Alvin's Educational Technology Blog

The new Vista Start button has a great search tool built right in.  Now you can press the Windows key and type the first couple of letters of the program or document you want to open.  Vista does more than show the first item in the long list in the Start Menu.  It sorts the matches so that the most used items are listed first.

When I press the Windows key and then type “wo”, I get Word because I use that program often.  “ex” takes me to Excel and “po” brings up PowerPoint.  If I’m looking for a recently used spreadsheet, I can type “xls” and all my spreadsheets are listed, with the most recently opened file at the top.  This works for any type of file: doc, ppt, txt, jpg… any file extension.

Over time, your Vista search tool will get better at finding what you want quickly.  I use it to open everything in the Start menu.

TSPY=3.60

Another common problem I see slowing computers down is spyware. Spyware is the name given to programs that have found their way into your computer via back-channel methods.  You can get spyware from an installation of a regular piece of software.  I remember installing something years ago and getting a “free” extra called Gator.  Periodically this gator-like-thing would pop up and ask me to do something or buy something.  It took me forever to get rid of it. 

Today the most common way of picking up spyware is by browsing the dark corners of the Internet with Internet Explorer.  I have seen copies of IE that run like molasses because spyware has bogged them down so much.  You should always install Firefox.  Two browsers are better than one.  It is only a matter of time before other browsers pick up their own versions of spyware.  To be safe, you should run some sort of spyware scan.

I have used Spybot Search and Destroy for years.  It’s free.  You can get it here.

http://www.safer-networking.org

One of the original spyware detection programs was Ad-Aware originally by Steve Gibson.  Now it is distributed by Lavasoft.  You can still get a free version.

http://www.lavasoft.de/software/adaware

It is important to rid your computer of spyware.  This software will not only slow down everything you do on your computer, it has the potential to “steal” information from your computer and give it to undesirables.  Spyware can also turn your computer into a zombie that is controlled by someone else.  Zombies can be used to send spam and a whole host of other (more nefarious) things.  It is in your best interest to keep the spyware off your computer.

TSPY=6.66

There is no way to avoid junk mail.  The UF email servers get several hundred thousand email messages each day, and the percentage of non-junk mail is approaching single digits.  Right now, we are at 90% junk mail and that number is rising.

There is nothing you can do to avoid junk mail.  Any time you are asked for an email address, there is a good chance you will end up on someone’s spam list.  That will generate junk mail for you.

Here is something that I have done for ten years to reduce my own volume of junk.  I only give my dog’s address out to people I don’t know.  Any time an online form (Flickr, Delicious, etc) asks for an email address, I give them

scooby@trustyetc.com

For years it was

alvinsdog@hotmail.com (free email)

but once I got my own server, I brought it in-house.

There are two important notes concerning this process.

1 – I still get junk mail, but less of it comes to my main email address.
2 – I am using a real email address for my junk.  If I must get into that account to get something like a confirmation link, I can do it.  The important stuff is usually right there at the top of all the junk mail.

If you are in a hurry and don’t have time to setup an account, use Mailinator.  You can send a message to any address and the server automatically creates an account on the fly.  The email is only stored for two hours, but with no password.  Like I said, you do this when you are in a hurry and security isn’t important.  If you send something to

alvinsdog@mailinator.com

the account will be automatically created and you can go to the web site and check the message without the bother of setting up another email address for spam.

TSPY=1.32

I see a lot of computer problems. Everyone in the neighborhood brings every problem to my door. There is nothing worse than something that can be prevented for free. I’m talking about a computer infected with a virus.

There are a thousand ways of catching one of these things. The most common method is via email. As a rule, you should never open an attachment. Never. Period. I know you are going to open up files your friends send you. Everyone does. That’s why the virus creators use email to spread their wares.

I use AVG Anti-Virus. It is free.

http://free.grisoft.com

Once installed, it automatically checks for updates.  All my email gets filtered through the virus checker as well.  Something else that is just as important – it doesn’t slow my computer down.

Don’t download illegal software and don’t open email attachments.  Those two things will protect you from most of the problems out there.  A free anti-virus program will take care of the rest.

TSPY=0.42

Whenever I look at large graphics within a browser, I do it full screen.  Open your browser and press F11.  It works in IE or Firefox.

I find this feature especially useful when looking at maps.  It adds about 10% more to the viewing area.  Of course it works when looking at pictures of the kids (or grandkids) too.

I think I have figured out why I don’t like tabs.  Tabs eat up part of the viewing area.  More importantly, they use up 25 pixels right at the top of the browser.  This particular area is the most valuable when it comes to looking at browser content.  That’s why banner advertisements are always at the top of the page.

TSPY=0.10