Computer User Group

I originally posted this list in January 2007. However, through my keen observation skills, I discovered that all computer users have not yet read and digested this information. For this reason, I'm posting it again because I won't stop working to educate computer users until every computer user knows these 10 skills.

Computers have become almost a main stream household appliance. Whether you have been using a computer for fifteen years or one, these skills should be second nature:

1. Cut, Copy, Paste
2. Print just what you want (word processing, email, web)
3. Backup your address book
4. Select (highlight) text or files
5. Properly uninstall unwanted programs
6. Burn a CD
7. Download files from the Internet
8. Use MSCONFIG ; Another MSCONFIG tip
9. Search the Internet
10. Attach Files to an email
    

#11: Learn how to best utilize HelpMeRick.com

 

If you already know how to do these skills, please pass this article along to someone who doesn't...help me help other computer users.

Every year computer users using the Internet to check account balances, transactions, and even paying bills grows by nearly 30%. According to one Pew study, more than 50 million Americans use online banking services. 50 million sounds like a large number, but that still reflects less than 50% of online American adults. Bank web sites continue to evolve by becoming easier to use, more secure, and more helpful than ever before. In fact, many banks rather that their customers check their web site for answers rather than call or visit a branch. However, many people shy away from online banking because of security fears.

I’m going to outline, for you, five simple steps that you can take to keep yourself and your finances safe on the Internet.

This week's video tip is a HelpMeRick.com first...it involves 3 videos to cover the topic of Gmail. Directly above each video below, I give a short synopsis of the videos contents. The more I use it, the more impressed I am with Gmail. If you currently use Gmail, don't be afraid to watch these videos as you might pick up a tip or two yourself.

Google offers a good Help section covering their email system, and you can find it by clicking here. My short video series here are meant to just get you started quickly and give you the highlights of this email system.

In this month's group, we talked about and demonstrated how to set up a web page that can be personalized. I like to use a customized web page (portal) as my home page (first page that shows up when I start my browser). We looked at the Yahoo portal (My Yahoo) and the newer Google customized home page.

Both services require that you register and setup a user name and password. Once you register, you can customize your page to include weather information, stock portfolios, sports news and scores, news from industries or topics that you choose, comics, and even content from other web pages. Both services are free and give you the flexibility to add, subtract and edit any type of data that you choose.

• After you sign in, first look for the

After getting off the "grid" this year with our meetings and covering some very different territories, I decided to go with a mainstream topic today. In today's meetings, we discussed some word processing and spreadsheet basics.

Our site has a plethora of word processing tips (mostly Microsoft Word), and you can find them all by clicking here.

For spreadsheets, you can just search for spreadsheets in our search engine.

Definition

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The word blog derived from web + log. Blogs became well known during the 2004 election process, but have been around since at least 1999. They started out as simple online diaries comprised of primarily text entries sorted by date...newest to oldest. Gradually, they morphed into full fledge web sites containing images and video along with the written information.

What is the purpose of a blog?

I have written much about Ubuntu over the past six months, but today was my first public presentation of this fantastic operating system. Because it is different, many computer users tend to look upon it with eyes of confusion, but after discussing the possibilities and the opportunities with Ubuntu, those confused eyes turn to eyes of intrigue.

Getting people to think about an alternative to Windows and computing as we know it today were My only goals for today's user group presentation. If you missed it, or you attended, here are some links to Ubuntu articles here at HelpMeRick.com and elsewhere:

• Best place to start with Ubuntu: My 5 Minute Video Tour of Ubuntu
• How to burn the Ubuntu file you downloaded
  
• Ubuntu Documentation from Ubuntu web site
•  All of my Ubuntu Tips in one list
• All articles Adam or I have written about Ubuntu
• Wikipedia article on what "Open Source" is and means.
  

Extensions are small add-on programs that either enhance your Internet browsing experience or give you new tools that give you quicker access to information you already search for using the Internet. Mozilla Firefox gives you the most options at customizing your browsing your experience. In addition to being, what I believe, is the smartest and safest web browser around, Firefox extensions make Firefox a browser that is second to none.

To find Firefox extensions, Click Tools --> Add Ons --> Get Extensions from your Firefox menu.

I don't do it too often, but this month I decided to hold an all Q&A (2 hours) user group meeting. It truly is amazing how many questions 30 or 40 ravenous computer users can generate. Sometimes one question leads to another, and an entire "topic" can take up a half hour. You have to be at one of the meetings to truly experience the type of knowledge and information that gets shared and explored. Some of today's topics included:

I first wrote about this in October of 2005 and decided to resurrect the post so more people can read it and respond along with the edits I added. Another term that is developing along side Web 2.0 is "cloud computing" which means about the same thing...computing in a web browser versus traditional boxed software.

The term Web 2.0 started surfacing a few years ago, but is just now becoming a common industry buzz word. Web 2.0 refers to the level of functionality brought to the web. Internet users with fast connections (DSL speeds and up) can now do almost anything on the Internet that they can do with desktop software. Not all the applications are as refined (yet) as desktop software, but are compelling all the same. A computer user can use web based word processors, spreadsheets, databases, invoicing, financial programs, photo programs and much more.

My current favorite Web 2.0 applications are:

• Drupal - Content Management System for web sites
• Zoho Office - Word processing, spreadsheets, database, calendar and more
• Google Apps - Word processing power from any computer...from Google
• Yahoo Mail Beta - Yahoo is close to releasing a web mail interface that works as well or better than