Computers 101

Q:
Have you seen that awful archaic font they're using on dozens of sites these days? They're almost totally unreadable!

A:
Sure there are over a million amateur web page makers for every pro designer, but I think the reason so many web sites seem to be using an ugly font has more to do with your browser than the design skills of the person who made the site.

If your browser's default font is some ugly, unreadable font, then any website that does not have a specified font will come use that one.

Now, how to fix this...

The interface for Internet Explorer and AOL is the same, but you get there in different ways. With IE, go to Tools / Internet Options to open the control panel. With AOL, go to Settings / Preferences, then under "Organisation" click "Internet Properties".

Down at the bottom of the "General" page you will see a button marked "Fonts"—clicking it opens a window where you can select the font you want to have as a default.

For readability, keep it simple: Arial or Times New Roman. For plain text, you can do the same, or use Courier New for that typewriter look.

Now, with Netscape Navigator, go to Edit / Preferences, then under the "Appearance" category select "Fonts".

From the "Fonts for" drop-down list, choose a character set. For instance, any of you who browse websites in Western languages (like English), set default fonts for the "Western" character set.

Next, select whether proportional text should be Serif (like Times Roman) or Sans-serif (like Arial). Then specify the font size you want for proportional text—normal size is 12 pt., but you can go larger or smaller if you want. You can also choose fonts for Serif, Sans-Serif, Cursive, Fantasy, and Monospace but I don't think it will make much of a difference on most sites.

Who knew you had so much control over web site appearance?

~ David

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Tip of the Day

Hidden Files

Many readers have written me lately about hidden files: how to access them, how to delete them, what they do, etc.

However, hidden files are files that do not, by default, show up. You can set your computer to show your hidden files by clicking the Tools menu in Explorer, then Folder Options. When the Folder Options screen shows up, click the View tab and find the Hidden Files item. You'll see an option for showing all files there.

Once you do that, you should be able to see all your hidden files. Keep in mind that these files are hidden for a reason. Most of them can not be opened by the user and contain important information for your computer. Should you accidentally delete them, you may run into a world of digital hurt (stuff like programs not running, Windows not working, etc).

So, be careful with hidden files. Don't mess with them unless you know exactly what the file is for.

~ Steve

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Amanda's Cool Site of the Day

The Flotsam Project

The site’s name is LILEKS, but I wanted to specifically bring you "The Flotsam Project" on this site. Not that you shouldn’t check out the "Urban Studies" section, because it is really interesting too. In the "Flotsam Project" there are a lot of categories—so much to see and do.

If you are starting in the order they are on the page, you will wind up in the Institute of Official Cheer first which has everything from men's fashion photography from the 50s, 60s, and 70s to the orphanage of cast-off mascots. The section will definitely give you something to smile about. The photos are especially fun to browse through, but the commentary is funny and enjoyable to read. Don't miss their archive section, "Jetsam Cove".

Next head to the Comics. View and read comic strips from the 20s, 30s, and 40s—everything from Lance Lawson, to WWI cartoons, to Mr. Coffee Nerves. Lots and lots of comics for you to browse through here in high detail.

"Matchbook-O-Rama" is pretty much what the title says it is: lots of vintage matchbooks, arranged with commentary. In the "Old Ad Archive" you can browse through vintage ads ranging from the 1920s to the 1960s. I particularly loved the ads from WWII . The "Postcard" section has some very lovely postcards from motels all over America. The "Have a Seat" section features postcards from restaurants and diners from sea to shining sea.

Sure there are vintage ads, comics, and postcards from various ages, but would this site be without vintage money and stock certificate engravings? Check the vintage money out in "Curious Lucre", and the stock certificates in "Bureau of Corporate Allegory".

For a young'un like me it's like an online time capsule, while for those of you who lived during those eras, it's a trip down memory lane.

http://www.lileks.com/

Do you have a cool, non-commercial site that you want to share?
Send it to Amanda at amanda@worldstart.com