Information Technology & World News: Tips trick

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Saturday, July 14, 2007

11 lessons learnt from working with students in an ICT room

Before the lesson

1. Be clear about the value that you hope will be added to your lesson by using ICT.
2. There will be a departmental or school "code of practice” for behaviour in an ICT room (based on school rules, health and safety etc). It is important that both you and the students are absolutely clear about what is expected. Keeping to the rules that they are used to in ICT is one way of establishing that they would be unwise to try anything on!
3. Know how you can get technical help in the event of technical problems. If you can, arrange to check with a technician that the room is ready before starting the lesson. Build your own familiarity with the software that you will be asking the students to use.

Beginning of lesson
4. The lesson begins outside the door where the students should be lined up – remind them of the need to stow coats and bags safely. Under the desks/worktops is usually the safest place for bags – there can be a lot of movement around an ICT room, which may be cramped in the first place. Check for trailing leads, especially if you are working with laptops. Obstructions are a serious trip hazard, primarily for you as you walk around; monitoring what is going on and answering questions.
5. You cannot compete with a computer! Don’t even attempt to try. While you introduce your lesson you need to have
· all monitors switched off and children turned to face you
· all students’ chairs physically moved so that they are facing you
· all students’ hands off keyboards (even when computers are switched off, they love to play with keyboards!) and mice.

Middle of lesson
6. All students should know their password – if one or more do not, it can bog the lesson down. Be aware of the ICT department’s normal response to forgotten passwords and know who you can call on to sort children out if this occurs.
7. Use the status bar at the bottom of the screen, which will tell you everything the student has open. Students are very adept at opening several programs at once and switching between them when you walk round. If they know you check the bar they are less likely to go off task. In particular, keep a sharp eye open for the “E” of Internet Explorer when they are not supposed to be using the Internet.

End of lesson
8. Encourage students to use Print Preview before printing to check that everything is all right. In particular, they should be looking for blank pages and obvious formatting errors. If the network takes a little while to respond, they should NOT keep clicking on the print button.
9. Students will work at quite different speeds. Some students will not complete all the tasks you set – you need to have a clear idea of what is the minimum acceptable amount from these students and insist that it is done. Reinforce your expectations and give time checks as appropriate. For quicker students, having nothing to do and the resulting boredom may cause these them to become disruptive or to try to do inappropriate things. Have one or more extension or enrichment activities in mind – not just more of the same.
10. Establish the expectation that the computer room is a place where work is done. Resist requests to end a lesson by “going on the Internet”, playing games, etc. Students will ask to do this – consider what your response would be if a child who finished early in a normal lesson asked to be allowed to play on their Nintendo, read a comic or generally indulge in a recreational pastime!
11. Insist that students leave the computer room in a fit state for the next class. Check its state before dismissing them and ensure that all chairs are tucked safely under benches/tables. If there is a history of problems, dismiss students singly at the end of each lesson and check their machine as they leave. This will eliminate almost all abuse.

Perhaps the best tip of all – enjoy teaching with ICT! It can add a whole new dimension to the teaching of certain aspects of your subject, appeal to different learning styles and provide opportunities to enhance and enrich learning.

11 Lessons Learnt

1. Be clear about how ICT will add value to your lesson.
2. Know the rules for using the ICT room.
3. Know how you can get technical help in the event of technical problems.
4. Line the students up outside the room. Ensure bags and coats are stowed safely. Check for dangerously trailing leads and wires especially if working with laptops.
5. When introducing the lesson, get the children to turn their monitors off, turn around in their seats and keep their hands away from the keyboards and mice.
6. Know what you will do if a child claims to have forgotten their password.
7. Use the status bar to monitor what programs each student is running.
8. Encourage students to use Print Preview BEFORE printing, check for blank pages.
9. Some students will finish early, others will struggle to keep up. Be clear about your minimum expectations and have extension tasks ready.
10. Establish the expectation that the computer room is a place where work is done. Resist requests to end a lesson by “going on the Internet”, playing games, etc
11. Check the state of the room before dismissing pupils.

TOP TIP: Enjoy yourself!

Copyright @ medway.gov.uk

TEN TIPS FOR TALKING PUBLIC HEALTH

Created for Turning Point by the Sutton Group, December 2001

1. Don't speak "public health," speak English.
Imagine you are having dinner with your aunt and explaining to her what you do. Would you use workplace jargon? Would she know what you meant by terms like "infrastructure development," "community linkages" and "surveillance capacity?"
Speak in understandable, vivid terms, whether your audience is a policymaker, Chamber of Commerce president or a friend.
Consider some of the statements heard at a recent conference and how they might be put more clearly:
"There is a need for workforce development and preparedness initiatives throughout the United States" would be better put as "We need trained, quick response teams to protect our nation's health."
"We need to address the social determinants of health in order to alleviate the problem of health disparities," would sound more compelling as "We need to tackle the root causes of our health problems, such as lack of insurance or bad air, to ensure everyone has an equal chance of enjoying good health."

2. Know what you want people to do and ask them to do it.
Every conversation about public health, with a variety of people and organizations, presents an opportunity to press your agenda.
Consider what actions you want your audience to take. This is different from wanting your audience to understand public health, or to think it's important. What do you want people to do? What is needed? What will they get for their support?
This requires setting priorities. What are the top things you need to strengthen our state's public health infrastructure? Better email, telephone or computer systems so hospitals, health departments and others can communicate quickly? Training? What kind and why? Who is the person who can make this happen?
When you speak with a policymaker, advocate or even a senior official in your own department, keep these priorities in mind and express them clearly.

3. Make your case with your audience in mind.
Rather than telling people that public health is important and deserves to be funded, show them how it relates to their life and what they care about. When you ask for something, explain why it would benefit your audience.
Virginia's public health professionals enlisted businesses as advocates by conveying public health's benefits to them: a healthy labor pool, less absenteeism and lower insurance costs. The result was state backing for public health initiatives. Remind businesses they are on the front lines of many emergency health situations, and public health is there to support them.
If you are working to enlist hospitals in your efforts, talk about how public health and prevention efforts reduce the number of emergency room visits and the toll of chronic disease.

4. Show, don't tell.
Rather than telling people about public health, calculate and show what it means in practice.
For example, if people in your community care about security, think about positioning public health as a way to protect their health and well-being from harm, whether that harm comes from bioterrorism, disease, or pollution. Use examples to show how public health people protect citizens every day.
Putting costs or dollar amounts to situations can help. The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials surveyed state health departments to show they expect to spend a budget-busting average of $1-5 million over the next three months responding to possible anthrax threats. This is more effective then telling policymakers that bioterrorism concerns are draining resources. It shows it, and it shows it dramatically.
Another example: rather than telling people that they should pay more attention to health disparities, show what this means in terms they care about. Minnesota calculated that if all babies died at the rate of American Indian infants, 600 children more—12 a week and 3,000 over five years—would be lost. The thought of thousands of children dying in infancy mobilizes policymakers to act.

5. Use the magic of stories, examples and analogies.
Public health, infrastructure and surveillance are concepts that most people don't understand. Examples or analogies are communications techniques that can bring these terms to life and illustrate their importance.
For example, think of how your work has affected people in your state or region. Describe the human face of public health. What does it look like? Did public health efforts protect thousands of children from life-threatening diseases through vaccinations? Did surveillance allow you to catch an outbreak of Hepatitis A early and prevent an epidemic? Are your citizens fitter and more long-lived than those in other states?
New York has used an excellent analogy for public health and why it requires more resources: public health as a silent insurance policy. We have not been paying into our policy regularly, yet now we want to cash it in because we need it to safeguard our health. Explain that if we want protection, we need to pay back into this policy by investing in public health. Then say exactly what investments are needed.
Another analogy used by a Virginia Turning Point member helps address the recent paradox of public health messages—that people should not panic because bioterrorism is unlikely to touch them, but that at the same time, the system is unprepared to cope if it occurs. The analogy was airport security. Was there airport security before September 11th? Yes. Is airport security prepared to deal with many problems? Yes. But given new realities and eventualities, it now needs to be upgraded. Similarly, the public health system has a level of preparedness, but we would be wise to invest the money to increase that preparedness.

6. Connect with current events.
Ask yourself how public health relates to what people in your community are talking about today. Then make that connection for them.
This does not mean you are changing your agenda each time the political winds change direction. It means you know how your work relates to events and issues affecting your community now. Try to think of issues that seize people's attention as openings for, not distractions from, your agenda and programs.
When the Genesee County, MI police were flooded with calls about suspected anthrax powder, they didn't know how to handle the material. The county health department immediately put together training for the police, and soon had postal workers and others asking for similar help. The local newspaper praised the public health department in an editorial. Now public health has the county's support, as well as new relationships to aid in many kinds of future initiatives.

7. Talk about the results, not the process.
A lot of important work is accomplished through workshops, meetings, partnerships and planning sessions. In fact, this process is probably central to your job. Unfortunately, it does not sound so exciting to the outside world.
When you talk about your successes or your plans, talk about the destination, not the journey. Which is more interesting—the wonderful place where you arrived (or are headed), or the 14-hour bus ride to get there? Rather than talking about a coalition formed between public health departments and hospital, describe the resulting daily bulletins between these groups that alerted them to unusual illness patterns. Did you set up a "workforce development center?" Rather than discussing that process, describe who has been trained and what they've done for real people.

8. Use your partners to advance your agenda.
You may not be in a position to speak out about public health, but what about your allies? In fact, they may be better positioned to sell your agenda. You have probably invested a lot of time and effort in forging relationships beyond the health department. When you need advocacy, those relationships prove invaluable.
Who in your coalitions or communities has influence on people key to advancing public health priorities? Do you have a partner in the business community who can testify before the state legislature for a key law? Will a hospital association director or doctor discuss public health issues before the public?

9. Use your interest groups.
Have you heard of the National Public Health Information Coalition? It has a database of every state's public health information officer. NACCHO has position papers for policymakers on key public health issues. ASTHO has a special bioterrorism task force setting up communications strategies. Look up your professional organization online or call them—they are in the business of helping you spread the message.

10. Avoid the lectures—people might listen.
Lastly, there is a saying in social marketing: swallow your cause. As a public health professional, you are committed to a good cause, and it is tempting to tell people that cause is important and expect that will change things. But you will be more effective if you can swallow that message and instead show people how your work relates to their concerns.This is not selling out—it is reaching out. If you can communicate effectively, their understanding—and appreciation—will follow.

Crimes and Misdemeanors:Tips on Collegiality in Professional Paper Presentations

By : Pamela H. Simpson, Washington and Lee University

You have all seen it. Or heard about it. One person in a session seems to think what he or she has to say is so important that it warrants going over the twenty minutes allotted. Sometimes two or three presenters think it is simply impossible to say what they have to say in twenty minutes and each goes over a little--only five minutes--that’s not much, right? No one really expects you to do this in exactly twenty minutes, do they? The results? Each of those over-runs adds up; the last presenter has only ten minutes; the audience has no time for questions at all; the meeting organizer is banging on the door trying to get the next session into the room.

The failure to stay within the twenty-minute time slot might not seem like a capital crime, but it is the equivalent of getting up in front of your colleagues and declaring, “What I have to say is so important that it justifies my stealing the time of others on this panel and of the audience. [1]

Here are some hints for avoiding such “white-collar crime” and presenting a successful paper:

1. Write it ahead of time. Since usually you are required to submit your paper to the session chair before the meeting, one would think everyone ought to know exactly how long the paper is. Still, there are those who submit a 20-page paper and ignore the chair’s suggestions for cutting it. Common sense and experience indicate that a twenty-minute paper is about 10 pages long. That is with double spacing, 12-point type, and normal margins. Depending on how fast you read it will be about two minutes per page. The papers must be written. Loading a carousel full of slides and talking from notes may be appropriate for a classroom lecture, but not for a formal paper session at a professional meeting.

2. Stick to your script. Even with a 10-page text, some people find it impossible not to give a few asides or impromptu digressions in the course of reading the paper. All of these add minutes taking away from the time allotted to others. Stay at the podium too. There is no need to wander about the stage. If you want to point to something on the screen, arrange to have a laser pointer. Don’t distract your audience and yourself by dancing back and forth in front of the bright lights.

3. Practice it. If you are going to give a good paper, it has to be prepared ahead of time and practiced. Everyone gets nervous. Those people in the audience are your professional peers. Their opinions are ones you value. The key to doing the presentation well is to know your script. Practicing in front of friends and colleagues at home before you come to the meeting not only gives you familiarity with your text; it also can provide some useful feedback. Are your points clear? Does that image illustrate your ideas? Are you speaking clearly and slowly enough? Better to have your friends tell you than embarrass yourself at the meeting.

4. Slides or Digital Images. How many times have you seen presenters glance over at the screen and say, “Oh, where did that come from?” and then click the projector back and forth in confusion? It would not happen if they had practiced reading the paper with the images beforehand. It can be helpful to put a red star into the text every time you plan to advance to the next image. Thus as you read along and come to a red star, you know to punch the button. Write the names of the appropriate images in the margin near the star so you know what you meant to show. And practice it until all goes smoothly. Avoid having to go backward. Duplicate your images if you need to repeat them. Do whatever is necessary so all you have to do is push that advance button.

These days, you probably will be using digital images rather than slides. Make sure you coordinate with the meeting director as to whether or not you need to bring your own laptop, cable hookup, etc. Compatibility is always an issue; so if you need technical help, check with those who can help you before you get to the meeting. And if you are a Macintosh user, be certain to bring the proper VGA adapter.

5. Plan for disaster. What is the worst thing that can happen during a presentation? It might be that the technology doesn’t work, so it helps to have a backup (maybe even slides) and a disk as well as a memory stick. Get to the room ahead of time to make sure it works and you have time to find help if you need it. Don’t made the mistake I recently saw where a speaker had her paper on the same computer she planned to use to show the images. She had planned to read the paper from the computer screen, but of course, you can’t if you are using it for the images. She would have known the problem if she had practiced before hand.

Another problem I saw was someone trying to use an ArtStor presentation but the computer didn’t have the off-line image viewer. You can download it, but it takes time, so you don’t want to discover that you have to do that when you get up to talk. Power Point is probably easier than MDID or ArtStor for presentations off your home campus. Be prepared and anticipate problems before you get there.

And it is always a good idea to carry your paper and your images with you on the plane. Don’t check them with your bags. The last thing you need to worry about is lost luggage.

It is a great honor for your paper to have been chosen for presentation. Your ideas in the abstract have been interesting enough for selection. Now you have to do the hard work of writing the paper. If circumstances change and you cannot attend the meeting, let the organizers know in plenty of time for them to re-arrange the paper sessions. It is inconsiderate and professionally inappropriate to withdraw at the last minute or simply not show up for the meeting.

Finally, remember this is a paper, not the whole dissertation or book. You have to decide how to limit it to the twenty-minute format. If the text is more than 10 pages, cut it. When it comes to the presentation, stick to your script and practice, practice, practice. If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing well, especially in front of your professional colleagues.

[1] Patricia Marinardi wrote an essay for the College Art Association on “White Collar Crime” a number of years ago. The comment on stealing time is a paraphrase of her statement on the subject.

11 Steps to (hopefully) fixing a computer problem

1) Before trying to fix your computer try and back up your data.

Before you start following directions over the phone and tearing your system apart, make sure you have a backup of all your important documents, e-mail, and other data. Although many fixes will be as simple as downloading a new driver, you'll be glad you have a backup if you find yourself reinstalling the OS. You should also have your original CDs around in case you need to reinstall apps.

2) Check your connections.
This may sound obvious, but check all the cables to make sure they are plugged in securely. Don't ignore this step. Cables have a way of working themselves loose and causing problems. Also make sure all the boards are seated properly and the cables connected inside your PC. If you get a beeping tone when you boot, and no video, start by opening the machine and reseating the graphics board in its slot.

3) Reboot.
Windows sometimes gets into a confused or panic state, and by simply rebooting you can clear the memory and set things straight. Similarly, if you're having a problem connecting to the Internet, try rebooting your cable/DSL modem and router by unplugging and replugging them. But this isn't something you should have to do often. If you find yourself rebooting more then once a day, the problem is a bit deeper.

4) Scan for disk errors
Check your hard drive for errors. Open My Computer and right click on your hard drive icon (most likely C drive). Select Properties and in the window that opens select the Tools tab. Place a checkmark in both boxes and click on Start. You get a message that you will need to restart your computer for the check to take place, click on Yes. Restart your computer and wait (a longtime) for the check to run.

5) Check for damaged system files.
Click on Start menu and select Run. Type in CMD to obtain a command line window. In the command line window type sfc /scannow and wait for the scan to run. It to will take a long time to run.

6) Update your operating system and software.
Check for updates to any applications you use, especially any that seem to be related to your current computer problem.

Microsoft is always updating Windows with minor patches and bug fixes. Depending on whether you use Windows Automatic Updates, keeping the OS up to date may require some diligence on your part. In Windows XP, select Start All Programs Windows Update. (Other programs will often include update options on their Help or File menus

7) Roll back your system.
Windows XP and Windows Me offer System Restore, which lets you roll back your computer to an earlier configuration. By default, Windows creates periodic checkpoints either on a scheduled basis or when you make changes to the system. In case of a problem, the System Restore wizard lets you step back to a prior state when your system was running better; it won't delete data files, but will restore system files and Registry entries. To get to the System Restore wizard, go to Start Accessories System Tools System Restore..) When you are done rolling back your system you will have to run the update function once more.

8) Make sure that you are using the latest drivers for your hardware.
Make sure the drivers for your hardware are up to date. An old driver and cause conflicts with new hardware. Go to http://driveragent.com for a free scan of your systems drivers. You can then update the drivers yourselft for free. Download the current driver for the hardware makers web site and then open the device manager (Control Panel System Hardware Device Manager), select the device with the driver you want to update, right-click, and open its Properties. Under the Drivers tab, you can update,.

9) Roll back a driver.
Remember when we said to update your drivers? Well, sometimes that can backfire on you. If something breaks when you update a driver, you should use the Driver Rollback utility, which works much like System Restore but only on a specific device driver.

To roll back to a previous driver, open the device manager (Control Panel System Hardware Device Manager), select the device with the driver you want to roll back, right-click, and open its Properties. Under the Drivers tab, you can update, roll back, or uninstall the driver.

10) Read article at PC World for more fixes.
Read the article Ten Sure-Fire Fixes for a Problem PC at the following URL for more fixes:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,126459/article.html

11) Gather information and call tech support for computer maker, hardware maker, or software maker
Resolving a problem over the phone requires a series of questions, often having to do with the specific hardware, OS, and software you're using. You can get a lot of information from System Information (Start l All Programs l Accessories l System Tools l System Information)

Try to remember any new software, no matter how small or insignificant, that you've installed or noticed lately. It can also help to jot down any services running in the background. To access a list of what is running on your Windows XP system, press Ctrl-Alt-Del and select Task Manager. You can also get very detailed info from Start All Programs Accessories System Tools System Information.

Try to isolate when and where the problem happens. If, for example, you discover your printer isn't working from Word, check to see whether it works from Notepad or IE. Many times the problem is just a wrong setting.

If your USB camera stopped working when you plugged in your printer, try removing devices and putting them back one by one to see exactly when the problem occurs. Maybe you can print when you first boot up, but it seems to go haywire after you send some faxes? Does the problem occur all the time or only after the machine has been running for a while? Is the problem repeatable? Observing what situations lead up to a problem can be a great help in determining what is causing it.

When a crash occurs, an app called Dr. Watson saves info about your memory and configuration to a crash log file. In Windows XP, the default location is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Dr Watson. The crash log is a text file called Drwtsn32.log, which can be read in Notepad or sent via e-mail to a tech-support person. Dr. Watson can also create a crash dump, which contains similar information but is readable only by a debugging utility.
Once you have all the information you can find call tech support. They will treat you better if you have done your homework.

Business Travelers Beware: Free Wi-Fi Scam Strikes at Airports

In order to keep up in today’s world, a business needs to make sure its employees stay connected, even on the road. Many airports and other public spaces offer free wireless, or Wi-Fi, connections for the public to log onto the Internet from their laptop computers. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns that hackers are now taking advantage of this convenience and setting up fake Wi-Fi connections designed to steal your personal information and files without you even knowing.

How it works
Although hackers can and have set up fake Wi-Fi connections in a number of venues, usually they will target consumers at airports. When searching for connections, consumers may see a network connection available that could be simply named “Free Wi-Fi.” Thinking it’s the free connection offered by the establishment, they’ll log on. Unfortunately, the network may actually be an “ad-hoc” network, or a peer-to-peer connection. The user will be able to surf the Internet, but they’re doing it through the hacker’s computer. And the whole time, the hacker is stealing information like passwords, credit card and bank account numbers, and social security numbers. Beyond simply stealing keystroke information as the user enters various types of data, if the PC is set to share files, the hacker could even steal whole documents from the computer.

Airports across the nation continue to report on Wi-Fi security issues. Officials in Atlanta, New York LaGuardia and Los Angeles airports have all reported the existence of ad-hoc networks advertised as free Wi-Fi connections. An investigation revealed that Chicago O’Hare had 20 ad-hoc networks present that were potentially designed with the intent of hacking into unsuspecting user’s computers and networks.

The BBB offers the following advice on how to keep yourself safe when you go wireless:
Never connect to an unfamiliar ad-hoc network—even if the name sounds genuine. A hacker can change the name of his network to anything he wants, including the name of the legitimate Internet connection offered by the airport. Just because it has the same name as the Wi-Fi advertised in the airport, don’t believe it. For more information on how to distinguish between an ad-hoc network and a normal Wi-Fi network with Windows Vista or XP visit http://support.microsoft.com.

Make sure that your computer is not set up to automatically connect to non-preferred networks. Otherwise your computer could automatically connect to the hacker’s network without your knowledge.

Turn off file sharing when you’re on the road to prevent hackers from stealing entire documents, files and unencrypted e-mail from your computer.

Create a Virtual Private Network (VPN) for your business. A VPN establishes a private network across the public network by creating a tunnel between the two endpoints so that nobody in between can intercept the data. Many companies allow remote users to connect to corporate networks as long as they use VPN. This keeps the users' communications just as secure as if they were sitting at a desk in the building.
The BBB is here to help with advice you can trust. For more information on identity theft, fraud prevention, and keeping your company secure online, visit www.bbb.org.

Protecting your wireless network from hackers

Many households are now opting for the convenience of a wireless network and the Better Business Bureau has tips on how to keep your network safe from hackers.

War Drivers—as they are so ominously called—literally get in their car and drive around town searching for wireless networks they can connect to. When they find a poorly protected wireless network, they can potentially sneak onto your computer and steal personal information such as credit card and bank account numbers, social security numbers and many other forms of personal information.

Now, there are even War Spammers who employ the same method as War Drivers but, once they get onto your wireless network, install viruses and potentially turn your computer into a zombie—distributing spam without your knowledge.

The BBB offers a number of steps you can take to protect your home or home-based business wireless network:

1. password protections for your computer. Make sure your network, computer, and potentially even your files are password protected. You’ll also want to change your password monthly at a minimum.

2. their name at the door. Every wireless-enabled device has a unique MAC, or Machine Access Code. Many wireless routers can be set-up to identify and allow only computers you want on your network based on their MAC address.

3. additional firewall software on your computer and keep it updated. Not only should your wireless network be setup to keep strangers out, but you’ll also want to install firewall software on your computer to make sure that only authorized users can log on.

4. file sharing. In addition to what you’re transmitting over the Internet, hackers are also interested in what is saved on your computer. Files, documents, and unencrypted e-mails are all up for grabs if you don’t disable or restrict file sharing.

5. off your wireless connection when you’re not using it. The longer you’re using a wireless connection, the more time a hacker will have to figure out how to break into you computer, so always disconnect your computer from a wireless network when you’re not actively using the system.

6. your network a secret. Wireless routers broadcast a “Service Set Identifier,” or SSID, to let computers or other devices know of the network’s presence. Turning off the broadcast means that War Drivers won’t even know your network exists.

For trustworthy advice on the steps you can take to stay safe online and protect yourself from identity theft, contact the BBB or visit www.bbb.org.

CopyRight @ bbb

How to keep your kids safe in the age of MySpace

In an age where it is commonplace for kids to know more about technology and the Internet than their parents, do you know how and where your children spend their time in cyberspace?
In a report entitled Online Victimization of Youth: Five Years Later, researchers found that approximately one in seven youth (10 to 17-years-old) received a sexual solicitation or approach over the Internet. With kids using the Internet at school, with friends, and at home, it is important for parents to be aware of what their children are doing online, what the risks include, and what you can do to keep them safe.
Social networking groups like MySpace, Facebook, and Friendster can be a great forum for teenagers to express themselves and make friends that might have common interests. However, such groups can also be dangerous if young people get involved with predators. Many of these websites allow users to create profiles with contact information, pictures, and journals. Child abductors and other criminals may use such websites to lure kids into meeting in-person by lying about their age and interests.
While MySpace, Facebook, and Friendster cater to teens, other sites advertise themselves as offering chat for “Kids.” Don’t be taken in by the name. They often do not screen for age and allow adults, pretending to be children, to participate.
Make sure to not only check on the names of the sites used by your children, but to visit the sites and use them. Remember, if a site allows your child to post information such as an email address, a full name, or a street address, your child can be contacted by anyone who sees that post online.
If your child is under 13 years of age, a site that allows posting without prior parental permission, is probably in violation of the Guidelines of the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (“CARU”) and of Federal law. If you have any question or complaints regarding websites used by your children, contact CARU at http://www.caru.org/.
Sharing music or other files, when done unlawfully through programs like Limewire, BitTorrent, or Gnutella, can lead to serious legal issues and the loss of any personal information that may be stored on your computer. When files are shared, it is possible that you are opening your personal computer up to anyone who wants your personal information and spreading harmful viruses without your knowledge.
The first, and maybe the most important, step towards prevention is to talk to your children. At an early age, sit down with your kids to visit fun and educational Web sites together and teach them how the internet can be a useful tool.
Once they start to gain a little more independence, you may consider purchasing filters for your computer that you can use to set restrictions. Some filters can monitor or restrict specific websites, certain content, or the use of any personal information. If you would like to know more about how to keep your kids safe online check out the following websites:
· The Better Business Bureau – http://www.bbb.org/
· http://www.kids.getnetwise.org/
· National Center for Missing & Exploited Children - http://www.missingkids.com/
· Federal Bureau of Investigations - http://www.fbi.gov/
· http://www.wiredkids.org/

Copyright @ Internet

Tips for keeping your cell phone safe from hackers and thieves

As the technology improves, we increasingly rely on our cell phones for more than just making calls; we’re using them to send emails, schedule meetings, and surf the internet. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns that the downside of having a little computer in your pocket is that, just like with the computer on your desk, there are people out there ready, willing, and able to exploit it.

An estimated 600,000 cell phones will be reported lost or stolen this year. If your phone lands in the wrong hands, you’re not only saying goodbye to all your contacts but you’re potentially facing a very high phone bill. Some victims report having received bills for more than $25,000 after their phone was stolen.
Even if your phone never leaves your side, it’s still vulnerable to hackers—or phreakers as they’re called. Phreakers, by just walking past you, can hack into your cell phone and listen in on your calls or steal personal information without your knowledge. They do this by exploiting the short-range Bluetooth wireless connections between cell phones and hands-free headsets or PCs. Phreakers can also spread viruses through text messages, emails, and memory cards.

The BBB offers a number of simple steps you can take to protect yourself and your personal information.

Don’t lose it! Your best defense against thieves and hackers is to keep close tabs on your cell phone. If other people can’t get their hands on it, they’re going to have a much harder time trying to take advantage of it.

Contact your cell phone provider as soon as your cell phone is lost or you think it’s been hacked. If your cell phone is lost or stolen you’ll want to discontinue service immediately before the thief can run up a big bill. Check your provider’s policy because, while they may offer to cover charges if the phone is stolen, they are not required to and you could be held responsible.

Password protect your phone. Locking and password protecting your phone is just as important as having passwords on your computer.

Turn off your Bluetooth. Disabling your Bluetooth wireless connection when you’re not using it will significantly decrease a phreaker’s opportunity to wirelessly hack into your phone.

Download anti-virus software and keep it updated. New viruses are created every day, so it’s important to have anti-virus software on your cell phone—if it’s available for your model—and update it regularly.

Don’t accept files and text messages from strangers. You wouldn’t download an attachment to an email you received from a stranger to your PC. For the same reason you want to be very careful about opening unsolicited files and text messages on your cell phone.The BBB has advice you can use on keeping up and keeping safe with emerging technology. For more tips and information go to www.bbb.org.

Copyright @ bbb

GATCF – Tips for saving your work

When typing up an assignment, you need to make sure that your hard work is safe! The tips and guidelines in this document provide a combination of options to avoid disaster (Remembering that no individual method of saving is 100% reliable)

What are my Options? - A quick overview

If you are working on one of JCU's General access labs you have access to several different ways to save and transport your work. Here are a few options and a brief description about them.

Homes Drive - Your own personal storage space allocated by the university. This holds up to 10MB of storage and files stored here are available from all the GATCF computers as your H: drive, and from home via a web browser through StudentsOnline

Shared Drive - A large temporary storage where files stored there are only available from the GATCF computer you are sitting at. Also known as E: drive on GATCF computers

3 1/2 inch Floppy Drive - Small, portable disk that can hold up to 1.44MB of storage. Also known as A: on GATCF computers

CD Burners - Use either write-once or reusable media to hold up to 700MB of storage: Also known an F: on GATCF computers

USB Drive - Sizes range from around 16MB up to multiple 1000's of MB. When plugged into a GATCF computer they usually show up as G: drive.

Email Attachment - If your disc isn't working or your home drive is unavailable you can always send your work as an attachment via email. JCU email supports attachments of up to 20MB in size

DVD Burner – Same as CD Burners but can store up to 4.7GB and only available in Library Workstations, BH149, WE024 and A204 in Townsville. Also library workstations in Cairns.

Home Drive

Your home drive is your university allocated storage space. This drive is not actually stored on the computer you are sitting on - it is just made available when you log in. By default your home drive can store about 10 Megabytes of data.

Ideally this is a good place to make short-term backups of your work as there really isn't enough space to keep all your documents and work on multiple new documents at the same time, especially if they include picture/video files.

The home drive is also used as the temporary storage space for a lot of common activities in the GATCF lab. Printing and saving documents usually requires a small amount of temporary space. If you experience troubles with either of these activites a good place to look is to see how much home drive space you have left ( 1 - 2 MB is a good number )

To see how much space you have used login to http://www.jcu.edu.au/Studentsonline and on the left hand menu under the title "Computing Information" there is a section called "Home Drive". From here you can see a a gauge with your used / free home drive space and links to accessing your home drive through the web browser.

Helpful Tips + Potential problems:
Be careful of how much you put on your home drive. It looks and acts like a hard drive in a computer but it is very easy to forget that the home drive doesn't have much space. 10 Megabytes is 30-40 Word Documents, but only 10-20 PDF files or 2-3 MP3's. You should only use your home drive for storing short-term backups of your work, not to download lecture notes to or email attachments. If you are looking for someplace temporary to store files use the shared Drive.

Copyright@InfoHelp

Friday, June 29, 2007

Current Date and Time

In MS Word:

Alt + Shift + D will insert the current date into your document।

Alt + Shift + T will insert the current time into your document।

In MS PowerPoint:

Either of the above key combinations for MS Word brings up the Date and Time window where you can choose what's to be inserted on a PowerPoint slide।

In MS Excel:

Ctrl + ; (semicolon) will insert the current date into your worksheet।

Ctrl + Shift + : (colon) will insert the current time into your worksheet।

Unknown to most, the current date and time really are at your fingertips!

How to Find What Virus was Removed

Norton AntiVirus 2004 and Mcafee Virusscan ver 8।0 in our security demonstration this week.

When I get into work and check my emails my Norton pops up every now and then in the corner and let's me know that one of my incoming emails has a virus threat। Usually I just go about my business, and simply rest assured that my antivirus software is doing its job। Every now and then I notice an influx of viral activity in my email account and I want a little more information on what's trying so hard to infect my PC or if there's a pattern at all. There are a couple of ways to do this, and there are some similarities and differences between the ways that the two leading anti virus programs do this.

Norton does a great job of protecting me from viruses। It will pop up and let me know that it is scanning outgoing and incoming mail। While receiving email, if the program runs across a virus it will pop up a save window letting me know where the backup file is being saved, This is usually the quarantine folder within the Norton program. With Outlook / Outlook Express simply right click the paperclip icon in the preview pane. You'll see that the attachment is called "Norton AntiVirus Deleted1.txt"—left click the file.

A message will come up in notepad telling you the name of the infected document that was removed and what virus it contained.

McAfee has very similar features: it scans my incoming and outgoing mail and it pops up to let me know when there's a threat in my email। The pop up window in McAfee also has the name of the potential virus with a link to more information concerning the virus in question.

This is nice and because you can see the threat without going though the procedure of clicking the paperclip for the name of the virus like in the before mentioned Norton antivirus। However, you can view the virus information by clicking on the paperclip like you do with Norton if you didn't catch the virus name in the initial pop up and would like view information on it.

Delete the List of Recently Accessed Documents

Cover your tracks by removing the list of recently accessed files in Windows 2000.

Are you sharing a PC and need a quick way to delete the list of recently accessed web sites, images, or documents from your machine before you hand it off?

1. Right-click on an empty area of your taskbar and choose "Properties".
2. On the multi-tabbed dialog box that appears, click the "Advanced" tab.
3. Now, click the "Clear" button next to the trashcan.
4. Press "OK" to close the dialog box.

Note that this doesn't guarantee that someone who knows what they're doing can't find out what you have been using on the shared machine, but this tip may work for most people.

Disable the Recycle Bin

Stop using Windows 2000's Recycle Bin when deleting software or files

If you like living "without a net" and tire of Windows 2000's Recycle Bin, you can disable it so that once you delete files, they are gone forever (unless you use a disk recovery tool, and even then, there are no guarantees you can recover deleted files).

Note that this is only recommended for expert users, and even then, think twice before you disable this sometimes very-needed feature! However, if you are running low on hard disk space or tire of having to delete files twice, you may want to consider this option.

To disable the Recycle Bin:

1 Right-click on the "Recycle Bin" Desktop icon and choose "Properties".
2. On the "Recycle Bin Properties" multi-tabbed dialog box that follows, select "Global".
3. Check "Do not move files to the Recycle Bin". Then, if you're really daring, uncheck "Display delete confirmation dialog".
4. Press "OK" to close the dialog box.

Manipulate the QuickLaunch Taskbar Area

Access your most-used applications faster by learning how to manipulate the Windows 2000 QuickLanch area.

You know the QuickLaunch area of the taskbar, directly to the left of the taskbar area that contains the currently running programs? Usually an icon for Internet Explorer is here, along for other software packages.

While this area may contain some software you use often, perhaps there are other pieces of software that would prove useful here. To add software to the QuickLaunch area, just drag and drop an application from Explorer or the Desktop to the QuickLaunch bar and it is added.

Need to delete something from the QuickLaunch bar? Right-click an icon and choose "Delete", then confirm.

You can click and drag the QuickLaunch slider between the QuickLaunch area and currently running programs area of the Taskbar to increase / decrease the QuickLaunch area's size.

Programs Menu Taking Too Much Room?

Shrink the size of your Windows 2000 Programs Menu even if you have tons of programs installed.

Do you have a lot of software installed on your Windows 2000 machine? So much software that when you choose "Start"- "Programs", the list of available software takes up two or three columns? While some people (including myself) would suggest you uninstall software you no longer need, you probably immediately just need a better way to navigate through this list. Some people prefer only showing one column of programs in the "Start" menu with scrolling up and down arrows surrounding the column. This way, your "Start" menu does not take up half the screen.

Right-click on an empty area of your taskbar and choose "Properties". On the multi-tabbed dialog box that appears, click the "Advanced" tab. Now, under "Start Menu Settings", check "Scroll the Programs Menus" and click "OK".

Hide the Taskbar Clock

Ditch the Windows 2000 taskbar clock to save room for more on your taskbar

It can be very convenient to have the time displayed on the Windows 2000 taskbar. However, if you need more room to show your QuickLaunch area or list of currently running programs, you can hide the clock. Just right-click on the clock and choose "Properties". When the "Taskbar and Start Menu Properties" menu appears, uncheck "Show clock" and press "OK".

Put the Desktop in your Taskbar

How to put shortcut links to your Desktop in the Windows 2000 taskbar

Do you frequently multitask? If so, all of the windows created by running applications on your Windows 2000 box can quickly cover your desktop. If you'd like, you can make the desktop icons immediately accessible from your taskbar.

Right-click an empty area of your taskbar, choose "Toolbars", and check "Desktop". Your desktop icons will then be immediately accessible without having to minimize your current windows. If you have a lot of desktop icons, click on the two greater-than arrows (">>") to the right of your desktop icons and a popup menu will appear allowing you to select from any of the available desktop icons not immediately visible on your taskbar.

Smaller Start Menu

Shrink the size of your Start menu to save screen real estate

To shrink the size of your icons in the Start Menu, as well as get rid of the "Windows 2000" label, right-click on an empty taskbar area and choose "Properties". Check "Use small icons in Start menu" and press "Ok".

Favorites in Start Menu

View your favorite web pages directly from the Start menu

Would you like to be able to access your favorite Internet documents (your bookmarks) directly from the Windows 2000 Start Menu without having to first load Internet Explorer?

1. Right-click on an empty area of your taskbar and choose "Properties".
2. On the multi-tabbed dialog box that appears, click the "Advanced" tab.
3. Now, under "Start Menu Settings", check "Display Favorites".
4. Click "Ok" to close the dialog box.

Make your Documents Easier to Reach

Make the My Documents folder easier to access from the Start menu

Especially if you use Microsoft Office, you may have certain documents in your Windows 2000 "My Documents" folder that you need to frequently access. While you can normally open your "My Documents" folder from the Start Menu's "Documents" menu, here is how to save a mouse click and view the contents of that folder directly on the "Start" menu.

1. Right-click on an empty area of your taskbar and choose "Properties".

2. On the multi-tabbed dialog box that appears, click the "Advanced" tab.

3. Now, under "Start Menu Settings", check "Expand My Documents".

4. Click "Ok" to close the dialog box.

Click "Start", "Documents", then "My Documents", and the contents of that folder are just a click away!
To require or disable a logon password in a workgroup setting
Open Users and Passwords in Control Panel.
On the Users tab, do one of the following:
Click the Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer check box to require users to provide this information when they log on.
Clear the Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer check box to allow a user to automatically log on. You will be prompted to provide the name and password of the user who will be automatically logged on each time the computer starts.

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