|
Newbies,Nerds & Nitwits. March 2002
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sheldene chant
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Mar 26, 2002 04:05 PST
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_______________________________________
NEWBIES, NERDS & NITWITS
Your 'support' ezine if you're nervous about the Net
March, 2002 Vol.2 Issue 3
Sheldene Chant, Editor
_____________________________________
By subscription only. Welcome to the 20th
offering from
Newbies, Nerds & Nitwits
You are receiving this newsletter because you
requested a subscription. Our subscriber list is
confidential. Unsubscribe instructions are at the
end of this ezine
____________________________________
IN THIS ISSUE
o Time for a Break...
o New Programs Causing Conflict?
o Never Too Late to Learn - Back-Up!
o How's Your e-Shorthand?
o Why is The Computer Dying?
o What is PayPal?
o Email Signatures
o Newbie Club Hot Tip - Colour your world
_________________________________________
TIME FOR A BREAK...
_________________________________________
AT the risk of being boring I must admit it's the same
mad scramble trying to get both my ezines out by the
end of the month.....but I have a bit of an excuse this
time.
As the number of articles on the NewbiesAndNitwits
website mounted it became obvious they would have
to be sorted into categories for easier access. Of course
I put off doing this for as long as possible - with good reason.
When I finally got round to it, instead of taking hours the task
almost ran into weeks (links and things combining to make
life difficult).
However the good news is that visitors to the site should
now be able to find their way without difficulty. If you haven't
been there recently click http://www.newbiesandnitwits.com
A selection of articles remain on the Home page but one can
now access all the information from Article Showcase where
they are listed under three sections - On The Internet, Computer
Basics, and Hardware/Software.
This issue of Newbies, Nerds & Nitwits deals with eMail
Signatures, which can be fun, even if you only want to include
a quote. Most email programs make some provision for
signatures, usually in the Tools menu.
Maureen Fleury talks about PayPal and this is an ideal option
for anyone who is nervous about handing out credit card details
to all and sundry. More and more online merchants are using
PayPal but the service is available to anyone with an email
address.
Mary Holzrichter writes about the trauma of a crashing
computer in Never Too Late to Learn - Back-up! If it's
happened to you you'll sympathise - and if it hasn't take
note of her timely reminder to Back-up - constantly.
As usual I've picked Tom Glander's brains for computer
tips - see New Programs Causing Conflict? and Why
Is The Computer Dying? (And please note that in
the second to last paragraph on dying computers, he
REALLY is joking. So don't even think about trying it.)
_________________________________________
FREE TUTORIALS BY AUTORESPONDER
If you need to know more about backing up 'stuff' on your
computer click mailto:pearlsa-@fastresponder.com
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
mailto:nerdsand-@fastresponder.com
Want to find files fast ?- then mailto:fin-@fastresponder.com
Organising your computer - mailto:org-@fastresponder.com
____________________________________
NEW PROGRAMS CAN CAUSE CONFLICT
warns Tom Glander
____________________________________
ARE you experiencing problems since you installed Internet
Explorer version 5.5? It may be IE's fault. As with any
software program, if you start having weird things happen
to your computer, and only after installing a certain
piece of software, it's probably that software's fault.
Remove the offending program. Use the Add/Remove
Programs applet in the Control Panel. Reboot your computer
(reboot means restart). Then see if the problem has gone
away.
You may be surprised. Just because your computer's hard
drive can hold a million programs doesn't mean they're all
compliant with your unique architecture. And by architecture
I mean your mix of hardware components.
Which brings up an important point.
If you're using a Windows 98 computer, you shouldn't have
any problems with software that says it's Windows 98
compliant. You may experience problems if you try to
install old software (stuff that's written for Windows 95
or 3.1) and expect the same flawless performance. Not to
make you worry. Just keep your wits about you.
If problems begin with the installation of certain program, you
can almost be positive that removing that certain program will
resolve your problems.
Copyright 2001 Roglan International
_________________________________
Tom Glander and Joe Robson, co-founders of The
Newbie Club produce plenty of easy to understand,
eBooks and tutorials. To take advantage of these
join the Newbie Club without delay
To find out exactly what's on offer simple click on
<http://newbieclub.com/?pearlsandpigs>
_____________________________________
NEVER TOO LATE TO LEARN -- BACK UP!
says Mary Holzrichter
____________________________________
IT happened to me ...
My computer crashed today.
First thought is, 'This can't be happening to me'! In my
effort to prove that reasoning correct, I reboot. First
line of defense. Hmm. Still no response.
Oh no! What now? What will I do without my computer?
I call our computer techie. He tells me how to try one more
thing. He adds to *cross my fingers.*
That *one more thing* does no good. Neither does crossing
my fingers.
Into the car, I load that sorry-looking computer while
cursing it! Hi, ho, it's off to the techie's office we go.
My husband comes home from work. Trying to put myself in a
cheerful mood doesn't work. As I explain what's happened,
I can hear him thinking, 'Oh, geez, is she a mess!'
I realize how much a part of my life my computer has become.
I can't live without my computer!
What do I do now? Not sure. What can I do now? Nothing. Got
to face the fact my computer's not waiting for me in the
next room! Oh, no, it is gone.
Maybe I'll get a good sleep tonight. But then I'll only have to
awake in the morning and remember I don't have my
computer! I'm not looking forward to that.
Uh, oh. I can't sleep. Wish I was on the internet. Wonder
how long it'll take to get my computer back?
Counting sheep (about 547 so far) isn't working. May as well
get up. Maybe I'll sit and write awhile.
Gosh, it's quiet here in the family room. The tick tocking
of the mantel clock is actually loud! Weird.
Why do I love the internet so much? Sometimes I wish I'd
never logged on that first time! Days like this! Days when
that darn piece of *junk* crashes.
No, that's not true. When I get back that piece of *utter
magic*, I'll thank my lucky stars!
I'm hopelessly addicted to the internet. Admit it! I've
learned so much and have met so many wonderful people.
Oh, I fully realize I've got so much more to learn. Like
BACKING UP my files. Like doing it on a REGULAR basis.
I'm getting tired. Think I'll put my coat on and step
outside onto the deck.
It's snowing! There's no wind. *Charlie Brown* snowflakes!
Huge ones coming straight down. Tree limbs and evergreens
are cloaked with several inches of the stuff!
Even more quiet out here. All I hear is the high tone in my
ears one only notices in total silence. So peaceful.
Whiteness all around me and darkness in the distance.
Finally at peace and exhausted, I slip back into bed. Life
will go on without my computer, I tell myself.
'BUT from now on, I WILL DO A BACK UP every day.'
Copyright © Mary Holzrichter 2002.
__________________________________
Mary Holzrichter
How to build ANY business you want, just the
way you want it, with only pocket money.
http://sitetipsandtricks.com/cgi-bin/aff/g.o/win
mailto:holz-@naspa.net
___________________________________
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A fully customizable Guestbook that will blend right in
with your page design and color scheme. This Brand
New innovative Guestbook offered by The Newbie Club
is a dream to see, and simplicity itself to paste into your
Site. No programming or CGI experience needed. It's
specially designed for Newbies to install. Get yours
NOW at http://newbieclub.com/gbook/?pearlsandpigs
___________________________________
HOW'S YOUR E-SHORTHAND?
____________________________________
CID - crying in disgrace
CC - carbon copy
CSG - chuckle, snigger, grin
CFV - call for votes
CMIIW - correct me if I'm wrong
CNP - continue in next post
CU - see you
CUL - see you later
CYA - see you
CUL8R - see you later
CYAL8R - see ya later
C&G - chuckle and grin
(More email acronyms (beginning with D) in the
next issue)
___________________________________
I CAN'T BELIEVE IT...
Only a handful of you have clicked...
PLEASE RATE THIS EZINE...
Please rate this Ezine at the Cumuli Ezine Finder
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<a href="http://www.cumuli.com/ezines/ra20597.rate">
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Editor's note: When you click to rate it, make sure you
check the number. It's automatically set at 5, but you
can go as high as 10. Make sure you change it to the
number you want
___________________________________
WHY IS THE COMPUTER DYING, MOMMY?
by Tom Glander
___________________________________
IS your computer running slower and slower? You've
defragged, and aren't running a virus checker continually, and
it's still slow? There is one thing to check.
Open My Computer. Right click the C: drive icon, and click
Properties from the context menu. You'll see how much disk
drive space you have free. If you've got less than 250
megabytes free, you're in trouble. Windows needs a good
amount of space to use as virtual memory. Since your RAM
is limited, it uses a chunk of your hard drive to store
data, until it can empty a memory location. And then swap
what was on the disk into memory.
If you've checked everything, and find that you've got well
over 250 megs free, and you're still stricken with a slug
for a PC, it may be your hard disk is failing. Or the BIOS
isn't working right. Oh my, there are so many potential
possibilities. Best thing to do if this problem fits you:
make an appointment to see your local PC clinician. Get
a checkup. You'll be glad you did.
Or, if you're really quite bright, and don't mind having
a bit of fun, start over. Reformat your hard drive. Install
your operating system afresh, and everything else. That'll
certainly cure what ails you.
If the thought of doing that makes you ill, please just
ignore the preceding paragraph. (I'm grinning as I write.)
Copyright 2001 Roglan International
____________________________________
Another tip-top tutorial from The Newbie Club.
If you are not already a member take the time to
click on <http://newbieclub.com/?pearlsandpigs>
It's free.
---------------------------------------------------
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.
http://newbieclub.com/?pearlsandpigs
________________________________________
WHAT IS PAYPAL?
by Maureen Fleury
________________________________________
MY impression of PayPal* is very favorable because it offers an
array of services to both personal and business accounts.
Although I've only used it for paying for merchandise at eBay, I've
only scratched the surface of the functionality. You can send or
request money and even use the services to accept online
payments on auction sites or your own web site or online
markets.
PayPal is popular because most of the services are free.
Incoming payment processing is chargeable for business
accounts. The Business Standard rate is 2.9% of the purchase +
30 cents. The rate for Business Merchant is 2.2% + 30 cents.
Preferred Accounts are charged 1.4% + 30 cents (Standard) and
0.7% + 30 cents (Merchant). Personal Accounts may receive
payments but are limited to $100 in credit card payments per
month.
Paying for merchandise is a free service for everyone and that is
a definite advantage. By the time you add on shipping charges,
you can end up with a hefty set of fees! The free outgoing
payment charge makes this service very attractive.
What are some of the other goodies?
You can build up funds in your PayPal account and earn
dividends on it. The rate is based on the money market and the
dividends are deposited into your account monthly. If you are
short on cash in your bank account, you can withdraw funds and
deposit it back into your bank account.
US customers are not charged for withdrawals, but International
customers are charged $1.25 per transaction. Some
international members (depending on the country) can open a
US bank account and have the funds transferred there at no
charge.
Premier and Business members can send out bulk payments
through PayPal. This is ideal for companies who are sending out
rebates or affiliate rewards or pay-to-surf rewards. The funds are
deposited electronically into the customer's PayPal account.
Webmasters and vendors can earn money through a referral
program. By putting a PayPal logo on their website, they can
earn $5 for each person who clicks on the logo and completes
the new account bonus requirements form. If you are a US
customer, you will receive $5 for signing up with PayPal and
depositing $250. In addition, US customers will receive $5 for
referring a friend to sign up.
If you have a mobile phone on a wireless network, you can send
money, check your balance and view your transactions. This is
good for people who are on the go or are travelling.
When I first signed up, I had to confirm my membership by
referring to a 4-digit code on my credit card statement. There
was a withdrawal of $5 posted at the time of signing. Once I
confirmed, the $5 was refunded to my credit card. The 4-digit
code is a security feature to ensure the cardholder actually
signed up to use PayPal.
In my situation, there was a little drawback. My credit card
statement is not available online so I had to wait until I received
my statement in the mail before I could confirm. This was a delay
of several weeks because I just missed my statement cut-off
date. If you have online statements for your credit card then you
can obtain your 4-digit code almost immediately.
All accounts are insured up to $100,000 for unauthorized use.
This is good protection against fraud.
I use PayPal whenever I can because of the low fees and many
vendors prefer to receive payments through this service. I see
the logo on almost every auction page on eBay. I have found it
very easy to make a payment through PayPal. The screens are
easy to follow. Some vendors even send you an email with the
link to PayPal and most of the information is pre-entered. I can
do all of this right from my desktop!
Unlike the services that create a money order, the funds are
transferred electronically into the vendor's account. There is one
drawback, if the vendor doesn't have a PayPal account, you have
to use another service.
Such a pity if they don't use this great service!
*Registered Trademark
Copyright 2001 Maureen Fleury
__________________________________
Maureen Fleury is a Senior Managing Editor at Suite101
and is the Contributing Editor for the topic Communication
in Cyberspace
http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/communication_cybersp
ace
(copy & paste this URL if it does not fall on one line)
__________________________________
POIGNANT PEARLS & POTBELLIED PIGS - a
monthly ezine packed with original and amusing
articles, which will remind you not to take yourself
too seriously. To subscribe
<mailto:pearlypigs-@topica.com>.
Or, if you're wary of pigs in pokes, surf to
<http://www.topica.com/lists/pearlypigs/read> to
view back issues.
_______________________________________
EMAIL SIGNATURES
by Richard Lowe, Jr.
_______________________________________
PERHAPS one of the most important methods to promote your
web site is including some advertising in each and every email
you send and all newsgroup postings that you make.
DO NOT spam the newsgroups by sending useless messages.
Instead, make useful postings which include your signature.
People will be interested enough to visit your site as long as you
appear to be an intelligent, knowledgeable person.
This is generally done by defining an email signature in your
email client. It's pretty simple to cause Outlook 2000, for
example, to send a couple of additional lines for each and every
email that you send. It's equally simple to do the same thing with
Outlook Express.
Your email signature might read:
Visit my web site at http://www.internet-tips.net/
Anything which helps to promote your site or service is fine
(excluding profanity and the like). You should keep the signature
to just a few lines - no more than 6. Also, it's a good idea not to
include any pictures and to stick with straight text (not HTML).
This way everyone can see your ad, which is the whole point.
One additional word of caution about email (and newsgroup)
signatures: some words will trigger spam filters. This can be
especially annoying on newsgroup postings. I had a 900 number
in my signature which caused an automated spam checker for
newsgroups to send my posts straight to my ISP!
The postings were on topic and definitely not spam, but they
were treated as such. Naturally, this could also cause good
email spam filters to also block your emails.
Before you create your email signature, it's a good idea to sit
down for a minute and determine what your objective is.
- If you want to advertise your web site, it's a good idea to include
a small ad and a hyperlink.
- If you are a salesperson, it may be wise to include your phone
number and extension.
- Some people like to include a favorite quote.
Some cautions include:
- Do not include your pay-to-surf, moneymaking or affiliate links
in your email signature. Not only is it considered tacky, but these
things can trigger spam filters and get your emails automatically
deleted. It's better to include these items on your website and put
a link to that site in your email signature.
- Do not include profanity or harsh language.
- 900 numbers can also trigger spam filters.
Be sure to use standard formatting in the signature.
- Avoid any special fonts or colors
- Do not include graphics
- Do not use HTML
- Keep the width to 65 characters or less
- Do not exceed 6 lines
Copyright 2001 Richard Lowe,Jr.
-----------------------------
Richard Lowe Jr. is the webmaster of Internet Tips And
Secrets. This website includes over 1,000 free articles to
improve your internet profits, enjoyment and knowledge.
Web Site Address: http://www.internet-tips.net
Weekly newsletter: http://www.internet-tips.net/joinlist.htm
Daily Tips: mailto:interne-@GetResponse.com
______________________________________
NN&N BACK ISSUES
To view previous issues of Newbies, Nerds & Nitwits
go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/nerdsandnitwits/read
and don't forget to visit the Newbies, Nerds & Nitwits
website, often - there's stacks of information there:
http://www.newbiesandnitwits.com
_____________________________________
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________________________________________
* ----------------------HOT TIP--------------------- *
ARE you one of those children of the 60s who enjoyed playing
with colors while inhaling funny substances? If so, this tip
is for you! Okay, we're going to change the appearance of
Windows... make it the way YOU want it!
Let's change the title bar colors -- you know, those long
rather blue rectangles that span the tops of your windows.
Yea, the ones that show the program that's open. Here's
the way, the truth, and some light...
1. Right-click on the desktop.
2. From the pop-up menu, choose Properties.
3. In the Display Properties dialog box, click the
Appearance tab.
4. Find the Item drop-down menu and click it.
5. Choose Active Title Bar.
6. Now to the Right of Item you'll see Size, Color
and Color 2 menus. Choose two different colors.
In the Preview area above you'll that see the title bar
morphs from one color to the other. Pretty wild, eh? If you'd
like it on your desktop, click on Apply and then on OK.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tip from The Newbie Club, creators of 'How A Newbie
Built A Website In Just 2 days - To evaluate click on:
http://newbieclub.com/builder/?pearlsandpigs
* -----------------------HOT TIP---------------------- *
----------------------------------------------------------------------
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2002 NEWBIES, NERDS & NITWITS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
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--------------------- Signature File----------------------
Editor/Publisher: Sheldene Chant
6 Strapp Lane, Amanzimtoti 4126,
KwaZuluNatal, South Africa.
<mailto:shel-@icon.co.za>
________________________________________
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<b>_______________________________________<br><br>
</b>
<b>NEWBIES, NERDS & NITWITS<br><br>
</b>Your 'support' ezine if you're nervous about the Net<br><br>
<b>March,
2002
Vol.2 Issue 3<br><br>
</b>
Sheldene Chant, Editor<br>
<b>_____________________________________<br><br>
</b> By subscription only. Welcome to the 20th<br>
offering from<br><br>
Newbies, Nerds & Nitwits<br><br>
You are receiving this newsletter because you<br>
requested a subscription. Our subscriber list is<br>
confidential. Unsubscribe instructions are at the<br>
end of this ezine<br>
____________________________________<br><br>
<b>IN THIS ISSUE<br><br>
</b> o Time for a
Break...<br><br>
o New Programs
Causing Conflict?<br><br>
o Never Too Late
to Learn - Back-Up!<br><br>
o How's Your
e-Shorthand?<br><br>
o Why is The
Computer Dying?<br><br>
o What is
PayPal?<br><br>
o Email
Signatures<br><br>
o Newbie Club Hot
Tip - Colour your world<br><br>
<br>
<b>_________________________________________<br><br>
TIME FOR A BREAK...<br>
_________________________________________<br><br>
</b>AT the risk of being boring I must admit it's the same<br>
mad scramble trying to get both my ezines out by the<br>
end of the month.....but I have a bit of an excuse this<br>
time.<br><br>
As the number of articles on the NewbiesAndNitwits<br>
website mounted it became obvious they would have<br>
to be sorted into categories for easier access. Of course<br>
I put off doing this for as long as possible - with good reason.<br>
When I finally got round to it, instead of taking hours the task<br>
almost ran into weeks (links and things combining to make<br>
life difficult).<br><br>
However the good news is that visitors to the site should<br>
now be able to find their way without difficulty. If you
haven't<br>
been there recently click
<a href="http://www.newbiesandnitwits.com/" eudora="autourl">http://www.newbiesandnitwits.com</a><br>
A selection of articles remain on the Home page but one can<br>
now access all the information from Article Showcase where<br>
they are listed under three sections - On The Internet,
Computer<br>
Basics, and Hardware/Software.<br><br>
This issue of Newbies, Nerds & Nitwits deals with eMail<br>
Signatures, which can be fun, even if you only want to include<br>
a quote. Most email programs make some provision for<br>
signatures, usually in the Tools menu.<br><br>
Maureen Fleury talks about PayPal and this is an ideal option<br>
for anyone who is nervous about handing out credit card details<br>
to all and sundry. More and more online merchants are using<br>
PayPal but the service is available to anyone with an email<br>
address.<br><br>
Mary Holzrichter writes about the trauma of a crashing<br>
computer in Never Too Late to Learn - Back-up! If it's<br>
happened to you you'll sympathise - and if it hasn't take<br>
note of her timely reminder to Back-up - constantly.<br><br>
As usual I've picked Tom Glander's brains for computer<br>
tips - see New Programs Causing Conflict? and Why<br>
Is The Computer Dying? (And please note that in<br>
the second to last paragraph on dying computers, he<br>
REALLY is joking. So don't even think about trying it.)<br>
_________________________________________<br><br>
FREE TUTORIALS BY AUTORESPONDER<br><br>
If you need to know more about backing up 'stuff' on your<br>
computer click
<a href="mailto:pearlsa-@fastresponder.com" eudora="autourl">mailto:pearlsa-@fastresponder.com</a><br>
and you should get the first tutorial within seconds.<br><br>
If you are thinking about making your own web page, or<br>
merely want to exercise your brain slightly, then send for<br>
the web page tutorials by clicking<br>
<a href="mailto:nerdsand-@fastresponder.com" eudora="autourl">mailto:nerdsand-@fastresponder.com</a><br><br>
Want to find files fast ?- then
<a href="mailto:fin-@fastresponder.com" eudora="autourl">mailto:fin-@fastresponder.com</a><br><br>
Organising your computer -
<a href="mailto:org-@fastresponder.com" eudora="autourl">mailto:org-@fastresponder.com</a><br><br>
<b>____________________________________<br><br>
NEW PROGRAMS CAN CAUSE CONFLICT<br>
warns Tom Glander<br>
____________________________________<br><br>
</b>ARE you experiencing problems since you installed Internet<br>
Explorer version 5.5? It may be IE's fault. As with any<br>
software program, if you start having weird things happen<br>
to your computer, and only after installing a certain<br>
piece of software, it's probably that software's fault.<br><br>
Remove the offending program. Use the Add/Remove<br>
Programs applet in the Control Panel. Reboot your computer<br>
(reboot means restart). Then see if the problem has gone<br>
away.<br><br>
You may be surprised. Just because your computer's hard<br>
drive can hold a million programs doesn't mean they're all<br>
compliant with your unique architecture. And by architecture<br>
I mean your mix of hardware components.<br><br>
Which brings up an important point.<br><br>
If you're using a Windows 98 computer, you shouldn't have<br>
any problems with software that says it's Windows 98<br>
compliant. You may experience problems if you try to<br>
install old software (stuff that's written for Windows 95<br>
or 3.1) and expect the same flawless performance. Not to<br>
make you worry. Just keep your wits about you.<br><br>
If problems begin with the installation of certain program, you<br>
can almost be positive that removing that certain program will<br>
resolve your problems.<br><br>
<b>Copyright 2001 Roglan International<br>
</b>_________________________________<br>
<i>Tom Glander and Joe Robson, co-founders of The<br>
Newbie Club produce plenty of easy to understand,<br>
eBooks and tutorials. To take advantage of these<br>
join the Newbie Club without delay<br>
To find out exactly what's on offer simple click on<br>
<<a href="http://newbieclub.com/?pearlsandpigs" eudora="autourl">http://newbieclub.com/?pearlsandpigs</a>><br>
</i>_____________________________________<br><br>
<b>NEVER TOO LATE TO LEARN -- BACK UP!<br>
says Mary Holzrichter<br>
____________________________________<br><br>
</b>IT happened to me ...<br><br>
My computer crashed today.<br><br>
First thought is, 'This can't be happening to me'! In my<br>
effort to prove that reasoning correct, I reboot. First<br>
line of defense. Hmm. Still no response.<br><br>
Oh no! What now? What will I do without my computer?<br><br>
I call our computer techie. He tells me how to try one more<br>
thing. He adds to *cross my fingers.*<br><br>
That *one more thing* does no good. Neither does crossing<br>
my fingers.<br><br>
Into the car, I load that sorry-looking computer while<br>
cursing it! Hi, ho, it's off to the techie's office we go.<br><br>
My husband comes home from work. Trying to put myself in a<br>
cheerful mood doesn't work. As I explain what's happened,<br>
I can hear him thinking, 'Oh, geez, is she a mess!'<br><br>
I realize how much a part of my life my computer has become.<br>
I can't live without my computer!<br><br>
What do I do now? Not sure. What can I do now? Nothing. Got<br>
to face the fact my computer's not waiting for me in the<br>
next room! Oh, no, it is gone.<br><br>
Maybe I'll get a good sleep tonight. But then I'll only have to<br>
awake in the morning and remember I don't have my<br>
computer! I'm not looking forward to that.<br><br>
Uh, oh. I can't sleep. Wish I was on the internet. Wonder<br>
how long it'll take to get my computer back?<br><br>
Counting sheep (about 547 so far) isn't working. May as well<br>
get up. Maybe I'll sit and write awhile.<br><br>
Gosh, it's quiet here in the family room. The tick tocking<br>
of the mantel clock is actually loud! Weird.<br><br>
Why do I love the internet so much? Sometimes I wish I'd<br>
never logged on that first time! Days like this! Days when<br>
that darn piece of *junk* crashes.<br><br>
No, that's not true. When I get back that piece of *utter<br>
magic*, I'll thank my lucky stars!<br><br>
I'm hopelessly addicted to the internet. Admit it! I've<br>
learned so much and have met so many wonderful people.<br>
Oh, I fully realize I've got so much more to learn. Like<br>
BACKING UP my files. Like doing it on a REGULAR basis.<br><br>
I'm getting tired. Think I'll put my coat on and step<br>
outside onto the deck.<br><br>
It's snowing! There's no wind. *Charlie Brown* snowflakes!<br>
Huge ones coming straight down. Tree limbs and evergreens<br>
are cloaked with several inches of the stuff!<br><br>
Even more quiet out here. All I hear is the high tone in my<br>
ears one only notices in total silence. So peaceful.<br>
Whiteness all around me and darkness in the distance.<br><br>
Finally at peace and exhausted, I slip back into bed. Life<br>
will go on without my computer, I tell myself.<br><br>
'BUT from now on, I WILL DO A BACK UP every day.'<br><br>
<b>Copyright © Mary Holzrichter 2002.<br>
</b>__________________________________<br>
<i>Mary Holzrichter<br>
How to build ANY business you want, just the<br>
way you want it, with only pocket money.<br>
<a href="http://sitetipsandtricks.com/cgi-bin/aff/g.o/win" eudora="autourl">http://sitetipsandtricks.com/cgi-bin/aff/g.o/win</a><br>
<a href="mailto:holz-@naspa.net" eudora="autourl">mailto:holz-@naspa.net</a><br>
</i>___________________________________<br><br>
Want a FREE Guestbook for your site?<br><br>
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<b>___________________________________<br><br>
HOW'S YOUR E-SHORTHAND?<br>
____________________________________<br><br>
</b>CID - crying in disgrace<br>
CC - carbon copy<br>
CSG - chuckle, snigger, grin<br>
CFV - call for votes<br>
CMIIW - correct me if I'm wrong<br>
CNP - continue in next post<br>
CU - see you<br>
CUL - see you later<br>
CYA - see you<br>
CUL8R - see you later<br>
CYAL8R - see ya later<br>
C&G - chuckle and grin<br><br>
(More email acronyms (beginning with D) in the<br>
next issue)<br>
___________________________________<br><br>
I CAN'T BELIEVE IT...<br>
Only a handful of you have clicked...<br><br>
PLEASE RATE THIS EZINE...<br>
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check the number. It’s automatically set at 5, but you<br>
can go as high as 10. Make sure you change it to the<br>
number you want<br>
<b>___________________________________<br><br>
WHY IS THE COMPUTER DYING, MOMMY?<br>
by Tom Glander<br>
___________________________________<br><br>
</b>IS your computer running slower and slower? You've<br>
defragged, and aren't running a virus checker continually, and<br>
it's still slow? There is one thing to check.<br><br>
Open My Computer. Right click the C: drive icon, and click<br>
Properties from the context menu. You'll see how much disk<br>
drive space you have free. If you've got less than 250<br>
megabytes free, you're in trouble. Windows needs a good<br>
amount of space to use as virtual memory. Since your RAM<br>
is limited, it uses a chunk of your hard drive to store<br>
data, until it can empty a memory location. And then swap<br>
what was on the disk into memory.<br><br>
If you've checked everything, and find that you've got well<br>
over 250 megs free, and you're still stricken with a slug<br>
for a PC, it may be your hard disk is failing. Or the BIOS<br>
isn't working right. Oh my, there are so many potential<br>
possibilities. Best thing to do if this problem fits you:<br>
make an appointment to see your local PC clinician. Get<br>
a checkup. You'll be glad you did.<br><br>
Or, if you're really quite bright, and don't mind having<br>
a bit of fun, start over. Reformat your hard drive. Install<br>
your operating system afresh, and everything else. That'll<br>
certainly cure what ails you.<br><br>
If the thought of doing that makes you ill, please just<br>
ignore the preceding paragraph. (I'm grinning as I write.)<br><br>
<b>Copyright 2001 Roglan International<br>
</b>____________________________________<br>
<i>Another tip-top tutorial from The Newbie Club.<br>
If you are not already a member take the time to<br>
click on
<<a href="http://newbieclub.com/?pearlsandpigs" eudora="autourl">http://newbieclub.com/?pearlsandpigs</a>><br>
It's free.<br>
</i>---------------------------------------------------<br><br>
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<b>________________________________________<br><br>
WHAT IS PAYPAL?<br>
by Maureen Fleury<br>
________________________________________<br><br>
</b>MY impression of PayPal* is very favorable because it offers an<br>
array of services to both personal and business accounts.<br>
Although I've only used it for paying for merchandise at eBay, I've<br>
only scratched the surface of the functionality. You can send or<br>
request money and even use the services to accept online<br>
payments on auction sites or your own web site or online<br>
markets.<br><br>
PayPal is popular because most of the services are free.<br>
Incoming payment processing is chargeable for business<br>
accounts. The Business Standard rate is 2.9% of the purchase +<br>
30 cents. The rate for Business Merchant is 2.2% + 30 cents.<br>
Preferred Accounts are charged 1.4% + 30 cents (Standard) and<br>
0.7% + 30 cents (Merchant). Personal Accounts may receive<br>
payments but are limited to $100 in credit card payments per<br>
month.<br><br>
Paying for merchandise is a free service for everyone and that is<br>
a definite advantage. By the time you add on shipping charges,<br>
you can end up with a hefty set of fees! The free outgoing<br>
payment charge makes this service very attractive.<br><br>
What are some of the other goodies?<br><br>
You can build up funds in your PayPal account and earn<br>
dividends on it. The rate is based on the money market and the<br>
dividends are deposited into your account monthly. If you are<br>
short on cash in your bank account, you can withdraw funds and<br>
deposit it back into your bank account.<br><br>
US customers are not charged for withdrawals, but International<br>
customers are charged $1.25 per transaction. Some<br>
international members (depending on the country) can open a<br>
US bank account and have the funds transferred there at no<br>
charge.<br><br>
Premier and Business members can send out bulk payments<br>
through PayPal. This is ideal for companies who are sending out<br>
rebates or affiliate rewards or pay-to-surf rewards. The funds are<br>
deposited electronically into the customer's PayPal account.<br><br>
Webmasters and vendors can earn money through a referral<br>
program. By putting a PayPal logo on their website, they can<br>
earn $5 for each person who clicks on the logo and completes<br>
the new account bonus requirements form. If you are a US<br>
customer, you will receive $5 for signing up with PayPal and<br>
depositing $250. In addition, US customers will receive $5 for<br>
referring a friend to sign up.<br><br>
If you have a mobile phone on a wireless network, you can send<br>
money, check your balance and view your transactions. This is<br>
good for people who are on the go or are travelling.<br><br>
When I first signed up, I had to confirm my membership by<br>
referring to a 4-digit code on my credit card statement. There<br>
was a withdrawal of $5 posted at the time of signing. Once I<br>
confirmed, the $5 was refunded to my credit card. The 4-digit<br>
code is a security feature to ensure the cardholder actually<br>
signed up to use PayPal.<br><br>
In my situation, there was a little drawback. My credit card<br>
statement is not available online so I had to wait until I received<br>
my statement in the mail before I could confirm. This was a delay<br>
of several weeks because I just missed my statement cut-off<br>
date. If you have online statements for your credit card then you<br>
can obtain your 4-digit code almost immediately.<br><br>
All accounts are insured up to $100,000 for unauthorized use.<br>
This is good protection against fraud.<br><br>
I use PayPal whenever I can because of the low fees and many<br>
vendors prefer to receive payments through this service. I see<br>
the logo on almost every auction page on eBay. I have found it<br>
very easy to make a payment through PayPal. The screens are<br>
easy to follow. Some vendors even send you an email with the<br>
link to PayPal and most of the information is pre-entered. I can<br>
do all of this right from my desktop!<br><br>
Unlike the services that create a money order, the funds are<br>
transferred electronically into the vendor's account. There is one<br>
drawback, if the vendor doesn't have a PayPal account, you have<br>
to use another service.<br><br>
Such a pity if they don't use this great service!<br><br>
*Registered Trademark<br><br>
<b>Copyright 2001 Maureen Fleury<br>
</b>__________________________________<br>
<i>Maureen Fleury is a Senior Managing Editor at Suite101<br>
and is the Contributing Editor for the topic Communication<br>
in Cyberspace<br>
<a href="http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/communication_cybersp" eudora="autourl">http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/communication_cybersp</a><br>
ace<br>
(copy & paste this URL if it does not fall on one line)<br>
</i>__________________________________<br><br>
POIGNANT PEARLS & POTBELLIED PIGS - a<br>
monthly ezine packed with original and amusing<br>
articles, which will remind you not to take yourself<br>
too seriously. To subscribe<br>
<<a href="mailto:pearlypigs-@topica.com" eudora="autourl">mailto:pearlypigs-@topica.com</a>>.<br>
Or, if you're wary of pigs in pokes, surf to<br>
<<a href="http://www.topica.com/lists/pearlypigs/read" eudora="autourl">http://www.topica.com/lists/pearlypigs/read</a>>
to<br>
view back issues.<br><br>
<b>_______________________________________<br><br>
EMAIL SIGNATURES<br>
by Richard Lowe, Jr.<br>
_______________________________________<br><br>
</b>PERHAPS one of the most important methods to promote your<br>
web site is including some advertising in each and every email<br>
you send and all newsgroup postings that you make.<br><br>
DO NOT spam the newsgroups by sending useless messages.<br>
Instead, make useful postings which include your signature.<br>
People will be interested enough to visit your site as long as you<br>
appear to be an intelligent, knowledgeable person.<br><br>
This is generally done by defining an email signature in your<br>
email client. It's pretty simple to cause Outlook 2000, for<br>
example, to send a couple of additional lines for each and every<br>
email that you send. It's equally simple to do the same thing with<br>
Outlook Express.<br><br>
Your email signature might read:<br><br>
Visit my web site at
<a href="http://www.internet-tips.net/" eudora="autourl">http://www.internet-tips.net/</a><br><br>
Anything which helps to promote your site or service is fine<br>
(excluding profanity and the like). You should keep the signature<br>
to just a few lines - no more than 6. Also, it's a good idea not to<br>
include any pictures and to stick with straight text (not HTML).<br>
This way everyone can see your ad, which is the whole point.<br><br>
One additional word of caution about email (and newsgroup)<br>
signatures: some words will trigger spam filters. This can be<br>
especially annoying on newsgroup postings. I had a 900 number<br>
in my signature which caused an automated spam checker for<br>
newsgroups to send my posts straight to my ISP!<br><br>
The postings were on topic and definitely not spam, but they<br>
were treated as such. Naturally, this could also cause good<br>
email spam filters to also block your emails.<br><br>
Before you create your email signature, it's a good idea to sit<br>
down for a minute and determine what your objective is.<br><br>
- If you want to advertise your web site, it's a good idea to
include<br>
a small ad and a hyperlink.<br><br>
- If you are a salesperson, it may be wise to include your phone<br>
number and extension.<br><br>
- Some people like to include a favorite quote.<br><br>
Some cautions include:<br><br>
- Do not include your pay-to-surf, moneymaking or affiliate links<br>
in your email signature. Not only is it considered tacky, but these<br>
things can trigger spam filters and get your emails automatically<br>
deleted. It's better to include these items on your website and put<br>
a link to that site in your email signature.<br><br>
- Do not include profanity or harsh language.<br><br>
- 900 numbers can also trigger spam filters.<br><br>
Be sure to use standard formatting in the signature.<br><br>
- Avoid any special fonts or colors<br><br>
- Do not include graphics<br><br>
- Do not use HTML<br><br>
- Keep the width to 65 characters or less<br><br>
- Do not exceed 6 lines<br><br>
<br>
<b>Copyright 2001 Richard Lowe,Jr.<br>
</b>-----------------------------<br>
<i>Richard Lowe Jr. is the webmaster of Internet Tips And<br>
Secrets. This website includes over 1,000 free articles to<br>
improve your internet profits, enjoyment and knowledge.<br>
Web Site Address:
<a href="http://www.internet-tips.net/" eudora="autourl">http://www.internet-tips.net</a><br>
Weekly newsletter:
<a href="http://www.internet-tips.net/joinlist.htm" eudora="autourl">http://www.internet-tips.net/joinlist.htm</a><br>
Daily Tips:
<a href="mailto:interne-@GetResponse.com" eudora="autourl">mailto:interne-@GetResponse.com</a><br>
</i>______________________________________<br><br>
NN&N BACK ISSUES<br>
To view previous issues of Newbies, Nerds & Nitwits<br>
go to:
<a href="http://www.topica.com/lists/nerdsandnitwits/read" eudora="autourl">http://www.topica.com/lists/nerdsandnitwits/read</a><br>
and don't forget to visit the Newbies, Nerds & Nitwits<br>
website, often - there's stacks of information there:<br>
<a href="http://www.newbiesandnitwits.com/" eudora="autourl">http://www.newbiesandnitwits.com</a><br>
_____________________________________<br><br>
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________________________________________<br><br>
<b>* ----------------------HOT TIP---------------------
*<br><br>
</b>ARE you one of those children of the 60s who enjoyed playing<br>
with colors while inhaling funny substances? If so, this tip<br>
is for you! Okay, we're going to change the appearance of<br>
Windows... make it the way YOU want it!<br><br>
Let's change the title bar colors -- you know, those long<br>
rather blue rectangles that span the tops of your windows.<br>
Yea, the ones that show the program that's open. Here's<br>
the way, the truth, and some light...<br><br>
1. Right-click on the desktop.<br>
2. From the pop-up menu, choose Properties.<br>
3. In the Display Properties dialog box, click the<br>
Appearance tab.<br>
4. Find the Item drop-down menu and click it.<br>
5. Choose Active Title Bar.<br>
6. Now to the Right of Item you'll see Size, Color<br>
and Color 2 menus. Choose two different colors.<br><br>
In the Preview area above you'll that see the title bar<br>
morphs from one color to the other. Pretty wild, eh? If you'd<br>
like it on your desktop, click on Apply and then on OK.<br><br>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br>
<i>Tip from The Newbie Club, creators of 'How A Newbie<br>
Built A Website In Just 2 days - To evaluate click on:<br>
<a href="http://newbieclub.com/builder/?pearlsandpigs" eudora="autourl">http://newbieclub.com/builder/?pearlsandpigs</a><br><br>
</i><b> * -----------------------HOT
TIP---------------------- *<br><br>
<br>
</b>----------------------------------------------------------------------<br>
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<b>Copyright 2002 NEWBIES, NERDS & NITWITS<br>
</b>----------------------------------------------------------------------<br>
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<br>
--------------------- Signature
File----------------------<br><br>
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Editor/Publisher: Sheldene Chant<br>
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6 Strapp Lane, Amanzimtoti 4126,<br>
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