Dayle's Computer Sch0o0oL

Maybe you aren't as computer illiterate as I once was,
but I certainly found it a struggle to pick up these useful
bits of knowledge....I mean, it's not as if these darned
machines come with complete instructions.  So here they
are to share with you!

Copy and Paste and How to Save Recipes.
This is such a wonderful feature.  If you aren't familiar
with computers you might not be aware of this easy trick .

Using the mouse, and holding down the left hand button, you
can scroll across an internet address,  or down a block of
text (a recipe for example) and it will become high lighted.

Now with Windows, you can copy this high lighted text by
using the key board keys 'C' and 'Ctrl'...hold them down
together. This is a command for the Computer to Save the
highlighted text. Where does it save it?...well it just saves it
'somewhere' of course....don't ask difficult questions!

Now this text can be TRANSFERRED BETWEEN PROGRAMS, or if it's an address it can be inserted where ever you would like to place it, saving all the complication of trying to type out an address accurately. (You can also copy and paste using the EDIT menu at the top of the page) I like the keyboard best..

To Paste or place this text where you would like it to go, position your cursor then you simply use the keyboard keys again only this time use 'V' and 'Ctrl'...voila! your copied text has been pasted.

If you are wanting to save text, such as a recipe or some  instructions, first open up a text type of program, Notepad or Word, then you can paste the item directly into it, straight from the internet. To find Notepad, go to Start (on your main Windows menu bar), then into Programs, then into Accessories. It's in the Accessories menu.
 

How to make a Link on the recipe boards.

When you are posting a message on a message board, often there is a little form at the bottom of the message.  This is for making a link.  You can copy and paste an address into the first little slot.  Put the name of the site in the second or just type in 'click here'.
The third slot is for the address of a graphic.  Did you know each photo and graphic on the internet has it's own address!  Use your mouse again, and hold it over a graphic then click on the right key.  A little menu box will come up giving you the option to save the graphic, or the address (location) of the graphic. If you save a graphic to a disk, remember to note the site that it came from.
It's not considered a good idea though to link to someone's graphics, although it's fun to do once in awhile, it can create a very heavy load on their server, and mess up their pages.

How to make a link in HTML
If  you want to make an HTML link, this is the code for you to use. On some boards you have to make a link this way.
<A HREF="type in the exact address here">name it, or type click here, in this area</A>
That is the coding needed around the address to make a link. Don't forget you can copy and paste the address!
Try it here  HTML Lab lets you try it out on line, it's fun.
If you'd like to know a little bit more,  click here

HOW A WEB PAGE HAPPENS!
Have you ever wondered HOW DO THEY DO THAT? Get stuff like this onto the Net? I did for the longest time. Well here is how it's done. This is basic outline of how it all works. First you sign up for a web site with a web page provider, there are a couple of links below for Free sites. Sometimes your own server provides a free page but just doesn't advertise it.
You then go to the site and fill in a registration and you are provided with a secret password. Using your password you can get into their computer system and it will let you put information into your own file folder (Web Page).  You get the information ready by using an HTML editor, something as easy to get as Netscape Communicator with Page Composer (it's a free download) or by learning HTML code yourself.  Some sites provide fill-in-the blank template pages, you don't have to know anything about HTML or editors.  You can change things right on line by using their edit button and e-mail graphics to your file, again with a click of one of their buttons.  Their computer adds the graphics to your pages automatically. HTML, by the way, is just coding around regular words to create centering, line breaks, make pictures show up and to turn addresses into links. It's pretty neat stuff!  Initially, you had to learn HTML (hypertext Markup Language) to make a Web page, now there are programs that do it for you, VERY easily. So you see, it's not the mysterious after all!

TIP
Every Page on the internet has HTML coding on it.  To see this coding, go up to the menu bar at the top, choose View and go down to Source....have a look at this page.  Goodness, that would be a lot of work without an editor!  This is a great help when you are trying to figure out how someone did something on their pages.
 

GRAPHICS and PHOTOS
(how to get a photo onto your computer)

You can download any graphic from the Web onto your own computer.  That's the way to save an assortment graphics you might want to use on a web page, or just because you like them.
Again using the right mouse button, when the cursor is over the graphic, click and then click 'save this graphic as' to your hard drive or a disk.

Ok that's easy enough.  Now the big question, how do I get a photo of my own onto my computer???  I wondered about this one for a looong time.
1) get a scanner  (but you don't need to)
2) take some photos to your local Kodak photo finishing store.

So you don't have a scanner, well this is how I've been doing it.  I fit some photos onto a piece of 8 1/2 x 11 paper, using the old rolled over tape trick to get them to stick into position.  I make a collage maybe 4 or 5 photos on one sheet.  They don't have to be facing the same direction, just all facing up!  I then take the page into a Kodak photo finishing store.  Kodak has a machine that will make prints of photos while you wait.  This same machine will also put photo's onto a disk, while you wait.  It takes about 5 min.!!!  Have them do it on Collage and save as jpeg.

Now once you have the disk, you will need  a photo program of some type. Some computers come with one, if your does not, you can down load various free programs, or Paint Shop Pro for a 60 day free trial, which is what I did.  Those programs will let you rotate and crop your photos, reduce the byte size so that they don't take up so much computer space and give you the ability and fun of sharing them with your friends and relatives.  Go for it!

PAINT SHOP PRO download page
 Paint shop Pro Tips
 

The photo of Fritz on this page  click here
has been used twice, once it was cropped, so compare.

for more help (I'll try) or if you have questions,
please e-mail me, Dayle at:

 links4you@hotmail.com
 
Where would you like to got next??

 Computer help pages, HTML Links and Graphics

 Best Misc. Links
 MAIN INDEX PAGE
 
 Hmmm....how am I going to catch these fish they keep swimming across the screen and I can never grab them.