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Welcome to this week's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, May 26, 2002
Happy Memorial Day!
In this Issue:
Featured Computer Term: Pixel
This Week's Topic: Cookies
Question: Preview Files As Thumbnails
Learning Series: Word Processing - Displaying the Status Bar
Featured Website: Memorial Day
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Today's Computer Term: Pixel
The following question is from a newsletter subscriber:
I’m trying to learn more about my computer and find that there is a whole new language that I have to conquer. It can be so overwhelming. This newsletter has been such a help for me -I thank you so much for providing all this wonderful information.
I see the term pixel very often. Can you tell me what it means?
Answer:
It’s true. There are thousands and thousands of various computer terms being used when reading and researching topics about your computer. One such term is pixel.
A pixel is a term to describe a single dot on a computer screen. The more dots, or pixels, you have, the better the image on the screen. Computer monitors and graphics cards vary in the number of pixels that they are able to display on a screen at one time. This total number of pixels on a screen is called the resolution. The more pixels, the better the resolution.
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Today's Topic: Cookies
The following question is from a newsletter subscriber:
Can you explain "cookies"? What is their use? Someone told me I can delete them as they take up space?
Answer:
A cookie is a piece of information unique to you that your browser saves and sends back to a Web server when you revisit a Web site (the Web server is the computer that hosts a Web site that your browser downloads or sees). The server tells your browser where to put the cookie on the server. Cookies contain information such as log-in or registration information, online shopping cart information (your online buying patterns in a certain retail site), user preferences, what site you came from last, etc.
The main purpose of cookies is to identify users and possibly prepare customized Web pages for them. When you enter a Web site using cookies, you may be asked to fill out a form providing such information as your name and interests. This information is packaged into a cookie and sent to your Web browser, which stores it for later use. The next time you go to the same Web site, your browser will send the cookie to the Web server. The server can use this information to present you with custom Web pages. So, for example, instead of seeing just a generic welcome page you might see a welcome page with your name on it. This can be very convenient if you shop frequently at a particular website -the cookie remembers your information such as name, address, credit card number, and you won’t have to input that information each time you purchase something.
The name cookie derives from UNIX objects called magic cookies. These are tokens that are attached to a user or program and change depending on the areas entered by the user or program. Cookies are also sometimes called persistent cookies because they typically stay in the browser for long periods of time.
To see all the cookies that your browser has stored on your computer, click the Start button, choose Run, type Cookies in the Run box, and press Enter. Each cookie is stored as a separate file that includes your username, an @ sign, and the name of the site that stored the information. You can double-click on any cookie to open its file in Notepad, and you can use the Delete key to get rid of any cookie you decide you don't want or need.
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Question: Preview Files As Thumbnails
The following question is from a newsletter subscriber:
When my granddaughter opened pictures on my computer, she was able to look at small versions of the pictures before she opened the one we wanted. When she opened it, the picture was its usual size. Being able to look at the pictures before was very helpful but I can’t figure out how she did it. Can you help?
Answer:
If you are using Windows ME or XP, you can view preview your graphic files with thumbnails, which are small pictures.
If you want to be able to view files with a thumbnail preview, go into Windows Explorer and click the folder that the file is in. Open the View menu and click the Thumbnail option. Now files will be seen as a thumbnail image.
Some files may not have an image associated with them, so you will simply see an icon surrounded by a box.
To view or print an in-depth, graphical explanation of Windows Explorer, take a look at the Windows manual on our Website. Click on the link below or copy into your browser. http://www.stsico.com/html/windows_explorer.html
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Progressive Learning Series: Word Processing - Displaying the Status Bar
There used to be an area at the bottom of my Word program that told me what page I was on, what line I was on, and other things. It disappeared and I’d like to get it back. How can I do that?
Displaying the Status Bar
The status bar is the area at the bottom of the Word window that indicates information about the current document. It displays information about what page you are on, as well as your line number on the page and character number on the line. It also shows information about which editing toggles you have turned on. If you need more room to view a document, or you don't need the information provided by the status bar, you can turn it off. If it’s off and you’d like to view the information it provides, you can turn it on. To control display of the status bar, follow these steps:
1. Choose Options from the Tools menu. This displays the Options dialog box.
2. Make sure the View tab is selected.
3. Click on the Status Bar check box. If there is a check mark in the check box, then the status bar will be displayed; no check mark means it will not.
4. Click on OK.
There’s also a status bar in the Microsoft Works word processing program. To turn it on or off, click on View on the menu and check on (or off) Status Bar.
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Today's Featured Website: Memorial Day
For poems, prayers, background on the holiday, and a comprehensive list of sites related to Memorial Day, take a look at the U. S. Memorial Day Website.
http://www.usmemorialday.org/
The Holiday Spot Website offers Memorial Day greetings, history, wallpapers, links and a place where you can post your own tribute.
http://www.theholidayspot.com/memorialday/
For historical facts about the holiday and America's wars as well as supporting a veterans' forum, take a look at the History Channel’s Website.
http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/memorial/memorial.html |
