General meeting are held at Crown International,
1718 W. Mishawaka Rd., Elkhart, IN. Doors to the meeting open at 6:30pm, the meeting starts at 7:00pm.
Having only used Netscape’s Navigator, I really enjoyed Jon and Eric’s presentation comparing it and Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. In preparation for watching their presentation, I had searched the internet for conversations and debates over the two browsers. What I found prepared me to hear Jon Slough sum up the same thing; basically one may be stronger in this or that area, but the other is counterbalanced in a different area. Each browser has its strong and weak points, but when it all gets placed side by side, there isn’t enough difference to worry about.
When one gets a new feature, the other will incorporate it soon, and if it can’t use the exact component, it will make sure its substitute is better. It all comes down to which one you personally prefer based on slight differences or which one you are used to.
The one thing I would like to point out is that there are alternatives to the big boys if you don’t feel the absolute need for a zillion bells and whistles. There are some excellent alternative browsers out there that function quite well. Two in particular caught my attention recently, Lykse and Opera (both were featured recently in the library). This was mostly because they fit on one disk, and that’s a claim both Netscape and Microsoft left behind a long time ago!
Welcome to another exciting edition of the Presidents Podium. Well, it’s not really that exciting when you compare it to the browser wars that took place at the last meeting. Jon Slough and Eric Nisly did a spectacular job of comparing the features in Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer. Although in my ćunbiased’ opinion, Netscape won hands down. Actually, both performed very similarly, so I hope you don’t use Internet Explorer just because it’s there. We need to keep competition in the marketplace and Microsoft’s current position is to do anything it can to get rid of Netscape.
EPCUG is beginning a new SIG (Special Interest Group) entitled “Intro to Windows 95.” Jeff will be hosting this SIG at Maple Tronics in the Linway Plaza in Goshen. The date has been set as the last Tuesday of the month from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Maple Tronics has a complete classroom facility with 16 PC’s to use. The SIG will run for six months with each month’s session building on the prior months. You may want to throw a folding chair in your car in case there is not enough seating in the classroom. They have plenty of room, but are a little short on chairs. Their normal classes only have one student per machine, but we can double up without any problem.
One of the greatest member benefits of the PC users group is being able to network with others. This is a great way to get questions answered and problems solved. During the monthly meetings we open the floor for questions and problems, and we normally have an answer from someone. We also have a help line of people that have agreed to answer questions on certain software packages. Their phone numbers are published in this newsletter. These are great resources and I encourage you to use them, but you need to keep one thing in mind. These people and board members don’t sit and wait on your calls. Many have families and other commitments. When calling, please be considerate and realize that you might not get to talk to someone right away. Leave a message and they will get back to you when it is convenient for them to take time to answer your question. Also realize that you may not be the only caller of the evening. Don’t get me wrong, the people of our group have a great deal of knowledge and want to be available to help. But please understand that they are not always going to be available at all times.
One final thought, the cost of publishing and mailing this newsletter is paid in primarily by the vendors that advertise in it. And they are always interested in knowing who sees their ads. So when you visit their stores, remember to tell them you saw their ad in the EPCUG newsletter.
See you at next month’s Parsons’ presentation!!!
Q. When e-mailing back to me, how do you get a copy of my message inserted in to your message to me.
A. You should find a selection concerning "Quote on Reply" or a similar choice in your e-mail software. This is what copies your original message into my reply. I often delete portions of your message from my reply and often break it up by inserting my answers right after questions, this is a personal choice. Some people prefer to leave all quoted text at the bottom, after the reply, others prefer before. You can tell what is your text from mine by the > symbol in front of your lines. This also may vary in different e-mail software. When you include lines from your original message that I quoted to you, back to me, they will have >> at their beginning with another added each time the line is quoted. The important thing is to include enough of the original message with your reply that the other person doesn’t have to try to remember what the question was you just answered. For example, I could send you an email that simply said “YES, thanks”, and now you forgot what you asked me!
Q. Windows95 won’t save my password in the dialup connection dialog box. That option is grayed out.
A. You have Windows set to use the same preferences for all users. In CONTROL PANEL / PASSWORDS / USER PROFILES check the circle that says “User can customize....” You will next restart your computer and then need to “Log On” You can enter a password if you want one or just leave it blank and leave it blank again when it asks you to verify your password (just tab past the box or click on OK) Next time you log on to your ISP, you will be able to save your password.
Q. Why does the connection between my computer and the Elkhart library computer result in unintelligible characters when I use COMIT as my communications program? I’ve tried virtually all the 20-odd options the library offers for computer emulation and none will give me a readable response. However, using Windows Terminal works alright. My system includes a 28,800 modem, Windows 3.1, DOS 6.0, and a 486 co-processor.
Q. Do I have to have a recycle bin on each of my hard drives, or can I have all deleted files go to one central bin?
Q. In Win3.x there was a trick of shift/close Windows which saved my program manager settings just like I wanted them, and as long as no one saved their changes, they could move my icons or resized my program mgr and the next time I opened Windows it was back to my settings. Is there an equal trick in Win95?
Q. Win95 has a temp directory just like Win3.x did, but it doesn’t seem to be emptying it. How do I set Windows 95 to do this?
If you have questions that you need answers for or aswers for questions E-mail the editor Eric Nisly at nisly@skyenet.net.
askSam is a Freeform database/report program for organizing all your information needs. Text, memos, notes, databases, E-Mail, and more can be combined into one file. Easy to use Reports can be sorted, merged, and joined with databases and tables. Graphics can be inserted and resized, and with OLE include video, sounds or other images in your reports. Each file is a group of Documents containing related information for easy application. One file can contain memos, addresses, E-Mail, and Graphics to enable you to search through and generate your reports based on the document styles you need. Along with the Freeform Text management, askSam can set up structured data as a file in itself. To quote askSam, “Though you will be able to perform many of the reporting functions of a traditional database, askSam does offer some important advantages including:
**Searching on a Document-by-Document basis without regard for which field actually contains the information. **The ability to alter the structure of specific document on the fly as you are entering information. **Field lengths can vary from one Document to the text. **Fields need only appear in the Documents that require them. **The ability to use both fields and Freeform text on an as needed basis from Document to Document.
The ability to use textual elements (words, lines, sentences or paragraphs)in the Freeform portions of your Documents to add structure during searches. askSam’s open approach to database structuring makes it possible for you to manage information in a database style without the rigid uniformity of traditional databases.” For powerful search capability, askSam uses Boolean, Date, Numeric, Proximity, Fuzzy and Full Text searches. It has the capability to do these searches on a Global or Local level, as well as using Wildcards. Importing features are expanded to include the options you need; from Lexis/Nexis, CompuServe, Internet, Eudora, HMTL to databases. Features such as a selection of file formats, as well as different delimitations and fixed position add a versatile tool to add speed to creating your work. Exporting formats include Text Files(*.TXT),HTML (*.HTM), Comma Separated Values (*.CSV,*.TXT), RTF(*.RTF), Tab Delimited (*.TXT), Word for Windows 6.0 (*.DOC) as well as WordPerfect 6.0 (*.WPD). Additional filters are available in a Filter Pak. Data entry screens are a snap and can be used as databases and spreadsheets with calculated totals. A Group Footer allows you to add text to totals and subtotals from the Total and Count commands. My introduction to askSam was a strange one to say the least. Upon installation, everything was fine until I left Windows. Upon my return, I found the files were there but the “askSam Program Group” was gone. At that point I set up my own Program Group and tried leaving Windows again. It happened again. After a quick call to Customer Service, and new set up disks arriving within 2 days, the problem was solved. Apparently this had never happened before and they couldn’t really tell me the reason. However, as I was using this program, I found it to be easy to use, and an all- in-one library to handle anyone’s needs in organization and entry. I do feel that more than just a basic knowledge of databases in required if you are working with complex files. The User’s Guide and help information is very well written and the Customer Service Staff is very knowledgeable and quite accessible. Being on “Hold” was not a long process if any at all.
askSam -- try it, I think you will like it.
Opinion & Book Review Reprinted from The Newsletter of Big Blue & Cousins, the Greater Victoria PCUA Web Edition Volume 13, Number 7, August 1996
I have been thinking about how and when to introduce my child to the computer. To date he (three-and-a-half) has not been allowed to touch the machine and has had to satisfy himself with a paper keyboard taped to the top of a box. This paper keyboard has served to enter him into an imaginary world in which he is working and must not be disturbed. His shouts of “leave me in peace” ring familiar, and I quietly back away...
It is only recently that computer hardware and software have reached a level of sophistication that computers are now being mass marketed for kids. There has been an explosion in the number of computer games that take advantage of sound and CD-ROM technology. Color keyboards and other trendy equipment can now be found on computer store shelves. As a result of this marketing, parents are afraid their children will be “left behind” if state of the art equipment is not purchased for the home. Select daycare centers and preschools are beginning to advertise computer time for participants. Media hype around the Internet and the Internet in the classroom adds even more pressure to the parents, many of whom have little computer background or have learned to use a computer as an adult and do so mainly for work purposes.
Introducing children to the computer is a huge topic and many parents feel somewhat uneasy as they don’t know where to begin. When my child was two I did not feel letting him bang away on the keyboard was going to help the development of his intellectual capabilities and finding a fridge magnet in my floppy drive quickly convinced me to declare the computer out of bounds. But some parents of young children I know use the computer as a source of parent and child entertainment on those long-boring-wet-winter-days. Whether sooner (in the home) or later (at school) most children in our society will be using a computer. The computer has become part of our everyday world and parents need to develop an understanding on what the computer hype is all about. We are now fully into the information age and parents can best prepare their kids by preparing themselves. Parents need to learn about computers and learn about the variety of activities the world of computers has to offer for their children.
I was browsing around at the public library the other day and found two books full of useful information for those unsure or curious parents. The two books are: Computers & Kids: A Parents Guide by Colin Webb and Wynne Rowe, and Kidnet: the Kids Guide to Surfing Through Cyberspace by Debra and Brad Schepp. Both these books were published in 1995 and are relatively non-technical and easy to read. The combination of the two books provide a good introduction to the topic of computers and kids.
This book starts off recognizing that computers are a part of a child’s everyday world. Just like the radio of the 1920s and the TV of the 1950s, the computer in the 1990s has finally become one more household appliance found in most homes. The beginning of the book separates into chapters based on an early childhood development model of ages one to two, two to three, three to four and four to five. While the authors recommend that age two is the ideal time to introduce the child to a computer (the keyboard and mouse provide excellent tools for motor skill development), they recognize that parents may decide to introduce their child at a later age.
What to expect from your child when using the computer is discussed for each stage of childhood development. They list features that should be looked for when buying software for children in each stage of childhood development. Software for two-year-olds “should invite exploration and present options for making decisions about what they wish to do”. The process of selecting options “helps children develop understandings about how symbols can be used to represent ideas... very much needed for effective reading skills to develop”. Good software for three-to-four-year olds should be capable of being configured in a variety of ways, "as your child’s skills and familiarity with the software develop, the program can be reconfigured to provide further opportunities for exploration”. For the four-to-five-year-olds software can incorporate a variety of steps and processes as preschoolers “are more able to wait and more able to predict the outcomes of their actions". It is suggested that at this stage parents organize a space on the hard drive and "will need to show your five-year-old how to name and save a file so the he or she can use it later on".
While authors imply that kids with an earlier introduction to computers may develop reading and other intellectual skills at a younger age, they also note that: “With a little experience, most children between the ages of six and eight years will experience few difficulties in using the computer on their own”. For the older child, the authors warn parents to avoid educational software that simply imitates textbook style learning and to avoid violent and sexist games. Rather look for simulation software that involves the child in making decisions. This problem solving software may take on the form of a child running a small business and has to make decisions about the cost of items and how many to purchase.
A weak point of the book is that the authors do not give a list of interesting software titles. They strongly urge parents to preview all software before purchasing and if the parent does not know much about computers the authors view this as an opportunity for the parent and child to learn together. For some parents this might seem a bit presumptuous and for this reason might have difficulty relating to the information in the book. Sprinkled throughout the book are explanations of hardware terminology and there is a glossary discussing some of the more common computer terms. Throughout the book the authors stress that the computer should not be used as an electronic baby-sitter and that a child’s computer experience should be in conjunction with many other activities. Overall I was very impressed with this book, it does well in demystifying for parents the computer experience for their child by applying the learning to a common-sense childhood development model.
Kidnet: The Kid’s Guide to Surfing Through CyberspaceKidnet is a guide book and like most good guide books it gives a lot of clear and concise information. The book starts of discussing the basics behind Cyberspace. What is Cyberspace, the equipment do you need to connect to Cyberspace and how much it will cost? The book goes on to discuss the various types of Cyberspace activities. It lists and describes each of the Commercial Online Services: America Online, CompuServe, Prodigy, Delphi, eWorld, Genie, ImagiNation Network, and The Microsoft Network and then discusses the Internet and the Web. Each chapter looks at a subject that might be of interest to kids: School and Homework, TV and Movies, Music, Hobbies, Sports, Ecology and the World, Games and Humor to list a few. Then each subject heading is broken down into sections, with a concrete description of what type of material each online service has to offer in the particular topic area and how to access the material.
Having never belonged to any of the Commercial Online Services I was curious to find out what they have to offer for kids as far as educational type material. All of the “big three” Commercial Online Services, America Online, CompuServe and Prodigy offer an Academic Assistance Center, Education Forum or Homework Helper. I have been using a computer for several years now, yet for some reason I would have never imagined homeschoolers and other students chatting online with “classmates” and teachers. Homework assistance forums are not the only educational services these online services have to offer. To list a few, America Online offers an online version of Comptons Encyclopedia and Scientific American. CompuServe offers Groliers Academic American Encyclopedia (GROLIERS) and Information Almanac. Prodigy also offers GROLIERS Encyclopedia as well as a weekly feature from the National Geographic Society.
What I do use is the Internet and the organization of the book makes it easy to find the information relating to the type of online service I use. I am not a person who likes to spend much time surfing, so I appreciate being able to look up specific locations. Academy One is an International Online Educational Resource for students, parents and educators of kindergarten through to grade 12. In order to have access to the gophers and newsgroups you must be a paid NPTN (National Public Telecommunications Network) member, however the Academy One page does provide links to interesting kid-oriented activities such as:
The Dinosaurs in Hawaii Exhibit and a Frog Dissection Page.
Web 66 is another location that follows the Academy One model and is designed to incorporate Internet resources into the elementary curriculum. “Web 66 is the place to go if your child’s school is looking for help in creating its own Web site.” The site includes links to such resources as the TimeMachine a searchable database of information about events in the past.
The subject headings in Kidnet are not all serious. The authors also list locations of interest to kids such as The Power Ranger Home Page (this location has moved, but just do a search and you’ll find over 500 page links) and Games Domain. As the number of games to be found on the Games Domain can be overwhelming, the authors provide a list compiled by Dave Stanworth, the 28-year-old computer programmer who runs the Games Domain of The Best Games for Kids on the Net.
Probably the biggest problem with the book is that at times the Web pages listed no longer exist or have been moved. Removed or moved web pages is typical on the Internet, and those familiar with the WWW will not find this surprising. With a bit of extra browsing or using a search engine it is usually easy enough to find links to the information listed.
Computers & Kids: A Parents Guide by Colin Webb and Wynne Rowe. Copyright 1995 by Colin Webb and Wynne Rowe. $12.95.
Kidnet: The Kids Guide to Surfing Through Cyberspace by Debra and Brad Schepp. Copyright 1995 by HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. $19.50.
Both books are available at the Greater Victoria Public Library.
There has been quite a change since we last published this list. I think we are very fortunate to have such a fine group of ISP’s that we can reach without calling long distance. This time I have not attempted to list the charges because the service plans offered are so varied that there is not enough space for it. Many of the ISPs listed here advertise right here in the EPCUG Newsletter so you can consult their ad for more details. Voice phone numbers are listed for each, where you can call and ask questions and, if you have web access, you can check out their web sites for more details. Please note that all web page addresses should be preceded by “http://”, with no spaces or quotes. Actually, Netscape doesn’t care, but just to be sure you can add it in front of the addresses below.
The variety of plans offered works to your advantage because you are sure to find one that meets your specific needs. There are some things you should think about before you call, such as what services do you intend use. Internet service means a lot of things, Email, Web-browsing, News-groups, FTP file transfers and many more. Email takes minimal connect time, but the others can take much more. Your intended use will indicate which plan will be the best buy for you.
Local Providers: CyberLink www.cyberlink-inc.com (219)674-8279 (219)235-1400
Michiana Net www.michiana.net (219)674-6995
Michiana Online www.sbtinfo.com (800)711-1738
MicroVillage www.mvillage.com (219)674-9092
netBahn www.netbahn.net (219)533-1930
NewParisCommCtr www.npcc.net (219)534-2830
Quantum Conn. www.qtm.net (616)926-4242 (888)926-4242
Skye/Net www.skyenet.net (219)674-4480 (800)752-6306
Star-Link www.star-link.net (219)296-6704
TheConnectingPoint www.tcpbbs.net (219)283-0450 (888)665-9199
TheLocalNet www.tln.net (219)534-9051
National Systems:
Concentric www.concentric.net (800)895-0500
GTE www.gte.net (800)927-3000
Sprynet(CompuServe) www.sprynet.com (800)777-9638
One last thing that I want to mention, since you are here in the Elkhart area, you have no problem getting Internet service. But now that you are connected, you want to exchange email and other files with a friend or family member who lives way out in the “boonies,” a long way from any ISP. I know, as this is the case for part of my family. They could sign-up with a national system, but then they would be paying twice, first for the account and then long-distance charges to connect to it. Juno.com has been one solution until recently. They still offer free email, but have discontinued the 800 service connections.
There is one other alternative. It still involves long-distance charges, but the Internet service is free. Such a service is offered by Slip.Net/FreePPP.com. Their Web page is located at www.FreePPP.com. This works for my daughter up in the wilderness of central Wisconsin, if it can help you, you can contact me for more details.
If you know of an ISP that has local service in the Elkhart area that isn’t listed here, please let us know.
* * *
For anyone who is interested in interacting with others interested in Linux, this is a good opportunity. There is now a majordomo mailing list for people in northern Indiana who are interested in Linux.
To subscribe, send mail to majordomo@agdia.com with the following in the message body:
subscribe nil
Please feel free to pass this information along to others. If you want any more details, you can contact: Don Marti
Dear Eric:
The recent issues of the EPCUG newsletter are the best I’ve seen in a long time. Congratulations on a fine job. Also, I am very pleased to see that you are interested in having a section called: “Looking For Answers”. The open forum type sessions we have at our meetings sometimes leave a lot to be disired. I have enclosed an offering for that section in your next edition of the newsletter.
St. Joseph County Public Library has monthly programs on the Internet and other special related topics. They are usually 90 minutes with a lecture and an online demonstration. Librarian Michael Stephens is in charge of the Internet training and development for the St. Joseph County Public Library.
All dates, times and topics above are subject to change. For questions about the Internet classes, send e-mail to: m.stephens@gomail.sjcpl.lib.in.us
Main Library 304 South Main St. South Bend, IN Phone: 282-4625
Are you sure you’re prepared to clean your system if you get a virus? After you get a virus is the wrong time to discover you don’t have a working, clean boot disk or to download an antivirus program. Do you know how to run the clean functions of your program? I thought I did.
Yes, I encountered a virus recently (Monkey-B). Fortunately, not on my machine, but almost! I was working on my Mother’s machine and Win95 told me that her Master Boot Record (MBR) had been altered and that either she was running a disk manager such as “Hard Disk Manager” for large hard drives (which she is not), or she possibly had a virus. I suddenly realized that I know how to CHECK for a virus, but not how to get rid of it! Late hour in the day to make this discovery. Not to mention, I have a clean boot disk, but McAfee is not on it, it’s on the machine. To top that off, the boot disk I made was with Win95 and it says I don’t have enough memory to run Scan. Now what?!?! A phone call to my favorite technician at Maple Tronics, tells me “Yes we know it’s around the area, come get another boot disk, maybe yours is infected.” Thank you, Brett! No, my boot disk wasn’t infected. Win95’s boot disk wouldn’t let me run McAfee’s scan, it said I didn’t have enough memory. But the one Brett gave me was made with DOS 6.22 and worked. (By the way, I assumed you typed "clean" at the DOS prompt to get rid of the virus. Seemed logical to me - Scan to scan and clean to clean. Somehow I missed the instructions to use clean as a switch (a:\scan /clean). Just to be sure you are clear, the virus was never on my machine, so the library is still as free as it was before (which sometimes I worry about). My main intent here is to make you aware that virus’s are real and are out there. Sometimes, over the years, when I heard about a virus I wondered what they really do, almost wondering if they are really real, since I have never known anyone personally who’s ever had one. You tend to get careless after a time and almost forget to unzip and scan your downloads, or take a disk from someone and then start to run it on your machine without scanning it first. And how many times have I wished I had bought WebScan instead of VirusScan95, but not done anything about it. Unfortunately, I don’t have to wonder anymore if they’re real or not, or if they are really that difficult to clean, or if they really can cause such a mess. Mom’s machine runs much better now that it has a clean MBR, and I’ll bet she will never get another virus! She makes me scan my disks before putting them in her machine! What about you? Is your system acting badly? Do you sometimes have your floppy or CD-Rom not located? Do you lock up too often? Is your boot disk clean? Will it run your virus scan program?
Are you SURE your system is clean???
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