Announcements

Server Maintenance

Sorry if you stopped by the site yesterday and things were down (or if your newsletter pictures didn't show up).

We were doing some server maintenance and had to pull the site down for a couple hours. We're trying to make the thing run a bit faster (it can be kind of sluggish). Hopefully we'll have things better by week's end, but until then, there may be a few "blackouts".

Thanks for your understanding :-)

Computers 101

Q:
The other day, I was typing and went back and change a thing or two. I needed to put a space between a couple words and instead of moving the text to the right to accommodate the space, the text was overwritten! It did this no matter what letter I typed. I ended up having to re-type an entire paragraph because of it. After I rebooted, the problem was gone. Any idea why this happened?

A:
Ahh, you were a victim of the Insert key!

Somehow during the course of your typing, a stray finger accidentally tapped the Insert key. Normally, you can squeeze words between other words with no problem. Tap that Insert key, and you'll overwrite instead of insert. Next time that happens, just tap the Insert key again to get back to normal.

Guess it should have been called the Overwrite key...

Have a question for the newsletter? Submit it at the link below:
http://www.worldstart.com/submitquestion.htm

Tip of the Day

Keep It Clean

When it comes to our computers, all we tend to think about is the stuff we see on the screen - the software. Most of tend to neglect the computer itself.

What can you do with your computer to make it run longer? Keep it clean.

I can't tell you the number of computers I've opened that have been clogged with dust. In fact, I've seen computers fail and have intermediate problems due to excessive dust build up. In addition, a lot of dust in your computer can cause it to run hotter than it should, shortening its life.

So, what can you do?

I recommend that you open your computer's case (unplug it first) about once every 6 months or so and blow it out with that canned air stuff (you can get it at any office supply store). Of course, be careful not to disconnect or damage anything. Make sure you blow out the power supply (DO NOT open up the power supply unit) and the CPU fan too. Since all this dusting can make a mess, you may want to do it outside.

Here's a shot of one of my dirty old PCs. This one uses a Pentium III processor, so its CPU fan is vertical in orientation. Your CPU fan may be flat on the board.

Also, make sure you keep your can of compressed air upright. The propellant inside those things tends to come out when the can is inverted or at an angle, so be careful.

Oh, if you can get some kind of good "mini-vacuum" that would be OK too. In fact, some would argue vacuums are better because compressed air can force dust deeper into the cracks and crevices of your computer.

That said, I still like canned air better for a several reasons.

1. I've yet to find a little vacuum that was any good. They all seem to leave a ton of dirt behind on the boards. In my opinion, if you can't get all the dirt off, what's the point?

2. In addition, there are a lot of places that even small attachments just can't get to. Again, what's the point of cleaning if you can't get it all?

3. I've been cleaning computers since before DOS, and have yet to actually see a problem with using canned air. In my opinion, compressed air simply removes the most dust. So, I'll stick to my little cans, you can still vacuum if you like :-)

Finally, no matter how tempting it is, washing your computer with the help of a garden hose is always a bad idea :-)

Have a tip for the newsletter? Submit it below:
http://www.worldstart.com/submitatip.htm

Amanda's Cool Site of the Day

American Family Immigration History Center

Explore your family history today by searching immigration records. There are several different areas of this site that can be interesting. For some of these sections, you will need to take a moment and register, but don’t worry, it’s free. Explore this site by using their Passenger Search, Family Scrapbooks, View Your Ellis Island File, and the Actual Immigrant Experience.

The Immigrant Experience was my favorite section, there are two options here: Family History or The Peopling of America. You then choose a time period, and your adventure begins. Enjoy!

http://www.ellisisland.org/

Do you have a cool site that you want to share? Send it to Amanda!! Here's the address:

amanda@worldstart.com

Oh, and we're looking for non-commercial sites. We generally don't run sites that are strictly for shopping.