Surfer Beware "Your Computer Has A Virus" Banner Ad Ask The Help Desk What Is The Proper Method Of Replying To E-mail Messages? Sites Of The Month Great Sites To Check Out In February! Short Tutorial Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator Shortcuts

Dear Netlink Customer, Welcome to the February edition of our eNewsletter. We think you'll find this month's FAQ Section and Tutorial Section especially helpful. There's always something new to learn when it comes to surfing or communicating via the Internet and we want to assist you in this endeavor. The goal of each of our monthly eNewsletters is to keep our subscribers informed regarding their Internet connection and to improve their Internet experience. To meet this goal, each monthly newsletter will usually contain information related to: Warnings on a recent virus or e-mail hoax that may affect you An update regarding any new services we are making available An answer to a frequently asked Internet related question Some fun, seasonal websites to check out A short, step-by-step tutorial on an e-mail or browser related task We think you'll find the information contained in this newsletter to be a valuable tool for enhancing your Internet experience. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, click HERE. To see what's inside this issue, take a look at the index to the left and thanks for reading! - The Netlink Team

Surfer Beware - "Your Computer Has A Virus" Banner Ad

You may have come across web pages that have banners at the top or bottom of them that say something like "Your Computer Has A Virus" or "You May Have A Virus" or "Security Alert" or even a flashing "Your Computer Is Under Attack!" These banners, many times, are so official looking that it may cause you to think that somehow your browser has detected a virus on your computer and is providing you with a warning notice. This is not true.

Although not necessarily a hoax, banners located on web pages that say something like "You May Have A Virus" are actually banner ads. They are a marketing technique used by some advertisers to scare Internet users into clicking on the banners. Once the Web surfer clicks on the banner ad, he or she is usually sent to a website which attempts to sell the surfer some type of product or service.

We strongly believe that every Internet user should have some type of virus scanning software installed (and frequently updated) on their computer as a protective measure against viruses. Remember, however, that just because you see a flashing banner ad on a web page that says something like "We've Detected A Virus On Your Computer - Click Here," it is not a true indication of whether you actually have a computer virus infection.

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Ask The Help Desk - What Is The Proper Method Of Replying To E-mail Messages?

Question: When I get e-mail replies from friends, their messages are usually typed above my original message. Sometimes, however, the reply to my message appears at the bottom of the e-mail. Is there a correct method of replying to messages?

Answer: Proper e-mail etiquette or "netiquette" says that replies should be placed at the top of the original message. This saves the recipients from having to scroll to the bottom of e-mail messages to read each time a reply message is received. This becomes especially obvious when there is an exchange of many e-mail reply messages between two users. If replies were typed at the bottom of the reply e-mails each time, both users would have to spend time needlessly scrolling to the bottom of each e-mail to read the sender's response and then type a reply message.

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Great Sites To Check Out This Month

Test Your Knowledge Of Candy Bars
http://www.smm.org/sln/tf/c/crosssection/namethatbar.html -  February is the month to surprise your sweetheart with chocolates. You can also impress your loved one with your level of candy bar expertise after checking out this site. The Science Museum of Minnesota provides a fun "Name That Candy Bar" test. Pictures of cross sections of candy bars are shown. It's then up to you to guess the name of the candy bar. Can you tell the difference between a Milky Way® and a 3Musketeers®? Give it a try.

History Of Valentine's Day
http://historychannel.com/exhibits/valentine/ -  Each year we celebrate Valentine's Day by exchanging flowers, chocolates, cards and/or going out to eat with our loved one. But did you ever wonder why we celebrate this holiday? This link to the History Channel's website provides the details of the holiday's origin and how it has evolved through the years. Note: Valentine's Day is now the second largest card-sending holiday of the year.

Saving For College Education
http://savingforcollege.com -  It's never too early to begin contributing to a college savings plan for your children or grandchildren. This site provides an exhaustive study of the popular 529 College Savings Plan and the Coverdell Education Savings Plan. Both have advantages depending on specific situations. According to SavingForCollege.com, each state in the U.S. has some type of a 529 Savings Plan. The site provides links to each state's plan. Tax laws are changing all the time so be sure to check with a tax professional before jumping in.

Survivor: The Amazon
http://cbs.com/primetime/survivor6/ -  Here we go again. Another Survivor series kicks off this month. This time it takes place in the deep jungles of the Amazon. The official site provides contestant bios, previews of upcoming shows and reviews of recent episodes. You can also cast votes for your favorite survivor. Best of all, there's a link to a "Survivor Casting Call" page where you can apply to take part in Survivor 7! If you are selected, it could be a great way to lose 30 lbs -- and a good shot at becoming a millionaire!

Walt Disney's The Jungle Book 2
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/junglebook2/ -  This movie is based on the 1967 Disney animated film, The Jungle Book. The sequel continues where the first movie ended. Mowgli decides to venture away from civilization and return to the "bare necessities" of jungle life. His old nemesis, Shere Khan (voiceover done by John Goodman) has an unfriendly greeting awaiting him. The movie is rated G and is great entertainment for the entire family.

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Short Tutorial - Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator Shortcuts

Both Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator provide so many keystroke shortcuts that you may never need to use your mouse again -- well, almost never. Here are a few of the more commonly used shortcuts:

• Organize your browser's favorites/bookmarks. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Windows: Click on the "ctrl" key and the "B" key. Netscape Communicator for Macintosh: Click on the "command" key and the "B" key. On Internet Explorer for the Macintosh, use the "command" and "B" keys to collapse or expand Toolbars.
  
  
• Bookmark the web page you currently have open. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Windows: Click on the "ctrl" key and the "D" key. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Macintosh: Click on the "command" key and the "D" key.
  
  
• Open the search frame (This works for Windows Internet Explorer users only.) Click on the "ctrl" key and the "E" key. On a Macintosh, use the "command" and "E" keys to view the HTML Source.
  
  
• Open a "Find" box. This allows you to find words located on the web page you currently have open. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Windows: Click on the "ctrl" key and the "F" key. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Macintosh: Click on the "command" key and the "F" key.
  
  
• Display web pages located in the "History" folder (recently visited websites) of your browser. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Windows: Click on the "ctrl" key and the "H" key. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Macintosh: Click on the "command" key and the "H" key.
  
  
• Open your Favorites folder. (This works for Windows Internet Explorer users only.) Click on the "ctrl" key and the "I" key.
  
  
• Read information about the web page you currently have open. (This works for Netscape Navigator users only.) In Windows, click on the "ctrl" key and the "I" key. On a Macintosh, click on the "command" key and the "I" key.
  
  
• Open an e-mail window. (This works for Netscape Navigator users only.) In Windows, click on the "ctrl" key and the "M" key. On a Macintosh, click on the "command" key and the "M" key.
  
  
• Open a new window on your browser. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Windows: Click on the "ctrl" key and the "N" key. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Macintosh: Click on the "command" key and the "N" key.
  
  
• Refresh/Reload the current window. Internet Explorer for Windows: Click on the "F5" key. Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator for Macintosh: Click on the "command" key and the "R" key. Netscape Communicator for Windows: Click on the "ctrl" key and the "R" key.

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We hope you found this newsletter to be informative. It's our way of keeping you posted on the happenings at our shop. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, click HERE.

Thanks for your business!

Best regards,

Mike Huggenberger
Director
Great Plains Communications Netlink

©2003 Cornerstone Publishing Group Inc.

Trademarks: All brand names and product names used in this eNewsletter are trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.