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Our last meeting
With the possibility of another storm on the horizon, the members still made our Wednesday meeting enmass. We picked up a couple new recruits, but we miss those of you who didn't attend.
The March meeting concentrated on the Internet, and specifically AOL. I , for one, was unaware that AOL is actually a"web" all to itself, and that it actually takes some effort to break out and browse the World Wide Web if you are an AOL member! It is even difficult to have a "normal" e-mail service (like Outlook Express) if you are a part of the "AOL Family"! It sounds a bit like censorship, and borders on outright "mind-control " to me!
We also got a brief glimpse at a few websites that are a part of Doug's "favorites"
and saw just how quickly the cable-based "Roadrunner" service from Time-Warner Cable really is, as he zipped from one to the other. Members were jotting notes like madmen (and women) as the URL's were flashed before them, and the Internet unfolded before their eyes.
Doug has asked that all the Group Members give him some ideas for future meetings, as he wants the Group to be a place where the ideas of all it's members are explored. To that end, I will be sending a letter to every member this month, asking for your input on what future meetings should touch on . I'll expect to hear from you, and I will give every request my attention and a response, as well as sending the input on to Doug. Let's hear it people, this is your way of making it your Group!!!
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Welcome PC Lovers !!
March is coming in like a lion, and it is supposed to go out like a lamb! I hope so ,and so do many winter weary members of Upstate New York's
citizenry.
There is legislation afoot at the national level that will really cost people using their phone service for the Internet! If passed, it will make the access numbers for the Net equivalent to an Interstate phone call!
That means you will be charged, by the minute to be online! Doug at ABP has the information, and, if you show an interest by e-mailing me, I will be sure to get the info to you, along with who the contact and how!
In our last Newsletter I mentioned that I had a new scanner, and a few of you have contacted me about the ones that you have. I wish I could have been more helpful, but I quickly discovered that every scanner has it's own favorite programs and formatting to go with it, and all I could do was compare "apples and oranges" for those who asked my advise. My best advise, it seems was, "Dive in with both feet, the water isn't that deep!" What that means is that the best way to get the most from your scanner (or computer) is to use it, and explore it's many possibilities yourself, gaining expertise and having fun at the same time. Be fearless, and remember that you are the one with the working brain, not it!
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What's new !
Last month I made mention of a website that helps you find out if the virus you heard about is real, and this month's site goes hand in hand with that one. It is a site where you can actually have your PC scanned for viruses with the latest virus-sniffing programs, and then remove them if they are found!
http://housecall.antivirus.com/explorer.html
is the site for those with Internet Explorer as their browser, and the same thing only substituting "Navigator" for "Explorer" in the URL will work for those who have Netscape.
It takes a few minutes to get it setup, and then a few more to actually scan your drives for viruses, but the peace of mind it brings is worth the time it takes. I did my own PC this morning before work, and discovered that I has a clean bill of health. Try it yourself, and you'll feel better about your 'puter too!
A few members have indicated an interest in making their own websites, and to that end I will mention a few sites that offer free websites to those who wish to have them.
In addition to AOL, Dreamscape and Roadrunner, who offer homepages to their members, there is:
http;//www.angelfire.com
http;//www.geocities.com
http://www.maxpages.com
These are just a few of the many places where you can start your own website or homepage about most anything you like. It can be about your family, friends or interests and there is usually a lot of helpful places on the site for info on how to make it interesting. I personally picked Angelfire" because it doesn't have any advertising on your actual page, and is really easy to work with. I understand that we may be talking more about this "fun" part of computing at one of our future meetings.
The Editor
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