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Oak Park Computer Club: Articles

Mostly written by me, mostly for the OPCC.
 
Comments welcome!
The Beginners' Page

This page is intended as a jumping-off point for those that are just starting out with their computers, or those who wish to become more comfortable with their operation.

There's nothing wrong with being a "newbie"--we all had to start out somewhere.  What is important to realize is that millions of people use computers every day, and most of them are no more intelligent than you are.  A computer is a tool; the better you know how to use it, the more you can get out of it--and there shouldn't be any fear of it, either.  Ignorance is curable, and the "cure" can start here, if you want it to.

I write articles geared to people with many levels of computer knowledge and expertise.  Those articles that are appropriate to a beginning or unpracticed computer user will be posted to this page, along with the links that are good places to start.  Some of the information duplicates the material in the articles.  This is partly for reinforcement and partly context enhancement.  I will add articles on a regular basis, so watch this space!

Let's start with the articles, shall we?

The basics -- a series of articles
Internet Basics  Contents: what is the Internet?  What is a portal?  What is a search engine?  How can I get the most out of them?

Email Basics  (7/5/04) Contents: what is WebMail?  What is POPmail? What are the differences?Free-email infomation.  Security issues, including: How does a user deal with attachments?  How does a user deal with spam?  How does a user reduce the chances of being infected with viruses?

Just Beyond the Basics is an overview of the Windows Clipboard, copy/cut/paste, and keyboard shortcuts.  Screen shots will be added shortly to enhance the presentation.


Our web links
OPCC Club sites:  OPCC "official"    OPCC home    Our Yahoo! Group    The Articles Page

Portals
Yahoo! -- The original, and probably best-known.  I recommend that all users get a Yahoo! email account.  See my articles for more.

MSN -- The Microsoft portal, with a mix of free and for-pay services.

Netscape  -- Related to AOL, with access to Time-Warner content, including CNN, Time magazine, and more.  Now also a $10/month internet service provider using AOL's servers.

FirstGov.gov -- No discussion of portals is complete without mention of this one, the Federal government's "front page."  From tax forms, to National Park schedules, to finding your congressmember's contact information... you can get there from here.

Search engines
Google -- The leader, for good reason.  Search, news, Usenet newsgroups, and more.

Yahoo! -- now has its own search engine, a decent alternative to Google. 

Mamma and Dogpile -- These meta-search engines provide the ability to access multiple search engines simultaneously.

AltaVista -- No longer a leader, but a useful alternative -- and the BabelFish translator is quite useful.


News aggregators -- current news from a variety of sources
Google News   Yahoo! News


On-line Reference
Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia, and very useful.  You can even contribute information or articles, if you have knowledge it lacks.

Webopedia is an online dictionary and search engine for computer and Internet technology definitions.

Yahoo!  now has a built-in dictionary function:  in the Search box, type the word define before the word that you want defined.

Michigan eLibrary (MeL) -- A compehensive on-line library, with access to libraries and other resources all over Michigan. Both adult and child-oriented material.  Access is restricted to Michigan residents only, but your state may have a similar network.
 
Last page revision date: Tuesday, 5-July-2004. The contents of this site, including all articles, are copyright © 2004 Michael Rudas.  All rights reserved.  Contact me for further information or just to say "Hi!"