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The LangaList
17-Feb-00
A Free Email Newsletter from Fred
Langa
That Helps You Get More From Your Hardware,
Software, and Time Online
1) Secure your PC from Hack Attacks--- for Free!
In my WinMag column this week, I'll debunk these four myths of online security:
- Myth #1: "I'm not on a network, so my PC is safe."
- Myth #2: "I just use Dial-Up connections, so my PC is safe."
- Myth #3: "I use an anti-virus app, so my PC is safe."
- Myth #4: "I use a firewall, so my PC is safe."
I'll tell you why these statements are false, and then go on to show you how you can vastly improve your online security in just minutes, using tools you already have, and for free!
Then join the discussion! WinMag readers are famous for being both knowledgeable and helpful--- If you have questions about networking, ask them there, and I or someone else will try to help. Plus, share your tips, tricks, and suggestions for making your PC more secure. Join in anytime at http://content.techweb.com/winmag//columns/explorer/2000/04.htm
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The discussion on "Mozilla
5.0," the long-awaited, much-delayed, open-source successor to Netscape
Communicator and Navigator, has split into camps. Who's right? Come share your
views! Will Mozilla be strong enough to succeed in its own right, or will it
gain users only among those who hate Microsoft? Will AOL force-feed the new
browser to its users, carpet-bombing the world with Mozilla CDs? Do you think
Netscape and the Mozillans can catch up, or has too much time elapsed? Is it
"game over" for Netscape--- or a whole new beginning? Join in the
ongoing discussion running now at http://www.informationweek.com/langaletter
. Click to
email this item to a friend Long-time readers may remember
askSam Surfsaver--- I first wrote about it some two years ago: If you've tried using
your browser's "save as" feature to copy a page off the web, you know
how limited it sometimes is: You can save only the HTML of the actual page
you're viewing. If that page is Framed or calls other pages or other graphics
from other locations, your saved version will be incomplete and will have holes,
broken graphic symbols, and so on. SurfSaver is an
intelligent web page-saver. When you see a page you want to keep, SurfSaver lets
you place a complete, live copy of the page---everything you see on screen,
including graphics and Frames---in a kind of filing cabinet on your hard drive.
You can add notes to the saved pages, and best of all, search the intact,
all-parts-in-place pages for text later, offline. It's great for doing web
research; I use it almost every day! Although newer browsers do a
better job of collecting the parts of pages you want to save, Surfsaver is still
better--- it's fast; it keeps multiple pages or sites together; and everything
you've saved is keyword- or full-text searchable in seconds so you can easily
find what you're looking for. I *still* use it almost every
day. Surfsaver normally costs $30, but
askSam has just moved to a new ad-supported model: For the small hassle of
viewing an ad banner, you now can get the full version of Surfsaver for free.
Definitely worth a look! Click to
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Several issues ago, I told you
about a simple, basic, free HTML editor. (See http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/feb-10-00.htm#7
) Then reader Paul Jackson wrote to tell me of a well-developed, fabulous editor
that I'd never even heard of. It looks like a *great* tool--- a nicely-done
web-site creation and-publishing package---and it's all for free! Hi Fred, just wanted to
mention another really nice FREE HTML editor that I've discovered. It is called
Arachophilia and is written by ex-Apple programmer Paul Lutus who has a very
extensive and comprehensive site of other free utilities and information. Highly
recommended and free! His main page is at http://www.arachnoid.com
Arachnophilia is at http://www.arachnoid.com/arachnophilia
. Thanks, Paul! Click to
email this item to a friend LangaList reader Rex Swain is a
consultant and needed a way to see easily what was going on behind the scenes of
various web sites when he clicked in. So, he wrote an "HTTP Viewer"
that anyone can use (for free!). It intercepts and displays *everything* that
transpires between a browser and any given web page, showing you stuff your
browser normally hides. For example, when you connect to
Amazon.Com, you'll normally see your browser churn for a few seconds (showing a
blank page) and then the Amazon home page comes up. But Rex's tool lets you see
that you're actually viewing three pages in rapid succession: An initial page
quickly redirects you to a second page that sets a cookie; and then that page
dumps you to a third page where another cookie is set. Your browser only shows
you the third page, but Rex's spy tool lets you see everything---and I mean
everything---that's going on, including the cookie contents and the URLs of the
hidden pages. Rex describes it this way: Take a look at http://www.rexswain.com/httpview.html
sometime. I think this is a pretty cool tool, and perhaps my fellow LangaList
readers will too. Given a URL, it shows *exactly* what is received by your
browser, including the HTTP header. This enables you to see cookies being set,
observe URL forwarding, and so on. Check it out. It is cool, and very useful if
you know some HTML and scripting. The flip side is that if you don't know HTML
and scripting, the output will definitely be cryptic. But even so, Rex's
tool is a great way to learn. Thanks, Rex! Click to
email this item to a friend Well, that was a bit lame, but I
was trying to get as many acronyms into one heading as possible. That's because
reader Simon Lieschke told me about a handy acronym lookup site that will
decipher any of over 128,000 different acronyms for you, in a flash: Great newsletter! It's
always the last email I read when I receive it (y'now saving the best to the
last). Anyway, a friend of mine
sent me a link to http://www.acronymfinder.com/
Its sort of the same thing as the file extension sites you had in the LangaList
recently. I thought I'd pass it on to you as often I'll come across an acronym I
don't know and have no clue as to what it is. It's also fun to try unusual words
or combinations like your initials, or 'BANANA' Thanks, Simon. It lists all kinds
of acronyms, too--- not just the web/email shorthand acronyms I used in the
headline for this item. But be warned: that the
acronymfinder web page is *very* cluttered. The box to start your acronym search
is in the upper right portion of the page---easy to overlook at first. I've added the site to my
"quick reference" links. Maybe you'll want to add it to yours, too! Click to
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The Recommend-it
site used to give away Palm III organizers as an incentive to use their service;
now they've upped the ante--- way, way up! If you think the
LangaList is a worthwhile read, just use the following link to recommend the
LangaList to a friend. Your friend just may find a new source of useful
information; I just may gain a new subscriber; and you just may win $10,000 or
other prizes from the folks at "Recommend-It." (The new giveaway
starts Feb 7th; full details will also be available via this link): http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm#1 Or, win a copy of
"Poor Richard's E-Mail Publishing: Creating Newsletters, Bulletins,
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been described as "An excellent, straightforward manual on email
publishing, banner ads, driving traffic and especially ethics." (Full
details also available via this link): http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm#2 Either way, thank
you, and good luck! Click to
email this item to a friend Reader Chris Lockard writes: Fred, I
recently added a link to your page from my page at http://outro.virtualave.net
. I noticed that the banners you had on your site for use were all right, but I
found they didn't really fit the theme of my site. I decided that I would create
my own button and then I figured I would just create a variety of buttons for
people to use on their pages, should they find themselves in the same situation
as myself. From the link above ( http://outro.virtualave.net
) users can click on the left frame of the page (under one of the buttons I have
up) to go to my page with all of the other banners I created. (note they all
have a picture of yourself in the background with a message about the langa list
in the foreground). I would feel honored if you would share this *small*
resource with other people. Thank you for your time ~Chris Thanks Chris. I'm no artist;
that's for sure. Your banner is smaller and nicer looking than the one I made
up. 8-) So now, if you have a home page
or website (it doesn't matter what size) you have two banner choices---mine and
Chris'. And if none of this is making
sense to you, please click on over to http://www.langa.com/code.htm
to see what I'm talking about! Click to
email this item to a friend Except for a possible tenuous
connection to late-night programming binges, the following item (sent in by
reader Scott Randolph) has no relation whatsoever to computers. But I liked it
anyway. And no---I don't condone or encourage overconsumption of alcohol
etc etc etc--- it's just a joke, OK? 8-) Beer Troubleshooting SYMPTOM: Feet cold and
wet. SYMPTOM: Beer unusually
pale and tasteless. SYMPTOM: Opposite wall
covered with fluorescent lights. SYMPTOM: Mouth contains
cigarette butts. SYMPTOM: Beer tasteless,
front of your shirt is wet. SYMPTOM: Floor blurred. SYMPTOM: Floor moving. SYMPTOM: Room seems
unusually dark. SYMPTOM: Dashboard
suddenly takes on colorful aspect and textures. SYMPTOM: Everyone looks
up to you and smiles. SYMPTOM: Your singing
sounds distorted. SYMPTOM: Don't remember
the words to the song. Click to
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See you next issue! Best, (Please recommend
the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win a Palm III) An easier-to read formatted HTML version is
available in the "what's new" section of http://www.langa.com.
(The HTML version of each issue normally is available by 9AM EST [GMT-5] of the
issue date.) All past LangaList issues are also available via the same link. Why are you getting this newsletter? There are
only two ways to get on the list (direct email request or via the WinMag mail
list signup page) so if you're getting this newsletter; your name came to me
through one of those channels. SUBSCRIBE (it's free!): Send email to subscribe-langalist@lyris.dundee.net About
the advertisers: Langa Consulting LLC will never knowingly accept
advertising for a fraudulent product, company or service. However, Langa Consulting LLC makes no implied or explicit warranty, recommendation or endorsement
of or for the products, companies or services mentioned in the ads. Disclaimer:
The tips and other information given in the newsletter are researched and are
believed to be accurate, but we cannot and do not guarantee that all the
information here will work on all systems, for all users, all the time. All
information herein is offered as-is and without warranty of any kind. Neither
Langa Consulting LLC, nor its employees nor contributors are responsible for any
loss, injury, or damage, direct or consequential, resulting from application of
any information presented here. This newsletter is a free service of Langa Consulting LLC and is Copyright © 2000 Langa Consulting LLC. All rights reserved.2)
Split Decision
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Freebie #1: Surfsaver
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Freebie #2: Arachnophilia Web Editor
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Freebie #3: A Cool Online HTTP Spy Tool
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PMJI, But FWIW And IMHO, This Will Make You Say OIC
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A Better Banner?
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Just For Grins
FAULT: Glass being held at incorrect angle.
ACTION: Rotate glass so that open end points toward ceiling.
FAULT: Glass empty.
ACTION: Get someone to buy you another beer.
FAULT: You have fallen over backward.
ACTION: Have yourself chained to bar.
FAULT: You have fallen forward.
ACTION: See above.
FAULT: Mouth not open, or glass applied to wrong part of face.
ACTION: Retire to restroom, practice in mirror.
FAULT: You are looking through bottom of empty glass.
ACTION: Get someone to buy you another beer.
FAULT: You are being carried out.
ACTION: Find out if you are being taken to another bar.
FAULT: Bar has closed.
ACTION: Confirm home address with bartender, take taxi home.
FAULT: Beer consumption has exceeded personal limitations.
ACTION: Cover mouth.
FAULT: You are dancing on the table.
ACTION: Fall on somebody cushy-looking.
FAULT: The beer is too weak.
ACTION: Have more beer until your voice improves.
FAULT: Beer is just right.
ACTION: Play air guitar.
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Fred
(fred@langa.com)
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