One of the best things about friends, about the Internet, the library, and TV is that they offer tremendous help in problem solving as well as insight into learning. Here are some of our favorite places for casual yet informative reading and self-paced exercises for building computer skills. Each one is beautiful and/or entertaining, and offers a great opportunity for achievement! Enjoy!
DON'T SHOUT!!! When you type subjects in the subject line, or type your email, chat on Instant Messenger (or other), or even sign your name, ALL CAPS indicates shouting! So stick to lower case. (You may even notice that many prolific emailers and chatters never use a capital.) Hence: Smaller is better!
PLEASE . . . (we're shouting now) . . . PLEASE do not forward emails that have been sent to you without deleting any prior names and addresses. It's like giving out someone's unlisted phone number. And believe it or not, there are folk who rifle waste baskets looking for email addresses so they can spam the world with their get-rich-quick scheme, etc. It only takes a second to highlight (click/hold/drag over) others' addresses and then strike the delete key before clicking "Send." (See our "Handy How-To's" for instructions.) So DO IT!!!
And likewise, also done innocently enough, don't publish others' email addresses when you're sending a message to a group of people. Address your email to multiple recipients or group contact as "blind carbon copy" and the only one who knows who it went to is you! Viola'!
Also, you can clean up those pesky >>>>>s from forwarded emails by running them through the EmailStripper, a fun and easy tool. See our "Dynamic Downloads" for a link to their site, and our "Handy How-To's" for step-by-step instructions.
PULLLLLEEEEEASE...DON'T BE A PERPETRATOR! (shouting again) Always investigate any virus warnings, or warning letters of any type, before passing them on to others. The vast majority of such alarming emails are created by morons with too much time on their hands. See "Laudable Links" for recommended sources. If you don't have time to check it out, don't take the time to forward it.
Now, if you're wondering about those little weird symbols sent to you via email, they're "emoticons," sometimes affectionately called "emoties," and you have to cock your head to the left to view them in their splendor. A serendipitous thing when corresponding. And there are also "acronyms," or Internet lingo shortcuts, to make typing easier when chatting or "e"ing. We've linked you to a couple of definitive yet unoffensive sites here (if you want the offensive ones, you'll have to search elsewhere). So investigate, get "clued in," and impress your friends with your communications savvy!
