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LangaList 2003-12-15 Please visit our sponsors and help keep the LangaList S.E. free!
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )------------- 1) Not-So Subtle Reminder Re:Win98Microsoft has twice granted stays of execution to Win98/98SE, but this time, it looks like the end is truly near. Microsoft now bluntly says "After January 16, 2004, [Windows 98] will be obsolete..." I have an entire feature-length article in the works for you that will go over recommended end-of-the year update/cleanup/tune-ups for ALL versions of Windows, but if you're one of the millions of users still running Win98, you might want to get a jump on things by grabbing *and storing* copies of all relevant Windows Update items so you'll have them on hand even when Win98 support dries up. It's easy, and the basic process--- for any Windows version (not just Win98) was discussed in "How To Save Your Win98 (And Other) Updates Offline" in http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-03-20.htm#2 . You can use Windows Update to see what's already installed on your system ("View Installation History"); and then use the info from the link above to grab a fresh, stand-alone copy of the update item(s) that you want to save locally, so you can reinstall them any time you want, right from your own hard drive. (Or CD, or whatever.) That process works for ANY version of Windows, by the way: You really never have to download any patch or update more than once. By grabbing it once, by the above method, you can install it any number of times from your local copy without ever having to download the same code again. (The re-download of tens or hundreds of megs of patches and updates may not be a big deal if you're on a very fast connection, but it's a huge deal with dialup, ISDN, and slower forms of cable and DSL.) Lots more info is coming soon in that aforementioned article that will help you get your PC--- any PC--- in perfect shape for the new year. That article also will include a special section for Win98 users that will show you how to perfect and preserve your system so it will run great even after Microsoft pulls the plug! Click to email this item to a
friend --- ( Your Clicks On Ad Links Help Keep The LangaList S.E. Free! ) --- "Fred, I, like so many
computer geeks get in the habit of trying out different software (freeware and
shareware) never planning to use it, but just trying it out so we will have a
glimmer of an idea of what [someone] may be talking about. Computer, internet,
service newsletters are the same, I have so many sent to me at my junk mail
e-mail site, that I never more than browse them (if I don't automatically trash
them). Then comes the dawning: 'I really am reading and *using* this particular
newsletter or software.' I guess what I am really trying to say is Thanks... At
this time I must sign up for the Plus subscription (at my real e-mail acct). If
we use it, we should pay for it....I and my clients thank you. Bob Javoroski" --------------( the above is an advertisement )-------------- 2) Spam Education BannersTwo readers expanded on the information in "The *Only* Sure Way To Stop Spam" ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-12-11.htm#1 ): Both offered banners we all can place on our personal web sites to drive home the message that the way to stop spam is to stop buying spamvertised products:
Thanks, Marat and Paul! At both locations, you can grab a (free) banner to place on your own site to help spread the word to kill spam *by making it unprofitable.* Click to email this item to a
friend 3) SpyBot Falling Down?
Indeed, it does seem that the pace of updates to Spybot Search and Destroy ( http://www.safer-networking.org/ ) has slackened. It's not to the "bail out" point yet, but it is enough to warrant a raised eyebrow. I know that the author, Patrick Kolla, was engaged in several legal disputes, which can be expensive, disheartening, and time consuming; perhaps that's part of the problem. But remember that AdAware went dark for *months* last year. It happens; any software vendor can hit a rough patch or have server trouble, or what not. That's why I recommend that you use multiple anti-spyware tools--- when one pooches, the others fill in! Click to email this item to a
friend 4) Infrared And Other Modem Links
http://www.pocketirmodem.com/ Regards, Bradford Liedel, Webmaster, http://ModemHelp.Net Thanks, Bradford. With infrared, radio, and powerline modem options now covered, I think we've hit all the bases: If you need to extend a modem signal without running a phone wire, surely one of those choices will do it for you! Click to email this item to a
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )------------- 5) Freeware "Buffet"
Thanks, Jim. That site is part of the confederation of sites involved in the "Freeware Revolution" that we talked about last September ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-09-11.htm#7 ). Nice to see it catching on! Click to email this item to a
friend 6) Recommend This Newsletter And Win!If you think the LangaList is a worthwhile read, maybe a friend would find it useful too! Just use the following link to recommend the LangaList---your friend may find a new source of useful information and you just may win one of three FREE ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTIONS to the LangaList Plus! edition given each month. (If your name is drawn and you're already a Plus! subscriber, your current subscription will be extended by a full year.) Check out the details at http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm . Thanks for recommending the LangaList--- and good luck! Click to email this item to a
friend 7) Reader-Suggested Free Password Managers
Oubliette? What a name! The download page for the software is at http://www.tranglos.com/free/index.html, and you also can access it through the SourceForge listing at http://sourceforge.net/projects/oubliette/ It uses strong encryption via Blowfish or Idea to lock up whatever you'd like to keep safe from prying eyes: "passwords, credit card numbers, and other small, secret pieces of information." As an Open Source project, it's free, and you can examine the source code if you wish to ensure there are no hidden back doors, spyware, or whatnot. Note that it's *not* also a form-filler, as Roboform is ( http://www.roboform.com ). Oubliette will store your passwords and other info safely; Roboform will do that, but also automatically use the data to fill in forms, if you wish it to. Either way, having your passwords safely stored in encrypted files is infinitely better than using open files--- or even sticky notes attached to the PC, as many people use! As I was finishing writing this item, a related note dropped into my mailbox:
Thanks, Marshall! Click to email this item to a
friend 8) More Reader Sites!Do you have a home page or website? (It doesn't
matter what size.) Please click over to http://www.langa.com/code.htm , and maybe you can join the
hundreds and hundreds of LangaList readers who have "Loaded the Code!" (If
you've already "Loaded The Code" and are wondering if your site will appear here
or on the Langa.Com web site, please see http://www.langa.com/link.txt ) Manually Browse All Posted-to-Date Sites Starting At PenFury One More Bite Brief Banter By Ben White's Web World Asian Nation Digital Recreations Wooden Pens Web Services Etc. Quiet Thoughts Metroplex Land Surveying (Tx) Click to email this item to a
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )------------- 9) HotSpots Question
What can I say? You folks like to click! 8-) And sometimes, just as with the sites we feature in the newsletter, the HotSpots sites struggle with the sudden deluge of visitors. But most sites work fine. Like Gregory, many LangaList readers have the Hotspots page set as their home page so they start each day with a site that meets the HotSpots criteria: "The Best, Most Interesting, Most Useful, and Strangest Sites the Web Has To Offer!" <g> Often, the HotSpots listings run in mini-themes--- cool html, freeware libraries, creative site navigation methods, and so on. A recent batch of HotSpots pages had an unusually high percentage of animations and video clips, for example: Cheap!
http://www.robotstore.com/10bots.asp But it's different every day. Stop by http://www.browsertune.com/flanga/hotspots.htm and check it out for yourself! Click to email this item to a
friend 10) Just For Grins
Thanks, David. The TechComedy site is funny--- some of the items there are 100% real, while others are staged. I think the real stuff is actually more interesting, and sobering too, for those who have never been on the support end of a tech support call. Yes, some support techs are rude, clueless, and so on--- but even the great techs have to deal with an amazing amount of abuse from customers who sometimes shouldn't even be in the same room as a PC. 8-) Watch the clips and listen to the recordings of actual tech support calls. Some will make you grimace. But most will make you laugh! Click to email this item to a
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--------------( the above is an advertisement )------------- 11) Plus! Edition Highlights:
Plus! edition subscribers not only get much more content in every issue (like the above), but also have access to a private web site with over 100,000 words of special content and features not found in *any* issue of the newsletter; along with dozens of private downloads and much more--- all for just $1 per month! Check out: http://www.langa.com/plus.htm Click to email this item to a
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