Basic Internet and Computer Hints #3
Using Your Credit Card Online
Chances are, if you haven't used your credit card to make a purchase on the Internet, it's not because you haven't been able to find anything worth buying. More likely, you've been skeptical about the security of giving out your credit card number online.
As long as you're careful and pay attention to a couple of important indicators, you can be quite certain that the sensitive information you're sending over the Web is safe. The standard for a secure transaction is that the site uses 128-bit encryption. Files encrypted this way are virtually impossible to decipher by unauthorized persons.
Before entering any credit card or bank account information on a web-based form, have a look at the address bar of your web browser. Most internet addresses (URLs) begin with http://. Secure URLs always begin with https://. Additionally, secure sites always display a locked padlock icon at the bottom right corner of your browser window. The pages leading up to the one where you enter your credit card number may not be secure (in fact they probably won't be) but, the page on which you enter and submit your credit card number MUST be secure.
I doubt that you'll ever come across an non-secure site asking for credit card information. If you do, please forward the particulars to me at jelve@jelve.com. I will be happy to report the offender to the proper authorities.
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Defragmented lately?
If you've noticed that your computer seems to be working harder and running slower than it did when you first got it, the reason could be that you haven't been defragmenting your hard drive.
Fragmentation refers to the condition of a computer in which files are divided into pieces scattered around the hard disk. Fragmentation occurs naturally when you use your computer frequently, creating, deleting, and modifying files.
Just like a 'real' filing cabinet, your computer files must occasionally be sorted and organized to allow for fast retrieval of information.
In Windows, defragment by selecting Start>Program Files>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Defragmenter. The Windows Defragmenter will guide you from there.
Hint: Start the defragmentation before going to bed at night. If you haven't done it for awhile (or ever), it can take well over an hour to complete. The more often you defragment, the fast the the defragmentation process - and the
faster your computer will run.
Help! I lost the file I was just working on!!
We've probably all done it. Create a nice Word document and click Save and then Close. Then we have that sinking feeling...Where did I just save that thing I spent the last two hours creating?
Instead of hunting around in all the likely places, go to your Start button. Then select Documents. You'll see a list of the last dozen or so files that you've had open. Click the file to reopen it and then save it again - this time, making sure you put someplace where you can find it.
But what if it was a few days (or weeks) ago that you had the file open and it's not on the list of recent documents available from the Start menu? Don't despair. Select Start>Find>Files or Folders. Using various methods, such as entering the
name of the file, the date that it was last modified, the type of file it was or even some of the words contained in the file, your computer will search everywhere and narrow down your search to a manageable number of results.
Search for files created or modified during a certain time period.
Search for a file by looking for all files with a certain word or phrase.
Forgot what the name of the file was? If you know what type of file it was (above example shows a Word document with a .doc extension), you can use the asterisk as a 'wild card'.
BTW, you might have some FAQ about acronyms
What the heck is he on about now, you're wondering?
If you've ever seen an online discussion board or chatroom or used instant messaging, you've probably been confronted with some mysterious acronyms. People use them to save time and energy typing common phrases into these online conversations (or just to be cute). They have now found their way into many email messages, too.
Here's a list of common acronyms you can use to impress your teenage kids.
BTW by the way
FYI for your information
FAQ frequently asked questions
IMHO in my humble opinion
LOL laughing out loud
ROTFL rolling on the floor laughing
LMAO laughing my a** off
NRN no reply necessary
TIA thanks in advance
TYVM thank you very much
HTH hope this helps
BFN bye for now
There are plenty more but those are the ones that are most likely to be coming soon to an email near you.
