Why you should Blog using Firefox.

Blogging, using Internet Explorer is wasting your time. "Time is money" We all know this. Firefox allows you to easily flip between many sites using "Tabbed Browsing" I know "Tabbed Browsing" has been talked about sooo much that it's getting old. Now IE is adding it, they're "keeping up with the Jones". So what. This is all about the extensions available in Firefox. Where to begin...

Extensions important to Blogging as I know it.

1. IE View This allows you to see how your site looks in IE with one simple click. The click opens the current page in IE so you can easily compare how it looks in the two browsers. Why this is important...approximately 15% of internet users are using Firefox so you want your site to look good there as well.

2. Context Search This allows you to highlight any word or phrase on any page and search it with your choice of search engines or even del.icio.us if you want.The results open in a new tab for your convenience. This saves many clicks and/or time typing into an address bar. "Time is money"

3. Session Saver This allows you to resume where you left off. What that means is you can reload all the pages you lost when you accidentially closed your browser or restore a single page that you accidentially closed. One click simple. This saves alot of time...I thought I would never use but it I have and I was thankful for it.

4. Just Blog It This allows you to highlight text on the net and post it right to your blog. 2 to 3 clicks and you have a new post. This works with an extensive list of blog hosts such as: Blogger, Movable Type, Drupal, Journalspace etc. The Blog host doesn't matter because you can input your own if it isn't in the list.

All told I think that using Firefox to do your Blogging could be an important step towards more enjoyable Blogging.

"D"

Google talk/Gmail home made smily's

Just messing around with the new Gmail Google talk function and found out that if you type the old venerable smily :-) it spins upright so it is an actual smily face so to speak. The winking smily works also ;-) so does the frowning smily :-( but the winking, frowning smily does not. I would like to see how many other smily's and/or other simple emoticons work. If you find new ones please post them here and let everyone know. These only work if you are chatting through the Gmail interface. I haven't seen them in the Google talk pane yet.
"D"


I guess I was a bit slow. 2 days slow in fact. Thats ok though, I'm not in someones hip pocket for the 411. Thought I had a good one though.
"D"

Turn Off E-mail Sound Alerts When Receiving Incoming E-mail

Most e-mail software programs are set as a default to check for incoming e-mail messages every ten minutes. If a message or messages have been received, an e-mail sound alert notifies the computer user that a message or messages are available for him/her to read. However, it can become somewhat annoying to hear these e-mail sound alerts going off every ten minutes. To turn off the audio on these e-mail sound alerts, follow the steps below.

Removing E-mail Sound Alerts In Outlook Express When Using Windows XP:

1. With Outlook Express open, go to the "Tools" menu and drop down to "Options." The "Options" window will appear.
2. Click your cursor arrow on the "General" tab.
3. Look for "Send/Receive Messages" and uncheck the box next to "Play sound when new messages arrive."
4. Click "OK."

Removing E-mail Sound Alerts In Thunderbird 1.0.7 When Using Windows XP:

1. With Thunderbird open, go to the "Tools" menu and drop down to "Options." The "Options" window will appear.
2. Click your cursor arrow on the "General" icon.
3. Find the settings for "When new messages arrive" and uncheck the box next to "Play a sound."
4. Click "OK."

Removing E-mail Sound Alerts In Netscape 7.2 When Using Windows XP:

1. With Netscape Navigator open, go to the "Edit" menu and drop down to "Preferences." The "Preferences" window will appear.
2. Under "Category," click your cursor arrow on "Mail & Newsgroups."
3. Click on "Notifications."
4. Uncheck the box under "When new messages arrive."
5. Click "OK."


Or...You can have some fun and change the default notification sound to something fun, like the "you got mail" AOL bit.
Click here for a search on that file You got mail !

"D"

Getting rid of an Unwanted toolbar

Have you noticed an extra toolbar on your Internet Explorer? Have you wondered what it was for? Did you think someone else who uses the computer installed it?
Chances are that what that toolbar really is, is Spyware/Malware and it's causing you to see more pop-ups than usual. Not to mention it's slowing your computer down.

Get rid of it!

#1 Ask all of the users of the computer if they installed it and why or if they really need it.
#2 If no one knows or wants it...dump it...now.
#3 Try to uninstall it from an uninstaller located in the programs list (good programs have these).
#4 Try to uninstall it using the add/remove programs located in the control panel.

If these don't work...You will need to download and install a few programs to get rid of this "infection"

#1 Go to Lavasoft and download Adaware SE then install and run this program...sit back and relax until this program has run it's course. When it is finished you will be presented with a list of files it considers to be Spyware/Malware. Right click on this list somewhere and select "check all". Then select "fix problems" or "delete problems" or similar option to rid yourself of these infections. You may be required to reboot your computer afterward.

#2 Now go to Javacools software and download and install Spyware Guard. This blocks Spyware/Malware from entering your computer. (Doesn't stop everything)

If you are running MS windows XP sp2 Go to Step #3 if not Go to step #4

#3 Go to MS Anti-spyware an download this product and install it. This will automaticaly search for Spyware on your computer everyday and it will also block spyware.
or
#4 Go to Safer Networking and download Spybot SD. Install it and then run it. You will need to run this periodicaly as it doesn't have an auto run feature that we like.

#5 These programs are FREE but some of the developers do take donations so if it works for you send them a buck or two or click on the ads on their site.


"D"

Send large attachments in email FREE

Have you ever wanted to email large files (up to 1 Gig) but found certain limitations from your email provider ( MSN, Yahoo, etc.)
Check out this free service that allows you to send these large files, as attachments and it checks for viruses as well. Can't beat that!
Mail Big File @ mailbigfile.com
"D"

IE 7 is worth a try!

==IE 7 is fast!==

The start-up time for IE 7 is fast compared to Firefox. I did a double take because it started up so fast. I don't know if this will change as the browser gets older but right now it's big plus!

The download size is under 12 MB which is almost unbelieveable for IE. This actually shocked me. I was expecting 20+MB. But 12MB is still roughly 3 times the size of Firefox.

I imagine there are about 10,000 Firefox vs. IE7 comparison articles out there and I'm sure there are some fanatics out there slamming one or the other. I don't believe that people want to hear all negative things about stuff. Positive information is alot better!

I sound like a wuss! Whatever!

I suggest you give IE 7 a try ane see for yourself and if you have any questions, i'll try and help if I can. Either post a comment or email me.

"D"

p.s. don't be alarmed with the beta status if you have problems, uninstall the program.
p.s.s. Be ALARMED there is no uninstall for this BETA ****Use Caution**** I guess.
or just go to TechEnclave for the uninstall information.

RSS in IE7

The RSS reader feature included in IE7 is very easy to use and enjoy. It may or may not include all the neat and/or trendy features included in other RSS readers, but it is user friendly.
When you find a site that contains regularly updated stories centered around topics you are interested in, RSS comes in real handy. What you do is you subscribe to the "feed" (Orange and white button near the home page button at the top) and then when you want to "browse" the headlines, you click on the "feed" located in the "favorites center" (circle star at far left) in IE7 then click on your "feed" and read. Now, remember you are only getting a headline and maybe two or three sentences of the first paragraph of the article.
This is all done so you can decide to read it before you actually load the site. Saving your time for more valuable things like solitaire or super breakout.
Stay tuned for more IE7 stuff as I discover it.
"D"

Internet Explorer7 public beta

=============This is not a bash on IE7==============

I am a Mozilla user. Firefox has been my default browser for 1.5 years. There have been ups and downs, but I like the huge variety of options available with Firefox. Overall I have been extremely happy with Firefox.

Today, I have downloaded the Internet Explorer 7 beta to "test it out".

I was not surprised that I had to restart my computer after the install.

IE7 created some controversey with the spyware/malware protection programs installed on my machine. But after repeated clicks on "allow this action" everything settled down.

IE7 seamlessly imported my old favorites from IE6.

IE7 also seamlessly worked right away with Google tool bar.

For those of you with no experience using "Tabbed browsing" you may be at first confused.

Try this... Click your scroll wheel on a link in a webpage. This will open the page associated with that link, in a new tab. You will see this tab at the top of the screen right below the main IE7 bar. Click on this tab to view the new page you have opened. This feature makes website comparison much easier it also allows for much easier navigation.
For example: You want to copy and paste some information to your Blog to share with others. Now you don't have to jump around through 7 or 8 open windows to find the certain page you are looking for you just click through the tabs. Sound the same but once you get used to it, you will love it.

Stay tuned for more info about IE7 as I discover it
"D"