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Welcome to this week's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, May 31, 2009
In this Issue:
Special Feature: How to Avoid Spyware
Tips & Tricks: Twenty Five Most Important Rules of Email Etiquette: 21. When in Doubt, End Emails with "Thanks"
Featured Computer Term: Undo
This Week's Topic: Speed Up a Slow Computer – Disable Indexing Services
Question: Internet Abbreviations
Websites of Interest: How to Garden Guide; Free Shipping; Public Radio Fan; Shutterfly; Fifteen Ways to Save Money Online: 8. Shop Online, Online Shopping with Comparison Shopping Search Engines
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Special Feature: How to Avoid Spyware
by Peter May of How Stuff Works
http://www.howstuffworks.com
The brief history of personal computing is replete with advances in productivity, processing power and entertainment. From word processing to e-mail to the World Wide Web, computer technology has forever changed the way we work and play. As with any new technology, however, these advances have also provided new methods for criminals to separate us from our money. One of those methods is spyware.
According to a number of sources, the first use of the term spyware occurred in a 1994 posting that made light of Microsoft's business model. Later, the term was used to describe devices used for spying, such as small cameras and microphones. In 2000, a press release from security software provider Zone Labs used the current meaning of spyware for the first time and it's been used that way ever since.
Spyware is software that resides on a computer and sends information to its creator. That information may include surfing habits, system details or, in its most dangerous form, passwords and login information for critical applications such as online banking. Many spyware programs are more annoying than dangerous, serving up pop-up ads or gathering e-mail addresses for use in spam campaigns. Even those programs, however, can cost you valuable time and computing resources.
Often, spyware comes along with a free software application, such as a game or a supposed productivity booster. Once it's downloaded to your computer, the functional element of the software works exactly as promised, while the information-gathering system sets up shop behind the scenes and begins feeding your personal data back to headquarters.
In many cases, the hidden activities of the software are clearly described in the end-user license agreement (EULA) that is displayed during the installation process. This protects the developer from potential legal action because they can prove you knew (or should have known) that the program included this functionality when you installed it. Most of us, however, don't read EULAs because they are long, boring and written in hard-to-understand legalese. As further proof that there's a software application for everything these days, you can now obtain software that will read EULAs for you and display a warning if keywords or phrases indicate there's a spyware risk.
In our next newsletter:
Other Types of Malware
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Tips & Tricks: Twenty Five Most Important Rules of Email Etiquette: 21. When in Doubt, End Emails with "Thanks"
This article is part of our ongoing series on Email Etiquette. With the help of Heinz Tschabitscher from about.com, we are taking an in depth look at email etiquette. To read previous editions of this series, please visit our newsletter archives:
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/etiquette.html
The rules of email etiquette are not rules as much as they are guidelines that help avoid mistakes (like offending someone when you don't mean to) and misunderstandings (like being offended when you're not meant to).
These core rules of email etiquette help us communicate better via email.
When in Doubt, End Emails with "Thanks"
Should you write "bye", "regards" or "best wishes?"
The proper way to sign off is often not only the last, but also one of the most difficult parts of an email (almost as difficult as the greeting). When you can't decide what to write and have no idea what's appropriate, end your message with a simple thanks. That is never out of place.
To read previous editions of this series, please visit our newsletter archives:
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/etiquette.html
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Featured Computer Term: Undo
Ooops! I clicked something that I should not have clicked!
Whatever you do, your computer can Undo.
As soon as you realize you made a mistake, find Undo and click on it. By clicking on Undo, you will reverse your last action -whatever it was. If you erased a paragraph, Undo will restore it. If you moved part of a picture, Undo will put it back to where it originally was.
Almost every Windows program has an Undo feature.
You can usually find undo in several places; you have your choice. Some programs have an undo button on the toolbar (look for a counterclockwise arrow). If the program you’re using doesn’t have it on the toolbar, you’ll find it in the Edit menu. A shortcut to access Undo is to hold down the Ctrl button on the keyboard and press Z to Undo the most recent change.
Is there a computer term or phrase that you'd like to see an explanation of? Email it to info@computerkindergarten.com and we'll put the term and its definition in an upcoming newsletter.
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Today's Topic: Speed Up a Slow Computer – Disable Indexing Services
As your Windows computer ages, its speed can decrease. You will notice an increase in response time when you give commands to open programs, files or folders, use the Internet and other tasks. There are several things you can do to speed up your computer.
In our ongoing series, Speed Up a Slow Computer, we will present articles discussing some of the steps you can take to speed up your slow computer.
Important: Before making any changes to your system, always create a Restore Point. If anything goes wrong with the changes you make, this will allow you to revert back to a point when the computer was operating correctly. Please visit our Newsletter Archives to read our article, All About Restore Points:
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/040509.html
Disable Indexing Services
Indexing Services is a small program that uses a lot of memory and can significantly slow your computer down. This program lists and indexes all of the files that are on your computer. When you search for a file, the computer looks through the indexed list to find what you want. If you do not search for files very often, or even if you do search often, this system service is unnecessary and really does not speed up the search process all that much.
To disable Indexing Services, follow these steps:
Windows XP
Click Start
Open Control Panel
Open Add/Remove Programs
Click Add/Remove Window Components
Click to Uncheck Indexing services
Click Next and follow the prompts to complete.
Windows Vista
Click Start
Open Control Panel
Open System and Maintenance
Open Administrative Tools
Open Services. If User Account Control asks for permission, click Continue.
In the name column, scroll down to Windows Search. Right click on Windows Search, and then click Properties on menu that appears.
The Windows Search Properties window will now appear. Look for the Startup type section. To the right of Automatic is a small down arrow. Click on it. Click Disabled.
Click the OK button and close all windows.
After the computer is restarted, Indexing Services will no longer be running. If you wish to enable this program in the future, follow the above steps to do so.
In our next edition, Optimize Display Settings
Please visit our Newsletter Archives for previous articles in our Speed Up a Slow Computer series:
Speed Up a Slow Computer - Clean the Desktop
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/040509.html
Speed Up a Slow Computer - Uninstall Unused Programs
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/041909.html
Speed Up a Slow Computer – Turn Off Auto Start Programs
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/042609.html
Speed Up a Slow Computer – Turn Off Auto Start Programs - MSCONFIG
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/050309.html
Speed Up a Slow Computer – Disable Unnecessary Windows Services
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/051009.html
Speed Up a Slow Computer – Defrag
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/051709.html
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Question: Internet Abbreviations
I frequently Instant Message with my grandchildren. Could you provide an explanation of the abbreviations they use? I cannot figure some of them out.
Answer:
Here are some of the more commonly used abbreviations:
BRB – be right back
AFK – away from keyboard (I am gone for a few minutes)
BTW – by the way
TTYL – talk to you later
BFN – bye for now
TTFN – ta-ta for now
BFF – best friends forever
CYA – see ya (or it could also be: cover your a*s)
CUL8R – see you later
IMHO – in my humble opinion
LOL – laughing out loud
ROFL – rolling on floor laughing
RTM – read the manual
THX - thanks
TX - thanks
TY - thank you
NP - no problem/you're welcome
PLZ - please
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Websites of Interest:
How to Garden Guide
Visit this site for great vegetable gardening tips.
http://howtogardenguide.com/
Free Shipping
type in the name of the website where you want to shop, and get a list of codes you can enter for free shipping.
http://www.freeshipping.org/
Public Radio Fan
Public radio stations and programs all around the world.
http://publicradiofan.com/
Shutterfly
Store and share your digital photos, free.
http://www.shutterfly.com/
Fifteen Ways to Save Money Online: 8. Shop Online, Online Shopping with Comparison Shopping Search Engines
From Wendy Boswell of about.com
No matter what your financial situation may be, it is always a good idea to learn new ways to save money. Find out how you can utilize the power of the Web to save money, find good deals, and improve your financial status.
8. Shop Online, Online Shopping with Comparison Shopping Search Engines
Comparison shopping search engines not only find the item you're looking for, but they give you a list of comparison prices in order for you to find a discount, compare prices from competitors, and finally make a purchase. Here are some of the best comparison shopping search sites on the Web.
ComparisonEngines.com: Brian Smith's very detailed yet refreshingly readable site on comparison engines. "Through interviews with key players, guest commentary, case studies, analysis of news and events, and comparisons of features, readers will gain an in depth understanding of online comparison engines, a rapidly growing facet of online shopping."
OrganizedShopping.com:Sean O'Rourke's excellent and extremely organized site on anything and everything to do with shopping and search. Make sure to check out the sitemap; this is where you'll find the entire contents of this extremely large and informational site.
http://www.organizedshopping.com
PriceGrabber is a excellent choice for anyone who wants to find something quickly with a minimum of fuss. Pricegrabber's simple layout and fast delivery of results makes it very easy to find, compare, and buy.
http://www.pricegrabber.com/
CNet Shopper
For the geeks in your life, CNet Shopper is a must-have bookmark for anything to do with technology. Includes "comprehensive product information, specs, professional reviews, and tech-savvy user reviews."
http://shopper.cnet.com/
Not only can you compare prices for any product you're looking for at NexTag, but you can also compare mortgages, travel, cars and more.
http://www.nextag.com/
Compare prices on all sorts of good stuff, from apparel to movies to watches and more. One unique thing about PriceScan is that they do not take money from vendors in order to appear on PriceScan's pages: "At PriceSCAN we believe that consumers should have access to unbiased reporting on products and prices. It seems obvious to us that if a price guide restricts its listings to those vendors who have paid to be included, then its database more accurately reflects the source of its revenue, not necessarily the best products at the lowest prices. At PriceSCAN we accept no money from any vendors for listing their products and prices."
http://www.pricescan.com/
BottomDollar.com is owned by PriceGrabber. One thing I particularly appreciate about BottomDollar is after you click on the results, say for a SanDisk 1GB Memory Stick PRO Duo Card, you can enter in your zip code in order to get savings on shipping (who knows, you might find a deal close enough to drive to).
http://www1.bottomdollar.com/
BestWebBuys.com allows you to search "thousands of online stores" in order to find the best web buy (hence the name). According to the site, "some of the stores give additional discounts to Best Web Buys customers." Worth a look.
http://www.bestwebbuys.com
With an extensive product comparison index, SortPrice is a great shopping search engine, with a unique feature: Shop, Drag, and Drop, "an innovative tool used to compare products that allows consumers to maintain a virtual shopping list while navigating through millions of products from thousands of online stores. By dragging the selected products into an easy to use shopping list, those products can then be compared side by side, providing useful product information to help shoppers make a more informative buying decision."
http://www.sortprice.com/
Tip: Some websites may require you to register to use their features. When you register at websites, you may be signing up for spam (junk mail) if the recipient sells email addresses to spammers. There is a way to avoid this and still be able to take advantage of the great things that site has to offer. Read our article, Minimizing Spam – Registering Online, at our newsletter archives, to learn how use websites without getting junk mail.
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/111608.html
Next Edition: Shop Locally
Please visit our newsletter archives for previous articles in our Fifteen Ways to Save Money Online series:
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/savemoney.html
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