or banner with nothing else. There is a word for this ...
it's called SPAM.

Rude comments should also be avoided. I mean, if you really do
want to deliver some criticism to the webmaster, please do it
privately in a one-to-one email. There is no need to tell
someone he messed up the navigation in public to the whole
world --- and a guestbook is public.

So please, take a few minutes to sign guestbooks as you surf
the web. You will make some webmasters very happy.

Copyright (C) Richard Lowe Jr. and Claudia Arevalo-Lowe,
1999-2001
_______________
Richard Lowe Jr. is the webmaster of Internet Tips And Secrets
at Internet-Tips.net - Visit thiswebsite any time to
read over 1,000 complete FREE articles about how to improve
your internet profits, enjoyment and knowledge.
__________________________

REGISTRY FOR NEWBIES
So you're not such a Newbie after all? Like to know what
makes Windows act the way it does? Then this ebook will
give you a quick, easy understanding of your PC's Brain. It's
called 'The Registry For Newbies' and you can read all about
it here...
___________________________________

HOW'S YOUR E-SHORTHAND?
____________________________________

JASE - just another system error
JK - just kidding (can also stand for joking)

K - OK
*k* - kiss
*kb* - kiss back
KIT - keep in touch

L8R - later
L8R G8R - later gator
*l* - laugh
*li* - laughing inside
LHM - lord help me
LHO - laughing head off
LHU - lord help us
LMK - let me know
LOML - light of my life (or love of my life)
LOL - laugh out loud
LTNS - long time no see
LY - love You
LYK - let you know

(More email acronyms in the
next issue)
__________________________________

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______________________________________

'WHY CAN'T I OPEN THIS FILE?'
Tutorial from The Newbie Club
______________________________________

EVER tried to open a file, and get that box that shouts,
'You're an idiot! You can't open that file! What program do
you want me to use?'

It's called the 'Open With' dialog box.

Try this. Open Notepad... (Start, Programs, Accessories,
Notepad).

Type a few letters... then click File, Save As, and give
it a name: 'test.abc'.

Save it to your Desktop for easy retrieval.

Now, go to your Desktop and you'll see a new icon that looks
like a little Microsoft Window Logo flying on a white box.

Try double clicking that icon. No the file won't open, but you
will open the 'Open With' dialog box.

Here's why. Windows didn't recognize the '.abc' file extension
and didn't know which program to use to open the file. So it
asks you. Like you're some kind of guru, right?

If you had saved that file you created in Notepad and given it
a '.txt' extension, it would have opened up in Notepad when
you double clicked the icon. Because Windows knows that
Notepad will read any file with the .txt extension.

So... what do you do when trying to open a file that's real,
but you don't have the necessary program? The 'Open With'
dialog box will do you no good.

You must install the program needed.

For example, you receive a file by email attachment that's a
Microsoft Word document. You don't have Word installed on
your computer, but do have Microsoft Works.

You can't open a Word document with Works. Sorry. You'll
have to install MS Word. If you receive a file with a '.ppt
extension, you need Power Point in order to open that file.

Where can you find a list of file extensions, and the programs
needed to open those files? Easy. Just jump over to
Google.com and type 'file extensions' into the
search box.

And you can also use Atomica.com to look up
anything about everything

The web is crammed full of resources. And you only need a
couple of tools to find links to all the other tools you need
to build your home on the web.

File extensions are the key. Once you understand how they
work, you've de-mystified another corner of your computer.

Copyright 2002 Roglan International
______________________________________

 NEED A FRIENDLY, HELPING HAND?..
 Frustrated and confused about PCs and the Internet?
 Sick of feeling like a patronized, second class citizen?
 The Newbie Club will treat you with the respect you
 deserve and teach you all you need to know with their
 revolutionary free Learning System. Click over NOW
 and change your PC and Net experience forever.
 

 * ----------------------HOT TIP--------------------- *

TO send an email message from your Desktop make
a 'mailto' shortcut by right-clicking in an empty space
and selecting New-->Shortcut. Then type in the email
address - mailto:fred@yahoo.com (or whatever) in
the Command Line. Click Next and give your shortcut
a name.

When you click on this shortcut your email program
should open up showing a new message - with the
'To' line already filled in.

 * -----------------------HOT TIP---------------------- *

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    --------------------- Signature File----------------------

                  Editor/Publisher: Sheldene Chant
                   6 Strapp Lane, Amanzimtoti 4126,
                   KwaZuluNatal, South Africa.
                   mailto:sheldene@icon.co.za
________________________________________